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Still no hope for East Slope Page X
University are yet to receive any construction bids for the redevelopment of East Slope
The preferred bidder is due to be announced in December
The tender process for potential bidders has been open since October 2013 Jack Williams News Editor No construction bids have been submitted to the University of Sussex to take on the University’s long standing plan to redevelop the East Slope accommodation, despite the tender process lasting for over a year. The Badger discovered that the University currently have no contractors lined up to redevelop East Slope following a freedom of information request by the newspaper asking for a copy of each construction bid sheet tendered to the University. When contacted, the University confirmed that no bids have been received and that the tendering process will still remain open. The University have been advertising their project entitled ‘Development of student accommodation at East Slope and expansion of the Uni-
versity campus’ to prospective construction companies on the Tenders Direct website since October 2013. At a meeting of the University Council in September, it was reported that a preferred bidder for the redevelopment of East Slope would be identified by the University management in December of this year, meaning that the project faces being delayed if they still have no bids forthcoming within a month. A University Spokesperson reiterated that are still keeping the tender process open but that they could not disclose any “commercially sensitive” details during the process. The University of Sussex announced last year that it plans to demolish East Slope, the campus’ oldest accommodation, in 2016 as part of its ‘masterplan’. The construction of the rebuilt East Slope accomodation is forecast to be completed in 2018.
Sophie Jones
University of Sussex
Shortfall in international fees at Sussex Vicky Farley Comment Editor
International student fees have been revealed to have made up £4.8million less in the University’s 2013-14 budget than was originally forecasted, a shortfall possibly linked to the recent price rise announced in international student fees. The figure was revealed in a report made to the Finance and Investments Committee last year but only just released into the public domain. The document stated that while international student tuitions fees were expected to reach £43.6million in the 2013-14 academic year, they eventually
came to a smaller £38.8million. The sum of £4.8million corresponds to roughly 800 full time students, as quoted in the report. Despite underestimating the figure, the University also released a report of this year’s estimated budget, predicting international student fees to reach £42.6million in the present academic year, only marginally less than last year’s unfulfilled prediction. The news comes shortly after international students of the University called management into account for plans to raise tuition fees for non-EU students by £750 from the previous sum of around £13,000. In a letter addressed to the academic
community, the students stated: ‘We as international students already pay a huge amount of fees to study at Sussex. An increase of £750 for a year is a 5% jump in fees and well over inflation. It is a sum of money that most of us can’t afford to spend.” If the University does indeed go through with the £750 price rise, a quota of only 6311 international students would be needed to reach £42.6million, roughly 150 less than it took to reach £38.8million last year. Speaking to The Badger, International Relations postgraduate student Beatrice Chateauvert-Gagnon said she believed that the fee hike was indeed connected to the shortfall in international stu-
dents attending, and that in her view Sussex needed to improve in its treatment of international students. Ms. Chateauvert-Gagnon also admitted she would be reluctant to recommend the university to her colleagues in Canada, saying: “Here at Sussex, the lack of communication such as the absence of notification towards that hike is perceived by many of us like a lack of consideration and respect, like we don’t even deserve an email before we are asked to contribute even more financially to an institution that gives us very little recognition in return.” The University website states that “All fees are liable to review and change without notice and to increase each year
over the duration of your course” on the subject of overseas student fees. A University spokesperson commented: ““We have no evidence that tuition fees are the reason for the shortfall against budget - our fees remain extremely competitive compared to other quality higher education institutions. “Challenges to any increase in the number of international students at Sussex include the UK government’s policy on visas, but we have more international students than ever and are expecting the numbers to grow.” Despite the loss in student tuition fees, the University made £13.7million in surplus, £1.7million more than was approved by the Council in June 2013.
the badger
10 NOVEMBER 2014
IN PICTURES Festivities in and ‘round Sussex:
in pictures • 2
Editor-in-Chief Deborah Batchelor badger@sussexstudent.com News Editor Jack Williams Tech/Science/Features Editor Jordan Ellis Comment Editor Victoria Farley Arts Editor Tom Powell Head of Publicity Lili Pammer-Zagroczky News Sub Editors Daniel Green, Zoe Halse, Alex Ferguson, Rosie Dodds badger-news@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Tech Sub Editor
Daniel Green
Connor Cochrane badger-tech@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Features Sub Editor Ryan Bourne badger-features@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Daniel Green Cosmo Sanderson Science Sub Editor Jade Groves badger-science@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Comment Sub Editors Miriam Steiner, Alice Nettleship badger-opinion@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Letters Sub Editor Louis Patel badger-letters@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Arts Sub Editors Victoria O’Donnell, Ioana Matei, Raymond Jennings, Lily Cooper, Jessica-Lily Harvey-Cox badger-arts@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Sports Sub Editor
Cosmo Sanderson
Vladislav Hristov Grozev badger-sports@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Photo Editors Aditi Sreevathsa, Sophie Jones thebadgerphotography@gmail.com Hal Furness
Publicity Coordinator Lenart Celar badger-publicity@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Online Editors Steve Barker, Pete Humphreys badger-online@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Media Development Officer Paul Millar mediadevelopment@sussexstudent. com Communications Officer Michael Segalov
Hal Furness
Daniel Green
communications@sussexstudent. Sophie Jones
the badger
10 NOVEMBER 2014
NEWS • 3
University considering scrapping library fines Daniel Green News Sub-Editor The University Library are considering reducing fines for overdue books and possibly abolishing them altogether, according to the Education Officer Bethan Hunt. The news comes in the wake of Sheffield University taking the decision to abolish all library fines. Bethan Hunt added that the Library has “been talking about reducing fines as the system had not been reviewed in the last few years”. She also revealed that they are also planning on reducing fines for replacing books if students lose them, with this move “currently going through the process of being approved.” Last month, the University of Sheffield became one of the first universities in the country to scrap library fines, in a bid to become ‘fairer and more efficient’. The new system will now automatically renew books until someone else requests them, the only sanction being that students wouldn’t be able to take out any further books until returning any overdue books. However, the move has been seen by some as another step towards students becoming customers and consumers in education. Alison Little, assistant director for library customer relations, said that eliminating fines, which previously costs students up to £2 per day for every overdue book, would be effective in creating
a welcoming and more “user-friendly” library. In a statement, a University spokesperson said: “We keep library fines and charges under constant review and consult regularly with out user community on these issues in order to assess whether there might be other ways of ensuring that everyone has equitable access to our collections. We will be watching with interest how Sheffield’s approach to library fines plays out and will continue to review our practice at Sussex”. The Office of Fair Trading warned universities earlier this year that they could be breaching consumer law by refusing to award degrees to students with overdue books, a practice used by many universities in the UK. Upon concluding their investigation launched in the summer of 2013, the Office of Fair Trade found that 75 percent of the UK’s higher education institutions upheld a policy which inhibited students from advancing to their graduation or progressing to the next stage of their Last year, it was revealed by The Badger following a freedom of information request that the University of Sussex had collected over £500,000 in library fines between 2007 and 2013, with one student being charged a monumental £894.22 alone (half of that fine was however, waived due to the student’s exceptional circumstances). The total amount accumulated in fines for late book returns reached it’s peak in the 2010/2011 academic year, which saw the University take in £95,106
Lewes Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker will be visiting campus this week to give a talk on drug policy reform. The Sussex Liberal Democrat society have organised the talk and is scheduled to take place on this Thursday at 6pm in Arts A1. The Lewes MP resigned from his post of Home Office Minister last week, citing that working with Conservative Home Secretary Theresa May was a “constant battle”. An effigy of Scotland First Minister, which was created to be set ablaze during the Lewes bonfire celebrations, was withdrawn after a backlash on social media. One of the two effigies was made produced by the Waterloo Bonfire Society, who made it clear that it had “no wish or intention to offend anyone”. from fines, compared to the lowest intake during the six year period, where the University made only £75,990 from overdue books. A second year Psychology student, commented: “I truly hope that the University do eventually say goodbye to these ridiculous library fines. “We pay enough to study here at Sussex as it is, so the last thing we need is
to be lumbered with pernicious library fines just for the simple of forgetting that we have a book due back in. When your caught up in an assignment, it’s hard to keep track of something as insignificant as that.” The Badger is currently looking into how much money the University of Sussex made from library fines in the 2013/14 academic year.
Residents risk parking in Stanmer car park Students risk parking in unpatrolled car park to avoid paying parking permits
Alex Hickson The Badger has been informed that residents of the University of Sussex’s campus are making the decision to park overnight in the unsafe car park near Stanmer Park, where cars have been reportedly broken into, stolen or burnt. Josh De Wit, a student at the University of Sussex said: “I left my car overnight. The next day, on my way to work, I went
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to where I left my car and found that it was stolen”. Dozens of university drivers have been parking in Stanmer Park just off Stony Mere Way near the campus, with some students informing The Badger that they park there to avoid paying for on-campus parking. The University website warns students not to use these car parks stating: “Brighton & Hove City Council do not provide
security patrols”. A spokesperson for the council explained that they “do not provide security for any car parks in the city.” Stanmer Park car park is unlit, unpaved and surrounded by trees which make it an unsafe location to leave a car overnight. On Tuesday 7 October 2014 year a car was found burning in the same car park. Firefighters were called to the scene at 10.00pm to put out the fire. Jordan Burns, a postgraduate at the University said: “I would never park my car there. It’s too dangerous”. Despite the dangers, many University of Sussex students still park in this car park to avoid paying the campus parking charges. Other students are parking in Stanmer Park because university policy does not allow students that live on campus to park. When asked to comment, the University referred to their website and said “Any
students who live in accommodation on campus are not allowed to park”. The transport section of the University of Sussex website lists that only residential advisors, students with disabilities, and family residents are allowed to get a parking pass on campus. Students are able to appeal the parking ban if they find it absolutely necessary to have a car on campus. Mr De Wit said that had he wished he had done his research and seen if he could have got a parking permit, but now that his car is stolen it is too late. He said: “I would not encourage anyone to leave their car overnight in that car park”. When asked about the car park an employee at Stanmer House said, “That’s nothing to do with us”. A parking permit on campus currently cost £198 for students and £360 for full time staff.
Instead, emissions of 19,963 of TCO2 have been forecast for the last academic year. The University is currently at the start of a five-year journey towards the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 21 percent over the planning period. The report also stated that the University had failed to reach the target of releasing a total of 17,739 of TCO2 in the 2012/2013 academic year. The actual figure for TCO2 released in
that academic year totalled at 21,773. A University of Sussex spokesperson, speaking about the emissions targets, said: “We’re working in partnership with Sussex Estates and Facilities (SEF) on reducing energy consumption, although we recognise that all staff and students have a role to play in this. “We’re having to adjust our own targets in line with new legislation and we’re now at the start of a five-year journey towards an overall target in or-
der to comply with this legally required reduction.” Despite this year’s breach of the target, the University is currently leading innovation with regard to sustainable design with the Northfield residences on campus being one of the first accommodation schemes across the country to have been awarded a BREEAM Excellent rating as well as a Green Apple Award for environmentally sustainable construction.
Jane Summerville, Director HuSophieofJones man Resources at the University of Sussex, has written to faculty warning them that they will not be paid if they participate in a marking boycott. Last month, 69 University and College Union branches across the country balloted to initiate a boycott of assessment marking in reaction to a proposed change over academic’s pensions. The UCU said last week that universities that withhold 100 percent of employees wages would be in danger of “ pariahs within the global academic community”. Sussex Students’ Union will be partnering Brighton University Students’ Union in hosting a student housing forum this week, in order to tackle students’ housing issue in the city. Both Unions are appealing for students to attend the event, happening at the Sallis Benny Lecture Theatre on Thursday. The purpose of the event is to compile a ‘students housing manifesto’, which both Unions are intending to pass on to candidates in the general election and local election next year.
University not meeting CO2 emission targets
Alexander Ferguson News Sub-Editor The University of Sussex are set to fail to meet it’s CO2 emissions targets for the 2013/2014 academic year. According to a report prepared for the University’s Performance Committee, which met on 28 October, it was stated that the strategic plan target of releasing 17,074 of TCO2 or less was not actually being met.
In order to ensure that the targets are not exceeded again next year, the University has said that it is aware of the need for “collaborative work in 2014-15 with SEF and the Students’ Union on the Green Impact campaign to improve campus-wide energy awareness and demonstrate the environmental and financial benefits of eliminating waste and improving sustainability across the campus”.
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the badger
10 November 2014
NEWS • 4
EMM: Motion to ban SWP Fails Daniel Green, Jessica Pitocchi & Alex Hickson
A motion to ban the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) from campus was overwhelming defeated by students in an Extraordinary Members Meeting (EMM). The EMM, which took place on Friday 31st October, came amid accusations of the SWP mishandling allegations of rape and sexual misconduct. Around 220 people attended the meeting in Mandela Hall, with 141 voting against the motion, compared to 44 in favour. However, the number of attendees fell short of the 450 required to make the decision binding. The result of the EMM will now be discussed by the Union Council, comprised of Full-time Officers and other elected students. In her opening speech, Miriam Steiner, who proposed the motion, claimed that upon messaging the Sussex feminist society, FemSoc, she received dozens of replies supporting the motion, with some saying “These people (SWSS) are making our lives hell. I just want to study in peace.” She also claimed that the motion was not about silencing the SWP, stating that “if this had happened in another society, this would not be ac-
with some expressing the view that the meeting had descended into a ‘shouting match’. One student said: “It shouldn’t have been an EMM - it should have been a referendum. It’s such a contentious issue and the issue is too personal to be a shouting match.”
Interview Following the EMM, The Badger spoke to members of the Socialist workers’ student society to get their reaction
ceptable.” In response, Isabel Lincoln, a member of SWSS, said that the proposal to ban the society was “anti-democratic” and likened the proposal to banning the BBC, the Catholic Church and the Conservative Party from campus due to similar allegations made against them. She added that the SWP “took [the
allegations of rape] seriously and investigated them thoroughly” and was quick to clarify that these incidents did not take place on Sussex campus. Another SWSS committee member added that the committee was made up of women and feminists and denied that they could possibly be rape enablers for this reason.
After the vote, Miriam said: “I am extremely upset and disappointed and I hope SWSS (Socialist Workers’ Student Society) will be far more respectful in the future”. In the EMM, students from both sides of the debate claimed they had been intimidated by those on the opposing side, particularly through social media,
“After 2 months of harassment and intimidation from a small group of students who have made upsetting and unfounded allegations against us, we are looking forward to running our society without these distractions. “Sexism is still a problem on university campuses, with the recent reported rapes at Sussex and the prevalence of lad culture demonstrating the challenges we face in overcoming it. As 3 women SWSS committee members, we are committed to actively raising awareness and campaigning against such sexism, and we hope to work alongside others in doing so.”
NUS withdraws support Student brings hope to Zimbabwe for ‘free education’ march Jagrati Agarwal
SCAN Alexander Ferguson News Sub-Editor The National Union of Students has withdrawn their support of a ‘free education’ demonstration due to take place on 19 November. The President of the NUS, Toni Pearce, has said in a statement that it was with “huge reluctance and regret” that she explained why the NUS is not able to support the demonstration. When giving her reasons for why the NUS has pulled their support of the demonstration, Ms Pearce said: “plans that are in place do not give us confidence that the demonstration will be accessible to all students – in particular disabled students”. Referencing the risk assessment that was carried out on the demonstration, Ms Pearce added: “it is clear that there are inadequate measures in place to mitigate against significant risks” and stated how “there is no public liability insurance in place” and that it is “clear that the concerns of the NUS liberation officers about accessibility, safe space and the ability for liberation groups to be involved have not been met”.
Ms Pearce was quick to add: “NUS has a policy to support free education, and we will continue to lobby and campaign for this, but no action that we take should be put above the ability for all our members to be safe. We have gone to considerable lengths to help change that position, by working with the organisers, but that time has now run out”. This support of free education comes following a vote in last year’s NUS national conference in Liverpool where the adoption of the policy was only narrowly accepted. There is still considerable support within the NUS for the implementation of a graduate tax. The ‘free education’ aim is a controversial policy within the NUS which goes back to the previous President of the Union, Liam Burns, who opposed the “Free Education: No Fees, No Cuts, No Debt” demonstration that the NUS backed in London in November 2012. Beth Redmond, organiser for the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts, has criticised the NUS’ stance cliaming that it is “a ridiculous position to take, and directly contradicts the democratic mandate taken by conference and the NEC”.
Only one in 10 people have both parents, in a village of Ngunwanyana in Zimbabwe, as the rest have lost their folks to the pandemic disease of HIV/ AIDS. The same village provided shelter to a student desirous of pursuing law, from the University of Sussex, Jason Holam for three months during the summer. He was conferred with this opportunity by an NGO called Restless Development, which works vastly among primary schools and HIV/AIDS support groups in the same area. During his stay at the village, Holam volunteered to impart lessons in Sexual
Reproductive Health and Rights, Livelihoods and Life Skills to students as well sufferers of HIV/AIDS. Sincerely affected by issues such as, school-going children without shoes and an extensive number of drop-outs due to financial constraints, Holam is now organising a fund raising event in order to contribute to the two schools of Ngunwanyana village. Speaking to The Badger, Holam said, “I want to provide shoes to 20 boys and 10 girls coupled with paying £15 as part of the semester fees for 60 children.” Speaking about an incident which nurtured this idea, Holam said, “I met a 21 year-old school-drop out who now attends classes with 14 years old just
to educate himself. This truly troubled me.” According to UNICEF reports in 2012, around 15% of the population is living with HIV in Zimbabwe. Prostitution, multiple sexual relationships, soaring migrant labours, incessant corruption are few of the ongoing problems that the African country of Zimbabwe suffers from. However, Holam states that it is the positive and optimistic attitude prevalent among the natives that aspires him to return to Ngunwanyana. Holam is missing the last two weeks of University as he is going back to Zimbabwe to complete the ‘Action at Home’ schedule of the Restless Development programme.
Sussex’s University Challenge captain speaks of experience Susanna Fantoni Last week, the University of Sussex went up against the University of Manchester to try and secure the last place in the second round of University Challenge. Unfortunately the team ‘didn’t really get into their stride’ and came out with a loss of 95 points to 210. However, team captain Joss MacDonald describes the experience as being “very enjoyable”. He said: “it was pretty nerve-wrecking but I got a big adrenaline rush out of it. As soon as each show was over, I just wanted to do it all over again.” In the previous round Sussex scored
an impressive 150 points. Joss said he was: “extremely proud of their performance. You have to remember only 28 of over a hundred teams make it and we were in the top 18 of those, we actually got more points than several teams who won their first match, plus were up against the bookie’s favourite.” The team fought quite well and Joss pointed out: “were twenty points ahead half way through’ he says ‘at no point was it a foregone conclusion.” The average age of team Sussex was 30 compared to Manchester who was only 26. Joss says that having an older team “definitely helped” and he was glad that Teammate Dave Spence
“knew some 80’s music”. Joss also made the suggestion that “in the future it should be a necessity” to have at least one female member on the teams. He illustrates how “the show is the only insight many young people have to the university world and it’s damaging for the whole of British higher education that it’s dominated by middle class white males.” This is the first time Sussex has even gotten into the first round in 11 years, the last time being in 2003. Good luck to next year’s team and well done to Matthew Dean, Thomas Whitehurst, David Spence and of course Joss MacDonald for doing so well this year.
the badger
10 NOVEMBER 2014
NEWS • 5
Doctoral training parternership Sussex nominated for to support up to 375 PhD students workplace health award Rosie Dodds News Sub-Editor
Rosie Dodds News Sub-Editor
A new consortium of seven members that includes the University of Sussex have together committed to, over the next five years, awarding up to 375 PhD studentships in the arts and humanities. The Consortium of the Humanities and the Arts South-East England (CHASE), one of the eleven new doctoral training partnerships (DTPs) in the UK, has begun the process of enrolling its first students this month. CHASE aims to create a research environment that supports a generation of doctoral students in creating their own cultures of research and practice. Courtauld Institute of Art, Goldsmiths, University of London, the Open University, and the Universities of East Anglia, Essex, Kent, and Sussex make up the seven partner institutions of the new consortium, and have together funded CHASE
The Sussex Business Awards 2014 has shortlisted the University of Sussex for an award for the Healthiest Workplace. The Sussex Business Awards celebrates business excellence across the country. 2014 marks the 26th anniversary of the competition. The University of Sussex last won an award in 2008. The list of finalists was published Tuesday 28 October on the Website for the Sussex Business Awards. The University’s entry was submitted by the campus sport service, Sussexsport. In November 2013, Sussexsport raised funds for the Rockinghorse Appeal, a Brighton based charity that supports sick children by organising its first ‘Fund-raising Friday’ cycle challenge which invited departments and units to cycle 45 miles on an exercise bike. This event will be taking place again on 21 November where teams will take part in the equivalent of a pier-to-pier challenge from Eastbourne to Brighton. In January, teams of staff also complete
The Argus
Shima Jalal Kimali with more than £10m. CHASE has also been funded by a £17m award from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The director of CHASE, Vicky Lebeau, also a Professor of English at the University of Sussex, says: “With 74 students joining us in October, the signing of the consortium agreement could not be better timed. “CHASE represents a substantial
investment in the arts and humanities and I look forward to working together to develop our doctoral research programme.” The CHASE Strategy Board, formed of senior representatives from each institution, began their meeting at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London earlier this month with the official signing of the CHASE agreement.
a challenge to walk, run, cycle, and swim 698 miles in ten days as part of the ‘Commit to Go Far’ challenge. Terry Cooper from Sussexsport says: “Our on-going, established activities – together with some new actions that have been put in place - all contribute to the overall improvement to the health and well-being of staff at Sussex. “The addition of the regular mindfulness sessions in the Meeting House by Rev Chris McDermott have also been well received.” Karen Creffield, Director of Sussexsport, has stated: “We are pleased to be shortlisted for this award; it reflects the continued focus we have placed on improving the staff experience through fitness, sport and well-being. “We feel the shortlisting reflects the continued growth of the Commit to Get Fit programme, which encourages members of staff to get active and included two new challenges last year.” The 2014 Sussex Business Awards will be presented at the Grand Hotel in Brighton on 10 December with 500 of the county’s leading business people attending.
Interview: Christopher Bowers Zoe Halsë News Sub-Editor
The Badger interviews Christopher Bowers, the Liberal Democrat’s PPC for Brighton and Pavillion in the 2015 General Election: Given that your party did not deliver its promises regarding tuition fees, do you think you can win back student trust? “I hope so. I think it’s important people, students understand the process in which the tuition fees decision was made. “Labour and Conservative both committed themselves to implementing the Browne report before the election, which had not been published at that stage. It was only published after the election and it was grotesque, stating that if universities could charge whatever they want, if that’s £30,000 a year, they should charge £30,000 a year. “We were faced with a dilemma. We could say no, we promised the abolition of tuition fees and been steamrollered, in which case there would have been no talk of broken promises, just that Liberal Democrats are impotent. But instead we used the support we had through all the people who voted for us for our stance on tuition fees to go into bat for a much better deal. We got a cap on fees which never would have been put in place otherwise. “The idea of using £9,000 as a shorthand for bashing the Liberal Democrats is desperately simplistic and unfair. We also made sure the pay back threshold went up from earning £15,000 to £21,000. I think we acted with common sense. “Research carried out recently states that children from poorer back-
grounds are 70% more likely to go to university now than they were before under the old system. “Students, as the academic elite of this country, should really understand the background, when I hear a student saying ‘those bloody Lib Dems they sold us down the river, they’ve betrayed us they’ve broken their promise’ I find that so fatuities, it makes me wonder what that person is doing as a student, which is aggressive on my part. In this election I am going to be bullish about the tuition fee issue. If students are worthy of their place in the academic elite they ought to know their facts and understand that governing is not easy. If you disagree with what we did that’s fine, but don’t take cheap shots at us based on a couple of headlines and prejudiced newspapers. Are students still your priority? “We sit on the progressive wing of English politics. We care about the welfare of society not just ourselves and students therefore tend to gravitate toward us and the Green Party, making them a priority.” Do you think the coalition has had an overall positive or negative effect on the Liberal Democrat party? “Although it has had a negative effect on how we are viewed forming coalition, I think, was still the right thing to do. We have provided a stable government in a difficult context, after an election that immediately saw Greece go bankrupt.” What makes the Liberal Democrats distinct from the other parties, like Labour and Conservative? “We are radical but not extremists, we are for deep-rooted change for things that are not working. We understand that a strong economy is necessary for a fairer society, but you
can’t trust Conservatives with promotion of a ‘fair society’ and you equally can’t trust Labour with the economy. We offer a radical anchor in the middle ground. For example, mental health will be a central plank of our manifesto unlike other parties.” The Liberal Democrats have performed poorly in the last 2 by-elections, losing their deposit both times. Do you think this is just a protest vote or does it represent a permanent shift away from liberal democrat support? “People are angry, and using their vote as a weapon. Once you are in government you get your hands dirty, especially in a difficult economic situation and we have been tainted with Conservative policy. Politics is cyclical, if we were an opposition or protest party again we might pick up votes. In retrospect I think people will realize the Lib Dems have not been bad in government.” Brighton having an MP from a party that only has one MP makes it more important to listen to constituents rather than towing the party line, do you feel that you can make a similar commitment to listen to your constituents? “Yes absolutely. You can’t deliver everything because people want conflicting things but you should always listen. Me and Caroline Lucas have little to disagree about, but how you should vote in relation to the environment is tricky. Voting Green is a more open statement but leaves you with a one woman lobby in government where as Lib Dems have actually got things done, we have been running the department of energy and climate change.” Looking at their popularity in recent national polls, do you consider UKIP to be a serious threat?”
Should the Students’ Union approve the setting up of a fast food outlet on campus? “Nigel Farage is very clever. He has tapped into the feeling of the country and has a way of making what are actually facile arguments sound reasonable, and I’m not just talking about to closet racists (although I’m sure there are some). UKIP and Conservative are allowing public dislike for Europe drive the country into a very dangerous position. In reality they rely on non-British national work. Just because you don’t like aspects of the EU doesn’t mean you get rid of it altogether. There are things I dislike about England, but I don’t move! We can make changes to both from within.
Will the Lib Dems drug policy be a red line issue if there are negotiations to form a coalition at the next general election as a lot of young people that support the decriminalization of drugs might be sceptical about the Lib Dems after the tuition fee pledge? At the moment it is not clear what are red line policies will be. If we do end up in negotiations again we will push as much of what we stand for as we can. The full interview can be found on our website: www.badgeronline.co.uk
the badger
10 November 2014
FEATURE • 8
FEATURE
Shima Jalal Kamali
Shima Jalal Kamali
Stress: was once useful, now a nuisance Daniel Stuart discusses the science behind stress and anxiety, what causes stress, and methods available to help deal and avoid it.
Daniel Stuart There are some words in the English language that have lost a little bit of their meaning. Many people have their own meaning and parameters for such words. This causes them to become twisted in the eyes of many people, simply because in reality there is no exact definition for them. This refers largely to matters of the human condition. Matters of the human condition, however, is an umbrella term that refers to all things truly ‘human’. Emotions, intelligence, and characteristics, for instance. To put some sort of parameter on these matters of the human condition is nigh on impossible for the layman, not least because of the question of how to define a maximum for these concepts. Stress is one such phenomenon that would come under this convoluted banner. It has a number of definitions, with reference to emotional, physical and pathological stress, among many others. Some stress is undeniably self induced. On the other hand, stress is also an unfortunate collision of circumstances. But most is unavoidable, merely pains of daily life. Unfortunately, stress is a phenomenon that we are all too familiar with. It is an unfortunate by-product of an evolved ‘kick up the backside’ that is, or at least was, entirely necessary. Stress comes from the “fight or flight response”. It is an evolved function that if our ancestors had a lack of it, the human race would not be here today.
The issue is that the stresses faced by our ancestors and present day humans differ greatly. This response was evolved not just generations but entire species before today, and was originally meant as a defence against looming predators with big, pointy, gnashing teeth. Today, for us students, it is undeniably elicited by looming deadlines. Whether one would equate the two is debatable, but it does demonstrate the fact that stress is most certainly relative to certain factors. “Fight or flight”, the term I used to describe the stress experienced by our ancestors, is caused by the release of neurotransmitters, which act to shut down some of the more unnecessary parts of the brain so that energy can be directed to the two principle ways of fending off predators, fighting or fleeing. Therefore, one can see why this was useful millennia ago, yet nowadays it is simply a nuisance. In neuro-scientific terms, adrenaline is released, shutting down a lot of the functions that our frontal lobe of the brain controls. These functions would be deemed unnecessary for defending against predators. However, for us, these are more vital for the less life-threatening stresses of modern day life. This then results in a lack of functioning for the person involved and, in turn, causes frustration at themselves and others, causing them to act out of character. That is the mechanism in a nutshell, but to define the possible stresses in life would mean almost exhausting the English language.
The range of rational and irrational stresses in life are almost incalculable. It is a facet of one of the unfortunate by-products of the insurmountable complexity and variability of our human condition. Typically, the main stresses in life can range from family and social issues, to work pressures and personal challenges. However, the most formidable feature of stress is the way that they can build upon each other. Even minor stress can add up and become more difficult to overcome. This is what makes pathological stress all the worse. By pathological stress, I refer to the unavoidable stresses from conditions such as phobias and anxiety. So, those with what is known as ‘high trait anxiety’, are already on edge as much as someone with an important interview or exam that day, for instance. Naturally, students can have a high level of anxiety due to their lifestyles. For example, this can be caused by late nights that lead to a lack of sleep; an on average high caffeine intake; and a typically high weekly alcohol intake are just a few causes of anxiety. That’s not to mention the likes of deadlines, job prospects, and even money issues. The list goes on. These can all lead to a high level of stress in life that is preexisting. This happens even before your bus makes you late that morning, or if you spill your coffee over your notes for that day. So, in general, stress avoidance has been highlighted as somewhat of a key issue facing today’s students.
The other issue facing students is the ideal built up of them. We have pressure to live up to academic standards by day and being party animals by night. This is an undeniable image that society paints a picture of. It appears that these can never truly switch off. This can almost add a competitive nature to socialising to what exists on the academic side. Several ways of dealing with stress are in the public domain. The issue is that many people seek to deal with stress as a whole issue, all in one hit. And, especially since stress can be caused by a multitude of issues, this becomes problematic. Escapism is one such method, the idea that stress can be dissipated by relinquishing a grasp on reality almost. Escapism can take many forms, even video games have been extolled. The opportunity in a video game to create a new persona, live a different lifestyle allows a release of stress for many people on a daily basis. The problem for those affected by stress is that not much is known about how to deal with it in smaller chunks. CBT, or cognitive behavioural therapy, teaches such techniques. The principle is that stress and the anxieties it causes are brought on by a continuous cycle: a situation elicits an emotion, the emotion causes bodily processes that contribute to behaviour, and the behaviour influences the situation. The one part of the cycle that we have control over is behaviour and this is what is sometimes unclear. Small changes to behaviour in stressful situations can really reduce stress. For instance, taking escapism
to a smaller scale. Instead of relieving all the stress in one go, the logical solution would be to zone out for a moment and take a deep breath. This simple breath removes you from the stressful situation mentally for a moment, and more importantly reduces the release of adrenaline that starts the process that I have described. Little changes such as these actually allows activities used to escape stress and anxiety to become an enjoyable part of the day, as opposed to a necessary part of a routine. Students affected by stress, anxiety, or other personal issues can visit the University’s free and confidential Counselling Services: www.sussex.ac.uk/counselling.
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Harry Harrison
Your Students’ Union pub in the centre of Brighton
on What’s
Autumn Term
STUDENT PRICES ALL THE TIME: £3.20 Strongbow/ Fosters / Snakebite £2.50 rum/vodka mixer 3 for 2 jager, sambuca, tuaca Pre-drink Hour: 8pm-11pm (Skint prices)
FOOD
Mondays from 5pm 2 for 1 burgers Wednesdays all day burger+pint £5 Thursdays £10 steak + 3 sides FRY...days fish&chips/halloumi&chips 2 for £10
Mondays (monthly)
Drawing Circus
7.30-10pm. Circus themed life drawing £5 students, £6 nonstudents.
Wednesdays
Skint
Strongbow, Fosters & Snakebite £2 Rum/vodka + mixer £2.50 Shots of tequila/ sambuca £1.85 3 for 2 Jagermeister
Thursdays (Monthly nights)
Fem Rock
Thurs 30th Oct, Thurs 27th Nov: Monthly FemRock Night: Renowned amongst Brightonians for showcasing the best local female-fronted performers, FemRock is an inclusive event for people of all genders. FemRock nights are about celebrating women in music, raising money for charity and promoting local artists!
Hollow Earth
Thurs 23rd Oct, Thurs 20th Nov: Monthly Hollow Earth Nights - Expect kaleidoscopic visuals, psychedelic performances and the full-range of drinks deals! The new monthly experiment at The Globe, Middle Street. Featuring UK debuts from Brooklyn psych-rock band Woodsman, plus label-mates Ancient Ocean - followed up with classic Brightonian hip-hop ‘till 2am. The event is broadcast by event sponsors Resonance 104.4fm, URF and Mixcloud and is brought to you via your Students’ Union. Free entry for students with a valid student card - no need to book a ticket in advance, just turn up and show your student card. Tickets for non-students are £4
the badger
10 November 2014
Comment • 10
COMMENT Why we can’t ignore street harassment Sarah Gibson
In 2014, many talk about misogyny having gone ‘underground’. We don’t say the overtly terrible things about women that we said in 1950s media. The genders have legal equality, whatever that might mean. However, as a woman today – although proud of and grateful for existing feminist achievement – it still seems to me that sexism walks our streets openly, is accepted into our social gatherings, and sits loud and proud in our media. It’s frustrating to be told that sexism survives by being sneaky, cunning and insidious, when it’s right in front of my face. When I first saw the now (in)famous video recording one woman experiencing 100 instances of street harassment in one day, I was grateful for its creation. Here was hard video evidence for the kind of difficult-to-prove sexism women experience daily. It wasn’t statistics and it wasn’t a cohesive study, but I was hopeful it was the kind of evidence for women’s lived experiences that most people wouldn’t argue too much with. As I kept watching, though, I got less optimistic. Amongst the leers were “how you doing”s and other, generally less threatening ‘greetings’. I anticipated what I would find in the comments section, and put off looking at it. It’s not that I think that these occurrences are not important and relevant to include. But it reminded me that watching the same video does not mean everybody sees the same thing. There is a reason most sexism happens openly; lots of people just don’t see the
problem with it. First, I would like to qualify that lots of the attention this woman got was (at least, I hope) obviously troubling and threatening. If you think that yelling ‘damn!’ at a woman whilst leering at her arse will make her feel anything other than sickened, then I am not sure how you will ever be convinced. What may not be obvious to everyone is that physical harassment is not some vague fear floating around outside the realm of personal experience for most women. You give that much attention to a woman’s ass and she will be scared you’re going to try and grab it. Women cannot just ‘choose’ to not feel threatened. Men can choose not to threaten them. What is wrong with the apparently ‘friendly greetings’ is what’s behind them. Although obviously edited to include the most relevant incidents, two of those ‘greetings’ quickly escalated. Even twice in one day to one woman is too much. In one instance, an ignored ‘good morning’ results in the woman being followed for 5 minutes. It sounds trivial, and clearly he was more moronic than threatening, but hindsight is a wonderful thing. If that woman had been truly alone, she may have felt scared to stop or duck into a shop in case it gave an opportunity for confrontation, or unable to go home if she was close by so as not to lead him there (sounds paranoid but really, wouldn’t you be), and all the while with no idea when he would stop. A second man reveals nauseating entitlement after an ignored “hey what’s up” turns into “Somebody’s ac-
knowledging you for being beautiful... You should be more grateful”. This really hits the crux of the issue. Every comment is a reminder that men get to direct what happens in public spaces. The only reason they feel entitled to speak to her, to expect a positive response, is clearly her gender. There is no point lying about this; these men don’t say good morning to other men. That man then has the power to turn the situation he has created into one of confrontation.
By contrast, it is very hard to gain control of a situation that you have been forced into and taught to be scared of. In the same vein, it is a not a compliment to be called beautiful or anything else in public. It is a reminder that, apparently, my appearance is public property. To feel permitted to randomly engage women on the street is to deny that they are just people, trying to go about their (probably busy) days. And it’s not up to you whether they smile when they do it.
Will Hopkinson via Creative Commons
NUS’s ‘no platform’ policy doesn’t hurt free speech Richard Stewart
Trigger warning: sexual violence A motion to ban the SWP from campus recently failed at a Sussex Students’ Union Emergency General Meeting. The motion arose from the way in which the SWP were accused of treating allegations of rape and sexual assault within the party, and reflects the No Platform policy created at NUS. The NUS policy stopped NUS officers from sharing a stage with George Galloway and Julie Bindel following accusations of being a rape apologist and transphobic, respectively. What is the reasoning behind a No Platform policy which precludes a representative organisation from hosting specific speakers? The policies arose from banning fascist and racist speakers from campuses, who often brought violence with them, either in terms of their viewers or in terms of increasing intolerance leading to attacks. As a membership organisation, with policies voted on by its members, the Students’ Unions
acted to safeguard the wellbeing of the students. The issue is that the policy is divorced from the newer requirement for a risk assessment, which would likely preclude a visit, and the policy may therefore be implemented where there is no immediate risk of violence. As such the argument against a No Platform policy is often themed around the right to free speech – this argument is spurious. The Students’ Union policy could not preclude individuals inviting the SWP to speak at another venue in Brighton, for example. If the policy vote is truly democratic, then the policy is the collective equivalent of deciding not to invite a rapist into your home to tell you why they’re morally right to rape: nobody would suggest that is against free speech. The key issue is understanding violence in terms of oppression. Society oppressed specific groups in indirect ways: sexual violence and rape is sanctioned by society informing men and women of defined gender and sexual roles, even for reasons as base
or thoughtless as “sex sells”. Repeating the myth that consent to sex can be achieved while unconscious, for example, reinforces this oppression. It is emotional violence against individuals to tell them that they consented to be raped or assaulted, and this may be the case for a surprising number of students, largely women. This leads to the further issue of that to combat the hegemony of sexism and patriarchy it is essential to engage with individuals, illustrate their behaviour and get them to change it. Moreover, we need men to be fighting for an egalitarian society that treats women and other minorities fairly. One issue with a lot of our focus on law and discrimination rather than fighting oppression it allows us to label people who act sexist as ‘other’. The recent video of a woman being catcalled on New York streets reinforced this when it edited out, if accidentally, all of the white men: why would a white man be convinced he indirectly perpetrated sexism by that video, even if he was a white man in a
business that systematically failed to promote women? The other core reason bar student welfare and safety, though, that fascists were not invited to speak was deeper. Extremism in behaviour can be tackled through law, and extremism isn’t tackled through formal debate. Positive pressure in society and good education is where the conversation needs to happen – before extremism develops. This is why I would be against inviting the SWP onto our campus; it’s more important to be having a conversation amongst ourselves, with our own student population, controlled and with students able to provide a safe space and positive leadership in conversation. This would mean that our student population can educate itself from exemplars of behaviour as to what is acceptable and right, and ultimately achievable, in society. Rather than heckling people who can’t see they perpetrate the problems, we should spend our time and effort on bettering ourselves.
The woes of a student medic
Anon
As a first year at BSMS, the idea of inclusiveness, or rather isolation, to the rest of the student bodies at Sussex and Brighton Universities is a highly contentious issue- not just for myself, but for nearly every other first and second year. A noticeable result of the isolation is the often mis-characterised portrayal of the typical medical student and the reputations that follow on from what is simply a lack of interaction. It is also important to establish that this is not an issue isolated to Sussex; it is very much a talking point at nearly every school around the country for the same reasons. Society seems to be well aware of the sweeping generalisation of a medic's stacked workload, but despite this we occasionally find ourselves with plenty of free time, the bulk of which is spent with other medics. Students of BSMS are restricted to applying to only two halls of residence; Stanmer Court and Paddock Fields on the University of Brighton Falmer campus. To further the issue of segregation we are assigned to live with other medics adjacent to neighbouring flats also full of medics. With student support within the medical school already taking an interest in this matter, we may see future cohorts of BSMS students living in any one of the many halls of residence on the campus. It is my opinion that this would certainly boost diversification, provide a mixing of different backgrounds of students and offering broader financial options for medics, enabling the core student body to get to know our future doctors much more intimately. What can the Union do to make medics feel more included? Through what the Union does the best; the provision of sports clubs and societies. Given that the majority of weekly meetings and training sessions take place after 5pm, there is not a lot more the Union can do. After 8 weeks at the medical school, it seems you won't see as many medics out and about on campus because it is just simpler and easier to hang out with our own cohort. It can be said that the responsibility to engage with the core student body lies in the hands of the BSMS student and we are aware that it is up to us to take up the initiative to partake in extra-curricular activities. The general consensus among medical students in years one and two is that the Union and university are indeed doing a satisfactory job. Medicine will always be awkwardly demanding and fussy when it comes to free hours and it seems at present, such is nature of our course, it is the most we can demand.
the badger
10 NOvember 2014 THE BIG DEBATE • 11
THE BIG DEBATE
Should the NUS have backed out of the Free Education demo? With the NUS withdrawing support for the Free Education demonstration on November 19th on the grounds of health and safety, The Badger asks if they made the right decision?
Yes
endorsed march, then you have to listen. If a group with a long history of organising marches is saying that your march is unsafe, and that supporting it will jeopardise their ability to operate as a union in the future and make Miriam Steiner changes to students lives, then again you have to Comment Sub-Editor take the concerns seriously. I know marches are a great way to unite stuThe national Free Education movement that has dents and take action, but if we want free educabeen gaining more and more traction amongst stution we cannot exclude anyone in the fight. dents is a wonderful thing. The most successful student campaigns I've Its an organisation led by students in response seen recently have been the campaign run by to decades of government mistreatment, and if it NUS to stop cuts to the Disabled Students Allowachieves its aims, which I sincerely hope it does, it ance (DSA) which succeeded in its aims with cuts will revolutionise the lives of all future students in to DSA now being entirely off the agenda, and the UK. the Fossil Free campaigns across many universiHowever, what some organisers may have forgotties which have lead to institutions divesting ten, but the NUS has not, is that the students most from coal, gas and oil companies. affected by tuition fee hikes and cuts to allowances Both of these campaigns were creative, and are disabled students. These are the students who have pushed back from used modern campaigning tools like social media determinism to achieve more than society says they and e-petitions. More importantly though, they were entirely should. inclusive and run by students on the ground, by Disabled students are pushing their personal boundaries, and the boundaries of their institutions engaged organisations with political clout. If we want free education we need to get smart, every day to make sure that all people can study and inclusive and organised. NUS not supporting the no one has to go through what they went through. march and the outcry its caused has shown that Sadly, the free education march is not entirely we need political lobbying institutions on our inclusive of these students. A march in central London is impossible for many side, but we can only get them on our side if we make equality one of the key criteria behind all people with many different abilities to attend and action. participate it. Whether this is because of physical or mental health problems, so many students who want to find a way to contribute to this movement simply can't within its current actions. This is regardless of the logistics of getting to The Students’ Union’s Full-time Officers London, a notoriously inaccessible city, and regardare disappointed that NUS have withdrawn less of the lack of funding available for transport for support. Whilst we understand the concerns disabled students. that have been raised, we do not believe Marching for an hour just isn’t feasible for thoupulling out at this late stage is the answer. sands of students, most of whom would benefit In light of this, the Students’ Union is massively for free education. continuing to support the demonstration NUS has an obligation to look after all students by providing subsidised coaches for our sturight now, and its commitment to liberation through dents to attend the demonstration, and it its liberation officers and campaigns highlights this. will be attended by some of the Full-time When the NUS disabled students officer, elected Officers. by disabled students, tells you that the group they represent are being excluded from what was an NUS
THE UNION SAYS
No
Max O’Donnell-Savage I think it is a terrible decision by Full time officers of NUS to attempt to withdraw their backing for the national demonstration for free education being held on the 19th of November in London. The NUS president released a statement concerning the safety of the demo and the accessibility for disabled students. Firstly this point is vague as it does not explain how or why it is not accessible and also doesn’t address the fact that no demonstration can be completely accessible or completely safe when you have to deal with violence and brutality committed by the police against protesters. As someone with mental health issues it is true that protests can be frightening and unmanageable, but then so can going to lectures or using public transport. Protests can never be made completely accessible and safe because life isn’t something that can be made completely safe and accessible. So all we are left with is statement that is vague and scary but without substance. The only specific point made in the statement is that there is no public liability insurance, this is something protest organisers would get so if someone tried to sue them, say for being hurt they would be financially covered. So lets be clear about a few things, firstly the NUS would never have been liable as they are not the organisers so it seems strange that they would be concerned about this, and secondly a pamphlet released 3 years ago by the NUS and liberty states: “Sometimes the police will tell the organisers of a demonstration that they need to get public liability insurance.” “If you are organising a demonstration it may well be a good idea to get insurance incase someone taking part gets hurt and tries to sue you, but the police have no power to make obtaining public liability insurance a condition of holding a protest. You should be prepared to
point this out if necessary.” Bit contradictory that, and shows how weak the argument for pulling backing really is. Let’s also be clear that so many people have poured so much time and energy in to this demonstration over the past months and the NUS haven’t. They’re supposed to be our Union, and fight for our interests and our interests are free education. If pulling this backing is “with huge reluctance and regret”, why then did the NUS leadership not back a vote at NUS conference to hold a national demonstration organised by themselves? To say this demonstration is unsafe is of course true in some senses as nothing which aims to challenge authority can ever be completely safe, but what is safe about letting successive governments who have unleashed endless attacks on our education system continue to do so? The decision to back the demo was originally made by democratic vote of the NUS NEC, but now full time officers appear to be pulling this backing without due democratic process. The NUS is therefore revealing itself as favouring bureaucracy over democracy. The demo is still happening and the organisers will make it as safe and as accessible as possible, and will stand with anyone who is affected by police brutality and arrest in a way the NUS over the years has shown it won’t. That’s why I’m still marching on the 19th of November and you should too!
The Free Education Demo will be held in London on the 19th November, meeting on Malet St. at 12pm. Return coach tickets to London are available on the USSU website.
the badger
10 november 2014
SCIENCE • 12
SCIENCE Should caffeine be our best friend? Daniel Stuart It has been said that a dog is truly a man’s best friend. Loyal and loving; this can certainly be true for many people, but for university students a restriction on pets means looking for something a little bit different. For a large proportion or students, their best friend is called 1,3,7-Trimethylpurine-2,6-dione. A white crystalline substance extracted from several varieties of nut or leaf,
which can allow increased awareness among other positive effects due to its stimulant properties. On the negative side, this popular substance has been known to have side effect, including increased anxiety and there is a possibility of overdosing. If anyone is worried about the rise of the sinister sounding 1,3,7-Trimethylpurine-2,6-dione, then it does have a more popular ‘street’ name should the need arise to identify it. It is in fact, more commonly
known as ‘Caffeine’. Many readers will certainly be familiar with this substance but despite the fact that its use is so widespread, very little is known about this by the general public. For instance, the aforementioned possibility of overdosing is not widely known. While this is common sense, as the very definition of ‘too much’ can be applied to anything, when it refers to psychoactive drugs such as caf-
eyeore2710 via Flickr
The Five Year Production Line - Life as a medical student A Taste for some Real Medicine. Léon Sharman I find myself maundering on and on to my equanimous flatmate Adira. Earlier today something rather ordinary happened. The type of event that would be sidelined for news of much greater importance, such as a much needed cancelled nine AM lecture or perhaps the elucidation of a grapevine rumour, revealing outrageous details on upcoming MedSoc socials. Yet, despite its quotidian nature, this experience has left a small but potent avant-garde sense of self-expectation. It may seem odd that after just five weeks that one could lose a touch of direction, but the subtly increasing amount of contact time, spent primarily in the same seat of the same lecture theatre wipes the naive sheen off my long-term ambition. The remainder of my cognition not spent telling the story, is used to figure out why this is such a big deal. However instead of materialising instantly, it precipitates in the time it takes my tea to reach room temperature. She notices me smile wryly. I
realise that many years of work experience in medical settings, no matter how practically involving, ultimately left me with a distance to any of the patients I came across. My status as an observer served as a prominent barrier to establishing an intimate rapport that only the likes of a health care worker can achieve. The game has changed, and I’m now able to start building those working relationships, ones based concentrically around trust and compassion. The credence the public has in you, even as a medical student, is scary but equally just as empowering. The subtleties have once again struck home. A mother asked me if I, a total stranger, would like to hold her seven week old baby. It was magical.
feine, the word bears more resemblance. The actual dose defined as lethal for caffeine is 14000mg, or 140 cups in a 24 hour period. Other myths include the ‘fact’ that caffeine is not addictive. In fact this is exactly the opposite. Caffeine’s method of action is as an analogous antagonist neurotransmitter, which means it has the same molecular shape as another molecule in the brain. In this case, the molecule that caffeine can take the place of is called adenosine, an inhibitor which acts to block the transmission of other neurotransmitters like dopamine. Therefore, caffeine will increase the action of dopamine and other excitatory neurotransmitters, which is what gives caffeine its stimulant properties and has acted as the saviour of many an essay or late night study session. This increased action of dopamine also affects receptors in the brain known as NMDA receptors. These receptors act as gates that allow the increased excitatory or ‘stimulating effects’. However, if dopamine goes too far above the norm, these receptors
act to balance this out and ready themselves for another large dose of dopamine. They have a mechanism that allows them to create more of themselves, which is great if the dose is sustained but if not it can lead to dependence and addiction. This is not to say that caffeine is dangerous, like everything, caffeine has its negatives as well as its positives. It has been proven that caffeine reduces the chances of liver and colorectal cancer as well as cardiovascular disease. Not to mention that caffeine has been linked to the reduced chances of diseases such as cirrhosis and Parkinson’s Disease. Caffeine is more than just the energy to power through the night when it is most needed. Have something related to Science you want to write about? Email: badger-science@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
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“An Earth cousin”: Kepler-186f Jemada Cicely Named after NASA’s Kepler space telescope, Kepler-186f was discovered 490 light-years away from Earth. This ground breaking discovery marks the latest planet outside our solar system which is similar enough to Earth to potentially support alien life. This wondrous planet was discovered by the team of scientists working on the Kepler Telescope using the transit method. This method entails measuring the brightness of Kepler186f’s star and comparing this with the brightness of the star when the planet is moving directly in front of it. You’d be surprised by how much data can be collected from analysing just light alone! Drawing comparisons with conditions on Earth; it is believed that the
exoplanet- named due to the fact that it orbits a star outside our solar system- could in fact support life. This is even in spite of the fact its star is dimmer than our sun, and it’s size slightly larger than Earth. The position and distance of its orbit suggest water could still exist in this far-away planet. This newfound planet is being coined “an Earth cousin” -by Tom Barclay, a Kepler scientist who explains: “One of the things we’ve been looking for is an Earth twin, which is an Earth-sized planet in the habitable zone of a sun-like star. While it’s not an Earth twin, it is perhaps an Earth cousin. It has similar characteristics, but a different parent.” Working out what the planet is made of, could be the key to researchers being able to discover whether or
not Kepler-186f does in fact, support life. There is reason to believe it may be made from rock - like Earth, which would of course be very promising. Kepler-186f has an orbital period around its star of 130 Earth days, compared to Earth’s 365 days; which is due to the fact that its star is dimmer than our sun. This makes things difficult, because there are concerns that Kepler-186f may in fact be too dim to investigate further from such a great distance. The James Webb Telescope is expected to be launched into space by NASA in 2018, with the purpose of imaging planets within habitable orbits of stars; this hopefully means we will be able to find out more about this mysterious ‘Earth-cousin’ and get us closer to finding where these sneaky aliens are hiding.
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the badger
10 NOVEMber 2014 ARTS • 14
ARTS
MUSIC
St. Vincent Winter Garden, Eastbourne Thursday 23rd October
Brighton and nearby Eastbourne recently played host to some of the most exciting artists and filmmakers in their industries; Badger Arts report back, despite almost getting lost in Eastbourne forever...
Victoria Rodrigues O’Donnell Arts Sub-Editor Who would’ve thought that Annie Clark, more commonly known as St. Vincent, would be found playing a tour date in Eastbourne and not Brighton? The train from Brighton to Ashford was chock-a-block with eager fans, curious to see how Eastbourne would compare alongside their impatience for Clark’s performance. Once the venue was found (a lot harder to find thanks to the darkness, the rain and Google Maps having claimed it was in one direction when it turned out to be in the other!), a pint of lager and packet of crisps was purchased for less than 4 quid and the surroundings could be appreciated. Having not been back to Eastbourne since the age of 9, it was overwhelming to really notice how
MUSIC
Real Estate Komedia Tuesday 28th October Tom Powell Arts Editor ‘Back when we had it so easy/I would surrender completely’ mews Real Estate’s Martin Courtney at the start of ‘Easy’, the dolefully shimmering lament to a lost summer that opens 2011’s Days. I wholeheartedly identify with his sentiment, each song evoking a pleasantly lethargic spring and summer which time has now gotten the better of. So as the ‘Green Aisles’ and sun that I basked in earlier this year give way to the cold of another British winter I come to understand what the point of Real Estate’s plight is: no, they’re not here to ‘warm our little cockles’ in the winter months because that’s too soppy to put into print, but they do provide us with a warming yet plangent pool of nostalgia that mocks
Mike Burnell
beautiful its architecture is. Although we do have some beautiful venues, like the Dome and Concorde 2, the Winter Garden felt more suitable for a Victorian ball or tea dance. To support this initial atmosphere, you could barely move for the amount of elderly people sat around and having a chat (there’s a reason
my dad loves calling it “God’s waiting room”). Were all these old ladies really there to enjoy Clark’s notoriously experimental songs? Regardless, bunches of hipsters and couples in their early thirties were found gathering before the stage. Support was provided by the psy-
chedelic-indie band Coves, who hail from Leamington Spa. Sounding like a female-fronted Echo & The Bunnymen, the band were one of the first I’ve ever seen to feature a drummer playing upright. Following Coves, there was almost an hour’s wait till Clark came on stage in all her eccentric glory. As part of Clark’s Digital Witness
the ‘crippling anxiety’ (listen to ‘Crime’ off this year’s Atlas) of the past, whilst allowing us to escape our current worries and concerns with their saccharine melodies. Bands like Real Estate toy with you with their twee sensibility; an inherent fear of a loss of innocence sitting deep in songs such as ‘It’s Real’ and ‘Past Lives’. Meanwhile on tracks like ‘Talking Backwards’ each sugary guitar shimmer is overlaid with a lyricism that suggests present glumness instilled with the restorative desire for a better time and place. I was trapped in similar confines; the dark and cosy basement of Komedia was a far cry from the
open skies and Balearic seas of Barcelona’s Forúm where I saw them in the near-perfect haze of post-finals freedom this May. However, on seeing the band again in a tiny Brighton venue I came to realise that Real Estate’s own nostalgic concerns for their lost homes and loves in New Jersey have manifested themselves in me. Now I listen to them here and I’m left numb, taken floating back to Spain, a warmer and freer place. Was it better than now? I don’t know. Do I want to go back? Probably not, and anyway I can’t, but at least I can credit Real Estate for assisting my memory.
FILM
Real Estate Press
Still the Enemy Within + Q&A Duke’s at Komedia Monday 20th October Victoria Rodrigues O’Donnell Arts Sub-Editor The fact that this documentary had won the Audience Award at this year’s Sheffield Doc/Fest was an instant giveaway of what to expect from this fantastic piece of cinema. With half my family spread across South Yorkshire, it’s not surprising that strong opinions about Thatcher and the Miner’s Strike still linger on today. Thirty years on from one of the most fraught events in our history, the film follows first-hand accounts of what it was really like to have been at the coalface of Britain’s longest strike. And that’s what really stood out after watching this exceptional film: the strength of solidarity; because it really was and still is ‘our’ fight. As well as featuring interviews with
Tour, the audience were told to keep their phones in their pockets and avoid “digitally capturing tonight’s event”. Clark was everything you’d expect her to be. Wonderful and surreal, Clark performed from her latest album, Digital Witness. Perfectly capturing the zeitgeist, songs concerned with technology were ironically enacted with an amazing use of lights and sound effects. Often using the breaks between songs to make very interesting speeches regarding journeys, “us” and the digital, Clark lived up to the carefully constructed persona of St. Vincent. Unfortunately she did not play her song ‘Bad Girls’ (of which she wrote especially for the TV show Bob’s Burgers), but that was just having needlessly high expectations for a performer who already pushes the boundaries of music as it is! If you were originally intrigued to go but got put off by the idea of travelling to Eastbourne, as Clark herself sings, ‘what’s the point of doing anything?
Bad Bonobo
passionate ex-miners from across the country, the film included thousands of frames worth of original footage and photographs. The extent to which this film was researched and assembled only emphasises the importance of discussing this subject today. How could a government do this to its own people? Needless to say, the film was packed to the brims with a majority of those who clearly remembered where they were in 1984-1985. A Q&A with the director, producer and a contributor shortly took place once the documentary had finished. Unsurprisingly, a rousing sense of empowerment and gratitude emanated from the audience despite the odd question regarding Kent miners and their omission. A heartfelt and inspiring film which gripped you as tightly as if you were heading down a mine shaft, this documentary needs to be seen and its message of solidarity needs to be heard.
the badger
10 November 2014 ARTS • 15
Reviews
MUSIC
Poetry and Pint Night The Globe
Thursday 16th October Ben Dadswell Near Gone Press
music
Shabazz Palaces The Haunt
Monday 3rd November Will Stedman With an album as devastatingly experimental yet perfectly musical as Black Up and their new release, Lese Majeste gracing our ears in July this year, I was surprised not to have my neck assaulted by the sweaty breath of audience members in the intimate arena that is The Haunt. With space to breathe but air thick with ritualistic vapours the Seattle-based duo: Shabazz Palaces gave Brighton a night of atmospheric, intricate musicality. The support act, Adolescence, set the scene. Tentative keyboard playing aside, the twosome blended eerie harmo-
music
How to Dress Well Brighton Dome
Monday 27th October Hannah Rose Shaw
Christian Gustavsson
nies with deep definitive bass tones creating a sound not unlike an amateur James Blake. Overall it was an apt precursor to the defiantly professional Shabazz Palaces. Thankfully the group did not let their new album dominate their set as the audience was met with an onslaught of crafted hip-hop bars over a selection of African percussion and rhythmic thuds of bass. With a shamanistic dress code almost as impressive as the accompanying light show, Shabazz Palaces seamlessly blended each song together, leaving the audience little time to show their exhaustive appreciation. Slowly the onlookers’ sways grew to steps and in turn to bounces to the dynamic Shabazz discography. The set flickered from the crisp, punchy old Shabazz hits: ‘Free Press and Curl’ and ‘Youlogy’ to handpick a couple, to the new echoic, flighty sounds of ‘Lese Majeste’. The pair consistently fused tra-
Shabazz Palaces Press Cat ditional ritualistic drumming with angry electronic pitch shifts and looped synthetic noises. Frontman Palaceer Lazaro led us through his velvet, decorative lyrics, reminiscent of his work in Digable Planets, complimented almost indistinguishably from his colourful attire. Not neglecting his partner Baba who showed off his diverse instrumental brilliance, rocking the crowd with minute long bongo solos and vocal accompaniment. Overall Shabazz Palaces performed a polished and structured set that balanced the older gritty Shabazz tunes with the more artificial, less refreshing sounds from Lese Majeste. Every song was manufactured with the care of passionate experimentalists and the climactic finale of ‘An Echo From The Hosts That Profess Infinitum’ left us all tantalisingly hoping that our host performers really did profess to play ad infinitum.
Since first hearing How to Dress Well’s second and most recent album, Total Loss, I have been eager to see the singer-songwriter Tom Krell play live. In my preview I mentioned his use of ambient sound, confessional lyrics and exploration of the relationship between formal, classically arranged music and a more modern use of pop and R&B. I was interested in how he would perform this live, and was not disappointed. The stage was lit almost entirely by a sequence of dreamlike, abstract projections that worked to enhance the ethereal mood of the music. To re-create the music live Krell was backed by two musicians, a laptop, keyboard and violin, while Krell himself alternated between two microphones—the second for reverb— adding depth to his strong yet melancholic voice. He’s probably the only singer that I have seen ‘play’ the microphone. During songs, he would swoop from one mic to the other mid-word, seamlessly. The music involved everything from piano riffs to sublime violin
melodies, fractured beats and the eery echoes of Krell snapping his fingers. Although his music is, on the optimistic end, heavily introspective and melancholic—his lyrics are often painfully candid in their deadlines with depression, grief and heartbreak—his stage ‘persona’ is very different to what one might expect. He is chatty, funny, addressing the concert hall as if it were a room of friends rather than strangers. I delved into a few interviews that Krell has given over the years, and found that this on-stage banter between the band and audience is a very deliberate choice that Krell is making on stage. Breaking the tension at the close of each song and making the audience laugh and interact with the performers gave the gig a very real, raw quality. The set mostly comprised of songs from his latest album, many of which he took the time to candidly explain the stories and influences behind. Overall, I found Krell to be a captivating character and his music to be absorbing, dreamlike and bitter at just the right moments.
Wordsmiths’ Union In the last few thousand years, poetry has changed slightly. In the courts of renaissance Europe, rigidly structured sonnets were circulated amongst nobles, combining high minded ideals of worship and love with scurrilous attacks on fellow courtiers. In India, sacred texts were often versified to aid memorisation. In ancient Greece, epic poetry was written to enshrine in text the mythologies that were integral to the Greeks’ notions of civilisation. The most recent place I read or heard poetry, however, was not in the hippodromes of Athens or the palaces of the dynasties of Europe but The Globe on 78 Middle Street, Brighton. The Globe is a great pub and if you have not yet been, go. Run by the Students’ Union, it has all the fiscal benefits of going to one of the bars on campus, together with a startling proximity to the seafront and thus the beating heart of Brighton after dark. The first thing apparent on our arrival to the pub, playing host that evening to the Sussex Wordsmiths’ Poetry and a Pint night, was the popular appeal of this combination, as the basement was almost completely occupied by the performers and their spectators, a thoroughly mixed crowd at various stages of refreshment. Pete Humphreys, compère, wordsmith and more latterly substitute mic-stand, did a remarkable job of hosting the evening, guiding with skill an eager audience through the night’s performances. The Wordsmiths’ Union, of whom most of the acts were members represent, above all else, a variety that kept proceedings constantly moving
in new and interesting directions. If you are unfamiliar with them then please give them a look. They are a student run society, self-described as a ‘mish-mash’, dedicated to poetry in the broadest sense, from spoken word to sonnet, all in the most informal way. The first of the performances we were able to get near enough to hear, so packed was the venue, was some passionately personal confessional poetry from Wordsmiths veteran Rum T Franco. Full of beady sibilance and trailing vowels, she delivered her poems with a personal urgency in emphasis that really underscored their stories. Elsewhere, the William J. C. Brown displayed an instinct for the brilliantly surreal, rearranging the everyday into formations of deeper meaning, whilst at times wearing a raincoat in an orange not previously seen away from road construction sites. In addition to the Wordsmiths’ own, the night featured two headliners from beyond the Wordsmiths’ fold. Londoner Bridget Minamore brought a love of lists together with an acute view of modern life, from hip hop to the Sun, with her hometown an ever present figure in the background of her poetry. The other headliner was Slam the Poet, another native to the capital and member of Mad Vibes Collective, whose free flowing spoken word artfully evoked late nights and late bills, grey streets and great nights. The evening came off a resounding success, an evening of novelty and nuance that catered to more or less every poetical taste there is.
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10 november 2014 ARTS • 16
LIFESTYLE Media gone mad: a review of Gone Girl Khaled Alsaleh Much has been said and written about Gone Girl, both as a book and a film. Before even entering the theatre you’ll most likely has been inundated with a variety of voices telling you how great or horrible they expect or know the film to be. So the question winds down to how successful is David Fincher’s adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s hit novel? And is it saying anything important? The basic plot centers on the relationship between Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) after the former returns home to find it broken into and his wife of 5 years missing. The ensuing search leads the viewer to question what happened to Amy and how involved is Nick with her disappearance. With frequent flashbacks and revelations the story masquerades itself as a basic whodunit in which we try and figure out what exactly happened to Amy. In doing so we reflect on the nature of a couple’s relationship behind closed doors and the effect of it being retold by the media. Like the book, the film’s main marketing and talking point is the series of surprising twists that I will refrain from spoiling. Initially the film seems to be attempting to serve as a commentary on the state of the media. Fincher creates a tense atmosphere by making the audience feel as if they are catching a private glimpse
20th Century Fox/Gone Girl trailer into a world they would only know from behind a news headline. Ellen Abbot (Missi Pyle) is a role that can be described as a thin parody of sensationalist journalist Nancy Grace. Through her we are presented with the pitfalls of media representations. The film reflects on the age of up-to-date news. Stating that it results in a world of people who form immediate opinions with half the story. An argument that the viewer would have a hard time combating due to the way in which the story mimics their figurative witch hunt by it’s whodunit structure. Furthermore, the film also presents itself as an acting achievement for Affleck, who stands front and center in the film’s poster and pro-
motional campaign. Though it could be argued that because of his star power is damaging to the film’s main appeal (being its surprise reveal). This does however allow for the idea of distrust to come to the forefront. Fincher makes it a point to make Nick as likeable as possible within the confines of the story so that you find yourself wrapped up in his perspective as the lead character throughout the film. This extends itself to making the Amy and her narrated scenes seem likable yet distant. Due to this we are never sure if we believe Nick’s denials or Amy’s assertions. This idea of wavering likability is important as it illustrates the ulti-
mate message of the film. That being that image is fabricated. Thus by the end of it our distrust of the main two characters leads us to disliking them because they expose this fabrication plainly to us. However the film’s true theme is its presentation of the figures of the ‘perfect’ romantic couple as unrealistic. Fincher makes use of frequent flashbacks to retell the story of Nick and Amy’s romance and their eventual marriage. In doing so we are initially presented with the ideal Hollywood union and witness its downfall. By the final scene you find yourself wondering if the characters’ imperfections frustrate because they exclude them from fitting into the mold of the classic Hollywood couple (that we’ve all become accustomed to), or because of the stark similarities that their motivations have when compared to our own selves. It is this idea that makes the film have a lasting impact. Their tenuous union in the end resonates loudly as it argues that perfection is a hollow front. Ultimately and to answer my initial questions; Gone Girl stands up with the rest of his filmography as a testament to Fincher’s ability to deliver a story. It is sure to resonate and spark up a debate concerning the idea of the ‘perfect’ couple and the reality of our own perceptions.
Takeaway review: Cummin Up Jasmine Parry It’s not often I order a takeaway, but seeing as The Badger offered, and the word “no” is not in my vocabulary, I found it nigh-on impossible to refuse. It was with curiosity that I scrolled down the endless page of takeaway options ranging from the well-known to the downright obscure. It was whilst feasting my eyes on the rather more obscure one that I discovered my takeaway of choice: “Cummin Up”, a saucy name for a restaurant which, in their words, offered “the very best in Caribbean cuisine”. Having never sampled Caribbean food before in my life, I decided to settle on it as the most interesting option and so, with a penchant for novelty and adventurous spirit, (take note, future employers) I jumped at the opportunity to try
it and ordered the large goat, Jamaican patties, and small jerk chicken and rice. Having ploughed through the horror-stricken reviews of having to wait 3 hours for food, if orders indeed turned up at all, I was pleasantly surprised when my order turned up only 40 minutes (which, in retrospect, was still quite a long time). The minimum price to order online was a bit steep, I thought, at £15, but perhaps justified by the uniqueness of the cuisine. I was not wrong there – the food was like nothing I had ever tasted before.
I started with the patties, which actually turned out to be just two patties cemented together with a meaty paste. It was quite nice and inoffensive, but nothing to write home about. However, having had my appetite piqued, I moved onto the more substantial option of the goat which, I was disappointed to find out, tasted exactly like beef. The meat was tender, and at least I can die happy now knowing that I’ve tried goat. My final dish—the jerk chicken — was the most disappointing dish of the three.
“ The meat was tender, and at least I can die happy now, knowing that I’ve tried goat. ”
It was a rather unappetising beetroot red colour and wasn’t nearly as hot as I would have liked, tasting approximately 3x more sweet than spicy. The rice was tasty; however, instead of containing peas like the menu had explicitly said, it did in fact contain kidney beans, which may have been their idea of a joke, I’m not sure. I’ve personally never had the joy of sampling Caribbean food before, so it is rather hard for me to tell whether this was a successful effort on Cummin Up’s part; however, I wasn’t entirely impressed with the food, the jerk chicken particularly. However, considering the novelty of ordering a goat, I would have to say that this takeaway deserves some credit, and for that I’m giving it a 7/10.
Bar of the Week Blue Man
The Blue Man Brighton
Lucy Johnson True to the term ‘a hidden gem’, The Blue Man is tucked between the train station and the Odeon cinema, amongst countless chippies on Queens Road. Between café and bar, it offers a range of food, coffee and alcoholic drinks. On approach, this bar looks tiny and rather run down; but its décor and feel make it stand out as a kooky haunt for all lovers of eccentricity. Atmosphere: ***** Heavily influenced in African themes, you are surrounded by a thousand things to look at; on the ground floor the buzzing chatter and fairy lights provide a great atmosphere, and in the basement, multiple cushions and alternative seating give The Blue Man a very relaxed vibe. In bars and pubs, I look for individuality, and that is something this bar can boast. From the lockable charging boxes to the almost communal seating, it makes a refreshing change to ‘prinks’ at Wetherspoons. Friendly and laid-back, the staff do not seem fazed by busy queues and appear to be genuinely interested in how you’re doing. And looking at the impressive 4.5 star on ‘tripadvisor’, most visitors seem to agree. Price: £ £ £ £ On the evening we visited, I ordered mixed olives and a bottle of wine. Despite the feeling of complete sophistication (after living on pasta, cheese and vodka) I winced slightly as the order came close to £20. However, the Sauvignon Blanc was delicious, and the olives were lovely too. However, the prices of single drinks were reasonable; a gin and tonic was £4, and a cider £3.90 (only 70p more expensive than Eastslope). The choice of drinks in the evening is much the same as any bar or pub. The food choice is wonderfully African themed; exotic names for exotic dishes. Also during the day time it is a great place to go for coffee doing an insane almond milk iced chai latte for just £2.50 for hippies like me.
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10 November 2014 ARTS • 17
Showcase- Alex Foley
Courtney Lovejoy
Alex Foley is currently studying MSc in Genetic Manipulation and Cell Molecular Biology. He is a self-taught artist who works predominantly in watercolours and more recently oils, with works having an inspiration from post-impressionist artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec. Foley has previously been commissioned to paint a Mural in Brighton town centre, also creates illustrations with emphasis of quirky sharp lines giving a playful, endearing appearance and will shortly be selling work on Etsy. To see more of Foley’s work visit www.alexcfoley.com If you want to be featured in the next showcase, send your artwork to jh488@sussex.ac.uk! Written by Jess Harvey-Cox
Lauren Cole
Fah’d Khalid
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10 November 2014 Arts •18
Arts
Editor’s Picks
Head of Arts Thomas Powell shares his tips on the week ahead in culture ART
A3 Phoenix Gallery 10th-16th November, 11am-5pm FREE
Fuck Buttons
Windish Agency
GIGS Adult Jazz The Hope Saturday 15th November, 7pm £7.50
If you have a penchant for quirky quartets from Yorkshire then sweet mercy, are you in for a treat, as Leeds-based four piece Adult Jazz will be gracing The Hope on November 15th hot off the back of their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Gist Is’.The band’s music has been labelled by many as “intelligent” and
A3 is a showcase of works by artists who occupy the many studio spaces at Phoenix. Expect a broad array of media, with artists working in Mutation X - William Latham paint, film, photography, sound and much more. The catch: their work must be displayed in the confines of a uniform A3 space without their name attached to it, a true experiment in restriction and viewer preconception.
“challenging”, so make sure you bring your pencil case and the big dictionary, as this looks set to be less a gig, more an intellectual buffet of noodling guitars and falsetto vocals. Sounding like the beautiful, disgusting lovechild of Forest Swords, Animal Collective and Wild Beasts, Adult Jazz possess that rarest of gems: a truly unique sound, and with a veritable tidal wave of hype behind the band at present, this could be one of the few chance you’ll get to see them in such intimate, grubby settings. - Tom Jenkinson
Brighton Digital Festival
Phoenix
CLUB R&S Special: Tessela, Renaat & Space Dimension Controller Audio Saturday 15th November, 11pm £6
R&S
R&S is without doubt one of the top labels for electronic music there is, with releases from the likes of Blawan, James Blake and Pariah in the last few years they’ve got some of the world’s best talent. Don’t expect this to be a showcase of that, expect House and Disco from Renaat (the label’s founder), extremely coarse Techno from Tessela and a mix of all things from Space Dimension Controller. Eclectic.
ArT Matisse: Live from Tate Modern and MOMA Dukes at Komedia Monday 10th November, 6.30pm £13
If you missed the cut-outs exhibition at Tate Modern earlier this year, this is your chance to catch a glimpse of Matisse’s work close up, with the first ever live broadcast from the Tate. So maybe looking at art through a screen is indexical, maybe you won’t be able to pick out the formal qualities like you would if you were there, but this is worth a go for all lovers of Matisse’s joyous late work.
FILM Metropolis Duke of York’s Picturehouse Sunday 16th November, 12:30pm £9
Marcus Moonen
Gigs Ben Frost The Haunt Monday 10th November, 8pm £15 + Tim Hecker Audio Sunday 16th November, 8pm £15 This week in Brighton is gonna be bookended with noise thanks to local promoters One Inch Badge. With two pioneers of the field hitting The Haunt and Audio on Monday and Sunday, we’re sure to start and end the week with our ears ringing. Monday sees Iceland-based Australian
amp fiddler Ben Frost play The Haunt, bringing his aggressive and visceral live rendition of latest release A U R O R A to our ears. The one time Richard Mosse collaborator (on 2013’s Deutsche-Börse nominated Enclave which is worth checking out) has a long career of releases under his belt already but has only really risen to blood-pumping prominence with the widespread praise of this year’s gigantic drum and synth effort. Hecker, like Frost, holds veteran status in the field. Coming to reknown through his work with Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never), he brings his solo project to Audio’s new soundsystem, as he plays tunes from Ravedeath 1972 and Virgins you should close your eyes and let his vast organ hymnals hold you up.
Ida
Film Ida Duke of York’s Picturehouse Monday 10th November, 12pm £5.50
On his first return to filming in his homeland, Polish director (now London Film Festival winner) Pawel Pawlikowski brings his haunting cinematography and fatalistic narrativity to Brighton with the story of a teenage nun who visits her hard-drinking hard-living aunt in northern Polish city Gdansk and unshrouds her true identity, shot in 4:3 and gritty monochrome, this is well worth a watch.
OK, so £9 is almost twice the price of catching Ida at Duke’s earlier this week, but Fritz Lang’s classic in early cinema returns deservingly to the big screen. The special re-issue to be screened contains the lost half hour that was missing from the original version of the film released in 1927 that has since, somewhat oddly, been discovered in a museum in Buenos Aires.
Tate Modern
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the badger
10 November 2014
SOCIETIES SPOTLIGHT ACS
First off, we’d like to say a BIG thank you to everyone who came out to our Black History Month Showcase, we really appreciate the support. To all the amazingly talented and fantabulous performers, you were spectacular! Next up is the highly anticipated LOL Comedy Show, on 12th November - bigger and better than ever! This year’s event is A Red Carpet Affair *ooo la la* & the hosts on the night will be A.Dot Comedian & Sussex’s very own Funmi B. Our lineup of comedians, will have you in fits of laughter! Also we have the LOL AfterParty, playing you the latest Hip-Hop, R&B, Afrobeats, Bashment and House bangers! This year LOLCS has partnered with LSE, UCL, Kent, Royal Holloway, Reading & Brighton ACS, so you will have an amazing opportunity to integrate with people from different universities. Follow us on Twitter @SussexACS or add us on Facebook (Sussex Acs) to buy tickets!
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
The Sussex International Relations Society offers a plethora of exciting academic and social activities. We currently have a number of ongoing events, including: •a film series on conflict journalism, where we screen a documentary every other week. On Wednesday 12th November we will be screening “The War You Don’t See” from 3-5pm in Arts A103. •a discussion series on current events topics. Our next one will be held on Monday 10th November, 5-7pm in Jubilee 155. We will be debating the current Hong Kong protests.
•a fantastic blog where former IR graduates from Sussex are contributing their advice on life after university, and other beneficial tips, including how to study and get internships. •great socials, which are a fun opportunity to get to know people from your course in an informal, lighthearted atmosphere. •a trip to Geneva! We will be visiting numerous institutions, including the UN, and we’re excited to announce that all our available applications sold out within two minutes of opening! If you’d like more information about who we are and what we do, you can look us up on the student union website, or better yet, like our Facebook page: Sussex International Relations Society. All information about upcoming events and the link to our blog will be on there! Anyone and everyone is welcome, whether you’re an IR student or not! We hope to see you at our next event!
ACCESS LAW On Monday 24th November at Falmer Bar, the amazing Prof Craig Barker will be giving a talk on Space Law titled ‘Who Owns The Moon’. The talk is guaranteed to be hilarious, relaxed and enlightening. Come and join us as we take a peek into the world of Space Law at 18:00. As usual, the event is free for Access Law members. See you there! To get more information visit our Facebook page - Access Law or follow us on Twitter@AccessLawSussex
POLITICS SOCIETY Interested or disillusioned with politics? Want to understand the world we live in but not sure where to start? The Politics Society aims to create an environment where people can express their ideas
and opinions whilst providing the opportunity for open debate. We bring those interested in politics together, so all political persuasions are welcome. We meet every week for POLITICS WEDNESDAYS from 4-6 in Freeman Centre F22, to discuss current events, talks, debates, watch movies and go to Falmer Bar afterwards. So far we have held successful events, such as the debate on the Scottish Independence and the talk given by Dr Hilary Kalmbach on ISIS ideology and the Civil War in Syria. As well as inciting debate we also aim to unite those interested in politics through socials, including pub quiz and club nights. Don’t miss out: come along, get involved and make your voice heard!
Israel’s bombardment and invasion of the Gaza strip in 2008-9, which will be in Arts A05 at 2pm. On Thursday the 13th Ben White will speak in Fulton 202 at 6pm on what we can concretely do to support the Palestinians, with a focus on the BDS (boycott, divestment and sanctions) movement, and on Friday the 14th there will be a Palestinian cultural evening with food and music and a chance to chat to the local Palestine Solidarity Campaign about how to get involved in Brighton, most likely in Falmer back bar at 7pm, although this may be subject to change.
THE FRIENDS OF PALESTINE SOCIETY
We have loads of exciting events coming up for you to get involved with if you fancy doing something charitable during the run up to the festive season. We are holding recruitment events at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School on Monday 10th November and Brighton University on Friday 21st November to get more potential bone-marrow donors signed on to the Anthony Nolan register. We urgently need more volunteers to help us on these days. It won’t take much of your time but your efforts really do pay off - one fourth of people who go on to donate bone marrow were recruited at university marrow events such as ours! On the horizon is our Christmas Clothes Swap on the 9th December in Mandela Hall for which we are teaming up with the wonderful CoppaFeel! society. Watch this space... Please do not hesitate to get in touch with us if you would like to get involved with our fabulous team.
We are holding Palestine Awareness this week, with events every day of the week to inform people about the occupation of Palestine. On Monday there will be a “Palestine 101” panel aimed at those who don’t know much about the situation in Palestine and the history of it but want to find out more (6pm, check the ‘Palestine Awareness Week 2014’ Facebook event for the room). Tuesday the 11th will see John Rees from Stop the War Coalition give a talk at 6pm in Fulton 104 on Britain’s role in the oppression of the Palestinians from the Britain’s conquest of Palestine in the First World War and support for the Zionist movement to its diplomatic support for and trade ties with Israel today. There will be a film-screening on Wednesday the 12th of the documentary ‘Tears of Gaza’ which focuses on the impact on the civilian population of
BRIGHTON AND SUSSEX MARROW
Societies - 21
Find us on Twitter @SussexMarrow, Facebook www.facebook.com/SussexMarrow or email us at sussex@ukmarrow.org. Thanks a lot, together we ARE the cure to blood cancer.
THE WEEK AHEAD: Tuesday 11th:
Sussex Men’s Rugby are supporting the British legion by selling poppies and holding a service of remembrance. We would like to invite everyone to meet in library square at 11 am, to hold a two minute silence in remembrance for those who gave their lives. This is not a day of politics, but purely of remembrance
Thursday 13th:
Sussex Liberal Democrat Society are proud to host a talk ny Norman Baker MP, to discuss his views on the UK Drugs policy. Starts at 6pm in Arts A1
Friday 14th:
Come along for a lovely evening of painting/cutting/sticking to make banners for Saturday’s Reclaim The Night Brighton 2014 (a march and rally against gender based street harassment and violence at night) Events starts at 5pm in Falmer House common room. Atmosphere will be relaxed / materials supplied / all welcome / possible drinks downstairs when we’re done
SUBMISSIONS On this page you can find out about what our societies jave been up to and what their plans are for the coming weeks! You can view and join all of our 150 + socities online at www.sussexstudent.com/societies. If you’d like to advertise your society on this page, send your articles to societies@sussexstudent.com by 12pm on Wednesdays.
the badger
10 November 2014
Careers and Employability• 23
CAREERS & EMPLOYABILITY CENTRE
Advice: Work Experience? - Start applying now! Student Careers Writer It’s never too early to start thinking about gaining extra work experience. If your CV shows little about the kind of career you’d like to have and instead lists several unrelated part-time jobs, it’s probably time to get out there and experience firsthand the opportunities available to you. (although do be aware that most jobs will develop your skills in some way, so don’t completely dismiss them on your CV!) Carrying out work experience while you study improves your job hunt prospects. For starters you will actually have something to write on your CV when you’re applying for a job. There’s also the advantage that you will gain and build upon many useful experiences and skills which employers are naturally drawn to. Undertaking a work placement, training or voluntary position can be beneficial to your own personal development whilst allowing you to dip your toes into a career you may one day pursue. There are many brilliant opportu-
nities available to first and second years looking to undertake work experience alongside their degree. For example, Ernst & Young offer work shadow opportunities for students interested in the Finance and Business sector to team up with members and gain a feel of the company. If this sounds like something you’d like to do, take a look at their EY Leadership Academy or Discover EY programmes. Or perhaps you think you’d be interested in a career in marketing? Unilever offer a 3 day spring workshop, designed to boost your skills and teach you about all the different areas of their business. Details of these opportunities and many more particularly for first years, at www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/ gettingexperience/firstyears The same can be said for professional placement years; they enhance employability, give you the opportunity to develop your skills, and to work on real projects in an industry you think you would like to work in. Some employers now only recruit those who’ve done a one year placement with them, and many more will
give out job offers for after graduation to those who impress.. so what’s to loose?. All degree programmes now offer you the opportunity to undertake a paid placement year (usually between your 2nd and 3rd year), check out the CEC website for full details: www.sussex.ac.uk/careers or come along to one of our Placements Short talks – held most weeks, see: www.sussex.ac.uk/career/events Volunteering is also a great way to build your skills and learning more about the workings of not-for-profit organisations. While the Sussex Students’ Union website offers several options for volunteering locally, most charities and organisations advertise online or can be approached in person and are happy to speak with potential volunteers. It can be quite daunting thinking about how to approach an employer or organisation you’d like to work for, especially if you don’t have the opportunity to meet them in person and are relying on how you put yourself across on paper. Making yourself stand out against other applicants and selling your
unique qualities is key when persuading potential employers that you are a strong candidate. Highlighting that you have gone the extra mile to undertake additional training through work experience, short courses and relevant professional placements will work in your favour in future application processes. So who do you approach? The Careers and Employability Centre can help you to find ways to approach potential employers and is a strong advocate of the creative job search. The best way to find out about an industry is to approach someone who currently works within it. From personal experience it can be difficult to get through to the person you want to speak with, especially when battling against an army of personal assistants who are more than happy to wave you away for wasting time. A good way to start your research is to look at the university’s Alumni Network (www.sussex.ac.uk/alumni/ careersnetwork), which you can use to search by careers sector or profession to help you find someone to speak with about their careers path
or experiences. Second and third/final year students may equally be interested in vacation opportunities listed on the Careers and Employability Centre website. Summer internship opportunities are a great way to gain experience and often lead to graduate employment. A good way to keep updated is to subscribe to careers weekly job updates whilst keeping an eye on the jobs dropdown on the CEC website for the most recent vacancies. www.sussex.ac.uk/ careers/jobs Please be aware that the deadlines for many of these opportunities are fast approaching with some as close as December. Students are therefore encouraged to send in applications as soon as possible to secure work experience today. If you would like more information on applying for work experience opportunities, voluntary positions or professional placements please visit: www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/gettingexperience to view these courses and more online.
the badger
10 November 2014 Arts •24
LISTINGS
UniTV and URF
Monday 10th
Tuesday 11th
Wednesday 12th
Scumbag College
The Burrito Show
Afternoon Alternative
11am-12pm
Hosted by Lottie Brazier
An Afternoon with Charles and James - 12-1pm Hosted by Charlie Wall
11am-12pm
12-1pm
Hosted by Nick Stewart
Hosted by Francesca Powell
SUDS Soapbox
The Paddy Hour
12-2pm
Hosted by Holly Hagan-Walker
1-2pm
Hosted by Paddy Osmond
Friday 14th
Thursday 13th
Earlier With Ellie Holland
The URF Review Show
1-2pm
11am-1pm
Hosted by John McKenna-Hughes
Magazine & Wine Party
Jeremiah’s Urban Central
2-3pm
1-2pm
Hosted by Em Chittock
Little Al’s Big Show
Hosted by Akintunde Akinsowon
Hosted by Alice Finney
60 Minutes of Mangan
2-3pm
Paige with Guests 1-2pm
Hosted by Paige Smith
Live it live with Jonny Meah 2-3pm
Hosted by Jonny Meah
5-6pm
Hosted by Ollie Heathcock
6-7pm
Hosted by Nick Werren
Hosted by Alex Mason
The World Show
Sam and Harry’s Existential Crisis - 4-5pm
The Magical Music Tour
Hosted by Callum Sellins
Everyday Desert Island Discs 3-4pm
4-5pm
2-4pm
Holly CA-60 Show 4-5pm Hosted by Holly Cassidy
Broken Old 45’s 5-6pm
Hosted by Jack Jewers
Hosted by Gareth Mangan
Hosted by Sian Williams
5-6pm
Hosted by Sam Berkay
Decadent Groove
6-7pm
6-7pm
7-8pm
Hosted by Benji Kusi
Going Nowhere Slow 8-9pm
Hosted by Julian Paszkiewicz
The Everything Hour 7-8pm
Hosted by Lewis Cockle
Cult of the Black Pudding 8-9pm
Hosted by Beau O’Shea
Hosted by Harry Reddick
5-6pm
6-7pm
9-10pm
Hosted by Sam Hislop and Bruno Riddy
Californication 9-10pm
Hosted by Priyanka Vigneswaran
Retrofit 7-8pm
Stone’s Throw
Hosted by Adam Whitmore
7-8pm
Hosted by Sam Siva
The Mo-mentous Show
Tangled Roots
The Politics Show
8-9pm
8-9pm
Tropical Hot Dog Night
Hosted by Paul Millar
Hosted by Elana Crowley
Hosted by Thomas Powell and Raymond Jennings
The Sports Show
The Rory Hughes Show
7-8pm
9-10pm
9-10pm
Hosted by Rory Hughes
Hosted by Morrow and Jackson
Alphabet Soup 8-9pm
Hosted by Thomas Houlton
Gardeners’ Hour
Hosted by Sebastian Tiley
6-7pm
Anorak Ashtray Hosted by Joseph Oliver
Mole
The Green Frog Show
Hosted by Chloe Mo
The B/C Sandwich
3-4pm
Hosted by Em Chittock
Hosted by Matthew Locke-Cooper
The Nick Werren Show
The Tom Jenkinson Show
2-3pm
Hosted by James Blay
The Electric Hour
Sian’s Pic N Mix
Hosted by Ellie Holland
Night Falls 9-10pm
Make sure you listen and get involved at: www.urfonline.com
Hosted by Tiago Franco
Read, Write and Get Involved: Make sure you have a look at our website at www.unitvlive.com (or search for us on Facebook!) for more details about how to meet, watch, write, pitch, produce, film, act and get involved with all things UniTV!
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