Term 2, Issue 8

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Tribunal orders more of contract with Chartwells to be released Judge throws out claim that revealing Chartwells contract will prejudice commercial interests Sussex repeatedly refused to disclose contract with caterers under different FOI Act sections

Sophie Jones Jessica Pitocchi and Jack Williams News Sub-Editor and News Editor The University of Sussex has failed in its legal bid to prevent having to disclose parts of its contract with its outsourced catering company Chartwells.

The case was brought before an Information Rights Tribunal after nearly two years of refusing the disclose details of the contract between itself and Chartwells.

As covered in The Badger on 1 December last year, The University originally withheld certain information under sections 41 and 43 of the FOI Act on the grounds it was confidential and commercially sensitive, respectively.

But at the beginning of March, the Tribunal ruled these sections did not apply.

In the decision notice, Judge Robin Callender Smith wrote: “The Tribunal does not accept that it is likely that disclosure would result in detriment to Chartwells.

“It is difficult to see actually looking at the relevant information – which the

Tribunal has done in terms of the unredacted closed information it has available to it – how disclosure of such information would be likely to prejudice the commercial interests of either Chartwells or the appellant.”

The tribunal panel concluded that the University could not rely on section 41 of the act to withhold information in the contract under the headings “Service Provider Deliverables” and “Methodology” because “it has not been obtained by the public authority from another party.”

The tribunal also stated that publishing the unredacted information of the contract which they reviewed, would not prejudice the commercial interests of the University or Chartwells, as the information appeared to “duplicate to that elsewhere in the contract and has already been disclosed”.

The appellant, former Sussex student Gabriel Webber, sent the FOI request in July 2013 which was initially rejected under section 22, exempting information due to be published at a later date.

Webber later resubmitted the request and began his appeal process the University rejected it again under sections 41 and 43.

After months of reviewing, the ICO ruled in May 2014 that the full contract should be published online to which the University appealed, taking the case to the Tribunal.

When contacted, The University confirmed that they intended to publish parts of the contract previously undisclosed “shortly”, such as parts alluding to work placement guarantees for students and commitments relating to training.

A University spokesperson commented: “We have a policy of being open and transparent. We first published the contract between the University and Chartwells in February 2014, with only some commercially sensitive parts withheld.

“The part of the contract that was looked at by the tribunal related only to two elements.

“The tribunal agreed with the University that we do not have to publish financial

elements of the contract between the University and Chartwells - so that we can negotiate in the future with potential suppliers.

“We had always intended to publish the ‘strategy deliverables’ information in the contract and will be doing so shortly. This includes information such as the guaranteed work placements and part-time employment with Chartwells that we have secured for students, as well as commitments about awards and training.”

Respondent Gabriel Webber said: “I am pleased that a judge has highlighted the University’s breach of the Freedom of Information Act and their astonishing attempt to hush up material that is already in the public do main.

“None of this would have been necessary if the management was just open with students as it should have been anyway.

“I hope this judgement will remind the Vice-Chancellor that the law applies to him as well and if he just does whatever he wants he is likely to be called out for it.”

Responding to an enquiry by The Badger, The Information Commissioner’s Office confirmed that the Information Rights Tribunal Judge, Robin Callender Smith, partially ruled in favour of the appeal against the University’s decision to prevent full disclosure.

The Information Commissioner’s Office said: “ It is the Commissioner’s decision that sections 41 and 43 of the FOIA do not apply. The Commissioner therefore requires the university to disclose Schedule 2 Part 8 – the content of the column entitled ‘Strategy Deliverables’ and Schedule 4 paragraphs 4.2 and 4.1 and Appendix 1 to the complainant. This decision notice is currently under appeal to the Tribunal.

A spokesperson for the Information Commissioner’s Office said they had nothing further to say on the final ruling at the current time.

The University recently rejected a Badger FOI asking for the figure for the legal expenses incurred in this process under section 43 of the Act.

the badger

23 march 2015

in pictures • 2

IN PICTURES The best of One World week at Sussex

Sophie Jones

Nelly Tookey

Sophie Jones Editor-in-Chief Deborah Batchelor badger@sussexstudent.com News Editor Jack Williams Comment Editor Victoria Farley Tech/Sci/Features Editor Jordan Ellis Arts Editor Tom Powell Head of Publicity Lili Pammer-Zagroczky

Sports Editor Joe Cummins josephcummins.sportseditor@gmail. com News Sub Editors Daniel Green, Zoe Halse, Alex Ferguson, Rosie Dodds,Jess Pitocchi badger-news@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

Tech Sub Editor Connor Cochrane badger-tech@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

Sports Sub Editor Vladislav Hristov Grozev badger-sports@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

Features Sub Editor Ryan Bourne badger-features@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

Photo Editors Nelly Tookey, Sophie Jones thebadgerphotography@gmail.com

Science Sub Editor Jade Groves badger-science@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

Publicity Coordinator Lenart Celar badger-publicity@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

Arts Sub Editors Victoria O’Donnell, Ioana Matei, Raymond Jennings, Lily Cooper, Lottie Brazier badger-arts@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

Online Editors Steve Barker, Pete Humphreys badger-online@ussu.sussex.ac.uk

Sophie Jones Media Development Officer Paul Millar mediadevelopment@sussexstudent. com Communications Officer Michael Segalov communications@sussexstudent.com Find us online: www.badgeronline.co.uk @thebadgernews facebook.com/thebadger.ussu Instagram: thebadgernewss

the badger

23 MARCH 2015

NEWS • 3

Petitions demand exam dates to be rescheduled Zoë Halse News Sub-Editor

The University is under pressure following student uproar over third-year exams being scheduled less than 24 hours after or before dissertation deadlines.

Two petitions have been formed on change.org, one for affected History and English students and one just for English, in response to the issue. The first has 890 supporters so far and the latter 571. Both demand for exam dates to be rescheduled.

The University have responded that the current scheduling is in line with the institution’s policy.

A third-year English Rep who started one of the petitions told The Badger that: “Basically, the petition was started as a result of growing frustration amongst my peers and myself because it seems as though the University does not consider the implication especially of setting critical exams literally hours after people are expected to hand in dissertations which are usually worth double the credits.

“For most people, they have coursework assignments in addition to dissertations - I have a friend with 14,000 words due on the 11th and is then expected to sit her exams on the 12th, 13th immediately after. It should not be unreasonable to expect the university when scheduling exams to bear this in mind.

“We understand the pressure on timetabling but at least we would expect a minimum of 3-4 days after submission deadlines for exams to commence just so all students can have a fair chance at their exams. In the current structure, some students will be at an advantage to others and that is simply not fair.

“I should also mention that since the petition started I have had some re-

sponse from the university and they are saying that it is a ‘draft’ so they have changed some exams and are still changing as we go along.

“I appreciate their actions but it is a shame that they didn’t recognize this in the first place and that students have had to petition on more than one occasion to get the university to recognize this.”

Students’ Union Education Officer, Bethan Hunt, sent an email to Clare Mackie, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) and Sharon Jones, the University Academic Registrar, outlining the Union’s concerns, saying: “If I am right the exact same issue occurred last year, where students had to petition to have their exams pushed back as they were scheduled for less than 24 hours after their dissertation.

“It is really disappointing to see this happen again, it is causing numerous students distress at an already stressful time.

“I would like to take this opportunity to support students affected by this timetabling issue and call for you to reschedule their exams to allow them a couple of days to recuperate and revise for their exams. We need to support our students to reach their full potential and I worry that in this system, we are not doing this.

“Moving forward, we need to work together at creating a fairer and smoother system of assessment timetabling to stop this reoccurring issue.

“The student who started the petition has suggested working towards a system that allocates the first week of all Assessment blocks (A1 + A2) for deadline submissions including dissertations, project reports, essays etc. and subsequent weeks for examinations. This breaks up the current pressure experienced by stu-

Badger online dents. Whilst we have talked about these changes, we are not seeing any progress.”

She ended that she was looking forward to working with the University on the issue.

Another third-year English student replied: “I don’t completely agree with the uproar surrounding the exam date.

“Although it would be nice to have a few extra days, I think people are forgetting that we were all told in the first lecture of term that the exam would follow the dissertation hand-in date by a few days maximum.

“If you get on with the dissertation now, there should be ample time to revise for the exam. It will only be a problem if it is all left last minute.

“We are being encouraged to start collecting our ideas together now so we can start it early. This isn’t done to annoy students, but rather so there is enough time to mark all our work and so it can be moderated before we graduate.”

The University commented: “The draft end-of-year exam timetable, which had been signed off by each of the schools, was published for students on Friday 13 March.

“The final timetable – with amendments to take account of any exam clashes reported by students - will be published on Friday 20 March.

“We have scheduled finalists’ exams in the early weeks of the exam period to give teaching staff maximum time to

mark the papers before the graduation ceremonies in mid July.

“Our standard policy is to ensure that no student has more than one exam per day, and that no student has an exam and a formal submission on the same day; we have produced a draft timetable that accords with this policy.

“Finalists have ample time to prepare and to submit their dissertation well before the final submission deadline. It is of course their responsibility to plan their own revision and study as appropriate.”

The University are due to release the final version of the timetable this Friday (20th)- see The Badger Online for an updated edition of the story.

Sussex to spend up to £750k on strategic marketing partner Jack Williams and Rosie Dodds News Editor and News Sub-Editor The University of Sussex is looking to spend up to £750,000 for a strategic partner to work with the University’s marketing team.

On a government tendering website, the University have publicised their intention to enlist a consultation firm to coordinate their student recruitment and marketing strategy.

The contract will run for an estimate of four years, with the University willing to pay £250,000 to £750,000 to hire the services of the preferred marketing consultancy agency.

A spokesperson for the University told The Badger: “As is the norm for many leading universities these days, at Sussex we are looking to bring in additional expertise where it is needed to support our recruit-

ment and marketing activity.

“We are in the process of identifying a potential roster of one or more agencies that we can work with on a range of marketing activity including online and digital communications, advertising, publications and social media.

“In a competitive market, this will allow us to provide our prospective and current students with accurate, engaging information about the stu-

dent experience, including courses, campus facilities and student activities.

“We also want to make sure that other audiences who engage with the University, such as research councils, academic institutions, prospective staff, parents, teachers and the local community, have all the information they need about Sussex.

“The tender document includes a maximum sum which could be spent,

but this is the very upper limit and is required to be listed as part of procurement process. The actual spend may be less than that and part of this process will be to identify what is required.

“This level of activity is standard for our peer universities and strict criteria apply with regard to value for money on services provided by suppliers that are used by the University.”

2015/16, with £52,580.56 more than this year currently having no allocation.

The lowest funded school for the 2015/2016 academic year, Law ,Politics and Sociology’s budget has received a decrease in its widening participation allocation of 30 percent, coming down to £2,898.00 from £4,140.00 in 2014/2015.

However the School of Engineering and Informatics’ widening participation budget is expected to increase by £1,528. This is stated as due to “a possible SSE (Sussex study experience) strand”.

While the Engineering and Informatics school’s budget is planned to rise,

five of the seven departments being decreased have a SSE strand already running.

The University has stated the report’s figures, “do not represent cuts in budgets; they reflect a reduced cost, as development expenditure is not repeated year on year.”

The University stated that: “The funding is for delivery for a further year and a small amount for any minor development needed to improve a programme.”

The central costs budget is proposed to increase by £31,204, taking up 39 percent of the budget in 2015/16.

The University has stated in response to the increase that: “these expenses are

the essential costs that are needed to support the work that the team does including transporting school students on to campus, the meals and refreshments that we provide, and the branded pens, pencils, paper and other materials that students can take away to remind them of their day at Sussex.”

They added: “As our academic programme grows, so do all of these costs.”

The department with the biggest cut is Education and Social Work, with £17,375 less than this year proposed for 2015/16.

This year the department had its budget allocation raised substantially, stated due to “mentoring scheme ex-

pansion, teacher’s CPD and GCSE revision days.”

Even with the largest cut the Education and Social Work department have still got the largest budget allocation of the academic departments, £37,643 more than the lowest budget.

The University stated: “We are very proud of the University of Sussex’s widening participation programme and are quite unique in the volume of help and support that we get from our academic colleagues.”

However, next year we expect to see an overall academic budget drop of £18,142, despite £66,076 of the budget remaining.

Budget cuts proposed for widening participation scheme Pheobe Day

The new budget allocation report presented to the University OFFA (The Office for Fair Access) has proposed widening participation allocation decreases for seven of the eleven academic schools at the University of Sussex.

OFFA’s budget covers the University’s widening participation schemes such as scholarships, study experience days and online outreach resources.

The report released this month shows the allocation of a £380,000 budget from 2012 to 2016, with an overall decrease in spending proposed for

the badger

23 March 2015

NEWS • 4

Q&A with Political Societies

3) what are 3 policies that you would most like to see implemented after the general election? 3) what are 3 policies that you would most to Ferguson see implemented the general Bylike Alex and after Phoebe Day election?

In the run-up to May’s general election, The Badger interviews the heads of students political societies at the University of Sussex to ask them of their parties chances going into the election and what political issues matter to them the most.

President of UKIP Students Society Sussex , Will Saunders: What do you think of your parties’ chances heading into the election?

I’m going to quote my party leader here; it’s the most unpredictable general election in a generation. It really could be anything from a future you could count on one hand to into double figures.

The poles are so volatile, it’s impossible to predict but there are a number of seats I am confident about, I’d be devastated if we won fewer than six.

We expect to see an increase in seats, Clacton is our safest seat. What’s really important is that we are going to take

a huge percentage of the labour vote up north.

Although I’m very optimistic about this election, it’s really about putting ourselves in a really good position for 2020.

What do you believe is the most important issue heading into the election?

That’s a very tough question to answer, I think that kind of question epitomises everything wrong with politics because it’s all about what is the biggest decision, when you can’t go to the 60 million people in this country and ask “what’s your biggest issue?” Personally to me, it’s probably the EU. President of the University of Sussex Liberal Democrat Society, Beth JD: Should the situation arise, do you think that the Liberal Democrats should enter another coalition even though it was so detrimental to their popularity the first time?

Certainly, it is about what is best for the country not for our party, also being in government means that we have had to sacrifice some of our policies and ideals, but it also means we have been able to implement some fabulous policies with fairness and equal opportunity for all at the centre.

Hopefully people will recognise and give us due credit for our policies that have helped so many disadvantaged people.

It is true that it is important that people know what we have done, so they vote for us again and then we can do even more good! Helping to create as fair a society as is possible and practical within the lifespan of one government- if we get in again and again we can eventually reach a fair society.

Do you think the Liberal Democrats would do better in the upcoming election if they had a new leader?

We can never know, but Nick Clegg is a good leader and has unfortunately been negatively associated with our genera-

tion.

Tuition Fees as they are now are better than any other circumstance students could have been faced with, even though it is still bad, it could have been a lot worse.

Chris Bowers explained this very eloquently in his tuition fee talk earlier this term, in which you can find the video on the event ‘Tuition Fees: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly’ President of University of Sussex Conservative Society, Sophie Rose Feary: What are 3 policies that you would most like to implemented after the general election?

To continue with the long term economy plan. Economic changes can’t take place over a short amount of time, instead it needs time to develop.

EU referendum. With Europe being such a hot topic today, dividing both politics and the public I think it’s time we

had a referendum.

First-time buyers in England under the age of 40 would be able to buy a house at 20 percent below the market rate, with 100,000 starter homes to be built for them.

Do you think that David Cameron’s refusal to take part in all three of the debates is a bit of a cop out?

Whilst I personally am not a big fan of the T.V debates (I find them a tad dull) it does seem like Cameron is trying to avoid them at all costs.

I think he needs to accept that T.V debates might well be our political future and avoiding them could have a drastic impact.

The University of Sussex Green Party Society and Sussex University Labour Society presidents were unable to be interviewed at the time of The Badger going to print. We will include their interviews in The Badger next week.

For the full interviews, go to www. badgeronline.co.uk

University sign listed building agreement Jack Williams News Editor The University of Sussex has signed a listed building agreement with Brighton and Hove Council, the first agreement of its kind involving a UK university.

The Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement, which was signed in collaboration with the local council and English Heritage, means that the University will now be able to carry out repair works and general maintenance on campuses listed buildings without submitting consent applications to the council on each occasion.

The final agreement was signed by the local authority’s Economic Development and Culture Committee on Thursday 12 March after a draft agreement approved by the council has been in public consultation since January.

The University claim that the agreement will cut down on red tape and will allow them to facilitate improvements on listed buildings in a “more timely and efficient manner”.

Charles Dudley, the University’s Director of Residential and Campus Services, said: “We are delighted to have reached such an agreement with English Heritage and BHCC allowing us to improve our facilities within our listed buildings in a more timely and efficient manner. It also reflects our continuing excellent stewardship of the campus.”

Previously, the University had to consult Brighton and Hove Council each time they planned to do any work on listed buildings and were charged a percentage fee each time they successfully applied for planning commission.

It is estimated the University makes several planning applications to the local council per year.

In December last year, the Universi-

ty submitted a planning application to the local council to upgrade facilities in teaching rooms, including in the listed building of Arts A. The University hope that such organisational work will become simpler now that the agreement has been enacted.

In a further comment to The Badger, a University spokesperson said: “The proposed Agreement will cut down on red tape for all three organisations involved in works on our listed buildings: the University of Sussex, English Heritage and Brighton & Hove City Council.

“The Agreement will streamline the current processes and the time taken because improvements will be made without the need for us to apply for planning consent each time.

“A percentage fee (percentage of the project value) is also paid for planning permission. The main saving here is going to be for maintenance works, where we will be able to get on with the work rather than apply each time for permission e.g. for signage updates and repairs to paving, brickwork and roofs, etc.

“We are currently awaiting planning permission on an application that was made in December 2014 to upgrade the seating and lecterns in general teaching space, including some teaching rooms in listed buildings such as Arts A. This is a good example of the type of improvement works that will become simpler to organise and carry out under the proposed new Agreement.”

A representative for Brighton and Hove Council’s Economic Development and Culture Committee stressed that the new deal will eliminate the need for the University to make separate planning applications and that it will “save resources” at the council.

Daniel Roberts Councillor Geoffrey Bowden, chair of the Economic Development and Culture Committee, said: “The council and the University have built up a considerable amount of expertise about these famous buildings over the years which we now want to put to good use to guide future work.

“The proposed Heritage Partnership Agreement will be a great way of pooling resources and it will enable the University of Sussex to plan strategically for work that will have automatic consent. It will save having to make separate applications to the planning

authority for minor works and it will save resources at the council, too.”

Samantha Johnson, Inspector of Historic Buildings and Areas for English Heritage in the South East said: "Spence's buildings at Sussex University are an outstanding example of twentieth century architecture.

"Spence's inspiration was from the classical forms of Ancient Rome. At Sussex, the voids and spaces he created at Falmer House capture the idea of the ruinous condition of the Colosseum. He was also influenced by Le Corbusier's Maisons Jaoul which is seen at

Sussex in the concrete arches and austere red brickwork across the campus.

"The buildings, which include the sculptural Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts and the beautiful Meeting House with jewel-like windows, create an exceptional 'set piece' around Fulton Court [Library Square] well worthy of its high designation. The LBHPA will be another tool to aid the long term conservation of this exceptional collection of buildings."

The Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement will be in place for ten years and be periodically reviewed.

the badger

23 march 2015

The Badger looks at the week in Politics nuses, rose by 1.8% compared with a year earlier.

The UK grew by 2.6% in 2014 which was faster than any other advanced economy and current predictions suggest that the economy will rise by another 2.5% in 2015.

Reuters Britain “walking tall again”?: Osborne’s sixth Budget as chancellor seems to be saying that Britain’s economy is on the mend. UK unemployment has fallen by 102,000 to 1.86 million in the three months to

January and the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance has also fallen to 791,200, it’s lowest level since 2008.

In the three months to January average earnings, including bo-

The Chancellor’s Budget: In this government’s last Budget before the election in May, the Chancellor has proposed numerous policy changes, some of which are presented below.

He has cut 1p from beer duty, 2 percent from cider and whisky and has frozen fuel and wine duty. As has already been planned, cigarettes will go up by 16p a pack.

The Budget supported a further crackdown on tax avoidance and evasion and it is thought that this will help to raise an extra £3.1 billion.

As part of this purge against tax avoidance and evasion, the Budget

has introduced a so-called ‘Google tax’. Essentially, the Chancellor has said that companies that move their profits overseas to avoid tax will be subject to a “diverted profits tax” as of April.

The Budget also states that a further £900 million a year is expected to be raised by increasing the rate of the bank levy to 0.21 percent.

Further to the tax changes being made in this budget, annual tax returns are to be scrapped and replaced with “digital tax accounts”.

The tax-free personal allowance is set to rise from £10,600 in 20156 to £10,800 in 2016-7 and £11,000 in 2017-8.

The Budget also presents consultation on a proposal to offer loans of up to £25,000 for UK students studying for PhDs and researchbased master’s degrees.

The North Sea Oil Industry also received a tax cut package worth

NEWS • 5

by Alex Ferguson and Daniel Green

up to £1.3bn, after oil prices dived to £35.70 per barrel from £78.50 in the summer.

Labour and the SNP: The leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband, has last week ruled out the possibility of an SNP-Labour coalition in the vent of a hung parliament after May’s election.

In response to being called “despicable” by David Cameron for not immediately rejecting an SNP deal, Miliband has now said “there will be no SNP ministers in any government I lead”.

Newsbeat Election Survey: A recent survey of 6,345 18 to 24-yearolds has been conducted by Newsbeat.

The survey suggests that 47 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds will definitely vote or are “very likely to” while 15% said they definitely won’t or are “very unlikely to vote”. This data only goes to support the theory that political apathy among young people is on the increase.

Lord Attenborough remembered at tribute service Jack Williams News Editor A service paying homage to renowned film actor and director Lord Attenborough was held in London at Westminster Abbey last Tuesday.

The former University of Sussex Chancellor passed away on 24 August last year at the age of 90.

The congregation at service included Lord Attenborough’s brother, wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, and award winning British actors like Sir Michael Cane, Sir John Hurst and Dame Judy Dench.

Speaking at the opening of the ser-

vice, the Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev Dr John Hall, said: “We come to celebrate the life and achievement of Richard Attenborough, a truly great man: certainly a star of stage and screen, but also a pioneer film-maker, an exemplary leader of his profession, a man of deep commitment, of great generosity of spirit, and of personal warmth.

“We shall also pray that his story might continue to inspire and inform others to follow his example, that our world might become a little brighter and better.”

David Attenborough read from his brother’s 1994 maiden speech in the House of Lords, and read the opening

News in Brief Students’ Unions gifted £15k for voter registration event

£15,000 has been granted by the Government to the Students’ Unions at the University of Sussex and University of Brighton to hold an event to increase voter registration on both campuses.

The sum of money was awarded jointly to both unions by the Cabinet Office, as they step up their efforts to get students not currently on the voting register to sign up, with less than two months to go before the general election.

Abraham Baldry, President of the Sussex Students’ Union, said that while they could not disclose any details about the event yet, it will “involve music”.

He said: “I’m very excited by what we’re planning to do with this money. We can’t release details just yet, but it’s going to involve music, and it’s going to be big.”

Brighton Students’ Union President, Candice Armah said: “There are loads of great reasons that students should register to vote, but we’re cooking up something that will make it even more irresist-

ible.”

Changes made by the current government mean university students are no longer automatically enlisted to the voter register. Students now have to register individually.

Jack Williams

Petition drafted to give ‘Library Cat’ freedom A petition has been drafted calling for a cat, nicknamed ‘Library Cat’, to have “free access to the library”.

The petition comes after comes after a cat has been repeatedly spotted in the library over several months.

The petition, which aims to get 150 signatures in time for the autumn referenda later this year, states that “education is a right, not just for the rich, nor human, but also for anyone who wants and is able to learn, including cats.”

It adds: “We understand that the Union has limited authority over the library, but by making this official, binding Union policy, that we hope to influence student and

line: “I have it on the best authority from a not too distant relative - that we are related to apes”.

Ben Kingsley, who stared in the leading role in the 1982 epic biographical picture Ghandi, which won Richard Attenborugh an academy award for Best Director, gave a reading from the writings of the film.

Fellow actor Tom Hiddleston and film producer and Labour peer, Lord David Puttnam, also gave readings at the ceremony.

In his address at the service, Lord Puttnam said that Lord Attenborough was, “gifted, loyal, tenacious, but also deeply sensitive”. human interaction with Library Cat in a manner that is beneficial to all parties, whilst respecting the cat’s autonomy”.

Despite students’ fondness of the feline, a member of the staff commented that the cat posed a “health hazard when you consider the cafe... and [students’] allergies”.

Daniel Green

LSE students stage occupation A group of students from the London School of Economics occupied a University building last week to protest against the marketisation of higher education.

Upon occupying the Vera Anstey Suite on Tuesday night, the protesters released a list of demands, which included calling of the LSE management to lobby the government to scrap tuition fees and for them to pay all staff the living wage.

A statement by the LSE said: ““LSE was founded for the betterment of society and it is clear that this principle continues to be a guide for many of our students.”

Jack Williams

The Argus

Sussex to host Summer school for incoming autistic students Ayomide Oluyemi The University is set to hold its first summer school for students with autism this September.

It will be one of the first universities in the country to do so. Sussex Autistic Summer School (SASS) is designed to familiarise up to 20 students with the campus and student life. It is hoped that the summer school will ease the transition into the University for the students, who will be entering Sussex in the upcoming academic year.

People on the autistic spectrum generally have a strong need for routine and familiarity.

SASS will be part of the University’s Widening Participation summer school program. It is planned to include sample lectures, seminars and lab sessions. Widening Participation ‘Redcoats’ (ambassadors/ mentors) will receive additional training in order to help the students. If this year’s pilot is successful, the program will be continued in future years.

Chris Girvan, a Sussex PhD student in social cognitive development, has been working on the implementing the program

for over a year. He stated: “We want it to enhance social and vocational skills. We want the transition from school to be good.”

Janet France and Stephen Pomfret, from the University’s Widening Participation scheme, are also co-ordinating SASS. France said: “We hope the new summer school will help more young people with autism to fulfil their potential and stay the course of their degree.”

“And we hope that their experience will pave the way for others to succeed, not just at Sussex but in the university sector as a whole.”

The National Autistic Society states that more than 1 in 100 people in the UK population have autism. According to the University, “Their numbers on (the University’s) campus have soared as part of the general expansion of higher education.”

Students’ Union Education Officer Bethan Hunt commented: “We think this is a positive move, but we are still concerned that the majority of University staff are not trained in how to best to support autistic students when they are studying at Sussex.

We urge the University to make this a priority to allow our campus to be accessible for all.”

Thursday Evenings from 5pm in Room 76.

(Falmer Back Bar).

Sit : Down Listen : to live music Talk : to your friends Drink : Craft beer, Coffee, Cocktails

NEW

School of Business, Management and Economics (BMEc) Postgraduate Open Evening • Thursday 26 March 2015

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the badger

23 March 2015

FEATURE • 8

FEATURE

Kirus.ru via Wikipedia Commons

Umberto Salvagnin

St. Patrick’s Day: is it all shamrocks and parties?

Joanne Doherty describes the history of St. Patrick’s Day and how the tradition has altered slightly due to American influence.

Joanne Doherty Every year on 17th March the Irish (and not-so-Irish) the world over celebrate St Patrick’s Day by sporting silly green attire with oversized floppy hats and drinking copious pints of the black stuff (Guinness).

And it’s obligatory, whether you like it or not! Believe it or not, St Patrick’s Day was not always about getting a day off work and drinking yourself stupid.

Growing up in Ireland, everyone is told the history and stories of our patron saint who was not Irish ironically.

According to National Geographic, our patron saint was born in Britain, then became part of the Roman Empire to an aristocratic family in 390 AD. When he was 16, he was kidnapped

by Irish raiders and years later managed to escape, only to return to Ireland because, as legend had told us, a voice in a dream told him to return.

St. Patrick became a priest and then spent the rest of his life converting Irish people to Christianity. According to legend, St. Patrick did this by using shamrocks, those three-leaf clovers, to explain the Holy Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

However, people didn’t really start wearing shamrocks until around the 17th century.

After his death on 17th March 461 AD, (the reason for the date of the festival), St Patrick was mainly forgotten until centuries later, myths

around him grew and by the 10th century, Irish people began observing St Patrick’s Day as a Christian feast day.

Until the mid-twentieth century in Ireland, it was traditionally celebrated by attending mass and sharing a meal with friends and family. Nowadays, of course, it is more famously associated with parties, parades and drunken revelry.

Some of the reasons for this have been linked to the fact that prohibitions on eating meat, drinking and other Lenten sacrifices were lifted for the day.

I have fond memories of this from my childhood as my sisters and I enthusiastically ‘broke our Lent’ for the day and indulged in all forms of sugary junk whilst (being forced in my case) wearing green hair ribbons and shamrocks.

However, it is actually Americans who are responsible for turning St. Patrick’s Day into the big party we know and love today! There’s some debate over when the first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place, but early celebrations happened in Boston in 1737 and New York in 1762.

Apparently the motivation for the celebrations began when Irish immigrant workers and soldiers, homesick and keen to celebrate their glorious birth right, (and who could honestly blame them), marched across New York City to a tavern.

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations continued to grow as more and more Irish immigrants came to the U.S., especially after the Irish Potato Famine in 1845. Today there are still celebra-

tions in many small towns, big cities and bars across the United States.

New York’s St. Patrick’s Day parade is the world’s oldest civilian parade and the largest parade in the U.S., according to History.com. Chicago is also famous for dyeing the Chicago River green every year for its St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

“...the motivation for the celebrations began when immigrant workers and soldiers, homesick and keen to celebrate [...] marched across New York City to a tavern.”

Speaking of green, it is everywhere on St Patrick’s Day. You would do well not to be lost in a sea of green if you joined the festivities.

So, why is green so significant?

Well, for one, it’s featured in our flag, Ireland is nicknamed the “Emerald Isle,” it represents spring and it’s the colour of shamrocks.

More notably, if you don’t wear green, you risk being pinched. This apparently comes from an American tradition and the idea that people thought wearing green helped ward off being pinched by leprechauns (seriously).

This is because leprechauns would pinch anyone they could see, i.e. anyone not wearing green. This was ac-

tually news to me and although I am wiser than to believe this, I could not write an article about Ireland without discussing leprechauns.

Beyond the United States, there are of course parades in almost every town and city in the Emerald Isle and the Dublin St Patrick’s Day experience is definitely one not to be missed!

There are also parades all over the UK, in London, Birmingham and Manchester, to name but a few. Celebrations take place all over Europe including Italy, Austria, Greece, Germany and the Netherlands. Obviously, this is not counting the limitless informal celebrations that happen virtually everywhere.

James Joyce’s character Leopold Bloom mused in Ulysses, ‘a good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a single pub.’

I will parody him and say, ‘a good puzzle would be to cross the globe and not find an Irish pub.’ OK, I am sure this one can be done somewhere.

I, for one, have never been to Easter Island, but you cannot deny our pubs are ubiquitous and popular. I have been told of St Patrick’s Day celebrations in seemingly unusual places.

One in Belgrade at an Irish pub called The Three Carrots (I was not given an explanation for this name).

They also have a Balkan band called The Orthodox Celts who I am told are very musically talented.

My father once celebrated St Patrick’s Day at the Irish embassy in Riyadh with a Saudi Arabian tribute to traditional Irish band The Dub-

liners. I can only imagine this was rather surreal. However, the last but definitely not the least, was an Irish celebration at a karaoke bar in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

And shockingly stereotypical, raucous and rowdy as Irish pubs are, you will not have a better St Patrick’s Day experience anywhere else. Guaranteed.

So, I suggest you don your finest green sartorial specimens and make your way to your local Irish tavern for a finely crafted and delicately poured pint of the black stuff.

And remember, St Patrick’s Day is for all; it is universally celebrated and cherished. So, just have fun, let your hair down and stay decidedly un-classy.

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the badger

23 march 2015 ARTS • 14

ARTS

Interview: Ghostpoet

Arts Sub-Editor Raymond Jennings had a chat with spoken word-cum-singer songwriter, Londoner and all round top bloke, Obaro Ejimiwe on the blower last week. They talked about his new album, live shows and the city. Raymond developed a bit of a celeb-crush at some point during all this. If you don’t like fanboys, look away now.

Obaro Ejimiwe has been releasing music under the name Ghostpoet for a little over half a decade now.

His earliest appearances on Micachu mixtapes ultimately led to the release of his 2011 album Peanut Butter Jam & Melancholy Blues, the success of which spawned a sophomore album, 2013’s Some Say I So I Say Light.

For these earlier, and notably great, releases, Ejimiwe was Ghostpoet – it was the moniker he chose for himself.

And you can hear that; his first two albums are composed of cold, arresting electronics, with lyrics about the everydayness of his life, from going to the cash and carry to eating some fried chicken on your walk home.

Ghostpoet’s music, at first, was his music completely – it was as much about him as of him.

Things seem to have changed on his new album, Shedding Skin.

The industrial electronics with which he constructed his songs seem to have been pushed to the very back of the mix, if not entirely stripped away, to be replaced by more organic tones and, shock horror, real instruments.

This new sound, which has since its release been favourably compared to that of later Radiohead, has of course been hinted at earlier in his career.

The single ‘Liiines’, from his first album, seems to be the first notable ‘rock’like song in his repertoire. ‘Thyme’, from his second release, seems to me to be the point from which the new album jumps off – sly guitars playing pretty, but rhythmically complex, melodies, with

real drums and bass grounding the track and Ejimiwe’s now signature half-sung, half-spoken lyrics acting as a kind of punctuation to the language spoken by the instrumentation.

Ejimiwe has been coyly letting us know where he wants to take his music for a while now, it seems. But no hint was less subtle, more overt, or more exciting than his live shows of last year.

I was fortunate enough to catch him on tour, and was utterly blown away.

First of all, he came out with a full band – considering I’d always envisaged him sitting in front of a laptop with a crap MIDI keyboard and a cracked copy of Ableton, this was a surprise.

Secondly, his live show possesses an energy and a vitality which is almost alien to his first two albums.

Rather than sounding introspective, personal, and isolated, suddenly the music of Ghostpoet became lively, anthemic, and invigorating. Perhaps more importantly, his music became a hell of a lot of fun.

I was fortunate enough to get the chance to get to speak to Ejimiwe about his new album and his live show.

My first question was, of course, about his change of musical direction. “It happened pretty naturally, man, every track is just built up from my band and I; it’s a bit more organic than the first two”.

Organic is a good word for it – you can tell that this is not the result of one man and a laptop, but of the process of a group of talented musicians jamming out ideas together.

Much of the music is slow, but not me-

thodical – as the tracks build and build it sounds almost as if the musicians are responding to each other in real time.

The title track is the perfect example of this, with bass chords providing a flat ground for the guitars, electronics, and vocals to build upon reflexively.

I asked if his live shows influenced the new approach.

“Yeah, probably” was the fairly straight-forward answer, before he told me “it’s working with the band, really.

The guys in my band are just my mates, and it’s been fun to work with them. I think that probably had something to do with it.”

This, I think, is the key difference between the earlier releases and the new album.

As stated, Ghostpoet was Obaro Ejimiwe.

Now, at least to me, Ghostpoet is a band fronted by him.

This brings a balance to his music; whereas Ghostpoet’s early music has always reminded me of London, specifically and inherently, Shedding Skin is much more universal.

“Thanks, man, that’s really good to hear” he tells me enthusiastically when I make this point to him.

“It’s important to me that my music does sort of sound like London - I mean, I live in London, y’know? But I want to find that balance between it being about me and it being something everyone can relate to.”

This universality he seems to be striving for is, in my opinion, one of the greatest strengths of the new album.

The music still reminds me of London, or at least of the mental image of London I’d always grown up with up North, but it now also feels much more open to interpretation.

Without Ejimiwe’s thick accent and unique lyrics, you’d be hard pressed to tell that this was a very English band.

I wondered what music Ejimiwe had been listening to that may have inspired him.

I asked if there were particular bands that perhaps he had been enjoying that he wanted to emulate – a poor choice of words that he was quick to correct me on.

“Emulate? What do you mean by emulate?” he responded, sounding perhaps a little offended.

I quickly and politely explained that I meant perhaps there were bands that had influenced him a little, that he had been drawing some inspiration from, but certainly not emulating.

“Oh right yeah, yeah of course – I’ve been listening to a lot of indie stuff really, Interpol, The National, TV on the Radio, that kind of thing”.

Notably, all American bands. TV on the Radio seems an especially useful comparison – while perhaps a livelier, polished band, their use of bass as a melodic, grounding instrument for the guitars to fire scatter shot and anthemic melodies over is very comparable to the way in which the musicians of the new Ghostpoet album seem to play off one another.

I didn’t get long to chat Ejimiwe, unfortunately.

No doubt hounded by NME column-

ists and Noisey interns alike, he had a busy day of answering the same questions over and over ahead of him.

While I only managed to get four or five questions over to him during the course of our phone call, I’ve no doubt he’d probably been asked all of them at least a dozen times that morning alone.

What was so surprising was how utterly willing to answer he was, how friendly and earnest, and how humble.

When I told him I enjoyed his live show, he seemed genuinely ecstatic.

“That’s great man, thank you! I like playing live, y’know, and I try make it like the kind of gig I want to go.

I like to have some high points, make it a bit more energetic, and then some quiet low points too.”

It seems, then, he searches for balance in all things; balancing the personal and the universal in his music, and the energetic and the introspective in his live show.

These dichotomies are what make Ghostpoet, whether we consider the moniker to belong to Ejimiwe or his entire band, such a unique and exciting project.

But whether or not we bless the band with the moniker that once belonged solely to their frontman, there is one element of Ghostpoet’s music that is undeniably rooted in Ejimiwe.

It is a sense of humility, of warmth, and, if I can say this without sounding too pretentious, of humanity.

Make sure to catch him when his tour stops off at Brighton – you’ll no doubt fall for him as much as I clearly have.

the badger

23 march 2015 ARTS • 15

Reviews Art

Dean Zeus Colman at The Prescription Art Gallery Florence Nolan Pills by Dean Zeus Coleman launched at The Prescription Art Gallery on Friday 13th March. This exhibition from the renowned graffiti art don Zeus features a wall of 40 oversized ecstasy tablets each with the imprint of a recognizable commercial brand.

Each pill is hand cast in plaster, painted, carved into and mounted in a small glass vitrine with contrasting coloured backgrounds.

The images on the pills would be familiar to anybody who had been to raves in the last 25 years, and recognizable brand icons such as Apple, Mitsubishi, Chanel and Playboy feature alongside cartoon characters such as Bart Simpson and generic symbols like Doves, Hearts and Smileys.

In celebration of the two-day legalization of ecstasy in Ireland the gallery commissioned a special edition green Shamrock pill.

In this exhibition the unassuming pill becomes a site for creative ex-

pression and examines the juxtaposition between commercial branding and the freedom and escapism offered to users of ecstasy.

Dean Zeus Coleman is a London born artist who currently lives in Amsterdam.

Zeus, his real middle name, became his tag when he started graffing in his early teens.

Drawing inspiration from urban culture, his early experiences of street graffiti and his formal academic training at the Chelsea College of Art, Zeus has created experimental 3D compositions.

His latest works have fused together traditional graffiti techniques with painting and sculpture to take his work onto the walls of the gallery.

His graffiti work was noticed by the influential DJ Tim Westwood who commissioned him to create backdrops and designs for one of the first hip hop clubs, Spatz.

He created work for Paul Oakenfold of Def Jam records and for some of the earliest warehouse clubs, such as West World in Brixton.

Later in his career Zeus worked with many community centers teaching youth offenders graffiti techniques.

Through charity work he helped to establish graffiti as an art form that could be used as a positive creative outlet for troubled teenagers, and not one of vandalism and destruction.

During his work with the Princes

Trust Zeus encouraged even Prince Charles to wield a spray can!

Zeus has shown his work in many gallery spaces across the UK and Europe, including the Victoria and Albert museum.

In 2013 he exhibited the ‘Sweet Art Show’ at Portobello’s Graffick Gallery.

The exhibition featured branded sweets such as LoveHearts, and perhaps presents a chronology between branded sweets for children and branded illegal pills for adults.

Zeus corroborates the link with his earlier sweet show, explaining “In the

Cat same way that people have favourite sweets growing up, people looked for their preferred brand of tablets for their night out.”

Zeus also reflects on his own experience of ecstasy ‘I was one of the few people in these clubs who hadn’t taken ecstasy…however I saw the drug bring people from all walks of life together – from football hooligans to Rasta’s to rich kids from the King’s Road.”

He describes how commercial brands have infiltrated even this countercultural illegal scene of the warehouse raves of the 80‘s and 90’s.

This branding goes a long way into making ecstasy and MDMA almost conventional in a culture where it is still illegal.

Ecstasy itself had a major cultural impact on music, TV, fashion and could even be said to have influenced a generation to change society in the way that marijuana did for some activists in the 60’s and 70’s.

James Woodley, owner of the gallery, explains that ‘each oversized pill represents a set of memories – longlasting (and fleeting) friendships, musical epiphanies, sex, love, DJs, sunrises and comedowns.’

Academic Review: Andrew Bennett and Nicholas Royle, This Thing Called Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing Debbie Batchelor Editor-In-Chief

I feel that everything that I do is about the love of language and the love of literature, the writing that interests me – that’s what I’m about,’ explained Nick Royle, during an interview last week.

Royle gladly agreed to talk to me about his third collaboration with Andrew Bennett, entitled This Thing Called Literature, which was written over a period of about four years.

He sums this book up as a text that addresses ‘the compelling but illusive nature of literature’ and, as a Literature student myself, I share his admiration and fascination with the written word.

This Thing Called Literature is an engaging text, set out with comprehensive chapters that prepare you for anything from reading poem to actually writing an essay; invaluable for any student of English who needs their passion for Literature reigniting.

Furthermore, this book advo-

cates studying literature because it ‘can be about anything and can therefore teach us anything’ (page 7).

In our interview, Royle laments that Literature and the Humanities are ‘something like a threatened species in relation to government funding and a sort of recognition beyond the academy’.

If anyone has ever felt this way, I recommend reading This Thing Called Literature as a remedy, as it seeks to illuminate the importance of studying Literature right from

the very first page.

Reading the text myself, I was struck by the often humorous and conversational tone of the book. I noted the refreshing readability of it, which draws the reader in with eloquent sentences and thorough explanations.

“Publishing a book is definitely the closest I get to actually giving birth” Royle informed me that writing with Bennett was ‘rewarding’ but ‘challenging’ as they attempted to create an authorial voice that was a ‘sufficiently a mix (of the two of them) for it to be difficult for people… to be able to say who drafted which chapter first’.

Other amusing sections of the book include a joke about tutors who fail to check the middle section of essays, thus giving a perfectly adequate mark to a Geology essay, which had several central pages that merely read ‘rocks rocks rocks…’ (page 112).

During the interview, I asked Royle if he had any marking anecdotes of his own, to which he explained that as ‘the German Philosopher, Martin Heidegger, is autocorrected to head gear… you get an essay in which, regularly, head gear turns up as a major philosopher.’

Throughout the course of the interview, Royle proclaims his ‘love of the book’ and muses on how ‘the love of literature is the love of something very strange … something very ghostly and impalpable’.

This Thing Called Literature perfectly details this love on each page and Royle is clearly proud of the book, adding that ‘publishing a book is definitely the closest I get to actually giving birth.’

The anticipation for publishing and the desire to see it do well in the outside world is what makes the parallel for him and in my opinion, Bennett and Royle’s book should be applauded for its unwavering love of this thing called literature.

Interested? Bennett and Royle’s book is out now for general release for £14.99 by Routledge.

the badger

23 March 2015 ARTS • 16

LIFESTYLE

Tinder: Why I don’t believe in love at first swipe Jacob West Finding love is no longer as simple as marrying your cousin and calling it a day.

In fact, finding love is no longer simple full stop: when was the last time someone approached you in a café, told you that you had the most beautiful eyes they’d ever seen and asked you to move to Sweden and raise children that were aware gender is a social construct?

So everyday your heartaches, your bitterness grows, you begin to resent your friends and you gain 30lbs.

In the 21st century the Internet basically dictates our love and sex lives – or at least our dating and masturbation habits.

Thus, along comes Tinder, the app that claims to allow you to “meet and connect with new and interesting people around you”.

I know a lot of different people, who use Tinder and apps like it for a lot of different reasons, but I’m pretty sure only a handful of them can say they’ve met someone on Tinder whom they genuinely liked and got along with, which developed into something more.

Most of them, including me, have been thoroughly disappointed and grossed out by what Tinder has to offer.

So, SHOULD Tinder and CAN Tinder be used as a Cupid’s arrow?

Personally I use Tinder for valida-

spreadbyrally.com tion, which is probably really gross and embarrassing to admit, but I don’t understand the concept of boundaries and am fairly shameless, so, yeah.

I love compliments, but come from a family who think I’m butt-ugly because I am probably the product of an affair and a friendship group who’s favourite hobby is to pick on an appearance flaws and mock them for hours.

So in times of self-doubt, Tinder is of great help and of great assurance.

It’s nice to know that Connor (who enjoys “big sunglasses and small price tags”) thinks I’m cute, and it’s nice to know that Alasdair (who enjoys “dou-

ble penetration”) thinks my haircut is nice.

Personally, I would never expect to find a serious relationship on Tinder and thus wouldn’t use it as a tool to do so.

But perhaps it’s this personal bias of mine that stops me from having success on Tinder; I don’t view Tinder as “real life” and thus don’t use it seriously.

A friend of mine is now a recovering Tinder addict, but in her prime she felt like Tinder was an opportunity to meet nice boys that could lead to a nice relationship.

She had around 3 (arguably) suc-

Molly’s Recipe of the week

cessful relationships (flings) through Tinder; all of which ended when the Delicious, simple and good value stuboys stopped replying to her texts.

I’ve noticed this pattern a lot with dent recipes by Molly French Gerrard.

Tinder boys.

This week: Once they get what they want, or realise they’re not going to get what Sweet Potato Galettes they want (which I feel is almost always sex) they lose interest and move on.

Ingredients Tinder seems to me to be an app for people to find a quick hook-up as opFor two people: posed to a long-term relationship.

One sheet of puff pastry I’m not judging nor bashing Tinder.

Goat’s cheese I think it’s a perfectly respectable Sour cream/ natural yogurt way to meet a person, but I am clearly One chilli, seeded and chopped jaded and believe the lucky ones are Parsley few and far in-between.

Neither my friends nor me have One egg Sweet Potatoes had any success as a result of Tinder.

I have never met nor spoken to a person on Tinder who didn’t think an Method acceptable point of conversation was how tight my a**hole was.

I wish I had an encouraging story I love using puff pastry in recipes, but to add, about a couple who met on it can feel a bit heavy and rich. This Tinder and are now travelling Europe recipe is great because the butteryness sipping espressos together, but c’est of the pastry is cut through by the sourness of the yogurt, and the heat la vie and life is cruel.

It is my conclusion that Tinder is an of chilli.

App for lustful people as opposed to Although at first they may seem fiddly, they are all in all quite straightforward, hopeless romantics.

I’m looking for someone to stroke easy to adapt, good on their own or as my hair and feed me grapes, not an accompaniment to other dishessomeone who tries to put my whole and they are really delicious. foot in their mouth.

But I’ll save that story for another First of all, preheat the oven to 200°C. time.

Bake the sweet potatoes in their

skins for 35 to 45 minutes, until they soften up but are still slightly raw in the centre (check by inserting a small knife). When they are ready, peel them The producers of the show were in on and cut them in to quite fine slices.

Keeping the interest alive: character deaths in Game of Thrones Victoria Farley Spoiler warning!

Let’s make this clear - Game of Thrones is not a story where the hero wins.

From Sean Bean’s almost inevitable beheading in Season 1 to Tywin Lannnister’s final demise at the hands of Tyrion in Season 4, GoT operates a no-holds barred policy as to how and when its characters are claimed by the Stranger.

TV shows tend to operate on a very predictable formula- the hero always survives.

Even The Walking Dead, a show where the deaths of supporting characters are virtually celebrated, still lives by the rule that Rick Grimes cannot, and will not, die.

George RR Martin’s world doesn’t believe in that idea- in fact, it is the main characters that are encouraged to die, with the supporting cast struggling on through the consequences.

Let’s take the two most famous deaths so far on the show- Robb Stark and Oberyn Martell.

Robb Stark’s death ripped through the internet, with millions of people posting, sharing, and even filming their reactions all over the world.

The idea that a main character could be ripped down so brutally and with no warning was a huge shock.

Since his father’s execution at the hands of King Joffrey, Robb had been growing stronger and stronger, with his army and his wife by his side, ready to face the Lannisters and call them to account for the injustices they’d committed.

But then he died, and that opened up a whole new era for the show.

Arya and Sansa for example, both become hugely more interesting to watch when they realised that they couldn’t count on someone like Robb to come and rescue them.

Oberyn Martell was another hero we just had to support.

Arriving at King’s Landing with the mission of avenging his sister who had been murdered by none less than the Mountain, a soldier of the Lannister clan, you couldn’t help but hope he managed it.

You couldn’t help but hope that for once something could have gone right in this show.

But alas, it was not to be and we were all treated to one of the most disturbing deaths shown on TV all year.

GoT’s death count becomes especially saddening when you remember that all these deaths could have been avoided if the characters hadn’t let themselves succumb to hasty decisions, and just stuck to the plan.

Who wasn’t desperately praying that Oberyn stopped taunting The Mountain and finally finished the fight?

We feel these deaths so personally because they reflect real life- there is no illusion of an unbeatable hero here, just flawed characters trying to do their best, with their legacy living on in the fates of those who survive after them.

In a way, Sean Bean was the perfect choice for Ned Stark.

Casting an actor who’s infamous for dying in almost every film and TV show he’s ever acted in led us all into a false sense of security.

Sure, the main character died after just 9 episodes, but it’s Sean Bean, so it’s okay!

It’s not like anyone was going to die.

“We feel these deaths so personally because they reflect real life - there is no illusion of an unbeatable hero, just flawed characters trying to do their best.”

the joke, just like the rest of us.

Tywin’s death at the end of the latest season wasn’t as much shocking, as satisfying.

At this point we know that anyone could end up dead, and by then we’re already cheering for Tyrion for getting his revenge for his father’s and his lover’s betrayal.

GoT’s reckless approach to the health of its cast goes both ways after all.

Now that the show has started to catch up with the books (any Bran fans out there will be disappointed at the temporary pausing of his storyline in the new season), the atmosphere is becoming uneasy with the thought that even reading the books can’t prepare us for what might happen.

Winds of Winter isn’t likely to come out before 2016, and unless the show decides to take a break next year before long we’ll be embarking into completely unknown territory.

Readers of the books have already been angered at the show’s reveal that Jojen Reed does in fact die, a fact that had previously been kept secret.

If the show has the courage to go past the point the books have reached, that shock we all felt two years ago at The Twins will return.

And that’s just what the show needs.

While the potatoes are baking in the oven, take the sheet of puff pastry and cut it into a square (whatever size you prefer). Score a smaller square inside, leaving roughly a 5mm border of pastry around the edge. Then, score the border with a knife (this will make the pastry puff up around the filling).

Spoon some of the sour cream in to the centre of each square and spread into a thin layer, making sure that you leave the edges. Top this with a few overlapping slices of sweet potato, and some of the goats’ cheese, crumbled.

Finally, finish your galette with a pinch of the chilli, very finely chopped, and season with salt and pepper.

Preferably using an actual brush, but otherwise spooning it very gently, brush around the border of the pastry with egg. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes on 200C, until the pastry is cooked through. Check underneath; it should be golden brown.

To finish off the galettes, you can either top them with some chopped parsley or rocket. Enjoy !

the badger

23 march 2015 ARTS • 17

PAGE 17

Podcasts and The Storytelling Revolution Arts Editor Victoria Rodrigues O’Donnell takes a look at how and why podcasts have suddenly captured everyone’s attentions

You’d be hard pressed not to find something which whets your appetite in the realm of podcasts.

Whether it’s audio or video, the medium covers almost every single topic you can think of.

From storytelling and comedy, to factual shows, podcasts provide one of the best alternatives to having your music on shuffle.

The episodic format fits itself neatly into instances like daily commutes when your brain craves an engaging distraction from one’s surroundings and the prospect of imminent tasks.

It’s very easy nowadays to feel inundated with information as your phone alerts you with news reports, messages, e-mails and so on.

Multitasking this constant beeping and bombardment of facts, figures and images can unsurprisingly leave us exhausted and unable to concentrate properly.

Podcasts act as an insightful addition to the day in which the listener is usually invited into a discussion which expands their knowledge as well as allowing an escape from their daily business.

No wonder these digestible chunks of public broadcasting have the capability to go viral.

Often discussed via word of mouth, podcasts act similarly to the mass appeal of blogging.

By being inexpensive to create and share, they allow anyone to directly

connect with an audience on a global scale.

Just look at the success of Serial, late last year.

Produced by the US radio programme This American Life, the podcast had already been downloaded over a million times in just two months.

People were instantly hooked to this tense and thrilling investigation of a real-life murder case that had never quite added up.

The show’s success seems to lie in Sarah Koenig’s patient process of researching, compiling and sharing as many clues as possible in the at-

tempt to decode truth – even when she wasn’t sure what to believe.

Thankfully another season is in the pipelines for everyone who felt that twelve hours spent attempting to get to the bottom of the first case was not enough.

Unlike the spectatorship of binging on boxsets or endlessly scrolling through Twitter, podcasts like Serial ask more from their audiences.

They reach out and invite listeners to actively take part in discussion as they unfold.

Feeling more like a phone call with a friend than a news report, podcasts have a certain intimacy that manag-

Six podcasts you should download and listen to right now Call Your Girlfriend The friendship Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman share as displayed by their witty back-and-forth on everything from Hilary Rodham Clinton to Taylor Swift is addictive to listen to.

It can almost be heart-breaking to learn that the podcast functions as a way for them to manage their longdistance friendship.

Still, there’s something so comforting as you can almost feel the eye-rolling when they mutually despair over something as well as learning about their so-called ‘shine theory’.

Welcome to Night Vale Radio anchor Cecil (it’s all fictional by the way) reports on all the strange goings-on in the small desert town of Night Vale.

It’s all marvellously eccentric and strange; no wonder many have likened it to Twin Peaks.

The podcast has proven so popular that the creators are even releasing a spin-off novel later this year.

Keep your eyes peeled for that one.

Invisibilia You can guarantee that each episode will start somewhere and end on a completely different thing, despite still managing to relate to their overarching focus on the invisible forces at play in our lives. Powerful stuff.

Down For Whatever Let Myisha Battle guide you through the world of sex and relationships as she interviews a whole host of guests that vary in experiences, opinions and wisdom.

No two guests share the same background or sexual identity, making for a very interesting insight into the personal lives of others.

For more like this, check out Savage Lovecast.

BBC Radio 4 Front Row Daily Covering everything that is happening in the world of visual art, books, music, performance and anything else, there’s no excuse not to know or have an opinion on all things cultural.

There’s nowhere else better to turn to for your daily fix of arts reviews, interviews and discussions.

The Moth Whether you’re a stand-up comedian or a lorry driver, you’ve all got a story to tell.

Well at least that’s the premise of this immensely popular show.

Recorded live before an audience, the podcast produces a round-up of the best stories given on the night based around a particular theme.

What may initially come across as a terrifying and awkward experience becomes thrilling when you realise that someone has bravely chosen to share the story you’re listening to.

es to escape all other forms of broadcasting.

When writing about the recent death of one of his favourite podcast presenters, journalist Christ Plante commented on how “hosts and guests are like friends who’ve stopped by the living room in our mind to inform us, educate us, entertain us, or just keep us company.”

In the ten years since Apple introduced podcasts into its iTunes library, the medium continues to offer an imaginative and engaging take on journalism.

Without sensationalising or (necessarily) provoking, listeners are left to focus intently on topics for long enough that their whole day can go affected by an emotional reaction to a certain comment or even a laugh.

That’s what’s so fascinating about podcasts.

They can bury themselves deeply beneath your skin and make you question things in ways you prob-

ably wouldn’t have done in quite the same way after reading a newspaper or watching a documentary.

Whilst there are numerous categories of podcasts to get lost in, being inquisitive about what could lie ahead is often the best way to enjoy them.

Instead of getting irritated with repetitive playlists and annoying jingles on music-led radio stations, podcasts are perfect for reconnecting with the spoken word – regardless of what category the app decides to fit programmes into (these are often too broad enough to adequately sum up exactly what is discussed).

Although they do not promise answers, podcasts aim to stimulate thoughts and feelings in ways that prove cathartic when the everyday can be so overwhelming.

By taking a moment to sit back and contemplate on something, you may start to see things in a whole new light.

The importance of wearing a backpack Is it rucksack or backpack? Badger contributor Kate Schneider goes with the former and shares her comic on all the different benefits and uses of our most faithful accessory.

the badger

23 march 2015 Arts •18

Arts

Editor’s Picks

Arts Editor Ioana Matei shares her tips on the week ahead in culture

Visual Art Mutator 1 + 2: Evolutionary Art by William Latham Phoenix Gallery, Brighton Digital Festival Wednesdays-Sundays 11am-5pm (until 13th Oct)

Fuck Buttons

Jimmy Carr Press

Charli XCX Press

GIGS Muse Brighton Dome Monday 23rd March, 7pm SOLD OUT On June 8th Muse will release their new album Drones, so they’ve embarked on a much hyped tour to promote it. Tickets sold out in a week, so if you managed to grab one before they were gone, you can count yourself lucky!

GIGs Charli XCX Concorde 2 Tuesday 24th March, 7.30pm SOLD OUT Among a new wave of experimental pop-stars, Charli XCX, is quickly proving herself as one of the most diverse acts around. Promoting her highly anticipated album SUCKER that came out in February, her UK tour has since been a real success!

Muse Press

FOOD VegFestUK Brighton 2015

Brighton Centre 28th-29th March Advance: £5 - day/£8 weekend On the gate: £8 adults/ £4 concessions For anywhere else in the UK (except VegFest’s sister city, Bristol, perhaps) VegFest would be a bigger deal, which is probably why we’re the perfect location for it.

This mouthwatering vegan weekender will play host to a global food sustainability conference, a hemp expo and the UK Vegan Comedy Festival (and whatever that entails) as well as over 160 stalls, fifteen food caterers and three all day bars.

For all this, cookery demos, an opening keynote from Caroline Lucas and much more head down to the Brighton Centre on the 2829th of March, two day admission only £8 (and BOGOF until 28th February!).

Your eyes may want more than you can stomach, but who can say no to another piece of falafel at that entry price?

CLUB Doodle On Down Latest Music Bar Monday 30th March, 7:30pm FREE Doodle On Down is for all you Brighton people out there, the party-goers, the adventurous, and the musically open-minded.

On entering, you’ll be thrown into a mix of instrumental and electronic music, performances and projected visuals.

Music-wise it’ll all start off with some spoken word, before eventually dipping into the realms of Hiphop, Soul and Blues, Dub/Reggae, and finishing off with killer DJ sets.

In a strange turn of events, that the club night’s title kind of alludes to, there will also be a wall of paper to doodle, crayons on hand and some drawings/illustrations on show.

Get down to the Latest Music Bar and get your scribble on if you please.

COMEDY Jimmy Carr Brighton Dome Tuesday 24th March, 8pm £26

For those who weren’t already aware from common knowledge and the above, Jimmy Carr’s Funny Business will be: a) Packed with jokes b) Rude and offensive c) A great night out d) £26 a ticket

ART Art Junky Phoenix Gallery Saturday 28th March, 11am-5pm £1

Art Junky is an indoor market described as a mix between a garage sale and an art fair. Showcasing local artistic talent, this event is not to be missed for those in search of a bargain!

Phoenix Gallery

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

Badger Writers

THE Crayon Records Press

BADGER

the badger

23 March 2015

SporTS • 20

SPORTS Mohawks mix it up at Nationals

Alex Gorton

Over the weekend of 14th/15th March, 22 Mohawks in two teams made the long trip to Salford to take part in the UK Ultimate University Mixed Outdoor Nationals competition. The 48 team tournament was being played under a new format, a “Swiss Draw”, so on arrival, Mohawks knew who they would play first up, but an algorithm used by the tournament directors would decide where and when the next games would be.

The second team, captained by Stuart Thomson and Alex Gorton, and including four members of the recent open regionals winning team, started off against regional rivals Kent.

Through some intense defensive play, notably a number of lay-out blocks

by Will Seth and Alex Gorton, and smooth offence, the Mohawks were able to recover from a rocky start and record a 9-4 victory. Their next match was in adverse conditions against a strong Cardiff side, on a pitch severely cut up and, in places, water-logged.

The greater experience of Cardiff shone through, and despite strong performances from the generally inexperienced Mohawks 2, Cardiff completed the victory. Mohawks 2 came up against similarly strong opposition in the shape of regional rivals Portsmouth, who made full use of their Great Britain internationals to take advantage of the Mohawks inexperience, with Mohawks again falling to

defeat.

Having started in 43rd place, Mohawks 2 started the second day 42nd, and up against Durham 2nds in their first game of Sunday. With a small squad of 11 players, Mohawks put in an admirable performance, with a number of strong offensive possessions, but the end product was not quite there in testing wind conditions, with several opportunities to score missed. Defensively Mohawks were more than a match for their opposition, using a variant of the ‘flex’ zonal defence devised by coach Felix Shardlow, forcing errors consistently from their opponents, with another set of lay-out blocks from both Will Seth and Alex Gorton, but the lack of offensive finishingcost Mohawks another defeat. The next match was against Huddersfield, something of an unknown quantity, and the little experience the Mohawks had was enough to overcome Huddersfield. Mohawks came through 8-5 victors, setting up a final game against Plymouth. This started strongly, with Mohawks taking a 4-1 lead including an outstanding grab by Jack Fidler, however the much larger Plymouth squad turned the game around, scoring 8 without reply as fatigue hit Mohawks on the way to a defeat which left them in 39th place, an improvement of four on their initial placing.

Mohawks 1 started the weekend strongly, defeating Bath comfortably 12-4, utilising the experience of cap-

Lucy Chapman

tain Rachel Clark and former mixed captain John Maule along the way.

The second game of the weekend for Mohawks 1 was a new experience for most, being played under the watchful eye of observers, effectively refereeing from the sidelines. Mohawks utilised their ‘Mexican’ offence to put paid to Bangor with an 11-5 score line, setting up a tense encounter against Cambridge in the last game of the day.

Initially the game went heavily in favour of Cambridge, seeing them open up a 4-0 lead in quick time. Mohawks then stepped up to the challenge, and brought the game back to 7-6 by half time, with Izzy Collins scoring two important points during the comeback, before closing out the game with a sudden death win 8-7.

Sunday started with Mohawks fac-

Strong season builds lasting legacy

After winning 8-0 to confirm promotion Sussex Hockey look toward the future

Lucy Le Lievre Last Wednesday Sussex Women’s Hockey 1st XI secured a move up to the Premiership following their 8-0 rout of UCL in the final BUC’s fixture of the season.

The fact that the 13/14 season also culminated in a promotion, from 2A to 1A, makes this achievement all the more impressive. The team showed a real ability to step up their game this year and finished 2nd in the league, turning their dream of double promotion into a reality. It has not been easy but the players have showcased an exemplary attitude and remained positive when challenged on the pitch, mentally and physically by tough teams such as KCL and Kent. They made a serious impression on their opposition securing 7-0, 5-0, and 6-4 wins against teams such as Canterbury, Brunel and UCL. The squad have shown their dedication and commitment to training hard, with players working on their individual fitness and skill as well as fostering a great sense of team unity.

Several excellent partnerships were created with defenders Molly Scott and Priya Bhogal constantly dependable in front of star keeper Alice Row-

Lucy Le Lievre

ley. At the back Scott and Bhogal have been supported by Sam Dempster, Hannah Easterbrook, Kelly Cameron and Chris Reed, creating a formidable and often impenetrable defensive presence.

Midfielders Emily Owsley, Ellen Petrovics and Karis Mimms used their pace to drive attacking plays down both wings with support provided by Eloise Saville, Ruth Walshe and Ori Halford up front. Emily Robinson worked tirelessly both in attack and defense putting her silky skills on display and often breezing past the opposition.

For many, Wednesday’s game was

their last BUC’s fixture for Sussex Hockey and so, for a team who have developed so much over the past two years, the victory seemed a fitting tribute. Delighted captain Lucy Le Lievre said, ‘As a team we have continued to improve from last season’s promotion and we have exceeded far beyond our expectations. Reaching the highest position Sussex Hockey has ever been, I am very proud to say we have been promoted to the Premiership. It’s been an honour leading the girls to another promotion and most of all playing alongside such a brilliant group of girls. I have no doubts they will succeed next season.’

ing up against Heriot Watt, again in testing wind conditions. They were slow starting up, and despite another strong defensive effort from Sussex, Heriot were able to pull ahead and stay there, taking a 12-4 win, utilising their down-wind points to release their receivers with a range of long throws. Second game of the day for the Mohawks was against growing rivals Oxford, who Mohawks had previously beaten on sudden death in the Mixed Indoor Regional final, as well as open indoors and outdoors. On this occasion, Oxford managed to steal a win, coming away with an 8-4 victory, utilising careful game management to shut the game out and record their first victory of the season over the Mohawks in a competitive event. The last game of the weekend was against Strath-

clyde, and for the first game of the day, Mohawks offence really clicked, in a convincing 10-4 victory, which was notable for the manner of two of the points scored by Sussex. Defensive intensity has long been a hallmark of the way Sussex play ultimate, and in this gam, this intensity allowed the side to score two ‘callahan’ goals (when an opposition pass is intercepted in the end zone being attacked), one each for Great Britain u23 internationals Josh George and Abi Cohman. This result allowed Mohawks to end the weekend on a positive note, matching last years final result of 8th place, with a number of fresher players on each team gaining valuable experience ahead of the showpiece of the university season, open and womens nationals, which are over 25th/26th April in Nottingham.

Sunderland’s Johnson returns to training after police extend bail Joseph Cummins Sports Editor

What does it truly take for a professional footballer’s career to genuinely start to crumble? Old age as legs start to seize or a more abrupt collapse brought about by horrific injury?

Both can be seen as almost unavoidable deal breakers for a footballer but apparently when it comes to criminal conduct there is some form of grey area.

Durham police arrested England and Sunderland player Adam Johnson earlier this month on suspicion of engaging in a sexual encounter with a girl under the age of 16.

The Weirside club where quick to respond to the news and swiftly moved to suspend the winger. However a statement released by police informing of an extension of Johnson’s bail by a further five weeks prompted the club to terminate the suspension. This allows Johnson to return to full training and he should be available for the match against West Ham. The initially strong stance implemented by the club to suspend the player “pending the investigation’s outcome” has waned with this new information.

The question must be asked: how can the extension of bail affect the clubs stance

on the matter?

It seems with the initial days following the arrest the club had two potential standpoints it could have adopted. The first would be to have stuck with Johnson and support him as innocent until a possible conviction. This would have been seen as loyal but a major miscalculation if the player went on to be convicted of sexual interaction with a minor.

The second is the route they had adopted but are now reneging on: wait until he is or isn’t found guilty, meanwhile limiting his presence at the club.

To reconsider this decision is to weaken the clubs position on the transgressions of its players.

In the last month Sunderland’s position in The Premier League has become more precarious than it has been all season. Gus Poyet has been sacked and subsequently replaced by Dick Advocaat. The new manager has inherited a club that are hovering just above the relegation places and are now facing crisis.

One would hope that the recalling of Adam Johnson to the squad is a decision not purely based on reviving a season by reinstating an influential, but currently controversial, player and is more to do with the club getting behind its man. Either way Sunderland’s integrity must be questioned.

the badger

23 March 2015

SOCIETIES SPOTLIGHT ADVERTISE YOUR SOCIETY

On this page you can find out about what our societies have been up to and what their plans are for the coming weeks! You can view and join all of our 150 + societies 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.

CHRISTIAN UNION All day every day this week the Christian Union will be having a sofa in Library Square! Come and have a chat with members of the Christian Union on our Sussex Sofa to hear all about our upcoming events! We look forward to meeting you!

UKELE The Ukulele society are on fire this term. We held our third social of the year, based around a set of ten challenges through the night to win a ukulele, signed by everyone out that night.

Our socials are very inclusive, we welcome not just members, but all students from all backgrounds.

We also aim to hold more alcohol-free socials, to make sure we include all of our members equally.

Our society has been going to significant lengths to ensure all members feel safe, welcome and happy.

Our first step was to appoint an inclusivity officer.

We aim for our society to be a safe space for our members, where they can feel comfortable- a place where they can

leave any worries behind and find help in the group.

We also published a safe space and zero tolerance policy on our website, they will reinforce the message that we as a society do not condone discrimination, intimidation or bullying of any kind and will not tolerate these behaviours in our society.

This and next term, we are available to be booked for any balls, dances etc.

UkeSoc are not new to these events, we performed at the geography ball last year and will do so again this year and we always enjoy them (mostly because we get to dress up)!

We are very inexpensive, so if you were interested in hiring us, please send us an email at ukulele@ussu.sussex.ac.uk.

PRODUCT DESIGN

The Sussex Product Design Society is one of the newer societies on campus and we’re slowly getting bigger and better!

We’ve been on a number of trips to design and craft fairs, sketch events and also two subsidised trips to London (to visit the Science, V&A and Design museums)!

We have also had a successful social last term and are hosting a few pub crawls this term!

We are however looking for more members to join up to our wristband membership and also to our Facebook group which can be found at - everyone on any course at Sussex is welcome!

The society is also supporting and fundraising for the Degree Design Show that the final years on the Product Design course hold every year, and they are looking to spread the awareness of

the event and their media streams.

If you have a spare minute it would be great if you could have a look at the website and blog; designshow2015. wordpress.com, like the Facebook page and follow the Instagram (designshow2015).

HKPASS Do political issues often puzzle you? Feeling eager to enrich your CV? Hope to know friends across the UK? Here’s a chance! The Sussex Hong Kong Public Affairs and Social Services Society (USPASS) is a society of the HKPASS. It is a student-initiated society based in more than 15 universities in the UK. We aim to enrich youngsters’ knowledge of public issues of local and global concern and to contribute to the public by engaging in social services.

Through events co-organized with other universities and charity organizations, members can connect with students across the UK and enrich CVs by joining competitions and charity events.

So far our members have joined the Model Lecgo competition, LSE Forum and much more!

We hope to see you in the coming events!

Check out details on our Facebook page by searching “Sussex Hong Kong Public Affairs and Social Services Society”.

POLITICS WEDNESDAYS Come along to Politics Wednesdays in Freeman G22 for topical discussion, led by speakers who are at the top of their field.

Societies - 21

EVENTS THIS WEEK

Past topics have included the Charlie Hebedo attacks, undercover journalism, negative profiling of Ed Miliband and the Sussex Question Time event.

Join the team for some election predicitons over the Monday 23rd March coming weeks and, of course, •Sussex Referenda Debates free biscuits.

2015 This election season, Sussex students will be having their say on two questions, with the outcomes of the all student vote setting union Want to be on The Badger policy.

We will be holding two deteam next year? Working for your student newspaper can bates, where students can be the most exciting time make their cases and discuss you’ll spend at university. these issues, on the Monday Learn how to source stories, of election week. If you wish make contacts and edit con- to speak at the event, you will tent online. Be a leader within be able to do so by turning up student media and make the on the day JMS lecture theatre, 4pm paper the best it can be.

We’re keen to hear your ideas for The Badger and what Tuesday 24th March you would contribute as a stu• Harry Potter Quiz dent media volunteer.

Please ensure you’ve read ­ Think you’re a pro at Harry the role description for the Potter? Read all the books? role(s) you are applying for Seen all the films?

Test your knowledge at our as these outline the responsijoint book quiz. bilities and commitments for Rounds will be split beeach position.

The Students’ Union is keen tween the books and films, to support our volunteers and sorting the muggles from the will provide training and as- wizards.

Harry Potter and related sistance to all Badger volunprizes to be won! £1 entry teers.

The closing date for all ap- per person and no more than plications is the 10th April 6 in a group! Proceeds go to charity and the union.

2015.

Room 76, 8pm.

If you have any questions about the roles or the application process please email Wednesday 25th March Josh - digital@sussexstudent. • Rock School com or our current Editor-in- SUDS presents ‘Rock School’ Chief, Debbie at badger@sus- a musical comedy adaptation of a well known original sexstudent.com Good luck with your appli- screenplay about a washed up rock star who, upon cations! stealing his best friend’s identity finds an unlikely Apply here: new band in the form of a https://www.surveymonkey. class of 10 year old to take com/s/badger2015 to the Battle of The Bands.

Shows on the 25th, 27th Role descriptions here: http:// and 28th March! www.sussexstudent.com/volRoom 76, 7pm unteer/badger/

RUN THE BADGER NEXT YEAR?

the badger

23 MARCH 2015

Careers and Employability• 23

CAREERS & EMPLOYABILITY CENTRE

Working internationally could be the next step for you!

Beatriz Lacerda Ratton Student Writer As part of One World Week, the Careers and Employability Centre at Sussex hosted an event on ‘Working Internationally’. With the end of the academic year fast approaching, it is important for students graduating to think about applying for jobs and what kind of work they’d like to go into; applying for work internationally is an exciting path to take.

Students in lower years can also start considering what kind of preparation they need to do if interested in international work. Also other years could think of working internationally during vacations, or as a placement year.

A global career can offer many valuable benefits: including the experience of new cultures; as well as learning a new language, a skill valued by many employers in today’s globalising world. Additionally, when coming back to one’s native country, experience abroad is a testament of competency and determination.

Gaining a global mind-set, connections and networking are made, which makes future career opportu-

nities in a variety of countries more viable. Finally, many jobs abroad give higher wages for people from outside their country with expertise, for example teaching English as a foreign language in Asia.

Sussex University has links with countries from all over the world: students who are interested have a wealth of choice should they wish to apply to work internationally. Internship and study abroad opportunities are also available.

Students who attended the event talked of why they are interested to work internationally. Joana Perrone, a first year student of Politics and International Relations, mentioned that working abroad is a ‘great way to boost your CV. It’s such a good experience to be in a place that is not part of your comfort zone. As I want to work in an international institution, I’d love to have some experience abroad during the summer and learn more of new cultures’.

Taking another stance, Julia de Oliveira, a Psychology student on her year abroad, talked about how her ‘passion for other cultures’ is what inspires her to follow a line of inter-

national work. ‘The market outside my native country of Brazil is much more attractive for the academic work I want to go into, and so working abroad is what I’d ideally like to do’.

For students who missed the event, the Careers and Employability website has a useful tool, Going Global, for students interested in in-depth country guides and USA/Canada city guides. Information on organizations and opportunities in many different countries and how you can apply and get help are also available.

Later on in the week, there was an International Volunteering and Work Fair which showcased many organisations offering overseas work experience, internship and volunteering opportunities.

These included the British Council (which introduced a range of international jobs and study opportunities), Mountbatten (offering internships in New York), BUNAC, Concordia, Real Gap, Sussex international summer school and TESOL Sussex centre for Language studies.

If you missed the event, you can still contact these organisations and there’s a full list of attendees on the

As an international student, it is also interesting to learn more about local customs and to realise that most local residents are interested in cultures from other countries. I am sure that these benefits are not something we can gain from university studies alone.

A good example is a community event called the Hollingbury Lucky Dip which is a local festival that brings residents together through crafts, music, activities, local food and more. Myself and other Community Reps participated in event just before Christmas. We set up a stall with information about the Community Rep Scheme, and positive student stories.

We introduced ourselves and our role to the residents who live nearby and asked them questions about what they love about their community, what they would like to change, what would bring about that change and what their experience and views on Sussex students are. This was a great experience as we now have a much clearer understanding of local residents’ concerns in their community including their concerns with students (namely noise and recycling habits). As Sussex students are also part of the neighbourhood, it is important to address any problems and disparity between the longer-term residents and students in order to cre-

ate a more cohesive society.

Following the Hollingbury Lucky Dip, we looked through our findings to see what the common community issues for local residents in the area are. One thing residents said was the need for local babysitters – they were unsure how to advertise opportunities to Sussex students living nearby.

Therefore we are speaking to the Careers and Employability Centre about the possibility of allowing residents to advertise for local babysitters on their website and also talking to the local Hollingbury newsletter which gets delivered to every household.

This would not only be convenient for the families, but also an advantage to students who seek job opportunities. We are also looking to see if there could be a local babysitting board in the area for families and students to use for employment purposes.

We are also in conversation with the Cedar Centre, a school in Brighton for students with complex needs to see if we can help out with their end-of-year prom. Moreover, we will help to address issues that both local residents and students care about such as regular and reliable bus services and rubbish/recycling collection.

I believe that the relationship between Sussex students and the wider community is important not just because we are residents too, but be-

Careers & Employability Centre website – www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/ If you’re free on Monday morning, you may be interested in coming along to an event on Working in the EU, at 11 am in Careers & Employability Centre. Come along and hear directly from the Head of EU Staffing Unit at the Foreign Office about opportunities open to in the European Institutions.

If you didn’t make this event, then check out their website at http://europa.eu/epso/index_en.htm Other events this week include: Do you want to work in Journalism?

Monday 23 Mar 2015 12- 2 pm Venue: Library Cafe – drop in Meet Brighton Journalist Works for a chat and advice on how to decide and what you need to do.

Teach First Brand Manager Recruitment – part-time work Tuesday 24 Mar 2015 1 – 3 pm Venue: Library Cafe – drop in Looking for part-time work that fits around your studies? Ask Teach First about being a Brand Manager.

Study India Programme Tuesday 24 Mar 2015 1 pm Venue: Careers and Employability Centre - presentation Want to learn more about the British Council funded work & study placements in India?

Brand You -- Hastings Direct Wednesday 25 Mar 2015 1: pm Venue: Careers and Employability Centre, The Library Understand why personal brand is important to your career and how to make yourself stand out to recruiters.

Thinking of teaching? Train to teach at Sussex!

Wednesday 25 Mar 2015 1: pm onwards Venue: 1 - 2pm in Jubilee G31 and 5.30 - 7.30pm in Jubilee Foyer Find out more about training to teach at Sussex.

Library, University of Sussex T: 01273 678429 E: careers@sussex.ac.uk W: www.sussex.ac.uk/careers

Being a Community Rep – Oscar Yeung

Oscar Yeung Community Rep, Global Studies International students at Sussex might wonder what they can do except studying. Some may choose to find a part-time job or spend their time visiting other places around the UK. Surprisingly, not many students realise how interesting and meaningful volunteering is and how you can gain new skills and meet new people.

There are many different voluntary roles organised by the Students’ Union and the Community Rep Scheme which I am part of is one of them. The aims of the Community Rep Scheme are to strengthen the relationship between Sussex students and longerterm residents in Brighton and Hove, encourage students to find out more about their local community and showcase the positive contribution that Sussex students make to the city.

I have been volunteering as a Community Rep since October 2014 and it is definitely a great scheme for students to join. Through this role I am also able to know more about my local society, meet other students and help make positive changes to how people view Sussex students. Being a Community Rep helps to foster a good relationship between the students and the local community.

cause it is good to know more about the society in which we live and make a positive contribution to it.

As an international student, I can only spend 3 years in this country unless I get a job or do a Masters after I graduate. It is important to focus on studies and work, but it is also important to cherish the time here and try to know more about the local area as Brighton and Hove is definitely one of

the best places I have ever been to in my life.

Wishing all of you a prosperous Year of the Goat, and good health and fortune.

To find out more about the Community Rep Scheme, please visit: http://www.sussexstudent.com/ volunteer/communityreps/ or email: indi.h@sussexstudent.com

the badger

23 march 2015 MEDIA •24

RADIO LISTINGS Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

The Breakfast Show

The Breakfast Show

10-11am

Scumbag College 12-1pm

The Breakfast Show

The Breakfast Show

The Breakfast Show

10-11am

10-11am

10-11am

10-11am

The Jonny Meah Show

The Electric Hour

Magazine and Wine Party

Morning Metal

11am-12pm

11am-12pm

Dingus Hour

Get Out My House

12-1pm

Love Shack Everyday

Desert Discs

Island

2-3pm

1-2pm

Paige and Guests 2-3pm

The Magical Music Tour 3-4pm

The Ellie Holland Show 4-5pm

The Burrito Show 3-4pm

URF Living Room 4-5pm

URF News Show 5-6pm

Mashup Mondays 6-7pm

The Nick Werren Show 5-6pm

7-8pm

Leila & Emma’s Monday Massssive 8-9pm

Paul’s Politics Just Chillin’ 7-8pm

Going Nowhere Slow 8-9pm

The Fin Evans Show 11pm-12am

EVERY TUESDAY 5-6...

12am-1pm

12-1pm

1-2pm

1-2pm

The URF Review

Dominique Lefebvr

1-3pm

2-3pm

Pick ‘N’ Mix

Afternoon Alternative The Momentous Show Kpop! Jess and the Lads 4-5pm

Time Out with Jay 5-6pm

David Andrews 5-6pm

6-7pm

The Lie-In Show

7-8pm

6-8pm

Pop Gems Sussex Low Down 8-9pm

The Green Frog Show 11pm-12am

4-5pm

The Blues Rocks 5-6pm

6-7pm

Mole Show 7-8pm

8-9pm

9-11pm

Sam and Harry’s Existential Crisis

Girls Talk

Rebellious Jukebox

The Beard of Awesome

2-4pm

3-4pm

3-5pm

9-11pm

12-1pm

The John Thomas Hour

Afternoon Rock Blitz

Retrofit with Adam and Kane 8-10pm

Night Falls

Gardeners Hour 9-10pm

Matthew Bonner

The Everywhere Show 6-7pm

Decadent Groove

11am-12pm

The

Gatt Show with George and Matt 9-11pm

The STASHBOX presents: B2B 10pm-12am