Lent 2016 Issue 5

Global icon Beyoncé

The man repellent

Relationships

→ Part 2, pp.14-15

→ Part 2, p.11

→ Features pp.10-11

American artists, people of colour and USA politics

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Reports of 37 arrested over Regeni death

Reports follow University’s demands for investigation

E

gyptian police forces have arrested 37 suspects for the killing of Cambridge PhD student Giulio Regeni.

The police are reporting that they have traced Regeni’s phone signal to an apartment, where they claim he was killed, according to an Egyptian newspaper Al-Masry AlYoum and since covered in The Times.

The 37 arrested have all previously been detained on charges relating to kidnap and murder. However, when asked by The Times, the Egyptian investigations team denied the reports of the arrests, and the strength of the phone evidence is being questioned by the final person to call Regeni.

These latest developments come after a number of Cambridge groups united to call for a greater investigation into the Girton student’s death. The University, alongside the Mistress of Girton and the Head of the Department of POLIS, had written to the Egyptian interior minister calling for a “thorough and complete investigation”.

This came after 4,600 academics signed an open letter, published in The Guardian, protesting his death.

The 28-year-old’s body was found last Thursday 3 February, more than a week after he had gone missing near Tahrir Square, on the 5th anniversary of the protests there.

While the cause of death is thought to be a broken vertabrae in his neck, his body showed “clear signs” of torture, according to the prosecutor. Italian newspapers have said that Regeni’s injuries followed a pattern often inflicted upon presumed spies.

A double spread about all things love and relationships

The

11 February 2016 Vol. 17 Lent Issue 5

Stevie Hertz Deputy Editor

Questioning just who on earth we dress for

Calls on the Egyptian government came after accusations in the Italian media that the government was connected to Regeni’s death. Egypt’s Interior Minister has denounced these allegations, saying that they are “unacceptable” and “not our policy.”

Regeni’s death was originally believed to be the result of a robbery gone wrong, however it has since been revealed that he had been writing newspaper articles critical of the Egyptian government.

In his final piece, published after his death in his own name, he denounced the repression and authoritarianism in Egypt and praised “popular and spontaneous initiatives that break the wall of fear”.

Regeni had been in Egypt researching unions for his PhD, a topic that has become controversial in recent years.

The open letter from academics stated that human rights organisations have revealed that state institutions in Egypt “routinely practise the same kinds of torture that Giulio is reported to have suffered against hundreds of Egyptian citizens each year”.

The letter went on to match the University’s call for a full investigation into Regeni’s death, as well as going on to ask for a corresponding investigation into “all instances of forced disappearances, cases of torture and deaths in detention during January and February 2016.”

The flag has been flying at half mast at Girton, where a rememberance ceremony has been held. Lukas Fuchs, a student mentored by Regeni, told The Cambridge Student that Regeni had ‘‘friends everywhere’’, and ‘‘knew the Arab region and Egypt very well and he was certainly not naive’’.

Cambridge Student

Revealed: £50,000 airline bill from VC Camilla Penney

It has been revealed this week that the University’s Vice-Chancellor spent more than £50,000 on flights and accommodation in 2014/15, and lives in a house worth over £4.5 million.

The University and College Union (UCU) submitted Freedom of Information requests to 159 higher education institutions for details of vicechancellors’ expenditures on “flights, hotels, expenses and accommodation.”

Cambridge VC, Professor Leszek Borysiewicz, spent £18,151 on hotel accommodation in the 2014/15, second only to Professor Pamela Gillies of Glasgow Caledonian University, and £38,786 on flights, the fourth highest amount out of responding universities.

The University chose not to answer questions about the cost of the VC’s accommodation per night.

However, he would have to have spent more than 41 nights in hotels in order to rank lower than first in the per night rankings. The question of which class the VC flies was also left blank.

Professor Borysiewicz has the most expensive residence of the heads of responding HEIs, with a 2014 valuation placing the house’s worth at £4,518,000.

A University spokesperson commented: “As the leader of a global institution, the Vice-Chancellor represents the University externally, both in the UK and abroad. This involves foreign travel and promoting the University’s mission and its vital fundraising objectives. The ViceChancellor’s Lodge is an official residence which is used for University events and for hosting visiting dignitaries from around the world.”

UCU’s questions also covered the number of employees paid over £100,000 and the heads of institutions’ salaries. Two of the University’s staff earn over £399,000; however, the VC is A sunny day in Peterhouse deer park, as the spring daffodils and crocuses not amongst them, earning £325,000: a begin to bloom Image: Stevie Hertz 5.5% decrease from 2013/14.

2

11 February 2016 • The Cambridge Student

News

Editorial Team 11 February 2016 Editor-in-Chief Deputy Editors News Editor Deputy News Editors

Investigations Editors Deputy Investigations Editors Comment Editors Features Editors Interviews Editors Columns Editor Sports Editors Theatre Editors Fashion & Beauty Editor Lifestyle Editor Food & Drink Editor Books Editor Music Editor TV & Film Editor Escape Editor Images & Design Editor Chief Sub-Editors Sub-Editors Directors

Volume 17 • Lent Issue 5

Elsa Maishman Stevie Hertz Jessie Mathewson Amelia Oakley Sherilyn Chew Hayden Banks Lili Bidwell Bea Lundy Lydia Day Freya Clarke Jane Lu Victoria Braid Tom Bevan Izzy Ryan Micha Frazer-Carroll Lola Olufemi Sriya Varadharajan Anna Bradley Taryn Challender Lydia Sabatini Maddy Airlie Julia Stanyard Tom Richardson Paul Hyland Jack Ranson Leyla Gumusdis Eve Rivers Ariel Yuqing Luo Lucy Roxburgh Charlotte McGarry Arenike Adebajo Ollie Smith Jack Whitehead Ed Ashcroft Jemima Jobling Urvie Pereira William Tilbrook Cameron Wallis Dikshali Shah Josie Daw Camilla Penney Elsa Maishman Jack May Freya Sanders Thomas Saunders Jemma Stewart Tonicha Upham

The Cambridge Student takes complaints about editorial content seriously. We are committed to abiding by the Independent Press Standards Organisation rules and the Editors’ Code of Practice enforced by IPSO, and by the stipulations of our constitution. Requests for corrections or clarifications should be sent by email to editor@tcs.cam.ac.uk or by post to The Editor, The Cambridge Student, Cambridge University Students’ Union, 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1RX. Letters to the Editor may be published.

tcd

• tcd@tcs.cam.ac.uk • BIGGEST CV POINTS ON CAMPUS

N CHADWICK

Following the riotous success of its ‘Biggest BNOC’ feature, and ensuing spin-off content, it appears The Tab’s features well has run somewhat dry. An article on Monday entitled: ‘The mafia is opening its ranks: FEATURES EDITOR’, enticed readers with the standfirst: ‘The Tab is giving out free CV points’. A comment read: “Bit desperate, methinks”. Another reader touched on an issue bound to hit home to many with a comment titled “oh dear lord” reading: “James Wells and Xavier Visits [sic] as editors????” This Diarist wishes The Tab the best of luck with its latest recruitment drive.

DOWN AND OUT ON THE LEFT

All is not well on the fringes of Cambridge’s crowded media market. A thorough search for ‘The Stepford Student’ comes up blank on Facebook, its Twitter has been silent for 10 days, and it hasn’t published any new content in over 2 weeks. This Diarist is naturally intensely curious.

HYGGE A HOMO

A psychology researcher from Anglia Ruskin has found that homosexual men feel under pressure to conform to particular stereotypes of gay men as well-dressed, funny, and emotionally available. A detailed understanding

of women is cited as a supposedly positive prejudice with the potential for negative consequences. That being said, a cursory look around the top echelons of Cambridge societies in the past would suggest that it doesn’t exactly hurt.

Time to e-Lucidate

Preparations have been underway this week for the ‘e-Luminate Cambridge’ festival, across the city, with installations planned for the Union, Judge Business School, the UL, the Fitz Museum, and many more locations.

However, it seems that not all has gone to plan. As scaffolding went up over the gate to Gonville & Caius College’s St. Michael’s Court, students were reassured via social media that this was not in fact a “New Gate of Scaffolding” to go with the college’s existing ‘Gate of Humility’, ‘Gate of Virtue’, ‘Gate of Honour’, and de facto ‘Gate of Necessity’.

Meanwhile, one student spotted a dry-run gone awry on the east face of the Senate House (pictured left), with a trial projection reading: “Can’t Play the File!” in the middle of a large white square. Computing error, or cutting artistic commentary on the incommunicability of the complexities of post-postmodern existence?

Front page: BEYONCE VIA YOUTUBE, TECHCRUNCH, YOKO NEKONOMANIA

3

The Cambridge Student • 11 February 2016

News

Report condemns Oxbridge admissions process Sutton Trust urge for greater transparency to help disadvantaged students receive places procedure that only one of the two elite institutions are to be applied The report, released by Sutton Trust for in each admissions round, citing this week, advocates a simplification of “unclear special arrangements” and a the process in order “to help students need for “further consideration” on this and teachers who are unfamiliar with the process.” The charity striving for “Significant complexity social mobility in education, released in the admissions system a comprehensive report investigating to both universities” variations in admissions statistics between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, focusing primarily on the issue. The report comes in the wake school type and ethnic backgrounds of of changes to the admissions process at Cambridge University, with the those that apply.

However, following a breakdown of introduction of universal entrance tests the differing admissions processes at the for all subjects given the government’s two institutions, the report concluded proposals to scrap AS levels with effect with a list of eight recommendations aimed at simplifying the process to those from non-traditional backgrounds.

It claims that that there is “significant complexity in the admissions system to both universities, which can seem off-putting to students unfamiliar with

Hayden Banks Deputy News Editor

from 2017. Indeed the report’s third recommendation called for a “review of approaches to any additional exams applicants are required to sit and their approaches to interviews”, ensuring that the process is transparent and not adding an “access deterrent”.

However, a spokesman for Cambridge University claimed that “we are disappointed that this report demonstrates a lack of understanding of our admissions process and makes a series of incorrect and unjustified criticisms and recommendations”.

Sir Peter Lampl, Chair of the Sutton Trust Charity, hit back, arguing that “our surveys and experience suggest

to tackle social inequality. Oxford University launched similar criticisms of the report, arguing that it “already has a single central application process”, with course selection being “highly standardised”.

A spokeswoman for the university said: “We are disappointed that one of “The Universities rather our long-standing access partners is than the colleges should actively perpetuating some of the most common myths about how the selection control the admissions process works. These myths are a process” fundamental barrier to Oxford’s access work, and only reinforce perceptions The report and comments are a that deter exactly those candidates we try response to David Cameron’s call for educational institutions to do more that many bright state school students are put off by the application process, which is both intimidating and complex. Specifically, we believe that the Universities rather than the Colleges should control the admissions policies and interviews”.

DAVID PURCHASE

40 The number of schools and colleges that provide a quarter of all Oxbridge entrants

400

hardest to encourage to apply.” She said Oxford was committed to a transparent application process with a regular review of its admissions crieria.

Cambridge has recently faced criticism over its decision to introduce admissions tests, most notably from Helena Blair, Access and Funding Officer for the Students’ Union. She urged prospective applicants to remember that a holistic approach to admissions was still the top priority, and that the admissions test would be only one indicator of potential.

The total number of admissions tests Oxbridge uses to test applicants the process who may have little support from their schools”.

The second recommendation called for a review on the current

Plans for world’s first ‘park and cycle’

Match4Lara campaign successful

Bea Lundy Deputy News Editor

Lili Bidwell Deputy News Editor

Among the multi-million pound plans for the new Cambridge ‘western orbital’ are designs for the world’s first ‘park and cycle’. This scheme, aimed at encouraging bus travel and cycling in the west of Cambridge, is currently being discussed.

As part of a larger proposed scheme, the City Deal’s ‘western orbital’ is also discussing major cycling improvements along Barton Road, expected to cost at least one million pounds. City Deal board chairman Councillor Lewis Herbert has told Cambridge News that that scheme “will greatly assist the way traffic and people move around the city”.

The proposed ‘park and cycle’ scheme would allow drivers to switch to bikes they had brought in their

The new scheme for traffic and cycling could cost up to £37m

cars, or stored on site, to travel the remainder of their journeys. The idea of employing rentable bikes, popularised in London with the Boris bikes, has not yet been suggested.

While the University currently runs a park and cycle facility in its West Cambridge site, the proposed scheme would be the world’s first site dedicated solely to the park and cycle concept, open to members of the public.

Some qualms have been raised within the council itself. Councillor Des O’Brien has said that the “City Deal is being pitched as the proverbial white knight on his charger wading in to slay the dragon of traffic chaos in Cambridge. My own view is that that’s very far from the truth.”

The most expensive option for the new developments are expected to cost around £37m.

Only 3% of those on the donor registery are mixed race

The sister of Cambridge student Seb Casalotti has found a stem cell match after months spent campaigning to find a donor. Casalotti, a student at Magdalene College, Cambridge, has been a major part of his family’s efforts to encourage more people to join the stem cell donor registery hoping to find a match for his sister.

Diagnosed with leukaemia in December, Lara needed to find a stem cell match by April in order to begin treatment. The chances of finding a match for Lara were statistically slim, as only 3% of those on the donor registery are mixed race.

The campaign became famous worldwide, with celebrities such as Stephen Fry and J.K. Rowling helping

to raise awareness by sharing posts on their social media profiles. There have been many people signing up who are of black, Asian, ethnic minority, or mixed race backgrounds, and this is heartening news for donors, as it widens the scope of the registery.

Seb Casalotti set up many events around Cambridge to encourage more people to sign up. In just one day, the recruitment drive run by Cambridge Marrow, managed to sign up 656 people, including many students.

Finding a match has been a huge relief for Lara’s whole family; for Lara “these past months have been a whirlwind, but I am so thankful a donor with a genetic match has now been found.” However she still urges “people to sign up to the donor registries so that everyone can have a chance of finding their match.”

4

11 February 2016 • The Cambridge Student

Investigations

The double life of Cambri Town vs gown: Myth or reality?

CLOCKW

Jane Lu Investigations Editor

Cambridge has long been known for its town vs gown divide, noted in boxing matches, fun runs, and warnings to freshers about wearing gowns outside of college.

Cambridge is a university city and unsurprisingly, the academic population forms a significant community in Cambridge. However, there are concerns as to whether the tight academic community is segregating the non-academic community in Cambridge, forming a town and gown situation.

According to cambridge city council’s 2011 census, Cambridge has 123,900 residents. A significant proportion of the population consists of people between 16-24 and 25-39 years old, reflecting the substantial number of students resident in the city (See graph, right.)

In an article from Cambridge News, Professor Mary Beard argued that the divide between town and gown has become “more obvious” in recent years.

Professor Beard uses the example of limited access to college buildings, playing fields and through-ways. “My own adult kids, when they visit, go through the centre of town and now complain a bit how much of the place seems cut off to them… And it can make the place look (which it shouldn’t be) like a two party town.”

£500,000 The ‘Sharing Prosperity Fund’ However, many students respond that limited access to college buildings and facilities can be seen as a reasonable measure due to security concerns.

Speaking to The Guardian, Professor Alan Macfarlane of King’s College shared a similar view, describing Cambridge University as a “total institution”, and comparing it to prisons, boarding schools or army barracks.

“The central feature of all these total institutions is that different parts of life occur within one physical space – sleeping, eating, drinking, sport, prayer and thought.

The walls, literal or virtual, are there to form a strong boundary between ‘the outside’ and the intensely overlapping worlds within.”

The Cambridge Student interviewed Richard Johnson, executive councillor

for communities from the Cambridge city council, who similarly suggested that Cambridge is a “tale of two cities”.

Indeed, the town and gown divide is also evident in the jargon that Cambridge students use, for instance, using the term “townies” to describe the locals, and “danger spoons” to describe Spoons on a Saturday as it is full of “townies”.

123,900 Resident population of Cambridge One student commented on the divide, but wished to remain anonymous: “There’s definitely something there; whether it’s the fact that we don’t know the names of the people who serve us in hall everyday or the fact that stories about students getting attacked always get massive press, but are relatively rare.”

The student went on to say, “I was told on my first day in Cambridge never to wear my gown in town in case I was attacked, but, of course, this has never happened. How much of this is a self-fulfilling prophecy – we think there’s this huge gap between us, whereas in reality there’s nothing truly there?”

Yet, Villorie Sugden, a Cambridge local as well as a blue badge guide, suggested otherwise, “There is not much town and gown divide now. Cambridge University is bending backwards to improve relations with the town. Many events such as festivals and Open Cambridge involve the participation of the town. I would say town and gown has a good relationship.”

The city council has been working to encourage integration of the town and gown through its policies and schemes.

The present Labour administration came to power on a manifesto promising “One Cambridge – Fair for all”.

The £500,000 Sharing Prosperity Fund was put in place to fund projects that tackle social and economic inequality. Examples of projects under the fund include support of credit unions, a council officer to promote the benefits to local businesses of paying the living wage, initiatives to reduce energy costs, promotion of digital inclusion and the provision of free swimming lessons

for children in low income families.

As of February 2016, the Council has established 10 access points for residents to join credit unions in the city.

Two schools, one primary and on secondary, also took part in a pilot Junior Savers project where accounts were set up for pupils to teach them benefits of saving. Over 50 young children in low-income families were enrolled in free-swimming lessons.

However, as TCS reported last week, disadvantaged children from Oxford and Cambridge are less likely to get high grades and attend elite universities than their London equivalents. Not one Cambridgeshire child eligible for free schools meals received a place at either Oxford or Cambridge in 2014. This indicates that the most access work needed may be in the University’s own backyard.

The University is making some progress improving education in Cambridgeshire, having opened a new primary school, the University of Cambridge Primary School, in 2015. The school has a ‘democratic’ focus on education that it hopes will encourage positive learning. The school is open to all children who live in the catchment area, in North-West Cambridge, with priority being given to those with special educational needs and children who are being looked-after by the local authority.

Preference is given to staff of the school, but not of the wider university.

The Cambridge city council invests £900,000 each year in the voluntary and

10 The difference in life expectancy, in years, for rich and poor Cambridge residents

not-for-profit sector, focusing on antipoverty work.

The council’s Community Fair (Volunteer for Cambridge) which was jointlyorganised with Cambridge Hub, brought 900 students and residents together at the Guildhall recently to find out more about volunteering with 100 different voluntary and community organisations.

TCS contacted Cambridge University for comment on the University’s role in bringing together this divide. The Clockwise from top: Graph of the age of residents in C University declined to comment. as ‘Dangerspoons’; students having fun at Magadalen

5

The Cambridge Student • 11 February 2016

Investigations

idge: “A tale of two cities”

WISE FROM TOP: CAMBRIDGE CITY COUNCIL 2011 CENSUS QA PACK, OXYMAN, JOHANNES HJORTH, JULIAN OSLEY

Is this an inevitable part of having a university exist within a city?

Victoria Braid Investigations Editor ‘Dangerspoons’ – a term which, as most Cambridge students will be able to tell you, means Wetherspoons on a Saturday.

In Buzzfeed’s list of ‘50 Signs You Went To Cambridge’, number 37 is “You once braved a townie night out at Danger Spoons. And vowed never to do it again.”

The term is specific to Cambridge, which is an indication that distinction between ‘town and gown’ is more apparent here than elsewhere. But why is this? In any university city there will be both students and townspeople, so this alone does not make Cambridge at all distinctive.

It is perhaps part of a wider notion of Cambridge University as a space separated from the outside world.

Councillor Richard Johnson described Cambridge as “a tale of two cities”, going on to say: “There is a significant skills and income gap which exists that exacerbates social division.”

The council are working to bring together the town and gown divide, so that more people can share in the city’s success. There is a council officer dedicated to promoting the benefits to local businesses of paying the living wage to their workers.

The question of paying the living wage is something that the University has been aware of for some time. In 2014, it

“They’re just cranky because they have to walk more than five minutes to get anywhere”

was announced that all members of staff directly employed by the University would be paid at least £7.65 an hour. Although this announcement did not impact upon what the individual colleges are obliged to pay their staff, some, including King’s, do choose to pay their staff the living wage.

Measures such as these will hopefully lessen the divide between town and gown somewhat.

House prices are another point of contention when it comes to the distinction between ‘town and gown’. As Councillor Richard Johnson put it, “The ever increasing cost of living and high rents and house prices are squeezing more and more people out of Cambridge.”

Rising costs mean that lower income households are forced to live further away from the centre, meaning that this divide is a physical one as well as a metaphorical one.

Inevitably, a student and a townsperson will have a different experience of Cambridge, but the divide perhaps is more stark than it needs to be.

One St John’s college student commented of the town’s residents: “They’re just cranky because they have to walk more than five minutes to get anywhere”.

Analysis: Is this a positive or negative divide?

Jane Lu Investigations Editor

Councillor Richard Johnson gives a nuanced answer to the question. On one hand, the “beautiful green spaces, wonderful architecture, a heritage and history” provided by the University and its colleges attract thousands to Cambridge, providing work opportunities to many locals.

At the same time, it also attracts global companies and inward investment into the city. For example, Cambridge is home to some of the UK’s leading technology companies such as ARM and Autonomy.

In comparison to the national average, wages in Cambridge are higher and unemployment is lower.

In fact, according to the Job Market Report August 2015 published by Adzuna, Cambridge, showing the spike of young people; The Regal, the Wetherspoons pub, often referred to a job search engine, Cambridge is rated as the best city to find a job. ne May Ball; houses in Cambridge

Yet, as Councillor Johnson also notes, the divide has its downside: “Not everyone has a stake in Cambridge’s success.” Significant existing skills and income gap exacerbates social division. Despite the fact that average wages are higher, one in ten households earn less than £16,500 per year.

Johnson went on to say that, “Some parts of the ward I represent, Abbey, are based in the top fifth of the most deprived areas in the country. The average life expectancy is roughly 10 years lower in the poorest part of Cambridge compared to the richest.”

In addition, more than 4,000 were fed by the local food bank in 2014-15. The ever increasing cost of living and high rents and house prices are forcing many to give up on the competitive Cambridge housing ladder.

It becomes clear then, that there are both winners and losers from the town’s connections with the University; although it provides both skilled and unskilled jobs through the research and service sectors, the full benefits have not filtered through.

There is a stark reality to the fact that a bedder’s life may be a decade shorter than the person whose bin they empty.

6

11 February 2016 • The Cambridge Student

College Watch

Images: Jessica McHugh

Corpus

Peterhouse

Clare

Jesus

A referendum to introduce a new rule that only female students could run for the position of Gender Equalities Officer has not passed. The current officer, Lizzi Hawkins, said that the referendum lost “by a relatively small margin”.

Previously, the JCR Committee at Corpus Christi constituted a Women’s Welfare Officer, only to be contested by female students, and a Gender Equalities Officer, which was open to students of any gender. The referendum called for the constitution to be amended so that only female students could run.

The majority of other Cambridge colleges have an officer specifically representing women.

However, the current Black and Ethnic Minorities (BME) officer for Corpus JCR, Micha-Frazer Carroll, argued that the role of Gender Equalities Officer would never be run by a male student in practice. She said that the emphasis on liasing with the Women’s Campaign, whose meetings are only open to women and non-binary people, means that male students would fail to fulfill the responsibilities of the role fully.

Hayden Banks

This week, Peterhouse have begun stocking sanitary products in their Bar and Library bathrooms. The supply is intended for emergency situations with a range of different products on offer. Peterhouse students can access the supply in the Library’s gender neutral bathroom or in the Bar’s female bathroom.

The products are being bought from CUSU and thus are more cost-effective as no profit is being made by the student union. The introduction appears to have been a success with new stock having to be ordered within a week of the start of the initiative.

Peterhouse’s Women’s Officer Stevie Hertz commented on the introduction: “I think this is a great initiative that will really help students out.

With all the stress of Cambridge, it’s easy to get caught short and so it’s nice that the College can provide a back-up to help people out. It’s a small thing, but it can make a real difference.’ Elsa Maishman, student at Emmanuel, praised the new policy, claiming that it should be introduced at other colleges in the future.

Freya Clarke

Clare May Ball has recalled all tickets sold in its intial release, following a “multitude of issues” with ticketing sales. In a statement on their Facebook page, the Ball committee offered its “sincerest apologies.” All payments will be refunded and tickets re-released at a future date.

This comes after their ticketing system suffered heavily upon the initial release of tickets. Some people complained about the inability to access the page itself, with others finding themselves unsure as to whether they did secure a ticket after reaching the confirmation page, but not receiving an email.

The Clare May Ball organisers have also admitted that some people even bought tickets at 3am, five hours before the advertised selling time, due to a test they ran on the website. Prospective Ball attendee Hayden Banks commented: “The committee should have ensured that the website was able to deal with high amounts of traffic, as they must have envisaged that their May Ball would be popular with students across the University”.

Freya Clarke

Jesus College celebrated the John Hughes Art Festival this weekend, with a team of students organising artistic events in memory of John Hughes, beloved Dean and Chaplain of Jesus College, who sadly died in 2014.

The events were varied and open to all, starting with an opening evening on Friday which many students attended, to view an open hang gallery curated for the festival. The works included student art of very high quality in addition to some professional works.

As the weekend progressed, there was a popular life-drawing class, a tour of college sculptures, and a dance performance. On Saturday night there was a comedy smoker, which was such a succesful event that it was almost overflowing.

Finally, on Sunday evening there was a 1920s themed Formal, to which students went dressed up Gatsby-style, and dined in a beautifully decorated hall, followed by an open mic night in the bar to mark the end of a successful weekend celebrating a much respected man.

Lili Bidwell

7

The Cambridge Student • 11 February 2016

News

Campaign launched to legally recognise non-binary people Lili Bidwell Deputy News Editor

The CUSU LGBT+ Campaign has called this week for the legal recognition of non-binary people in the UK. Students started this campaign, called ‘I Don’t Exist’, to highlight the discrimination that nonbinary people face in all walks of life.

The campaign has been launched as part of various initiatives as part of LGBT+ History month.

Non-binary individuals do not describe themselves as ‘male’ or ‘female’, but rather their gender identity is not confined to those categories.

There are estimated to be 250,000 people who identify as non-binary in the UK; however, this figure is very likely to increase as awareness and acceptance increases.

Currently only seven countries in the world recognise genders other than male and female, including India and Australia, and the campaigners want the UK to join them.

In September 2015, the Government rejected a petition to recognise nonbinary genders, saying, “The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination if it arises from their being perceived as either male or female. We recognise that a very small number of people consider themselves to be of neither gender. We are not aware that that results in any specific detriment, and it is not Government policy to identify such people for the purpose of issuing non-genderspecific official documents.”

CUSU LGBT+ argue that without

legal recognition, non-binary people face constant discrimination in areas such as employment, education and health care.

The campaign is using images showing non-binary people, cut out from iconic Cambridge scenes, to demonstrate the holes their lack of recognition leaves in our society.

Sarah Gibson, CUSU LGBT+’s president said: “We’ve made great strides in including non-binary students within our University, allowing them to correctly record their gender on University computer systems, increasing the number of gender neutral toilets available, and degendering our graduation dress code”.

There are thought to be 250,000 non-binary people in the UK

“Legal recognition is absolutely vital to getting organisations to listen to and tackle the issues facing non-binary people.”

Hayden Banks, Queens’ College’s newly elected LGBT+ Officer, supported the campaign, calling it “an excellent move from CUSU LGBT+ in acknowledging the need for legal recognition of non-binary people”.

He went on to say: “Hopefully Cambridge can make headway in the struggle to get legal identification for people whose gender identity falls outside the rigid male/female categories.”

A recent survey showed that of 79 non-binary people, 94% of them felt unsafe in the UK. TIM EVANSON

Following a removal of controls on undergraduates, British universities have been able to accept many more students from the European Union.

A number of English universities, including some belonging to the Russell Group, have accepted over 40 per cent more EU students. These increases were part of a record 11 per cent increase in EU numbers across the UK in 2015-16. The Universities said that reasons for such a big rise were the fact that they have chosen to recruit more from Europe now they are able to, and also that the universities were aiming to increase diversity.

However there has been some controversy regarding the government funding that EU students receive when they come to the UK to study. Some

The Fitzwilliam musuem celebrates its 200th birthday

The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is to celebrate its 200th birthday. On the 4th February 1816, an Irish peer, Richard, 7th Viscount FitzWilliam of Merrion, died aged 71, leaving his collection of art to the University.

Conveniently, he also left £100,000 to found a museum.

Today, the Fitzwilliam Museum has approximately 500,000 works of art and antiques. To celebrate the 200th year anniversary of Fitzwilliam’s death, the museum will have an event opening in February called ‘Death on the Nile’, based on the Egyptian coffins donated in 1822.

Later this year, there will be an exhibition of illuminated manuscripts, in addition to regular harpsichord recitals, to celebrate the fact that the museum’s founder was also an accomplished performer and composer.

Increase in optimistic A-level predictions by teachers

The head of UCAS, Mary Curnock Cook, has accused teachers of over-inflating A-level predictions in an attempt to secure their pupils offers from top universities.

More candidates are failing to achieve their predicted grades. Last year, over half of students accepted on to undergraduate courses had missed their results by two or more grades, spread over three qualifications.

Mary Curnock Cook commented to a higher education conference in Berkshire: “I talk to a lot of schools and people who advise students and, in the past, I would have said, ‘Surely you wouldn’t be over-predicting your students on purpose?’, and actually just this last summer really, I had teachers coming back to me and saying, ‘Actually, yes we would.’

Proposals for new café to be opened on Jesus Green

More EU students attend UK universities Lili Bidwell Deputy News Editor

NEWS BULLETIN

EU students are entitled to publicbacked loans to help them with their tuition fees, and many Eurosceptics have criticized this. One of the reasons that this is so largely opposed is due to the fact that EU graduates are far less likely to repay their loans than UK graduates since many of them return to the EU and subsequently are more difficult to track down when it comes to repaying their debt.

This rise in EU students is unsurprising following the lifting of restrictions in 2015 and also given the declining population of 18 year olds in the UK. Universities have seized the opportunity to diversify their campuses by admitting more foreign students. However, although some Russell Group universities have increased their intake of EU students by a large proportion, for example the

Universities were aiming to increase diversity

University of Southampton (up from 290 to 415, a 43.1 per cent increase) and Newcastle University (up from 165 to 240), Oxford and Cambridge have not seen such big increases. According to the UCAS figures, Oxford saw a rise of just 20 more EU students from 201415, and Cambridge only accepted 5 more EU students. This shows that it is not in every university that is recruiting more students from the EU .

At the University of Southampton a spokesperson has described why having more EU students is so important to them: “achieving a broad diversity in our recruitment has long been part of our ongoing plans and EU students are a part of that.”

Despite the sudden nature of this very large increase in EU students, for many universities the increased diversity is very highly valued.

A new café is set to open on Jesus Green. The current small, council-run ice cream stall could be replaced by a much larger cafe, under new proposals submitted to the council this week. The Old Lock Keeper’s Cottage will be transformed into a new eatery with outside seating and cycle racks overlooking the weir. Jed Ramsay, river manager of the Conservators, commented to Cambridge News, “The plans to convert it to a café will be a great improvement to the River Cam and also to Jesus Green.

“This is part of an overall plan to make the most of the properties that the Conservators own and I think will bring something new to Cambridge too.”

Oxford college criticised for access event at elite school Oxford University have been facing criticism for holding an access event for Radley College. The JCR of University College, where the event was held, passed an emergency motion condemning the misuse of the College’s money.

Radley College is one of the country’s top independent schools with fees costing £34,425 per year.

Michael Slade, an undergraduate at University College who proposed the motion, commented to The Telegraph that they “should be able to look around,” but that it seems “silly [that] College should spend money helping to perpetuate their privilege.”

This news follows David Cameron’s condemnation of Oxford University last week for “not doing enough to attract talent from across our country”.

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11 February 2016 • The Cambridge Student

News

Cameron snubs open letter Oxford head warns Prevent laws could stifle free speech over student loans hike

Bea Lundy Deputy News Editor

Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com and former head of the Independent Taskforce on Student Finance Information, has written an open letter to the Prime Minister about the ‘disgraceful hike in student loans’, but received no direct response from Mr Cameron.

In his letter, shown in full on his blog, moneysavingexpert.com, Lewis highlighted the Government’s failure to honour its agreement that from April 2017 the £21,000 repayment threshold would rise annually with average earning. This agreement was previously “unambiguously” accepted by ministers, and Mr Lewis has said that the decision to “backtrack” is “hugely damaging”, particularly for student confidence in the Government.

In November, George Osborne revealed the earnings threshold of when students must begin to pay back student loans will be frozen at £21,000 for five years. This change leaves students who paid the higher course fees of £9,000 a year at a disadvantage, since they will face higher repayments as income threshold will not match increases in average earnings.

Lewis suggests that the hike “will

s

leave millions, including many who’ve already now left university, paying £1,000s more for their loans than they were told when they signed up.”

While Mr Cameron did not answer directly to the open letter, Jo Johnson MP, the Minister of State for Universities, has written a letter responding to some of Lewis’ complaints.

While the letter, Lewis claims, is “a simple cut and paste from the proforma response Tory MPs sent during the consultation”, Johnson invited Lewis to meet him to discuss his concerns.

In his response Johnson also says that “Higher education will remain free at the point of entry.”

He continued: “Students from disadvantaged backgrounds will receive significantly more living costs than students from wealthier backgrounds, while at university.”

In his letter, Lewis highlights the overwhelmingly negative response to the consultation of the change before action was taken on the student loans, indicating that just 5% of consultation responses were in favour of this change, while 84% were against it.

Lewis has said he has hired lawyers to confront this financial, legal and moral issue.

Meet the TCS team!

TCS Writers’ drinks The Anchor, Silver Street Thursday 11 February 8.30pm Fancy getting involved with TCS? Interested in writing, illustrating, sub-editing or taking photographs?

Come along to our writers’ drinks for a chance to meet the editorial team and other students interested in journalism

Lydia Day Deputy News Editor

Government decision to backtrack could be ‘hugely damaging’

The Warden of Wadham College, Oxford, Ken MacDonald, has warned that the government’s antiradicalisation strategy, Prevent, which has been targeted at universities could be abused to stifle free and legal academic debate and research.

MacDonald, who was previously the Director of Public Prosecutions, said at a seminar in Oxford that “The Prevent duty goes far beyond [existing] constraints. It requires a university to do much more than to report a terrorist in the nest if we can possibly find one.”

He has said that it could have a “deadening impact” on research.

He particularly objected to Prime Minister David Cameron’s identification of specific academic institutions like University College London and King’s College London as having members of their student body “at least partially radicalised” during their time of study calling it “unfair, ignorant and philistine.”

He went on: “the list of unacceptable topics might plausibly include much philosophical discourse [and] any Marxist analysis of a supposed class basis for our rule of law.”

The prices are making it really difficult for some of the students to attend university in London

Furthermore, MacDonald has voiced his support for Oxford’s new Vice-Chancellor Professor Louise Richardson in her belief that controversial organisations such as Cage should be allowed to speak at Oxford provided a counter-argument is also put forward. This is in complete opposition to the Government’s position who last year admonished the National Union of Students for their links to the organisation despite their campaigns for victims of the ‘war on terror’.

Cameron has argued that Prevent does need to be implemented in educational institutions and universities out of a duty to protect impressionable young minds.

Indeed his assertion is supported by the research undertaken by the Government’s extremism analysis unit which claimed that at least 70 events featuring hate speakers were held on campuses.

Whilst opposing the Prevent strategy, MacDonald does see educational establishments having a role in tackling radicalisation amongst young people, believing that “universities should have some mechanisms allowing them at least to identify people at risk, and to mitigate that risk where it occurs.”

9

The Cambridge Student • 11 February 2016

News

Education Secretary faces questions at Lucy Cavendish college speaker event

Hayden Banks Deputy News Editor

admissions process, she claimed that this was a “matter for the University”, adding that “we have done a lot of work about the access scheme here, to improve access and make things easier for all sorts of people”.

She was also asked about the controversial decision to slash maintenance grants, claiming: “If we didn’t make these decisions on higher education there are other areas where we would have to make squeezes, like the police.”

Students had protested her invitation to the college, saying it showed disregard for marginalised students, making them feel uncomfortable.

Nicky Morgan, MP for Loughborough, was quizzed by a panel of students at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge, on issues ranging from cuts to maintenance grants and gay marriage.

Prior to the questioning she was shown around the all-female graduate student college, and was met by protests from student campaigners.

Cambridge News reported that 13 students from the Stop the War Coalition waved placards and chanted slogans, including “Education not surveillance, students not suspects”, at the Education Minister before she Morgan was only elected an MP answered questions. for Loughborough in 2010 with a The questioning began with PhD swing of 5.5% from Labour. She had student Jen Aggleton raising the issue of access, asking for the Minister’s thoughts on the “overrepresentation” of independently-educated pupils at the University.

She responded by claiming: “We have got good schools and great teachers in this country, but we don’t have them everywhere”, citing areas for improvement in several schools in the East of England, where her constituency sits.

She was later questioned regarding her stance on gay marriage, which she controversially voted against just prior to becoming equalities minister.

Morgan claimed that she had “very much changed [her] view on that”, arguing that she didn’t come into politics to exclude people, acknowledging the hurt she had caused members of the LGBT+ community.

In response to the recent Sutton Trust Report condemning Cambridge’s

“We have got good schools, but we don’t have them everywhere”

previously working as a corporate lawyer following her graduation from Oxford University.

She also sparked controversy in her position as education minister, which she has held since 2014, for proposing to sack the head teachers for failing schools, as well as cutting education budgets vital to schools.

Following an Andrew Marr interview last year, she was also criticised for claiming that pupils at academies perform better than their peers at council controlled schools: teaching unions argued that such comments promote sweeping and inaccurate generalisations regarding the performance of schools in certain local authorities, where the opposite situation prevails.

WOODLEYWONDERWORKS

Three firefighting crews were called to The Regal pub on St Andrew’s Street last Friday after a fire broke out in the basement, causing “thick smoke” which meant that it took the firefighters “20 to 30 minutes” to locate the blaze.

Fire services were alerted to the outbreak of a fire at 3:59pm, with two vehicles sent from the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue immediately responding to the call and arriving at the scene promptly.

Another fire engine then arrived shortly after.

The fire was reportedly started by an electrical fault with the basement sump pump – a piece of equipment used to

Cambridge firefighters were held up trying to find the fire

remove water that has accumulated, if the level of water becomes dangerously high.

Due to the complicated layout of the basement complex, and the nature of the smoke, the Cambridge firefighters were held up in trying to locate the small conflagration. However, everyone involved attests that there was minimal panic, and both the customers and staff responded to the alarm calmly.

Clive Pettit, the Cambridge Fire and Rescue Watch Manager, told Cambridge News that the staff at The Regal acted quickly, commending their behaviour.

Pascal O’Neil, supervisor at The Arts Picture House, located adjacent to The Regal, was equally admirable of people’s behaviour, commenting, “a couple of customers asked if they

Oxford College invites famous individuals to visiting fellows Oxford University’s Lady Margaret Hall has recently announced a host of celebrities as their visiting fellows, overlooking more serious academics.

These 11 temporary appointments are intended to reinvigorate the cultural life of the college and include stars such as Emma Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch.

The College’s principal, Alan Rusbridger, hopes that the visiting fellows will “meet informally with a variety of the LMH community.” He also notes that not all of them appointed went to university and has a desire for them to “form a bridge between LMH’s academic community and the differing world’s they inhabit and represent.”

It is not unprecedented for non-academics to become fellows. Previous to these appointments former children’s laureate Malorie Blackman occupied this position.

Student anti-banning group threatened with potential ban The London School of Economics Speakeasy group, which campaigns for free speech, is facing a motion proposed by the student union to disband its activities.

When Speakeasy outreach officer Connor Naylor first heard about the motion he believed it to be an ironic joke. However, he now believes that it serves to strengthen support amongst the groups members as well as providing a platform for them to get their ideas across to the rest of the student body.

Society president Charlie Parker has welcomed the challenge: “Obviously, it’s a ludicrous motion, but the fact that there is a motion... proves the need for this group better than we ever could.”

Millionaire challenges Harvard university to scrap tuition fees

‘Spoons survives thanks to fire services Bea Lundy Deputy News Editor

NEWS BULLETIN

could take their wine outside. Some actually managed it.”

“We got everyone out as quickly and safely as possible”.

One student commented on the fire: “Thank god Spoons is saved – I don’t want to imagine a life in Cambridge without their outrageously coloured pitchers. Life would certainly be less exciting.”

The Regal pub is not the first Wetherspoons to experience a fire within Cambridge. Last March, The Tivoli pub, located on Chesterton Road, was damaged in a fire.

That fire was much more serious, causing part of the building to collapse. The fire started in the kitchen in the back of the building, and spread quickly. However, unlike the fire this week, no-one was in the converted former cinema at the time.

Ron Unz, a Silicon Valley millionaire, has launched a campaign to get Harvard University to abandon its $31,000 a year fees. He argues that, given Harvard’s $35.9 billion dollar endowment the income generated by tuition fees is negligible and thus not essential in maintaining the institutions excellence and prosperity.

Mr Unz has successfully made the shortlist for the election to the university’s Board of Overseers. Harvard’s 300,000 alumni appoint five new board members each year from a list of eight, who will serve for six years.

Though Harvard argues that they already have a generous financial aid programme that seeks to overcome the access problem, Mr Unz calculated that two public school teacher parents in New York City would still end up paying $150,000 for the four years.

Macmillan marks World Cancer Day at Addenbrooke’s Last Thursday, patients and doctors at Addenbrookes Hospital united to recognise World Cancer Day. The event, organised by Macmillan Cancer Trust, displayed innovative new techniques of detecting cancers.

Addenbrookes is one of the country’s leading hospitals for cancer treatment, with survival rates well above the national average. To help the hospital maintain its position at the forefront of patient care, Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT) launched its ACT on Cancer campaign in October 2013.

The event came before the mass striking carried out by Addenbrookes’ doctors the following week.

10

11 February 2016 • The Cambridge Student

Features

Galentine’s: Reclaim femininity Stevie Hertz Deputy Editor

O

n Tuesday nights in the House of Commons, female MPs from across parties get together and – in one MP’s words – “drink pink fizzy wine and... occasionally giggle and we would talk fashion, or we would talk politics and affairs of state.”

I love the idea of this – that women can get together and be unashamedly feminine. All too often, things that are traditionally feminine are derided as being trashy. But this doesn’t come from a place of taste, but sexism.

Galentine’s Day declares that we can do all those feminine things: like pink, because it’s a nice colour, eat cupcakes, because they taste good, and wear makeup, because it’s just fun. Of course, that’s not to say that anyone has to like these things, but there’s no reason to dislike them either, and liking them makes us no

On Galentine’s day, have brazenly female fun and reclaim the cupcake

less intelligent.

Galentine’s Day (first popularised

by Leslie Knope in the Bechdel-Testbreaking Parks and Recreation) is a chance to get together and celebrate being friends and being women.

Spending time with other women can often be difficult, whether because of time commitments, strange internalised competition, or, in the case of my College, being dramatically outnumbered by men.

So it’s nice to make a day of it, particularly during a time of the year when we’re made to feel a bit incomplete if we aren’t in a romantic relationship, as if these were the only ones that truly matter.

In response to the Valentine’s Day baggage, have fun instead and surround yourself with people you love, make time to celebrate female friendships, and enjoy some traditionally feminine things.

Have some brazenly female focused fun and reclaim the cupcake.

MOVIECLIPS TRAILER VAULT

My daily liasons with my many Cambridge ‘lovers’ Cameron Wallis Chief Sub-Editor

F

irst thing to know about me is that I am in a very high commitment relationship. We’ve been seeing each other a while, since last term when I was a rosy-cheeked fresher easily gulled by her wily charms – by her magnificent images of glory, and of chiselled six-pack abs, all seemingly only at the price of a few hours a week spent with her.

So we began seeing one another all the time. Not only was she great for me and fun to be with, she also had a roaring social calendar. However, at the beginning of this term, I feel like I have begun to realise her true nature.

The problem with rowing is that she is obsessed about my physical health. For example, I ate a box of 12 Jaffa Cakes earlier (and bloody delicious they were too); however, I suspect that rowing will make me feel guilty about this later and punish me. And not punish me in a fun way. Punish me by waking me up at 6am to burn those 600 calories off.

Mind, it’s just as well that I get Fridays

off. At the weekends we can pretty much go as hard and as fast as we like.

On the side, I am spending several nights a week with The Cambridge Student. She’s one hella intense and hectic girl. We don’t see each other from Thursday to Sunday, but then we have these disorganised and frantic long nights together. Unlike rowing, TCS is a late night-bird – on Wednesdays we don’t always get going until the early hours of the morning. However, a great thing about TCS is that she isn’t so obsessive about my physicality. To be quite honest, our evenings together are largely fuelled by biscuits and cake – which is totally fine with me!

Our long-distance relationship (I only spend 3 nights with her a week as she lives miles away in the CUSU headquarters) is at times sweetened by our time apart. As much as I love her, by the end of our three nights together I’m usually ready for a little rest from her strange fetishes and quirks – she feels a bit put out if I incorrectly use “who” instead of “whom”, or forget what day of the week it is.

And yet, I live for our nights together,

and by Sunday I am always raring to get back to her. Although our relationship is intense and she has her own idiosyncrasies (we have never agreed over the Oxford comma), it’s always great being with her.

However, since the beginning of Michaelmas, I have also been seeing this great girl and Jazz band called Colonel Spanky’s Love Ensemble (Spanky). The lowest commitment of my relationships, Spanky is pretty chilled but totally gets my groove. We only organise to see each other one night a week, but we really get going at the weekends when we can rock the house

down together.

She’s great company and fun to be with, and although Spanky doesn’t really like it if I am technically underperforming, if I make some of the right noises and show what a good time I’m having, she tends to accept my mistakes!

I won’t lie to you, our sax is pretty great.

Finally, there’s my longest standing relationship with my degree. I feel kind of bad as I’m a bit of a neglectful boyfriend to her – and I’m cheating on her with all these other women.

I wouldn’t be surprised if she breaks up with me.

CIRCASASSY

Part 2

3

Poetry Corner with Imogen Cassels

8

Alternative Valentine’s date ideas

The Cambridge Student 11 February 2016

Happy Valentine’s Day, with love from The Cambridge Student

5

Valentine’s: Why romance is dead ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN LEA

2

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 11 February 2016

Culture

Cambridge Listens: The Rev David Neaum

Editor’s Watchlist

Alice French

Jack Whitehead Film Editor

E

ver wondered what your supervisor, porter, or bedder listens to? Curious as to what Cambridge students were listening to 30 years ago? The Cambridge Student is on a mission to find out how musical tastes have changed and what has stood the test of time.

This week we have the much-loved chaplain of St. Catharine’s College, the Rev. David Neaum, proving that a vicar’s music taste is not restricted to hymns.

What is your favourite record?

The Cinematic Orchestra - ‘To Build a Home’.

If you could choose one artist to play in Cambridge in 2016, who would it be?

Johann Sebastian Bach – if he was still around!

What would you put on during an essay crisis?

The last seven years of my life have been an essay crisis! I’d probably recommend ‘Spiegel im Spiegel’ by Arvo Pärt. It’s very relaxing.

What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?

Anything from the 1980s!

What were you listening as a student?

I listened to a lot of progressive house and grunge. Wow, this is really going to reveal my age.

Why do you like it in particular?

It holds emotional resonance.

Where is your favourite place to listen to music in Cambridge?

In bed.

Why? It’s a great way to unwind at the end of the day after my child has gone to sleep.

JOHN JONES

Which song defined your 2015?

My album of 2015 would have to be Carrie and Lowell by Sufjan Stevens, and if I had to pick a favourite track from that I’d choose ‘No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross’.

Press play on your iPod. What song comes on?

Most likely to be something by Max Richter.

YOSOYNUTS

Love films but never have time to watch a whole one? Has Facebook ruined your attention span and twenty minutes is all you can handle? Then these short films are for you! This is a collection of both animation and live action films, so there is hopefully something for everyone.

1. God of Love (2010) This live action short from director Luke Matheny tells the endearing story of championship dart player Raymond Goodfellow, after he is gifted with a box of darts with Cupid-like powers. Simply but beautifully acted, this one is perfect watching for the lead up to Valentine’s Day. 2. Destino (2003) This animated short from Disney has a long history.

Originally a collaboration with the Surrealist painter Salvador Dali, the film was dropped in 1946 due to funding issues and was only picked up again in 1999. This sixminute love story of Chronos makes for a beautiful watch.

3. Father and Daughter (2000) This film won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short in 2001. Created by Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit, it’s a piece of cinema that conveys a complex relationship in very subtle and nuanced ways, all against the backdrop of the Netherlands’ landscape.

4. King Fury (2015) There are very few words to describe this hilarious live action short. The rapidly paced satire of 80s cop movies is told through the narrative of King Fury, a Miami detective with martial arts prowess. Characterised by visual gags and stereotypes galore, this one is not to be missed.

5. I Am So Proud Of You (2008) The second chapter in Don Hertzfeld’s animated series is a classic, continuing the dark but endearing humour of the first film. Full of complexity and profound thought, this little film is anything but small in the themes it addresses.

Book shopping on a student budget Arenike Adebajo Books Editor

D

espite the wealth of resources available in Cambridge, there will come a time in every student’s life where you just cannot find a book. It will inevitably be the linchpin of your entire essay, but by some stroke of bad luck, every copy in the university will be out on loan. With the limitations of a student budget, buying a new copy of a book that will most likely be used once is often impractical. But fear not: here is a handy guide to getting a hold of books from your reading list without breaking the bank.

1. Sharing Arranging to share set texts with other people on your course is the easiest way to get around buying new books.

If this is impractical, friends in other years doing the same course are likely to have copies of the texts you need from the reading list.

2. Look online The University provides free access to loads of academic texts and Ebooks, which are very easy to find on

LibrarySearch. With over 50,000 free eBooks on its database Project Gutenberg is a lifesaver for primary texts.

These are available to read online, or to download as they are or as Kindle books. Google Books is great for secondary texts, and will often have sections of textbooks or critical reading available online.

3. Shop online Amazon is often the cheapest and most convenient way to get hold of books quickly. Amazon Student gives you a sixmonth trial of one-day delivery, which is very useful when you need the book in a hurry. Sites like Abebooks, Albris, and Sell Student Stuff are good options as well.

4. Charity shops Cambridge’s charity shops are real gems for grabbing amazing bargains on second-hand books. Books for Amnesty on Mill Road has a wide selection of books covering most subjects, and there’s an Oxfam Bookshop smack-bang in the centre of town on Sidney Street. You should take time to explore other smaller local shops too.

5. Look locally Central Library is Cambridge’s public library, located in the Grand Arcade Shopping Centre. It doesn’t have the same range of specialities as the University’s own libraries, but it’s probably a good call for well-known text.

ARENIKE ADEBAJO

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 04 February 2016

3

Culture Cambridge Experimental interview Poetry corner Eve Rivers Theatre Editor

T

his week, TCS sat down with new avant-garde theatre group ‘Cambridge Experimental’ and its founders Peter Price, Kalvin SchmidtRimpler Dinh, Vincent Hasselbach and Joscelin Dent-Pooley. Cambridge Experimental, in the simplest terms, is a collaborative arts platform formed from a desire to facilitate, encourage, and inaugrate creative expression in Cambridge.

Its founders each have a specialist subject: Joscelin being a composer, Vinccent being a photographer, and Kalvin and Peter being writers and directors. They use these specialities to collaborate as both creative talent and creative administrators.

Their belief is that there are pockets of creative expression in Cambridge, but until now there has never been a cohesive society that has actively provided space, funding, and administration to allow them to flourish.

They were spurred into action when their application to put on a perfomance of a Beckett play was rejected by the ADC. This led them on a creative journey in which they discovered alternative production spaces within Cambridge, including Round Church: the space for their upcoming production of Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape and Movements.

Cambridge Experimental’s reasoning for choosing

a Beckett play to be their first production is that it is artistically challenging, and because Beckett is one of the quintessential experimental playwrights.

They believe that their production will elicit strong responses from the audience. They have also added an innovative and original ‘movements’ to the play: this is inspired by Beckett’s mime and is to be performed against the backdrop of Joscelin’s original composition.

What challenged the group in producing Krapp’s Last Tape and Movements was the copyright issues and the ‘Beckett clause’. This meant that they could change very little of the original composition and casting of the play, and were unable to add the gender fluidity of roles that they had initially wanted to. However, they are ready to rise to the challenge of working within established means.

In the future, Cambridge Experimental will seek to produce and facilitate more performances, to curate and put on an inaugral arts exhibition next term, and even start workshops with creative talent from the wider community – both within Cambridge and outside of it – collaborating with creative talent from Anglia Ruskin.

They would encourage any interested individuals to check out their Facebook page and come to their production, running from 17 February.

Imogen Cassels Imogen is a second-year English student at Caius. She was twice commended in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year competition, before winning the award in 2013.

While at Cambridge, she has featured on Poems on the Underground, and has been published in Antiphon (Issue 15), The Interpreter’s House (Issue 60), and Ambit (Issue 22).

Picture of a hawk on a snowy day Beyond the lens we cried from cold and our hair froze in knots.

The hawk had killed a velvet thing which quickly turned dark.

You’ve read of blood on snow; seeing is a different matter. ‘Have you ever heard’, I said, ‘of strawberries, and their history?

How, after the Fall, when God made everything bitter, he did not curse the strawberry; too small to see’.

I wanted to pin down purity like a rare fruit to a hat, to brush the ice from my eyes.

STEVEN DEPOLO

The album: Dead or alive?

Joe Penaliggon

R

ihanna’s shock decision to release her latest record ANTI for free has thrown the future of her medium, the album, into precarious imbalance.

Shocking indeed, after what The Guardian has called a “case study in how not to release music”.

Rihanna reportedly missed her November release deadlines two years in a row, ahead of a sprawling and never-ending publicity campaign.

After showcasing lead single ‘Work’, borne afloat by guest performer Drake, the album was “accidentally” released on streaming site Tidal. Though it was taken down shortly after, one customer managed to leak the album, prompting Rihanna to release it for free via rival streaming service Pandora Internet Radio.

Botched though the release may be, how should we view and react to Rihanna’s sudden perceived gesture of generosity? We could well view ANTI’s release as a means to an end. Trawl the hazy depths of YouTube, and the budding Rihanna follower will find eight cryptic yet compelling videos entitled “Rihanna’s ANTI diaRy: Room (1-8)”. Their gradual releases span three months; all seem as sprawling as the album’s release itself.

Does the very name ANTI imply that this album as an entity has warped its own functional basis, leaving us with the archetypal post-millennial anti-album? Does the album’s 5 February physical release change anything – will consumers continue to opt for that quick fix?

Albums are expensive and cumbersome, as ANTI’s release expresses. They reap no real immediate reward, especially not from music streaming services, whose paltry payouts to their enabling artists effectively price the independent out of music – especially when released for free. There is a reason why the reformed Guns n’ Roses have expressed no wishes beyond their reunion tour to release an album: the tour alone is filthy lucre.

In March 2014 Metallica played seven concerts that raked

close to $24 million in ticket sales. The Rolling Stones’ ‘Zip Code’ tour wrapped up in July 2015 with $109.7 million grossed from the sale of 628,733 tickets, despite the band having released only one album this millennium. All the while, artists need between 120,000 and 1.7 million streams on Spotify to earn just $10,000, according to the minimum and maximum payouts of $0.006-$0.084 per stream.

No matter how much we shell out for physical copies, a product geared towards a purely online market will remain of little consequence in CD form. The album is kicked, beaten and writhing – but it’s still coughing blood up in the faces of those seeking instant gratification from a medium where the reward is far from instant.

WENTHWORT

Prayer Tell me what the blackbird thought, as she crossed the grass. I don’t want to know the expensive shade of gold, the light from behind stained glass.

I want to know the name for every shape of sky that’s lost in trees.

Why all this weather? This wind that fills my chest like a new strength.

Change pulls through us like a thread.

We follow the point of a needle.

This evening I took a pilgrimage, only for elderflower and caramel. Just this.

Look, God: I found comfrey on the stone path.

I carry them like a maid, and later I will burn it. I am not sorry for this strangeness, the anxious wringing of my hands, like bells – it is not love, or any other non-sequitur.

Perhaps you could explain.

JENNLE ROBINSON FABER

4

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 11 February 2016

Culture

Library spotlight: Emmanuel College

Break-up playlist

Arenike Adebajo Books Editor

Ollie Smith Music Editor

E

ver wondered what libraries are like at other colleges? Convinced your library is better than all the rest? The Cambridge Student is featuring a regular library spotlight to get a peek into the working environments of different colleges. I’m kicking off this week by making the case for Emmanuel library as one of the best in Cambridge.

Emmanuel’s library is a gorgeous hybrid of old and new.

The modern extension, with its futuristic aesthetic of glass and brightly coloured panels, was added onto the side of the stately original library in 2010. Our library gives us the best of both worlds: the wood paneling, chandeliers and old books which are an Instagrammer’s delight, as well as providing comfortable, well lit work spaces in the extension.

The library is open 24/7, so it’s the first port of call for a late night essay crisis. It’s close enough to fresher’s accommodation that I can skulk in at 11pm in pyjamas and unicorn slippers without anyone batting an eyelid. Views onto the Paddock – home to our famously adorable ducks – are an added bonus.

ALL IMAGE CREDIT: ARENIKE ADEBAJO

F

eeling the pressure of Valentine’s Day? Recently broken up with your partner? Here are 10 songs to get you through a difficult time. Some were chosen for their lyrics, others for their mood. Stick this playlist on, find a comfy chair, and let your mind wander for a while.

1. Four Tet, ‘She Just Likes To Fight’ 2. Adele, ‘Hello’ 3. Arctic Monkeys, ‘505’ 4. Tom Odell, ‘Another Love’ 5. Beyoncé, ‘Single Ladies’ 6. Apparat, ‘Goodbye’ 7. The National, ‘I Need My Girl’ 8. Phoria, ‘Saving Us A Riot’ 9. The xx, ‘Chained’ 10. Cloud Boat, ‘Dréan’ FRANK

The art of the cinematic trailer Jack Whitehead Film Editor

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hose thirty minutes spent waiting for the actual feature to come on at the cinema tend to split opinion. For some, this is time better spent in Sainsbury’s picking up snacks that don’t set you back a pound per kernel of popcorn. For others this is the point to learn about the latest hybrid, intertransit, supercharged Peugeotplus X-model, or about Kevin Bacon’s latest exploits. And then there are the majority, anxious before they’ve even seen the film to find out what they will come and see next.

This is likely to be a repeat experience. The trailer industry has fundamentally changed in the last decade: whereas cinemas were once the only outlet for such content, now film promos are all over the internet before you can say ‘The following preview has been approved for all audiences’.

Thanks to the universal forum of instantaneous critique that the World Wide Web has become, analysis of trailers is now the norm – they are now not only adverts for the films, but pieces of art in themselves.

While a force for good in many respects, notably by encouraging more creative advertising and recognition

of such through accolades like the Key Art Awards, this transition has by no means eradicated those movie previews at the other end of the spectrum. We’ve all seen them: the unmistakable boom of Don LaFontaine, the Lux Aeterna from Requiem For A Dream, and the title cards offering ‘A story like no other’. Such previews consisting of the same generic formula still dominate today, despite being about as gripping as an icy banana skin.

So why the lack of invention? Are there any trailers out there selling their films in creative and unique ways?

Imaginative trailers have certainly been around for a while.

Keith M. Johnston’s preview for Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971) is just one example. Set to the animated score of Beethoven, this film in itself sets the tone for the film perfectly, interspersing minute snapshots from the story with bold title cards repeating the words ‘Frightening’, ‘Metaphorical’, ‘Satiric’ etc., playing clips backwards and going over itself. The chaos it is formed of is infectious and indicative of the film’s narrative, and yet gets by without revealing vast amounts of the plot, exposing the characters, or resorting to the overused one liner.

An example from more recent memory is Mark Woolen’s work for David Fincher’s film, The Social Network (2010).

In this we are told a story not dissimilar to those created by the recent ‘Friends Day Videos’ feature added to the website, using screenshots of the early version of Facebook to establish the paradox of ‘friendless-creator-of-friendorientated-platform’ conceit so central to Fincher’s film. All the while an eerie choral cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ plays in the background, with Woolen using the lyrics to motivate his cuts and transitions. Trailers such as this don’t simply sell the plot of the movie; they sell the idea.

Unsurprisingly, the artistic trailer is inextricable from the movie it promotes. No wonder these previews are often dull and repetitive; the kinds of movies they’re promoting are guilty of exactly the same thing. What is disheartening is when great movies are sold in such generic ways. The trailer will remain, at least for a while, as the primary way people find out about what’s on next, and it’ll be a sad day when poor trailers are detrimental to the creation of good cinema.

Great movies are still being made; let’s not let the adverts that sell them trail behind.

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 11 February 2016

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Culture

Romcoms: The cheese and ease of a nuanced genre Anna Hollingsworth

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t’s cheesy, it’s fun, and it’s where matches happen at the very last minute. No, I’m not talking about Cindies on a Wednesday night, but a genre spread much wider than Cambridge – the classic romcom. With Valentine’s Day anticipation entering the final stage of its month-long hype, romcoms, like love, are all around.

Just like Cindies, this genre of film has a sense of guilty pleasure attached to it: romcoms are enjoyed ironically, as something that goes with Chinese takeaways and Ben & Jerry’s ordered for delivery. A treat, rather than the standard, that you know daily consumption would be socially frowned upon. Romcoms simply lack the social acceptance to be openly enjoyed as ‘high culture’, and have become something of a cultural cliché.

Yet it’s precisely those clichés that draw us to romcoms.

In the prototypical schema, a boy meets a girl or vice versa (despite films such as But I’m a Cheerleader or Another Gay Movie, the mainstream in romcoms remains very heteronormative), one is usually out of the other’s league – think of the struggling journalist, Bridget Jones, and the high-flying lawyer, Mark Darcy, or the failure-at-love-turnsex-god Colin in Love Actually and, well, any American girl in any American bar. Add to the mix a cast of caricatured

family and friends, a few predictable plot twists, and a happy ending with only minutes to go before the subtitles roll on, and you have the script for a generic romcom.

This schema, now a cliché, is by no means a recent innovation. Jane Austen had her readers laughing at the unashamed social climbing of Mrs Bennett while crossing their fingers for a happy ending for Elizabeth and Mr Darcy; there is a reason Bridget Jones’s Diary bows to its ancestors.

Repeated, clichéd schemas make romcoms predictable enough to be easily consumed and enjoyed without too much intellectual strain, and this is exactly what makes entertainment entertaining.

That said, not all romcoms are created equal, and not everything qualifies as easy entertainment. Classics such as Notting Hill, Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral – pretty much anything with one of the trinity of Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, and Bill Nighy in its cast – make an appearance on TV guides, Valentine’s Day after Valentine’s Day, and Christmas after Christmas.

But not featured on holiday season TV or in collective cultural references are an unnecessarily large number of B-class romcoms: does anyone remember From Justin to Kelly? Even the Colin Firth factor could not save The

Accidental Husband, or the sequel to Bridget Jones’s Diary, where the comedy of the first film went to die. No matter how arduously we dismiss romcoms as cheesy,and easyaccess entertainment, even guilty pleasures have standards.

It’s the cheese and ease of the romcom genre that let Hugh Grant and company take over our screens year after year – rewatch after rewatch, we know we’ll be entertained and guaranteed a happy ending. When, on a solitary Valentine’s Day, we see Bridget Jones lip-sync to ‘All By Myself ’ it gives us hope – somewhere, there is a Mr Darcy, waiting to spring into action and get that T-shirt wet.

LIONSGATEVOD

Beyoncé’s political ‘Formation’ Books on screen Meggie Fairclough

Arenike Adebajo Books Editor

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n Saturday, Beyoncé made the Internet implode by releasing a new single, ‘Formation’, along with a music video on Tidal and YouTube.

The video is striking as a commentary on the African-American experience, touching on police brutality, and self-affirmation in the face of the constant denigration and appropriation of black culture. It takes the braggadocio of previous anthems, such as, ‘Bow Down/I Been On’, ‘Yoncé’ and ‘Flawless’ and amplifies it by 10.

The politics of ‘Formation’s’ are made explicit from the get-go, opening in New Orleans – in which black communities were particularly affected by Hurricane Katrina – with Beyoncé perched on a police car sinking into the flood waters. This motif is repeated throughout the video, expressing the triumph of the black body against a symbol of the police state. The idea is echoed in one of the video’s closing shots, in which a young black boy in a hoodie dances with joy in front of a line of police in riot gear; they hold up their hands in surrender, and the camera pans past a wall grafittied with the words, ‘Stop shooting us’ – it’s powerful stuff.

However, ‘Formation’ is much more than a commentary on police brutality. It is a deeply personal celebration of blackness, particularly Beyoncé’s own Southern blackness.

JOSEPH MORRIS

Comparisons have been drawn with Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Alright’, but ‘Formation’ is a more muscular, and nuanced thing. Black female subjectivity is the lens through which Beyoncé enacts her politics. She showcases feminism that is intersectional, acknowledging the way in which sexuality, class, and gender interact with race. ‘Formation’ references Queer slang and dance culture, and, in positioning the lush aesthetic of the southern gothic alongside denim jackets and short-shorts, blending supposedly high and low culture, it showcases the many facets of blackness.

The refrain, ‘Okay ladies: now let’s get in formation’ is a reminder that Beyoncé is addressing, and rallying black women. The visual focus on hair in the video, which is filled with shots of wig shops, box braids, squadrons of natural haired ladies with afros, threaded hair and even Blue Ivy rocking a mini fro, revels in the versatility and variety of black hair. ‘I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros. I like my Negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils’ is probably the most political lyric in the whole song, an uncompromising acceptance of black beauty in the face of misogynoir, the policing of black women’s bodies, and beauty standards predicated on proximity to whiteness.

‘Formation’ is a triumphant return for Beyoncé, and as only she could do so gracefully, a beautifully composed ‘fuck you’ to all her detractors and naysayers.

JOSEPH MORRIS

Book adaptations have dominated the line-up of 2016 film releases. It’s always exciting to see your favourite stories adapted for the big screen, so here are a few to watch out for this year: 1. Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins This book is about three women, who tell a story from three different perspectives. In the film, Emily Blunt – in the leading role as Rachel – plays a lonely alcoholic who travels to and from London on the train every day, despite her unemployment. I think they’ve cast it perfectly and really hope they translate what has been called, “the next Gone Girl”, to screen just as well as it deserves.

2. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes While working in a tea-shop, Lou falls in love with Will, who has just been paralysed as the result of a motorbike accident. It’s one of those books that gives you a fresh perspective on life, between sniffles and smiles. The leads will be played by Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin, who, individually, are brilliant actors, and should prove to be a winning combination.

3. Through the Looking Glass, by Lewis Caroll Written in 1871, this book has stood the test of time and is still loved by many. This is the sequel to the 2010 adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, so Johnny Depp will make another appearance. The spectacular lineup includes Helena Bonham Carter and Anne Hathaway, as well as the late Alan Rickman as the voice of the Blue Caterpillar.

4. The BFG by Roald Dahl The BFG is hitting the cinemas this year. Sophie, a young orphan, meets a friendly giant – different to the other giants who are fond of eating children. The cast features Ruby Barnhill and Mark Rylance, and it is directed by Steven Spielberg who will undoubtedly ensure that this magical story comes to life.

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11 February 2016 • Part 2 • The Cambridge Student

Reviews They Might Be Giants Oscar Farley

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here’s an internet review of a They Might Be Giants album which starts, “[a] middleschool nerd without a They Might Be Giants phase is a sad middle-school nerd indeed.” I think this reflects both literally on the age at which many discover them and, more broadly, the kind of songs they sing. The band has a quirky style specialising in bizarre subject matter and wordplay which appeals to a particularly teenage outsiderness. They supplement their distorted guitars with accordions and bass clarinets.

Yet, waiting for the live show to begin, it struck me how diverse the audience was, – one of the most diverse I have seen in Cambridge. Old and young, scalp-shaved hipsters, fourteen-year-old girls with ear protectors, and anoraked family men; we all stood united by songs featuring people reincarnated as grocery bags and characters like Doctor Worm (‘I’m not a real doctor, / but I am a real worm / I am an actual worm’).

The band came on to the sound of a heroic fanfare, and thus began a fantastic AMELIA OAKLEY

performance covering their entire career.

Admittedly, the music of They Might Be Giants isn’t for everyone, and while many might enjoy a couple of songs, a standingonly two-hour set could test the patience of a few (the first words out of frontman Flansburgh’s mouth were a comparison of the venue to the heat and crowding of the New York City subway – “I hope you’re feeling comfortable... and at the same time somehow emotionally withdrawn from the stranger standing next to you.”) If you’re a fan of the band, however, their live show is one of the funniest and most enjoyable I have been to.

After their second encore, Flansburgh commented on the similarities to Cambridge in the UK and Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they often play; the beard-to-face ratio is about the same, the collective IQs and test scores are very similar, and the level of social reserve is also on par. “Yeah,” he concluded, “there are very few places in the world we feel comfortable.”

8/10

Philadelphia, Here I Come Polly Evans and Emma Snell

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an Johnston’s take on Philadelphia, Here I Come! is a triumph. Brian Friel’s tragicomedy is set in 1960s Ireland; the whole narrative takes place the night before the protagonist, Gar, is supposed to leave for Philadelphia. A stagnant Irish town, repressed relations and unrealized fantasies all form a bleak backdrop,.

The complexity of character and the depth of emotions that James McMullan and Ben Walsh display in this play would be difficult to portray for even the most experienced actors. Even at points of highest tension, they managed to hold the audience, showing an incredible emotional range far beyond what would be expected for a university production.

The simple set works well, with the possible exception of the floating bed, whose bizarre construction drew our attention away from the action.

During the latter half of the play, the actors seem to struggle slightly with maintaining the contrast between outpour and restraint, lapsing too much into overt displays which they treat more sensitively at the beginning of the play, and the onslaught of shouting begins to get a little bit wearing, detracting from the subtle tensions. However, by the end they manage to rein it in with a poignant penultimate scene.What is particularly impressive is how they handle the public and private portrayals of Gar, exquisitely oscillating between hilarious moments of dark comedy and psychological turmoil.

All in all an impressive piece of theatre, made excellent by the standard of the actors. Definitely worth a watch.

8/10

The White De Captivating a Joanna Taylor

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ompelling and stunningly professional, the production team and performers of The White Devil almost flawlessly overcome the difficulties of staging a convincing revenge tragedy to produce genuinely gripping and climactic drama. Innovation is infused into an already-brilliant script which saw a number of outstanding performances: this is Jacobean drama done right.

The White Devil is usually set amongst the immensely powerful families of Renaissance Italy, but here it is reimagined in contemporary Russia: something which works excellently and adds a further layer of intrigue to the adaptation. It would have worked just as well had it been set in Rome, but this re-imagination encourages the audience to think about feuding,

and attitudes towards women, class and revenge, in a new and poignant way.

Early Modern revenge tragedy has its challenges, from animating its poetic writing style, to ensuring soliloquies and asides do not appear static or unnatural, to performing convincing onstage deaths.

The incredibly strong cast overcome these

This is Jacobean drama done right difficulties effortlessly, and succeed in thoroughly engaging the audience from Lodovico’s banishment to the inevitable homicides of The White Devil’s finale.

Beth Dubow is a charming and passionate Vittoria; Joe Spence pitches Monticelso perfectly between humorous

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 11 February 2016

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Reviews AMY GROUNSELL

Spotlight impresses Grace Murray

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film like Spotlight, which chronicles The Boston Globe’s early 2000s investigation into child sex abuse in the Catholic Church, could have let its audience relax: after all, we know who the bad guys are.

Yet, faced with a scene in which a former priest freely and carelessly admits his history of sexually abusing children right in front of journalist, Sasha (Rachel McAdams), the audience reaction ranged from shocked silence to hysterics. It’s not a triumph, but a horrible moment in which the normalisation of abuse within the Church suddenly becomes clear.

A devastating glimpse at the ins and outs of journalism Director-writer Tom McCarthy depicts the transformation of Boston’s close-knit community from reassuring to claustrophobic, as the Spotlight investigative unit gradually uncovers the extent of the scandal in their own neighbourhoods. No clear-cut protagonist emerges, matching the lack of antagonist, and McCarthy instead examines the different worlds which his characters

evil: F and intricate

inhabit: whether in the workplace of the Globe, in church, or as family members.

Although a few characters remain twodimensional, the archetypal nature helps to create a sense of the shattering implications of the team’s revelations on every aspect of their lives.

Ultimately Spotlight has an idealistic message about the importance of local investigative journalism, but the hard work of following through on the story is paced so perfectly that every advance seems like a well-deserved reward. The star-studded cast carry the nuances of the script with such skill that it never dips into sentimentality. McAdams and Michael Keaton excel in some of the most emotional moments of the film, and the reliable supporting cast ensures that no impact is lost.

Spotlight could have been treacly or viciously anti-Catholic. Instead it is an engaging, occasionally devastating glimpse into the ins and outs of pursuing a story, the consequences of which will still be felt worldwide for years to come.

9/10

Trumbo: Ironically vacuous Grace Dickinson

or Lenin, cinema was one of the most important weapons for rallying the masse. This statement was likely taken all too literally by members of the House Un-American Activities Committee, who led a witch-hunt against suspected ‘commies’ in the film industry in the early Cold War years.

and sinister; Adam Mirsky delivers Francisco with extraordinary energy, and Ryan Monk’s Flamineo is outstanding: there isn’t a weak link in this performance.

Excellent acting, accompanied by brilliant staging and direction Credit must also be given to Tom Chamberlain’s Brachiano, Lola Olufemi’s Zanche, Seth Kruger’s Lodovico and Declan Amphlett’s Camillo; even minor characters like Dan Sanderson’s Marcello impress with a shockingly realistic death.

Director Frank Martin and producer Beth Oliver (and their team) make a number of excellent choices in staging and presentation of The White Devil, such

as the simple but highly effective layout of Vittoria’s trial, or the multiple levels of staging which enabled the audience to witness Isabella’s murder whilst it is shown on a video-recorder. The staging is minimalistic, but the ambience of the dark stage and surroundings mean that it certainly isn’t lacking, and throws the white devil(s) into relief.

If you only see one ADC mainshow this term, make sure it’s The White Devil. You cannot beat the classics, and it is highly refreshing to see a modern adaptation of a text which is now over four- hundred years old. This is a stunning achievement for all involved.

9/10

Roach’s film feels as vacuous as the industry it portrays Trumbo follows its eponymous Hollywood scriptwriter’s public fall from grace after being indicted and blacklisted as a communist. Meet the Parents director, Jay Roach, attempts to create a historical, hard-hitting drama uncovering the injustice enacted by Hollywood’s most influential stars. Instead, Roach’s film feels as vacuous as the industry it portrays.

Bryan Cranston’s days as “the one who knocks” are over. As Trumbo, “the one who writes screenplays in a bathtub, popping pills washed down with whisky”, Cranston gives a solid performance in an otherwise hollow film. His well-tuned delivery of Trumbo’s witticisms is not enough to save the many mismatched aspects of the film.

Roach’s film touches upon a dark period in American history during which reputations were being tarnished: people lost their livelihoods, some were imprisoned, some committed suicide.

Yet Roach’s film expects the viewer to sympathize with a scriptwriter who, after a ten-month stint in prison, has to downsize but is able to continue to write under a pseudonym and make millions.

Even overlooking the uneven plot development and lack of empathy for the protagonist, the most offensive sin this film commits is its characterization of women. Trumbo’s wife, Cleo, played

by Diane Lane, is portrayed merely as a prop to his success. Even more irritating is Helen Mirren as Hedda Hopper, a columnist bent on purging Hollywood of all socialists. The character is written to be so cartoonish and caricatured that it is a complete disservice to Mirren.

Trumbo is beset by a blatant irony: it’s a film depicting the life and tribulations of an acclaimed scriptwriter, whose own script lacks any of the flair or the sophistication of its titular character.

4/10

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The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 04 February 2016

Lifestyle

Prada, personality and pheromones: The science behind your perfume choice Urvie Pereira

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ou may have always suspected that perfume is related to sex. Had a gut feeling that underlying every innocuous-looking bottle of Prada ‘Candy’, or sophisticated phial of Chanel ‘#5’, there is a link to the most primeval of human instincts. When your mate, or potential date, bumps into you at Cindies, and you detect hints of perfume wafting from their person, you can reasonably deduce that they want to get lucky tonight.

They lock eyes and beckon you to dance during Beyoncé’s ‘Love on Top’ on Valentine’s Day – a few jokes are exchanged about you both being single, and they move in to anticlimactically bump noses (or later, even other things). You can knowingly smile and thank Paco Rabanne for being prophetic.

Because scent is powerful. Monetarily speaking, the

perfume industry rakes in $28.95 billion globally. At the duty-free, perfume bottles of every colour and kind adorn the shelves in their masses.

There seems to be an obsession with having a scent that defines us. Perfume advertising campaigns often focus on this: Hugo Boss’s “Your fragrance, your rules”, or Guy Laroche’s “A woman is an island. Fidji is her perfume”.

Perfume plays upon culturally-transmitted associations – floral and citrus notes are linked with femininity; mossy and woody notes are often used in male-targeted perfumes. The pheromone musk, a commonly-used chemical secretion from animals, is purported to have an aphrodisiac effect on potential partners.

On a sentimental level, scents can remind us of past relationships, or that fit classroom assistant from your year nine Maths class. Every time a stranger walking past

CALVIN KLEIN

CHANEL

you wears Calvin Klein ‘CK One’, an image of the former helping you with your algebra pops into your head. These phenomena may be explained by the olfactory nerve’s linkage to the amygdala, a part of your brain responsible for processing emotions.

So can your perfume choice be linked to personality?

Perhaps: expensive perfume may help you feel sexier, or more confident. Other people may react to you more positively, releasing endorphins to promote your happiness.

Personally though, I think a more interesting question is how Voldemort’s dating game fared with no nose. Snakes, creatures that Voldemort is affiliated with in the Potter canon, flick their tongues at subjects in order to collect scent particles…

Huh. I guess I really should ask that guy from Fez about his secret identity.

DOLCE & GABBANA

Alternative Valentine’s date ideas Charlotte McGarry Food Editor

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alentine’s Day: the one day of the year guaranteed for it to be virtually impossible to get a restaurant reservation. Out of nowhere, all the couples in Cambridge descend upon every restaurant in town - which have most likely hiked up their prices in honour of the special day.

And don’t even get me started on the awful puns (Zizzi, “Steal a pizza their heart,” I’m looking at you.) I remain unconvinced that this is the most romantic way to spend an evening. Isn’t Valentine’s Day meant to be about sharing quality time together, just the two of you? So to avoid the inevitable overcrowding (and exorbitant pricing) of traditional date destinations, here are some alternative ideas of where to head come Sunday: 1. Cook at home While the idea may bring the less culinarily confident out in cold sweats, cooking shows a commendable degree of effort It doesn’t have to be fancy – even a simple dish has the potential to impress. Or, if you’re really worried, there’s always the M&S £10 Dine in For Two option (though I’m not sure it has quite the same effect).

2. Botanic Gardens Situated a little way out of the centre on Trumpington Road, the Botanic Gardens are an oft overlooked location, perfect

for when you want some peace and privacy. The serene, open grounds are instantly relaxing and it’s so big that you could happily spend the whole afternoon getting lost. After working up an appetite strolling around, the Garden Cafe – which serves up a range of freshly made salads, sandwiches and cakes – is a lovely place for a coffee and a long chat.

3. Bedouin If you’re looking for both great food and a great atmosphere, you can’t go wrong with Bedouin. Warm, sensuous and inviting, the soft lighting and heady scent of incense will entice you to stay all evening. The food is equally good, with the North African dishes providing an interesting alternative to classic Valentine’s fare. It’s a bit of a walk, but the chilly stroll across Parkers Piece is the perfect opportunity to get cosy with each other.

4. Peacocks Tearoom, Ely If your really want some alone time together, why not get out of the ‘Bubble’ completely and make a day trip to Ely, only two stops away by train. After visiting the cathedral and strolling along the riverfront, snuggle up at this beautiful English tearoom, which serves an unparalleled selection of artisanal teas and range of excellent baked goods. Its cosy, intimate setting makes it perfect for a date – but also means it gets very busy, so be prepared to queue.

DROPDEADLETTERS

CHARLOTTE MCGARRY

NINA_KATE

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 11 February 2016

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Lifestyle

Wandering in Paris: A guide to the real city Rachel Rees-Middleton

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he first time visiting a capital city, the ‘must see’ attractions are obvious. In Paris, you have the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame, and the Arc de Triomphe. Yet on a second visit to a city such as Paris, choosing how to fill your time becomes more difficult. Out of the numerous museums, galleries, restaurants and watering holes, how do you choose? I spent this weekend with two school friends in Paris, one of whom is currently studying there. She planned a walking route for us, only partly ironically dubbed ‘the real Paris’, which aimed to take us beyond the typical tourist haunts.

Central Paris oozes well-groomed beauty. As almost all new residential development has been pushed outside of the périphérique, the centre of Paris remains a relatively compact, low-rise urban space. Where my friend lives in St. Germain des Prés, the shops alternate between independent art galleries and luxury food stores and café terraces spill out onto street corners. It is Parisian chic at its finest.

Although we began in St. Germain, the real starting point is the Père Lachaise cemetery, which is easily accessed by metro. This melancholically beautiful cemetery in the East of the city is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris and is something of a cultural pilgrimage spot. If your mapreading skills are up to it, you can find the graves of Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf and Frederic Chopin amongst others.

From the cemetery, the walk continues up the Boulevard de Ménilmontant onto the Boulevard de Belleville.

Although most buildings are still recognisably Parisian, with white exteriors, five or six stories and wrought iron balconies, the mix of ethnic food stores, cheap clothes shops, and little brasseries creates a different feeling.

Turning right on Rue de Belleville and walking through Chinatown, you will eventually reach the lofty Parc des Buttes Chaumont. The antithesis of the neatly manicured Jardin du Luxembourg or the Tuileries, this piece of man-made nature provides the perfect spot from which to

RACHEL REES-MIDDLETON

More than Tinder Lucy Roxburgh Lifestyle Editor

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fter a while, the appeal of Tinder starts to fade.

You swipe, you match, you get sent a dodgy chat up line, you log off. Plus, in Cambridge, it is more than likely that you recognize every other person that comes up – that just gets awkward. But the appeal of dating apps continues – for both ease of meeting people and as a means of procrastination.

This is why it is time to look beyond Tinder, and explore the other dating apps out there.

Whatifi pitches itself as a next day events reconnection app – showing you people who were at the same event as you the day before. It may borderline on the stalkerish but could also prove handy for tracking down that person you spied across the gallery of the Corn Exchange.

If your ideal type is a bit more specific than ‘tall, dark and handsome’ then there is a whole plethora of apps out there waiting to direct you to ‘the One’. There is an app for every religion: Christian Mingle, JDate, Single Muslim. After this, it gets even more niche. Twindog can find a partner for you and your pet at the same time, Tall Friends is there for ‘people tired of leaning down to get that kiss’, GlutenFree Singles matches based on diet limitations. Best of all, Sizzl matches partners based on their bacon preferences. There’s also the borderline creepy What’s Your Price, which enables you to create an auction where the prize is a date with you, whilst Wingman links people on the same flights looking to join a certain club high in the sky. To sum up, there’s something for everyone this Valentine’s Day.

RACHEL REES-MIDDLETON

observe the sprawling city below.

Continuing west from the park for about half a mile will bring you out at Jaurès metro station, beside the Canal St. Martin. Although the canal is currently being dredged, this is where Parisians come to socialise on warm summer evenings and there are plenty of quirky cafés where you can refuel. The canal eventually reaches Place de la République, where you can extend the walk south past the Bastille and across the river, or towards Jussieu by metro. Either way, a mint tea and honey pastry at the beautifully relaxed tea room in the Grand Mosqué de Paris is a must.

This six mile walk requires comfy shoes, good company and a sunny day; the torrential rain made our promenade a little bleaker than it perhaps would have been. It is also not 100% picturesque. However, it does allow you to see how different parts of Paris mesh together, opening your eyes to a city that is much more than the polished façade of the Louvre or the clipped Champ de Mars.

RACHEL REES-MIDDLETON

Gifts for your Valentine Kate Bell

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here are a lot of problems with Valentine’s Day gifts: the careful calculation between the length of time dating, and appropriate extravagance of the gift, plus the delicate balance of finding just the right level of cheesy. But there are more options out there than roses and chocolates (snooze) – especially as Valentine’s Day gifts don’t just have to be for a girlfriend or boyfriend, but can be a chance to remind any family or friends that you love them.

If you’re a traditionalist, you can still mix it up to make a more interesting gift. A Bloom & Wild flowers subscription means not only that you give a bouquet on the day itself, but every month a bouquet will be delivered through the door to cheery up a dreary college room. This is a gift that keeps on giving, and is also perfect to give to mothers who you don’t call enough.

For all-out cheesy couple gifts, UrbanEars has a set of interconnecting headphones, so that you can both listen to the same music on at once when you’re out and about.

Finally, if you forget until the evening of the 13th, fear not. ASOS has a whole range of affordable Valentine’s gifts that aren’t too cutesy and their next day delivery will save you from any awkward explanations when you turn up empty-handed. Choose from enamel ‘You are my cup of tea’ slogan mugs, heart snowglobe topped pens and heart shaped handwarmers to solve every Valentine’s need.

JOHN LAMBERT PEARSON

THOMAS NILSSON

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The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 11 February 2016

Lifestyle

Review: Thaikhun Listings Elli Wilson

I

n a city with a wide variety of cuisine, the opening of chain restaurant Thaikhun might not cause much of a ripple, but in Cambridge it’s a welcome addition that brings sorely needed flavour to Quayside. Serving Thai street food, the restaurant styles itself like a Bangkok eatery and has a relaxed vibe: the décor is fun and informal, but perhaps a little cluttered and overwhelming – not the place for a long, romantic evening.

The menu is extensive, featuring all the classics and a few more unusual items. It is a little light on vegetarian and vegan options, but has a wide variety of meat dishes to satisfy carnivores.

The food is fairly reasonably priced, with most mains costing £10 or less. Geang phed jay (Thai red curry) had a nice mixture of fruit and vegetables, although I have tasted more flavoursome tofu.

The geang kiew wan gai (Thai green chicken curry) was spicier than expected and less creamy, but tasted all the better for it. All curries are served with a generous portion of fragrant jasmine rice. If both the staple Thai curries are done right that can only bode well for the other mains, which include a fresh selection of salads and seafood.

We were too full for dessert, despite the many enticing options. Pancakes stuffed with sticky rice looked especially tempting – I had to save them to try on a return visit.

Although service was efficient and friendly, I didn’t get the sense that waiters wanted diners to hang around after they had finished eating. If you are looking to linger for hours over a leisurely dinner then Thaikhun isn’t the restaurant for you – quite apart from anything else, the unforgiving metal chairs wouldn’t allow it. But if you want a quick, tasty meal before heading out for a night then Cambridge has just got itself a new contender.

Thaikhun may be just one more chain restaurant in the Cambridge culinary scene already dominated by them, but it knows what it’s doing and does it well at prices that are moreish for the student budget.

JIEZHOU97

Thursday 11 Ten Plagues. ADC Theatre, 8pm.

TCS Writers Drinks. The Anchor, 8:30pm.

Friday 12 Robinson Pink Week Bop. Robinson College, 9pm.

E-Luminate Festival Photo Walk. Guild Hall, 6:15pm.

Bugsy Malone. Queens’ College, 7:30pm.

Antigone. Selwyn College Chapel, 7:30pm.

Calvin Klein. Cambridge Union, 7pm.

Saturday 13 TEDx Cambridge 2016. Downing College, 9am.

Churchill College Spring Ball. Churchill College, 8pm.

HANNAHMOD

Cambridge University Charity Fashion Show. Corn Exchange, 6pm.

Sunday 14 Just a Minute. McCrum Lecture Theatre, 8pm.

Monday 15 The Napoleon of Notting Hill. Corpus Playroom, 9:30pm.

Sir Mark Lyall Grant. Cambridge Union, 7:30pm.

Tuesday 16 RAG Blind Date 2016. 7pm.

Wednesday 17 Have I Got to Mock the Buzzcocks For You: A Panel Show.

ADC Theatre, 11pm.

Compiled by Lucy Roxburgh

Better than Cindies: Clubbing in Barcelona Andres Gonzalez

H

ave you had enough of Lion King remixes, drinking society members on the brink of a coma, and sweat (oh, so much sweat)? Do you think it’s time to take a stand and stop the Cambridge tradition of ironic clubbing? Then you should take a look abroad at what Europe has to offer.

Everybody knows that London is a great place for a night out. But let’s face it: it’s expensive, and it’s full of wankers.

Europe, however, has an array of nightclubs that will change your perception of what a night out really is. And these days booking an advance flight to one of Europe’s trendy capitals can be cheaper than a train to London.

If you’re in the mood for beautifully decorated, electronic dance clubs with an amazing atmosphere you should definitely try Barcelona’s clubbing scene. Named by many as the clubbing capital of Europe, Barcelona boasts some of the most enigmatic clubbing venues on offer.

Razzmatazz, in particular, has put Barcelona on the clubbing map. Sitting in a dusty lot in the industrial part of town, it is widely considered by critics, including Mixmag, to be one of the best nightclubs in the world. It has several

dance floors: a dark main room where most DJs play techno, and a range of smaller rooms that are focused on house, alternative, and sometimes even ambient music Resident DJs include a range of names like Booka Shade, Claptone, and John Talabot. Other stellar appearances have included the likes of Hudson Mohawke, producer of Kanye West’s epic album Yeezus, Laurent Garnier, Richie Hawtin, and Ricardo Villalobos.

Door policy is not as strict as for clubs in other cities like Berlin, where if you want to get in you have to be even more edgy than the average Cindies goer. The best nights are usually Sundays and Mondays when most students go out, but you are guaranteed a great night out whatever the day. With a crowd often made up largely of locals, it’s a great place to escape from the notorious Cambridge ‘Bubble’.

If you’re bored of Razzmatazz (which you probably never will be), Sala Apolo is also worth a visit – you’ll find it in the hipster part of town, “El paral.lel”. In a previous life it was a cabaret bar, and despite its transformation into a nightclub, the old decorations have been left intact. ´Nasty Mondays and Crappy Tuesdays’ offer the best weekly nights, setting

themselves apart by promoting regional artists.

Wherever you choose to spend your night, general tips for clubbing in Barcelona include trying not to overdress (you might be refused entry) and not going to clubs too early – Spaniards tend to start clubbing at 2am. If you follow this advice you’re sure to have an amazing night out There’s only one downside: even in one of the best clubbing cities in the world, there is nothing that compares to the beauty of the smoking alley of Life.

N RASMUSSEN

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 11 February 2016

Who do we dress for?

Ariel Luo Fashion Editor

A

ndy Warhol once said that “fashion wasn’t what you wore someplace anymore; it was the whole reason for going.” This is exactly how I feel about Formal Hall (except Harry Potter formals. I go there to renew my mental fellowship at Ravenclaw.)

Putting together an outfit for a Formal dinner might be the single most productive means of procrastination: but sometimes I find myself making decisions based on who I’m going with. A (terribly economist-minded) question pops in my head: is it ok that my utility function includes ‘impress people’?

The answer ‘no’ is probably too cynical. Sure, we are more than ornaments to be looked at. We are human beings whose friendships and relationships can only last if they are established upon a connection between two minds. But whether we like it or not, first impressions count. So why can’t we speed up the ice-breaking with a little heat from a red velvet dress?

And honestly, we can disregard the thought experiment of ‘what would you do differently with your style if you didn’t care about other people’s opinions’, because we do care, albeit to different extents. Leandra Medine, the famous Man Repeller blogger, may not be dressed to appeal to men, but there is no doubt that she dresses to turn heads at a fashion show (hence the yellow jumpsuit, perhaps?).

We all enjoy compliments: especially from that one, super-judgemental friend! And besides, there are all sorts of dress-codes to adhere to all the time. I don’t believe that it’s possible to dress just to make ourselves feel good. In fact, I doubt that we should – my relationship with my grandma depends critically on her never seeing me in ripped jeans.

Style is a means of self-expression. It is romantic to dress up for a loved one, empowering to dress to please yourself, and amazing to dress for parties. Sometimes it’s not so much the outfit, but the confident attitude that makes us ‘own it’. So who do we dress for? Whoever we want to dress for. After all, we are our own utility maximisers.

TARA HUNT

TECHCRUNCH

Valentine’s: Romance is dead Elsa Maishman and Amelia Oakley Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor

V

alentine’s Day, in its popular form, is the heathen child of sickly couples and capitalism. No, I don’t want a man to buy me a heart-shaped box of chocolates or a pink teddy bear with ‘‘I wuv wu’’ emblazoned on its heart-shaped knitted sweater. Valentine’s Day does nothing but make singletons feel shit about themselves and encourage the vomit-inducing smugness of pre-established couples.

Elsa: Having spent 20 years worth of Valentine’s days as a bitter singleton, I have learned that the only way to cope with 14 February is to focus on loving yourself – you, after all, are the only person that you know for certain that you’re going to have to live with for the rest of your life.

This year, I am embarking upon my first Valentine’s Day as one half of an admittedly blissful and comparatively intense couple (try living in the room next door to your boyfriend, either you like each other or you give up), and yet, unfortunately for him, my bitter cynicism has not faded.

Valentine’s Day has been banned. In no uncertain terms.

No pink, no flowers, no hearts, no feelings. Going out for a meal on Valentine’s Day, surrounded by a restaurant full of

other couples doing exactly the same thing is nothing short of hell on earth. The pressure to be the best couple in the room, the pressure not to embarrass yourself, the pressure not to talk about how much you despise Valentine’s Day: it’s a wonder anyone makes it through.

A simple note or kind word can mean so much more than a commercialised explosion of insufferably sickly pink hearts.

Amelia: Talk of Valentine’s Day tends to evoke a feeling of nausea in my stomach. Love, romance, and affection make me cringe; when I see my friends who are couples together, my general response is “ew, no, grim, go away”. Being in a relationship myself furthers my emotional conflict; when people call me and my boyfriend ‘cute’ or dare utter the hideous sound “aww”, I want to hit them.

Valentine’s Day is a day designed for couples to parade and celebrate their love for all to see. As the ‘emotionally cool’ individual I am (my friend and I decided that ‘emotionally cold’ was too brutal, and didn’t reflect my intense and vibrant love for my friends), I have decided that the best way to spend Valentine’s Day is not celebrating my disgusting relationship, but rather to get drunk with many a friend.

11

Lifestyle

Problems with porn Bea Hannay-Young Columnist

W

ith three essays due this week, I made the sensible decision to spend my weekend watching porn. I’d hastily like to add that, as I’d never watched porn before, it was viewed as an entirely critical endeavour. Being a sex writer who hasn’t watched porn is something akin to being a Christian who’s never read the Bible. As a body-positive woman with a high sex drive I was expecting to love it, but for the most part I just felt really, really uncomfortable: porn isn’t like sex at all.

Let’s first explore why I felt the need to qualify my porn watching decision. I don’t think any male writers would feel the need to defend themselves – it’s automatically expected they’re viewers. Porn for the most part reflects this assumption, supporting the awful neo-Victorian idea that men enjoy sex and women endure it. Because of this, porn is mostly created by men, for men. I didn’t see a single video in which a man performed oral sex on a woman, but PornHub has a whole section devoted to blow jobs. Recent years have seen a rise in so-called “feminist porn”, but their clinical approach to sexual viewing for the most part left me dry, with their videos swinging awkwardly between romance paperbacks and IKEA style manuals.

I’m genuinely confused as to how I’m supposed to get excited by a video entitled “teen slut creampied by four older men”: I would not enjoy that myself, and I categorically would not be okay with being a labelled “slut”.

It’s a minefield – I spent my weekend in an existential crisis. I didn’t know how, as a pro-sexual openness, anticensorship individual, I could be revolted by bodily objectification. I came to the conclusion that I’m not against porn in principle, just the type of porn that’s produced in the mainstream at the moment. If porn were better, I think I might actually quite enjoy it. With this in mind, and for any aspirational producers out there, I’ve written a fool-proof five-point plan for Really Good Porn.

1. Make sure everyone knows what’s coming (and is okay with what that is): One of my biggest criticisms of porn was that it didn’t show accurate and safe depictions of kink/BDSM. Porn doesn’t have a responsibility to educate people about sex, but in a world where young people are viewing, it’s harmful to suggest that any sexual act, however degrading, can be performed at any time.

2. Use condoms: A recent ruling in California, stating that all performers must be protected with condoms, was met with outrage. We all know condoms aren’t sexy, but it’s a lot less gross than being landed with a tiny human that cries for three years, or contracting genital warts.

3. Use people who look like people: One of my early sexual partners rather cruelly labelled my vagina “Chewbacca the Pussy”. I was young, and no-one had passed on the hairless memo. His experience of porn suggested that I would inevitably be as smooth as a dolphin.

4. Use tasteful titles: I have no interest in watching anything labelled “barely legal”, whilst “bukkake special” sounds more like a subway order than a panty-dropper.

Anything using language which fetishises race or gender identity is so problematic it deserves a column to itself.

5. Enjoy yourselves! This one’s the real clincher. So much of what I watched seemed forceful and coerced, more about power and profit than fun, which is what sex should be about. Why would I want to watch anything that makes me question if the performers themselves actually want to be there? That’s not the kind of sex I want to be having.

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 11 February 2016

12

Lifestyle

Treating yourself: the art of self-dating Because it’s important to look after yourself this miserable mid-term season.

Sometimes it’s worth buying flowers for yourself, even if you only have a mug to store them in. Kelly Brendan

Sending love to the gal pals? I’m posting them to a friend to cheer her up. Arenike Adebajo

Breakfast at Stickybeaks provides an incentive to get out of bed. Susie Worth

Last night’s project: happy stickers for my window, to ward off essay crises and other sads. Jessie Mathewson

I spent a lovely day wandering around the market, icecream in hand. Stevie Hertz

A fresh coat of paint always makes me feel more on it – even when I’m very much not. Jemima Jobling

I have a shamefully expensive magazine habit, but once I’m curled up in bed flicking through those glossy pages, any sense of guilt just disappears. Maddy Airlie

The perfect interruption to a late night essay crisis: ordering these suede boots from ASOS. Who needs motivation when one can have shoe anticipation? Susie Worth

The beautiful thing about Bloody Marys is that you can have them at any time – it’s the perfect cross between food and drink. Much better than a boyfriend. Amelia Oakley

11

The Cambridge Student • 11 February 2016

Features ALICE LAW

College marriage bliss Cameron Wallis and Clare Cav

C

ameron and Clare are freshers at St John’s College, Cambridge.

They are still quite newly embarked upon their voyage of college marriage. It is a relationship based upon love, trust, and like-minded thinking.

Well… sort of:

Cameron: (reading the Features commissioning email to Clare whilst they watch Mean Girls) There’s an article on trials and tribulations of college marriage this week.

Clare: We should definitely write that.

Cameron: What are you trying to say?

Clare: (looks meaningfully at Cameron) Do you remember when we actually got college married?

Cameron: Like, in Cindies in Freshers’ week, when we were really drunk?

Clare: Yup. And you said “we should get married”, and then you saw that other girl, and you said “I reckon I can flirt with that girl across the room with my eyes so that she leaves the two guys she’s with and comes to sit with us.”

Cameron: That’s not quite how it happened...

Clare: You flirted with another woman while proposing to me. So not okay, Cameron.

Cameron: But you said “sell it to me”; I asked you to college marry me, and you wanted convincing. Frankly, I got cold feet and decided to start a separate and wholly unrelated conversation.

Clare: Whatever. Remember the time when we actually got college married?

Cameron: In the forecourt car park.

Clare: Yup. Cameron: In the dark.

Clare: Yup Cameron: ...With a ring made out of the cable tie from your d-lock keys.

Clare: That’s the one.

Cameron: It was fine, I guess. Over in under five minutes and nobody got insulted.

Clare: (wistfully) We consummated our new marriage with a handshake.

Cameron: But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing from there.

Clare: You can say that again. You just had to take up rowing, didn’t you?

The man I married wasn’t a boatie who eats too much pasta.

Cameron: But I love rowing.

Clare: (with effort) I know you do and I’m working really hard on being supportive of it.

Cameron: How about you? Always nagging me to go to evensong, and making me watch horror films.

Clare: Evensong is really nice.

Cameron: But the horror films, Clare, the horror films. They’re scary.

Clare: But I love horror films.

Cameron: I know you do and I’m working really hard on not crying every time we watch one.

Clare: I guess there’s one thing we’ve both learned about marriage.

Cameron: I think you’re right.

Together: It’s all about compromise.

Long-distance, long-term: In for the long haul?

Taryn Challender Features Editor

A

s Valentine’s Day approaches, I, like many other people in a relationship, am very excited to spend quality time with my significant other. Okay, it might be a tongue-in-cheek fuelling of capitalism, but who doesn’t love roses, chocolates and a chance to dress up to go to a fancy restaurant?

But this February the fourteenth will be more important to me than any before, and, no, it will not just be ‘like any other day’. This Valentine’s Day will be the third my boyfriend and I have spent together, but the first since the dynamic of our relationship changed from seeing each other several times a week to becoming long-distance as we both went to university last term.

They say that opposites attract, and on the surface that couldn’t be more true for us. My boyfriend went to an all-boys private grammar school, whilst I went to a mixed comprehensive; he built a PC at 13, whilst I was writing poetry.

But ultimately he is the only person I

have ever felt truly comfortable around and I doubt I would have been able to continue A-levels, had he not been my lifeline as I dealt with the crippling effects of mental health problems. In a completely non-hyperbolic sense, I would not be here now without him.

When people tell me that I shouldn’t ‘get tied down’ at this point in my life it doesn’t faze me at all. Even contemplating abandoning my boyfriend, who is also my best friend and all-round cheerleader in life, in favour of hastily embarking on a quest for the holy grail of adolescence that is the carefree, single life with no promises of fruition just seems absurd. To be honest, I will happily miss out on this rite of passage.

I’m forever being told that long-distance relationships always fizzle out at university, as though this is some sort of empirically verifiable truth exempt from exceptions.

Right now, even though we’re on opposite sides of the country, I know that whenever I feel like the pressure of Cambridge is too much for me, I can call my boyfriend who will reassure me

that there is life beyond the Cambridge ‘Bubble’, and that writing an essay is not a life-and-death situation.

It’s easy to blow things out of proportion when you live and breathe academia, but having someone outside the ‘Bubble’ is a fantastic coping mechanism. Just having the knowledge that there is someone who cares enough about my well-being to abandon what they’re doing at any given moment is something I cherish.

I asked my boyfriend what the greatest reward of our relationship was. His response: “The fact that I know you truly care for me.”

He’s making the four-hour train journey to visit me this Valentine’s weekend and I have butterflies in my stomach even thinking about it, having not seen him for four weeks.

We really are in love, and the person who can have me crying with laughter, and yet also wipe the tears of anguish from my face, is the person I’m sticking with for the foreseeable future. We will defy the odds and prove that long-distance relationships can and do work out.

PUNCTUATED

12

11 February 2016 • The Cambridge Student

Features

Looking for love in A week in the life: A Cambridge library book

Cambridge

Secret Dater

T

Week five: Heavenly mundanity

his week, I placed my romantic fate in someone else’s hands. A friend of mine noticed that I rarely give friendly or approachable people the time of day. I engage in battles of banter with pretentious, pompous people and thrive off the delight of knocking them down a rung or two. My friend astutely noted that this is not necessarily a strong basis for a ‘healthy relationship’.

I spent a few hours dabbling in small talk with friendly strangers who were genuinely interested in whether or not I had had a nice day. One man even complimented me on an Instagram post from 2012. It was intolerable. After a period of deliberation (and deep psychoanalysis regarding the root of my unhealthy relationship patterns), my friend suggested that she should manage this project. I chuckled.

Like she could handle the mammoth task of finding me a suitable companion. I decided to humour her.

She commandeered my Tinder account, swiping right to each mound of flesh vaguely distinguishable as a human being. Soon enough, the messages of ‘‘Hey’’, ‘‘How’s your day going?’’, and ‘‘What are you up to?’’ began to flood in.

With an occasional banterous and scathing comment on

*As imagined by Anna Bradley

I

t’s taken years for this moment to come, but I can proudly say it. As of 2015, I’m officially a set text.

I watch with pride as the empty shelves around me fill with brand new copies of my brethren, ready to be leafed through, understood and written about. The excitement in the air is tangible.

I laugh in the face of the old books on the opposite shelves. Their time is over and mine has come – I can’t wait to see the world.

Tuesday: Someone came today, but the bastard took out one of the new copies. Don’t they know how long I’ve been here? How long I’ve waited for this? Don’t they realise that my (admittedly slightly crumpled) pages are full of ready made notes and intelligent examples?

I can help you. Just pick me.

Wednesday: The old books are looking awfully smug. I’m still on the shelf. This is not how it should be, it really isn’t.

My pages are full of ready made notes- Just pick me!

to – wait what are they doing?!

I cannot believe this. They are taking the secondary criticism. That will not help you! You will not enjoy it like you’d enjoy me! I’m the real deal!

Come back!

Friday: Feeling sad and neglected, I’m tempted to just push myself off the shelf. I doubt anyone will miss me anyway. I have five carbon copies and they’re much newer and shinier.

Nobody wants me. I’d be better off used as scrap paper.

Saturday: Feeling a little better after seeing one of the new books come back, looking considerably worse for wear. He has third degree burns from an unfortunate coffee spillage and multiple tears to the spine.

It makes me wince just thinking about it. Maybe there’s more to being a book than being read.

Thursday: I can’t believe this. I heard a whisper from a passing dictionary Monday: Okay, a slow start I’ll admit. that my essay, has to be handed in by To be fair, it’s a Monday morning. five o’clock tomorrow afternoon. Five They’ve probably all been at Life until o’clock! That leaves less than 24 hours.

Oh wait – I see someone. They’re the early hours. I only want the cool people reading me anyway. But if they coming closer. I knew they wouldn’t miss the lecture will they even know leave me here alone, to waste away on these dusty shelves. That’s right, come that they’re supposed to?

SEE-MING LEE

Any dates I do go on tend to pivot around the titillation of an incessant power struggle my part (in order to prepare them for the reality of a date), she engaged in conversation with them all, looking for a nice, respectful person. Sickening.

The next day, she excitedly informed me that she had reduced the shortlist down to ‘‘the one’.’ I was denied access to my Tinder and was simply told to be at a certain place at a certain time. That evening, I arrived at the pub.

“Good evening!”

Fair play. She has a keen eye for aesthetically-pleasing men, I’ll give her that. The vision of gentlemanliness before me introduced himself as my date for the evening.

I accepted his offer for a drink, momentarily forgetting that I am a diehard believer in buying my own. I didn’t confront him out of fear of him crumbling under my icy stare. It would be nice to leave him intact for at least the first part of the evening.

“I’m so glad you suggested this! I’ve been meaning to come to this pub. I don’t really ‘do’ dates, I don’t really give off a good first impression because I normally end up rambling about nothing. I just felt like this wouldn’t be awkward at all because we got on so well over messages and you were so funny and messages are normally so difficult to gauge reactions and well, I’m rambling. But you look gorgeous!”

Could it be that I’m enjoying the inane ramblings of this stranger? That I’m enjoying how nervous he is? And not in the usual, sadistic way? How novel. After spending a couple of hours discussing normal topics for a first date we parted ways. There was no attempt to extend the events of the evening in one of our rooms. He walked me home, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and thanked me for a lovely evening. And for the first time in my life, the mundane feels heavenly.

May Ball mayhem: A flustered fresher Lydia Sabatini Features Editor

M

ay Balls may be the most hyped event of the year in Cambridge, but navigating the madness as a clueless fresher is far from easy.

I remember dreaming about the fairytale lights and dresses when I was younger, and more recently all the free food and booze. Basically I am expecting my Year 11 prom on sparkly-magic-boozy-acid.

So many questions – how many should I go to? What type of ticket should I get? Should I work at one?

So many questions and if you are as utterly un-savvy as me, answers are not so easy to come by. And mistakes in this area are very expensive.

From our own colleges we received emails about the several different types and prices of May Ball tickets, and then several more follow-up or amendment

emails to correct and clarify the details revealed in the first batch of emails. If you can keep all these details and subdetails straight in your mind, you are smarter than I am (you quite probably are anyway).

My fresher-friendly solution was to filter away all the extraneous embellishment offers and just plump for the cheapest ticket going. Within the space of a single week there seemed to be the majority of people signed up on Facebook to several different College’s May Ball Worker’s Events, without it being obvious how many people were actually going to go through with it.

My college’s ball is on the Monday of May Week, so if I’m the only one not working at some college ball or another, I’ll spend my May Week evenings alone and crying (or possibly gate-crashing, if I am pushed that far).

Then there’s the issue of the Launch Party. It sounds fun but I am unsure of

I am expecting my Year 11 prom on sparklymagicboozy-acid

its relation to the actual May Ball other than the same organsisers. Will some essence of the May Ball spirit really be present on a cold February evening and will I somehow be less a part of the May Ball in June if I don’t go?

At least there is one golden rule: thou must attend thy own college’s May Ball. All the freshers that I know in my college are getting tickets for our May Ball. Some are even on the committee.

These are not creatures I know very well, or else the whole thing would probably be less bamboozling to me.

All in all, I still don’t really understand what’s going to happen about the May Ball, but actually can add to the excitement and mystique surrounding it. Who knows what it will be like on the night!

But first I need a ticket, so I’m off to set my alarm early to get myself ready at my laptop for some rapid refreshing of the website the morning that tickets finally go on sale.

13

The Cambridge Student • 11 February 2016

Features

Student Spotlight: Shaking it up at CamFM Hannah O’Gorman

I

began CamFM training in my second year, with the vague idea of presenting a show of my favourite music. At that time, it was jazz and rock ‘n’ roll: the kind of music which made me want to dance. Training completed, I was set to go, but it wasn’t until two of my friends, Rebecca and Ellie, talked about presenting that we actually applied for a weekly slot and started putting together a playlist. The resultant show, Flailing Limbs, was a mixture of different genres but the aim was the same: music that would make you want to move.

After my year abroad, I wanted to continue with the radio but had to reapply for a new show, so Ellie and I rebranded and turned Flailing Limbs into ‘Shake It’.

We made a better Facebook page and partook in some rather uncomfortable lessons in marketing – it turns out that if you pay Facebook enough money, it will force your page onto thousands of people. This has been tempting at times when it seemed like we could count all of our listeners on one hand.

But the beauty of student radio is that, if you do clumsily talk over the end of a song, or crack a joke that falls flat, there aren’t many people who are going to notice. Doing a show with other presenters is ideal: the idea of talking into the windowless Anglia Ruskin studio alone is scary. I have a lot of respect for people who present shows by themselves.

Putting together a playlist is, as it turns out, the easy bit – as long as the tracks definitely do not contain

I have a lot of respect for people who present shows by themselves

profanities, which is harder to ascertain than you would think.

CamFM has to abide by the Ofcom rules of broadcasting, but those rules don’t list each potentially offensive word, so I recently spent a good half hour researching whether Skepta’s ‘Shutdown’ would be acceptable or if I would have to pluck out each instance of the offending word myself.

Besides checking for offensive language and broadcasting to a rather small audience, the experience of broadcasting live radio is exhilarating at best and, at worst, an hour out of my Monday where I get to have fun playing the music that I love with a pal.

I like the sound of my own voice and the idea that at least one or two people enjoy it enough to tune in is pretty good to me.

HANNAH O’ GORMAN

Student Chat: Where is your favourite view in Cambridge?

“The view of my friend’s scotch collection.”

Andrew Boardman

“Down the river from King’s Bridge.”

Hayden Banks

Trials of a cynical third year: Losing your self-esteem: Part two

Mary Nower Columnist

A

fter last week’s debacle, your dreams are scattered at your feet. But your employment Odyssey must go on. Here are the remaining six steps: 8) Determined not to just give up and become a monk, you pull yourself together. You finally manage to track down a grad scheme that is a) still open and b) in the vaguest vicinity of what you want to do/pays well. You steel yourself and begin your application.

9) The qualifications section: the point in everyone’s life when the realisation hits you like a cyclist jumping the red light: despite the heart and soul that you poured into it, no one gives the slightest little shit that you have an A* in GCSE Latin. Wiping away your tears of regret with your worthless GCSE certificates, you harp back to freshers week conversations recalling your A Levels, stew for a few moments on that solitary A, and put down a wildly optimistic predicted degree grade.

10) The next snag in the thorn-bush of your so-called career is the quagmire that is competency questions.

Self-aggrandising gits tend to excel here. The rest of us flounder in a sea of irrelevant experience. Skills from their list of ‘role responsibilities’ are shoe-horned in with all the subtlety of Genghis Khan. Odd facts about their company which have drifted to the forefront of your consciousness are seized upon with the desperation of an applicant who screwed up their interview. You emerge, shaking, from the thicket, with precisely no hope for the future, no ‘trans-

No one gives the slightest little shit that you have an A* in GCSE Latin

ferable skills’ to speak of, and with a desperate, if fleeting, desire to run away with the circus.

11) The final nail in the coffin of your application is the ever-loathful ‘why do you want to work for us’ questions. Shoving “I don’t really” to the back of your mind, a hurried google is required, often accompanied by alarm at how risky their stock portfolio is. ‘Weaker’ i.e. honest answers, are cut from your application. Some choice phrases hitting the deck may include: “Because you have a starting salary which is high enough for me not to eat beans for the rest of my life”, “you gave me good free swag at the careers fair”, “it’s midnight, I’ve had a dozen Red Bulls and I don’t want to live in my parent’s attic forever”, “your grad scheme offers something that I am very passionate “Clare Bridge.”

“The view from the top of St. Mary’s is about…what was it again?”, “my rising tide of student debt is threatening to drown me” and “love me, LOVE ME!” Clara Von pretty good.”

Haskan Kaya Eventually you just pray that a computer which cannot see through your thinly veiled façade is reading this section.

12) The only remaining speed-bump on your road trip to mediocrity is the reasoning tests. You half heartedly try to recall those skills you swore you would never use again, read vast passages hoping for a speck of relevancy, and if you are me, have an argument with the automated answers which you feel are fundamentally wrong. Faced with 18 questions in 16 minutes, you fervently hope everyone else taking the test is a complete moron. With hindsight, “who gives a damn, they are only going to save like 39p anyway” was perhaps not the best answer you could give to the “Near the sports centre in West price comparison question. You handily come across the Cambridge.” passage from the practice test, and curse yourself for not Micha Frazer-Carroll memorising the correct answers. And then. It’s all over 13) Gin.

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11 February 2016 • The Cambridge Student

Interviews

The all-new Varsity trip that’s making waves Julia Stanyard Interviews Editor

T

he 2015 Varsity ski trip can be remembered for a lot of things, not least a mountaintop paint party, a headline set from Tinie Tempah, and an awful lot of après-ski. If you went (or wish you went), have you ever thought that one week of alcohol-fuelled Oxfordand-Cambridge-exclusive revelry just isn’t enough? If you have, then here’s some good news, because this is the year of the inaugural, never-beforeseen Varsity Surf trip. I caught up with Anthony Rubinstein, vice-president of the ski trip and co-founder of Varsity Surf, to find out why he’s decided to swap the snowboard for the surfboard.

For some people, just running one week-long event involving about 3000 students would be quite enough, let alone the hassle of setting one up from scratch. But according to Ant, the idea of the surf trip (which has been in the pipeline since June) came from the realisation that “the general niche of student summer surf festival is not really a thing that exists”. While most universities have held ski trips for years, “none of them seem to have a summer holiday. And I don’t know why not, it seems to be an absolute niche that should be filled…you have Benicàssim and all the festivals in Croatia, the hard-core ones, but you don’t really have a really relaxed, chilled-out student surf festival.”

Since first looking into the idea over

the summer, the surf trip has now grown into something fully-fledged.

As Ant describes, all the team need to do now is “get some headliners booked, then we’ll have ourselves our own little beach festival, and it should be really fun”. The overall aim is, of course, to make the trip into as big an annual institution as the ski trip.

“We’re going to have an après-surf , just like après-ski, and we’re going to have a bar and a stage along the beach” However, all of this didn’t come about without a lot of hard work along the way. “We did a couple of trips in the summer to work out where we’re going to go, checked out some different resorts… We had to do some necessary beach testing. I find with testing out a beach well, you can really only find the feel after a couple of hours of lying on it. It’s quite a tedious and laborious process”. Tough life.

But in all seriousness, while the long tradition of the ski trip means that much of the detail is pre-formulated – “with stuff like accommodation and ski hire and all the little tedious bits you just go through the letter” – starting something from scratch means that the surf trip is all “completely fresh” and the team are, as Ant seems quite pleased to say “making up the rulebook as we go along”.

The general plan is for Varsity Surf to run along similar lines to the ski trip.

In fact, Ant actually sums it up as “just applying the same formula to a beach, in the summer”, which will hopefully appeal to students who aren’t avid skiers. There’ll be surf lessons available for those who want or need them, but there’s also a lot more in store: “We’re going to have an après-surf, just like après-ski, and we’re going to have a bar and a stage along the beach… it’ll kick off at four and go on till sunset”. Other plans include beach rugby and football cuppers tournaments – “basically any sport you can play on a beach and have fun with” – and the first ever Varsity beach volleyball match: “they have volleyball varsity but they don’t have beach volleyball”.

“One of the other plans we’re thinking about putting together, is to try and stage the official Varsity beach rugby match between Oxford and Cambridge. So you’ve got the winter one which is broadcast on national TV and watched by so many people, and we’re going to try and do the same thing, but on a beach.” I can’t help but wonder whether Jamie Roberts would like to put in an appearance.

So if you’re having a rubbishy start to Week Five: you’ve got too many essays to do, and you’re fed up of Storm Imogen trying to knock you off your bike (this last one can’t just be me), then cheer up: it looks like there’s something a bit more summery around the corner.

Clockwise from top: A still from the latest Varsity Surf promo video (Credit: Varsity Surf), the new Varsity Surf logo (Credit: Varsity Surf & Anthony Rubinstein), Tinie Tempah’s healdine performance at the 2015 Varsity Ski Trip (Credit: Varsity Trip 2015) , Ant in his official capacity as Varsity Surf co-founder (Credit: Anthony Rubinstein).

Baroness Afshar: The West should put its house in order Pia Hecher

EDINBURGH IRANIAN

H

aving grown up in Iran but received education in England, Baroness Afshar offers an exceptional perspective in the discussion of Islam and feminism.

Describing herself as a third generation feminist, she goes on to reveal – with a wink – reasons for her grandmother’s protest: “She was far too beautiful to cover” with a veil.

After experiencing three revolutions in her lifetime, Professor Afshar reassures me: “Iranian women are very good at fighting. We don’t need the West’s help.” Interestingly, Haleh Afshar has experienced how veiling may occur in two completely different contexts. During the Islamic Revolution of 1979, young female intellectuals and college students veiled themselves demonstratively in order to protest against Westernisation. As the Islamic academic Chandra Mohanty argued, this was done to “indicate solidarity with their veiled working class sisters, while in contemporary Iran, mandatory Islamic laws dictate that all Iranian women wear veils”.

When asked whether Western countries should have laws regulating the use of the hijab, she argues: “It’s very difficult that you can wear the shortest of skirts or wander around topless; dress any way you want and then start complaining about some peoples dress codes.” After a second she adds: “I wish women didn’t cover their eyes because I actually think it’s a risk - I don’t know how they function but pourquoi pas?”

“The West should try to improve gender equality in the West” She remarks that what worries her is: ‘“Often the women that cover are first generation born in the West. It’s not their mothers.” The alienation of young Muslims is a problem we must deal with: “So long as a person knows that they’ll be rejected by someone who sees their name on an application form, the same person may think that there’s no way forward, or imagine

that dying for Islam might be a way of achieving something.”

On the question of whether the West should try to improve gender equality in the Middle East, she replies: “The West should try to improve gender equality in the West.” She goes on to explain that Islam grants women an independent economic identity.

This means that Muslim women are entitled to wages for housework, something Professor Afshar is still campaigning for in the West. She states: “In the wedding ceremony, the woman does not accept the first time when she is asked “Will you marry this man?” The second time, she’s silent the third time she says “yes” but very quietly. So it is recognised that it is not something women are desperate to do. They chose to do it, they consent to give away part of their freedom for what will become a burden: a burden of domesticity, motherhood, of being a wife. Importantly, Iranian women are now fighting for rights in the public domain, “which is not Islamic, but actually imposed by the regime.”

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The Cambridge Student • 11 February 2016

Comment

BNOC culture may be glamorous, but ultimately it means nothing Rebecca Davies

T

he BNOC: a seemingly arbitrary cultural construct, that hinges on the all-too familiar and equally fragile concept of student ‘popularity’.

When the Tab released its list of the 100 greatest BNOCs, it was merely perpetuating and fanning a longestablished fascination. Indeed, ours is a culture obsessed with the idea of ‘celebrity’. We are all secretly seduced by its glamour. Despite not being a campus university, even Cambridge is not immune to its siren call. What can explain its allure?

There is something particular, I believe, about the Cambridge BNOC. One cannot deny it’s quite a feat to be able to make a name for yourself at a university that can boast one of the most lengthy and distinguished lists of alumni in the world; a university whose student body is comprised of

some of the greatest minds of past and present (at least that’s the official line). What does it take and what does it really mean? How does can one’s status at university be an indicator of our future success?

Were the likes of Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, or Sacha Baron Cohen the BNOCs of their day?

Probably not. It was only after their graduation that their potentials were fulfilled and their contributions made.

I doubt we are any different. But does this then mean that the title of the BNOC has no value?

Personally, I find great comfort in the concept of the BNOC, if for nothing else than its open criteria.

The BNOC is not required to have obtained the best grades in the year.

It reinforces the notion, too often lost in Cambridge, that grades alone don’t define your worth. Recognition is gained not so much by what the

individual has done for themselves, but how they have contributed to the university’s social and cultural landscape, be that as the President of CUSU, or editor of a student paper.

Like all cultural constructs, the BNOC only has power because we have bestowed it with status. But it should not engender feelings of inferiority and insecurity.

While only a select few are known far and wide throughout the university, we are nonetheless the Big Name to someone in our lives, and will be for more in the future. Regardless, the only status that really matters is the one you give to yourself, and thus we should all be the Big Names in our own lives.

In the chaos and turmoil of the Cambridge experience, and as Week Five ominously looms, we should not forget that what we think about ourselves is of the greatest importance.

DILIFF

Editor-in-Chief: Elsa Maishman Founded 1999 Volume 17

Not just Week Five

Mental health should take priority over everything else A year ago, Issue One of Lent 2015 of this paper saw the headline ‘‘‘Unnecessary pressure’ on majority of students’’. This marked the beginning of an outcry about student mental health, lasting several months. Cambridge Defend Education, a group which has since faded from view, began a campaign to introduce a reading week, called ‘#endweekfiveblues’.

Like so many student campaigns, this one fell into irrelevence. But for a while at least, it looked as though the movement might almost have a chance of instigating real change.

Unfortunately, a reading week alone would not solve the problem.

London-dwelling students may be able to go home for the week, but those of us who have to buy international flights in order to escape the ‘Bubble’ would probably end up staying here, suffering through one extra week every term and having to pay for the privilege. Much better, surely, to condense the misery into as compact a period of time in order to escape the toxic atmosphere as soon as possible.

Instances of mental illness are far higher in Cambridge than in most of the rest of the country, and it’s not surprising. Taking a bunch of extraordinarily intelligent teenagers, holing them up together, and loading them with work until they reach

There is time for us to fly the rainbow flag Carl Wikeley

L

GBT+ History Month provides society the opportunity to recognise the contribution of the LGBT+ community, and the continuing struggles that they face.

In one College, however, the occasion has been effectively subsumed by controversy over one thing: the flying of a flag.

Trinity Hall is not one of the (so far) 11 Cambridge colleges who raised the LGBT+ flag in recognition of the commemoration, joining, among others, Trinity College, in the ‘no-fly’ camp. The Trinity Hall JCR president is keen to stress that the Master of the College had been ultimately supportive of the month.

My initial reaction upon hearing

that my College was failing to fly the flag when so many others were, was disbelief and shame. The ‘one flag only’ policy the College is defending is flawed, though I do not criticise any of the staff or figures for their part.

Although I would not hesitate to fly the flag on the first given chance, I understand that the College wishes to retain a sensible and considered approach. The general argument goes: if Trinity Hall flies the LGBT+ flag to mark this special month, then they will be by law of precedent obliged to agree to any other flag-flying-related requests. In other words, Trinity Hall justifies their unwillingness to fly any flag with a political motive.

To deal with the latter point, one might recognise that the LGBT+ month is not wholly political. True,

the movement may have been founded with the intention of gaining political rights and construed by some along those lines but the fact remains that LGBT+ issues are in their essence not political. Therefore, the argument that Trinity should not fly their flag, since this would contravene their politically non-partisan attitude, is redundant.

To consider the “One flag only” policy, a broader and seemingly more superficial point needs to be made, yet this is one which is of massive significance in relation to many other aspects of today’s society.

Trinity Hall, for example, was founded in 1350. That gives us almost 700 years of time in which the college flag may have been flown, except perhaps remembrance occasions.

That’s almost 700 years of old, white,

straight men controlling the status quo.

However, the point stands that, having been through all this for 700odd years, what is the danger of raising a different flag? As I’ve suggested, having had 700 years of the same flag flying, there is genuinely nothing that could be endangered or lost by flying a different flag every day for 700 years.

I suggest that the College reconsiders its position and its policy, in good time, so as to fly the LGBT+ flag next year in order to show vital solidarity especially in light of the great support and good faith shown by the master and the College generally.

I am positive for the future, and its potential for change – and I would encourage the rest of Trinity Hall, and the entire community, to follow suit .

breaking point can only be described as a recipe for disaster.

Mental health problems shouldn’t be normal anywhere, but in some cases it can be comforting to know that other people are suffering too.

Even though it feels as though your world is ending, and nothing in the world holds the slightest interest except for maybe death, it might be reassuring to know that your housemate, your supervision partner, your DoS, your porter or your friend has felt exactly the same way. It’s imperative to take advantage of any support available – we’ve only got to live through university for a few years, but we have to live with our mental health for the rest of our lives.

Focusing on the idea of ‘Week Five Blues’ is often counter-intuitive: one tea and cake session is not going to solve any deeper mental health issues that so many of us suffer from, nor is it going to support healthy students who may simply feel run-down by university life. Instead we need to focus on welfare provision across every single week of every single term, in order to ensure that those with serious issues are properly supported, and students who are simply suffering from the intensity that is Cambridge know that it is perfectly okay to give up on an essay or piece of work here and there, in favour of staying healthy.

ANDREW DUNN

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11 February 2016 • The Cambridge Student

Comment

#NoFilter: Commercialising Christianity?

Molly Biddell

N

o filter. A slogan that is synonymous with capturing the truth of a situation. A slogan splashed around Instagram and Facebook.

However, last week it took to a new and controversial platform as the CICCU (Cambridge Intercollegiate Christian Union) put on a series of talks aimed at “presenting life without the filter”, inviting students to ‘see life, and the life that Jesus offers, without the filter’. This theme exposed a division of opinions; on the one hand, Christianity seems commercialised in this a modern and arguably superficial approach, on the other, however, the event promoted insightful discussion whilst restraining from aggressively imposing religion on every listener.

I attended three lunchtime talks and one evening session, as a questioning but open-minded listener. I was surprised to be greeted by a packed Great St Mary’s and St Andrew the Great, with smiley CU reps fully clad in #nofilter sweatshirts. It came as a shock to me that people actually turned up to the talks, particularly as my experience of church services is in a very rural parish with more cows than congregation and an average age of 75.

Lunchtime talks focused on taking the filter off culture, exploring modern interpretations of identity, success, pleasure, social justice and hope. Led by the charismatic and knowledgeable Pete Nicholas, we were introduced to the themes from a non-religious perspective, questioning their relevance and subsequent problems. Nicholas’ discussion brought to light social issues, positioned within the context of day-to-day life. It was refreshing to not have scripture thrown at us from the start, and I never once felt that I was being

force-fed the Christian ethos. Admittedly the discussions always concluded with the importance of Christianity in resolving issues, Luke’s gospel acting as evidence, but after all it was the CICCU expressing their beliefs and it was my decision to go and hear what was being said.

There was ample opportunity to question the argument, and questions were texted in and answered publicly by Nicholas, prompting further debate. The diverse audience presented multiple views and queries – by no means was everyone listening religious, let alone a Christian.

At the evening talk, I felt slightly less comfortable, as taking the filter off Jesus brought with it a noticeably more openly Evangelical crowd. After an incredibly talented performance of spoken word, which captivated everyone, believer or not, the very enthusiastic and very Welsh Graham Daniels again examined the Bible to illustrate how a Christian approach to life helps him. Although more openly persuasive than Nicholas, I still didn’t feel condemned for not agreeing 100%, and equally didn’t feel compelled or coerced into becoming a member of CU. Everyone I spoke to was understanding of my opinions – no one aggressively objected, highlighting the hypocrisy of hostile, atheist criticism.

Parody posters have been created in response to the #nofilter week, accusing the campaign of peer pressuring students into “accepting a Fundamentalist Evangelical Christian dogma, under threat of eternal damnation.” It warned of ‘implicit homophobia and sexism, as well as socially damaging opinions on a host of other issues, from people who seem really friendly’.

This response is totally unjust; written before the talks, how could it make any

If the CU hadn’t used branding it would have been criticised as archaic

kind of assumption? Never once did I hear anything morally controversial or malicious. I did feel uneasy with the CU so actively spreading their beliefs – for me the need to assert the ‘right’ religion is dangerous. However, retrospectively, if seen as a form of self-help in a confounding culture, similar to counselling, why shouldn’t it be made available as a portal for people to engage with issues they face?

The idea of commercialisation: of CICCU ‘conning’ people into religion through its sugar-coating, sandwiches, and initial side stepping of the Bible and Jesus (in the talks) was prevalent. Everything, from the brochures to the free gospel booklets and baguettes, was glossy and professional, appealing specifically to us materialistic students. But isn’t that what happens these days? Targeting audiences to appeal to their senses?

Branding and marketing is at the heart of our capitalised society, and if the CU had approached the week any other way it would have been criticised for being archaic and inaccessible. It is so easy to be cynical and mock the campaign for ‘bribing’ students (we’ve all had a jam sandwich outside Cindies) and ‘coercing’ them into believing; however, I believe this is not justifiable. From my experience, the #nofilter campaign prompted valuable discussion for all.

People were allowed to decide for themselves and question what was said. Yes, I can pick loop holes in the arguments, and yes there have been negative connotations and bad stigmas attached to Christianity.

However, as students, regardless of what we believe, it seems irresponsible and obstinate to accuse the campaign of forcing conversion to an ‘archaic fundamentalism’ that I never experienced.

MICHAEL D. BECKWITH

LGBT+ History Thoughts on a Phelan Chatterjee

I

spend a lot of time thinking about portraits. The faces adorning the walls of our colleges say a lot about where we have come from, and how we’d like to be perceived today. More often than not, this translates into an unadulterated celebration of upper class, cis straight, white masculinity.

So it came as a surprise to learn about John Finch and Thomas Baines, who attended Christ’s College, Cambridge during the mid 17th century. They have portraits that intentionally face each other in our Formal Hall, in commemoration of their “lifelong companionship”.

In the chapel, they have a monumental black and white marble tomb, in which their busts are linked by a knotted cloth, symbolising in Finch’s words a “beautiful and unbroken marriage of souls, a companionship undivided during 36 complete years”.

Although it might be anachronistic to brand them Christ’s first gay couple (we have got to bear in mind that this was a time during which ‘sodomy’ was punishable by death by hanging), there’s an undeniable queer presence.

And against all the odds, their relationship has been celebrated at an institution so proud of tradition and heritage. Perhaps this is unsurprising.

White men who love white men have been attending this university for centuries – not in any political, open or liberated sense – yet they have existed.

So as movements for equality have progressed, it is those very men who have first claimed visibility – in literature, poetry, history and the media. Images of gay cis white men are still the first to spring to mind when words like ‘gay’ or ‘LGBT’

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The Cambridge Student • 11 February 2016

RICHIE DIESTERHEFT

Comment

Mental health is not just a week five issue Micha Frazer-Carroll Comment Editor

I

y Month: queerer future are uttered. They seem to have found a space in our collective consciousness.

And this is not a bad thing. It flies in the face of ancient, deep-rooted heteronormative narratives which seek to control too many moments, decisions and emotions in our lives.

Yet other queer people – female, of colour, trans, non-binary, working class, or disabled – have not had the same privilege of being visible, or having their existence acknowledged. Their academic and literary work has not been published to the same extent. Their contributions to society have not been celebrated in the same way.

Even at Cambridge, queer organisations were, until recently, almost entirely dominated by white cis gay men. Being a trans student, or queer student of colour, often meant having feelings of isolation and alienation.

Although being ‘out’ or ‘visible’ is a personal choice which shouldn’t be forced on anyone, and is sometimes impossible due to safety, being able to identify with people like yourself in the social and academic sphere is affirming and liberating.

Things are changing. The CUSU LGBT+ Exec is more diverse than ever before, and FLY (the network for women and non-binary people of colour) and FUSE (the network for queer people of colour) have been doing a lot to create a sense of community, solidarity and visibility.

Given the large number of queer people (many of colour) on the Tab’s list of Cambridge’s biggest BNOCs, it would be nice to think that our work is done.

A few boxes may have been ticked, yet a storm is brewing, waiting not only to release the centuries of lost identity and culture blocked by intransigent clouds of cis straight ubiquity, but also to sculpt a queerer future.

t’s Week Five. Most of you will have a host of existing connotations attached to this phrase.

Much student speculation, debate, and campaigning has surrounded the notion that the infamous ‘Week Five Blues’ is a damaging, institutionalised euphemism that acknowledges and condones the pervasiveness of mental health problems at Cambridge. The dressing up and playing down of systematically exacerbated symptoms of clinical depression and anxiety is undoubtedly purported by the myth of ‘Week Five’.

The trope goes that during this fabled week, if you find yourself experiencing changes in your eating and sleeping patterns, having persistent low mood or emotional flattening, or hey, being unable to get out of bed, you are totally fine and definitely don’t need to seek any form of help. The trope further implies that that is just Cambridge; it’s what we signed up for and we should pull up our bootstraps and get on with it. This is harmful, and is indeed a poor attempt to pass off serious mental illness as another one of Cambridge’s silly quirks. Because some students aren’t just stressed; they’re depressed.

Some students aren’t just stressed; they’re depressed

Thus, JCR Welfare teams have turned their attention towards the week, introducing extra provisions to ensure the well-being of students. Moreover, in my experience, this is the time in which supervisors and Directors of Study seem to be the most lenient about rushed, late, or incomplete work: “ah yes, I think we’re all having a bit of a Week Five moment so don’t worry” is something I have commonly been reassured by. It’s often the only leeway students get for issues that are similarly likely to affect them at other times during term.

And this is simply not enough. Another, often overlooked, damaging myth perpetuated by the idea of Week Five is that acknowledging the incidence of mental illness throughout the entire student population can be compartmentalised into just one week. In a way, it seems like the ultimate ‘Cambridge’ way of dealing with the problem – shoving it all into one short period to be dealt with in bulk, simply for efficiency. But it is key to recognise that mental illness affects many throughout the rest of term.

A survey in 2013 put Cambridge students with a clinical diagnosis of depression at 21%; symptoms have to be present for at least two weeks for a diagnosis – so these students’ experiences clearly weren’t

confined to Week Five.

There is no contesting the fact that some students reach breaking point with all-tootrivialised mental health problems at this point in the term. We get homesick for our family support networks, deadlines seem to pile up, and sometimes the challenge of gathering the motivation for that final push towards the end of term feels insurmountable. All of these factors can undoubtedly exacerbate pre-existing predispositions toward mental illness. But contrary to what you might have been led to believe, it is nonetheless possible to have a serious depressive episode in Week One, Two, Eight, or during the holidays.

Student Minds Cambridge is currently promoting ‘#NotJustFive’ in support of this notion. The organisation aims to spread the idea that mental illness is an ever-relevant issue that affects a substantial proportion of students all year-round. In line with these aims, we should encourage college pastoral care providers to give adequate support to students throughout term.

We must remember, that as fellow students, it’s okay to drop a text to check up on a friend at any time during term or the vacation. For those with mental illness, license to talk about it should not be confined to one week. So let’s help start the conversation.

Entrance exams will not cause access issues

ANTHONY P BUCE

Carl Wikeley

T

he news that Cambridge is to introduce new, all-encompassing, written entrance exams as of 2017 has come as a shock to many. For some, this simply highlights the continuing failure of Oxbridge to encourage applications from those of disadvantaged social backgrounds or communities – indeed, David Cameron himself pointed out that only 27 of the 2,500 freshers of Oxford University were black.

But the Prime Minister should not be so quick to criticise Oxford and Cambridge; it seems disingenuous for Cameron to callout these universities on their record when his Minister for Education (and hilariously, Equalities – given her attempt to wipe feminism off the curriculum for A-level history) seems hell-bent on destroying this country’s good education.

It was announced in November of 2015 that the government would ‘reform’ the entire A-level system, resulting in this year’s AS-levels essentially being scrapped in favour of a continuous two-year study length. In practical terms this means that fewer students will feel comfortable selecting subjects simply for AS-level, since they will no longer have the flexibility of choice at A-level. I took English Literature, Music, German, and History at AS-level,

knowing that I could ‘drop’ one. If Nicky Morgan had enacted these changes then, I would certainly have worried more about the ‘worth’ of each subject.

The changes will result in two things: a narrowing field of study at sixth-form level; and the heightening of Morgan’s ‘goaldirected’ approach to education. Forcing pupils to make an unnecessary choice at that ridiculously early stage will, as Michael Rosen notes, “damage” their education “at the very moment they are supposedly empowered”. The effect will be worst with those wanting to study sciences at university, who will be further discouraged from arts and humanities subjects in addition to their ‘necessary’ requirements.

In addition to these grave issues, AS-

The government have effectively forced Cambridge’s hand

levels also provided a practical way for Cambridge, and other universities, to observe the attainment and potential of a pupil. In scrapping this tier, the government have therefore effectively forced Cambridge’s hand into introducing their own Oxford-style exams. So rather than simply being a conservative move towards the Oxford method, and representing an effort to further block social mobility, these new exams have actually been necessitated by Morgan’s education department. While I personally feel that any Oxbridge-style entrance exam may discourage those whom we should be most urgently supporting, we should first challenge the Conservatives to re-evaluate their approach to the education system.

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11 February 2016 • The Cambridge Student

Sport

The Puzzles Column

Why the rise of Chinese fo Paul Hyland Sport Editor

T

Crossword

Across 1. Apparently ‘luxury’ products, now available in Peterhouse bathrooms (Page 6) (8) 4. When you don’t have the mental strength to repeat a reference (4) 5. The colour of beelzebub that is both ‘captivating and intricate’ (Part 2, Page 6 and 7) (5) 7. What our beloved Editor-in-Chief believes Valentine’s Day is, similar to a small child confronted with broccoli (Part 2, Page 11)(4) 9. Santa’s little helper, who must be returning from his annual leave, round about now (3) 10. The kind of love we should all practice, now and again (Part 2, Page 12) (4)

Down 1. Potentially dangerous, flammable cutlery (Page 9) (6) 2. When regular coffee isn’t enough (5) 3. The school apparently in need of Access help (Page 7) (6) 5. The type of pool most likely to induce dizziness (5) 6. A squid’s greatest defence mechanism (3) 8. Which day seems so far away for Paul McCartney (3)

his season, you may have noticed that the quiet January window at home was drowned out by all of the noise coming from thousands of miles away in China.

The Chinese Super League has exploded onto the football scene thanks to its unrivalled spending power that seems to have come out of nowhere. What was once considered a retirement home for top players in the twilight of their careers is now emerging as a major force in football’s spending market, thanks to serious investment from Chinese government, enabling Chinese clubs to offer wages to players that European counterparts would consider eye-watering.

And Europe is already feeling the effects: Liverpool’s pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk’s prize asset, the Brazilian sharpshooter Alex Teixeira, came screeching to a halt when the Anfield club baulked at the £38 million asking price. A £38 million asking price that was summarily met by Jiangsu Suning, a Chinese club where Teixeira now finds himself plying his trade. A £25 million deal for Chelsea’s Ramires and a £34 million deal for Atlético Madrid’s Jackson Martínez head up an overall £122 million spending bill across the Chinese Super League this winter, with spending looking set to continue until the window closes at the end of this month.

36-year-old former Everton star, Tim Cahill, who now turns out for Shanghai Shenua in the Chinese Super

Women’s University Basketb Jack Ranson Sport Editor

from Volume 17, Lent Issue 4

T

his Thursday, the Women’s University Basketball club will begin a fundraising drive with a ‘Midnight Madness’ event.

Over the course of 24 hours, members of the club – alongside willing volunteers – will take it in

by Thomas Prideaux Ghee turns to shoot hoops in a series of two hour slots. The club’s aim is to score 10,000 baskets in 24 hours, starting at noon on Thursday and finishing at the same time on Friday.

Despite being in operation for nearly 10 years, the club has only one team in the British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) league. Their current funding drive is part of a bid for the second team, the Cambridge Panthers, to be entered into the league for the 2016/17 season.

Both the first and second team achieved highly last year, with both sides winning Varsity, and the first team getting promoted to the BUCS

Sudoku

Solutions

League, has had his say on the sudden emergence of China as a force in global football: “It’s not about football like it was in my day,” he told ESPN, “it’s purely about personal gains,” he said. “Is [going to China] going to help players? No. Is it going to be big for the country? Yes.” The Socceroos legend fears that this is only the beginning of a major shift in the balance of power in the sport: “It’s crazy to see but this is only going to get worse,” he says, “This is going to be massive. Soon they’ll break the $100m bracket very easily.

I don’t know whether it’s going to help the League, but they’re investing.

They’re doing great things. They’ve got the power.”

Midland 1a Division.

The club needs £3000 to cover expenses involved in BUCS competition, such as travel, referee fees and new kit.

Molly Lewis, club President, told The Cambridge Student: “Until the University commits to providing more funding, we hope the money raised will make up for the shortfall we’re experiencing’’.

Despite winning last year’s tightly fought Varsity match 36-24, the Panthers are behind their Oxford rivals in other respects. In particular, the fact that Oxford have two Women’s Basketball teams competing regularly, an inevitable advantage when it comes to the mental confidence that a fixture as big as Varsity requires.

‘Midnight Madness’ is taking place at Jesus College squash courts, with coaches on hand to offer visitors advice on their technique. The team will be taking donations all day, as well as via their JustGiving page.

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The Cambridge Student • 11 February 2016

Sport

football is nothing to fear It’s hard to know where all these fears about China’s spending power have come from. At time of writing, 39 of the top 40 most expensive football transfer fees have been paid

by European clubs.

European clubs have been artificially funded for years – look at the Premier League: a 1992 breakaway from the English Football League funded by Murdoch’s millions, only widened the gap between them and rest of Europe when clubs earn an average of £133 million from television next year, not counting sponsorship and match-day revenue. Now that China’s clubs are expected to be similarly bankrolled by their own government, we start to reveal our own deeply-ingrained

double standard.

Cahill’s fear that things will only get worse translates to a fear that China will spend as much money as European clubs seem to, is indicative of a wider hypocrisy in the European scene of the game.

Money is part and parcel of the game of football, unless of course it threatens to upend our cosy, comfortable status quo. As soon as another country wants their share in the spoils, we decide we don’t like money in football one little bit.

China might well be on the cusp of becoming a global superpower in the game of football.

But if it does, we in Europe will have little right to complain.

ROBERT ENNALS

Six Nations round-up: the best is yet to come Connor Lempiere

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he build up to this year’s Six Nations has had the feeling of uncertainty and transition typical of post-World Cup years, bringing the excitement of the unknown coupled with trepidation for fans of sides undergoing major periods of change. There were familiar faces missing from the line-ups last week and, for England and France, unfamiliar ones selecting them. Retired giants like O’Connell, Dusautoir, Phillips and Bergamasco were conspicuous in their absence whilst Eddie Jones and Guy Noves respectively assumed two of rugby’s most unenviable positions, packing down at lock behind Dylan Hartley included.

The air of unpredictability notwithstanding, I somehow still, upon tallying my predicted scores for the Clare sweepstake, found that I had managed to award Ireland a handsome Grand Slam come 19th March; armed with the sense of blind optimism that means I will always look forward to

the return of the Six Nations, but will never be a successful gambler, I cast aside my international political economy and welcomed international rugby’s return into our lives.

France’s opener against Italy perfectly encapsulated the sense of flux in Northern hemisphere rugby at present, as the once-great home side limped to a narrow win and the visitors produced a battling though inconsistent display that deserved more.

The fact that France’s outstanding performer was a sevens player with no professional club contract is arguably not a good reflection on their squad.

Italy flattered and at times infuriated in failing to hold on for the win that Sergio Parisse’s performance deserved.

Had they possessed a goal kicker of international standard then his side might have won comfortably.

Saturday’s second game brought a different sort of frustrating underdog performance for the neutral spectator, as Scotland, having promised so much with their superb showing last

Autumn, showed a lack of composure that saw wave upon wave of pressure come to nothing. England’s second try proved a telling contrast, as the lively Jack Nowell rounded off a well-worked passage of play. Jones’ men were solid and although sterner challenges will come, in securing an away victory by two tries to none, had the most assured start of any.

Sunday saw a depleted Ireland side explode into an opening 30 minutes of composed and powerful rugby, building through the phases to amass 13 unanswered points against the tournament favourites, before, naturally, conceding 10 before the break and struggling to a draw.

Had Rhys Priestland not been taking drop goal inspiration from Sergio Parisse, Wales might have won the game, but, two strong performances from two potential title challengers (even if neither was consistently strong for very long) and a tied game to spread out the table early on may prove a boost to the championship in the long run.

VINCENT LUIGI MOLINO

ball club in fundraising bid Dylan Hartley can be a sporting role model MOLLY LEWIS

Beth Price

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hen Dylan Hartley was announced as taking over the gauntlet of England’s rugby captaincy from Chris Robshaw commentators, analysts and the internet reacted predictably.

After all, this is a player who has been banned for more than a year from the field, causing him to miss several major international tournaments including the 2015 World Cup. Gouging earned him a 26 week ban, biting stopped him playing for eight weeks, verbally abusing a match official saw Hartley side-lined for eleven weeks and cost him a place on the British and Irish Lions Tour of Australia.

A controversial choice to say the least. But Hartley is also the most capped player in the England squad and has only collected two yellow cards on England duty; a much more captain-appropriate record it seems.

Which begs the question, how far can on field form excuse bad

behaviour? The answer, in a traditional Cambridge essay-writing way, is it depends.

If misdemeanours take place on the pitch, in the heat of the moment, they seem to be more forgivable than offpitch rule breaking.

Luis Suarez infamously bit opposing players on three separate occasions and, despite receiving significant bans each time, received unwavering support from colleagues and fans. Uruguay’s President Jose Mujica defended Suarez after his four month world cup ban, saying, ‘We didn’t choose him… to have good manners. He’s an excellent player.’

Tiger Woods, on the other hand, saw his sporting empire crash and burn around him following 2009’s infidelity scandal. More than a dozen women claimed to have had affairs with Woods, he crashed his Cadillac into a fire hydrant, and sponsors abandoned him. A December 2009 study estimated the total loss caused

by his affairs to be between $5 and $12 billion. After returning to professional golf he’s struggled to find form, wining 0 major tournaments in 2010, 2011, 2014 or 2015.

Where Hartley and Suarez’s bad behaviour can be excused as happening in the heat of the moment and their support off the pitch can continue, Woods’ mistakes affected every part of his life. Immediately seen as untrustworthy and irresponsible, Woods could no longer be held up as a role model of hard work and talent.

Hartley, on the other hand, generally keeps his nose clean (apart from when he’s head-butting opposition) and undeniably works hard, bouncing back after every setback.

A lesson there for any aspiring world famous player – misbehave in the match and you’ll get away with it, but don’t cheat on your girlfriend. Or maybe just be a good role model on and off the field.

Sport

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11 February 2016 • The Cambridge Student

Six Nations

The build up to this year’s tournament → p. 19

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/sport

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES WILLIAM LYON TUPMAN

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Will Lyon-Tupman

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he Blues began gameplay with a strong try and conversion. After Cambridge’s innovative try – with the ball flying over the line immediately before the player touched it down – Warwick began to show signs of panic as the Blues continually triumphed. This spurred them into action; their resistance improved and they managed two tries soon after. Their success was shortlived, though, as the Blues responded. The second half saw the opposition looking dangerous, as they sweeped in with a try in the first few minutes. All was not lost, however; before Warwick’s next try, the Blues bit back, going on to score an excellent try and conversion. Their luck was furthered with a penalty kick, and it took a while, but what Cambridge did next made the wait more than worthwhile. The last ten minutes on the clock signified a turn in favour of the Blues: their possession increased, and their valiant efforts were finally rewarded with a triumphant defeat of Warwick.

Cambridge UEA

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Gerda Bachrati

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ambridge took on UEA, looking for an even more convincing win than their 5-2 result in the same fixture earlier in the season. They started strong, with Hirst drawing the ball back to Savage to hammer it into the net for 1-0. Then Hickman swung a free kick into the back post for Savage to convincingly head across the keeper. Shortly after, Bull shot another free kick past the wall for 3-0, before a short corner found Bull whose shot cannoned off a defender and into the net, making 4-0 the half-time score. Great combination play

by Bull and Edwards at the opposition box found Greenwood, who volleyed it over the keeper. After a period of attack by UEA, Viik dribbled through UEA midfield and sent it to Bull who cut inside to strike into the top right corner. Just before full time, a cross from the left came to Savage at the back post; the shot, deflected off the keeper, was swiftly rebounded giving Greenwood her second goal.

Men’s Lacrosse

Rugby League

Cambridge Warwick

Women’s Football

Cambridge get a late victory in the Men’s Rugby League Cambridge Northampton

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Will Barrie

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he first quarter saw Cambridge retain possession for long periods, but struggle to turn it into scoring opportunities. Attacker Evans scored the first two assisted by Barrie, and then Jacobucci. The second quarter was much more intense; Cambridge continued to retain possession and set up attacking moves, and were rewarded with 3 goals.

Cambridge were working hard to get the ball back when Northampton managed to get possession. The half-time score stood at 5-0, and when the second half began Cambridge were slightly switched off.

The visitors were rewarded with a goal, managing to sneak a shot past Cummings.

The final quarter saw play become much more physical but Cambridge maintained composure, setting up dodges from the midfield and attack. As the defence of Northampton became increasingly aggressive, it was with some relief that the whistle blew to mark the end of the game.