Lent 2015 Issue 1

The

Cambridge Student

15 January 2015 Vol. 17 Lent Issue 1

Cambridge shows solidarity for the victims of last week’s atrocities in France

Photo: Liv Grant

‘Unnecessary pressure’ on majority of students

C

Rachel Balmer Deputy News Editor

onfidential statistics obtained by The Cambridge Student have revealed that only 55% of Cambridge students agree that the workload on their course is manageable.

Furthermore, only 38% of students agree that their course “does not apply unnecessary pressure”.

The document, published by the University of Cambridge, details the responses to the 2014 National Student Survey (NSS) from Cambridge finalists, and shows that on questions relating to workload, students returned

very low satisfaction levels compared with their counterparts nationally.

The NSS is targeted at final-year undergraduates in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the responses are used to compile league tables and indicate satisfaction levels. There were 1,798 responses from Cambridge students to the survey, accounting for 57% of those eligible to respond.

The responses to Cambridge’s survey are also compared with the national picture, where 78% of students agreed that their workload was manageable,

and 66% did not feel unnecessarily pressured,which raises questions about the levels of stress placed on students at Cambridge.

Also, a mere 27% of students at Cambridge agreed that they could always complete work to their satisfaction in comparison to 60% of students nationally.

39% of Cambridge respondents agreed that they were given enough time to understand the things they had to learn, compared to 70% nationally.

Continued on page 4...

Comment – ‘Je suis Charlie’: Should we be joining the chorus: p13 Cartoon – I choose swim: p20 Theatre – Ten shows not to miss this term: p23 Fashion – The nightmares of fashion ‘to go’: p26

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News 2 Billionaires to fund new bursaries Anna Carruthers News Editor The Reuben Foundation has pledged a donation of £427,500 over the next five years to help fund up to 90 new undergraduate bursaries within Cambridge University.

The bursaries will be made available to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, with the Cambridge Bursary Scheme assisting in the funding by matching the Reuben Foundation’s donation.

Eloise Oakley, Murray Edwards Access Officer, spoke to The Cambridge Student regarding the news: “It is amazing to hear of the substantial donation from the Reuben Foundation to provide such critical financial scholarships to support so many disadvantaged future students.”

She continued: “It is particularly important that this support is available to disadvantaged students when they are studying at Cambridge when the day-to-day financial burdens of university life continue to deter so many from applying.”

“The work of colleges and CUSU both to encourage and support applicants from non-traditional backgrounds to apply to Cambridge is brilliant, but these scholarships will

help provide the longer term support that these students need to excel.

“I hope in the future we hear of many more donations, and scholarship opportunities, and continue to support the great access work that is currently being undertaken.”

The Reuben Foundation was founded by David and Simon Reuben, two Indian-born brothers. As well as providing a scholarship programme for Cambridge University students since 2012, the foundation also assists in the funding of the BFI Reuben Library, part of BFI Southbank. The library is a major resource for the study of film and television within the UK as it currently possesses the world’s largest collection of written materials on the subject.

In 2013, the brothers were ranked second in Forbes magazine’s list of the UK’s wealthiest billionaires.

The Reuben brothers released a statement saying: “We are delighted to see the continued expansion of the Reuben Scholarship Programme, and look forward to a long partnership with Cambridge which will benefit many bright students over the coming years”.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz shared his excitement at the news: “I’m delighted the Reuben Foundation has enabled us to provide these bursaries, which will make a

The generous Reuben brothers significant contribution towards the accommodation and subsistence costs of studying at Cambridge.”

“A Cambridge education is a transformational experience, and their generosity will help ensure that basic living costs do not prevent talented students from benefiting from it.”

CUSU Access Officer Helena Blair, speaking to TCS, was more cautious.

“The prospect of financial difficulties and debt forms one of the largest

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

In 2013, the brothers were ranked second in Forbes’ list of the UK’s wealthiest billionaires

barriers to people considering higher education as an option. It’s not only about affording living costs – students should have the financial security to thrive equally within their education and access the many opportunities that Cambridge has to offer. Sufficient financial support from a variety of sources including the Cambridge Bursary Scheme is crucial to achieving this, particularly in the case of students from lower-income backgrounds.”

Cambridge artist tipped for big things in 2015 Olly Hudson Deputy News Editor Cambridge alumnus and rising spoken word star, George the Poet, has been named as number five on the BBC’s Sound of 2015 shortlist. The list, which is compiled annually by DJs, industry critics and broadcasters, features artists who are expected to make a sizeable impact on the British music scene over the coming year.

The first of the top five artists to be announced last week, the 23-year-old King’s graduate’s success represents a breakthrough for spoken-word and performance poetry. George Mpanga, the Politics, Psychology and Sociology graduate, has self-admittedly tried to “give up” rap, a genre that he feels “squanders” opportunities to promote social change in its focus on violence.

The son of Ugandan immigrants, raised on the Stonebridge Park estate in north west London, George relates his music to his experience of growing up in the inner city. He emphasises his desire to use his music and poetry for social good. His lyrics deal with powerful themes, including violence, social exclusion and teenage pregnancy.

George believes that his experiences have ingrained in him a strong sense of injustice and idealism, an awareness that was honed by his study of sociology during his time at Cambridge.

Reflecting on his time spent supervising George whilst he was an undergraduate at King’s, Dr Jeff Miley remembers him as a standout student: “I have followed his rise to fame, and have been extremely impressed with his ability to infuse his poetry with subtle, sophisticated and very much needed social and political analysis.”

In a recent interview with the BBC, George explains: “I remember trying to fight everything, trying to save everyone from every calamity. At some point I realised that I’m not going to be able to save everyone, but that when I do have the platform I will do everything to enact structural change”.

Dr Sharath Shrinivasan, George’s Director of Studies in his final year at King’s, recalls a student who was “political in the fullest sense”, and ready “to change the world with words.”

Diamond Abdulrahim, a fan and fellow north west Londoner as well as a second-year undergraduate at Sidney Sussex College, commented:

“George the Poet is reviving the art of spoken word with its urban, hip-hop roots. His lyricism is unparalleled; he’s a storyteller and a true artist. Cambridge should be very proud.”

First and foremost, Mpanga hopes that his success will encourage and inspire others to follow suit in pursuing social change through whatever medium: “I want people to be aware of their power,” he claims.

Photo: bobby ryan via Youtube He is currently preparing to release George the Poet his debut album, The Chicken and the Egg on Island Records, while also preparing to publish his first collection of poetry.

The winner of the BBC’s Sound of 2015 list was announced on Friday as Years and Years, an electronica band from London.

This is not the only list that George the Poet has graced. He has also been nominated for the BRIT Critics’ Choice Award and the MTV UK Brand New for 2015. Former nominees have included Adele, Florence + the Machine, Ellie Goulding, Jessie J, Emeli Sandé, Tom Odell, Sam Smith, Ella Eyre, Kwabs, George Ezra, Royal Blood and The Vamps. You can vote for George on the George’s former college Steve Parkinson via Flickr MTV UK website.

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

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News 3 Stephen Fry, Sarah Palin and Jon Snow in Lent Union line-up Tonicha Upham and Shilpita Mathews Deputy News Editors Celebrating its 200th anniversary, the Cambridge Union Society released its first termcard of 2015 on Monday.

The major speakers confirmed so far include British comedian and presenter Stephen Fry, former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, leader of the international feminist movement FEMEN Inna Shevchenko and Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow.

Reflecting on the varied fields of the noted speakers, Amy Gregg, President of the Union for Lent 2015, commented: “I’m extremely pleased that we have begun our bicentenary year with such a diverse range of prominent speakers. As ever, the Union strives to offer members the opportunity to engage with some of the world’s most significant and influential public figures.”

Renowned as an activist as well as a comedian, writer and actor, Stephen Fry will be using his humanist and atheist background to debate whether the Church of England should be disestablished.

FEMEN activist Inna Shevchenko,

What controversy willl Palin cause next? well-known for her ‘sextremism’ and topless demonstrations against the patriarchy, will be following in the footsteps of other prominent feminists who have spoken at the Union, including Pussy Riot and Laura Bates.

She will be opposing the motion ‘This House would legalise the sex industry’.

Controversial American politician

Photo: Roger H. Goun via Flickr Sarah Palin will then speak on 2 March. The first female Republican to be nominated for the vice presidency, during the 2008 Presidential Election, Palin has more recently spent time as a political commentator for Fox News, and has starred in Sarah Palin’s Alaska, her own reality show. Her book, Going Rogue, has sold over 2 million copies.

On the 13 March, journalist and Channel 4 News presenter Jon Snow will address the Union. A wellrenowned journalist, Snow has received numerous awards for his work including five Royal Television Society Awards. Union members can expect to hear about a range of current topics in his talk. Last year, Snow’s work involved a head-to-head with Russell Brand and ground reporting from the conflict in Gaza.

Other prominent speakers include composer Stephen Sondheim, who will appear via video-link. One of his most famous musicals, Into the Woods, has recently been adapted for film, starring the likes of Meryl Streep and Johnny Depp. Sondheim has won eight Tony awards, eight Grammys, a Pulitzer Prize and a Laurence Olivier for his legendary work.

Other notable speakers include feminist author and theorist Germaine Greer and illustrator Sir Quentin Blake, famous for his working partnership with Roald Dahl. His work can be seen displayed around the Union building.

Greer’s invitation continues a trend of Union events surrounding feminism, after last term’s successful gender forums. This reflects the Union’s active policy of diverse speaker invitations.

The Union’s bicentenary year will also include two debates and a special themed ball

Union celebrates its bicentenary year in style Jack Lewy Deputy News Editor Founded in 1815, the Cambridge Union is the oldest continuously running debating society in the world, and is this year celebrating its bicentenary.

The Union will celebrate 200 years of free speech and the art of debating with an array of events, ents and debates.

In the Union’s extensive history, it has played host to some of the most fascinating figures of the last 2 centuries: Prime Ministers ranging from Stanley Baldwin and Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher and John Major; US Presidents from Theodore Roosevelt to Ronald Reagan; civil rights campaigners from James Baldwin to the Rev. Jesse Jackson; inspirational figures such as the Dalai Lama and Prof. Stephen Hawking; and household names such as Dame Judi Dench, Reginald D. Hunter, Sir Ian McKellen, and Russell Brand.

Celebration events include a Bicentenary Debate, a Garden Party held at Sidney Sussex College, and

a Bicentenary Ball. The Bicentenary Debate will bring together past presidents and officers of the Union to watch the debate ‘This House is not what it used to be’. Here, Lord Howard, Vince Cable, and Michael Dunn Goekjian will be debating alongside other past presidents, including Baroness Mallalieu and Baroness Hayman, the first female Union presidents.

The bicentenary coincides with one of the debating society’s most successful performances at the World University Debating Championships.

The Cambridge ‘A’ team of Ashish Kumar and Michael Dunn Goekjian were named the best and second best debaters in the world respectively.

Alex Forzani, past Vice-President of the Society and chairperson of the bicentenary committee, said that the celebrations had taken approximately 18 months to put together in total.

Forzani commented that “The union has a history of marking its milestones. The 150th anniversary was marked with a similar sort of event. Unfortunately the centenary wasn’t marked at all because that was during the First World War.”

The Union is the world’s oldest continuously running debating society

Cambridge c.1870 when the Union was 55 years old

Photo: kimberleyblaker

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News 4 Cambridge rallies for victims of ‘Charlie Hebdo’ shootings Ellie Hayward Investigations Editor

Rallies of support have been held across the UK and Europe

Continued from page 1...

CUSU’s Welfare & Rights Officer, Jack Wright told TCS: “It comes as no surprise to hear that most Cambridge students feel unnecessarily pressured and that only a slim majority find their workload manageable.

“As always, if students feel overwhelmed and need advice, they should know that CUSU will do its very best to support them.

“If people are interested in campaigning to make things better for themselves and other students, we’re always interested in their input – last year we worked to develop a wellbeing strategy with the University, and Tutor training was introduced this year following years of campaigning from CUSU and the wider student body.”

Murray Edwards JCR Academic and Welfare Officer Charlotte Furniss-Roe commented to TCS: “Trying to balance work, social life and sleep is difficult for most of us – we all knew the workload would be high when we applied and came here but it doesn’t make it any less stressful when you’re buried in the library, working towards a degree you could get with one essay a term somewhere else. This makes it more important to seek help, and talk openly about the mental health difficulties that inevitably come out of such great pressure.”

The NSS also reveals students’ level of

overall satisfaction with the University and with individual Triposes. Whilst the overall satisfaction score for Cambridge remained high at 91%, these levels of satisfaction were not consistent across courses.

Although six Triposes (Education, Chemical Engineering, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Geological Sciences, Genetics and Zoology) received scores of 100%, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (AMES) returned a significantly lower overall satisfaction rate of 55%.

One Arabic student commented on the workload, saying: “The work done for supervisions is always useful, but with the amount of classwork we’re given, it’s hard to even know where to start.

It seems a constant game of guesswork.

Now I feel like I’m starting the term even further behind than I was.”

A student of Chinese commented on the quality of teaching for AMES, which received a score of 75% compared with the University-wide average of 93%, saying: “I am not alone, at least within my own class, in my scepticism concerning the teaching quality for Chinese... I have found myself repeatedly frustrated at the poorness of the course, which sometimes shows great promise, but often fails to deliver.”

A final-year Arabist told TCS that the biggest problem with the course is the level of year abroad money given to students: “When I went on my Year

Photo: Liv Grant

Whilst overall satisfaction remained high, these levels were not consistent across courses

Hundreds of people gathered in central Cambridge this Sunday in a show of solidarity for the victims of last week’s terrorist atrocities in France.

The rally, held outside St Mary’s Church, took place on a day when millions of people across Europe took to the streets in an astonishing display of defiance and unity.

It followed brutal attacks in the French capital that left 17 people dead, after three days of terror began last Wednesday with an attack on the divisive French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

A large crowd of all ages were present at the rally in Cambridge, with many of those in attendance displaying placards reading ‘Je Suis Charlie’ or ‘Nous Sommes Charlie’, and symbolically raising pens and pencils.

Sam Carr, a second-year historian who was present at the protest, described the mood as one of “quiet, dignified defiance.”

He added: “I went to express both solidarity with those who died in Paris, and to defend freedom of speech in the face of religious fundamentalism.”

French student Matteo Mirolo, commented to The Cambridge Student:

“4 million people on the streets, this is a very powerful and reassuring sign that the French will remain united, because the biggest challenge comes now, I think, in the reconstruction of a traumatised society.” Mirolo is also the Vice-President of the Cambridge European Society.

As world leaders marched in Paris, some have raised the apparent hypocrisy of certain politicians present, including the Green Parliamentary Candidate for Cambridge, Rupert Read, who tweeted: “It’s the death of satire when a corrupt war-criminal repressive scumbag like Netanyahu fronts a march in defence of free speech.”

For many, the attack on Charlie Hebdo represented a fundamental assault on the freedom of speech, and The Cambridge Student’s editorial team has joined with student journalists across the country to sign a statement of defiance published in The Tab. The statement asserted: “Tomorrow’s journalists from all student publications across the nation are defiant against terrorism. The attack on Charlie Hebdo has only encouraged the next generation to fight for their right to report and publish freely.”

Abroad (last year) we were given £1,000 by the university, but had to pay half tuition fees, so ultimately we were still paying about £500 for nothing at all… we get a lot less than almost any other university – some unis don’t take tuition fees and pay for everyone to go to a specific school.”

When contacted, the University declined to comment.

The results of the survey also highlight issues surrounding Cambridge students’ indifference towards CUSU. Cambridge’s satisfaction score declined in 2014, placing CUSU in second to bottom place with an overall result of 37% (a reduction of five percentage points from 2013) compared to the Russell Group average of 67%.

The University of Oxford recorded an even lower Students’ Union satisfaction level than Cambridge, at 31%.

CUSU President Helen HoogewerfMcComb responded to the statistics, commenting: “We weren’t surprised by the news that our satisfaction rating has fallen in the last academic year, with low election turnouts and a lack of candidates standing in elections serving as an early warning. Whilst Cambridge’s collegiate structure makes student engagement challenging – a problem shared with Oxford University Student Union, which struggles even more in NSS rankings – it is clear CUSU needs to make some serious changes and get better at working with and for the students we represent.”

Despite work pressures, students are generally satisfied.

Photo: University of Illinois Library

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News 5

Prominently featured across the event were huge banners with slogans and taglines from campaigns past and present

Photo: Jack May

CUSU’s ‘Campaigning Cambridge’ calls for higher student voting turnout Jenny Steinitz News Editor The political and community groups of Cambridge have this week come together with CUSU to promote their campaigns for 2015.

The societies and organizations came from across the political spectrum, and the causes they promoted ranged from school feminist societies through

veganism to better protection of children involved in war.

One issue that many organisations agreed on was the need for students to register to vote. Electoral changes introduced in the last election cycle mean that colleges no longer automatically enrol their students in the electoral register. The Cambridge Universities Labour Club warned that this would see a huge drop in the

“Those who make half a revolution dig nought but their own graves”

numbers of students able to vote, and could have serious consequences for the general election. They predicted that around 900,000 fewer students will vote in the next election.

CUSU, the organisers of the ‘Campaigning Cambridge’ event, echoed this message and said they would be undertaking a voter registration drive throughout the term. They also voiced a commitment to raising the profile of

international students in the run-up to the election.

There were also interesting historical insights into campaigning. This included stories of a 1972 campaign in which over 600 students occupied the Senate House in their quest for examination reform. Adorning one banner was a quote from a 1970s campaign: “Those who make half a revolution… dig nought but their own graves.”

Overcrowding crisis at Addenbrooke’s deemed to be improving Anna Carruthers News Editor The ‘major incident’ declared at Cambridge’s Addenbrooke’s Hospital as a result of “extreme pressure” in the system has now been downgraded to an ‘internal critical incident’.

The NHS maintains a system of grading the severity of their overcrowding crises and health-related incidents in their hospitals.

When the ‘major incident’ was announced last week, non-emergency surgery and procedures were cancelled and off-duty staff called in to deal with the scale of the problem.

Chief Executive of Cambridge University Hospitals (CUH) Dr Keith McNeil stated: “Demand on our services remains extremely high and we continue to contact relatives of patients who are medically fit to go home, with ongoing care needs such as feeding or personal care and asking them, wherever possible, to take their relatives home while care packages are put in place, where appropriate. Focus will remain on discharging patients in a timely and safe fashion.”

As well as thanking staff for their

work in such a “challenging period,” Dr McNeil repeated a national plea to patients that they do not attend A&E unless their condition is an emergency or life threatening.

Addenbrooke’s problems come as the NHS has been the subject of intense political debate. Prime Minister David Cameron and Labour leader Ed Miliband clashed in Prime Minister’s Questions over the alleged NHS “crisis”.

According to the BBC, eight hospitals nationwide have so far declared major incidents, with several others being put on ‘black alert’ because of an apparent high demand for beds.

HSPS second-year and Cambridge Universities Labour Club member, Tom Wilson, tweeted on his own experience of Addenbrooke’s hospital: “Oh incidentally, when I stayed in Addenbrooke’s in Nov (5 days) I had to sleep in day wards every night as the inpatient wards were full.” He has since clarified to The Cambridge Student that this occurred in October rather than November, as was suggested by the tweet.

Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Cambridge Daniel Zeichner has reinforced Dr McNeil’s comments on

the problem of delayed releases in a press release describing a recent visit he made to Addenbrooke’s before Christmas: “I saw that staff were doing everything possible, but they were quite clear – they need more capacity in A&E, and they need somewhere to move elderly people who no longer need to be in hospital but can’t yet go home. I know that reopening unused capacity at Brookfields Hospital is being considered – the question is why this wasn’t done earlier.”

Reece Edmends, Chair of the Student Liberal Democrats, agreed, and pointed out that Cambridge’s MP Julian Huppert had also called for Brookfields Hospital to be used. Speaking to The Cambridge Student, Edmends then continued: “Addenbrooke’s has been struck by a ghastly trifecta: the general squeeze on the health budget resulting from our economic troubles, a particularly cold winter, and the self-inflicted wound of the expensive and controversial new eHospital system.

“In the long term, Clinical Commissioning Groups like those in Cambridge need more money to spend on respite and preventative care in the community, meaning that only those

who really need it go to A&E, and that they can be released as soon as possible” Edmends added.

Brookfields, which is described as a well-established and valued community hospital by the NHS, currently only accommodates a limited number of types of illnesses and rehabilitation. Brookfields lists ‘adult speech and language’ as one of its services, alongside treatment of Parkinsons Disease. There are greater calls for an expansion of Brookfields to compensate for the crisis at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

Green Party Parliamentary Candidate Rupert Read described the major incident declaration as “a symptom of an NHS that is ill. The NHS needs to be restored to full health.” His proposed solutions include a new wealth tax, reversal of part-privatisation and greater emphasis on prevention. Green party policies, however, are under greater scrutiny than ever before as polls suggest they are becoming a larger force in British politics.

The Cambridge University Conservative Association, when contacted, was unavailable to provide any comment.

Focus will remain on discharging patients in a timely and safe fashion

15 January 2014 the cambridge student

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News 6 College Watch

Image: Hannah Taylor

St John's Trinity Hall

Pembroke Trinity

In the recent film The Theory of Everything, based on Stephen Hawking, St John’s College had a prominent role, particularly as the setting for the May Ball. Rishi Mouland, Ents Officer for St John’s May Ball 2015, commented: “As a Maths undergraduate, I thought the film was a very interesting insight into the genius of one of Cambridge’s most successful alumni!”

Other Cambridge spots included The Backs, Queen’s Green, Cavendish laboratory and Trinity Lane, some of which were reworked to fit the early 1970s setting. Hawking, who studied at Trinity Hall, oversaw the shooting of the May Ball scene. Bethan Charnley, Vice President of St John’s May Ball 2015 said, “We were absolutely thrilled to see St John’s College May Ball portrayed on the big screen as we felt it perfectly captured the magic of the event”.

After beating Hull University in the final with 215 points to 65, Trinity Hall won the BBC’s Christmas special series of University Challenge. Their team was made up of novelist Adam MarsJones, Doctor Who actor Dan Starkey, former professional cyclist Emma Pooley and Olympic rower and boatrace victor Tom James.

Trinity Hall overcame truly fierce opposition from Balliol College, Oxford, and Edinburgh to reach the final. Unfortunately the Trinity Hall team has not found success in the regular edition of the programme, but two Cambridge teams remain in the form of Trinity and Gonville and Caius, so an all-Cambridge final could still be on the cards. Selwyn College were thrashed in the second round of the programme

by St Peter’s College, Oxford, by an impressive margin of 135.

Pembroke College has implemented a new catering initiative, ‘Simply Pembroke’. A first for a UK university, Simply Pembroke caters for 13 of the 14 most common allergies. The resulting choices include allergen-free options, comfort food, ethnic food and street food, with an emphasis on local sourcing and nutrition.

Food and Bar Officer Tristan Downing reflected: “It’s great to see Catering take an initiative to make trough safer”, and also said: “Personally, I really like the idea of locally sourced food.” David Harwood, Catering Manager, is excited about the new scheme and its “very positive” reception: “Around 50% of our customers have chosen the Simply Pembroke options with feedback mainly focused on the healthy aspects of the food, and the improved range of options.”

An email to Trinity students from Field Club President Wilf Bagnall has asked gym users to consider their etiquette next time they go for a workout. Men in particular come in for some lighthearted criticism: “Guys, do not take your shirts off in the gym, regardless of how buff you think you look, or how sick you think your 500m erg just was.

Girls (and guys) have complained that ‘you look gross’, I agree.” Bagnall then asked members not to “leave weights lying around, and be conscious of how much space you are taking up”. Female students meanwhile were praised: “Girls, I have yet to have any complaints about your clothing or behaviour. Well done, keep it up.” One anonymous female Trinity student commented: “I envy the Newnham girls – they’ve managed to bypass the problem of a gym full of sweaty semi-naked men.”

Shilpita Mathews

Jack Lewy

Tonicha Upham

Anna Carruthers

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

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News 7 ‘Forward-looking’ Pembroke College appoints new Master Tonicha Upham Deputy News Editor In early December, Pembroke College announced the appointment of its new Master ahead of the retirement this summer of outgoing Master, Sir Richard Dearlove. Lord Smith of Finsbury is due to take up the Mastership of the college in October of this year.

Chris Smith, who will be the 54th Master of Pembroke College, is a former student of the College and has been an Honorary Fellow since 2004.

Between 1983 and 2005, he served as MP for Islington South and Finsbury.

In 1984 Smith made history by being the first British MP to openly admit he was gay. For this and his disclosure in 2005 of the fact that he was HIV Positive, first year Pembroke student Alex Kirkpatrick feels that the new Master is both a “brave figure” and “a great role model”.

Lord Smith has also made extensive contributions to the arts, having been the first Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport between 1997 and 2001. He can be credited with the reintroduction of free admission to many of Britain’s museums and galleries.

Smith has also spent time as the Chairman of the Environment Agency, reaching the headlines for his agency’s

handling of the Somerset floods and their prevention.

Since 2005 Smith has held a life peerage, sitting in the House of Lords as an independent peer.

Speaking about his election as Master of Pembroke, Smith said: “I love Pembroke... it’s a privilege to have maintained my connection with the College through the years, and I am honoured to have been asked to lead the College community as Master.

“I look forward to helping our Fellows, students and staff build on the successes of recent years at a period of real opportunity and significant challenges for Pembroke and Cambridge.”

Students, too, have reacted positively to news of Smith’s appointment. Will Popplewell and Archie Wood, President and Vice President of Pembroke’s JPC, commented: “We are excited to welcome Chris Smith to Pembroke, and we feel his appointment reinforces that Pembroke is a forward-looking college. When we met the Lord Smith of Finsbury he expressed interest in integrating into the College community and working closely with the Junior Parlour, which we greatly appreciate.”

Lord Smith of Finsbury was the first openly gay and HIV positive MP

Cooler than he looks

Photo: IBSAsays via YouTube

Cat-astrophe as Murray Edwards announces illness of college figure Catherine Maguire Deputy News Editor As students geared up for the influx of emails from hastily-joined societies in Freshers’ Week, members of Murray Edwards College received a rather different update from their college, namely that Jake, the College’s beloved cat, is poorly.

An email was circulated by the

Paw kitty...

college’s Residences, Catering and Events manager, outlining - in considerable detail - the specificities of the feline’s malady.

Jake has been officially diagnosed with an overactive thyroid gland, meaning that an excess of the hormone thyroxine is produced, speeding up the body’s metabolism. The condition manifests itself in a variety of ways, notably weight loss and a poor,

unkempt coat - the latter somewhat specific to felines.

To the deep disappointment of groundskeeping staff at the College, Jake’s condition has led to a delicate continence situation - or lack of it.

As such, college members have been advised to ensure that Jake enters no building other than Pearl House.

It is unclear if Jake is aware of the events that are to befall him - oral

Photo: Anna Carruthers

“It was always nice to have a companion when doing the laundry. If only he didn’t follow you home”

medication to stablise his condition, followed by an operation to remove the gland entirely. Thankfully, Jake needn’t worry about the financial implications of treatment: Jake’s bills will be met by insurance payments.

Nor need Jake preoccupy himself with his retirement plans. The email states that “the care that Jake currently requires and needs post-operatively is not something that can be delivered consistently in his current environment and we are exploring a number of avenues that will enable him to receive the best possible care in his retirement.”

Whilst Jake was unavailable for comment, second-year historian Anna, who self-defines as ‘not a cat person’, added that her feelings surrounding Jake’s illness and retirement are understandably rather mixed.

“I won’t miss having to phone friends to help me remove him from my room at odd times of night (picking him up with the duvet is the best method) but it was always nice to have a companion when doing the laundry. If only he didn’t follow you home.”

The TCS team would like to wish Jake all the best for his upcoming treatment and retirement.

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News 8 Facebook knows you better than your friends Jenny Steinitz News Editor Cambridge University researchers, in partnership with Stanford University, have created an algorithm based on Facebook ‘likes’ that can provide a more intimate description of an individual than even their close friends and family.

The research shows how self-reported personality scores for the ‘big five’ psychological traits – conscientiousness, openness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism – can be accurately predicted through analysis of your most recent Facebook likes.

The algorithm suggested that certain ‘likes’ showed higher levels of particular personality traits – liking ‘Salvador Dali’ or ‘Meditation’, for example, suggested higher levels of the trait ‘openness’.

By examining just 10 ‘likes’ using this algorithm, the program can predict your personality scores more accurately than a work colleague. This increases to 70 ‘likes’ for a friend or roommate, and 150 ‘likes’ for a parent, sibling or boyor girlfriend.

Spouses outperformed all of these relations by a long way, requiring analysis of over 300 ‘likes’ to be beaten by the software.

Dr Michal Kosinski, co-author of the study and researcher at Stanford University, offered some consolation for those feeling downhearted by the idea of being out-performed in personal relationships by a computer. He points out that computers and machines have several key advantages over humans, including the ability to retain extremely large amounts of information.

The study used a 100-item personality questionnaire hosted on the ‘myPersonality’ app and Facebook to assess the correlation between Facebook likes and self-reported personality scores. It involved a sample of over 86,220 volunteers on Facebook, of which 17,622 were able to provide one family member or friend to predict their personality scores and 14,410 were able to provide two.

Moreover, the use of algorithms allows a much more accurate picture than the human brain can provide.

According to Dr Kosinski, this is because “humans tend to give too much

weight to one or two examples, or lapse into non-rational ways of thinking.”

The research has been described as an “important milestone” on the path towards more natural and social interactions between humans and computers or robots. They suggested that the work could be used to help make day-to-day decisions as well as longer-term plans, including who to marry, hire for a job or even elect.

The researchers warned, however, that the results of their study raises major concerns for privacy in the digital

age, and that these will likely worsen as technology develops even further.

They supported more active policies on privacy-protection and the development of associated technologies.

One third-year English student from Churchill College was ambivalent.

“Our social lives are organised into one easy-to-read and continuous news feed. It has become quite artificial. It’s getting to the stage where friendship is expressed by hitting the ‘like’ button on a profile picture or status, rather than through face-to-face contact.”

That’s one more than my last profile pic

I’m struggling

and I don’t know

WHERE to turn.

Drop in, call, or email…

Photo: SEO

“Friendship is expressed by hitting the ‘like’ button on a profile picture or status”

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Dispatches 9 As France’s turmoil continues, we must ask: Qui est Charlie?

Catherine Maguire Dispatches Correspondent

T

he climate of tension in France during the country’s effective three-day siege is difficult to describe accurately.

In virtually every village, town and city across the country, vigils were held on the night of the first shootings at the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Thousands of protestors assembled in major city squares, flags were flown at half mast, workers abandoned their duties to observe minute-silences and Facebook profile pictures were changed en masse to sombre black.

Even the smallest of local shops displayed messages of support and condolences in their windows.

These attacks struck a deep and unsettling chord with the French.

Whilst the country’s journalists have been subject to attacks in Mali and the Central African Republic, an attack on this scale against the press was without precedent on French soil.

The motivation behind the episode is clear. The magazine has been unapologetic in its portrayal of the Prophet Mohammed, the visual depiction of whom is considered by

They still have trees

many Muslims to be forbidden.

Toying with religion in France is widely accepted as being fair game: in a country that espouses a strict interpretation of secularism – laïcité – religion is openly debated in both the media and everyday life.

The sentiment of anger that arose from last week’s attacks, therefore, is two-pronged: it embodied the kind of quasi-religious fanaticism that the Enlightenment sought to eradicate, and in so doing, it threw into question the primordial importance afforded to freedom of speech in France, the maxim that argues: “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”

Soon after, this was countered by Je ne suis pas Charlie, an argument proffered by those who believe that free speech has its limits, that no-one should be given carte blanche to offend under the guise of free speech.

Indeed, it was for that reason that Agence France Presse declined to republish the controversial images of Mohammed, explaining that to do so would be to violate their editorial policy against wilfully offending.

Freedom of speech is a decidedly

Photo: St Petersburg Orthodox Theological Academy

Unusual Orthodox traditions Will Amor Dispatches Editor

R

ussia is a country which is at once recognisable and uncanny; familiar and alien.

The alphabet is full of both comprehensible Latin letters and the most strange typographic specimens.

The architecture is drawn from

European and American models, but brought to almost absurd extremes in the Russian Baroque style, for example.

However, nowhere is this dichotomy more apparent than in the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

One might think that all the world worships the American, consumerist holiday of a ruddy red Santa Claus and turkey with sprouts. Indeed, this

pie-in-the-sky concept, a buzzword that earns you smart points in an argument. Although for many, the events in France seem far from home, the reality is that we find ourselves grappling with this nebulous concept in the United Kingdom more often than we may think.

The cancellation of the controversial abortion debate in Oxford just before

Christmas is a pertinent example. The Spectator was particularly virulent in its criticism of this action, branding the debate’s opponents “suppressors of offensive speech”.

Tim Squirrell, former President of the Cambridge Union Society, retorted by arguing that ‘freedom of speech doesn’t mean you get whatever platform you want’.

In 2013, the Union faced a similar problem with its invited speaker, Marine Le Pen, France’s far-right leader, whose Front National party has earned the dark and dubious reputation of inciting hatred with its passionate rhetoric espousing anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.

Madame Le Pen was heckled by protestors and the Union was sharply Photo: criticised for affording her a platform.

In that instance, too, freedom of speech was cited as a reason for refusing to Even the withdraw her invitation. smallest of As the crowds thin, the candles are local shops dampened and France slowly returns to normality, a curtain, cannot be fully displayed messages of drawn on this tragic episode.

Freedom of speech, its limits and support sustainability remain as divisive and troublesome as ever.

article appearing in Lent rather than Michaelmas would seem to be really rather late, Christmas being a late December event.

In fact, the Russian Yuletide does not conform to these sacrosanct Western traditions, and offers an interesting avenue to explore the history of the country as large as Pluto, like a tree’s rings or a polar ice core.

Perhaps most striking, Russian Orthodox Christmas is celebrated on 7 January. This is the heritage of Russia’s adoption of the widely used Julian Calendar (so named as it was developed

by Julius Caesar) in 1700 under Peter the Great, a famous Westerniser.

By the eighteenth century, however, this legacy of Rome was falling out of favour to be replaced by a Vatican legacy in the Gregorian Calendar, still used to this day, which is some 12 days shorter than its Julian counterpart.

So, after finally getting on the same watch as Western Europe, Russia saw its synchronicity disappear within a hundred years. The calendar was only changed under Bolshevik rule in 1918, which is why the February and October Revolutions of 1917 actually happened in March and November in Gregorian time.

This did lead to some comical misunderstandings, such as the Russian

Olympic team of 1908 who were 12 days late to all their events in London because they were still running by the Julian Calendar. Even though the calendar is no longer in use, its history is canonised in the date of Russian Orthodox Christmas. Funnily enough, the fluidity of Christmas Day should come as little surprise to Cantabs, as of course Bridgemas is commonly celebrated on the 25 November.

The Soviet Union was, famously, atheist, so Christmas took quite a popularity hit in this period. The festivities were not entirely dispensed with, but rather moved back a few days for New Year which persists to this day.

Curiously, this means that the classic, Christmas fir trees are known as New Year trees in Russia. Analogous to the Queen’s Speech in the UK, the Russian President gives an address as the new year comes in at midnight.

While Christmas is a time for family in the West, for Russians it’s for friends, while New Year’s is normally the great familial occasion.

However, while in Western Europe the solstice signals the beginning of longer days and the gentle warming until spring, in Russia it merely heralds two more bleak months of snow and cold. They certainly don’t need to dream of White Christmasses.

Vigils were also held in Edinburgh

In Russia, Christmas heralds two bleak months of snow and cold

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Science and Research

10 CUNanoSoc

The innovative Cambridge research of 2014 Liv Grant Science & Research Contributor

Tianiq Dong, Alex van Wateren and Fabian Massabuau Science & Research Contributors

“Shimmers with the hues of opals” Photo: Opals-on-Black.com

Aluminium from rubbish Photo: Ryan Hyde

Iridescent Opals

See microwaves in a new light

New discoveries are commonplace in the field of nanophotonics, since it is only just over a decade old.

Nanophotonics is a branch of physics that explores the interplay of light with minuscule particles. Professor Baumberg manipulates particles which are smaller than the wavelength of light, and theoretically such tiny changes in particle architecture can alter the configuration of electrons in such a way that the entire properties of a material – from gold to graphite – can be altered.

Baumberg’s lab have developed a new synthetic material, which is flexible and shimmers with the hues of opals. ‘Polymer opals’ are an exciting discovery (or invention) because they perfectly demonstrate how the exact arrangement of molecules affects light waves; polymer opals will reflect and refract light depending on how they are twisted and stretched. Though they are certainly beautiful, polymer opals are more likely to find themselves working in security, or in futuristic light reflecting textiles, than dripping from chains of gold. So, from splitting the atom to flexible opals, the Cavendish labs are home to some of the most exciting and visionary experiments in the world.

“Waste disposal” is not perhaps the most glamorous of research fields, but Professor Howard Chase and Dr Carlos Ludlow-Palafox have brought it to the headlines, via their development of a recycling method for the ubiquitous plastic wrap which envelopes food, drinks, and cosmetics. This packaging is called plastic–aluminium laminate, and 160,000 tonnes are used annually in the UK. Aside from the obvious concern of the sheer volume generated this also results in 16,000 tonnes of aluminium being thrown away.

Chase and Ludlow-Palafox were intrigued by the problem of how to separate the metal from the plastic.

They also noted that carbon, of which plastics are primarily composed, efficiently absorbs microwaves and then transfers this heat to the surrounding materials. This results in the rapid incineration of organic compounds (such as the plastic), and the melting and congregation of metals.

The scientists wanted to know what would happen when they superheated plastic–aluminium laminate?

The experiment to test this was simple: the scientists microwaved some laminate, and ‘bing’ they had a pool of shimmering aluminium!

1

Amedra Basgaran Science & Research Contributor

A recent study has shown that our skeletons have become much lighter and more fragile since the shift from foraging to farming.

Before this shift, around 7,000 years ago, humans had bones with strength comparable to that of the modern orang-utan and a bone mass around 20% higher. Co-author Dr Colin Shaw, from the University of Cambridge’s PAVE Research Group, summarises this evolutionary involvement in simple words: “Sitting in a car or in front of a desk is not what we have evolved to do.” Findings concluded that rather than gross dietary and environmental changes it was the hard physical activity of our ancestors that was the key to strong, healthy bones. What’s more, earlier hominids from around 150,000 years ago had even stronger skeletons. Shaw and colleagues hope to delve deeper into the history to uncover what actually gave our ancestors such great physical bone strength.

The homely liverwort Photo: Tom Bech

Plastic plants

Our ability to manipulate DNA has rapidly evolved in recent history: humans have spent thousands of years relying upon the pressures of artificial selection in order to create crops with higher yields, but now we can cut, dice and splice the genomes of plants in order to insert codes for desirable traits. These sequences may encode the necessary genes to produce a particular vitamin, immunity to a disease or perhaps a substance that is harmful to nefarious parasites.

Plant scientists Professor Sir David Baulcombe and Dr Jim Haselhof have played key roles in the creation of OpenPlant, a synthetic biology centre that should prove to be a hothouse for creative ideas involving plant modification. One unlikely synthetic biology star is the homely liverwort, which is invaluable in genetic modification because its cells only carry a single set of genetic information. OpenPlant aims to create a comprehensive public-access database for everything liverwort, and this will aid Cambridge scientists who are exploring ideas such as manipulating the rate of photosynthesis so that they can harness the sun’s energy more efficiently.

2

Scientists at the University of Cambridge and the Weizmann Institute have now created the first human primordial germ cells using stem cells. These cells are the precursors to human eggs and sperm. Dr Irie, primary author on the paper, stated: “The creation of primordial germ cells is one of the earliest events during early mammalian development.” It marks the beginning of the totipotent state, when cells have the ability to become any cell in the body! This is the first time that these germ cells have been developed in humans. Comparing the work to the previous rat and mice studies, scientists have found that the equivalent role of the SOX17 gene in humans was absent in mice, highlighting one of several key differences between mouse and human development. Nevertheless, human primordial germ cells have now been created and form a foundation for future studies to reset the genome of these cells for actual totipotency.

The Cavendish labs are home to some of the most exciting and visionary experiments in the world

Are you interested in exploring the tiny aspects of our world? Would you like to know about wondrous materials such as nanotubes and graphene? As the American Physicist Richard Feynman said, “There’s plenty of room at the bottom”. Join the Cambridge University Nanotechnology Society (CUNanoSoc), to learn, share and develop your ideas on nanotechnology!

Last Michaelmas we witnessed a great success of the society’s events.

We were honoured to have Professor Baumberg and Dr. Hine, key researchers in the field, to kick off the events with “What is nanotechnology”. Speakers from different fields of science and technology, brought thoughts on the recent advances on nanotechnology in energy, materials science and biological systems. Dr Liu (founder of CamGaN) and Dishant Mahendru (director of Honeycomb Global and partner at Cambridge Innovation Consulting) have combined their entrepreneurship with turning nanotechnology into a successful business.

In addition to the inspiring talks, free drinks and snacks afterwards offer the opportunity to engage in conversation with participants and speakers. It has been a pleasure to see the creative thoughts brought on by these events.

We will continue our series of innovative talks, accessible to people of all backgrounds and knowledge about nanotechnology, and look forward to meeting you soon! For more information please visit http://cunanosoc.scrf.net

3

In association with Boeing, researchers at the University of Cambridge have successfully tested the first ever aircraft with a parallel hybrid engine. Dr Paul Robertson, leading the project at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Engineering, said: “Although hybrid cars have been available for more than a decade, what’s been holding back the development of hybrid or fully-electric aircraft until now is battery technology”.

During take-off and climb, both the electric and petrol parts have to work together to generate maximum power; but once cruising height is reached, the electric motor can recharge its batteries or even be used in ‘motor assist mode’ to reduce fuel consumption by up to 30% compared to petrol–only aircraft.

Robertson and colleagues are now continuing to work on optimising the system for best performance and least fuel consumption, with hopes for uses in commercial aircrafts in the future.

“Sitting in a car or in front of a desk is not what we have evolved to do”

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Editorial 11 There’s no such thing as freedom of apathy low-skill, low-pay jobs, often ending up underemployed on exploitative temporary or zero-hours contracts.

These, and many more, are the issues that are affecting all of us, and affecting us now.

On Wednesday, CUSU held an event in the Guildhall called ‘Campaigning Cambridge’, with the aim of getting students more involved in activism, campaigning, and to ensure that students understand the critical changes to the voter registration system. It was a brilliant event, and Jenny and I (pictured) had great conversations with many of the activists there. But even that’s not good enough.

The sad reality is that no matter how much CUSU does (and having seen them at close quarters, I can safely say they do an awful, awful lot more than people seem to think), nothing will happen until we decide to care.

Jack May Editor-in-Chief

T

his year’s Which? University Student Survey revealed, amongst other titbits, that Cambridge is one of the most politically engaged universities in the country. From a bystander’s point of view, this news came as a surprise.

If you ever make it along to a protest in Cambridge, you’ll find that attendance is usually shoddy. Indeed, most of us will walk past blithely, too engaged in our own very incredibly important business to think about what’s going on.

In many ways, this is understandable.

The story on the front page shows how challenging student life in Cambridge can be, and sure, it gets tough.

Tyrannical supervisors must be endured, books must be taken out of libraries, and, contrary to our most desperate hopes and dreams, that dissertation won’t write itself. But that’s not good enough.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve never read any ‘proper’ political theory (I haven’t), if you’ve researched all the policies, or grasped all the issues. You don’t even have to be interested in politics. Politics is already interested in you.

It affects you now, and it’ll affect you for the rest of your life. With the approach of the 2015 General Election, we’re the ones who’ll be affected by an NHS that’s increasingly incapable of providing the services people so desperately need.

Young people are disproportionately more affected by unemployment, and are much more likely to get sucked into Steinitz & May

In recent months, the freedom of speech debate has roared on in various spheres, utterly missing the point. ‘I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,’ goes the mantra, recited by well-meaning, well-read folk the world over. But, once again, that’s not good enough.

Clamouring on about freedom of speech ignores the fact that the world is out there – it’s happening, and we’re in here arguing about whether we can talk about it. But at the end of the day, there’s no such thing as freedom of apathy.

Instead of arguing about whether or not we can say something, we should be out there, getting on with doing something. The world won’t change because two (probably) men in black tie debated about it, and one of them was marginally cleverer than the other.

The world will change because you got up and did something.

Obviously, freedom of speech and of expression are key to recovering from the horrific events in France over the past week, and in understanding the motivations of those who perpetrated them. But it has exposed so much more about us as people.

The march in Paris was the largest public demonstration in that city’s history, and Cambridge has seen its own rally, as reported on page four.

The terror enacted against Charlie Hebdo has shown us that when it really comes down to it, we do still care.

People still gather in their masses to show support, solidarity, opposition and frustration.

Now that we know that it’s what we do that has real power in situations like these, why on earth do we spend the Photo: Jack May rest of our time doing nothing?

The pencil is mightier than the sword

Image: Jenny Steinitz

Editorial Team, Lent Term 2015 Editor-in-Chief

Jack May

Dispatches Editor

Will Amor

TV & Film Editor

Grace Murray

Associate Editors

Colm Murphy Sam Rhodes Freya Sanders

Comment Editors

Albi Stanley Rebecca Moore Brontë Phillips William Hewstone

Fashion Editor

Maddy Airlie

Books Editor

Alice Mottram

Lifestyle Editors

Jessy Ahluwalia Lucy Meekley

News Editors Deputy News

Jenny Steinitz Anna Carruthers

Interviews Editor

Rachel Balmer Features Editors Shilpita Mathews Jack Lewy Tonicha Upham Olly Hudson Food & Drink Catherine Maguire Editor

Julius Haswell Amelia Oakley Elsa Maishman Chase Smith

Sian Avery

Sport Editor

Charles Martland Flora McFarlane

Design Editor

Daisy Schofield

Production Editor

Thomas Saunders

Julia Stanyard

Investigation Editor Ellie Hayward

Theatre Editors

Harry Parker

Science & Resarch Editor

Technology Editor

Sam Raby

Shreya Kulkarni

Columns Editor

Social Media Managers

Yema Stowell Ru Merritt

Chief Sub Editors

Megan Proops Charlotte FurnissRoe

Directors

Ciara Berry Jemma Stewart Siu Hong Yu Hazel Shearing Jack May

TCS Top Dogs

Miranda Gabbot Alex Shuttleworth Anna Carruthers

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Comment 12 Thrown in the deep end: Life as a Winter Pool survivor Alice Chilcott Comment Contibutor

A

year ago today I found out I had an offer from Cambridge. It was a Sunday, and I was at home, unable to sit still. In the post tomorrow would be an envelope with an official-looking college stamp on it. It would read “Dear Miss Chilcott”, and then the words that would seal my fate: “We are delighted to tell you”, or “unfortunately, we have to inform you.”

But, that night, the phone rang. It was a lady from a college called Murray Edwards, and, in her own words, she had “good news and bad news...”

I spent the rest of that January evening looking at pictures of my new college, reading and re-reading their website.

I was excited, but overwhelmingly confused. I had not prepared myself for this outcome. It was neither the absolute joy nor disappointment I had been expecting.

When I look back on it, the possibility of getting pooled was something that was always played down in preapplication advice. It was never mentioned at school and only briefly covered at an Oxbridge conference I went to.

At Oxford they do it differently, holding first-choice college and pooling interviews across the same few days.

It might be frenetic, but it is fair. Their system allows colleges to judge pooled applicants alongside, rather than after,

direct applicants; as such, candidates are on equal footing, and there’s less of a residual sense of being second best.

Neither are Oxford applicants subjected to the uncertainty and humiliation of re-interviewing in January. “Once you’ve done two, they’re not so bad” says Henriette Willberg, now a secondyear at Wadham College, who had six interviews over three days. “It’s exhausting but better for international students who’ve had to fly over, or people who can’t afford to be trekking over the country multiple times for another interview.”

For me the whole process still seems shrouded in mystery. Applicants filling The pool isn’t a place anyone would want to be... in the Supplementary Application Questionnaire can request feedback Getting pooled is something that’s from their chosen college in the event not really spoken about at Cambridge. of their application being unsuccessful.

On the ‘Cambridge Memes’ Facebook There is no such procedure for pooled page, there is a hilarious one depicting applicants. Survivors of the Pool can a shocked Amanda Seyfried in all her only guess at the reason they were “Oh my God Mean Girls glory, with the caption: rejected from their first-choice college.

“Oh my God Karen, you can’t just Karen, you Was it because I spectacularly misread ask someone why they go to Girton!” the unseen poem in my interview, or, as can’t just ask There’s a stigma attached to it. People many students from all-female colleges someone assume that there is a secret part of all suspect, because the admissions tutors why they go pooled applicants that will always still couldn’t choose between a boy and a to Girton!” yearn after their first-choice. girl, and knew that a girl would have And yet you recover. Last September, a better chance in securing a place I forced myself to walk through elsewhere? I don’t want to believe that Clare, determined to get the painful any college would pool an applicant on confrontation with the lost dream the basis of their gender, but for as long over and done with. I felt nothing. as the Winter Pool remains a closeted I’m not going to digress, and tell you process, it will necessarily be open to why Medwards is the best college in speculation and doubt.

Cambridge, but suffice it to say that it is

Photo: Brendan C possible to fall in love more than once.

That sums it up fairly accurately.

Fellow students’ obvious pity when they are confronted with the subject just compounds the problem. Why is this not something we can talk about?

What I am trying to say is that it is OK to get pooled. Cambridge still wanted us. But if they want us that badly (and they need us, because pooled or open applicants make up 21% of all undergraduate offers) they must make the Winter Pool itself a less baffling, demoralising experience.

We need to prepare and support applicants better; we need to be told or, preferably, shown how it works.

In short, the pool should be a topic for scrutiny rather than an awkward conversation stopper.

Labour’s wo-manifesto speaks volumes of our skewed political culture Connie Muttock Comment Contributor

H

arriet Harman recently spoke to The Independent regarding Labour’s upcoming release of a separate, specific ‘manifesto for women.’

The manifesto would hope to attract the 9 million women absent from polling stations, and would, according to The Independent, tackle issues such as “childcare, help for older women who have to work until they are older as well as juggling childcare duties as grandparents, domestic violence, equal pay, and women’s representation in areas such as public life and business.”

On first thought, I had to agree with Jane Merrick’s response, in a secondary Independent article, that the manifesto (and the way it was presented) was rather patronising, misguided, even insincere. As a woman who is politically active, I felt it was

an unneeded pat on the head, almost an ostracism of the female. It seemed to send the message that there was the mainstream manifesto, for the ‘normal’ people (that is to say, men), and one for the ‘other’, for women.

Furthermore, the manifesto for women was addressing some issues (like childcare) that do not affect all women, and others (like childcare) that should be important to many men. I was, needless to say, disappointed in this at least well-intentioned blunder on Labour’s part.

On closer thought, it became clear to me that what Labour were attempting exemplified a wide-ranging, deeprooted problem: that in the current political climate, such important issues have to be shouted about to be heard.

Labour have to make a deliberate and obvious point to include feminist issues, because in the past they have been so easily and blatantly ignored.

The lives of so many women have been disregarded by a Tory-led government

Women have felt the burden of 85% of the coalition’s cuts, and sexual assault cases are still shockingly widespread among the British community.

As a society, we have not yet addressed these issues fully, and have been let down by a government who have perpetually ignored plight of women; a Tory-led government whose inherent focus on the wealthier classes has meant the needs of the struggling single mother, the rights of the low-paid female worker, and the lives of so many other women, have been disregarded.

Women are turning out less and less often to vote, disillusioned by a Parliament so blatantly run neither for them or by them. Our issues are going unrepresented and unconsidered, in a political climate run predominantly, despite Labour’s best efforts, by an entirely male elite.

Women’s issues should be present and important in every manifesto.

In an ideal world, they would appear unlabelled, indistinct, and inherent to each party’s moral politics. The day this will be achieved seamlessly and genuinely is the day women are naturally and wholly incorporated into party politics; a day that is disappointingly far off.

Labour, at least, are giving us a glimpse of that day, however deliberately it has to be done.

Photo: IrishLabourParty

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Comment 13 'Je suis Charlie': Should we all be joining the chorus?

Yes

No

W

T

Colm Murphy Associate Editor e don’t need to approve of Charlie Hebdo’s content in order to defend freedom of expression and condemn the murder of journalists.

Here, in Cambridge, it’s hard not to draw links to the no-platforming controversy that has been dominating discussion for the last term. The massacre was an attack on freedom of expression. If we accept this, how can we support the protest against Nigel Farage visiting Cambridge, or the Oxford pro-life debacle?

The decision of a college not to host a debate, and the murder of journalists, are not the same. They are however vastly different reactions to the same problem; when and where do we have the right to say things which are considered by certain groups to be hate speech? It seems to me, now more than ever, that freedom of expression needs to be defended – both in the press and in our University.

To argue this, I do not necessarily have to endorse the content of Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons. A lot of commentators have highlighted legitimate issues with them. In the 2011 cartoon ‘Sharia Hebdo’, the Prophet Muhammad is portrayed with a long, crooked nose.

Considering its resemblance to historical anti-Semitic (anti-Arabic) caricatures, its emphasis, above all, on the racial otherness of non-Christians is something we are right to be wary of.

But I do not object to visual depictions of Muhammad, even though it counteracts Islam’s fundamental principles, because the images exist in a secular society. I firmly believe newspapers should be allowed to satirise Islam just like any other belief system (as Charlie Hebdo frequently do).

We should not be blackmailed into sanctifying Charlie Hebdo, as some publications have been guilty of doing. Certain commentators have been misleadingly portraying the magazine as a bastion of Western liberal values against a tsunami of illiberal, fundamentalist, and reactionary forces.

In an editorial The Spectator rejoices in the number of times Charlie Hebdo has published cartoons that have offended some in the Muslim community, when other newspapers have refrained. The resulting language is something almost Hollywood-esque in its heroic emphasis: “Nearly all the western media took the lesson of intimidation and refused to run cartoons

Brontë Gabriella Philips Comment Editor

We must react in a way that prevents a greater polarisation of society

Photo: Gerd Casp

which might be seen to be critical of Islam. Charlie Hebdo stood almost alone against this.” This is a simplistic, zero-sum approach. I do not believe all of the cartoons were honourable.

Nevertheless, I will always defend Hebdo’s right to publish anything. As CEO of Index on Censorship, Jodie Ginsberg, recently said: “The ability to express ourselves freely is fundamental to a free society […] those who wish to silence free speech must never be allowed to prevail.”

In the current climate, it feels necessary we say this.

Some of Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons were offensive, and in my eyes, some deserved action against them in the form of petitions and protests. Freedom of speech is more than desperately scrambling to make one questionable publication seem as heroic as possible.

This doesn’t mean those cartoons shouldn’t have been published, or that any external body has the right to censor them. Nor does it mean they somehow brought this atrocity, or the 2011 firebomb attack, upon themselves.

That would be a truly sick form of victim-blaming.

In a mature public sphere, I would hope that we can recognise the right for anybody to publish their own view, and everybody else’s right to call them out when they are in error.

So, in a broader sense, I hope we can stand up and declare: ‘Je suis Charlie.’

Newspapers should be allowed to satirise Islam just like any other belief system

he attacks on the Charlie Hebdo offices last week prompted international outcry: a worldwide community of voices rushing to the rallying cry of ‘Freedom of Speech’, timelines and Twitter feeds repeating endlessly the words ‘Je suis Charlie’. But reactions were not solely those of solidarity and hope; fervent Islamophobia and demands for a Muslim apology shortly followed.

It is widely considered that Anders Breivik and the KKK are not in fact Christian, despite explicitly justifying their acts of terror in the name of Christianity. However, we never seem able to apply the same logic when discussing attackers claiming to be Muslim. Instead, every Muslim is expected to fervently tweet ‘Je suis Charlie’, or else surrender the right to be a ‘good moderate Muslim’. Instead, a couple of fanatics are made to represent the 1.6 billion Muslims of Earth.

At the root of such logic is the misguided belief that Islam is a religion which denies freedom of speech, as well as the Orientalist and patronising view that Muslims are unable to laugh at themselves. ‘Poor Muslims,’ the Twitter activists say, jumping on the free speech bandwagon, ‘but why on earth do they always get so touchy when someone depicts their prophet naked, hookednosed, engaging in acts of sodomy?’

Thank goodness we live in Europe, we proudly exclaim, where freedom of expression is enshrined and protected.

France, that bastion of free speech, whose government not only banned the burqa but also solidarity marches with the people of Palestine, as well as trying and sentencing a historian for writing a critique of Zionism based almost entirely on Jewish sources.

In that spirit, we hail satire as the ultimate expression of Free Speech.

We have romanticised Charlie Hebdo, characterising it as bravely punching upwards with French anarchistic gouaille, attacking everything and everyone, with no regard for sanctity or political correctness. Satire is good, satire is constructive, it is a means of ‘afflicting the comfortable and

Freedom to spray?

comforting the afflicted’, to paraphrase H. L. Mencken. But Hebdo was a collection of poor Islamophobic, racist, homophobic jabs, afflicting the already afflicted; to say that Charlie Hebdo is an apolitical, satirical magazine which satisfies itself mocking absolutely everybody and therefore cannot be considered racist is well-intentioned, but misinformed.

As the cartoonist Joe Sacco wrote, “when we draw a line, we are often crossing one too. Because lines on paper are a weapon, and satire is meant to cut to the bone. But whose bone? What exactly is the target? And why?” The cartoons in Hebdo were satire punching downwards, targeting minorities. In 2009 Hebdo fired a cartoonist for mocking Jews, but showed no qualms about depicting the French justice minister (who happened to be black) as a monkey, for seemingly no other reason than her skin colour. Do not believe that the French government’s reactionary pledge of 1 million Euros to continue publication is an endorsement of freedom of speech; it is an endorsement of punching down.

No one should have died because of the cartoons of Charlie Hebdo.

But our expressions of solidarity and mourning should not be with Hebdo as a publication; changing your profile picture to a depiction of Muhammad is always a racist thing to do. We must react in a way that prevents a greater polarisation of society, a more belligerent attitude towards Muslims and less tolerance manifest in society as a whole. ‘Je suis Charlie’ is not solely an expression of solidarity or a rallying cry in the name of freedom of speech. It is, by its own definition, an endorsement of Charlie Hebdo and, attached to it, all that Hebdo represented. The hashtag #JeSuisCharlie erases the magazine’s history of xenophobia, racism, homophobia and sexism. If we want to protect freedom of speech, we have to look oppression in the eyes and engage with the substance of what is being discussed in the cool light of day, not the golden glow of a vigil flame.

Photo: slane and co

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

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Interviews

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Zac Goldsmith MP: Leading the fight to protect the planet Julius Haswell Interviews Editor

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process by which MPs can be removed by their constituents if more than 50% of them sign a petition at the Town Hall.

“We need it because people feel alienated from politics. There is a sense that people have no control; that the gap between them and people in power has grown too wide, and that politicians can’t be held to account.

“It is the case that as an MP I am pretty much untouchable until the next General Election. If I had chosen four and a half years ago to switch to the BNP, or not to engage with any of my constituents, or not to turn up to Parliament, I would have been completely insulated from any kind of

n a wet winter’s Wednesday, I am greeted with big smiles as I walk into the offices of the Richmond Park and North Kingston Conservative Association, and am told that Zac is on the phone to constituents canvassing to try and drum up for support for his election campaign. But not long after I see Zac walking out of the back office with a smile on his face as he gives me a very firm handshake. As soon as we sit down and start to talk I could immediately see his passion for politics, a passion that is rarely seen in politicians today.

I asked him about why he wanted to become a politician when he was already the Editor of The Ecologist magazine, and he explained to me that he felt he could affect more things as an MP: “I can take issues now to the people who can be decisive. For example, I am trying to persuade the Prime Minister to demarcate Overseas Territories as giant marine protected areas, for example Pitcairn, Ascension Island, South Georgia, which between them, if he were to do what I asked him to do, would be the biggest single environmental measure by any government ever.”

However one of the issues in which he is most involved is the Recall Bill; the A new kind of Tory?

accountability from constituents, and that’s a problem. I can’t think of any other area of human endeavour where people are less accountable than in politics today.” He speaks with feeling about this topic; it is plain to see that this man is not your ‘typical Westminster politician’.

“The sense of helplessness and powerlessness that people feel is not good for our democracy. It breeds that response from people like Russell Brand, who say ‘it’s all a load of rubbish, let’s walk away from politics’. If you do that, logically, things will get worse. If you have a problem with the way we do politics then it’s incumbent upon you

to try and improve it, and that’s what I’m trying to do.” He finished by on an ominous note: “If you’re complacent about your democracy and you don’t let it evolve then there’s a chance that sooner or later you’re going to lose it.”

His most important issue with government is their lack of action on the environment. His uncle was the founder of what is now the Green Party, and so he grew up learning a lot about the troubles our planet is facing. “It’s a question of maths. Our hunger for resources continues to escalate, yet the world is not growing. We are going to hit a wall at some point.”

He described the world’s dire condition in one haunting example: “There are 17 major fisheries in the world on which we depend for most of the fish we eat, and 15 of those have either collapsed completely or they’re on the verge of collapse.”

It is clear that Goldsmith is committed to working tirelessly to get his bills passed in Parliament, and to campaign to promote solutions to the problems we face with the environment. He said work had already started, but more needs to be done.

“In every sector of what needs to be done there are people starting and trailblazing, but nowhere are all these solutions happening under one umbrella.”

Inspitational talk from this new MP. Photo: Guiseppe Sollazzo

If you’re complacent about your democracy, sooner or later you’re going to lose it

Matthew van der Merwe: 80,000 Hours spent working to donate Julius Haswell Interviews Editor

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arguably doing more good for the poorest in the world.

“I don’t think it necessarily would do more good. It’s about going down a path that you are most suited to, and some people are simply not suited to working for a charity, and can have far more of an influence by donating large amounts of money. At 80,000 Hours we think

it’s important to put people who want to make a difference into the position where they can make the most amount of difference.”

I queried him on the criticism that he is just another Cambridge soon-tobe-graduate, trying to justify a highly paid job in a bank, but he very easily hit back: “If I’m in a job where I can

atthew van der Merwe is the President of the Cambridge branch of the charity organisation 80,000 Hours, named so because 80 thousand hours is the average amount of time we will spend working in our lifetimes.

Dedicated to persuading people to donate 10% of their monthly salary to charity, Matthew begins by explaining what his role in the charity exactly is: “It’s a combination of exposing people to the published research that 80,000 Hours produces, and then within Cambridge we have events which serve as both interesting things in themselves while trying to get people involved.

“80,000 Hours also recommends jobs for people if they want to give part of their salary to charity, and we try and fit people to the right jobs. One can make a difference through one’s career in far more interesting ways than just working at a charity, which is the original step that is often not made.”

I went on by asking him why he doesn’t work for a charity, thereby Is this the next most ethical place to work?

donate £100,000 a year, I’m able to pay the wages of many more charity workers – something which I wouldn’t be able to do if I worked in a charity.”

He went on to explain that those people with the most money are statistically more likely to give more to charity, if they are persuaded.

“Somebody in the same job may not donate money, so we need to show that there is an easy way of changing the world by donating 10%.”

Matthew is clearly a very motivated man. He is passionate about really wanting to change the world, and knows that you need to be in the right place to do it properly.

“There are all sorts of ways people can do good in careers, it’s about what’s right for you. 80,000 Hours gives you information on how to make that decision.”

The charity has been brought about for very good reasons: people want to help the world’s neediest, yet still earn a decent wage. It isn’t about trying to legitimise post-graduation wealth, but it’s about making sure that you can help charities in the most effective Photo: Peter Trimming way possible.

It isn’t about trying to legitimise postgraduation wealth

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Features 16 Bursting the bubble: Surviving outside Cambridge timetable discarded in the face of 3am gin-logged, tear-stained 700-word essays. Being subtly nudged out of a friend’s house at 11pm in my first week back home, I felt like Judy Garland in that film…

Ellie Coote Features Contributor

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n 4 October 2014, somewhere between the A1134 and Silver Street, I was suddenly engulfed by the Cambridge bubble. After being wined and dined to within an inch of my life, I eventually gave myself over to its force, only to be spat out again eight weeks later.

Shoving a term’s worth of washing into a suitcase, I was driven 70 miles southwest by a man claiming to be my father (though there are two secondyears in Queens’ who would argue otherwise), and began the long struggle to integrate.

Surviving outside the bubble is much like leaving Hogwarts: feigning knowledge of current affairs, suppressing your abbreviated incantations, and learning to live without the help of house elves. I mean bedders. So here is a concise list of all you must relinquish in order to appear ‘normal’:

Abbreviations Either struggle to the end of ‘Director of Studies’, or just stop talking altogether.

They stopped listening somewhere between natsci and plodge anyway.

Talking about bops, or Cindies They sound nowhere near as fun as other universities, and describing bops as ‘like school discos’ or mentioning Cindies’s Disney repertoire doesn’t do them any sort of justice.

To add insult to injury, I live in Oxford, home of the Bodleian Library where people have been listening to pins drop since 1602. Living in ‘the Other Place’ is like arriving in a parallel universe with all the shops and colleges in the wrong order.

This made my uni-sickness all the more agonising as I spent my holiday dreaming of college life while strolling past architectural lookalikes.

Therefore, my most crucial pointer on how to survive outside the bubble:

Your wine glass No one’s going to offer you wine anymore, so you might as well invest in a large bottle of Peach Schnapps.

Being nocturnal Don’t live in Oxford Regular sleeping and working patterns It’s like an alcoholic living in an empty evaporated by week 0, your hopeful Toto, we’re not in Cambridge anymore bottle of whisky.

Welcome back to the Bubble!

Photo: Alex Beattie

Nightlife and walkable grass: Life at other unis Lauren Brown Features Contributor

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lonked back in our home-town and sitting around a table at the local pub, my friends and I inevitably got chatting about the highs and lows of our first terms (five go to the same one, so not a great start), but I for some reason felt awkward contributing. The fact is, compared to them, I don’t live the ‘student life’. As everyone laughed in shared empathy at my friend Sarah – who, crippled simultaneously by chronic laziness and a distinct lack of funds, ate pasta and tomato ketchup for two meals every day – I inwardly drooled over the memories of steak served to me, while I wore a veritable cape, at Formal Hall.

My friends don’t always seem to understand this strange world I inhabit now. After telling a story mentioning the ‘Great Gate’, for example, they (obviously otherwise laughing at my

They think they have the nightlife but do they have Cindies?

hilarious story) couldn’t help but think that I have acquired the eccentric habit of alliteratively embellishing random everyday items, such as gates. Sensing this, I have subsequently omitted such phrases as ‘Hogwartish Hall’ in the interest of avoiding further confusion…

Whilst they have to walk 40 minutes to lectures, everything I need is in a 10 minute radius, and greater distances are therefore unthinkable. Whilst they frolic with gay abandon around all of the (somewhat) luscious grass in Newcastle, I have to obey the discreetly aggressive signs occupying every green space.

Knowing people at different universities makes traipsing around them during vacation so much more fun; if we all went to similar ones, then the excitement of inevitably experiencing something new every time we meet up would sadly diminish.

They may have the night life and the hustle and bustle of a big, working city, but we have our beautiful colleges, our porters and our traditions. And yes, although the contrast between our experiences can often seem odd, at the end of the day we’re all still just students slaving away for a degree.

There’s a whole world out there

Photo: Alex Brooks Shuttleworth

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Features 17 2015: A year of debt, diligence, and delinquency But as the people giving these lectures 4. Write for a student newspaper tend to be quite bright and are probably Huzzah! worth listening to, making the paltry attempt to attend at least one lecture a 5. Walk on the grass of every college efore this year, New Year’s week seems potentially worthwhile.

Cambridge is wonderfully crazy, and Resolutions never really probably not an accurate representation appealed to me, with their 2. Meditate for 10 minutes a day of the real world. Some indulgent grass variety of unoriginal forms – Finding time to clear one’s head walking will ensure that I see as much wasted gym memberships, attempts to in Cambridge is difficult, and ten of Cambridge as possible while I’m convince oneself that chocolate cake minutes might just keep me from going here, and also perhaps provide a reality doesn’t really count as chocolate, or mad … maybe. check. Vive la révolution. valiant efforts to avoid any and all forms of alcohol, except for beer, wine, 3. Join the Union Society And so, with these resolutions, I hope and spirits.

I didn’t sign up in my first term, but if to survive Cambridge and perhaps even Instead, I’ve favoured New Year’s I’m going to be £40,000 in debt by the enjoy it. Good luck to all the poor souls Reflections – taking a few minutes to time I leave Cambridge, I might as well who have bound themselves to similar stop and think about what’s passed, make it £40,200 and squeeze some out contracts, frivolous or serious, and a before being sucked back into the some extra life experiences. belated Happy New Year. whirlwind of a new year. This January, after my first term at Cambridge, I realised that Michaelmas had slipped by with so much left undone. And even though I had tried some exciting, perhaps pretentious, activities – from midnight punting to hide-and-seekporter – I still felt as though there were some significant gaps missing from my ‘Cambridge experience’.

So with just a touch of trepidation, I decided to take the plunge, and give New Year’s Resolutions a go:

Alex King Features Contributor

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1. Actually go to lectures As an English student, reading in the library tends to take precedence over Photo: Alex Brooks Shuttleworth sitting in the lecture hall. (Also, getting up before noon seems like a lot of effort.) Starting as we mean to go on

Photo: Brett Jordan

A peculiar Polish New Year Eugene Chua Features Contributor

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he New Year is a time for new experiences; and it is safe to say my 2015 started off with quite a bang.

A bunch of friends and I had decided to travel across Eastern Europe, and our first port of call was Warsaw. As we grew increasingly weary of sightseeing and, more importantly, walking, one friend made a resolution to try and make our New Year’s Eve night one that we would never forget…

Soon enough, we discovered a party aptly titled “Spontaneous New Year’s Eve Party” – just the way we liked it. We had hoped to grab a few beers and then attend the fireworks display afterwards; unfortunately we lost the entire party group the moment we stepped out. “No! We will not give up,” my friend insisted, as he hailed a cab and got us to the town square, where the fireworks, thankfully, went off just as we arrived.

Right then, amidst a flurry of

questionably launched, very dubiously sourced, street-sold fireworks, two girls approached us and offered us a juice carton. “Alcohol,” one went, “you want some?”

Suspicious of their intentions, I rejected it, though after talking to them we realised that they were travellers as well, and they even invited us to their party! Win some, lose some, right?

Well, the loss came back swiftly after approximately two minutes, as we turned around and discovered that we had lost them in the crowd.

Thankfully Lady Luck had pity for us: my intrepid friend saw a group of Polish people taking group photos, and he cried out to them “Happy New Year, I love Polish people!”, which probably Fireworks as you’ve never seen them before Photo: Amir Kbah amused them as much as it amused us. In any case, they offered us to join thought?), watching my friend down train to our next destination, and I had their New Year’s party. Third time’s the Vodka and half-glass after half-glass of straight an appalling headache for the rest of charm, eh? loud shouting: vodka, and us learning the polish for the day.

The rest of the night is a complete the key to any ‘oh, and did I mention I had one of the Oh well, this was probably the most blur; but I do remember drinking the best home-made cakes ever?’ serendipitous and unexpected New New Year’s best vodka I have ever had (the secret In the end, my friend was left puking Year’s Eve I’ve ever had abroad. As they is to chill it to four degrees, who’d have on the hotel toilet floor, we missed the say, start as you mean to go on.

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Features 18 Back to the library Abigail Smith, Amelia Oakley and Chase Caldwell Smith Features Contributors

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Photo: Selina Komers

How (not) to catch a flight

eatures takes a look at the weird and wonderful of Cambridge libraries.

Jesus College Library Like an overgrown greenhouse, foliage is everywhere, so you can feel like Alan Titchmarsh as you frantically do your weekly reading. Jesus’s Garden Room is a cornucopia of beanbags, modern art and squirrel watching. If sculpture is more your thing, there’s an actual Antony Gormley statue, although admittedly the figure of a naked man looming out of the window at night can be a little frightening.

African Studies Library This hidden gem in the uppermost reaches of the Allison Richards Building offers a degree of seclusion unheard of at other libraries, perhaps due perhaps to the three flights of stairs needed to access it. It also includes the most oddly efficient checking-out policy: simply stack your books on a

Where we’re going we don’t need Kindles

Photo: Oliver Lyttleton

scale and it will scan them out at the The University Library touch of a button. Magic.

What better library is there to first venture into this term than the daddy English Faculty Library of all libraries – the UL? Cycling up Just inside the Sidgwick Site lies a to this piece of imposing architecture, place of great mystery for scientists; it with its formidable chimney emerging is a crevice Medics shall never enter; a through the murky January fog, might feat of exploration the geographers will seem like the last thing you would want never achieve – the English Faculty to do. But inside the threatening brick Library. But for us in the know, it’s a walls you may discover the reason place of serene study (if you count the why some people have never left since undergrads asleep on the bean bags as 1979. Lose yourself in the wonder of ‘serene’), with rooms dedicated solely the endless sprawling bookcases; the to Shakespeare, and spontaneous cavernous reading rooms and, most literary performances using the desks importantly, the ever-unanswered as stages. question … what is kept in the tower?

The most important question: just what is in the tower of the UL?

Student Spotlight: FLY (Freedom. Love. You.) Audrey Sebatindira Features Contributor

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n autonomous branch of the CUSU Women’s Campaign, FLY is a network and forum for self-defining women of colour across the University, in which we can examine our concerns, but also discuss issues ranging from intersectional feminism to pop culture.

FLY is a supportive and friendly environment intended to relieve some of the pressures of living in spaces that historically have not belonged to us.

FLY co-founders Justina Kehinde Ogunseitan and Priscilla Mensah said: “FLY emerged in the wake of For Coloured Girls, the first all-black, all-female production in Cambridge, when the visibility of women of colour within the University became a point of discussion.

From our personal experiences of, sometimes, feeling

From the poster of ‘For Coloured Girls’.

unable to relate to our peers, we wanted to create a space for BME women to explore their personhood. We didn’t start FLY to be a political movement, but we are excited to know that women of colour who attend Cambridge are eager to participate in its evolution.”

Robin Hyacinth, a Cambridge alumna and co-founder of FLY, states that the group was founded “with the intention that there would be a readymade support network of BME women” within the University.

FLY is primarily a safe space for WOC, and its weekly meetings and closed Facebook group remain a core part of FLY. As Lolia Etomi, another alumna, puts it, it’s not about “separating ourselves ... [it’s] just creating a safe space where you can share your experiences … and have other women saying ‘Yeah, I understand!’”

Despite FLY being a space exclusively for BME women, the release of our new blog is supposed to encourage debate and discussion amongst the student body. We have also started the Ain’t I A Woman? campaign; a unique project that will examine the intersection of race and gender in the context of a place like Cambridge.

The aim of the blog and the campaign is to continue to build solidarity among WOC at Cambridge. Lola Olufemi’s article ‘Why I’m done defending my personhood’ really embodies this aim. So many women commented that they identified with what she wrote and thanked her. Also, fresher Walinase Chinula said she felt a “confidence boost” when she submitted a post to FLY’s blog. We hope women will continue to be empowered to write and speak: they have the support of FLY behind them.

Photo: BATS Joseph Mambwe

It’s not about “separating ourselves ... [it’s] just creating a safe space”

Chase Caldwell Smith Features Editor Sprawled on the tiles of JFK Airport, I stuff a jumble of books into my luggage.

“How many Cambridge students does it take to pack a suitcase?”

Nervously checking her watch, my traveling companion takes matters into her own hands. “Two,” she retorts, “one to sit…” She parks herself on the case … “and the other to zip!”

Airports are meant to be simple, designed for clever travellers, the ones who weigh their bags before leaving home or actually have common sense – essentially, the opposite of me.

Imagine my surprise then, as I stand, 10 minutes earlier, at the baggagecheck counter, passport ready, boarding pass unfolded, smile plastered to my face. The attendant actually grimaces as I struggle to lift my suitcase onto the scale. “Honey, this bag is so overweight you’ll have to buy another one.”

So I stumble down two flights of stairs, buy a random bag and clamber up again. With a laborious zip we close the bag, sprinting back to the counter.

But, to our dismay, the attendant’s face clouds. She reaches for the phone.

“I need to check on something.” By this point, I resort to yoga breaths. I try to check the time but my friend stops me.

“Boarding was five minutes ago.”

All seems lost – tragedy is at hand.

But then, rather unexpectedly, the lady cracks a smile. She sets down the phone.

“Turns out that you’ve both been upgraded to premium economy! You get another free bag check, by the way.”

I nearly faint.

We run, we wait at security, we run again. And as we approach the gate, to our amazement, our infinite joy, the plane has not yet left.

Breathing heavily, we plop into our seats, grinning at our lucky break: “Phew… that was way too close.”

Our relief didn’t last long: a concerned British voice crackles through the speakers. “Thank you for your patience. Unfortuantely, we will be here for some time, as a truck has frozen to the pavement behind the plane.”

We laugh, slowly at first, and then maniacally, loudly, outrageously.

“I never knew why people drink when they’re stressed.” Her smile broadens somewhat uncomfortably.

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Features 19

Maddie, Fashion My goal in life is to be Meryl Streep’s character from The Devil Wears Prada.

Amelia, Features I once got deaned for sass.

Sam, Games and Tech I once wrote a 13,000 word project about limpets and now (as you can see) have an affinity for them.

Julius, Interviews I once touched a real Rubens painting.

The Lent Team Introducing some of our Section Editors...

Tonicha, News I own over 35 hats.

Brontë, Comment I read Arabic and do yoga.

Sometimes both at the same time.

Shilpita, News Having lived in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand I’m one of those third culture kids who struggle to explain where they are from.

Lucy, Lifestyle I’m bringing sexy back – you other boys don’t know how to hat.

Chase, Features At the end of my Cambridge interview I couldn’t open the door... I was pooled.

All photos credited to their subjects

Meet the Lent Term columnists

Guy Lewy Emmanuel College Second-year “An impolitely long glance up, down, and into Cambridge’s streets, courts, nooks and crannies.”

Guy’s column, ‘Cambridge Curiosity Cabinet,’ will introduce us to the interesting things around the city we walk past every day.

First up: a rock that carries particular interest

Ruth Townsend Girton College Second-year

Carlo Lori Fitzwilliam College Second-year

Fran Fabriczki St Edmund’s College Third-year

“In this column I will look “I think therefore I write / for a spiritual response to all opine.” the messy facets of human existence.”

Carlo will be writing a weekly column, touching Ruth is a self-professed semi- on controversial subjects lapsed Catholic. She will be such as whether paedophilia giving her perspective on should be considered an the importance of spirituality illness and the belief in the in everyday life. right not to be offended.

“A column dispelling common misconceptions about the economy, finance and everything in between.”

Chris Page St Catharine’s Schools’ Liaison Officer

“Chris has been in Cambridge for ages, and frankly it shows. He writes about welfare at Cambridge, gender and feminism, and Fran is our economics myth- himself in the third person.” buster, polling students to find out how deeply these This negates the need for misconceptions run before anyone else to. putting them to bed.

Sian Avery Gonville and Caius College Second-year As the Columns Editor for this term, I am really looking forward to coordinating these columns, along with our ethnic minority and international student column.

Following a lot of interest in voicing what it’s like to be a minority in Cambridge, this column will be joint- written.

Photos (from left): Guy Lewy, Ruth Townsend, Carlo Lori, Fran Fabriczki, Chris Page, Sian Avery

15 January 2015

Cartoon

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20

Cartoon by Miranda Gabbot

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

Games & Technology

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21

Declining standards in the games industry Sam Raby Games and Tech Editor

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that Bungie had fallen so far from their much earlier title in such a fundamental way. In a sense it seemed symbolic of a current trend in the industry. Huge AAA releases have lined up to fall flat on their face one after the other in recent times. To list just a handy tricolon of examples: DICE’s Battlefield 4 was so riddled with technical bugs and the propensity to crash that its multiplayer was rendered near unplayable for months after release; Assassins’ Creed Unity was bursting at the seams with an array of bizarre visual glitches that rather ruined its attempts to faithfully depict Napoleonic France (see image); and 343’s Halo Master Chief Collection and Halo 5 beta suffered from server troubles that made multiplayer matches almost impossible to find for more than a month after release.

One must be careful of course not to overly-romanticise the industry’s past.

Certain games have of course been released excessively buggy / in a substandard state for as long as gaming has existed, but it seemed not too long ago that at least this wasn’t the norm. Bath University first-year and avid gamer Ryan Clifford surely speaks for a lot of customers when he says “[publishers and developers] think these days that it’s all right to put out half-finished games and it’s not.” Indeed the idea of games being half-finished particularly seems to resonate in these recent releases. To iron out bugs, adequately maintain the servers and, in the case of Destiny, actually write the story properly would, frustratingly, only require a little bit more development time. The attitude of the industry seems

wo games cropped up under my Christmas tree this holiday The attitude which should have been similar.

Both were first-person sciof the fi Shooters developed by the highly industry successful game studio Bungie, yet one seems one was fantastic and the other painfully of troubling mediocre. The former charmed me haste, straight from the outset with its personality, humour and thoughtful bordering on levels, the latter bored me into a stupor a disregard with its lazy character design and for their stubborn refusal to contextualise or customers explain anything that was happening in its plot. The catch? That the substandard latter was Destiny, a £500m project released in 2014 and starring Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage; whereas the excellent former was Halo: Combat Evolved only the company’s second ever release, produced on a much smaller budget in 2001.

For all the sparkling HD-ready panoramas that Destiny had to offer it felt frankly unfinished, with the lead writer fired just a year prior to release and large amounts of exposition relegated to the game’s website in what stank of a last ditch attempt to clarify the incoherent mess of a plot.

It was rather disheartening to think Gravity poses no limitation to the almighty protagonist of AC Unity.

to consist of troubling haste, bordering on a disregard for their customers.

The reason for this? Well one can’t be precisely sure, since the decisions behind release take place privately within companies, but many gamers have pointed fingers at the game publishers that work with developers.

These companies (giants like Activision and EA) are responsible for game distribution, and have been notorious in the past for pursuing aggressively anti-consumer policies such as hard line DRM (Digital Rights Management) and the designating of large portions of game content as commercial DLC (Downloadable Content) – often at unreasonable prices. It seems entirely possible that these publishers pressure game designers to put out products in time for Christmas or the release of new generations of games consoles. Indeed, tensions between publishers and developers have run high in the past, with swathes of employees from the stellar developer Infinity Ward leaving the company after disputes with publisher Activision several years ago.

Regardless of the explanation behind it however, the result is a loss for all.

Consumers have a poor experience, frankly an insult for the price of games these days, and the companies responsible alienate their fanbase and Image: YouTube risk driving future customers away.

E L C Y C DON’T LIGHTS! WITHOUT

…AND AVOID A £30 FINE.

Bike lights available from CUSU for just £8.

Old Examination Hall, Free School Lane, Cambridge, CB2 3RF.

Open 9am-5pm Mon-Fri | 01223 333 313 | info@cusu.cam.ac.uk

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TV & Film

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he first episode of this season’s Broadchurch grabbed viewers and plunged them straight into the drama without so much as a ‘previously on’. The episode centred on Joe Miller’s decision to plead ‘not guilty’ to Danny Latimer’s murder.

This means that, rather than following the straightforward whodunnit formula of season one, season two will explore the town’s secrets in a courtroom drama setting. This new direction was encapsulated by Joe in a chilling line: “Nobody’s innocent, Paul. Everyone’s hiding things.”

Our heroes Hardy (David Tennant) and Miller (Olivia Colman) returned in strong form – Hardy as brooding and troubled as ever, Miller struggling to cope in a delightfully understated

Nothing to see here anymore

22 manner. Colman, along with the anguished Latimer family, carried the emotional weight of the episode as she dealt with her separation from her husband and son. The introduction of Claire, also the wife of a murder suspect, as a mirror to Miller suggests that the show plans to explore her trauma further.

New characters were also introduced, including the two lawyers hired to fight the case. Broadchurch, unlike the Scandinavian crime drama The Killing, lacks a female lead; these two legal heavyweights are welcome female additions to the supporting cast.

Overall, Broadchurch delivered a good, punchy first episode with plenty of suspense to hook viewers in for the long haul, as we’ve come to expect.

< Broadchurch

Oscars countdown: And our nominees are...

Shreya Nanda

Fiona Lin TV & Film Contributor

8/10

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he Oscars are happening next month, so it is again time to try to understand the psychology of Academy voters. Which films of the last year will be nominated for the coveted honour (not to mention desirable sales boost) of ‘Best Picture’?

If the Academy were under Barack Obama’s personal control, his favourite film of 2014 – Boyhood – would be Best Picture winner. Indeed, given the critical acclaim lavished upon the innovative premise of filming using the same actors in a 12 year process, Boyhood is a certain nominee and likely winner, despite a rather pedestrian coming-of-age plot.

British biopics tend to be prominent nominees, and this year is unlikely to be different. Head-to-head are Cambridge boffin biopics The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything, both featuring stellar depictions of the personal struggles of a genius. Whether the more romantic focus advantages or disadvantages The Theory of Everything is impossible to determine, making these definite nominees hard to split.

Photo: Ellliott Brown

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Film night: Back to the bubble Angelica De Vido TV & Film Contributor

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hat greater way to kick-start the new term than with a film night celebrating, and seeking inspiration from, your cinematic peers’ experiences of the triumphs and trials of life in the education system?

There’s no finer opening to a film night than 10 Things I Hate About You. This superb comedy tracks student Patrick’s attempts to win the affections of sharp-tongued, quick-witted, Kat. Combining a fantastic supporting cast, a constant stream of hilarious dialogue, and a satirical depiction of the different

Your procrastination could be this cultural

high school social groups – from the ‘basic beautiful people’ to the ‘future MBAs’ – there’s no better way to spend a few hours than with this classic.

Next up is the uplifting Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which emphasises the importance of friendship, and of making the most of life, as it follows Ferris and his friends as they skip school and spend the day having fun gallivanting around Chicago.

Finally we move from school to university in Legally Blonde. This fantastic, fun comedy is an excellent stereotype-buster, as it follows Elle – a blonde, pink-clad sorority queen – on her mission to gain entrance to Harvard Law School, to where, we are told, “no blonde has ever gone before…”

Photo: Banalities

Although unlikely, Mr Turner, based on the eponymous painter’s final years, might also be nominated due to Timothy Spall’s nuanced lead performance.

Although comedies may typically be underrepresented, two black comedies – Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel – are strong contenders to win.

Birdman, with its pleasingly selfreferential exploration of a faded Hollywood actor, has better chances.

Two other American biopics are likely nominees. Steve Carell undergoes a remarkable transformation in the decidedly non-comedic Foxcatcher, based on a real-life sporting tragedy.

Selma is tautly scripted and directed, with David Oyelowo delivering a richly detailed Martin Luther King Jr in a career-best performance.

Animated films rarely get nominated, but The Lego Movie’s technical quality, sarcastic tone and addictive soundtrack might surprise. Finally, Gone Girl is a well-acted psychological thriller and worthy nominee, but its box office success may work against it.

When the Academy announces their nominations, I expect to find that it has surprised me once again. Whatever happens, this year’s crop of films looks set to keep us guessing, right up until the ceremony itself.

> The Theory of Everything Will Amor

3/10

he newly-released biopic of Stephen Hawking, The Theory of Everything is a demonstration of exceptional acting talent from Eddie Redmayne in the role of the Cambridge physicist, recalling Daniel Day Lewis’s performance in My Left Foot which won him the Oscar for Best Actor. Indeed, with a UK release date conspicuously just before the Academy Awards, it would seem that The Theory of Everything is textbook Oscar bait. It’s just a pity that the film is so tedious.

The opening 40 minutes of the film are strong, centring on Hawking as a young graduate student recently diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease with a life expectancy of two years. Heart-wrenching, emotionally charged scenes of Hawking, friends and family coming to terms with this diagnosis are easily the strongest in the whole film. However, once Hawking has received his PhD, the film quickly becomes directionless: the plot all but disappears, indulging instead in innuendo reminiscent of a soap opera.

Despite the nominal focus of ‘the theory of everything’, the science is scant at best. It disappears almost entirely after Hawking receives his doctorate, save for one scene almost as embarrassing as it is condescending where his wife Jane (Felicity Jones)

Photo: Universal Pictures UK attempts to explain the theoretical unification of quantum theory and general relativity using vegetables on her dinner plate.

Perhaps the reason for the bloated feeling of the second half of the film is that it is adapted from Jane Hawking’s memoirs, so the lead character awkwardly shifts between her and her husband. The film tries to juggle too much: these two characters, the research of the world’s most famous scientist, the pain of a degenerative illness, and growing up.

Rather than coming across as a harmonious symphony of themes and ideas, it feels more like a constant battle for attention, which leaves none particularly well developed. It is a shame that Redmayne’s extraordinary physical acting is showcased in a pointless, boring film, which does little to reflect the realities of the life it purports to celebrate.

15 January 2015

the cambridge student

Theatre

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

23

10 shows not to miss this term

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he work deadlines are about to kick in, and suddenly it will be impossible to keep track of what’s happening in any given day, never mind the rest of term.

Thankfully, The Cambridge Student Theatre is here to help. Here’s a handy countdown of all the shows we’re most excited about this Lent: 10. The Weir (17 February – 21, Corpus Playroom) Heralded bu The Daily Telegraph as ‘one of the plays of the century’, Conor McPherson’s The Weir is a delightful lesson in storytelling, as four ageing men swap tales with an attractive newcomer to their local Irish pub. The Corpus Playroom provides the perfect intimate setting for this mainshow.

9. Henry V (4 February – 7, Cambridge Arts Theatre) Counting Tilda Swinton, Sir Derek Jacobi and Ian McKellen among their number, the alumni of Cambridge’s Marlowe Society are quite an impressive bunch. This Lent, they’ll be taking over the Cambridge Arts Theatre to put on Shakespeare’s grittiest history play.

8. RENT (11 March – 21, ADC) You wouldn’t expect a musical which deals with AIDS, depression, and addiction to be such a hit, but this contemporary update of Puccini’s La Bohème is a firm favourite of musical lovers. It’s also on for ages, so you’ll be unlikely to miss it.

7. Pravda (10 February – 14, ADC) A Faustian play following the fortunes of a South African media tycoon in the print rooms of 1980s England, Pravda is a darkly comic exposé of power and corruption. Featuring fresher talent, this week four mainshow has certainly caught our eye.

6. Footlights Spring Revue (24 February – 28, ADC) No Cambridge theatre season would be complete without its termly dose of Footlights fun. Laugh away those week five blues with Tom Fraser and the gang, for a night of camp silliness at the ADC. 5. Simon Amstell (10 March – 11, Junction) It’s often hard to be taken seriously as a comedian, but Simon Amstell somehow manages to combine bellylaugh humour with genuine, thoughtprovoking insight. Expect the usual mix of uncomfortable honesty and raw intensity, through his beautiful and poetic explorations of love, pain and regret.

Equus: it’s got bums

3. Trade (27 January – 31, Corpus Playroom) Week two looks set to provide a real treat, with Ajax and Equus as its mainshows. Don’t, however, forget to check out Corpus lateshow Trade, a forceful exposition of female sex tourism in the Caribbean. Following the stories of three women, Trade is a brilliant examination of class, gender, and race, as worlds collide on the hot 4. Ajax440 (27 January – 31, Corpus Caribbean sand.

Playroom) Ajax 440 is an innovative, video2. Amygdala Wonderland (10 game-age answer to Sophocles’ great February – 14, ADC) tragedy. Having been involved in the Written by Sam Grabiner, this oneHATCH showcases and having written man show tells the story of George, the first of last year’s Papercuts shows, who uses materials in his flat to create writer, director and Cambridge student a theatrical collage of his life. Space is Henry St Leger-Davey has many limited to just 15 in the ADC’s Larkum notable credits to his (very long) name. Studio, so make sure to book early.

Photo: Peter Skidmore

No Cambridge theatre season would be complete without its termly dose of Footlights fun

1. Equus (27 January – Sat 31, ADC) Ok, so it’s got nudity in it, but that’s not the only reason that week two mainshow Equus is making headlines in the world of Cambridge drama. Peter Shaffer’s modern masterpiece is still one of the most controversial and most talked-about plays of the 20th century, and it features some of the hottest acting talent which Cambridge currently has to offer. You should expect graphic violence and gripping psychological turmoil. Oh, and did I mention the bums?

Tickets are available from the ADC box office and online.

Tickets for Simon Amstell are still available online via the Junction, and for Henry V directly from the Cambridge Arts Theatre.

Review: Macbeth Will Spencer Theatre Reviewer

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‘Nuanced turbulence’

o many contemporary productions of Shakespeare seek to define themselves by recreating the drama in a more recent epoch. Nicholas Hulbert’s rendering of Macbeth could be said to represent something of a departure from the modernist norm, the largely betighted characters placing it squarely in its maker’s time. The set is strikingly Spartan (in simplicity, rather than era), pared down to the extent that swords are the only accessories, and the stage is defined by the raised, black outside of a circle at its centre.

The message is clear: this is a primarily psychological play, with language taking obvious precedence over scenery. We are aware from the outset of the nominally performative status of that which unfolds before us; it looks like what it is, a stage, rather than Photo: Johannes Hjorth an attempt at recreating reality. That

this might detract from verisimilitude, however, is really irrelevant. As Hamlet notoriously said, the play’s the thing, and this production’s emphasis on drama succeeds in catching the conscience of the King and his Lady.

Of course, the play would not be nearly so efficacious without successful and strong acting. Tom Russell is more than convincing, conveying Macbeth’s troubled essence by mastering the balance between uncertain and imposing. His physical presence is immediately marked, and is matched by an increasingly stormy vocal range. The immediate aftermath of his bloody deed is particularly potent, his previously nuanced turbulence exploding into convulsive nervousness.

As Lady Macbeth, Laura Waldren also excels. With her bright red dress and distinctly suggestive enunciation, she is sensuality itself. Her confidence is caricatured to just the right degree, the hint that she doth protest too much aptly precluding her character’s breakdown, which is still a suitably shocking

surprise, but not a non sequitur.

The supporting cast is not so consistently strong, but many of the turns are more than capable. Guy Strong’s sliminess as Banquo is such that we wonder whether he is not the real villain of the pièce, while his ghostly return is the play’s greatest triumph. Rhianna Frost, Julia Kass and Katie Reid are worthy witches, credible instigators of Macbeth’s neurosis, and most crucially not overplaying the repulsiveness of their profession.

Alasdair McNab and Ed Limb, respectively Macduff and Lennox, are somewhat less convincing. The latter had an unfortunate habit of looking rather too pleased with himself, while the former’s grief-stricken reaction to the murder of his family unfortunately possessed scant depth.

But this a decidedly evocative production. Even when lit, the set always appears dark and smoky, reflecting the mental trauma at the play’s heart – this is a profound and resonant psychological tour de force.

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Music 24 Three albums from 2014 that you probably haven’t heard Jiameng Gao Music Contributor

‘The Golden Echo’ Kimbra Originating from New Zealand, Kimbra’s debut album Vows was a soulful, jazzy pop album: a composition of strong vocals and traditional beats that was all about settling down in the popular music genre.

However, after featuring on the successful ‘Somebody That I Used To Know’, and with two Grammies under her belt, Kimbra went to hang out with sheep (and a kaleidoscopic list of pop producers). Subsequently, her second album ended up being one of the most expressive, well-crafted pop albums of 2014. Kimbra delivers cutting-edge pop with no holds barred, and complete mastery of the vocals. ‘90s Music’ is an

ambitious tribute to the pop and R&B icons of the 1990s, while the album highlight ‘Goldmine’ has a worldly grandeur that I haven’t really heard anywhere else.

With The Golden Echo, Kimbra gives us a vision of art pop that makes no attempt to be easily categorisable. It is an album with soundscapes that make you yearn to be out there amongst the sheep too.

‘Rhythm’ Wildbirds & Peacedrums Rhythm probably isn’t what people would associate minimalism with; it is an album as rich and exciting as a Marks & Spencer’s champagne truffle.

The little-known husband and wife duo from Sweden have composed an album with little else besides carefully designed percussions and vocals. This is like music without the fat.

Despite being an experimental album with the mantra ‘no additives’, Rhythm never stops being engaging and exciting.

Living up to its name, the album is a rollercoaster of a ride that exploits the use of delicately constructed vocals and pounding rhythms to its fullest potential, without ever feeling like these are standing in for another instrument.

Vocal harmonies are rich and vibrant in ‘Soft Wind, Soft Death’, while ‘Who I Was’ and ‘Mind Blues’ are rapturous shows of vocal acrobatics.

Wildbirds & Peacedrums’ album might

Tips for 2015

the talent and star quality to make it big this year.

Matt Kent Music Contributor

Black Honey This Brighton-based band lit up the blog world last year with a collection of demos that were steadily being released to their Soundcloud page.

Their left-field pop-meets-rock sound combined with their female-fronted line-up has drawn comparisons to cult favourites Wolf Alice, Honeyblood and Warpaint (to name just a few of their contemporaries). With interesting lyrics and an interesting sound to match, they are also said to put on a great live show – you can’t beat a triple threat, right?

Iris With just one single to her name this is a little bit of a shot in the dark, but Iris

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his has been a great year for music. There was that St. Vincent album every website was raving about, the new Flying Lotus album and all the other apparently wonderful stuff that I haven’t actually listened to. So instead of talking about how the Taylor Swift album is a feminist fightback against the male-centric media industry (and ignoring the fact that Bikini Kill did it first), here are some of 2014’s less wellknown albums.

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e live in a world where anyone can write about music: what they like and what they think will be the next big thing.

Must-watch articles and musical picks for the New Year are everywhere, and while generally the good ones get the promotion they deserve, inevitably there are deserving candidates that slip through the net. So here’s a list of ‘next big things’ that didn’t make the BBC Sound of 2015 longlist or MTV’s Brand New recommendations. Despite this, the following artists certainly have all

Fickle Friends supporting Ting Tings at XOYO

Photo: Paul Hudson

not, in the end, be the most accessible thing out there, but the thing is so beautifully designed and exciting that it’s hard not to be entranced.

‘Strange Desire’ Bleachers Strange Desire is the solo debut of Jack Antonoff from Fun. Which, by the way, is also an accurate word to describe the album: a perpetually upbeat collection of great indie rock songs that’ll last any road trip.

Despite its indie rock status, the production values of Strange Desire are excellent. The album begins with a wall of sound in the form of ‘Wild Heart’,

and moves into an ocean of cheery laid-backness with ‘Rollercoaster’.

Sometimes the album harks back to the early 2000s, when bands like Maroon 5 were, you know, actually good. At other times it sounds like The National, but a lot more positive.

All in all, Bleachers have managed to create a wonderfully upbeat album, and the lead single ‘I Wanna Get Better’ will make getting through the Cambridge term just that little bit easier.

There is, however, a song featuring Yoko Ono near the end. Make of that what you will.

Kimbra performing at DCode Fest in 2012

It’s early days for this pop star, but she’s definitely onto a good thing

Campo is no stranger to the world of music. Before this solo project Campo was involved with Canadian group Doors and has since been mentored by Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. ‘I’ll Wait For You’ is a glittering pop gem with an official release due next month. It’s early days for this pop star, but she’s definitely onto a good thing.

Lany I have been madly in love with this three piece since I first heard their double A-side debut singles, the highly infectious ‘Walk Away’ and fantastic Siri-sampling ‘Hot Lights’. Since then they’ve released a great debut EP, ‘Acronyms’, and the cooler than cool ‘Made In Hollywood’. Sitting on the genre-fence between straight-up pop and R&B, with smooth synths and huge choruses on just about every track, it’s only a matter of time before they strike single gold. New single ‘Bad, Bad, Bad’ could just be that golden one.

Marlene Swedish songstress Marlene is following in the footsteps of Scandinavian breakthrough artists like Tove Lo and MØ, who’ve seen their pop music with a melancholic tinge reach new peaks the world over. Her Indian Summer EP is a seasonal staple, whether you’ve relaxing on a tropical break or want to warm up on a winter’s afternoon.

This album has a worldly grandeur that I haven’t really heard anywhere else

Photo: Alterna2

Look at Marlene’s lips Photo: YouTube Along with writing partner Ji Nilsson, the Scandinavian pop music invasion is set to continue this coming year with the pair being just the first of a fresh new cohort of brilliant artists from the Nordics. Listen to ‘Love You Anyway’ to get a sense of her sound.

Fickle Friends Back to Brighton, which is increasingly being recognised as a great place for new British music. Much like Black Honey, Fickle Friends were one of the most blogged acts of 2014 and listening to their singles ‘Swim’, ‘Play’ and ‘For You’ it’s not hard to see why. With more radio-friendly singles on the way, their incomparable signature indie-pop sound stands up against the best in the business. It won’t be long before everyone is talking about this five piece.

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Books 25 The book lover’s month-by-month guide to 2015 Alice Mottram Books Editor

lost son. Irvine Welsh of Trainspotting fame releases A Decent Ride. ‘Juice’ Terry Lawson of Glue returns to rampage around the familiar Edinburgh streets of Welsh’s cult novels.

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etween familiar names, the critically acclaimed and those making a fresh-faced debut, 2015 promises to be a thrilling year for books. Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel in 10 years is set to be a major event, as is the possible release of Hillary Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light. Having won the Man Booker Prize for two previous titles – Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies – Mantel should close this majestic trilogy in style.

So, read on into the pages of 2015.

4 March: Shakespeare at the Arts Picturehouse, live from the RSC

January welcomes the release of An Untamed State by Roxane Gay. This is the keenly anticipated debut novel from the author of Bad Feminist.

Photo: kellyswritershouse A plethora of new releases hits the shelves in February, from old and new names alike. A Spool of Blue Thread is a Baltimore-based family drama from Pulitzer Prize-winner Anne Tyler.

Neil Gaiman, the master of fantasy fiction, is releasing Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances. This collection of tales returns to the familiar world of American Gods. Film-maker, artist and feminist Miranda July is releasing her debut novel The First Bad Man. It has been hailed by Lena Dunham as “a bible”. In poetry, Sam Riviere is releasing a collection titled Kim Kardashian’s Marriage. Originally published through a blog, it features seventy-two poems – one for each day of Kim’s second marriage.

11 April: University Library mediaeval manuscripts

Literary classics hit the stage and screen in May with a film production of Far from the Madding Crowd and a new National Theatre production of Shaw’s Man and Superman. Adapted from the novel by Thomas Hardy, the film has a thoroughly literary pedigree. It stars Carey Mulligan as Bathsheba and Michael Sheen as William Boldwood. On the 14th, Man and Superman, starring Ralph Fiennes, is being livestreamed from the National to cinemas nationwide including the Cambridge Picturehouse.

15 April: Cambridge Literary Festival

Photo: Getty Images March celebrates the literary event of the year with the release of Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Buried Giant It has been ten years since the release of Ishiguro’s last novel, Never Let Me Go. A departure from his previous dystopian work, it tells the story of Axl and Beatrice as they journey across a mythical postRoman Britain in search of their long

In April, Nobel-laureate Toni Morrison explores how childhood trauma reverberates into adulthood in God Help the Child. If you prefer comedy, try Love, Sex and other Foreign Policy Goals. From Jesse Armstrong, the co-writer of Peep Show and The Thick of It, this is a political comedy set in wartorn Bosnia.

23 April: World Book Night

Photo: jastrow75

June sees the return of Judy Blume to adult fiction with In the Unlikely Event. Her first work for older readers in sixteen years, Blume was inspired by a series of plane crashes that occurred in her home town of Elizabeth, New Jersey, when she was a teenager. Not content with having walked the Pennine Way for his work Walking Home, Simon Armitage is releasing a followup collection. Walking Away traces the poet’s trek from Minehead to Land’s End. In July, Louis de Bernieres publishes The Dust that Falls from Dreams. From the author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin comes a novel of epic romance set in the last golden days of King Edward VII’s reign, on the cusp of the outbreak of the Great War. Another major release for 2015 hits the August shelves: Two Years, Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights by Salman Rushdie. The title a reference to Arabian Nights, this new work was inspired by ancient methods of storytelling. At only 250 pages, this is a slim

19 May: Man Booker International Prize winner announced

volume in comparison to Rushdie’s Booker of Bookers Midnight’s Children.

Publications come thick and fast in September. Margaret Atwood delivers the fourth installment in the Positron series with The Heart Goes Last. An as-yet-untitled Bond novel is slated for release written by Anthony Horowitz.

Jesse Eisenberg, of The Social Network fame, is publishing a collection of short stories titled Bream Gives me Hiccups.

The title is from a series in which a nine year old reviews the meals he eats with his mother at LA restaurants, the bill footed by her ex-husband.

2 October: Cheltenham Literature Festival

21-31 May: The 28th Hay Festival of Literature

Photo: WEBN-TV

In October, Sebastian Faulks launches his new novel Where My Heart Used To Beat. The title is a reference to Tennyson’s great elegy In Memoriam A.H.H., and Faulks’ new work promises to explore desire and loss.

3 June: The 19th Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction

29 July: Man Booker Prize longlist announced.

The shortlist follows in September

The Lady in the Van, the screen adaptation of Alan Bennett’s play of the same name, is released on 13 November in cinemas across the UK. Dame Maggie Smith takes the title role in this true story of the homeless woman who lived outside Bennett’s house for fifteen years. In print, Salinger’s Letters by Nils Schou is released. The Danish author draws on his personal correspondence with the famously reclusive author in a novel about depression and love.

13 October: 2015 Man Booker Prize winner announced

19 October: Cambridge Festival of Ideas

Image: Arturo Espinosa

December brings an end to the literary year with the UK release of Death by Water by Kenzaburō Ōe. The Japanese Nobel laureate caused a stir upon the release of Death by Water (Sui Shi in Chinese) in 2009 on account of the novel’s complexity, and the English title would suggest no less in its reference to T. S. Eliot’s notoriously difficult “The Waste Land”. Death by Water tells the story of a man trying to track down a red suitcase in the hope it will reveal more about the mystery of how his father drowned in a river.

December: Guardian first book award is announced

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Fashion

26 Student style inspiration

Getting into gear: The nightmares of fashion ‘to go’ Isobel Laidler Fashion Contributor

Jessy Ahulwalia Fashion Contributor

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eing a hill college student, I have, perhaps, an unhealthy attachment to my bike. It is a rickety, warped, noisy, vintage beast that proves the power of gaffertape and barely justifies the use of a lock - without this trusty steed, my Cambridge bubble would be shaken to the ground. Those extra 11 minutes in bed each morning, and the ability to magically arrive bang on time when that 11 minutes accidently triples.

There is, however, an unforeseen consequence of depending so much upon one’s bike, and that is the effect it has on your wardrobe: Skirts and dresses are major issues.

The least imaginative of beings can envisage the issues resulting from cycling in skirts. Length is key: too short and the commuters can see your knickers as you cycle up the hill; too long and it won’t survive term as each pedal nicks the hem, not to mention if you forget your ladylike choice as you mount your bike, you will suddenly find yourself unable to move, with the majority of the skirt between your legs and veiling more of the rear wheel than your frozen knees.

As for shoes, this traumatic decision

She won’t get far in that... has the extra frustration of requiring consideration of the weather. Boots are always safe, but not if they are too high in the heel, or you may find they scrape the tarmac and you will appear to lose height as the term goes on.

Slip-on shoes are convenient animals, but once you’ve been forced through potholes by a bus driver with a clearly bitter inferiority complex attempting to assert dominance, you momentarily compare your sodden Achilles heel to trench foot. Then you realise you’re having an internal dialogue about

Winter skincare Holly Willis Fashion Contributor

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uring winter, nearly everyone’s hair and skin requires some special attention. The combination of cold weather and central heating makes skin dry and flaky, and can turn even the bestbehaved hair frizzy and static. So, to beat those winter beauty woes, here are some of my favourite tips and products.

And the best bit? They’re all under £10!

The most important thing to remember is to take off your make up every night. Even if you’ve stumbled in from Cindies at two am, you’ll thank yourself for it the next morning (and in later life!). I have quite sensitive skin, so I like using a cream cleanser – my favourite is the Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Cleanser (£8.50). I strongly suggest avoiding cleansing wipes: they may be a quick fix, but they contain a lot of preservatives to stop them going mouldy which just dry out your skin even more. For eye make-up I use Simple’s Kind to Eyes eye make-up remover (£3.49).

Next stop: moisturiser. I have tried quite a few different moisturisers over

Winter is here Photo: Nickolai Kashirin the last few years and the best one in my opinion is simply the Boots Essentials Cucumber Moisturising Cream (£1.50).

It is reasonably thick, so it is especially good for night-time, but it is also perfect for the winter when that extra bit of moisture is needed. If you are prone to very dry skin, then look no further than the Boots Derma Care range.

Their daily moisturising cream (£1.69)

Photo: Alice Mottram

Too short and commuters can see your knickers as you cycle up the hill

egocentric bus drivers and the morals of melodramatic comparisons as you cycle to Sainsbury’s, and that you really are taking procrastination to a new level.

Also slip-ons can fall off. A lot.

For keen fashionistas, there is the question of hats, which also fall off.

How does Dr. Wilmer do it? Helmet hair it is.

But the most exciting thing is seeing how far you can push the numerous unspoken rules of cycling – why not cycle in a ballgown and heels, if you can only work out how?

is especially designed for managing dry skin, particularly on the hands and face, and also helps to soothe itchy skin conditions such as mild eczema which can flare up in winter.

If your skin is feeling a bit flaky, it can sometimes be a good idea to use an exfoliating scrub. As the skin on the face is very delicate, it is best to stick to exfoliators that are specifically designed for the face rather than using a grainier body scrub. With facial scrubs, a little goes a long way, so I would suggest using no more than a pea-sized amount – and don’t scrub too hard! I like The Sanctuary Radiance Exfoliator (£2.99 for 15ml).

Regarding hair, my main problem in winter is the static that comes from wearing woolly jumpers and scarves which only gets worse when I brush it!

The best product I have found to combat this is the Trevor Sorbie Frizz Free Smoothing Spray (£5.70 for 200ml).

Apply to wet hair before blow-drying, or for a quick fix spray a little onto your hairbrush before brushing your hair.

Using hair mousse can also help keep hair under control. The Boots Essentials range has a variety of products for different types of hair (all £1.10), which all work brilliantly.

Take off your make-up every night.

Even if you’ve stumbled in from Cindies at two am

For her eyes only

Photo: Youtube

I have two major style crushes: Millie Mackintosh, and Amal Clooney. Millie always looks nicely put together but with a feminine and relaxed feel that makes her seem like she isn’t always preening herself or adjusting her outfit.

She knows what makes her look good (anything that shows off her legs!), and she sticks with it. I think that’s such an important part of fashion: wear clothes that actually look good on you, not just what is trendy. I particularly love Millie’s make-up – her skin always looks flawless but she never overdoes it on the eyes or lips. I’ve made a move to copy Millie by investing properly in good heeled boots – they really make wearing jeans seem a lot more sophisticated, and I’m definitely more confident when I wear heels.

Moving onto Amal, my goodness, she takes power dressing to a whole new level, making sure she looks professional but stylish, always with a feminine prettiness. The best thing about Amal’s style is what she wears with her colouring – she often contrasts her dark hair with bright patterns and florals, and she can really carry it off! I tend to wear all black quite frequently, so I would love to incorporate a bit more colour into my wardrobe. I think the major lessons to learn from both are that simplicity is key, know what works for your figure, and less is more!

Amal in style

Photo:Hot Gossip Italia

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Food and drink

27

Getting baked: Banana bread from our cake connoisseur Imogen Coulson Food & Drink Columnist

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will work just fine.

You can throw anything into banana bread and it’s sure to be a fail-safe winner. Always hated that branflake dust at the bottom of the cereal box?

Throw it into this little loaf for a malty mellow flavour.

Or got some leftover chocolate from Christmas? Chop it up and throw it in.

Maybe chuck some nuts in too (but toast them first in the oven!)

Perhaps you have some oranges going mouldy in your room that were part of that New Year regime – squeeze the juice into the batter at the end and you’ll get a lovely tropical cake to keep you hanging on until summer.

ome people draw, some people write, others sing or dance, but I bake. Not only do I bake but I want others to bake, to perceive it not as something relegated to middle-aged housewives and retired grandmas, but as an innovative and creative science. The possibilities are more or less endless: a globe cake complete with core, mantle and crust?

Sushi inspired mini-cakes with rice-like coconut topping? No problem - I made both of these last term alone.

Whilst everyone is talking about new regimes, diets and lifestyles that the New Year has supposedly inspired them to begin (and that we all know they’re lying about when they start popping to Van of Life after the first Cindies of term), what we’re all really in need of is some comfort. It’s January, we’re back in Cambridge for another 8-week slog, it’s bitter and dark – a cup of tea and a piece of cake is exactly what we need, not a raw kale smoothie and a 6am run.

So here is my banana bread.

It’s a versatile little beast, open to those creative juices I was talking about before. Wholemeal flours are great when baking – with their nutty flavours, particularly spelt – however plain flour Going bananas

Ingredients:

Instructions:

Makes 1 loaf or 6 muffins 200g plain flour (or possibly a little wholemeal, branflakes or desiccated coconut) 1tsp bicarbonate of soda Spices: ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg, 1 cardamom pod, seeds ground & toasted (only if you have to hand), salt.

125g butter, melted 125g light brown sugar (or a mixture of dark muscavado, honey, caster etc.)

2 eggs 3 bananas, mashed well 60ml yoghurt or buttermilk 1tbsp demerara sugar, to sprinkle

1. Preheat oven to 180°c/Gas Mark 4, grease & line a loaf tin, or put muffin cups in a tray.

2. Sift together flour, bicarbonate of soda, spices and salt.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating hard after each. Add mashed banana and buttermilk or yoghurt, again mixing well after each addition.

4. Fold in the dry ingredients, until they are just mixed. If you’re using any additions add them at this point. Pour into the prepared tin or muffin cups.

Sprinkle with the demerara sugar for a crunchy top.

5. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour (for a loaf), or 20–30 minutes (for muffins). If the top looks like it’s catching or colouring too quickly, cover with baking parchment, or until a skewer comes out clean or with just a couple of crumbs attached.

6. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes or until completely cool, then turn out.

Baking is not something relegated to middle-aged housewives and retired grandmas

This can be served with butter, jam, peanut butter (my personal favourite) or simply plain for the ideal on-the-go snack. It also keeps well for at least a few days when stored in an airtight Photo: Jay Del Corro container. Enjoy!

Hot chocolate: The best thing ever?

Julia Stanyard Food & Drink Editor

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ellow students, we have returned to Cambridge. We have returned to a Cambridge, moreover, which is drizzly, grey and miserable, particularly if your college, like my own, has decided that simply switching off the heating would be a fantastic way to economise. The holidays are sadly over and we are haunted by the spectres of unfinished essays, unread texts and the all-seeing eye of Sauron, also known as my Director of Studies.

What can help us in these desperate times? I think I have the answer: there is one drink to rule them all. I know what you’re thinking, but actually it’s not Sainsbury’s Basics vodka, which can be described as a ‘slippery slope’ at best. Nor am I referring to one pound Jagerbombs, despite their impressive money-to-alcohol ratio. It’s not even that most British of beverages, the trusty cup of builder’s tea.

Naturally, I am referring to the good old hot chocolate. Settle in out of the miserable weather, cocoon yourself in several blankets and a hot water bottle,

and throw all your tenuously-held New Year’s dieting resolutions to the winds in a cholesterol-filled extravaganza.

Not meaning to blow my own trumpet too much, but I consider myself something of an expert in the field of hot chocolate, as it has been my obsession since about the age of ten. Although few people believe me when I say this (although some of them do question my sanity) hot chocolate making really is an art form.

So without further ado, some basic requirements must be addressed.

Firstly, hot chocolate made with boiling water is little more than sacrilege and should be avoided like the plague. In all seriousness, it is an insult to the senses. In fact, even milk is a slightly unappealing option, until topped up with a little splash (or more) of double cream to make the perfect silky consistency.

My first serving suggestion is of course the classic Bailey’s hot chocolate, as naturally the only possible way of improving creamy chocolatiness is to add alcohol. The knack with this little number is perfecting the amount of Bailey’s, as too much can cause the milk to easily form a skin, which is of course revolting. Luckily this can be

Although some question my sanity, I see hot chocolate making as an art form

A delicious pick-me-up counteracted by reducing the amount of Bailey’s but topping up with a teaspoon of vanilla extract to maintain flavour.

Another personal favourite is the Christmas hot chocolate, the most delicious way possible of harking back to the recent holiday. You too can experience this simply by adding just a splash of ginger wine, a quarter-teaspoon of cinnamon, and a half-teaspoon of grated orange zest, which must be added to the milk whilst heating, mixed thoroughly, then left to settle. If ginger

Photo: Barb Watson wine is unavailable (admittedly it isn’t a usual student essential) then simply increase the quantities of cinnamon and orange for a less indulgent but still completely delicious beverage.

My final message to all fellow hot chocolate lovers is to get creative. Use marshmallows, use whipped cream, use sprinkles and biscuits and spice and all things nice. One time over Christmas I used edible glitter and it was wonderful.

Hot chocolate is an art form: let’s keep it that way.

15 January 2015

the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Lifestyle

28

Inside the mind: Obsessive compulsive disorder David Roper Lifestyle Contributor

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CD is an anxiety disorder that has two sides: intrusion and compulsion. The former is the aspect of OCD that is often misunderstood. I have OCD. Specifically primarily or purely obsessional OCD, a lesser-known form of the disorder. I have minimal physical compulsions – I don’t clean, I don’t turn light switches on and off, and I don’t repeatedly check the door is locked.

To me the intrusive thoughts are horrific and real, and it takes considerable effort to appease the anxiety. Some examples of the ‘themes’ of this intrusion for OCD suffers are obsessions about responsibility, sexuality, violence, religiosity, health and relationships.

I understand this seems irrational, and that’s the point. It takes up a big chunk of my day, and interferes massively with my work. It’s incredibly difficult to describe. Imagine that feeling in a nightmare where you’re falling, just before you’re about to hit the ground.

It’s that fear stretched out and the only

thing to make it go away is to complete your compulsions. This behaviour draws parallels with addiction, so strong is the need for relief. Dealing with OCD became my life during sixth form, and it quickly became allconsuming. Past the early diagnosis days of overly supportive family and friends, of fresh therapy and lifestyle changes, people forget. And you’re left to it. Quite right: it’s a harsh reality that this condition is mine, and in all likelihood in some form will be with me my entire life.

In my everyday life at university,

Stepping outside the stereotype

GET FIT WITHOUT FORKING OUT A FORTUNE

NO

CO

horrifically messy – and that shouldn’t be surprising to you just because I have OCD. The second frustration is the trivialisation of OCD: “Oh that’s just my OCD”, “Oh I’m OCD about that” – shut up, shut up. OCD severity is a spectrum so I won’t deny that you might have it, but statements like that trivialise it. Having said this, though, I am essentially happy. I have good friends, I am at the best university in the world, I play sport and music and have hobbies. I also just happen to have OCD that makes a period of my day hell. And that’s fine for the moment.

Imagine that feeling in a nightmare where you’re falling, just before you’re about to hit the ground

Photo: Shadow Viking

Put the paper back in newspaper

NT

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OCD has minimal visible effect.

Episodes tend to take place in the morning or evening when I am by myself – unfortunately, of course, this also tends to be while I am working.

If I get stuck, I’m stuck for hours. The thought process of the problem becomes intertwined with my compulsion, and so I can’t move on until it’s finished.

This is horrific in Cambridge exams, and last year I sat for hours, not writing a thing, stuck on the very first question.

The media love to stereotype OCD; it’s not all about cleaning and obsessive checking. My room is

Lucy Meekley Lifestyle Editor

W

ith most news websites offering their content for free, many people solely read their news online.

Consequently, we have started to accept the decline of the newspaper, with very little protest.

Our consumption of books is also shifting from hard copy to digitalised, kindle versions. Except, there are many of us, myself included, who still ardently believe in the value of the book as a physical object.

These are also the people who will gladly cripple their shoulders lugging a copy of Clarissa on their daily commute, so they can smugly waft the pages over fellow tube passengers.

But why aren’t we as impassioned about saving our newspapers? If anything, it’s a more important cause; reading news online should supplement our reading of newspapers, not replace it. They are two very different, but equally important experiences. Online, we tend to read only what we are interested in, thereby reinforcing what we already know and believe.

A newspaper eliminates that choice (if you’re reading properly) and presents

13/01/2015 16:23

us with a spread of information and opinions which, even if we don’t find them interesting, are important.

I’m not saying don’t read your news online – I think it’s a fantastic tool, and probably one of the best things to happen to the media industry.

It offers us immediacy and the ability to share and comment, ensuring that news is not monopolised by those that provide it. But it’s important that we keep in mind the dangers involved.

Online we tend to stop questioning the origins of our news; sometimes we barely notice which website it comes from, making us more susceptible to sensationalism and false information, whereas newspapers tend to make their political allegiances relatively clear.

Reading a newspaper offers us the chance for private response; nobody can see what you have read, and you are not influenced by comments or the popularity of an article.

It is both relaxing and rewarding to treat our news consumption as a proper, concentrated activity, not just a procrastination technique.

I’ll concede that there are very few people have time to read a newspaper every day. That being said, picking one up, even just once a week, should be both manageable and enjoyable.

We have started to accept the decline of the newspaper, with very little protest

15 January 2015

the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Lifestyle

29 Instacam Jessy Ahluwalia Lifestyle Editor

Coe Fen

Photo: Alex Nicol-Harper

Winter strolls to escape the bubble Alex Nicol-Harper Lifestyle Contributor

A

mere 15 minute walk from the centre of Cambridge, the Cambridge University Botanic Garden is a haven of peace and tranquility. An hour set aside to stroll in the Gardens feels like a real break in a way that pacing the Backs does not.

Better still, University card holders get in free – so you can treat yourself to a cake in the cafe! A nice route is to turn right onto West Walk, continue to the Scented Garden at the back and then

return via the Glasshouses and the lake.

The Winter Garden and Fen display off the Bateson Walk are particularly good at this time of year.

If you have a little longer and fancy a more natural setting, turn off Trumpington Street onto the Fen Causeway and left into the unnamed parcel of land between Coe Fen and Lammas Land. The footpaths only follow the water courses to lead you to Lammas Land or onto the Driftway.

If you want to wander at will amongst the cow parsley, it’s probably best to go after a dry spell, as the whole area can get pretty soggy.

Further southwest lies Grantchester Meadows: the classic escape from the Cambridge Bubble. While it is most popular in the heady days of sunshine following exams, the Meadows offer lovely walks at any time of year.

The best way to get there is to weave through the residential streets from Lammas Land to Pembroke Pitches; then simply follow the footpath along the Cam as far as you like – look out for The Orchard Tea Room. If you don’t have a few hours spare, you can cheat by driving out to a pub in Grantchester and grabbing a breath of fresh air in the Meadows after lunch.

The Winter Garden and Fen display off the Bateson Walk are particularly good at this time of year.

Welcome to Instacam, a brand new Lifestyle column for a brand new year.

Each week we’ll print your favourite pics, under a specific theme.

Next week’s theme is: the best thing you’ve been reunited with since coming back to Cambridge.

To start us off, here are some of our favourite ways to beat the January blues: fresh new bed-sheets, magazines, puppy love and a room with a view!

Photo: Jack May

The new arts festival in memory of Jesus’s former Dean Emma Kavanagh Festival Publicity Officer

J

esus College was hit in June 2014 by the devastating news that the Dean of Chapel, the Revd Dr John Hughes, had lost his life in a car accident returning from an ordination ceremony. The loss of his presence was acutely felt. As well as a truly outstanding academic theologian,

Festival mascot

Photo: E. Kavanagh

Hughes was a central part of not only Chapel life with his quirky Doctor Who-themed sermons, but also of the college community. In the weeks that followed, hundreds of tributes poured in for the late Dean, and his beautifully poignant funeral in Ely Cathedral was attended by over a thousand mourners, many of whom were current students of Jesus College.

Hughes was always keen to encourage events in the college’s ancient and beautiful chapel outside of the usual services of choral evensong.

In honour of this, from 23-25 January, Jesus College will host the inaugural John Hughes Arts Festival. Headed by Jesuans Liam Livesley, Sam Fairbrother and Ed Eustace, the Festival will feature a wide range of student-run events over the course of the weekend.

From dance performances to film screenings, poetry readings to comedy smokers, there will be something to suit all tastes in what is to be a memorable celebration of the life of John Hughes.

Event highlights include a masquerade formal hall, a Saturday morning jazz brunch, and a series of performances of classic Greek texts.

“I think the Arts Festival is a great

Photo: Jessy Ahluwalia

Revd. Hughes Photo: Jesus College way to showcase the creative side of Jesus College,” commented secondyear Engineering student, Aiden Chan, “There is something for everyone.”

Chan’s sculpture of the iconic rooster of the College’s crest, nicknamed ‘Johannes’ and constructed entirely from Lego Bionicle, has become the mascot for the Festival and will be a centrepiece of the art exhibition Collections will be made for John’s favourite charities throughout the weekend.

More information about the John Hughes Arts Festival can be found at www.jhaf.co.uk.

Hughes was a central part of not only Chapel life, but also of the College

Photo: Jessy Ahluwalia

Photo: Jack May To see your snaps featured, tweet @TCSNewspaper or email lifestyle@tcs.cam.ac.uk

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Sport 30 Steven Gerrard: A personal farewell Clara Buxton Sport Contributor

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teven Gerrard is the only player ever to have scored in a UEFA Cup, League Cup, FA Cup and a Champions League Final. Last week, Liverpool FC announced that, come the end of the season, he would be leaving his boyhood club to pursue new challenges elsewhere, ending a 17-year career with the Merseyside club.

Despite a growing tide of criticism since England’s underwhelming performances at the World Cup, at the age of 34, Gerrard is as solid as ever. In the previous 18 months, his pass accuracy sits at 86% and last season he totalled 13 assists- the best stats of his career so far. He has over 690 Liverpool appearances, a tally that will likely surpass 700 by the end of the season. He has also established himself as the second highest scoring midfielder in Premier League history with 116 league goals.

Central to Gerrard’s undeniable greatness is his penchant for being the reliable saviour who makes decisive contributions at moments of dire need. You could lose count of how many matches he has won for Liverpool single-handedly through trademark brilliance. People will remember his unparalleled strike at Anfield against Olympiakos in 2004, which gave Liverpool the win necessary to put them on the road

to that miracle win in Istanbul. Merely 12 months later, he did the same in similarly breath-taking fashion, contributing with a stunning strike in the 2006 Liverpool FA Cup Final victory.

Gerrard has had dark days, however, possibly none more so than the day of his costly slip in the 2013/14 season against Chelsea. Internet trolls pounced on the open wound and milked the cruel irony of the fact that the Liverpool skipper, who wanted to win the Premier League title more passionately than anybody could have damaged his side’s chances of doing just that. As a fan I was devastated, not for the title challenge but for my childhood idol whose resilience was being tested. Gerrard, unless there is a league upset of galactic proportions, will never win a Premier League title with his beloved Liverpool, but the way he silently bore the burden of the media’s malice could only be a testament to his dignity.

Steven Gerrard has truly cemented his status as one of Anfield’s greatest ever players. He has become another shining star in a constellation that includes monumental talents such as Souness, Rush, Hansen, Keegan, and Dalglish. What sets Gerrard apart from these men is that they played in fabulous teams that contained eleven superstars at a time. Throughout his Liverpool career, Gerrard has been

consistently expected to carry teams of perpetual underachievers.

Whenever the integrity of Liverpool FC was being questioned, such as during the Luis Suarez saga, Gerrard served as a poignant reminder of what the club stood for. As a man he has shown himself to be fiercely loyal, devoted and passionate, commanding the utmost reverence from friends and foes alike.

For the world, Gerrard is a hero synonymous with Liverpool, a globally respected sportsman and a humble and diligent professional.

For me, he is the man who kick-started my love affair with football and to whom I will be eternally grateful.

way line, and both the offensive and defensive zones have two face-off circles where play can restart after he game of ice hockey is the an infraction of the rules or any other fastest collision sport in the stoppage of play. world. it requires a combination of exceptional cardiovascular Objectives and Regulations fitness, strength, superior ice skating The objective of ice hockey is abilities, as well as sport-specific skills simple. Both teams aim to score goals such as shooting, passing, and the by shooting the puck past the goalie famous body checking. into the net. The player who does so Ahead of another packed term of ice- is credited with a goal and the players hockey action for the Cambridge men’s who passed to him are given “assists.” and women’s teams leading up to their Players try to avoid going off-side, varsity matches in March, it’s worth which happens when the person with examining the game in some greater the puck enters the offensive zone after detail. one of his teammates. Thus, the player with the puck must be the first of his Teams and the playing surface team to enter the offensive zone in an There are six players on the ice per attempt to score. team at a time: a goaltender, two on Players also try to avoid getting defence, and three attacking forwards penalties, which are given for tripping (two wingers and a centre). There are another player or slashing him with typically 17 players in a squad, who one’s stick. Most penalties result in rotate during breaks in the play. the offender being sent to the sin-bin The playing surface is surrounded by for two minutes, but there more severe wooden boards with glass above. The penalties exist too. The guilty party layout of the ice involves three zones: must sit in the penalty box while his offensive, neutral, and defensive. The team plays with one fewer player. If neutral zone is bisected by a red half- the infraction is carried out to block a

T

Steven Gerrard has truly cemented his place as one of Anfield’s greatest ever players

Sam Rhodes Associate Editor

T

he cricketing world has moved on from Phil Hughes’s death.

The Tri-Series in Australia is only a day away, but all eyes are set firmly on the upcoming ODI World Cup. Hughes is not forgotten, and lessons are continuing to be learned regarding helmet safety, but the process of healing is well underway.

With this in mind, the recent comments of Jonathan Agnew leave a rather bitter taste in the mouth.

Australia–India tests have been beset by conflict and bad blood ever since the infamous racism allegations against Harbhajan Singh in 2007. With Virat Kohli and David Warner on the field, the most recent series has been no different, to the surprise of few other than Agnew. The ex-England International and Test Match Special institution accused Australia of swiftly forgetting the promises made last November.

“Michael Clarke said very clearly that Hughes’s memory would run through Steven Gerrard Photo: Calcio Mercato the team, and would be in the way they would play their cricket. Well, I haven’t seen evidence of that.”

While it is probably fair to say that the in-your-face style that Australia have committed to since the reemergence of Mitchell Johnson as a genuine fast bowler has remained with the team, Clarke should not be held too scoring opportunity, the offending team closely to his words last Autumn. The is further punished by the award of a Australia captain was mourning for a penalty shot to their opponents. team-mate and a close friend, and in the face of a remarkably respectful but Timings and other rules The game of nonetheless omnipresent media, there There are three 20 minute periods in was little else he could say. Cooler ice hockey and the clock does not run ice hockey heads last November have now become in between stoppages in play. There are is the fastest short breaks in between periods and a collision sport orthodox; Hughes died because of a freak accident, and it was a tragedy, match typically lasts about two and a in the world but this must not change the game he half hours. held dear. Agnew should recognise that Players are allowed to body check Australia will remain an aggressive and opponents who have the puck, provided assertive force in world cricket, and that they do not do so in the head, from this is for the best. behind, or by using one’s stick or elbow.

Agnew may feel that he is calling for a return to the ‘good old days’, but the gentlemanly veneer of cricket has always covered a competitive heart, hearkening back to the greats such as W.G. Grace and the Don himself. Neither of these heroes of the game would have balked at attempting to disrupt the thoughts of an opponent. Cricketers have a long pedigree of complaining about more effective opponents failing to play in the spirit of the game. By standing his ground, Clarke is paying tribute to the tenacious and tough Phil Hughes in the An ice hockey game in full swing Photo: Jack Marion best way possible.

Explained: The ins and outs of Ice Hockey Jaason Geerts Sport Contributor

Agnew must keep his own counsel

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Sport 31 Matt Dickinson on Cambridge, journalism and the world of sport Charles Martland Sport Editor

W

ith the busy festive season of sport only just concluded and another great year of sport to look forward to in 2015, I spoke to Matt Dickinson, formerly of Cambridge and now Chief Sports Writer for The Times.

Dickinson talks fondly of his time at Cambridge, where he turned his hand initially to some writing, before taking up the sport editorship with one of the papers. Despite arriving in Cambridge unsure of his intended career path, he left having decided to pursue one in sport journalism, and his first article was an interview with Steve Palmer for The Cambridge Evening News.

Palmer is now retired, but he remains the only professional footballer to have attended the University of Cambridge.

A year-long post-graduate diploma at Cardiff University followed which, Dickinson claims, served as “the perfect transition from studenthood to the working life,” The tough nature of the course allowed him to return to Cambridge the following year with enhanced skills and able to stand on his own two feet, “It was very much a hard school… they made you write stuff to

deadline and if it wasn’t up to standard they literally threw it in the bin.”

Dickinson went on to join The Daily Express in 1991, but there is little doubt that his experiences at Cardiff and at The Cambridge Evening News provided him with the requisite learning to take his career to a national level. “Each step of the way, I learnt all the time,” he says. “Cambridge probably isn’t the raciest of districts, but I remember being sent to Parker’s Piece as a junior hack with a bunch of sausages to catch a stray dog which had been scaring walkers!” recalling the experiences of local journalism in amusing fashion.

The conversation moves on to Dickinson’s famous interview in early 1999 with then England manager Glenn Hoddle, in which the latter’s bizarre slur on reincarnation and the disabled ultimately sealed his fate and led to his resignation. “You wonder whether you want to be remembered for one story,” Dickinson reflects, “but in terms of a learning experience, I probably learned more in those three or four days than you might do in three of four years.”

Dickinson has also turned his hand to publishing a book on England’s World Cup winning centre-half Bobby Moore, who he describes as the “the measuring

stick for an England footballer.” His interest in Moore was enhanced by repeated references to the player in the modern media by journalists with no personal knowledge of what he was like. Even to Dickinson, Moore remains an enigma. “I could sum up everything I knew about him on a page of A4 and people didn’t know Bobby Moore the man.”

Talk of a sporting icon leads to discussion of Steven Gerrard, who recently announced his departure from Liverpool, where he has come to personify the club in the eyes of many.

Dickinson has little doubt that the Liverpool captain’s loyalty to his team (along perhaps with a slightly slippy day last April) ultimately cost him a league winner’s medal: “If he’d gone to Chelsea he would have won four or five league titles, but that was a price he was willing to pay to be loyal to his club and the fact that a player can do that is something to admire.”

And what does 2015 hold for the world of sport? The European Under-21 Championship is something Dickinson highlights as an important stage in the development of England’s national football. He sees current boss Gareth Southgate as the manager -elect for the English National

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Photo: Egghead06

Team, who will eventually replace Roy Hodgson in the Wembley hotseat. This is assuming of course, that his team manage to play to their full potential.

What is evident throughout the conversation is Dickinson’s passion for journalism. He admits that the industry faces significant challenges with decreases in circulation and the onset of a digital age. Nonetheless, he has always loved the trade and believes newspapers can continue to flourish; “newspapers have got to think on their feet and meet the challenges but I’ve got no qualms about the industry at all.” Let’s hope that he’s right.

If Gerrard had gone to Chelsea he would have won four or five league titles

Sudoku

Crossword 1.

Matt Dickinson

11.

12.

10. Lead character in The Matrix (3) 11. Non-existent (3) 13. A variety of internet connection that is achieved without the aid of an ethernet cable (4) 14. A degree course at Cambridge University with a four-letter abbreviation and a faculty situated on the Sidgwick site (4) 17. To ______, an action taken by the majority of recipients of state welfare payment according to many right-wing individuals (8)

Thomas Prideaux-Ghee

Down

1. Of, or pertaining to, Madonna (8) 2. A resident of the UK’s capital (8) 3. A popular, and especially dry variety of champagne (4) 15.

16.

14.

4. A national of the caucasian country which came 4th in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest (8) 17.

5. That time, reknowned by all students, at which work is due for submission (8) 12. “___ I get my work done by 8pm, I Across 7. Colloquial term for an fellow of can go to Cindies tonight.” (2) 1. Last name of the leader of the party Oxford or Cambridge University (3) 15. One who leads proceedings at a leading polls of 18–24 year olds (8) 8. A common term for the collective staged event, or similar performance (2) 6. The International Air Transport community of Islamic people (4) 16. A surefire way to stall a conversation, Association designation for the Royal 9. “I can’t wait to go on my first ever especially if followed by a bodyAir Force (2) RAG Blind _____ this February!” (4) language ellipsis (2) 13.

The solution to this week’s sudoku will be printed in our next issue.

We’re also looking for more crosswords and sudokus to appear in future issues. If you think you’ve got what it takes, email editor@tcs.cam.ac.uk to find out more.

15 January 2015 the cambridge student

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Sport 32

The FA Cup trophy.

Photo: Carlos Yoi

Cambridge United ready for Manchester United FA Cup test Charles Martland Sport Editor In just over a week’s time, the Cambridge United players will face the biggest game of their careers. The FA Cup draw 10 days ago threw up something or a dream fixture for the U’s, handing them a home game against Manchester United next Friday.

The game is already creating huge anticipation in the city, with the visit of the thirteen-time Premier League champions likely to attract both a media and supporter frenzy.

The Red Devils will travel to the R Costings Abbey Stadium next Friday having seen off Yeovil Town in the Third Round, whilst Cambridge beat Luton Town 2-1 to set up the tie. The game is expected to be a sell-out, with around 8,100 fans in attendance, including 1,500 visiting supporters.

As of Tuesday, the U’s also revealed that all 12-game season tickets, as well as tickets for the home game against Newport County, had been purchased.

No seats are expected to remain once the match goes on general sale Richard Money, the Cambridge

manager, was delighted at the prospect of welcoming one of the best sides in the country. He told Cambridge News “It’s a draw you’d barely dare to dream about and now that it’s come out it all feels a bit surreal. It’s still sinking in and it’s absolutely incredible.”

The 59 year old also talked about the benefit of the fixture for Cambridge itself, adding “being at home is great for the profile of the club and the profile of the city.”

The U’s, 14th in the SkyBet League Two table on 32 points, face Newport on Saturday in their final game before the tie. Their opponents travel to London to take on Queens Park Rangers. Cambridge will be hoping that a positive performance against the side currently fourth in the Barclays Premier League can give them some momentum going into the second half of the season, although naturally expectations will remain realistic in the face of the most expensive side ever assembled in the Premier League.

The Cambridge Student will next week have an interview with Richard Money in the build up to the game, as well as reports and reaction after the fixture.

Appiah has scored eight goals this term, the same number that Manchester Cambridge United have progressed United captain Wayne Rooney has from two of their last five ties against netted in the league. top-flight opposition.

The U’s have faced such interest that Michael Harriman’s goal for Luton their website has not survived the in the Third Round was the only goal onslaught, experiencing major technical Cambridge have conceeded in this difficulties throughout Tuesday. year’s competition.

The Abbey Stadium, with its capacity of Cambridge have played 30 games in the 8,100, could fit into Old Trafford over course of this campaign, seven more nine times. The Manchester ground than Manchester United. seats in excess of 75,000.

Key facts:

“It’s a draw you’d barely dare to dream about“ - Richard Money

The two sides last met in the 1991/92 League Cup. The Red Devils won the first leg 3-0 at Old Trafford, with a 1-1 draw in the return at the Abbey.

The highest attendance at the R Costings Abbey Stadium came in the last round of the FA Cup. 7,063 watched the U’s overcome Luton Town, only 1,000 below capacity.

A Cambridge victory could see them paired in the Fifth Round against either Southampton or Liverpool, neither of whom they have played before in a competitive fixture.

Manchester United paid £59.7 million to bring Argentine Angel di Maria to Old Trafford. Cambridge’s record signing remains Steve Claridge. They bought the striker in 1992 for a fee of Cambridge United may be without their just £190,000. star striker Kwesi Appiah, who has been called up to play for Ghana in the Cambridge are 14 places below Yeovil African Cup of nations before returning Town, whom United beat 2-0 in the to Crystal Palace.

Third Round.