Michaelmas 2015 Issue 7

Tompkins Table: Are college rankings a blessing or a curse?

Cambridge Opera:

Wardrobe Snapshot

Pollyanna Furness on keeping out elitism

Inside the wardrobe of a flawlessly stylish fresher

→Interviews, p.14

→ Comment, p.17

→Part 2, p.11

The

Cambridge Student

19 November 2015 Vol. 17 Michaelmas Issue 7 www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Hundreds of students walked from Magdalene Bridge to King’s Parade in a vigil in support of those affected in terrorist attacks on Paris, Beirut, and Baghdad

Image: Rob Humphries

University backs down on Starkey fundraising video Stevie Hertz News Editor

T

he Dear World...

Yours, Cambridge campaign launch video has been removed from the University’s YouTube channel following protests from academics and students.

As of 6pm on Wednesday night, the video, which featured David Starkey, a historian who has previously made controversial remarks, was not available to view.

Instead, a new video ‘What Does Cambridge Mean To You?’ had been uploaded, featuring numerous

alumni, including Clare Balding and Stephen Fry, discussing the impact of their time at Cambridge on them.

Starkey does not appear in the film.

Dr Sarah Dillon, an English lecturer who appeared in the video, denounced the film this week and asked to be edited out after learning of previous comments made by the video’s frontman David Starkey.

Dillon sent an open letter to the other people who appear in the video, including academics, students and alumni Eddie Redmayne and Lily Cole, calling on them to make a similar move.

Dillon’s letter stated: “It has come to my attention that a significant

number of colleagues, students and alumni have been deeply offended by the choice of historian David Starkey to front the campaign video, a man who has a well-documented and undeniable history of racism and sexism.”

Following the 2011 London riots, Starkey received criticism after commenting on Newsnight that “the problem is the whites have become black ... a particular sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic, gangster culture has become the fashion”.

Speaking to The Cambridge Student about the controversy surrounding his video appearance, Starkey said: “I did not put myself

forward. I was asked to contribute by the University, which I love, and to which I owe a profound debt.”

A spokesman for the University’s Development and Alumni Relations said: “We are already re-editing the film for different launch events in different parts of the world, as we intended. The film has already been replaced online with another campaign film... We appreciate that [Starkey] is an academic who has made controversial statements in the past. However, in the video, he was representing his affection for the University and its values (the positive impact of learning and research on people’s lives).”

An open letter was also launched this week by CUSU’s BME Campaign and Dr Malachi McIntosh, a fellow of King’s College. It called on the University to remove the video and apologise for Starkey’s role.

The petition had gained over 400 signatures by the time of printing.

McIntosh has since commented to TCS that “the next and biggest step for the University is to apologise for its selection of Starkey... If it doesn’t happen the damage still remains and the threat of something similar taking place still lingers.”

Continued on page 3...

Editorial Comment, page 12 →

2

19 November 2015 • The Cambridge Student

News

Editorial Team 19 November 2015

Volume 17 • Michaelmas Issue 7 www.tcs.cam.ac.uk

Editors-in-Chief Jack May Freya Sanders Art Director Alice Mottram News Editors Stevie Hertz Elsa Maishman Deputy News Editors Will Amor Catherine Maguire Tonicha Upham Theo Demolder Investigations Editor Colm Murphy Deputy Investigations Editors Anna Carruthers Olly Hudson Features Editors Magdalen Christie Sammy Love Anthony Bridgen Interviews Editor Chase Caldwell Smith Comment Editors Amelia Oakley Julia Stanyard Grace Murray Columns Editor Audrey Sebatindira Food & Drink Editor Lucy Roxburgh Books Editor Jemima Jobling Music Editor Olivia Fletcher TV & Film Editor Anna Bradley Theatre Editor Tom Bevan Fashion Editor Jessie Mathewson Lifestyle Editors Maddy Airlie Isobel Laidler Sport Editor Paul Hyland Deputy Sport Editor Jack Ranson Social Media Manager Sydney Patterson Chief Sub-Editors Charlotte Furniss-Roe Megan Proops Sub-Editors Sherilyn Chew Josie Daw Urvie Pereira Directors Jack May Freya Sanders Colm Murphy Sam Rhodes Jemma Stewart

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

The ‘Where are the Women?’ conference at the Union had one especially cute attendee A Cambridge Diary

Martin Bond is a professional photographer. His project A Cambridge Diary, where he posts a portrait photograph from Cambridge online each day, is his own labour of love. It is now in its sixth year, with nearly 2,000 photographs and counting.

A Cambridge Diary pictures feature every month on the front cover of Cambridge Magazine; they are the pictures behind the Cambridge Literary Festival and they are seen by thousands of people every day. Follow @acambridgediary on Twitter or like A Cambridge Diary on Facebook.

tcd

• tcd@tcs.cam.ac.uk •

CHRIS LEXOW

THE FAMILY MAN FROM UNCLE

Life must be tough in the ranks of the Cambridge Universities Labour Club at the moment, with Jeremy Corbyn (pictured right) shaking things up. All involved are preparing themselves for committee elections, and particularly those for the role of Chair, which looks set to be hotly contested.

Current Vice-Chair, Elinor Clapson, shared her thoughts on the Corbyn issue on Twitter: “Corbyn is the embarrassing uncle of the Labour party, but for some reason we’ve put him in charge of the family holiday”. Only time will tell who’ll be steering Cambridge’s own family holiday.

SUITS AND ROUNDABOUTS

For any Students of Cambridge looking for ever-greater means of procrastination (beyond reading this paper), this Diarist can recommend YikYak – essentially an anonymous version of Twitter. One particularly irate user took to the app this week to vent their frustrations with new-media local sensation Students of Cambridge:

“I swear to god if I’m not on Students of Cambridge by the end of the year I’m dropping out”. They continued: “Students of Cambridge is just a copy of Humans of New York and it’s not original and ALL OF MY FRIENDS HAVE BEEN ON IT

THIS IS BULLSHIT.” The irate user signed off with a cursory “I’m going to sue that stupid page”. This Diarist can’t help but feel that such a lawsuit would be enormously damaging to the platform, and so would suggest its founder seek advice hastily.

Pembroke: Revisited

The Pembroke College JPC’s failure to attract a candidate for its presidency has this week led to current president Will Popplewell staying on, without renewed approval from the demos. This is, he clarifies in an email to Pembroke students, is “the most constitutional” way forward.

However, a petition launched to re-open nominations and thus dispense with Popplewell has signatures including that of current CUSU Women’s Officer Charlie Chorley. A (likely spoof) petition for the ejection of the Food & Bar Officer has since launched. Such a complicated saga culminated on Tuesday, when this Diarist spotted a declaration on the President’s Facebook page: “Announcement: Pembroke will hence forth be known as Popplewell College. Eggs will be banned. Musical theatre sessions will be mandatory.

Interviews will be replaced with sing-offs.” This Diarist eagerly awaits Pembroke’s brave new world.

Front page: PETER CHURCH, NICK RUTTER, JESSIE MATHEWSON

3

The Cambridge Student • 19 November 2015

News

Uni’s £300k payslips revealed New research reveals almost 400 University staff earn over £100,000, including one earning over £400,000 a year Stevie Hertz News Editor New research has revealed that Cambridge University has six employees who earned over £300,000 in 2013/14. The research, conducted by The TaxPayers’ Alliance, a rightwing pressure group, also shows that 387 University staff receive over £100,000.

Cambridge had the fourth greatest number of staff paid over £100,000 in the UK. Oxford had the most, paying 622 people over £100,000.

Through a series of Freedom of Information requests, the research, published in The Public Sector Rich List shows that more than 7,500 university staff across the country earn more than £100,000.

The highest paid university official was at the University of Oxford, who earned £690,000. It has three other

A spokesperson for Cambridge University told Cambridge News: “The staff represented in the figures given to The TaxPayers’ Alliance include senior academics and clinical academics.

“Staff are paid within an agreed payment framework and the remuneration described by the figures include employer’s pension contributions, one-off payments for taking on extra responsibilities as well as salary.”

However, the general secretary of the University and College Union, which represents academics, Sally Hunt, said, “UCU has said for many years that the salaries and benefits enjoyed by

vice-chancellors are embarrassing and completely out of control, as this new report reaffirms.

“As staff pay continues to fall in

“We recruit and retain the very best, and reward their talent appropriately” real terms and many academics are stuck in insecure contracts, inflationbusting salary increases at the top show that vice-chancellors are sadly out of touch.”

However, a spokesperson from

Oxford University argued that the high salaries were necessary, saying “Oxford is a global leader for research and teaching ... To stay there, and ideally to go up one place, we need to keep attracting exceptional minds, who are also highly sought-after by our international competitors. We recruit and retain the very best, and reward their talent appropriately’’.

One second-year student, Anthony Bridgen, agreed, saying: “It depends who they are paying it to – they might be worth it.”

However, Soranna Vieru, vicepresident of the National Union of Students, disagreed, saying “It is CAMBRIDGETRINITY

deeply unfair for vice-chancellors to be taking home enormous pay packets while students are struggling to cope with spiralling debt thanks to exorbitant tuition fees and the soaring cost of living.”

£413,863 Amount the highest paid Cambridge University member of staff receives per year Additionally, in 2012/13, the year before the data was gathered, the vice-chancellors of the Russell Group universities took an average pay rise of £22,000. The universities on average awarded 8.1% pay increases, while over all benefit packages rose by 5.2%.

At the time, Cambridge’s vicechancellor Leszek Borysiewicz responded to a Times Higher Education survey saying he had received a £20,000 pay rise, bringing his remuneration package to £334,000.

However, salaries for British vicechancellors are still less than their foreign counterparts. In 2011, 46 colleges in America paid their vicechancellors over $1,000,000 (around £640,000). Similarly, among eight Australian research universities in 2012 the average vice-chancellor salary was A$900,000 (around £613,000).

387 Number of Cambridge University employees earning more than £100,000 members of staff among the top 20 best paid. Meanwhile, the highest paid staff member at Cambridge earned just over £400,000, making them the 20th best paid member of university staff in Britain.

Starkey’s removal ‘welcome’ Fellow in ‘reply all’ mishap Continued from page 1...

Emphasising the University’s diversity, the second person to speak, Sir Peter Bazalgette, chair of Arts Council England said “You gave me the opportunity to mix with the brightest and the best, but not just with the brightest and the best, but with the brightest and the best from every concievable background.”

Clare Balding and Stephen Fry included, the new video features nine white men, four white women, one man of colour and one women of colour.

The CUSU BME Campaign denounced the original video on its release, stating “Although Dear World... Yours, Cambridge promotes the University’s access initiatives, these are set back by the inclusion of

David Starkey in the video.”

A “fixed” version of the original video has also been uploaded, and has been viewed almost 3,000 times. It re-edits the video to feature Starkey’s Newsnight comments.

Starkey has not apologised for the comments. He wrote later in The Telegraph that his statements had been distorted and that “[he] was accused of condemning all black culture” unfairly.

Helena Blair, CUSU access officer, who also appeared in the video, has commented that, unlike Dillon, she knew of Starkey’s role, saying: “I was informed of David Starkey’s involvement at short notice: I had not heard about his racist views ...

I welcome this campaign calling for the withdrawal of the video and the removal of David Starkey.”

Will Amor Deputy News Editor

“The brightest and the best from every concievable background”

A Cambridge academic emailed his frustration with the University’s fundraising efforts to a much larger crowd than he expected by pressing ‘reply to all’ in an assumed accident.

The mystery fellow called Cambridge Enterprise’s new video ‘‘the kind of shit that I’m very glad to be very far away from in America’’, referring to his ongoing sabbatical leave.

He drew a distinction between the US system of higher education donation, where he views they “endow things because they really care”, and the UK system, where he claims “we have to turn ourselves into whores”.

The video in question is a 90-second clip of a Rube Goldberg machine using recent Cambridge inventions.

The email was sent round by the

‘‘The kind of shit that I’m very glad to be very far away from in America’’

Cambridge Enterprise Champion hoping to promote the film and raise funds. Cambridge Enterprise is the commercialisation arm of the University. They write “Cambridge Enterprise is here to make the world a better place by helping to create a legacy of products, services and advice that benefit not just the University and the UK, but everyone.”

The video features an anticoagulant drug that can prevent people from getting heart attacks and strokes without bleeding, and Jukedeck software by a Cambridge graduate that uses algorithms to write music.

Recently, Cambridge was ranked the 25th most innovative university in the world by Reuters news agency. This was calculated by the amount of basic research carried out at universities and the number of patents they file.

4

19 November 2015 • The Cambridge Student

Housing crisis sparks protest

NEWS BULLETIN

News

Elsa Maishman News Editor Saturday 14 November saw a hundredstrong protest through the streets of Cambridge over the city’s lack of affordable housing.

Activists from Cambridge Unite and Cambridge city council Labour group marched from Regent Terrace, via Regent Street, St Andrew’s Street and Trumpington Street to the Emmanuel United Reform Church on

Trumpington Street, where a rally was held. Speakers included secretary of Cambridge Unite James Youd and Cllr Kevin Price, the executive councillor for housing at Cambridge city council.

Members of the Socialist Party of England and Wales also took part in the event.

The campaigns officer of Cambridge Universities Labour Club (CULC) told The Cambridge Student that CULC was not officially involved in the protest,

“Social housing not social cleansing’’

although members may have taken part in a personal capacity. Flyers distributed by marchers sympathised with local residents unable to acquire council housing, and criticised the high number of expensive properties built in Cambridge.

Andrew Osbourne, a coordinator of the campaign, told TCS that he is concerned that average house prices are ‘‘well above the price range’’ of bedders at the University.

ALL IMAGES: ELSA MAISHMAN

University research showcases supercharged cockroaches

Studies at the University’s Department of Zoology have been preparing us for the apocalypse by focusing on cockroaches, who famously are supposed to be able to survive even nuclear blasts.

In addition to this hardiness, the research has shown that cockroaches can bite with a force 50 times greater than their body weight. Compared relatively to humans, this is five times as strong.

This is the first time a research team has examined the bite strength of ordinary insects. Led by Tom Weihmann, the team is hopeful that this work on the cockroach will help scientists to understand how cockroaches operate within common ecosystems. This in turn may allow them to work on ‘bioinspired engineering’ for the future.

Cambridge moves up THE World University rankings

Cambridge has moved up one rank in the Times’ Higher Education World Rankings, taking fourth place.

Two places behind Oxford University, Cambridge is further pipped to the post by Stanford University and the specialist California Institute of Technology, which clinched the top spot for a staggering fifth year in a row.

Cambridge was placed in the top 10% for teaching, international outlook, research and citations, and was awarded second place in the related World Reputation Rankings. The University also ranked in the top 10 worldwide across all subject areas, placed joint second for life sciences, third for arts and humanities, third for pre-clinical and health sciences, fourth for engineering, sixth for physical sciences and tenth for social sciences.

Calls to lower disadvantaged Scots’ offers Theo Demolder Deputy News A series of recommendations from the Scottish government’s Commission on Widening Access have called for universities north of the border to lower entry requirements for students from less advantaged social and economic backgrounds.

The Commission found that the current system “disproportionately benefits those in our most affluent communities”, warning that there is “no silver bullet” to solve the problem and break down access barriers.

According to research in the report, school-leavers from Scotland’s wealthiest 20% of communities were almost three times more likely to leave school with three Highers than those from the poorest 20%.

Consequently, there exists a smaller pool of students from lower socioeconomic positions who are able to compete with more affluent peers for offers at top Scottish Universities.

Universities which have introduced ‘‘moderately lower’’ contextual offers have reported “little or no evidence of a drop off in academic standards”. The

report cautions that the “increasingly compelling evidence” does not support a more significant cut in requirements, however – rather it advocates a reduced focus on non-academic elements, such as work experience and extracurricular activities, in which respect students from wealthy backgrounds tend to have an advantage.

However, the Commission, led by Dame Ruth Silver, also found that cultural and economic factors play a significant part: poorer students are more likely to feel that university ‘isn’t for them’. Indeed, despite not paying fees, Scottish students are said to be more debt-averse and thus more likely – if they do go to university – to seek to avoid having to take out loans by living at home.

It has been claimed that these problems, in spite of the lack of tuition fees in Scotland for Scottish and nonBritish EU students, show that the removal of fees is no remedy – with fees of £9000 a year not necessarily disadvantaging Cambridge and other English universities in the competition to attract the best applicants – emphasising the need, too, for all

“There’s no silver bullet to solve the problem”

universities to think broadly about access, such as also encouraging Year 11 students to choose sixth form subjects which will provide them with the best chance of getting offers from top universities.

Kenneth McHardy, a first-year Selwyn HSPS student from Edinburgh, gave his perspective, saying: “Scotland has a number of really great unis, most of my friends felt like there was no point going down south. I decided that I would only be willing to pay the fees for Oxbridge.”

CUSU Access Officer Helena Blair also commented in response to the report, telling The Cambridge Student that: “Many access issues originate from further back in an applicant’s educational journey, and it is important that universities take these educational and socio-economic inequalities into account when assessing each application they receive.”

She then continued: “Equally, nations offering free tuition must also couple it with sufficient financial support for students while they are studying if a level playing field within higher education is truly to be created.”

Police issue radical warning: alcohol might be dangerous Cambridgeshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Sir Graham Bright has warned Cambridge residents off the demon drink this Christmas. In light of Alcohol Awareness Week, Sir Graham has commented “If you’re on a night out and having second thoughts about whether to have another drink this Christmas, then the simple answer is ‘don’t’. You could be saving yourself from behaviour you will most likely regret.”

Alcohol Awareness Week is organised by the charity Alcohol Concern, which warns of the dangers of excess alcohol and encourages healthy drinking. In light of protecting their health, students may have to find a new way to keep warm this winter.

Mysterious swordsman spotted in area around Mill Road A man with a sword was spotted in the early hours of Friday morning. The sighting prompted a police hunt on Hemingford Road, in the area off Mill Road. However, despite the extensive man hunt the mysterious armed man was never located.

But, not one to be beaten, Cambridgeshire police have appealed to the public for information. A force spokeswoman commented “We were called at 1.38am on Friday by a member of the public reporting seeing a man carrying a fencing sword... We have received no further reports of the sighting.” Perhaps the swordsman upgraded to pistols before his dawn duel.

50% of our jobs are outside of London

We have 9,100 clients across our regional offices

Our regional practices are at the heart of PwC

68% of all 2015 promotions were outside London

We welcome all degree disciplines

We don’t look at UCAS tariff for our graduate roles

A career that takes you places You might be surprised at the types of projects you could get involved in with us. Not only will you experience a range of challenging projects and exceptional training and development, you’ll also get to work with our high-profile clients. With over 30 offices to choose from, we’re sure you’ll discover an opportunity that’s right for you. Whether it’s joining our Assurance business to provide decision makers with information they can trust, or one of our technology businesses to help our clients embrace emerging trends. With us, you can take your career in a direction that suits you.

Take the opportunity of a lifetime pwc.com/uk/careers

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Create value through diversity.

Be yourself, be different.

6

19 November 2015 • The Cambridge Student

College Watch

Images: Jessica McHugh Text: Will Amor

Emma

Caius

Peterhouse

Trinity

Emmanuel is one of a handful of colleges to have taken part in a new ‘Good Lads’ initiative. An email to all students this week announced that the College rugby team had taken part in a pilot workshop on Sunday. The Cambridge Student understands that it was the men’s College rugby team that piloted the scheme, rather than the Emmanuel College Women’s Rugby Team.

The initiative aims to demonstrate ‘positive masculinity’ and describe the ‘‘good behaviour traits and actions that go with being great friends and colleagues.’’ In her email, the master, Dame Fiona Reynolds, metioned recent attention given by the College to its respect and dignity policies, saying that ‘‘this is a topic that’s widely discussed in Cambridge at the moment, not least because there are some worrying examples around of poor behaviour and a lack of respect.’’

The president of Emmanuel College Rugby Club told TCS: “It was a very effective method of getting men to talk about issues which they would probably not usually discuss. It promoted a sense of positive masculinity that was shared in the team atmosphere.”

The chilly winter months have been keenly felt by some students at Caius recently. The boiler in the colleges central accommodation in St Michael’s Court, opposite the College’s main site, broke down on 13 November.

This malfunction left some eight staircases and 79 people without hot water. An email from the College’s maintenance manager referred to the breakdown as a ‘‘massive cardiac arrest’’ but reassured students that ‘‘open heart surgery is in progress’’. Fortunately, however, the boiler was quickly repaired and Caius students can once again frolic in hot water.

St Mike’s Court is over 100 years old, so breakdowns are an occasional occurrence.

Restoration of the College has been ongoing across the road in Caius’ Old Courts. Scaffolding is still blocking access to one half of the pavement on Trinity Street, while erection specialists often park at the top of King’s Parade to access the College. Jack May, a third year student who lives in St Michael’s Court commented “Obviously, showering in bitter icy waters of a morning is very much far from anyone’s idea of ideal.”

This Saturday, Peterhouse, the penultimate college to accept female students, celebrated 30 years of women in the College, through a commerative meal and speeches.

The evening began with talks from female students, alumae and fellows. These included Dr Jennifer Wallace, one of the first female fellows, who spoke of her time at Peterhouse, alongside two of the Avery sisters, a set of triplets who attended Cambridge in the 1980s.

They were followed by a champagne reception and four course meal, watched over by two portraits of women, which were hung especially for the occasion.

One student who attended the dinner, Georgie Girdwood commented “A wonderful evening, the perfect way to celebrate the anniversary of Peterhouse’s step towards equality. However, it also highlighted how much more progress needs to be made”.

Similarly, Ellie Myerson, the women’s officer who helped to organise the dinner said that “I had a great time at our women’s dinner! I can’t really imagine it could have gone better.”

Sparks have flown at Trinity over a proposed ‘‘Women’s Breakfast’’. The event, organised by the College’s Students’ Union women’s officer Beth Cloughton, will mark 40 years of women being admitted to the College. It will be open to women and non-binary people, and will involve a photo being taken with the College’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth I before it is taken down.

However, there has been social media backlash from male members of the College who felt confusion over the need for a women’s breakfast, and the exclusion of men from the event.

Cloughton expressed frustration at this backlash, saying that ‘‘the focus is women not men, and also this is not similar to ISIS – which has been a comparison.’’

Cornelius Roemer, TCSU President, told The Cambridge Student that there was confusion over whether or not men will be ‘‘excluded from having breakfast during said time and date’’. He said that ‘‘an intense discussion has been sparked by the email about the, now hypothetical, question of whether it is helpful to celebrate gender equality with an event that explicitly excludes men.’’

9,100 50% of our graduate opportunities are based outside of London

In London, salaries are % higher on average, than other cities, but you pay 60% more to live there

33

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clients are based across offices outside of London, and this represents 2/3 rds of our client list

68% of all 2015 promotions were outside London

Our regional practices are at the heart of PwC

We welcome all degree disciplines

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You might be surprised to know that Assurance can take your career in all sorts of directions. Once qualified, you could deepen your knowledge in a particular industry, move into a new area and develop new expertise, or maybe go on a secondment abroad or with a client. Whatever you decide, it’s a great place to begin your career journey.

We look for people who are motivated by a sense of achievement, have a unique passion for what they’re doing and the ambition to go above and beyond. The range and variety of career opportunities we have is extensive – from Consulting to Tax; Assurance to Legal; and Technology to Actuarial – and our businesses welcome applications from people who don’t have business or financerelated degrees. In fact, 50% of our graduate intake studied non-business related subjects. Instead, we focus on whether someone can bring the kind of skills that will create value for our clients and lead to success in their career. Our roles aren’t just limited to London – over half of our graduate jobs are regional and just like London, they have high-profile and diverse clients.

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Take the opportunity of a lifetime pwc.com/uk/careers © 2015 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved.

8

19 November 2015 • The Cambridge Student

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9

The Cambridge Student • 19 November 2015

News

Bursar criticises city blackout

NEWS BULLETIN

Elsa Maishman News Editor

The University of York was planning to mark International Men’s Day on 19 November, but has now cancelled its masculine celebrations in light of a backlash from the student body. The Equality and Diversity Committee was hoping to highlight issues men face such as reluctance to seek help for welfare or mental health issues. Raising awareness for these problems has now been swept aside so that the Committee can continue to focus on redressing the gender imbalance amongst the university’s employees. York had a female Chancellor until 2004, the mezzo-soprano singer Dame Janet Baker, while Cambridge has yet to appoint its first woman in the role. In fact, Cambridge has only had one Chancellor since 1660 who was not a white, male Peer of the Realm.

Selwyn college bursar has taken his complaints to the latest bursars’ committee meeting

Nick Downer, bursar of Selwyn College, has sent an email expressing his opposition to the county council’s decision to switch off streetlights in many areas of the city between midnight and 6am from 1 April 2016.

The email, sent to all students, staff and fellows of Selwyn, states that the county council’s plan is, in the bursar’s view,: ‘‘extremely unhelpful for road safety and personal security.’’

He continued: ‘‘You might wish to join me in registering disapproval by responding to the consultation

at the link detailed below. The more responses received, the more likely it is that the county council will listen.”

The ‘‘consultation’’ mentioned has been launched by the county council.

Residents can contact the council, or fill in an online survey giving their views on the proposed switch-off.

Downer then explained that he had reported the county council’s plans to the last meeting of the Bursar’s Committee. He said: ‘‘on behalf of the BEPSC I would urge each College to respond to the consultation. In particular, you will know the risks involved in the areas immediately

“I would urge each College to respond to the consultation”

PETE

around your properties, so could highlight specific problems with the proposal.’’

The county council has said that due to government cuts, it must save £100 million over the next 5 years, £272,000 of which will come from the streetlight switch-off. A spokesperson previously told The Cambridge Student that: ‘‘if we do not find further ways to save money we will have to make deeper cuts from services such as frontline social care looking after the most vulnerable in our society.’’

The proposals, which would see lights switched off on roads including Chesterton Lane, Grange Road, Trinity Lane, Sidgwick Avenue and Free School Lane.

Several JCR presidents have opposed the plans, claiming that students’ safety will be compromised.

A petition started by Beth Cloughton, Trinity College Women’s Officer, asks the council to keep the lights on, claiming that ‘‘the risk of danger will be increased drastically if this ‘money-saving’ scheme actualises, creating what could and has been preventable crime, fear, and damage to a person’s life.’’ The petition has so far gained 2,500 signatories.

This comes after CUSU council approved a motion last Monday for CUSU to pressure the University for student representation on the bursars’ committee – one of three principal inter-collegiate committees.

Depot planned for all online student shopping Tonicha Upham Deputy News As part of development plans for the New Museums site in central Cambridge, it is understood that a centralised delivery point for student parcels will be established.

The Cambridge Student understands that the delivery point, which will accept deliveries of parcels from various courier companies, will be established as part of the student services infrastructure which will be based on the New Museums Site.

This is a reaction to the increasing popularity of online shopping amongst students, which has led to unmanageable numbers of deliveries at porters’ lodges across the university.

One porter commented on the changes to TCS: “It’s a great idea.

Colleges aren’t designed to deal with the number of parcels they’re taking.

The amount of parcels we receive is

only going to go up and up, and none of the colleges have been ready for this – we’ve been taken by storm as this has happened very quickly.”

However, there was some scepticism about the logistics of a depot of this kind, with doubt expressed over the ability of one centre to handle multiple delivery systems and companies, the difficulty posed by duplicated names and the sheer volume of deliveries the depot would have to handle.

Miriam Longman, a second-year student, said to TCS, “As someone with health problems, it would be a nightmare to have to walk into town to get parcels, not to mention carrying them back to Newnham.

It’s understandable that Porters Lodges get overwhelmed by deliveries, but in this world of internet shopping, I don’t think a centralised parcel office would help anyone. It would be timeconsuming for students and staff, and would disadvantage those with more

The popularity of online shopping has led too many deliveries to Porters’ Lodges

limited mobility. Things aren’t going to change, so Plodges need to adapt.”

These changes come as part of the more general modifications currently being made to the New Museums site, which include controversial alterations to the historic Cavendish laboratory.

Under current plans, the ground floor of the laboratory will be redesigned to create an access route, removing part of the original facade.

The plans also include moving the Departments of Materials Science, and Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology to the New Museums for West Cambridge, while the Departments of Geography and Land Economy will move on to the site.

The Supplementary Planning Document released in June 2015 by Cambridge City Council says that “The New Museums Site will develop as a place for University of Cambridge related uses involving world class teaching, learning and research.”

University of York backs down over International Men’s Day

Egyptian coffins not the only old things at the Fitzwilliam The Fitzwilliam Museum has announced plans for its bicentenary in 2016. Speaking to Cambridge News, a spokeswoman told of ‘‘a full year of festivities’’ including the Museum’s ‘‘ancient Egyptian coffins and illuminated manuscripts’’ as well as the publication of a new history of the Museum. It was founded by Viscount Fitzwilliam, a graduate of Trinity Hall, in his will. He had amassed an impressive collection of artwork, manuscripts and printed books over his life which he wished to allow the public to view after his death. The Museum sees around half a million visitors a year and has been free of charge since its opening in 1816. As well as impressing students and tourists alike, the Museum was the namesake for Fitzwilliam College, founded 150 years later in 1966.

Race-related demonstrations across American universities A number of universities and colleges in the United States are seeing student demonstrations and rallies protesting what they see to be the marginalisation of race issues.

The President of the University of Missouri was forced to leave his position after students accused him of failing to tackle racism at the university.

There have been related protests at Smith College, Massachusetts, and Ithaca College, New York. There have been calls to replace the latter’s president in the wake of the Missouri president’s dismissal. Student outrage was provoked at Yale in Connecticut over cultural appropriation at Halloween. Costumes that involved ‘‘blackface’’ and dressing as ‘‘Indian Chieftians’’ were especially condemned.

New accomodation for use of local non-University students Restrictions on the use of student housing could be lifted in the City Council’s new plan. Namely, accommodation built for students could no longer mean just those studying at the august institutions of Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin Universities, but also pupils at the myriad of other colleges that inhabit the city.

These colleges offer courses including English language learning for non-native speakers and preparation for exams GCSEs or A Levels. The non-university education system in Cambridge brings a large number of people to the city contributing to its economy.

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19 November 2015 • The Cambridge Student

Features

Students: a threat to the planet?

Sammy Love Features Editor

for the rest of term. It doesn’t even cross my mind to just put an extra hoodie on instead.

Likewise, if I’ve rushed off for a lecture I’ll come back to find I’ve left two lamps and the ceiling light on for several hours in an empty room. And perhaps I’d take shorter showers if I was faced with the water bill.

This isn’t a request for colleges to start charging us for utilities; my accommodation bill is hefty enough thank you very much.

But without the normal prompt of utility bills to remind us to limit our electricity and water consumption, it is essential for us to enforce frugality on ourselves – if not to save our own money, then at least to save the seal pups.

I

don’t hate the environment. Like most of you, I would shake my head disparagingly at anyone who claimed Perhaps I’d that climate change is a myth and suggested take shorter that we should keep burning fossil fuels showers if with reckless abandon.

At home, I reckon my carbon footprint is I was faced relatively low, even if that is mainly due to with the water my dad keeping a militant watch over the bill thermostat. And in Cambridge, deprived of my car and forced to walk everywhere, I would smugly assure you that I must be doing my bit to save the melting ice caps and so on.

CAROLINECCB Indeed, the introduction of the 5p shopping bag charge has stopped me accumulating several hundred plastic bags a month, and having to pay for printing has made me far more frugal in my paperusage. On the rare occasions that I do invest in printing something, I’m pretty good at making sure I recycle everything I can, although given that college puts a recycling bin in every room it doesn’t take much effort on my part.

But while our non-car-using, shoppingbag-reusing Cambridge selves might assume we aren’t the ones environmental campaigns are directed at, our pampered lives here are at risk of blinding us to how many resources we are actually wasting.

Certainly from my own experience, not having to pay a utility bill means I happily turn the heating up to full and leave it there Turn your heating down; you’re melting my iceberg!

Grappling with gourds Anthony Bridgen Features Editor

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t’s a hard life, that of a vegetableist, persecuted throughout the ages, hounded with pitchforks and cries of “beast-lover” and called traitors to the institution of roast dinner. But seriously, people are pretty much always surprised when I tell them that I’m a vegetarian and that I have been so for about 14 years.

Amongst the first thing they’ll ask is: ‘how do you live without bacon?’ as if it is some sort of meaty ambrosia which, once tasted, makes all other food pale in comparison.

Well frankly, I remember eating bacon and honestly, it wasn’t that great (shocked gasps all round right?), my abiding memory is one of greasiness.

The other great inquiry that always comes my way is ‘what, not even fish?’. This query which always makes me want to ask if they think fish is a vegetable. I fear that the latter problem is brought about by those individuals who proudly proclaim their vegetarianism, but then later drop in that they still eat fish… These subversive saboteurs refuse to use their own, specially made definition of ‘pescatarian’.

I have always found this odd, seeing as Britain is considered to be one of the most vegetarian friendly countries in the world,

Hounded with picthforks and cries of “beast lover”

with 12% of the population claiming the label, though this probably includes some of those dastardly pescatarians. Thus, coming to Cambridge was a real breath of fresh air, for the first time I met other vegetarians and felt free to shout about my love of vegetables from the rooftops without fear of reproach. There are enough of us (and vegans) to warrant an entire Facebook page and a restaurant that serves only vegetarian food! I’ve also met so many people who’ve realised the ethical and environmental implications of the meat industry and are now budding vegetarians.

As much as I might complain, my thoughts go out to those unfortunate individuals of continental Europe – Spain and Italy especially – where the word vegetarian is not in the vocabulary, and saying you don’t eat meat elicits dirty looks.

I remember holidays in Spain when my hosts proudly served up the ‘vegetarian’ dish. I was foolishly deceived by their appearance, which looked like innocent boiled eggs, and so proceeded to bite into one – only to discover it was stuffed with tuna. I thank my lucky stars that I live somewhere so accepting of a diet that is healthier and more morally sound. Having said that, I do still miss pepperoni – we all do. Seriously, the struggle is real.

Sav ing the wor Gareth Snood

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veryone is always telling us that we need to do more, to do our bit to tackle climate change. But aside from campaigning, signing petitions and having a good old rant about how a candidate for the American presidential race is a climate change denier.

What can we do in our daily lives to be a little more conscious about our consumption and how can we reduce it?

Fear not, we are here to show you seven easy steps to a sense of environmental conscientiousness.

Step one – Pop on a jumper

Everyone loves knitwear and the winter season gives you a good excuse to buy more! Cardigans, sweaters, hoodies or maybe a cheeky scarf are at your finger tips.

So instead of wacking the heating up to full blast, make your wardrobe your first port of call for warming up.

Step two – Put a lid on it

If you’re lucky enough to go to a college

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The Cambridge Student 19 November 2015

Part 2

The Student Diet

2

Culture Can poetry be translated?

Yes – don’t get bogged down in words

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oetry is not just a series of words, a poem is an idea. It is a way to communicate with a reader.

This idea need not be conveyed explicitly. In fact, in many poems, abstract notions constitute the bulk of the meaning.

Poetic techniques such as rhyme, rhythm, and alliteration are very effectively employed by the majority of poets, and many would argue that it is often not possible to accurately translate all these literary devices. Although these add to the poem’s lyricism, it is ultimately the semantics that must remain intact. This, too, can be challenging as some words do not have exact translations, and cultural differences mean that connotations of certain words can be lost. But if one is aware of these subtleties, it is possible to get a near enough approximation. An approximation may not be enough for some but it is normally possible to make up for what meaning is lost on one line by adding something elsewhere in the poem. The most important thing is that the translator understands the effect the original poet envisaged, and makes this the focus of their version.

So long as the tone of the poem remains the same, a poem’s translation can be just as effective, since the translator can interpret the original and apply their own literary techniques to achieve this goal. A poem’s translation will never be exact, such is, arguably, the nature of translation. Yet if the translator focuses on the idea and message being conveyed instead of getting bogged down in words, it is possible to remain faithful to the original.

Lili Bidwell

No – it’s rendered a shadow of its former self

L

ike all writing, poetry conveys meaning. In poetry however, there is so much more than meaning.

The meaning is made art. Every word in a poem should be deliberate. It is carefully chosen to complete an intricate and beautiful structure.

I think of it like this: the more words there are, the less importance they assume. In a novel, each individual word is less important than in a short story. In a long academic text, word selection is less important than a short journal article. Poetry is, according to this principle, the sharp end of word-craft.

The importance placed on each word and its careful deployment renders poetry, if not untranslatable then, at the very least, not worth translating. Words do not have equivalents, and the different rhythms, structures and syntax of each language make translating of any kind an incredibly hard task. It is fair to say that things are always lost and changed in the process of translation. Yet poetry is an intricate thing, and not one that stands up well to this kind of treatment. The change of sound and flow drastically alter a poem. The poem may roughly mean the same thing in blunt terms, but the point is not the meaning in a strict way of reading each word. The wider meaning, the art for which these words are a vehicle, is lost in this change.

In translating a poem, it is rendered a shadow of its former self. The intention of the poet, and the essence of the poem never being fully clear to the reader of translation. Poetry is best left to be read in the language in which it was written.

Ronan Marron STEVE JOHNSON

19 November 2015 • Part 2 • The Cambridge Student

Too early for Christmas Songs? We think not Candice Roberts

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t’s never too early to start listening to Christmas songs in Cambridge; most of us have already started stealing chocolate out of the Bridgemas advent calendar, after all. What better way to dispel the mid to late term blues than a little bit of ‘Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire’? It’s pretty clear that Christmas songs are formulaically composed in order to produce the greatest amount of happiness and not just exclusively yuletide glee. For those who say, “Oh, but it’s too early!” Come off it, now. It’s never too early to be happy.

Especially not after last weekend’s switching on of the Christmas lights in Market Square – it’s literally written in the sky. The overflow of Shakin’ Stevens, Wham and Wizzard tells you that Bridgemas is in full-flow and it’s a strong tide. We implore you to turn that frown upside down, take the ‘u’ out of blue and turn on a little ‘Winter Wonderland’, which is better than true love itself.

There are a few upsides too: my mum hates ‘Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)’ by The Darkness and won’t have it on during Christmas. But is she here to stop me during Bridgemas? No, she is not. This song truly gets me and captures my premature Christmas feelings, puts them in a box and ties a ribbon round them, before placing neatly (and happily) under a meticulously melodically layered song-shaped Christmas Tree. Bridgemas wants you to be happy.

Beyond iPlayer: Why you need the BBC Grace Dickinson

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o you wake up to the dulcet northern tones of Nick Grimshaw on Radio 1 before your 9am lecture? Do you religiously watch University Challenge in your college TV room to track the (hopefully successful) performance of Cambridge colleges? Is your guilty pleasure streaming Don’t Tell the Bride after a night out, eating a hangover-preventing chicken souvlaki? Whether any of these apply to you, it is clear that the BBC’s reach goes much further than the remit of ‘public service broadcaster’.

Amidst current government discussions to scrap the license fee and reduce the scope of the BBC, its future is shrouded in a Green Paper mist that could significantly transform it from a commercial competitor into an information delivery service. But how relevant is the BBC for students today? Do BBC documentaries contribute to your studies? Or has it become an outlet for (much needed) study-break procrastination?

As I nostalgically recall BBC Bitesize and entertaining, educational programmes such as Horrible Histories and Newsround, I begin to wonder how the BBC approaches university students as a target audience. Scrolling through

the BBC website, it appears that programmes specifically targeted at our age group mainly belong to BBC Three, which is defined as “a mixed genre channel for young audiences” covering comedy, drama and documentaries that are designed to “stimulate strong emotions and provoke reactions” for example, a hybrid factual-comedyprovocateur programme The Revolution Will Be Televised which uncovered corruption, namely corporate tax evasion.

No wonder there have been calls to make BBC3 an online-only channel: the revolution may not be televised, but it will certainly be streamed. Interestingly, such programming targeted at our undergraduate age-group is tantamount to a call to arms. BBC Radio 4 and BBC2 documentaries such as Simon Schama’s Face of Britain may be more useful for your studies or wider learning, but it seems the BBC is more interested in motivating students to action under the label of entertainment.

The BBC is an unrivalled source of information and entertainment that is relevant for students: no other broadcaster covers such a wide range of fields. However it does appear that there is a gap in the market on the BBC for more university student focused programming.

TIM LOUDON

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 19 November 2015

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Culture

In defence of the critical theatre reviewer JOHANNES HJORTH

Alice Mottram Art Director

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tudent journalism and theatre have such vested interests in one another, it is easy to dismiss both as a circle-jerk of self promotion. When a student paper publishes a positive review of a show, it is immediately shared by producers and proud family members alike, boosting both ticket sales and the news outlet’s readership. It is easy, then, to understand how papers fall into the habit of awarding a blanket 7/10 or 4 stars out of 5 to every show from the Girton library to the Homerton auditorium.

Quite understandably, reviewers want to avoid causing offence, especially when they know someone with a Camdram credit attached to the show. It seems far easier

The circle-jerk of mutual congratulation which is student journalism and theatre and kinder for everyone to expect and be content with 7/10. Even when a reviewer has no friendly investment in a production, it can seem unnecessarily unkind to slate the dramatic work of fellow students. Ultimately, we are all twenty-somethings still learning how to write or act, and

surely we should therefore cut each other some slack?

It is this thinking which results in the circle-jerk of mutual congratulation which is student journalism and theatre. In awarding all shows a mixed, nay positive review, both theatre and its criticism lose all value. Both are of such a high standard in Cambridge that it is an injustice to write lazy reviews of shows which fall beneath the expectations of audience members. When writers and actors alike are potentially hoping to pursue careers in the respective industries, amateur criticism benefits both parties.

Moreover, a night out at the ADC is no longer a cheap alternative to the pub. When students are paying £11 for a ticket to an ADC Mainshow, they should be able to read honest reviews and decide whether the £6 show at the Corpus Playroom is money better spent. Theatre tickets are increasingly expensive, and with the glut of shows on offer, students deserve to be able to make informed decisions about which to see and which to avoid.

Staging a show or producing a weekly newspaper is hard work, and when you receive such public criticism as a theatre review it can make you question what your endeavours are worth. But ultimately, without the negative reviews, you would never be able to deservedly congratulate yourself on finally having produced that 10/10 show so rarely applauded in the pages of The Cambridge Student.

Children’s books and non-binary identity BOSTON CHILDREN’S LIBRARY

Frances O’Sullivan

S

o far, 2015 has been an excellent year for children’s fiction featuring transgender characters. I felt so happy back in January when, wandering around Heffers, I saw Lisa Williamson’s The Art of Being Normal on display. Not hidden away amongst all the other books with only the spine visible – on display. I hadn’t heard of the book before, but the cover made it clear that the book had transgender themes.

The Art of Being Normal tells the story of two secondary school pupils coming to terms with their identities and finding ways to fit in and be able to safely be themselves.

Williamson takes inspiration from her work with The Gender Identity Development Service. She deals with the bullying that is a reality for many LGBT+ children whilst maintaining a refreshing level of positivity.

However, its main weakness is the way in which she uses gendered language whilst writing about a character in transition. The blurb opens with: “Two boys. Two secrets.”

One of the two protagonists, however, identifies as female.

Misgendering her in this way promotes the damaging misconception that trans girls are boys pretending to be girls. A better approach would be that taken by Cris Beam in I am J, in which the protagonist is presented to the reader as male from the outset.

I have once again had the wonderful experience of walking into a bookshop and seeing a children’s book that deals with transgender issues prominently on display.

This time it was George, by Alex Gino. It is a beautiful, heartwarming story that centres around the protagonist’s desire to play Charlotte in a school production of Charlotte’s Web, and her hopes that this will help people accept her as a girl. Aimed at a younger audience than The Art of

Being Normal, George has the benefit of being written by a member of the trans community. Gino is very sensitive in their approach to the protagonist’s gender identity. The language is relatively simple, which might put off older readers but makes the book accessible to a wider and younger audience.

Both of these books, and the many others out there, are helping children and young adults become more aware of

It would be good to see more books with characters who just happen to be transgender transgender experiences and thereby more accepting of the community, which is fantastic. They also help young transgender and gender non-conforming people explore and come to terms with their identity. So what next?

The vast majority of books that feature transgender characters are about being transgender. They focus on the characters coming to terms with their identity, coming out to people in their lives and transitioning.

As awareness of the trans community increases, it would be good to see more books with characters who just happen to be transgender having adventures that don’t focus on their gender identity. Love in All Forms, an anthology of comics for children edited by Serafina Dwyer, is such a book. The characters presented include a young non-binary thief who rescues a princess and an apprentice witch, whose parents originally thought she would grow up to be a warlock. Their stories remind readers that gender is only a part of a person’s wonderful and unique identity.

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19 November 2015 • Part 2 • The Cambridge Student

Culture

Marlowe showcase: Embarrassing moments from Cambridge’s best

Tom Bevan Theatre Editor

ROB EAGER

T

he Marlowe Society Showcase is back. The annual performance is a chance for the creme de la creme of the Cambridge theatre scene to show off their talent in front of industry bigwigs, friends and family.

The graduating actors, directors and producers join an impressive and prestigious list of alumni that includes Ian McKellen, Derek Jacobi, Sam Mendes, Rachel Weisz and many others; the showcase is an opportunity to get a head start in a competitive industry and many of these faces will go on to achieve great things in TV, film and on stage.

But it isn’t all professional headshots and impressive monologues: I asked some of the thesps involved for their most embarassing Cambridge theatre moments that they’ll look back on and laugh at in years to come.

“In rehearsal, an actor asked what alfalfa was; I replied nonchalantly “oh, the kale of 2004.” I did immediately see how mortifyingly middle class the comment was. The cast didn’t let me forget it...” Marthe Ogg de Ferrer, Director

“In one show I had to give a blowjob with my grandma sitting surprised in the audience.” Ryan Monk, Actor

“I managed to complete an entire show with my flies wide open. I’m sure my family appreciated the pair of My Little Pony pants I was sporting that day.” Ella Duffy, Actor

“I was in a show where a complex piece of choreography went to tatters because of a technical error, and the cast and I found ourselves improvising: I resorted to some appalling, half-hearted slut drops.” Bea Svistunenko, Actor

“We were doing publicity for God on Trial and wrote the name of the play around town in chalk. We were stopped by police who’d had multiple calls from people thinking we were religious extremists!” Tom Beavan, Actor

Word of the Week: Deliciating as self-care You may have already had the Week Five Blues but

as we still have two more weeks left: treat. yo. self.

Jess Payn Columnist

I

t gets to this stage in term and I think everyone is finding it difficult not to lapse into a state of delassation, where permanent fatigue characterises daily life; where you sacrifice friends and fun in the interests of sleep; and where even the basic activities of showering and food shopping start to feel too wearying to contemplate. It is, therefore, the perfect time to start deliciating extravagantly.

Snuggle up with a book that’s not academically useful; buy that packet of cookies, and consume as many as you please; or make yourself happy with an unnecessary but cheering object from Tiger, like the tempting rubber penguins they currently have on offer.

Because, as the nights grow longer, and the weeks become inexplicably shorter and more stressful, it is definitely justifiable to focus on indulging and making yourself happy – in whatever way you choose.

Everyone’s version of deliciation will be different, even if they share some similar features. Most will involve food (surely it’s no coincidence that ‘deliciate’ bears such a striking resemblance to ‘delicious’); warmth; friends; maybe a tipple of something warming and soothing; perhaps a film. And the common theme will be this: time away from work and stress.

It could be doing something refreshingly different: like not going on a walk, but on a divagation. Stray your way

around Cambridge: wander without direction. It might not exactly be possible to get lost in the limited surrounding locality, but it can feel indulgent to walk somewhere without needing to make your way to a specified destination (like the library or a supervision), or to travel somewhere at a specified time.

Clearly, my own form of indulgence spans perusing the dictionary for new pointlessly strange synonyms: now, whenever I procrastinate, I can take new pleasure in knowing that I can call such spouts of idleness a ‘jauk’, rather than the far less fun ‘wasted time’. I hope that you can find something that satisfactorily assuages your deliciating urges as well.

19 November 2015 • Part 2 • The Cambridge Student

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Culture

Christmas from the inside: Tidings from behind bars Ben Redwood

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first heard about the Prison Outreach Choir halfway through Lent 2015. The project sounded noble, challenging, and unique, and I was dying to stick my nose in. Having never sung for a choir before my right to participate was dubious, but they agreed to take me on anyway.

We were given one rehearsal the evening before, with four songs assembled around a theme (this time it was ‘music of the people’). We would sing these songs at the end of the day in a concert, while during the day we workshopped other songs alongside the participants.

After an attempt to ‘Bee-Gee’ the alto parts, I was branded a tenor and told to stand with the other little men. I will say that being able to read music is essential, and that the ability to sight-sing is an enormous advantage, but you can get away with copying the singer next to you.

the same intense positivity and gratitude is hard to say.

Over the day we learned a few new simple songs – including ‘Drunken Sailor’ and the like – and learned how to sing in rounds, harmonies, and by splitting into the four choir parts.

The students who ran the workshop – mainly the society committee, who juggled the workshops themselves alongside admin duties – lead them excellently, maintaining both professionalism and the genuine warmth that gave everyone confidence and delight in participating. This is a project in incredibly capable hands.

ORANGE COUNTY ARCHIVES

“I don’t like work – no man does – but I like what is in the work – the chance to find yourself.’ Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad.

On fining: “Everyone has secrets. It’s just a matter of finding out what they are.” The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson.

“It is one thing to see your road, another to cut it.” Daniel Deronda, George Eliot.

Making conversation with participants was hard at times.

Many of the newcomers, myself included, felt shy, and tended to huddle around the edges of conversations. Those that thrived were outgoing and bubbly, confident enough to connect with whomever they talked to on the day.

Sing Inside Cambridge is a unique society doing incredible things. Few others offer this direct opportunity to change lives in such an effective way. It’s a big muso crowd, but certainly very welcoming. This society is definitely recommended for the confident or those courageous enough to fake it ‘til you make it.

Marcus Chenevix-Trench

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“Now I understand that one of the important reasons for going to college and getting an education is to learn that the things you’ve believed in all your life aren’t true, and that nothing is what it appears to be.” Flowers for Algernon, Daniel Keyes.

On engaging with Tripos: “Criticism is as inevitable as breathing.” The Sacred Wood, T. S. Eliot.

Flashforward: The Simpsons in 2030 t is the year 2030 and, as they have for the last forty five years, British audiences are settling down to watch The Simpsons, TV’s longest running cartoon show.

Some things haven’t changed: the kids have not aged, and still attend Springfield elementary school and Homer even still works in a nuclear power station although occasional joking references are made to the improbable continuity of this long obsolete ‘fission’ technology.

The series has suffered something of a dip in popularity recently, especially since the introduction of President Trump’s much discussed ‘Moral Majority Act’ which has banned all forms of media deemed to inflict damage on the ‘patriotic spirit of the national citizenry’.

Homer Simpson still drinks beer, but Duff is long gone, replaced by Trump Beer, the hyper-addictive, watery lager marketed by the president himself. Marge, meanwhile, continues her life as a devoted housewife and frequently gives short speeches to the audience on the value of piety,

“But that was civilisation, so far as Logen could tell. People with nothing better to do, dreaming up ways to make easy things difficult.” The Blade Itself, Joe Abercrombie.

The 1st century BC equivalent of daring to do a sober Cindies: “Almost no one dances sober, unless he is insane.”

Pro Murena, Cicero.

They were a captivating crowd: one ex-roadie from the 80’s rock circuit; another an aspiring YouTube musician The day itself was an early start at 6.30am. Aside from a few veterans, most of us were newbies, many of whom were as shy and uncertain as myself. We were a little anxious about whether we could connect – would we be too ‘Cambridge’, and come off as more aloof than we meant to be? Sam Rayner, a fellow newcomer, summarised this problem rather succinctly: “I’m worried I’m going to be ironic at an inappropriate time.”

The participants came in waves throughout the day. They were a captivating crowd: one ex-roadie from the 80’s rock circuit; another a talented aspiring YouTube musician; while a third had taught himself to compose music, play the sitar, and speak three eastern languages. “That’s the beauty of prison,” he explained, “the focus it gives you”. Many of us had had no experience talking to or working with prisoners before, and their optimism and positivity wasn’t only surprising, but disarming. Their passion and work ethic reminded me of some of the most driven Cantabs I know.

Though whether those Cantabs would claim to be driven by

12 literary quotes that perfectly sum up Cambridge life

patriotism and the evil of foreigners.

Bart occasionally rebels, but only against his nasty (and possibly foreign) teacher Ms Gonzales. Lisa has realised the folly of being vegetarian and is often seen to consume large quantities of Trump Steaks, Trump Burgers and Trump Wings.

The last season concluded with a spectacular finale in which Sideshow Bob reappears, revealing himself to be not in fact an American, but an illegal immigrant! He attempts to kill Bart through a devious plan involving the consumption of non-Trump endorsed products, but is luckily foiled by a cameo appearance of the president himself, who destroys the would-be-murderer using the Bible and then delivers a short speech on the necessity of strong borders.

The coming series, which will be the first to be broadcast since the fall of the Trump Government, is wearily awaited

by British audiences.

“It is our choices that show us for what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, J. K. Rowling.

DUTCHHPFAN1992 VIA YOUTUBE

“At some point I’d like to have an original idea...” Starter for Ten, David Nicholls.

“So it goes.” Slaughterhouse 5, Kurt Vonnegut.

“Had we but world enough and time.” To His Coy Mistress, Andrew Marvell.

“There is much pleasure to be gained from useless knowledge.” In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays, Bertrand Russell.

“I’m no good at anything. Not men. Not social skills. Not work. Nothing.” Bridget Jones’ Diary, Helen Fielding.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens.

“Just get through the goddamn day.” A Single Man, Christopher Isherwood

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19 November 2015 • Part 2 • The Cambridge Student

Reviews As You Like It at Downing Emily Chadwick

T

he Howard Theatre is a hidden gem, tucked away in the back of Downing College. Decked out in a gorgeous set, the intimate but ornate venue was the ideal location for the Downing Dramatic Society’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s ultimate romcom, As You Like It. Bottles and jars with messages and flowers hung from the branches of Charlie Clark and Alice Attlee’s intricately constructed tree canopy, accompanied by autumn leaves and a backdrop of orange and pink hues, upon which the shadows of the branches fell softly. Under this tree, a slightly nervy start was soon forgotten as the cast settled down into their visibly enjoyable roles. Particularly pleasing was the natural intonation brought to the often clunky Shakespearean iambic pentameter, particularly by Lola May-Seaton as Rosalind and Jake Morris as Orlando, whose lively portrayals made their romance appear authentic and allowed the comedic script to capture the audience.

Laugh-out-loud scenes were rife, the slo-mo fight scene springing immediately to mind, while a stand out individual performance came in the brilliantly performed speech by Orlando trying to coax Adam (Isaac Jordan) back to life.

Special mentions must also go to Hannah Machover as Touchstone and Jacques, who

was excellent on all accounts and dealt with the “all the world’s a stage” monologue with flair, as well as the natural performance from Daisy Jones as Celia.

There is little to criticise in what was overall a very thoughtful production. Movement around the stage was generally good, although the many ‘exits and entrances’ could perhaps have run smoother at times.

The courtly costumes were confusingly modern, but the pastoral costumes seemed better put together. There was a range of accomplishment in the foreign accent department, from a fairly convincing French number to a country twang that was seemingly forgotten every other line (the product of playing a dual role, perhaps).

A lovely surprise came in the frequent musical interludes, courtesy of composer Daniel Duffy, which were nothing short of enchanting, and sung by the talented Emily Collinson. Whilst excellent in themselves, the songs and outros also worked well to link scenes, without being a distraction.

Overall, this is a thoroughly impressive production which brought out all the humour of this timeless play.

8/10

Frozen: chilling and intense Hannah Cavender-Deere

T

hree figures frozen at opposite corners of the stage, a tense silence lingers as the play begins. Plastering the majority of the set is a wall of violent sexual images, made more disturbing by the childlike quality of the drawings.

The play consists mostly of alternating monologues and the actors did well to maintain such an intense atmosphere throughout. Xelia Mendes-Jones, playing the mother Nancy, was especially captivating.

Her subtle shifts in facial expression and use of silence produced a hunched, shuffling figure of grief.

As with all the characters in this play, there is nothing ‘clean’ about her portrayal.

Nancy’s crumbling domestic life is marked by a strained relationship with her remaining daughter, Ingrid. In a particularly uncomfortable moment, Nancy claims she wants to “tear her eyes out”.

The complexity of emotions is visualised brilliantly by a white line of sand which breaks across the stage: it divides and isolates the characters, providing a cage within which Nancy paces for the 20-odd years the play spans. As the play progresses,

characters cross over and smudge this line, reinforcing the unsettling parallels in the violent language of their monologues.

Eleanor Lind Booton’s performance as the paedophile Ralph was chilling, and the energy with which she maintained the twitching, stammering intensity of the character was impressive throughout.

However, the imitation of what seemed to be Tourette’s syndrome was somewhat problematic in the way it perpetuates incorrect associations with violence and instability.The interruptions of the Doctor, Agnetha, continually fail to convince the audience that his crimes can be reduced to pure neurology, and Ralph himself seems unable to explain more than the “logistics” of his actions.

While the intensity of the production builds to a haunting conclusion, the play provides no easy answers to the questions it poses, and the audience is left to wonder at the silent horror of the unexplainable.

8/10

Coram Boy up to its ea Ben Rossington

C

oram Boy was initially captivating, but ultimately unable to do justice to its epic story and weighty subject matter.

Some uninteresting staging and unconvincing acting overshadowed excellent individual performances, meaning the production could not sustain its early promise.

Helen Edmundson’s adaptation of Jamila Gavin’s Whitbread prize-winning novel tells the story of boys sent to Thomas Coram’s hospital for deserted children. It follows Alexander Ashbrook and his son Aaron, while also focusing on the appalling exploitation of vulnerable parents by Otis Gardiner, who gets rid of unwanted children for profit.

Ciaran Green was a convincing Alexander, while Stanley Thomas gave a standout performance as a funny and energetic Thomas Ledbury, Alex’s childhood friend. In the second section, set eight years later, Green plays Aaron,

moving seamlessly into his working-class accent and hesitant manner. Yet Benedict Flett was unnatural and over-the-top as an older version of Alexander, especially in the crucial scene where he and Thomas are reunited. Flett’s performance, along

Ultimately unable to do justice to its epic story and weighty subject matter with a laughable representation of the sea – waving a piece of blue transparent material across the stage – helped make the tragic finale seem melodramatic, even comic.

At one point Alexander vividly describes his synaesthetic experience of music as ‘fireworks’ going off in his mind. Music, and a passion for its beauty, are central motifs in Edmundson’s play. Fortunately,

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 19 November 2015

7

Reviews SOPHIA LUU

Martin Luke Brown: happy to be heard at Portland Arms Ollie Smith

T

y fails to live arly promise

he impression I got of Martin Luke Brown is that he is pretty comfortable in his life as a musician. Walking backstage at The Portland Arms I find him reclining in a fraying leather sofa, drinking a Stella with a couple of friends.

His corduroy cap, draped loosely over bleach-blonde hair, is a familiar, if not stereotypical look.

But there seems little that is contrived about his image or laid-back persona. This is a guy that isn’t overthinking things or taking himself too seriously.

There is something endearing about his floundering reluctance to promote his latest single, ‘Knife Edge’. “Well, it’s a tune”.

Reminiscent of James Bay and Tom Odell, the song is emblematic of Martin’s sound, marrying raspy vocals with retro keys. “I wrote it because I was getting fed up with life. It’s a bit of a frustration song”. It was recorded with the help of producer Utters, who has credits on Drake and Maverick Sabre records. He tells me

the two have been working together for a while and are collaborating well. “He’s half Brazilian so his understanding of music is very jazzy and Latino whereas I’ve got a very standard British background, the normal pop sort of stuff.”

Brown doesn’t volunteer the fact that he’s had some high-profile support tickets in the past, the likes of Jess Glynne, Katy B and Jack Garratt.

He’s doing things his own way and at his own pace. For him, commercial success could never be prioritised over artistic freedom; “If people were coming to gigs and enjoying themselves – if I knew my music was being heard and I could live – then I’d be happy.” And he does seem happy. If his album can recapture the form of his earlier output, things might be about to get a whole lot better.

8/10 LEE GWYN

Foals make things sweaty Amelia Oakley Lead Reviewer

the various renditions from Alexander, Thomas and the Coram boy choir were impressive, and Melissa’s (Emily Mahon) first song was superb. However, the background music sometimes seemed abrupt and overly emotive, especially when it was used to cover increasingly rapid scene changes.

The set design was largely simple and unexciting, with the changing outlines

Experimentation with audiovisual effects drew attention away from the minimalist set of windows the only part of the scenery signifying a switch between locations. Yet Anna Russell and Emily Dan’s fantastic costumes partially compensated for this, giving the characters an authentic

eighteenth century look, and usefully distinguishing their class.

Experimentation with audiovisual effects also drew attention away from the minimalist set, with varying degrees of success. Flashing images of children and stirring music accompanied the first of the disabled Meshak’s fits, increasing the intensity of Joe Sefton’s performance, and visually linking it to the suffering of the children he has just buried. But the rapid montage of sky and landscape, used to show the passing of six months since Alexander had left home, seemed crude and unnecessary.

Coram Boy was occasionally entertaining and moving. But a lack of focus and some questionable acting prevent this production from fulfilling its potential.

5/10

O

n Monday night, Foals closed their UK Club Tour at the Cambridge Corn Exchange and the results were nothing short of fantastic. The crowd was constantly surging forth, enchanted by the presence of lead man Yannis Philippakis who was giving all he had to the crowd.

A notable highlight of the night was Yannis’s signature crowd-surf, yet this time he decided to start from the balcony — jumping from a first-storey height into the arms of his fans during the intro the classic closing tune, ‘Two Steps, Twice’.

The Oxford band started their set with ‘Snake Oil’ from the new album What Went Down, which — excuse the pun — went down exceptionally well. Throughout their set, they weaved through their history, jumping from the new ‘Mountain at My Gates’ to the old classic ‘Olympic Airways’. Despite the developments and changes the band have made

throughout the years, their music is always underscored with a sense of cohesion and consistency. Their sound is solid; new and old fuses together effortlessly, and at no point during the set did the enthusiasm of the crowd dip.

‘Providence’ brought the energy of the crowd to new heights, as the animalistic passion of crowd culture really came out to play. Hits like ‘Blue Blood’ and ‘Inhaler’ allowed the less hardcore Foals fans into the fold as the entire Corn Exchange sang along. Though, the highlight for bringing the crowd together was of course ‘Spanish Sahara’ as the crowd adhered to tradition and sat down for the song’s introduction.

Energetic, electric and incredibly fun — Foals are a band everyone should see at least once.

8/10

8

Lifestyle Opposites attract: Weird and wonderful food partnerships Chocolate and roast potatoes. I personally don’t like staple carbs on their own, and the embellishment of chocolate adds so much. You don’t think chocolate and bread is weird, so don’t knock the potato combo. Micha Frazer-Carroll At breakfast, instead of having cereals and cold milk like everyone else, my boyfriend warms his milk up in the microwave before adding the cereal... and then adds coffee, so its basically a latte with cereals. I couldn’t believe it when I saw it! Natalie Rye-Carriegas I have several weird food combinations. I eat Cornish wafers with slices of avocado, and then have a tub of Philly open on the plate and dip both of these items into it simultaneously. I also eat smoked salmon with my hands straight out of the packet and eat raw red peppers like apples. Olivia Gillman My weird food is that I eat frozen peas. Just from a bowl, with a spoon. It’s like healthy ice cream, and I’ve no idea why everyone thinks this is weird, because I’ve been doing it all my life. #notdeadyet Miriam Longman At the time I never realised it was weird but when I was little my mum used to make us cheese on toast by mixing the grated cheese with plenty of tomato ketchup until it turned orange and then spreading this on toast. I wouldn’t CONNIE MA

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 19 November 2015

Listings

eat it now but I loved it at primary school when I didn’t know any better. Lucy Roxburgh

Thursday 19 The Marlowe Showcase, ADC Theatre, 4.30pm

I have been known to eat tomato soup with malt loaf. It sounds weird but it works. Anna Carruthers

ARCSOC: Lemon, Gothic, Existential Crisis, Fez, 10pm

I am a big fan of (red) grapes and rice cakes. I’m not sure what it is – the combination of the sweetness and the blandness? The squish and the crunch? Whatever it is, they are currently my go-to essay crisis snack. Freya Sanders Peanut butter and maple syrup ‘til I die (presumably from either a cardiac arrest or because my jaws were glued all the way shut by the combination). Stevie Hertz

Peterhouse Politics Society Talk: Contemporary Global Slavery and the Antislavery Usable Past, The Parlour, Peterhouse, 8.30pm Friday 20 The CULS Winter Ball: Wonderland, secret location, 6.30pm PhoCUS Presents: Will Price, McCrum Seminar Room, Corpus, 7.45pm

My friend likes to eat cheese scones with strawberry jam – that is a sweet and savoury combo I cannot get behind.

Maddy Airlie

Saturday 21 CUMS Chorus: Celebrating Rachmaninov, King’s College Chapel, 8pm

Cheese and onion crisps (Walker’s of course) with chocolate, (preferably Galaxy), is the ultimate sweet and salty combination. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

Anthony Bridgen

Sunday 22 Cambridge Cleary Gottlieb Women’s Open, The Cambridge Union Society, 8am

I literally don’t understand how one could eat Christmas cake without Wensleydale. Smoked Wensleydale is even better. Jemima Jobling

Tuesday 24 CULCS Concert #7: CU Trumpet Ensemble, Edward Reeve and The Granta Wind Quintet play music from Hovahness and Mozart, West Road Concert Hall, 9pm

MIKE MOZART

Wednesday 25 CUADC Footlights Panto: Robin Hood, ADC Theatre, 7.45pm – runs till 5 December The state of Human Rights in the UK – A Conversation with Angela Patrick, Director of Human Rights Policy at JUSTICE, Old Combination Room, Trinity, 5pm

Compiled by Isobel Laidler

Culinary Dreamin’: Academic nostalgia Firsts in foccacia, a 2.i in meringue baking –

bringing Cambridge revision to the culinary world Hetty Gullifer Columnist

F

or some of us Cambridge graduates, there is a wonderful period of post-finals bliss where you confidently tell yourself that you will never have to revise or take an exam again. A year and a bit down the line, I have surprised even myself by signing on to study and take exams again.

Far from dreading it, I’ve found I actually, strangely, missed revision. Since I’d taken exams every year since the age of 15, I found myself a little lost last summer when I got to the end of a year of café work and there was nobody on hand to test and evaluate my work. Where was my 2.i for service? My A* in washing up or my distinction in Maltesar Cake construction?

So imagine my relief when I got the brief for my cookery

course next term and it included a list of skills I needed to know, set texts and even some practice exam questions.

I was back in familiar territory with plenty of tick lists, revision notes and reading.

All this has meant that the past few weeks have turned into a season of Great British Bake Off as I attempt to learn the technical skills I’d glossed over whilst cooking through the years, prizing flavour over the odd soggy bottom. So far we’ve had bread week, pastry week, fish and butchery week, and egg week. Of course, this does mean we tend to have rather monotonous weekly diets.

No matter how much my mother loves eggs, it didn’t stop her virtually crying with despair at the omelette I served up on Friday having eaten poached, scrambled, fried and eggs

en cocotte already that week, all followed by flan, custard and meringue.

I’ve tried to alleviate their burden by inviting friends over for dinner or practically forcing iced buns, foccacia and brioche on people. But it turns out even the prospect of free food can overwhelm after a while.

But in summer next year as I take my final exams, converting oven temperatures or describing why a fresh egg is better for poaching but an older egg is better for meringue, I’ll think back on my Cambridge exams and realise this is what they were preparing me for.

Turns out the strategy for remembering motifs in Wagner operas works just as well for remembering the best methods of cooking each type of fish. It’s all about the coloured pens.

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 19 November 2015

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Lifestyle

Fashion fightback: Ethics and the environment Jessie Mathewson Fashion Editor

H

eidy Rehman is not what you’d expect of the owner of a fashion brand. Founder of ethical fashion brand Rose & Willard, she has a degree in maths, and worked as a research analyst.

So how do you make the move between two industries that seem at first glance to be poles apart?

“The job that I did in the city was analysing companies – there isn’t a dissociation, you have to have an understanding of companies and economics.” Heidi’s interest in the fashion industry is more personal: “As a professional woman I couldn’t find the clothes that were suitable for my working role: a professional wardrobe where you could wear something, still wear what you want to wear, but be taken seriously.”

This personal experience seems to have affected the brand, which is frequently described as feminist. I want to know if Heidy sees her company as identifying with that label – “Yes we are, because it is about empowering women.

A woman only wears 20% of her wardrobe: that I think is a reflection of the fact that she buys things and she feels uncomfortable in them. We want the fit to be perfect, we want the fabric to be beautiful because when you feel that good and you’ve got really beautiful fabric next to your skin you’re going to go out and conquer the world.”

Heidy herself is a good example – she’s a successful business owner, and more than that she’s going against the

tide in an industry that often shows little concern for ethics or the environment. What was it that caused her brand to take this stand?

“I was living in Dubai, and you see exploitation there on a daily basis. There’s no other word for it, it is gross exploitation. When you can actually visualise what it looks like on someone’s face it does make you think twice.”

Rose & Willard has a clear set of ethical principles. Waste is kept to a minimum, and materials are carefully sourced.

Fashion is the world’s second most polluting industry Heidy is a walking example of that. She wears a tailored suit, in a muted blue, the collar, blazer pockets, and the trim of the trousers picked out in a darker fabric which looks at first glance like python. It turns out to be fish leather: a by-product of the food industry, it’s sourced from Iceland, where leftover salmon and cod skins go to make this fabric.

The fashion industry needs more intitiative like this shockingly, it’s the world’s second most polluting industry.

“If you look at the electricity consumption, if you look at the water consumption it’s vast and it’s frightening.” The ethical problems of sweatshops are another black mark – textile workers in Madagascar receive on average just

$0.25 per hour. And the disaster in Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh, which left over 1000 dead and 2500 more injured, demonstrates the appalling conditions in which these workers struggle for a pittance.

But what exactly can we do? Heidy’s advice is not to buy cheap – “keep that money and buy something that’s good quality. I’m not saying luxury or high price is synonymous with quality because that’s not necessarily the case. But buy that one piece and overtime you’ll save money.”

What about charity shops – they’re still fed by the same brands we see on the high street? What are the benefits of buying second hand? “From an environmental perspective it’s still good and you’re recycling – only 15% of clothes are actually recycled; 85% end up in landfill.”

Half the battle is spreading the word - Heidy writes for the Huffington Post, but the fashion press aren’t interested: “It’s all about trends. They’re paid for by the advertisers and that’s not what they want to see.”

But Heidy doesn’t think that the power is in the hands of companies or magazines - it’s down to the consumer. With the rise of social media, individuals can have an impact. Heidy’s campaigns #lookatthelabel and #wearitagain encourage people to question how brands make their clothes, and fight back against throwaway culture. Engendering change is a responsibility, but it’s an empowering one – and this is worth fighting for.

Being trans in bureaucratic Cambridge Isobel Laidler Lifestyle Editor

O

ne of the first things I ask is how they identify themselves: “I’m trans, non-binary, bi and poly-amorous.” We laugh as they cock their head and say “I think that’s it, yeah, ha”. Em said they’d found Cambridge quite a safe place to experiment with what felt comfortable: “I used ze and zir for a while, but for me it still felt too close to she/her,” and they repeatedly said that Cambridge seems a good environment for exploring what works for you. Fellows, especially the older ones, can tend to presume, “but my DoS was great, emailed everyone and told them the pronouns I like and so on – of course they asked what that meant I’d like to use in different languages”.

Em studies French, Italian and Dutch, and we agreed that the notions of gendered and ungendered pronouns in languages was a fascinating and very relevant minefield – it’s their life, so why shouldn’t it pervade their academia.

It seems most people don’t realize how much energy it takes constantly correcting people, so you sometimes just have to let it go. “The ability of the university itself to change – within its structure – is slow, bureaucratic, non-central and tricky”, but Cambridge has a huge trans community; “it’s so much bigger than you would expect for a city this size, I don’t think I know of anywhere outside London with something like this. And it’s not peripheral, to the queer community at least. Even those not into the activism side of things are in the community.”

‘Safe’ and ‘lucky’ were words spoken repeatedly. Em recognises that as a white, AFAB trans person, they’re afforded a lot of safety in comparison to less privileged members of the trans community.

They wanted to make it clear that violence need not be physical to be harmful – and talks about the complexity of

TORBAKHOPPER

‘relations’. “I tend to hang out with the Trans community”, as it’s where they feel safe, and accepted. There is no need to explain yourself.

Leaving Cambridge, though, they admit makes them feel quite apprehensive; the thought of losing a safety-net.

“Before uni, I wouldn’t have thought twice about going to work with a bank or the police, but now I know I can’t work within those systems with any sense of authenticity to myself.”

You’d think in a city like Cambridge we’d all be intelligent,

“I know I can’t work within those systems with any sense of authenticity to myself ” but the truth remains that “it’s not exclusively, but it’s almost always white middle-class males” who, in panels and elsewhere, think it’s ok to keep questioning. Yes, they want people to talk, to ask, to learn, but “it’s a very Cambridge thing to have everything up for debate, people feeling they can debate my identity as if it’s not massively emotionally draining for me.”

I asked if there was anything Em wanted to close the interview on, and after pulling a lot of faces and dramatically laughing when they said “we are everywhere”, they became very serious and said this: “Don’t assume that the norms of gender – or any other characteristic that you may take for granted – are the same for everyone, and recognise that holding onto those norms without being willing to learn to deconstruct them is harmful.”

Perhaps we should all take a step back too.

10

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 19 November 2015

Lifestyle

Keeping it green Recipes for a meat-free Monday Jamie Osborn

Lucy Roxburgh Food and Drink Editor

Turning off the lights, putting on jumpers instead of whacking up the heating, not leaving your phone on charge: those are all good things to do, if you’re not already, but here are some more tips you might want to think about to show that it is easy being green:

Vegetarian quesadillas Quesadillas are a super easy vegetarian option – you won’t even notice you are going meat-free. They are also endlessly versatile depending on what you have in the cupboard.

DORCM 1973 VIA YOUTUBE

Eco-friendly detergents Not all washing-up liquid is Fairy Liquid. There are lots of eco-friendly washing-up liquids and laundry detergents that are less polluting. Try Ecover, Bio-D, or Greenleaf, all widely available and affordable.

2 tortillas 1 onion, finely diced 1 clove of garlic, crushed ½ a tin of black beans 50g cheddar, grated 1. Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a saucepan and add the onion. Fry for 10 minutes until softened, then add the crushed garlic and fry for one minute to cook out.

2. Add the black beans and heat the beans until warmed through, mashing slightly.

3. Spread the black bean mixture on one tortilla and top with the grated cheese. Top with the other tortilla and gently press down.

4. Heat 1tbsp of oil or butter in a frying pan and add the quesadilla. Fry for three minutes on each side, until the tortilla is golden and crispy and the cheese is melting.

KRISTA

Shakshuka This dish is perfect at any time of day; it works just as well as part of a hearty brunch as it does for dinner. You can vary it by flavouring the tomato sauce in different ways each time – make it spicy with paprika or fresh with herbs.

1 onion, finely diced 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 tin of tomatoes 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 2 eggs 1. Heat 1tbsp of oil in a deep, wide frying pan with a lid.

Add the onion and fry on a gentle heat for 10-15 minutes until totally softened. Add the crushed garlic and cook out for one minute.

2. Tip in the tinned tomatoes and add the chilli. Simmer gently for 10–15 minutes until thickened and reduced.

3. Make two dips in the sauce and crack an egg into each one. Cover with the lid and heat for five minutes until the egg is cooked through. Serve with plenty of crusty baguette to soak up all the juices.

CYCLONEBILL

Use a lid when cooking Common sense, but using a lid saves energy and time.

Boiling only as much water in the kettle as you need has the same effect.

Switch to Ecosia If you don’t know what Ecosia is, Google it – or rather, Ecosia it. It’s an ethical search engine, easy to install on any browser, that plants trees with the profits it makes and is just as good as Google.

BERKNOT

The Glitterati: Time to shine Helena Baron The big one – eat less meat (or at least less beef) Eating less meat is the biggest single thing you can do to reduce your carbon footprint: high-meat diets produce nearly double the amount of carbon emissions of pescatarian or vegetarian ones. Furthermore, beef production results in five times more greenhouse gases than chicken or pork. You don’t have to turn into a veggie fanatic, but who knows, veggie food might actually be nice, and you can make meat an exception rather than the rule.

Go for a walk How is that going to help the environment, you might ask?

Well, it’s instead of using a car, and maybe some inspiration from nature will give you an appetite for your veggie meal!

PETER MCGLASHAM

I

t is often said that diamonds are a girl’s best friend.

Unfortunately, I don’t think Marilyn had the more common plastic variety in mind when singing those lyrics. So, in light of many a tacky and predictably disappointing diamanté buys, I would like to introduce you all to your new best friend – the everunderrated glitter.

Now I’m sure initially Disney, ABBA and Year 3 art class spring to mind, but this season, designers from across the fashion spectrum have proved that glitter can make you anything from a bad-ass punk to a sleek seductress, depending on how you wear it.

With Bonfire Night just past and Christmas on its way, could there be a better time to get your glitter on? You don’t necessarily have to go and buy a floor length dress covered entirely by sequins (Snow Ball, anyone?), but why not try a bronzed clutch bag à la New Look, a statement necklace from Accessorize or even just some sparkly socks (thank you, River Island)?

For the best sparkle finds in Cambridge run straight to H&M for affordable sequined co-ords and glittery sweats, or head to Topshop for a slightly edgier vibe – think sequined bomber jackets and statement ear cuffs.

Alternatively, if the student loan is running low, why not pick up glittery eyeliner at Boots to give every look a shimmery, super on-trend look – embrace the sparkle!

BETH CRAIG-GEEN

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 19 November 2015

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Lifestyle

Wardrobe of an English fresher Jessie Mathewson Fashion Editor

W Clothes from top left: tartan jumper from Zara, floral coat from Love Label by Very, pink lace blouse from Dorothy Perkins, patchwork skirt from Zara (America), pastel patterned shirt from a vintage market, sparkly high-neck top from H&M (America), floral patterned trousers from a boutique in Italy, green coat from vintage source, red dress from BooHoo, high neck rib jumper from Forever 21

e’ve all seen that person – in lectures, in the buttery, speeding down King’s Parade on their bike. You know, that flawlessly stylish person, who looks as though they’ve walked out of halls ready to take on a fashion shoot every single day of the week. There are so many well-dressed people in Cambridge, and now TCS is going inside the wardrobes of some of the University’s most stylish students to bring you their fashion inspiration.

This week I spoke to Gabby, an English fresher at Caius.

We spent an afternoon browsing through her gorgeous wardrobe to pick pieces, and chatting about her style. How would I summarise it? Gabby’s clothes are colourful and fun: there’s lots of variety in texture – lace, suede, knit – and pattern, and she mixes modern styles with vintage to create her own unique look.

So where are these clothes from? Gabby lives in Southgate in north London, and loves shopping in London’s vintage markets – Brick Lane and Portobello Road Market are two of her favourites. She also recommends the charity shops around Muswell Hill – in an affluent area, the clothes on sale are usually worth a browse, but still sell at knock-down prices. She does shop on the high street too – Topshop is always good, but generally overpriced.

A few of the pieces that catch my eye come from abroad – trousers from a boutique in Italy, a skirt and shirt from New York. Looking out for clothes when you’re on holiday can definitely inject something individual into any wardrobe.

And her fashion obsession? Coats – they might be seem expensive, but who’d only have one when you can have lots of them?

The three-stage essay crisis diet

LUCY ROXBURGH

Kate Bell

T

he diet of a Cambridge work crisis tends to fall into three categories: food that is quick, high energy or silent and can therefore be acceptably eaten in a library or lecture.

Quick: When the essay crisis is so prolonged you don’t have time to cook, let alone food shop, couscous salad is the answer. It takes less than five minutes to make, can be bulk made so you only have to prep everything once and you have food for a week, and it can include everything in your fridge that desperately needs using up. Simply cover 100g of couscous per person with boiling water and a sprinkling of veg stock, cover with cling film and leave to stand for five minutes. Fluff up with a fork and then add your flavours.

Cucumber, crumbled feta, halved cherry tomatoes, slices of cooked chicken, pomegranate seeds, raw red pepper, fresh herbs – the combinations are endless! Plenty of olive oil, seasoning and lemon juice will also add flavour to prevent your speedy supper feeling like a bland sacrifice.

Silent: nobody likes the person crunching on popcorn in the library. Aside from being just generally annoying, subtlety is crucial as secret snacking is technically banned

in most libraries. If you’re determined to be healthy, poaching or stewing fruit will make it a lot less noisy. Halve and de-stone six plums and place in a saucepan with a sprinkling of caster sugar, a splash of water and the zest and juice of an orange. Simmer for 5 -10 minutes depending on the ripeness of your plums, then cool and decant into Tupperware. You may be having a work crisis but prepare to feel smug as you enjoy a healthy breakfast in the library.

If health is not your stress priority, choose chocolate rather than crunching on custard creams.

High energy: depending on the scale of your crisis you have two options. Short term instant energy achieved through sugar or caffeine can give you the final boost needed, whilst more long term slow release sources of energy can enable you to keep working all day long.

Whole grain cereals slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream to give you consistently high energy levels all day. If a bowl of whole grain cornflakes feels highly uninspiring in a stressful situation, melt 150g milk chocolate with a tablespoon of butter and spend 10 minutes pretending you’re at primary school by turning your cereal into chocolate cornflake cakes instead.

The Cambridge Student • Part 2 • 19 November 2015

12

Lifestyle

Blast from the past:How much have you changed?

The cruelty of Cam cards... if only we’d known

Alan Beaumont

Sam Raby

Charlotte Furniss-Roe

Rhiann Pickering

Josh Briegal

Alistair Gempf

11

The Cambridge Student • 19 November 2015

Features ALICE LAW

Greening the Blue Sammy Love Features Editor

W

e are all well aware of the great climate crisis facing our generation. Although some of us choose to bury our heads in the sand, most are agreed that action needs to be taken and there is a wide range of groups in Cambridge working for change which you can get involved in. Here are just a few of them and what they’re about.

Cambridge Young Greens

Climate change and global disasters are happening now. Studies suggest one cause of the Syrian war was water shortages resulting from environmental damage. But Young Greens believe that we can take the need for action as an opportunity to change the way our society works. We believe society should help everyone, not just the elite few or the megacorporations who mainly drive over-consumption. So bringing about positive green change will mean moving away from our current consumerist culture, ensuring everyone has a warm home to live in, thinking about where our food comes from, and working to help those already suffering the worst effects of climate change or marginalisation generally. We can take action on these points in Cambridge; for example we recently campaigned successfully to get the city council to commit to not investing in fossil fuels.

Success like that shows that it is possible for us as a society to commit to a positive, not a destructive, future.

John Bachelor, Chair

Cambridge Zero Carbon Society

Zero Carbon is calling on the University to divest – to withdraw all its investments from fossil fuels and use the money more ethically. With 1,600 petition signatures in just two weeks, many academics getting on board, and endorsements from Daniel Zeichner and Julian Huppert, it’s clear that divestment has momentum here in Cambridge. There’s much more to come, so get involved!

Cambridge has a £5bn pot on the stock market, split between the University and the colleges. Amazingly, there’s no ethical policy to manage this money. That means that some of it ends up funding fossil fuel companies, even as our very own climate scientists are crying out that 80% of those fossil fuels need to stay in the ground.

As a Guardian journalist put it to us recently: “If Cambridge divests, it’s massive. It sends shockwaves through the system”. Hundreds of institutions have divested around the world, with 10 British universities just this term and endorsements from the likes of Desmond Tutu, the UN and HSBC. If we want Cambridge to add its hugely influential name to that list, then we need to act now!

rld in seven steps NASA’S EARTH OBSERVATORY

that gives you hobs (why Caius, whyyyyy?) and you fancy cooking up a bit of pasta.

Put a lid on the pan, seriously, it uses 60% less energy.

Step three – Reuse your bags

I know, I know, it’s such an effort dragging those bags all the way to sains and I for one pretty much always forget. But try and do it, less plastic bags means less landfill and less energy used to make more, plus you save 5p.

Step four – Share the load

Want to wear your fave jeans but they’ve still got last night’s wine stains on them?

Don’t wash them alone, ask a friend if they have anything to wash.

Step five – lights out!

Going out for the evening? Turn the lights off, it’s just one flick of the switch. It’s so easy when you don’t get an electricity bill to not even think how much you’re using, but trust me, it’s a lot. I guess we can leave the fairy lights on though...

Feast for the Future

All of us know about homelessness, climate change, food waste, the refugee crisis, and the fact that everyone thinks students are apathetic and unengaged. Feast for the Future is looking to catalyse student action regarding major problems in Cambridge University and in the town. We’re running cosy, creative facilitated conversation at Magdelene, Downing, Clare and John’s formals this week, in parallel to CUSU Ethical Affairs’s Ethical Festival.We are a mix of veteran campaigners and people just starting to try to make change in this town and this world, supported by Cambridge Hub. The 25 of us are people doing all sorts of different campaigns and projects in the University and beyond, but we’re mostly united by loving good food and conversations about values. We’re people sick of preaching to the choir. We’re people who love to chat about values, but more importantly to discuss action on what matters, with 250 students who want to do the same.

Food can bring diverse people together, and we’re excited to use the vegan/vegetarian meals to talk about a big range of topics and themes, without judgement or prior assumptions. There aren’t right or wrong answers, just a lot of tough choices, but they are easier to navigate by talking about them.You’ll sit down for formal with friends as normal; but with the added bonus of particularly great menus, and being supported by one of us in having a conversation about themes and questions that matter to you. At the end, you’ll walk away with a lovingly-made beautiful little booklet of resources about getting involved in social action in Cambridge!

Lily Macfadyen, President TAKVAR

12

19 November 2015 • The Cambridge Student

Features

Bogies are gross. A week in the life: A future student of the Really gross. combined History & Politics course* Just a public reminder. *as imagined by Magdalen Christie Not War’ bag? I stand by it as a political

statement, but I think it’s making people laugh at me. The oppressive Monday Week Five took its toll on me. I got masses are getting me down.

Kant muddled up with Khrushchev Wednesday in my supervision. It was all very Well, I survived the Seeley with only embarrassing, especially since we were a little hostility. The HSPS library is Rose Reade Columnist talking about medieval England at the fine, so long as I stay away from the he official definition of ‘bogey’ is ‘an evil or time. This History and Politics lark is sociology sections. I think they can mischievous spirit’. The unofficial definition of such fun though. There’s so much to tell me apart too. Maybe it’s because ‘bogey’ is ‘a piece of nasal mucus’. Interestingly, this do all the time.

I keep writing “historiography???” in word is only used in the UK. The word ‘bogey’ in the US, all the books, and sometimes shout Tuesday in military slang, means ‘an enemy aircraft.’

I have to go to Seeley Library today and passionately, “But where are the I can get on board with all of these definitions. Imagine, get some books out. I hate the Seeley. primary sources?” as I read. if you will, a tiny, cute five-year-old picking her nose The short term loans, the huge fines, Thursday (a ‘mischievous spirit’, picking her ‘nasal mucus’). Now but worst of all, the accusing stares of Yesterday evening was a total mare. I imagine her walking towards you and, with no warning, the other Historians who think I’m thought I was writing a history essay shoving her little finger into your mouth. Meaning you not a real history student. How can on the role of women in medieval have accidently just eaten a five-year-old’s nasal mucus. they tell? Is it my ethically sourced society. Turns out it was meant to be At this point, she is definitely an ‘evil spirit,’ and probably cardigan? Or my ‘Make Frogspawn, on Labour’s role in the growth of early your enemy as well.

Okay, fun aside, what is so gross about bogies? Hands up if you’ve ever eaten your own bogey? I thought so, distasteful as it is to admit, we have all had a cheeky little lick of our finger after it’s been up our nose. This childlike curiosity is a good thing. Bogies are not going to kill you (unless they are real enemy aircraft of course). Which brings me on to a story of my own.

I was on the train with my boyfriend. We were very bored and so decided to begin playing an extremely fun and entertaining game (at least he thought so). It goes like this:

T

Noughties Britain. There aren’t many similarities between them. It’s back to square one.

Friday

Regret tastes of Red Bull and 24 hour Dominoes

Tired. Why didn’t I just do history?

Regret tastes of Red Bull and 24 hour Domino’s.

Saturday

I just took a BuzzFeed quiz; what does your degree say about you? As a politics student I should have a picture of Che Guevara on my wall apparently, and as a history student I should subscribe to The Economist. I don’t know what to think anymore.

Sunday

Booked a meeting with my dos to discuss dropping Politics. I just can’t keep up the façade anymore. I want to be happy.

ZEZE57

Along comes the question: “Would you eat my bogies for a tenner?” I, without thinking, lick the bogey off of his finger Boyfriend: “Would you swim through a swimming pool of shit for £100?”

Me: “No.” Boyfriend: “£150?”

Me: “No, I’d get ill.”

Boyfriend: “You are guaranteed not to get ill.”

Me: “You can’t guarantee that.”

Boyfriend: “Rose, it’s a game. Go with it.”

Me: “Okay. Maybe for £150.”

Boyfriend: “£149?”

Me: “aurhiarghiuafghuakgfhjkdgsdjkghfjkghf stop.”

This game continued for a while, causing much frustration and hilarity. Then, finally, along comes the following question: Boyfriend: “Would you eat my bogies for a tenner?”

Me: (exhausted of the game by this point) “Yes.” Boyfriend: (picks nose, extends finger with bogey on it towards me) “Go on then.”

I, completely without thinking, proceed to lick the bogey off his finger.

Instant regret.

Most of the time, I would be an advocate for loving all of your bodily functions, trying all things, and yoga.

But this is beside the point. Bogies are just disgusting. I felt like I was going to gag.

So my advice to you all: pick away, but please, for the love of god, whatever you do, don’t lick. Even if you are promised a tenner in return, it’s just not worth it. Bogies are simply grim.

P.S. Yes, he does still owe me that tenner…

The Students’ Favourite: Door Knocker Anthony Bridgen Features Editor

T

here are few greater joys in life than gripping a cold, hard, iron ring, raising it from its woody partner and rapping it briskly, the reverberations travelling up one’s arm and sending a shiver down one’s spine.

The sharp, penetrating sound echoes in the ears and then the anticipation begins: who will answer the door?

Thus, we, your ever humble servants at TCS, have decided to sample the delights of Cambridge’s knockers, so that if you ever feel the urge to tap some wood, you’ll know exactly where to go for that perfect balance of smooth motion on the upward swing followed by a hard drive back down.

Darwin’s mighty beast

This glorious lion-headed knocker is amongst the most majestic knockers to be found gracing a door in Cambridge.

Its glorious mane and roaring mouth are beautifully moulded, a work of true craftsmanship. Grasping the metal ring, its contours fitting the hand perfectly, and hefting its weight we feel the power of the lion it is modelled upon. Weak-kneed and trembling, let it fall against the door and allow the roar of this magnificent creature to sound out and ecstasy to wash over your being.

You wish no one will answer the door just so you can knock again.

9/10

ANTHONY BRIDGEN

ANTHONY BRIDGEN

This particular knocker is more a mule than a stallion

Botolph’s mare

Aesthetically pleasing, perfectly sculpted and amusing in form, one looks forward to rapaciously sliding a hand around it. However, upon doing so, you will realise that appearances can be deceptive. The knocker itself is not large enough to satisfy, its girth too small to properly fill the hand.

It lacks heft and as such gives a tinny ring, rebounding from the door and straining the wrist. It behooves me to inform you that this knocker is more mule than stallion. Such promise, much disappointment. 3/10

13

The Cambridge Student • 19 November 2015

Features

Student Spotlight: The Cambridge Student Behind Cambridge’s Jack May and Freya Sanders Editors-in-Chief

I

t was with a heightened sense of trepidation that we scaled the frosty summit of Cambridge’s lone and imperious hill, pushed open the creaky door of The Castle Inn, and scurried nervously up the stairs to partake of the Editorial Team Drinks of The Cambridge Student newspaper.

We would read terrifying articles about “insular circles” of “student journabros”, and wondered just how unwelcoming and terrifying these people would be. Ordering the evening’s drink of choice (double

Bailey’s on the rocks), we sat down and got chatting to members of the team from across the paper.

We talked to news editors about stories breaking at the last minute, with a deadline looming – getting student reaction, getting in touch with official spokespeople, and literally ‘holding the front page’.

We spoke to the fashion editor about organising large-scale photoshoots with models, photographers, and clothing stores to produce beautiful pages that seamlessly tie into the

Join us – it’ll be one of the best things you do at Cambridge

Campaigns: Student

Minds

whole structure of the new ‘Part 2’ pull-out supplement.

It was at that point that we remembered that we are in fact the Editors-in-Chief of The Cambridge Student, and that the reason we chose to put a ‘Student Spotlight’ on ourselves was because we want to open our doors and say “Hey! We’re friendly, fun, there’s loads of ways to Laura-May Nardella Columnist get involved, and we promise it’ll be one of the best things you ever do at tudent Minds National is preparing to launch their Cambridge.” So come and join us. latest campaign called the Ripple Campaign. It aims Applications to join the Lent 2016 to promote doing little, cumulative things to help Editorial Team are now open. Turn to your mental wellbeing and that of those around you. page 8 to find out more.

When we think about the progress that still needs to be JACK MAY made in mental health policy and in the fight against the remaining stigma surrounding mental health, we often think about the big picture.

Lobbying for changes to legislation, protesting against our government or our university welfare systems, writing angry letters about the way the budget’s being spent. What we often tend to overlook are the incremental steps that need to be taken within our own circles and our own lives to better our day-to-day mental health.

Inspired by this upcoming campaign, SMC decided to launch its #DearFresherMe photo campaign. As the name suggests, this involved asking people to give their fresherself advice that would have made their first year a little less stressful.

Lots of colleges took part and so many great messages were put out to our new intake of students, as well as some funny bits of advice to keep it light-hearted.

This doesn’t claim to be a massive step forward for mental health, but what it has done is (hopefully) given freshers a few things to think about when they reach the point in term where they think they’ve made a horrible mistake by signing up to this place.

S

Student Chat: “What is your favourite vegetable?”

What vegetable really floats your boat and tickles your palate?

“Avocadoes, I need at least one a day”

Laurelin, Caius

“Broccoli”

“Potato, ‘cause it’s a vegetable but carbs” Kate, Caius

“Tomatoes”

Magdalen, Murray Edwards

Beth, Murray Edwards

“Broccoli, the haters gonna hate”” Chase, Caius

KATE ELLISON, KATE ELLISON, MAGDALEN CHRISTIE, MAGDELEN CHRISTIE

We have Sainsbury’s and Tesco to thank for our key messages this term: “try something new every day” and “every little helps” Another event which we’re excited to be hosting this term is a Laughter Yoga session at the end of November, which will bring a new form of stress release to Cambridge.

By inviting people to experience an afternoon of laughter and general de-stressing, we hope to show students that trying something new whilst at university is a good way to let your hair down. And who knows?

You might find stress release in places you had never considered before.

The current committee is beginning to wrap up its work for the year and open applications for the next team.

However, we are still working hard. With the help of Poppy Ellis Logan, CUSU welfare officer, we are trying to arrange for peer support groups in order to start running the Student Minds ‘Positive Minds’ course in the new year.

This will be a tangible and sustainable way in which SMC can offer support to students alongside our campaigns to raise awareness of mental health. We predict that the third year of SMC will be a big year, but we’re still keen to carry on making sure that we don’t forget to raise awareness of the little steps we can take to better people’s mental wellbeing in all that excitement.

So I guess we can thank the great philosophers Sainsbury’s and Tesco for their inspiration this term, as our key messages have been “try something new today” and “every little helps”.

14

19 November 2015 • The Cambridge Student

Interviews

Hitting the high notes: Polly Furness on opera Chase Smith Interviews Editor

C

urled up in the corner armchair of the Caius choir vestry, her trademark blonde hair and impeccable fashion both on point, Polly Furness seems perfectly at home. As a soprano choral scholar at Caius and President of the Cambridge University Opera Society, Polly has a lot on her musical plate.

We cut right to the heart of the matter: why does opera remain relevant to Cambridge students today? “I think that people have this view of opera, in general, that it’s slightly archaic and it’s a bit elitist. And I genuinely don’t believe that that’s the case. People forget that new operas are being written all the time: contemporary operas about contemporary issues.

And people can sometimes forget that because they associate opera with big fat people singing on a stage – and that’s not what it is.

“Next term, we’re hoping to put on at least one opera written by a student. So that’s gonna be a really contemporary thing. I don’t really see how it isn’t relevant, in a way. And even something older: we’re doing ‘Figaro’ next week. I think it’s timeless in its comedy. It’s such an enjoyable show. And it’s so funny - I don’t see how people wouldn’t enjoy it, really.”

In terms of what makes a ‘good’ opera, Polly is certain that “it’s gotta be

cracking music.” But also “it’s got to be as good dramatically as it is musically, because nobody wants to be bored.”

Having not worked or sung in any opera myself, I ask what students who haven’t yet been involved can do. “There are so many people involved in putting on a production: we need people to design posters, make promotional videos; we need stage managers, people to buy props, people to do all the publicity, lighting designers, we have so many people involved in a show that if you have

“I grew up thinking it was normal to get up before school and practise in pyjamas.” any kind of talent then it’s worth seeing whether you’d enjoy doing that for opera. And quite often we end up going to similar or the same people for specific things. I think that a shame because there must be more people that we could use.”

More personally, I ask Polly why she has been drawn to music and to singing. “Ooh, that’s tricky. I think I’ve always been drawn to it. I insisted that I wanted to start playing the cello when I was about three, and my parents let me, and so it’s been a massive part of my life. I think that for me – and this sounds really horrible,

NICK RUTTER

cause it sounds like I’m not passionate about it, but I am – but I think it was mostly an environment thing. I’ve got three older brothers, and they were all boy choristers and they all played instruments. I grew up thinking it was a normal thing to get up before school and practise in your pyjamas and then get ready for school and go off, and do rehearsals and everything. And so it became a way of life for me very early.

“Doing it as a degree here and doing so much opera and stuff has only heightened that for me and reignited the passion for it I had when I was really young, because it kind of became like this day-to-day thing that I did, but it’s actually become quite all – consuming now: it’s kind of all I do.”

Does she have any plans for the future? “I don’t really know at the moment. I think I’d like to try to pursue singing as a career. But I’m conscious that it’s a very competitive environment. If not, I still definitely want to work within the arts sector.”

Finally, I ask her if she has any advice for budding fresher musicians and singers. “If you’re in your first year, just do as much as you can, because there is such a rich cultural environment in Cambridge. It can seem overwhelming, but I think if you just throw yourself into it and get going you’ll find that it’s actually incredibly satisfying. It is just a case of putting yourself out there.”

Nina Davuluri: Looking beyond Miss America 2014 KEVIN DOOLEY VIA FLICKR

YAO TANG

Chase Smith Interviews Editor

N

ina Davuluri, Miss America 2014 and speaker at the Union’s recent debate on race, is keen to point out that her triumph in the competition has given her an invaluable platform to combat Westernized beauty standards, serve as a role model for young girls of ethnic minority backgrounds, promote STEM subjects, and in this debate, speak about her experiences of race.

Nina was the first Indian American to win the Miss America competition, and only the second Asian American to do so. During her segment of the debate she spoke for the proposition, arguing that the American dream is in fact colour-blind, as evidenced by her own success in the competition.

Afterwards, I had the chance to ask her a few questions. I was interested in her opinion on free speech and social media with regards to race: should people have unlimited free speech there, in light of the horrific abuse she was subjected to after her victory?

“Absolutely. That’s one of [the] founding principles of our country

[America]. You have the power to say what you want and I think that’s the power of social media too – you’re reaching the whole world. And that’s a two-way street for everyone.

“I think that there could be nicer ways of putting things, but I think the power of free speech [is] vital.

“Miss America changed my life in so many ways that I can’t even articulate.

“When I won, people said, ‘Oh, she’d never win Miss India because she’s too dark.’”

What I’m most proud of is that it’s given me a voice. And whenever you’re in that power you have to use your voice for good.”

On the subject of her influence, I ask her how we ought to combat Westernised beauty standards. She’s very excited to answer: “This is my favourite question! When I won, people said, ‘Oh, she’d never win Miss India because she’s too dark.’ And for me, my answer is, ‘I didn’t want to be Miss India. I want to be Miss America!’

“I will always say ‘I’m proud of my skin colour. Yes, I’ve dealt with it.’

You know, I remember my family saying, ‘Oh don’t go out in the sun you’re gonna be too dark!’ But to have someone who’s educated and intelligent, which I try to promote more than anything, aside from beauty, and saying, you know what, it’s ok to embrace who you are [and that] I am proud of my intelligence – that’s where the confidence comes from.”

When I ask if she thinks America is not only colour-blind, but also gender-blind or sexuality-blind, she does admit that she faces challenges as a woman. “As not only a person of colour but also as a woman, I’ve had to work hard. Nothing was handed to me. I was just speaking to a group of students, and they were asking me, ‘Do you feel like you had to work harder to win Miss America because you were Indian?’ I said to become Miss America, [anyone] has to work hard. But that being said, now that I’ve finished my year, entering the real world, I do see challenges as a woman, and not only as a person of colour.

[But] I’m ready for the challenge.”

15

The Cambridge Student • 19 November 2015

Comment

What exactly do the recent attacks in Paris mean for the UK?

T

A step forward

Removing the Starkey video can begin a better future

Amatey Doku Columnist he terrorist attacks in Paris last week sent shockwaves around the world as they left at least 129 dead and many more seriously injured. Whilst a debate on social media has raged about the extent to which similar events that are commonplace elsewhere are not covered in the same manner, it is clear that what has shaped the response in Britain is how very close to home the attack was.

The question that many have been asking is whether a similar attack is possible in the UK. The UK government has been quick to respond and has done so with two broad messages. Firstly, that such an attack on the UK is very much a possibility and secondly, that the security services have not only been working hard to prevent attacks but have been stepping up their action in light of these attacks.

Soon after the attacks in France Downing Street confirmed that the security services had already disrupted seven attacks this year.

Home secretary, Theresa May, told the House of Commons that the police have begun “intensifying their approach” at major events in cities going on to confirm that GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 were to receive an additional 1,900 members of staff as part of the

Editors: Jack May & Freya Sanders Founded 1999 Volume 17

Strategic Defence and Security review.

At a time when other government departments are being cut back, this 15% rise in staff reveals the real extent to which the government feels that action needs to be taken.

The main problem that the security services face is keeping track of all the individuals who are suspects, but have not broken the law. As we find out more about the attackers in France it is understood that some were known to the French security services. That they were still able to carry out their attacks is evidence of how hard it is to preempt the actions of all the individuals under surveillance.

How do you stop an individual planning a Mumbai-style attack and killing hundreds?

David Cameron has referred to this sort of terrorism as the “struggle of our generation” and there is no doubt about it: this new terrorism poses serious challenges for the security forces back home. The Paris attacks demonstrate how resourceful and even more elusive the terrorist activity is becoming.

Aviation, which was once the target for high profile attacks, has since become almost impenetrable thanks to stringent security checks. As a result, tactics have changed. The so-called ‘soft targets’ of the Bataclan concert venue, the Stade de France, and the various restaurants demonstrate just how hard it is to secure any location once an attack has begun without turning the country into a police state.

The UK must confront the reality that these attacks are possible. And it seems that the government are making that clear, both through the things that it says and the changes it is making. As it becomes harder for individuals to travel to Syria and Iraq – the heartlands of the so-called Islamic State – they are encouraging their recruits in Europe not to risk the trip but to prepare, plan, and carry out attacks at home.

How do you stop an individual planning a Mumbai-style attack and killing hundreds of people? The security services will answer that more powers for surveillance are crucial, which leads us back to the government’s Investigatory Power’s Bill (which I have discussed in a previous column piece). Whether or not the attacks in France have shifted public opinion on the matter will soon become apparent.

SUBJECTIF ART

The controversy of David Starkey’s appearence in the ‘Dear World, Yours Cambridge’ campaign video has reached a new climax.

In previous weeks, this newspaper has reported on complaints from sections of the student body, who have taken issue with the video and the fact that it claims to be supporting access and an expansion of the University’s work, whilst featuring a frontman whose views can only realistically be described as digustingly small-minded.

The University was then placed into even more of a tight spot when a high-profile alumna asked to be edited out of the video due to Starkey’s presence.

Thankfully, the University made the intelligent decision to delete the video in question – the decision that this newspaper was set to advocate before the video was removed just hours before we went to print.

However, if Cambridge University seriously thinks that it is out of deep water on this issue, then it may find itself quickly surprised.

The decision to cast Starkey in any

original video was so poorly thought through that the University will have to actively attempt to repair its damaged image – certainly at least amongst the student body.

The new video is a good step in the right direction. It presents a positive vision of the University, deeply rooted in the personal experiences of those who have attended it, that does not resort to resting on the laurels of such a dubious and intensely problematic mouthpiece.

To show its commitment to avoiding further mistakes, the University to reach out to and work alongside the CUSU BME Campaign, who were so instrumental in launching and promoting a petition against the video.

By involving the student voice more, and more consistently, in such drives – whether fundraising or otherwise – the University can both improve the quality of its outreach work, and also create a generation of student ambassadors who feel genuinely included in their University’s attempt to make top-class education more accessible to all.

Off the charts

Better balance on fellows’ pay is a sensible solution It is not for this newspaper – or indeed for anyone other than the more radical portions of the radical left – to advocate stripping anyone of their salary.

It’s a reasonably self-evident fact that the way the world currently works means that the best people are going to be attracted to a place of employment partly based on the renumeration they are to receive.

That’s how humanity works under the capitalist system, and this newspaper has no immediate intention to call for radical socialist revolution, despite Jeremy Corbyn’s best intentions.

That being said, some of the salaries revealed this week are somewhat disproportionate.

For many fellows, life is not so luxuriant. It may be true that many of them enjoy favourable dining rights at colleges, and are fortunate enough to

drink fabulous wine at candelit tables.

However, the reality is that for many fellows – particularly those in the junior ranks – they could be living much more comfortably in any of the other graduate sectors into which Cambridge alumni enter.

To provide a more equitable system, and a more enticing prospect for graduates, the University should be trying to bolster the pay of those at the bottom end of the academic foodchain, ensuring that none are put off the further study associated.

This should be done in the place of topping up the already egregious wages of those at the higher rungs, whose renumeration is currently far beyond what can reasonably be expected of an academic salary.

Such high salaries are no problem out of context, but situated in the climate of pay in the higher education sector, more consideration is needed.

16

19 November 2015 • The Cambridge Student

Comment

Fluctuat nec mergitur: A French student in Cambridge responds to the Paris attacks Antoinette Duplay

M

y Frenchness has always been circumscribed. I’m not fully French in that I am a naturalised Swiss. I’m not fully French in that I’ve never lived in France. I’m not French in that I’m the only person in my family to never have had a French education. I am French, however, in upbringing, and in that my family is and has been for generations.

Never has my relationship with my patrie been more painful. Never have I felt more and less French than after the events of 13 November. I don’t mean to speak for those who have been more directly impacted than I – I can’t begin to imagine how they must feel. I also cannot speak about the tragedies that also occurred in Beirut and Baghdad, though they too need to be spoken about.

All I can speak about right now is the pain and confusion that I feel, as a mostlyFrench person living abroad while my country suffers. Living in another country is complicated at best, but never more than when national tragedy strikes.

Am I allowed to feel pain? Am I allowed to grieve in the same way that my cousins, my aunts and uncles and childhood friends, even my fellow fully-French college friends do? Why do I still feel a heavy, paralysing fear? Why does the unmistakable feeling of grief, like a lost limb, follow me around as I try to go about my day to day life, prompting friends to say “Blimey, Ant, you look shellshocked”? Surely I have no right?

But the truth is that events like those

that happened in Paris have repercussions that go far further than the tragic loss of innocent lives.

I’m not scared for the lives of my close ones. Knowing that they are safe is a wonderful privilege, and I am grateful for it. I am scared, however, for the future.

I’m scared for the political climate in France. I’m scared because my friends have already started blaming ‘religion’ in general, ignoring the comfort and union that faith brings to those who need it. I’m scared for my cousin and her Muslim boyfriend, and their future in an increasingly radicalised world. I’m scared that the divisive, violent narratives that despite the best intentions are creeping forward, will take root. I’m scared because I know that I can’t, unlike many of my friends, study this in a dispassionate way because the likelihood is that members of my own family will end up propagating xenophobic, Islamaphobic rhetoric. I’m scared because my Frenchness, which so far I have been able to use as a bit of a joke and an excuse to fuel my obsession with Victor Hugo and Les Misérables, is at risk of becoming synonymous with something far darker.

I’m scared because Hollande called it an act of war. The attacks of Friday 13 were awful, they were terrifying and unjust. But the true terror here lies in the empty streets of Paris the day after, the troops patrolling the streets. The closed borders. The casual, yet unmistakable tying together of the words ‘terrorist’ and ‘immigrant’. I don’t

I’m scared because my Frenchness is at risk of becoming synonymous with something far darker

want my Frenchness to mean these things, because my Frenchness is my family, it’s my childhood and my music and the way I think and act and love.

This is why I call out for everyone to remember what Paris, and France, is truly about (and let it be a testament to my nationality confusion that the best way I have found to vocalise this is in an English student newspaper). Paris is the city of love, it’s the city of liberalism and art, it’s a city of progressive social change and acceptance.

In face of an attack that explicitly aimed to divide, to foster hatred and terror, the best thing we can do is to be French.

To love each other loudly and fiercely, regardless of race and religion, and to scorn those who thought they could stop us from doing so. The city of love and life should be allowed to remain exactly that. Fluctuat nec mergitur – ‘Battered by the waves, but not sunk’, is its official motto. In the words of Vincent Pfrunner, “ça signify merde à la mort”. This is what the reaction to what happened should be about – what I hope it’s about – but I’m stranded in the UK and I have no idea what is going on back home. I can only hope, talk to my family, my French friends, and mourn in silence.

To my friends here in Cambridge, thank you for your solidarity and compassion.

That and refraining from launching yourself Amelia Oakley Comment Editor into dispassionate arguments about ‘cruel, cruel religion’ or immigration laws is all I n the majority of Cambridge colleges, can ask for. To my fellow compatriots – my the story is the same; walking down the love goes out to you, and I hope we can halls of this ancient establishment, you return to find our home unchanged. cannot help but notice the omnipresent portraits of men repeated like coarse potato QUINN DOMBROWSKI prints on archaic wood paneling.

Men, men, men. Big or small; oil or watercolour; exquisitely done or terribly painted: it’s quite simply impossible to escape these vast testosterone smeared surfaces (unless you’ve ventured to the artistic haven of the New Hall Art Collection). Visiting another college’s hall for Formal, for example, should be an occasion for alcohol fuelled merriment, but it is always tinged with a sense of dismay as you search the candlelit walls for the face of just one woman, just one, and once again, dishearteningly, find nothing.

Yes, many of the portraits which make up the collections that feature on college walls are of famous alumni, and, yes, we cannot pretend that there has been an equal number of male and female Cambridge graduates throughout history.

However, we must acknowledge that this disparity in numbers comes from an inherent persecution of and discrimination against women which runs throughout our educational history. By choosing to admit women to the University, Cambridge has made a commitment to striving for gender equality in its educational provision. Yet, this provision goes beyond simply offering all genders the same opportunity to study the courses here – it must also provide

A call for wome

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The Cambridge Student • 19 November 2015

ABOVE: ALICE MOTTRAM, BELOW: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY

Comment

Should students campaign to abolish the Tompkins Table?

Yes – The Tompkins Table reflects the worst of Cambridge, not the best Grace Murray Comment Editor

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he Tompkins Table is not the problem. The problem, and the reason why CUSU’s move to scrap the Table is in the best interests of applicants and current students alike, is that the Tompkins Table is currently the most visible evidence that there might be some inequality in the collegiate system, even while it operates on the premise that all students start their degrees on an equal footing. In the context of college finances, student backgrounds, and academic provision and resources, the Tompkins Table is just another data set. But without that context, it’s just an excuse for some of us to pat ourselves on the back, and do we really need another one of those?

Colleges are not equal, but we need to acknowledge, as the Tompkins Table does not, that it’s not because some of them are full of clever students who work hard and some of them are not. How would we explain, in that case, why Murray a place to study in which all genders Edwards and Newnham are always near feel equally valued, comfortable and represented. By making little to no effort to change the male dominated art collections of most colleges, these colleges are actively contributing to the marginalisation of Michael Morrison women they claim to value and respect.

Earlier this year, Jesus College removed ut who has won?” This three portraits of men from the walls of its question the Dodo could not hall and replaced them with three portraits answer without a great deal of women by female artist Agnès Thurnauer of thought, and it sat for a long time with as part of a two month exhibition. Rod one finger against its forehead... At last the Mengham, the College’s Curator of Works Dodo said, “Everybody has won, and all of Art commented the exhibition made “a must have prizes.” big statement about female self-definition Must we therefore assume that Lewis in an institution which encourages women Carroll’s Dodo, when not refereeing to realise their true potential but which – Caucus races, works part-time in the CUSU like other colleges – surrounds them with offices? It seems so, with plans announced images of male pre-eminence”. Indeed, by CUSU to scrap the Tompkins Table and whilst the exhibition was uplifting, at the its dastardly agenda of publicly humiliating end of the two months, the portraits came those colleges which are performing below down, the men went back up and the issue standard. Or rather producing a set of has been pushed back to the background. common average results for each college Recently, Jesus’ women’s officer Abigail according to that year’s examinations.

Smith launched a campaign for greater Instead of this violently oppressive regime, representation: “Arriving at college and CUSU has assured us that “we are all not finding representation on the walls is great” and thus should do away with the not welcoming: it does not do credit to the publication of class lists. CUSU’s president numerous, brilliant women Fellows we have has valiantly spearheaded this campaign, in college, nor acknowledge that college is a striving to crush the elitist agenda and so place where everyone can aspire to.” to have all colleges holding hands together What Jesus’s exhibition of Thurnauer beneath the rainbow. proved is that these portraits of men are not Greatness, by definition, is a standard indelibly etched to the walls – they can be which only a few can achieve. By removed, replaced, and their replacements discouraging the ranking of collegiate not only enjoyed, but celebrated for the success, and patting us on the back with small, but crucial steps they take in the the meaningless affirmation that “we are all name of gender equality at Cambridge. great”, CUSU is establishing a new order of

en on our walls

the bottom? It could have something to do with the gender achievement gap across the University; the fact that fewer women take STEM subjects, which have a higher percentage of Firsts, in part due to stereotypes about ‘male subjects’ which begin in primary school; or the relative lack of financial aid available to those students compared to those studying at Trinity. It should go without saying that it is not because women are worse at achieving Firsts, but that’s the picture that the Tompkins Table paints every year.

The Tompkins Table ignores the systemic inequalities in colleges, of which students are not the cause. When it appears each year in the Good University Guide, it gives applicants a distorted image of the wider range of information which might affect their decision. We should at least be able to inform applicants from lower income backgrounds of the colleges which will best support them.

Scrapping the Tompkins Table leaves

The Tompkins table ignores the systematic inequalities of colleges

room for more open and informed discussions about the inequalities between colleges. It is the Tompkins Table itself which irons out those differences as if Cambridge is a fantasy football league which resets after each season. The level of support available for disabilities and mental health and the extent to which our essay-based examinations reward a certain kind of answer are disparities which cannot and should not be ranked in a table, but that doesn’t make them less valid points for all members of the University to discuss.

As it stands, the combination of public class lists and Freedom of Information requests allows anyone to reconstruct a form of the Tompkins Table if they wished.

The only way to ensure that it’s part of a bigger picture of the University, rather than the only picture that applicants have, is to release more information about college inequalities, not less. The move against the Tompkins Table is not about censorship, but about greater transparency, and that is what will help Cambridge move forward.

No – There’s no need for students to take college rankings so personally

“B

all-inclusive mediocrity. The three-legged race may result in a special sticker for everyone to round off the school ‘Sports’ Day’, or the unwrapped sweeties might be dished out in all directions at the end of ‘Pass the Parcel’, but surely at this stage we can accept that competitive ranking is a necessary factor in spotlighting outstanding results and identifying room for improvement?

There are no fingers of accusation being hurled at individual students for their under-performance. The results are quite clearly not personal, but are there to provide us with overall trends - having ascended by eight places, Magdalene College is duly applauded. Positive change is ultimately stimulated in prompting those lower down the table to address the root causes of substandard performance. The Table also gives solid grounding for those colleges wishing to trumpet their academic superiority to potential applicants.

CUSU went on to make the disingenuous claim that the Table is geared towards “damaging effects in mental well-being”, suggesting that stress is somehow induced by the prospect of Queens’ coming eighth instead of seventh in the coming year. They are knowingly over-exaggerating just how seriously students take the Tompkins Table by characterising us all as delicate wallflowers who will crumple inconsolably at

“Everybody has won, and all must have prizes.”

the slightest deviation in our college’s rank.

Instead they propose a rating system for college welfar. Yet with such a competitive edge to welfare, all our fun and kooky JCR officers might feel downtrodden should their committee perform below par.

Trampling over tradition as always, CUSU is overlooking the fact that life beyond the Cambridge bubble is resultsdriven and fuelled by a competitive drive towards the top. In trying to make everyone a winner, everyone will emerge a loser.

SHERWOOD

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19 November 2015 • The Cambridge Student

Sport

The Puzzles Column Graham Hunter on a li 1.

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Paul Hyland Sport Editor

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Down 1. Nasal mucus featured on page 15, favourite of children’s TV presenters Dick and Dom of da Bungalow fame (6) 2. Accidentally listen in, often to ridiculous statements in Cambridge (8) 3. How and whom to wish a merry Christmas, as per omnishambolic Straight No Chaser song (4, 2) 5. __ World... Yours Cambridge, University fundraising campaign in a spot of bother (4) 7. Number of strokes a top golfer should need for a particular hole (3) 9. Cooker for the unashamedly middle class (3) 10. __ tac, minty fresh tiny sweet (3)

Across 1. Lighting policy to be introduced in Cambridge, opposed this week by the Selwyn bursar (8) 4. __ about; to wander leisurely (3) 6. Quality of liveliness or wit; French for spirit (6) 8. French existentialist and author of 1943 work L’Être et le Néant (6) 11. Student means of identity, featured on page 12 of Part 2, complete with embarrassing photos (3,5)

by Charlotte Furniss-Roe

raham Hunter left Fleet Street in 2002 to follow his dream of working as a sports journalist in Spain. He has since worked as a correspondent for Sky Sports, BBC Radio, FourFourTwo and has even translated for the Spanish national team. He spoke to TCS about his career, his experiences establishing himself as a journalist in a foreign culture and the differences between sports journalism in Britain and abroad.

I’m most interested in how this thirteen-year resident of Barcelona found himself in Spain in the first place. “This’ll be no use to you whatsoever,’ he laughs, ‘But I flipped a coin! I left London in 2002 and my wife says, listen, you’ve always wanted to try Spain, let’s give it a try. I had no real language skills, no contacts, no work. There’s no prospective journalist out there who I’d urge to take the same path as me, because it shouldn’t have worked out.”

Hunter’s trajectory as a journalist has coincided with a growing interest in the media for journalists with linguistic skill. But these were not always a welcome addition to a journalist’s CV: “When I was at the Scottish Daily Mail and I used what tiny language skills I had to get stories from foreign journalists, I was regarded as some sort of witch! To share information with somebody who was a correspondent for Bayer Leverkusen or Sevilla or Mallorca was literally cheating. Now you can’t wake

Oxbridge teams pilot ne Brendan Kelly

Last week saw the piloting of an initiative in some Cambridge colleges that could be spread University wide in a bid to promote ‘positive masculinity’.

The ‘Good Lad’ initiative was

by Thomas Prideaux Ghee founded in Oxford and has since been adopted by the largest Universitylevel sports teams, including Rugby, Football and Tennis.

According to their website, the organisation uses hour-long workshops to help men “deal with complex gender situations and become agents of positive change”.

Most of their work thus far has been centred on men in sport, although they also run workplace and schoolbased workshops.

Last weekend saw the start of a pilot scheme in some Cambridge colleges.

The Emmanuel College Rugby team was one of the first to agree to adopt

Sudoku

Solutions from Volume 17, Michaelmas Issue 6

up in the morning without umpteen websites giving you a digest of what’s been said in the media.”

A fascination with languages characterises his journalistic career.

His adopted home of Barcelona is famously a bi-lingual environment, with many natives using Catalan as the lingua franca of their daily lives. I suggest that exposure to two foreign languages must have made his route all the more difficult, and am taken aback by the answer. “You’re talking about what I should have done!” He shrugs off the question with a laugh. “I wanted to enjoy my life. Learning two languages didn’t appeal to me at all, so I chose to learn castellano [Spanish] and told every Catalan friend that they had an ugly language. It was like two dogs fighting!”

Having established himself quickly with the language, and giving his first radio interview in Spanish after just four months, Hunter found Spain a more hospitable environment for a

the ‘Good Lad’ methods for a trial period, which, if successful, could see the initiative gain popularity in sports clubs across the University.

An email sent out to students from the Master of Emmanuel, Dame Fiona Reynolds, expressed the ‘gratitude’ of the college at the adoption of the

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The Cambridge Student • 19 November 2015

Sport

ife in Spanish football sports journalist: “When I got here the vast majority of football club training sessions were open. That meant you could go and watch and learn, and therefore your questions would be far more informed. In Britain, that’s been broken down because the media weren’t strong enough to fight back and say ‘You mustn’t exclude us, you can’t exclude us.’”

Striking is how he ascribes his own success to a series of ‘flukes’, crediting his first break into Spanish football to external factors, including FC Barcelona’s presidential election in 2003. “They wanted it to be very internationally aware, they wanted to open their club marking to international audiences,” he explains.

This was followed by a five minute slot on Sky Sports’ highlight show, Revista de la Liga, before David Beckham’s transfer to Real Madrid in 2003 gave British journalists like Hunter increased access to one of world’s biggest clubs.

But bigger was still to come. Euro 2008 came along and the Spanish FA had neglected to appoint a translator to liaise with the foreign media. Hunter found himself asked to step in: “For [the] help I gave the Spanish FA, they gave me a little studio behind the stage and let me interview the players on film every day. So that played out very nicely. So again, by fluke it worked out really nicely for me, and that helped me to get to know the players really well, and my relationship with them blossomed from there.”

How does a prospective journalist follow in his footsteps? “What’s really important is to get out from behind the computer, always go or you’ll never know. Go to a game, go to a training session, go to a press conference, go to a sponsorship launch, it doesn’t matter.

Go.” For the full interview log onto tcs. cam.ac.uk/sport

J. DE VARGAS

Queens’ Ergs: Rowing, but not as we know it Jack Ranson Deputy Sport Editor

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owing is suffering. It is being able to wake up before the sun rises and to put yourself through physical hell before most of your housemates are out of bed. It is repeating the same action again and again until your technique is perfect and you have the strength to keep on repeating. Every day.

And a large part of this physical punishment is exacted using the innocent-looking erg machine.

Any rower will tell you that this is by far the most challenging part of their training – not only is it physically exhausting, it is also mind-numbingly boring. The only thing worse than sitting in a boat rowing down the Cam, is sitting in a pretend boat staring at the white walls of the gym while your arms fall off.

So making a competition out of this incredibly boring aspect of a rower’s training seems optimistic to say the least.

T

ideas. She outlined her hope that it would build on a ‘sense of community and friendliness’ already found at the college.

Dame Reynolds went on to directly address the college’s policy on respect and dignity: ‘This is a topic that’s widely discussed in Cambridge at the William Lyon-Tupman

take in the rowing calendar? It doesn’t quite have the same prestige as Bumps but it is the first real taste of competition that novices will have.

Josh Watts, former Lower Boats’ Captain of Jesus Boat Club, believes that Queens’ Ergs is crucial for the development of a boat crew: “It’s the first time that you’re really representing your club. You wear face paint, you shout each other on. It’s quite a good bonding experience and a way to introduce yourself to the fierce rivalries between the clubs.”

Watts was full of admiration for ‘QErgs’ – an event he took part in two years ago – but was also clear about the hard work that comes after. “The real work comes after, in the buildup to Fairbairns and Bumps. There’s a lot of work that goes into moulding a crew that can compete over a longer distance.”

Those words are the ones that would fill me with dread if I were a novice.

This is only the beginning.

extremely problematic. In Qatar, freedom of expression and democracy are nonexistent: political parties are forbidden, they have never had a parliamentary election, and forums for debate are banned. Flogging and stoning are legal punishments and the death penalty is still in effect. Taking their money does the opposite of denouncing its system. But can it be classed as an act of support?

According to a Guardian investigation, many of the workers involved in the preparations for the Qatar World Cup have been denied food and water, had their identity papers taken from them and have not been paid a penny.

Hosting a World Cup will apparently never change their regard for human

rights. It only gives them a positive image behind which to hide their inhumanity.

And in terms of PSG, is the money even positive? Yes, it will boost the individual club’s success but in the greater scheme of things, it is very detrimental to League 1. With PSG guaranteed to win, the league seems to lose its excitement as matches are hardly contested and the overall result is a dead cert.

Qatari money and its increased presence in world football don’t seem to be doing any good for the world around it, or for Qatar’s own people and politics. PSG may have thought that they hit the jackpot, but they should have thought twice before collecting their winnings.

Paris Saint-Germain and the Qatari gold Sophie Penney

hey’ve won the French Premier League three years in a row and haven’t lost a league game this season; they have the joint most titles of any French team and just beat Toulouse 5-0. Paris Saint-Germain are dominating the French game. But with the secret to their dominance being a big pot of Qatari gold, should the wins be seen as success or a symbol of support for an oppressive regime?

In 2011 Paris Saint-Germain was bought by the Qatar Investment Authority for £85 million, which gave the club more money than it has ever moment, not least because there are had previously. some worrying examples around of However, accepting that money poor behaviour and a lack of respect from such a country is ethically for each other’.

But there has been scepticism expressed by some. The Cambridge Student spoke exclusively to an anonymous member of a Cambridge college rugby team, who expressed his concern that the workshops wouldn’t target the right people: ‘Either you compel attendance, making you come across as bullying and untrusting, or you don’t compel attendance and only the people who already agree with you turn up’.

The ‘Good Lad’ website states that it offers an ‘alternative framework’ of understanding for men, away from what it terms the ‘minimum standards approach’. It remains to be seen whether this will catch on in Cambridge sport.

ew ‘Good Lad’ campaign

But Queens’ Ergs is exactly that. A competitive race, using erg machines.

And somehow, they’ve made it quite entertaining.

Maybe it’s some sadistic pleasure we get from seeing people pushed to their physical limit. Or maybe it’s the overwhelmingly competitive atmosphere created by having so many rowers in a relatively confined space.

Either way, Queen’s Boat Club have created a uniquely interesting event.

You only have to look at the results to see what kind of performance such an atmosphere is conducive to – one of the members of Caius’ M1 crew put in a time of 1:26, only 5 seconds off the Lightweight World Record over 500m. And Newnham W1, the fastest women’s crew, averaged a time only ten seconds slower than the Lightweight World Record. Given that the rowers involved in Queens’ Ergs are all novices, these are staggeringly good times.

So what place does the competition

PSGMAG

Sport

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19 November 2015 • The Cambridge Student

Cambridge and consent: Cambridge rugby teams trial ‘Good Lad’ campaign →p. 19

www.tcs.cam.ac.uk/sport

ABOVE: NICO_ENDERS

The men’s basketball team this week took on local rivals Anglia Ruskin University with a decisive 61-49 win. Read below for more.

Image: William Lyon Tupman

Cambridge Northampton

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William Lyon Tupman

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n away match close to their home turf, the Blues got their game off to a good start and had no difficulty keeping their Anglia Ruskin counterparts behind them. After 20 minutes, the Blues had already gained a fairly comfortable lead at 16-11.

Both teams maintained their intensity for most of the match. But perhaps it was largely due to Cambridge’s well planned interceptions, alongside their communication within their team, their subsequent higher percentage of possession and Anglia Ruskin’s often failed attempts at scoring that solidified the Blues’ lead.

ARU at one point were within just 2 points of the Blues, but no sooner had they done so than Cambridge pulled back ahead with a series of free throws and threepointers, extending their lead to 31-21, and 47-27 by the forty-minute mark.

While Anglia Ruskin certainly didn’t give up, and even returned several baskets towards the end, Cambridge swept to a convincing 61-49 victory at the end of play.

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Tim Hillel

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he third fixture of the rugby league season saw Cambridge take on Northampton at home. The Blues started exceptionally, going over for a try within the first two minutes.

The Blues resisted the dire conditions as the heavens opened midway through the first half, and defended against attacks from Northampton, who failed to register a point.

During the second half, the pitch came to resemble a mud bath, with the ball changing hands constantly. Strong carries from the forwards and the Cambridge hooker netted the Blues further tries, ending with another strong period of defence to once again deny a persistent Northampton attack.

Highlights included a pitch-length breakaway try by new-comer James Gill, and some smooth footwork from captain Craig Winfield, whose run from the halfway line brought Cambridge another.

Having conceded only one try in three matches, the Cambridge team remain unbeaten this season.

Women’s Football

Cambridge Anglia Ruskin

Men’s Rugby

Men’s Basketball

A mixed day for Cambridge teams in wintry conditions Cambridge Nottingham

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Gerda Bachrati

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match to forget for all concerned. A league fixture away to Nottingham was marred from the first to the last whistle by the spate of inclement weather that has been sweeping the nation. Driving horizontal rain and highspeed winds combined to limit the play of both teams involved in this drab affair.

Cambridge battled on, and enjoyed spells of possession on the edge of the Nottingham box, but were unable to find a route to goal. Playing against the wind in the first half, the team found themselves boxed, though were able to carve out the odd shot on target in spite of the conditions.

Nottingham’s ‘keeper suffered in particular, spilling possession time and again, though Cambridge failed to capitalise The Blues’ best opportunity arose ten minutes from time, as Daisy Luff found herself in space but could only drive the ball into the side netting. 0-0 it remained, and Cambridge will be looking to recapture their fine early-season form when they take on Nottingham Trent in the Cup next week.