The Founder - Volume 5, Issue 11

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Volume 5 | Issue 11 Thursday 24 March 2011 thefounder.co.uk

the independent student newspaper of royal holloway, university of london

SURHUL mislays equivalent to £300 worth of stock every day for six weeks of Spring term mately £300 per day.

The e-mail (sent by the SU’s News Editor Commercial Development Manager) continues with a dispiriting On 23 February 2011, a confidential analogy: ‘To put the size of this internal SU memo entitled ‘Secudeficit in perspective it is equivarity of Stock and Cash / Changes lent to us having given away free of to Procedures’ was e-mailed to all charge every drink, ticket (advance its casual staff, the Commercial and door) and piece of food served Services Managers, the Senior last Friday, day and night, at all Management Team and the SU venues.’

Sabb officers. This memo informed The Students’ Union has not its recipients that in the Valentine’s informed any of its non-employed Day stock-take, after just the first members of the loss of this money. six weeks of winter term, the SU Interestingly, the losses are roughly had a deficit of £11,000. As the equivalent to a single UK student’s document itself then clarifies, this entire tuition fees commitment for is equivalent to a loss of approxia three year degree.

Thomas Seal

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SURHUL unable to explain the loss of £11,000

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At a time when cuts to higher education could hardly be more prominent in the national consciousness, this slippage seems particularly objectionable. The memo assures staff that there are ‘no significant findings’ of any evidence of theft through examination of CCTV footage, or mistakes in stock data entry.

In a possibly related move, SURHUL is currently advertising on its website for a new Venue Manager.

‘Accountability’ and ‘transparency’ are words in almost all SU Presidential and Sabbatical mani-

Features

Comment & Debate

Sexism and the media, the long-term saga

Dissecting religion, and other such matters

VIKKI VILE talks about sexism and the ongoing media saga

LAURA GRIMA gets down and dirty with the human mind

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The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

The Founder The Independent Student Newspaper of Royal Holloway, University of London Email: editor@thefounder.co.uk

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The Founder would like to wish all students the best of luck in the upcoming exam period. As usual, the newspaper will take a hiatus before returning in full technicolor glory in June before the Summer Ball.

For the latest news, reviews, and everything Holloway, get online Follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook!

The Founder is on Twitter: twitter.com/rhulfounder ...and on Facebook: facebook.com/TheFounderNewspaper ...and online: thefounder.co.uk

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to the newspaper this year, the editors, the paperboys and, most of all, you the reader.

As of course without you, this whole exercise would be completely pointless.

tf editorial team Editor-in-Chief Jack Lenox Editor Tom Shore Editors 2011-2012 Ashley Coates & David Bowman

News Editor Tom Seal Comment & Debate Nick Coleridge-Watts Features Editor Kate Brook Film Editor Daniel Collard Arts Editor Julia Armfield

Pictures Julian Farmer Amy Taheri Music Editor David Bowman Sport Editor Johanna Svensson Sub-Editors Heather Rimington Julia Armfield

Designed by Jack Lenox, Tom Shore, Tom Seal & Cordelia Masters

The Founder is the independent student newspaper of Royal Holloway, University of London. We distribute at least 4,000 free copies every fortnight during term time around campus and to popular student venues in and around Egham.

Like others before us, we “refuse to define a publication to print only”, and we will continue to “push the boundary of student media” via our website and mobile app(s) over the next couple of months. Winning!

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Editor-in-Chief or of The Founder Publications Ltd, especially of comment and opinion pieces. Every effort has been made to contact the holders of copyright for any material used in this issue, and to ensure the accuracy of this fortnight’s stories.

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SURHUL unable to explain missing £11,000 Thomas Seal News Editor

Continued from Front Page festos, but there was no way students could have discovered these huge losses without an anonymous leak to the Founder. SU President Rachel Pearson has not updated her blog since 3 November, and the other Sabbs’ blogs are generally no more recent; it comes as no surprise, then, that none of these mention the lost money either.

This primary dilemma is not the only financial difficulty detailed in the memo, as it tells the staff that ‘there is an additional £1750 of wastage and out of date stock documented and £2269 of staff drinks allocation...’.

The memo then lists an action plan which attempts to ensure such losses don’t occur again, including suggestions attempting to ensure efficiency so that no stock errors or thefts can occur again.

In order to temporarily alleviate financial pressures, all end-ofnight complimentary drinks for all SU staff are allegedly suspended, to save an estimated £2,000 per month, to the obvious displeasure of some of the hardworking students whose hours regularly extend

SURHUL Statement: A recent stock take at the Student’s Union highlighted a significant retail loss. As is standard practice, and in line with ongoing development changes to the operations of the Commercial Services department, stock control procedures have been reviewed and amended. Specifically, we have increased our stock monitoring provision and added additional controls around stock access, deliveries & wastage.

Supplementary periodic checks are also being undertaken in addition to our planned schedule of monthly stocktakes.

into the late early hours to ensure others have a good time on their nights out.

The memo also assures that there will be random and more frequent stock takes and CCTV reviews for the rest of the year.

The memo ends: ‘Whilst we recognise there are many staff that would never entertain the idea of acting dishonestly and who strive to work to the highest of standards at all times we need ensure that high standards of integrity, efficiency

The membership survey conducted by the Students Union in May 2010 resulted in our current Business Development Plan.

One of the key elements in this is enhanced provision of service to our membership. This includes improving our communication & transparency and in line with this a confidential memo was circulated to all relevant staff to provide information regarding changes required and ensure an understanding of the reasoning for such changes

and quality of service become the norm throughout our operations.’

An £11,000 deficit in half a term is unlikely to have been achieved through even cumulative small losses alone, but no further criminal or otherwise investigative ac-

tion appears to have been detailed.

However, even without damaging incidents such as this, the SURHUL will almost certainly have to face ever increasing pressure from ever more financially-strained and financially-conscious students.

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The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

News

The Principal’s new manifesto ‘The library is just not big enough.

It is unacceptable that News Editor 2011-12 students are unable to find study spaces. We’ve got some good qualOn a sunny Monday morning, I ity teaching accommodation, but met with the Principal, Professor it’s not all as good as it should be.

Paul Layzell, to discuss the launch We’ve got some fledgling ideas to of his new manifesto. This is what build an extension on the back of he had to say: the library, which will have some ‘The manifesto is about trying to books in it I’m sure, but it’s not set out the things we can do during just about making a bigger library, a period of considerable change, it’s about making it the centre of so that we can be better at the end student life with more informal of that period than when we went study space. It would also allow us into it. We’re starting from a pretty to bring together things such as the strong position as number 88 in the student support service, careers world, that’s good for everybody. service and the finance office in There are five things we’ve put in to one location and be much more the manifesto: convenient. We also need to make sure we can meet the demand for Academic Excellence student housing. We’re not a big city location with lots of providers; ‘We want the best staff and the getting accommodation around best academic content for students here can be difficult. on our programmes. We want to make our research activity more Sustainability alive, not just for postgraduates, but at undergraduate level. You’re being ‘Everything from our green cretaught by the people who write the dentials, where there are some chalbooks, not just teach from them. lenging targets to reduce our carAs you get into second and third bon footprint, through to operating years, there should be a strong link in way in which the books balance. to the ground-breaking research Although we get about one-third of that those people are doing. I’d also our funding from government, we quite like us to have the facility to are not public sector, if we go bust be able to easily record lectures. I there is nobody to bail us out. Our don’t think people would stop going income is about £130 million a year to lectures, but it would allow you and we’re about to lose £31 million to play them back when revising. through the cuts. We want some financial stability in the system so Community and the People that we can think about developing staff, introducing new courses, ‘We’ve got a very strong interna- the normal business of running a tional thread in the college, both university without going from one staff and students, and we want financial crisis to the next. to celebrate and use that diversity more effectively. There is a threat to Value for Money this, as the government’s proposals concerning visas could damage the ‘Obviously as the fees go up, we flow of international students and have to consider the cost of a deI think there are some politicians gree and the value. We’ve got to be who don’t see the value of having much clearer about why it’s worth international students. I think they coming to university. I think there add richness to university culture is a real danger that students will and give us an opportunity to work be put off going to university and with people from different backinstead go to work for companies grounds. We also need to make that get them on the career ladmore of other activities, such as der earlier and provide ‘on the job’ volunteering, sports clubs and the learning. One of the things we need massive entrepreneur’s society. As to do is work more closely with we go into an environment where employers, so people get more exstudents are going to be asked to perience of the world of work and contribute more for their educaget opportunities to do placements. tion, we have to ask the question: We’ve got to make this a more valuwhy is it better to come to Royal able experience. I think we should Holloway? The answer is, in part, also look into accrediting people because of this diversity and the for the extra-curricular activities range of activities. they do, so that we can almost give people another certificate for these The College Itself things that is much more personal

Jessica Philipson

to you.

The aim of the manifesto is to provide an opportunity for students and staff to have a debate about how we will develop in the future and to ensure we are doing the right sorts of things. How can we develop academic excellence?

How can we improve the physical infrastructure? I’ve spoken of a library extension, but maybe there’s something better than that?

Obviously, we can’t do everything, but we need to make sure we spend our money wisely and understand student priorities at a time when students will be asked to make a greater contribution to the cost of tuition.’

For more information on the manifesto, visit: http://www.rhul. ac.uk/restricted/contensis/forstaff/ strategy/manifesto/home.aspx Students are also being invited to attend a student open meeting in the Windsor Auditorium at 5:30pm on Wednesday 23 March.

Artist’s impression of potential Bedford Library Extension

Exec. Officer Election Results Dave Cobb The results are in and next academic year’s Executive and Media Officers have largely been chosen.

Tuesday 15th saw the predominantly uncontested candidates told their fates for the year ahead.

Insanity Radio positions were up first with Assistant Station Manager going to the uncontested David Lamb to the tune of 334 votes.

David was very happy with the result but said it was a “daunting” prospect, realising he had very big shoes to fill taking over from Sarah Honeycombe (now VP Communications & Campaigns elect).

Gunanika Singh takes over from Charlie Pagliero as Station Manager with 335 votes to 42 for Re-Open Nominations (R.O.N.). She promised to make Insanity “the best radio station anyone has ever seen”.

Next up was Publications Editor and the uncontested Beth Bridewell won by 332 votes to R.O.N.’s 48.

Afterwards she said that day one would involve “tidying the office, making it mine and making it the students’” and urged everyone to get involved.

The Trustee election followed; the first contested role. R.O.N. received

19 votes, George Papamargaritis held 171 votes, but Phil Potter took the title with 220 votes. Phil was “ecstatic” with the result and said he would embrace the role immediately by trying to get more people “involved in the heart of the Students’ Union”.

The executive committee elections started with Student Development and Volunteering Officer in which R.O.N. gained 99 votes, the highest count of the evening, and Inês Boski took the role with 268 votes.

Ed Resek reprises the role of Ethics and Environmental Officer following stiff competition from Sam Heron with 258 votes to 178, R.O.N taking 7.

Craig Gent becomes Campaigns officer with 332 votes to R.O.N.’s 72 and “can’t wait to get started”, for the moment Craig is looking forward to some hard-earned sleep.

Media and Communications Officer goes to Andrej Gregoric with 326 votes to 60. Andrej said campaigning had been “volcanic”, though he would have liked the role to be contested.

Postgraduate Officer remains as David Pavitt who was uncontested – 318 votes to R.O.N.’s 53 secured him the position but he was una-

vailable for comment.

Carl Welch, also uncontested, returns as Academic Affairs Officer by 305 votes to 70 and can’t wait to hold college to account of the future funding changes to student education.

Equality and Liberation Officer goes to Georgia Coles-Riley by 320 votes, R.O.N. walking away with 74. Georgia was unavailable for comment.

Dedar Mahal returns as Democracy Officer by 322 votes to 85 calls to Re-Open the Nominations. Following the announcement Dedar was in a state of “ecstasy” and was eager to work on a major overhaul of the election Code of Conduct.

The final election of the evening was for the contested position of Union Chair. R.O.N. held 24 votes, Rustam Majainah had 161 but Joe Rayment walked away victorious with 235 votes. Joe can’t wait to make General Meetings shorter, a highly popular policy, and is keen to spend more time promoting them.

All candidates extended their thanks to the current Sabbatical team, General Manager Sean O’Donnell and Doug German who took over the role of Democracy Officer for the elections.

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The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

News

Hand gun and drugs seized in Egham raid Jessica Philipson On Thursday 3rd March, Surrey police carried out a severe crackdown on organised crime, raiding various groups in Egham and Chertsey.

Operation Oxygen involved nearly 200 officers who conducted early morning raids of nine properties and seized items including

large amounts of money, financial documentation, a stolen vehicle, weapons (including a hand gun), gas spray and tasers.

A 36-year-old man from Chertsey was arrested on suspicion of possession of class A drugs with intent to supply and possession of a firearm, a 35-year-old-man, also from Chertsey, was charged with possession of class A drugs, a 61-year-old man, a 31-year-old man, and a

29-year-old man, all from Egham, were arrested on suspicion of possession of prohibited weapons.

Superintendent Duncan Greenhalgh, who led the operation, said: “Through our enforcement activity today we have demonstrated Surrey Police is serious about cracking down on organised crime and the supply and use of class A drugs in our community.”

A new and improved Englefield RHUL lecturer Green for the Olympics

Hallé in performance

made Associate Composer of Hallé

music will develop throughout my appointment as Associate Composer. The Hallé has a very special A lecturer from Royal Holloway sound and there is a deep commithas recently been named as the ment to its associated ensembles new Associate Composer for the and choirs. I am really looking prestigious Hallé, Britain’s longestforward to developing relationships established permanent professional with the individual players in the symphony orchestra. orchestra as well as collaborating Helen Grimes is Royal Holwith Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé’s loway’s lecturer in Composition other associated conductors.” in the Music department, whose Helen’s tenure is initially for latest achievement only adds to her three years and her existing works ever-increasing impressive interare already programmed for the national portfolio. Helen’s music 2011/12 season at the Manchester has already been widely published based orchestra. Throughout her and performed throughout the tenure, Helen will work alongside world, most notably for the BBC the Hallé Programming Team and Symphony Orchestra at the Prom in their Music Director, the aforemen2003, the Birmingham Contempo- tioned Sir Mark Elder CBE, who rary Music Group and broadcast on said of Helen’s appointment, “We Eton’s Dorney Lake, where the Olympic rowing will take place Radio 3 and 4. Helen has also been are delighted that Helen is joining the recipient of the Making Music us, and all of us look forward to her the streetlights with heritage lampprehensive health centre. award at the 2003 British Composer becoming part of the Hallé family.

Elinor Gittins posts, improving the state of the The Council met on Thursday 3rd Awards.

She has amazing talent and I look Sub-editor 2011-12 pavements and expanding the car March to discuss their plans. In Previously, Helen studied at the forward to working with her and park on St Jude’s Road. It has been response to the villagers, county Royal College of Music, and in conducting her music as she takes In preparation for the 2012 Olymagreed that these will all be positive councillor, Marisa Heath, said “We 2008 she was awarded the esteemed on her new position.” pics, the Runnymede Council have changes for Englefield Green. How- all want to improve our village and Leonard Bernstein Fellowship Helen is clearly admired by all been busy planning a remodelling ever, many of the villagers believe this is a way of doing that. We will to continue her education at the in her profession including Julian of Englefield Green. The rowing the money could be better spent. continue to lobby for positive addi- Tanglewood Music Centre. Helen’s Johnson, head of Music at Royal and canoe teams will be moving Currently, the village has no post tions like a new post office, banks music is now exclusively published Holloway, who echoed these sentiinto an Olympic Village at Royal office, no bank and no public and an ATM, but the power to get

by Chester Music Ltd. ments by adding, “This residency Holloway during the event. The toilets. According to the villagers, those things is not in the hands of Speaking about her appointment, would be a major coup for any games will take place in Dorney this is what the council should aim the council but with business seeing Helen was evidently overjoyed, composer during their lifetime – Lake at Eton College near Windsor. to provide in Englefield Green. a need and viability.” The final deci- explaining, “The opportunity to Helen has achieved it at the age of Before the teams arrive, the Coun- Another popular request, especially sions reached at the meeting have work closely with a world class 29 which is a fantastic achievement cil plans to spend £270,000 on amongst mothers, is for a larger not yet been published. orchestra is a dream come true for and underlines the high regard in ‘environmental improvements’. The playing area for children. Others any composer, and I am very much which she’s held.” money will go towards replacing have suggested a new, more comlooking forward to seeing how my

Vikki Vile

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The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

News

Students ‘frogmarched’ by bailiffs Emily Lees

Sub-editor 2011-12 The students who had occupied former Poet-Laureate Sir Andrew Motion’s offices at 11 Bedford Square, Bloomsbury for an entire week, have now claimed bailiffs seized their belongings after raiding the building. The supposed seizure took place on the Thursday after the Royal Courts of Justice granted university chiefs a possession order granting them the jurisdiction to evict the students.

The week long sit-in, which was in protest of the Government cuts, had caused serious disturbances to work being carried out by Senior Royal Holloway University professors, who explained to the New Journal the protest was “seriously disrupting” their work. Police Community Support Officers aided the bailiffs to ensure a smooth transition.

David Moon, 21, an Undergraduate for History at Royal Holloway, said: “We had not received a possession order, but at around 3.45pm they began kicking in the door. It is a Grade I-listed Georgian building so we were shocked at the physical force.”

An unnamed Physics student also described the eviction: “They frog-

marched all of us out and pushed us around. They then physically took some books from my hand and said I couldn’t have them back as they did not believe they were my books.”

In response to the eviction an estimated 80 students later protested outside the building, many hiding their faces with clothing. Royal Holloway is yet to respond to this on their website, however, a spokesperson did attempt to distance the University by condemning the students and stating: “The occupiers are not associated with Royal Holloway or its Students’ Union, and only a minority of the occupiers are Royal Holloway students.

The occupiers are not protesting about higher education specifically, and they are not directing their protest at Royal Holloway itself.

They are, however, seriously disrupting the work of Royal Holloway, and causing considerable cost and inconvenience to us and our students. Although the occupiers have not prevented any students or lecturers from accessing 11 Bedford Square, they have rendered the building unusable by chaining closed fire doors, occupying the building’s rooftop, using the teaching space and preventing access to our security staff and management.”

A further protest took place in

London as students at University dle East with David Cameron and College London occupied a part of several arms companies. their campus in protest of President A revival of the sit in appears Malcolm Grant’s trip to the Midto be coming and with ever more

legislation being contemplated by the Government it seems there will be many more to come.

flickr/stevecadman The Grade-I listed Georgian buildings of Bedford square, which were occupied last month

Residents express concerns over housing project flickr/Maxwell Hamilton

the construction of over 100 new homes, 59 care units and accommodation for roughly 530 students on the 67 acre site –plans met with A proposal for a residential develenthusiasm when presented to resiopment project on the site of the derelict Brunel campus in Coopers dents in November last year.

Yet critics of the development Hill Lane has been submitted to Runnymede Council. The proposal proposals have become more outspoken in recent months. Stuart is the second for said site after the Salt, a resident of Kingswood Close first was criticised by residents. who studied at the Brunel Campus This comes after a motion to refuse a planning application for new in 1954, expressed concerns over student accommodation on Egham detrimental environmental effects of the planned development stemHill was passed by Runnymede ming from increased traffic and a Council’s planning committee in potential lack of parking. Mr Salt September last year. The plan was designed to accommodate the pre- stated that the preference of many of the area’s residents would have dicted growth of Royal Holloway’s been for the site to be used for edustudent population – at present cational purposes only, as opposed approximately 7,700 – to 12,000 to a project which would most students by 2031, with a development of the Brunel Campus, empty likely increase congestion. Concerns were also raised over “culas of 2007. tural differences” between students Under the proposal, the campus would be developed into a predom- and residents. Mr Salt expressed inantly student residence. Develop- concerns regarding houses being in such close proximity to student ers Orchid Runnymede envisaged

Stuart Stone

halls, citing noise issues. Fellow resident Rod Smith stated that the plan bordered on “over-development” and that it could become an eyesore.

Englefield Green Borough Councillor, Peter Taylor, expressed his support for the rejuvenation of the derelict site and attempted to ease the minds of concerned residents.

He expressed confidence that the planning committee would be able to find the right balance in the project.

Mr Taylor continued that it would be a shame to leave derelict a site with such potential to help trade in the village, but conceded that the plans must not infringe upon the character of the village or place strain on parking facilities.

After an initial application was met with criticism by residents for its density and scale, this new proposal, revised by architects John Thompson & Partners, has been submitted.

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tf Comment

The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

Debate

Religion, progress, evolution, and the cruel task of unpicking the whole thing Laura Grima

S

pirituality is something I’ve found both intriguing and befuddling over the years. I haven’t struggled with it as such, but I’ve always known that religion and spiritualism are not paths I’m going to be following, whether I like it or not. Myself and a couple of friends attended a concert held in the Chapel of our university (pictured below…somewhere). I know I wanted to go for several reasons- a friend was in the choir itself, the Chapel is a beautiful place worth visiting, and it made for a relaxing evening, especially in comparison to the hedonism of the night before. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone in the room was able to appreciate the beauty before them in a way that surpassed my basal view of, “oh, that’s pretty” and “this is nice”.

I don’t mind being an atheist.

And I certainly don’t begrudge others for having a religion or believing something that I can’t help but not believe. However, I do question why, as humans, religion exists and whether the overall impact it has had on society is positive or negative. Neither questions can be answered wholly, I appreciate that.

Some people might not like the answers anyway. My scientific leanings mean that I tend to view religion almost as another human trait, fallible and easy to manipulate, though originally born from the need of comfort and reassurance in what can seem like a cold and harsh world. I guess as someone who, admittedly, hasn’t experienced just how cold and harsh this world can be, I don’t feel the need to turn to religion, though this doesn’t explain the copious individuals who have both had a pleasant upbringing and life thus far, but still fall into the category of religious or spiritual inclinations.

Funnily enough, we were discussing a similar issue in a lecture the other day. More specifically, the question was, “what is the mind?

Is it different from the brain?” Few people gave answers (though that might have just been lecturitis), but it became clear that by the end of the lecture, the majority sided

Photograph: Don Kiddick with the viewpoint that the mind is separate and distinguishable from the brain, though the two may interact. I made the point that such a thing is entirely unfounded, that it might very well be a unicorn controlling all of our brains and making us think we have a ‘mind’, so though we may never be able to prove anything, the rule of thumb is to always go for what is currently the most likely option. That is, in my opinion, that the mind and the brain are one; what we perceive is the mind is in fact the complexities of our human brains in action. The implication of this is that, without a mind we have no soul, and without a soul, death is permanent, irreversible and deems our lives to be ultimately pointless. That’s a hard fact to swallow, and there’s also the problem that it isn’t ‘fact’ at all. We will never know if this is actually the case. And so, when it comes the two options that we have all had to face at some point, the first being that something is out there and that we have a worth (the less likely but more comforting option)

and the second being that nothing is out there at all (the more likely but potentially devastating option), many pip for the former. Fair do’s. I’d rather people do so and be happy, than wander around waiting for eternity to arrive.

This is a good opportunity to slot in a bit of evolutionary psychology, an area that I’m a particular fan of. Can evolution be the ultimate explanation for religion and our beliefs? I think so. One may say that it is unlikely for such a simple process to be able to influence such complex ideas like religion, and others may have qualms with evolution having such a strong influence as this potentially negates our free will, something we value very highly in today’s society (in the West, at least. Cultural differences and all that!) But I’m sure everyone, at some point, either directly or indirectly, has heard of those who claim that religion or spirituality has changed their lives and has ultimately made it worth living. I understand that evolution is to do with survival of the fittest

and adaptability, but the reason we want the fittest of our species to survive and to be able to adapt is because we want to survive full stop. The desire to live is certainly a prerequisite for being ‘the fittest’, and if one lacks that and eliminates themselves through lacking that (a coarse way of putting it, I realise) then that’s practically evolution in action. So, ironically, I say that religion was borne of evolution. I think.

Some may counteract this with POIs (can I use that in everyday prose? Debate Soc. has infiltrated my life way too much) such as, “what about terrorist bombers?

They’re highly religious and they certainly don’t seem to want to survive!” But that’s just not seeing the bigger picture. They sacrifice themselves for the power of their cause and so that others of the same cause may prosper. It’s like bees that sting but, in doing so, kill themselves. They do it for the protection and survival of their colony. That such acts continue to this day, and with such a ‘highly intelligent’ spe-

cies, just goes to show that the basic survival instincts that our ancestors possessed and that we have endeavoured to discard are certainly still with us.

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The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

The doorman’s asleep on duty population easily becomes resentful more respect has to be paid to the when they witness their neighbour- consequences of mismanagement; Comment & Debate Editor hood radically change in a short if the allowance of immigration a space of time. They begin to is an essential characteristic of a ince the 1960s any criti- migrate to the suburbs, their places leading world economy, provisions cism of immigration being taken by ever greater numpertaining to social order are impolicy has been susbers of immigrants and, without perative. If attention is not paid to ceptible to accusations design, a Ghetto forms. The social these considerations, and thus far of prejudice. A new stratification inherent in such situ- in Britain it hasn’t been, immigrataboo for a New Britain, the sacred ations is divisive and, just like the tion stops being a product of liberal cow of multi-racialism has been example of education, easily avoid- democracy and instead becomes near untouchable by our political able with proper regulation. Slower a threat to it, as it both causes and masters, with private reservations and smaller immigration gives perpetuates social division. neatly concealed behind a taught local communities time to adjust visage of faux liberalism. Similarly gradually, whilst prudent allocation in everyday life people are too often of social housing can prevent imrestrained from comment for fear migration being synonymous with of being labelled racist, despite urban decay. their opposition to the phenomNotice that at no point have I exenon clearly bubbling beneath the pressed the view that immigration surface. itself is undesirable. Nor has any Whilst some opponents of the discussion of racial difference been racial diversification of Britain are allowed to creep into the argument. transparently motivated by clumsy In the globalising world in which Write to comment and inarticulate race hate, there are we live, which has become increascomment@ a good many justifiable objections ingly interconnected since World to specific aspects of immigration War II by the restraining influence thefounder.co.uk policy which go ignored by the of international law, it is vital that Establishment. It is in this respect all policy platforms reflect the very that the ignominy of image politics best standards of human reason comes into its own, as the improp- and compassion. Sadly rationality We’re still publishing erly-regulated movement of people is all too often displaced by emoonline has yielded dire infrastructural, not tion. It is with this in mind that IMP_Our_Progs_Royal_Hol_175x131_v1_Layout 1 09/03/2011 16:43 Page 1 racial, consequences.

I had the privilege of working for over one and a half years in the leading trade union representing school leaders in Britain, and with that experience in mind I can safely say that education is a prime example in which effective administration is stalled by the cosmopolitan flavour of certain classrooms. There “Imperial College Business School graduates are schools in inner cities where the make a difference. We make things ethnic diversity is so great that the student body speaks over thirty difhappen. We shape the future.” ferent languages. Teaching, already Ranked by the FT as Europe's top business school for a difficult vocation, is made infientrepreneurship. Joint first for the percentage of research nitely harder by such unnecessary activity assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent. obstacles, which would be avoid(RAE 2008) able if only elevated standards of • Full-Time MBA English were an entry requirement.

• MSc Management Another example is the effect • Executive MBA (weekday or weekend) • MSc Finance large-scale immigration can have • Distance Learning MBA • MSc Risk Management on the recipient districts. Taking as and Financial Engineering • MSc Innovation and read the fact that most immigrants Entrepreneurship NEW • MSc Actuarial Finance arrive here for economic reasons, it • MSc Strategic Marketing NEW • Doctoral Programme can safely be assumed that they’re • MSc International Health Management used to far less in their countries of origin. Consequently they flock Join us at our next information session. to areas of comparative poverty, or Find out more and register online. wherever the labour market takes them. There is nothing wrong with Xiaonan Zou, MSc Management 2010, UBS graduate training programme this in itself, but there is an unnecwww.imperial.ac.uk/business-school/waystomeetus essary social trauma which often accompanies it. The indigenous

Nick Coleridge-Watts

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The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

Debate

Support our lecturers’ protest! £800 million a year (figure taken from UCU website). This tactic is ideological, in that it shifts the ecturer’s pension responsibility for lecturer’s pension benefits are being cut, security from the institution to the in line with other cuts individual. It cannot be dismissed being made by the as merely a money-saving measure. current government.

Why should students support With inflation, these cuts will hit this? lecturers hard. The contributions Lecturers and students are linked. that lecturers are expected to make They facilitate our learning process; to their pensions are also set to we pay their salaries through increase. At the same time, new tuition fees and indirectly through staff will be offered inferior pension taxes when we go into the workbenefits – a loss of thousands of place. In order to safeguard our pounds in comparison with their future learning, we must support colleagues. On the UCU website their future. If lecturers cannot be it is stated that “Of the two-thirds certain that they will get the value (64.55%) the UCU members who of the pension they have contribvoted, voted for strike action and uted to all their working lives, they over four-fifths (82.19%) voted have less of an incentive to continue for action short of a strike.” Our in academia. Those intending to institution voted in favour of strike become lecturers will have less inaction, and we as students need to centive to do so if their job security show our support for the decision is compromised. Consequently, reached by our lecturers. The lecthe quality of teaching will decline turers are being asked to pay more as less graduates go on to become into the scheme, at a time where lecturers themselves. it is in fact running at a surplus of If we contest the cuts to lecturer’s

Jess Gotham

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pay and pension schemes, we retain the ability to choose which courses the university runs, on a basis of academic preference rather than profitability. . By standing in solidarity, we keep a full range of subjects available to all students. This particularly affects arts subjects – an area in which Royal Holloway currently excels. The arts are financially unprofitable, so their funding is the first to be cut. If we present a united front, all lecturers are enabled to defend their courses.

Individually they are only acting in a way they naturally always will, by defending their individual jobs. The management are only inclined to keep the courses are that are profitable, also acting in their own best interests rather than those of the institution as a whole. The beauty of a strike based on pensions is that it allows the lecturers and students to present a strong united front against the management prior to any cuts that are likely in the future.

In effect, it acts as a deterrent against cuts directed at particular

courses in the future.

If we allow our lecturers to lose their pensions, then our lecturers go elsewhere. If they go elsewhere, they are unlikely to be replaced by the college. It gives an incentive to allow the lecturers to leave without the college to have to force firings.

In essence, cuts are made in two ways: by not replacing members of staff that leave, and by decreasing the incentives for potential future lecturers. The management is trying to increase the number of students, while simultaneously reducing the number of staff through such indirect tactics. As student numbers increase in proportion to numbers of lecturers, the quality of education decreases. In effect, we will slide down the league tables, which devalues your degree even if you’re no longer at the university. Potential employers will look back at your university degree and see that the university has dropped in the rankings. Inevitably, pension cuts will affect your future employability. When you apply for a job, the

employer will simply look at where Royal Holloway is now, not where it was ten or twenty years ago.

A lecturers strike is a matter for all of us. In supporting them in their efforts to retain their future security, we also support the value of our own degrees and the future of university education in the longer term.

- CLASSIFIED HEAD IN THE CLOUDS? Excellent, you’re in!

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The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

Is a mobile phone signal a luxury or a necessity?

- CLASSIFIEDS -

Jozef Pundek

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he morning of Monday 28th February was an anguishing one for Vodafone customers.

This day would prove to be a test for a country where 90% of its citizens own a mobile. Half of Southern England was taken back 25 years as mobile phone signal was abruptly lost, as a result of a burglary at one of Vodafone’s network stations in Basingstoke.

My initial hope that it was in fact students who had broken into Vodafone as part of an on-going tax related campaign was quickly lost as Vodafone apologised repeatedly for disruption, but Britons were not forthcoming in understanding for the mobile phone operator. Twitter erupted with furious consumers; “vodafail”, “sort it out”, “abysmal service” are examples of vexed customers trying to cope with a loss of something clearly important - but was this the loss of a necessity or luxury?

In a seminar last term our tutor asked us to imagine a world without mobile phones, and not one student could comprehend it.

Mobile phones began as a luxury alternative to finding a landline.

Critics argued that they wouldn’t catch on, but today we use them for e-mails, photos, blogging and so much more. They are in many ways our eyes as well as our ears.

To follow this trajectory from luxury to necessity is not uncommon for technological goods. The flush toilet, washing machines and the television are all now essentials in our lives. The British government has always considered broadband a luxury service that consumers will pay more for but this is now no longer the case. Last year the government announced nationwide investment in new phone lines and cables, especially to rural areas.

Looking around lecture theatres in an all-to-frequent daydream I often see plenty of students tapping away on their mobile phones. It is never just one text that they must reply to, it is often a whole conversation spanning the lecture. This cannot be total boredom with the lecture. Like many Britons students feel the need to constantly keep

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in-the-loop with friends and family and feel guilty when failing to reply quickly enough. Texting has almost become as fast and responsive as talking. The ‘BBM’ application used on Blackberry’s explicitly says if a message has been read, which instantly creates a sense of obligation to instantly reply.

In halls it’s normal to text from one room to the other, simply for the lack of bother to get up and knock on somebody’s door. This is

a pure luxury….or is it now life?

I often turn my mobile off when doing an essay because I know that I will text to procrastinate from work and others will do the same. I have discipline, but yet I hate going to the Stumble Inn because there’s no phone signal.

The fact of the matter is that the facility of a mobile phone was once a luxury which could be enjoyed at arms-length. E-mails and letters were once still used alongside

our mobiles, but as our lives have moved online so too has human communication become ever more virtual. As Sean Parker summed up in the Oscar-winning ‘The Social Network’, “We lived on farms, then we lived in cities, and now we’re going to live on the internet”.

Email your thoughts to comment@thefounder.co.uk

tf Comment Write to comment comment@ thefounder.co.uk We’re still publishing online

Monday 11, Tuesday 12, Wednesday 13 April and Monday 18, Tuesday 19 April 11am to 3pm Maths 4 Everyone offers one-to-one drop-in tutoring in maths to help boost skills and conďŹ dence before exams.

Sessions will be held in the Tea House in the Bedford Library.

6098 03/11

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Review Inside!

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The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

EXTRA

Music

Music News Last week, we reported on the new 12-part Flaming Lips track ‘Two Blobs Fucking’, which was indeed a strange affair, but this week the band have gone one better with an even more unorthodox release medium, described by front man Wayne Coyne as “a life-sized human skull completely made out of edible gummy bear stuff. It also has a gummy brain inside of it and, inside of that, there’s a USB flash drive that has three new songs on it.

It’s pretty outrageous.” Outrageous indeed.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart will also be heading down the path of unconventional releases with their newest LP Belong which will be made available for purchase as a badge (like the kind you pin on your bag) with a headphone jack allowing you to listen to the record, change volume, pause, play and skip tracks; thus, in one swift move, rendering the iPod totally obsolete.

Belong is available to stream over at the band’s website.

It wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest that the grime genre has taken a backseat in the urban world to its perhaps grimier younger brother Dubstep in recent years, but man of the hour Jamie Smith (A.K.A Jamie xx of The xx) took time out from his busy remixing schedule to donate an excellent grime mix to BBC radio station 1Xtra, mixing the likes of Dizzee Rascal and Roll Deep with James Blake. Grime artist (to use the term liberally) Wiley will be releasing his first album since 2007 100% Publishing on June 4th with lead single ‘Numbers in Action’ being released on May 16th.

Also releasing a new album are the Arctic Monkeys, who will be putting out (I kid you not) Suck It and See in June, produced by longtime collaborator and Simian Mobile Disco member James Ford.

Although Jack White will no longer be releasing music as part of The White Stripes, he will however be continuing the Dr. Dre route in life to not only hawk his own brand of headphones but to do it from his new Rolling Record Store, which is essentially a big yellow van. The record store will be selling merchandise and records from White’s own Third Man label and also

features turntables, a microphone and a sound system allowing it to host live gigs.

French electro-housemongerers Justice will have confirmed that they will be releasing the follow-up to their smash 2007 album † this year, which although as yet untitled will be preceded by the release of the record’s first single ‘Civilisation’ in April.

Fellow countrymen Daft Punk will be releasing the remix album to their soundtrack to Disney’s Tron, which will feature reworks by the likes of M83, Boyz Noise, Paul Oakenfold and Moby, who will coincidentally be releasing his own album Destroyed in April.

The new Foo Fighters album Wasted Light is set to include a

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David Bowman Music Editor

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A life-sized human skull completely made out of edible gummy bear stuff.

It also has a gummy brain inside of it and, inside of that, there’s a USB flash drive that has three new songs on it.

It’s pretty outrageous.

contribution by Nirvana bassist Butch Vig, which will mean that the album will excitingly include three quarters of the Nevermind line-up.

The Foo’s will also be releasing a

vinyl only covers album in time for Record Store Day and a documentary charting their career.

The Beach Boys’ lost 1967 classic Smile will finally (excluding Brian

Wilson’s 2004 solo rework of the album) see the light of day under the title of The Smile Sessions. The original was never released following Brain Wilson’s nervous breakdown.

Liam Gallagher clearly didn’t agree with Hamish Hewitt’s positive verdict in The Founder of Radiohead’s newest album. “I heard that fucking Radiohead record and I just go, ‘What?!’... Them writing a song about a fucking tree? Give me a fucking break! A thousand year old tree? Go fuck yourself! You’d have thought he’d have written a song about a modern tree or one that was planted last week. You know what I mean?” Told.

And finally, Kanye West did something this week. I promise.

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The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

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Music Image: Ian Sane/Flickr

Sounds of the City:

Portland instead Jona’s immaculate control over his vocal cords. The level of talent in Portland is staggering: Portland, Oregon may not necesmusicians work together; band sarily be the first city that springs members are swapped and shared to mind when one thinks of an and people are industrious, smart up-and-coming hub for alternative and savvy. Portlanders are aware of music, but truth be told, Portland the positive force that their music has quietly emerged as one of the brings to the city and it is this unity world’s cornerstone cities of indie that makes Portland special. culture. The 1980s put Portland The Missippi and Alberta dison the music map. Over the last tricts are home to Potland’s music 30 years, punk rock evolved into venues. Portland prides itself in grunge, riot grrrl, and eventually being a quirky city that is culturinto alternative indie rock. Nowaally and intellectually progressive. days, Portland surely is a blueprint North East and South East Portland for a successful 21st-century city. are definitely the mecca for the This zany but precocious mini-mecreative, the weird and the wondertropolis stands at the cutting edge ful. Cheap rent and an abundance of all that’s cool, hip and forwardof basements may well be the thinking about modern America. reason why so many bands and Portland has been a hotbed of musicians have moved to Portland, indie music since the mid 1990s and its also where most clubs and and prominent musicians such as bars are found. Doug Fir is a baseThe Dandy Warhols, Gossip, The ment venue and Towne Lounge Decemberists and the late Elliot is located in the ground floor of Smith have all sprung out of Portdisplay remarkablevocals include web videos produced by Wieden & prise. Singer Josh Hodges describes a converted funeral home. Abanland. Quasi, Sleater-Kinney and Tu Fawning and Shelley Short.

Kennedy have showcased Portland’s the band’s music as “dance music doned houses have been renovated Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks also Tu Fawning’s ‘I Know You Know’ underground electronic scene and that you can actually listen to, and converted into bars or venues: strongly defined the city’s music initially sounds like its being played as it turns out home grown record that’s good pop songs, but also you Brazen Beans is an antique Victoscene. Many bands have also moved from an old-fashioned phonograph labels are producing home grown can dance to it.” In keeping with rian house and Wonder Ballroom to Portland: The Shins, Modest but as Corrina Repp’s full-throated solo-projects with Atole, White Portland’s striking connection with is a refurbished 1914 building.

Mouse and !!! (pronounced Chk, and melodramatic voice kicks in Fang and White Rainbow being the visual, YACHT are one of those Berbati’s, Crystal Ballroom and Chk, Chk) now all call Portland you know you’ve found something examples of this type of label-artist bands that you have to see live to Disjecta are Portland’s longstanding home. Up-and-coming bands inhaunting and original. Tu Fawning collaboration. In addition, Jackie-O understand them, or indeed to fully music venues. LaurelThirstPub and clude eccentric Wild Flag, Morning also score bonus points for their Motherfucker with their multiappreciate them. The band consists Holocene regularly host live acts.

Teleportation and folk bands Blind videos: they’re asthetically pleasinstrumental sound are one of Port- of Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. EvPortland has its fair share of festiPilot and Weinland. She & Him is a ing and quite bizarre. This actually land’s oldest experimental bands ans: the girl has blonde hair and al- vals: Longbaugh and Time-Based folk, country duo and is fronted by goes for most of Portland’s bands: whilst Nurses and Explode Into ways wears black, the guy has black Arts Festival cater for film and actress Zooey Deschanel. Grouper in terms of their performances and Colours are definitely two trios to hair and always wears white. Live contemporary arts while Halleluhas been labeled as the pinnacle videos, they are strongly connected watch. Starfucker and YACHT offer performances include synchronized wah and MusicfestNW are the city’s of the 2008 ethereal dream-pop with the visual and special effects. electropop and indie-electronica. dance routines, elaborate powermain music events. Don’t be fooled movement and ‘Heavy/I’d Rather Portland’s experimental and Starfucker formed in 2007 and are point presentations and impressive by Portland’s low-key status, keep Be Sleeping’ with its reverb and electronic scene is a little more dif- undoubtedly underrated: the music contact with the audience. The an eye and an ear out: Portland is delicate vocals is almost painstakficult to track down but it’s certainly is upbeat and fun and their unique weird clucking noise on ‘Psychic definitely emerging as an important ingly beautiful. Other bands that there. A series of music-centered sound often catches you by surCity’ is no machine or synth, but contributor in today’s music scene.

Ange Suprowicz

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The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

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Music & Arts

Album Review: Elbow, Classics Society Build a Rocket Boys! Review: The Bacchae Pamela Carralero

think, why critics loved them was because, to them, Guy Garvey’s I came round to Elbow late. Like admittedly wonderful and powerful most of the public it seems, I always lyrics compensated for dull meloignored the repeated, and somedies and arrangements. Seldom times pleading, reviews from critics Seen Kid paid more attention to the who have loved the band since their music, and that is why it sold. Worcritically acclaimed debut Asleep in ryingly, I saw Elbow at the 2008 the Back failed to sell. For me, this Latitude festival and whilst it was was because whenever I actually a good set, I could not understand heard Elbow on the radio; their why the album’s two most powerful music bored me. All that changed and unusual tracks ‘The Fix’ and in 2008 when I saw them perform ‘Audience with the Pope’ weren’t their new single on the Jonathan played. Did Elbow not understand Ross Show. I was blown away by it, the basis of their success? and subsequently by their fourth I therefore listened to the new album, Seldom Seen Kid, when it album, Build a Rocket Boys! with was released. Maybe the music crit- hope but also some trepidation. ics were right, and Elbow had been The opening track, ‘The Birds’ is criminally underappreciated for a reflective love ballad. ‘The birds, the last eight years. I bought their though I wore your glacial paback catalogue, and prepared to be tience/ To a smudge of bitter dust/ converted.

On the last day you embraced me/ Well, that didn’t happen. Their With a glistening sapling trust.’ The first three albums were as boring, poetry is clever and beautiful but with one or two exceptions, as I’d at eight minutes the tune and lyrics originally thought. The reason, I run out of steam. What’s worse, the

Harun Musho’d

tune isn’t all that to start with (and let’s not forget an additional oneand-a-half minutes of the pointless ‘Birds Reprise’ towards the end of the album). Oh dear! ‘Lippy kids’, addressed to teenagers on street corners, is acutely observed, but the piano leads a melody that is too repetitive to sustain interest. With ‘Jesus is a Rochdale Girl’, Garvey addresses another teenager, this time himself as a youth. The lyric is plaintive and descriptive, accompanied this time by a low key guitar, and later, organ. To cut a long story short, my worst fears were realised track after track – great lyrics, dull music. Only ‘Open Arms’ returns to the anthemic style of the album’s predecessor, but anthemic is no good without a decent melody.

Build a Rocket Boys! will please Elbow’s long loyal cult following, but it does nothing for more recent converts who will come to see The Seldom Seen Kid as an aberration in the band’s history.

Euripides’ work is being featured for a second time in a row by the Classical Society, last year’s performance being the tragedy of Medea.

This year was a hippie-orgy-Gagaesque rendition of Bacchai, translated by Colin Teevan and directed

by David Bullen.

From the start of the play, you feel as if you’ve been locked up in a cult meeting, where “all here shall join the dark side.” Indeed, Dionysus, the Greek god of chaos and ecstasy, did have cult pockets of followers in ancient Greece, and the Choruphaios should be deservedly applauded for presenting a fully convincing rendition of madness and the utter possession

by Dionysus.

If anyone ever watched Disney’s original 1940s Fantasia as a child (which should really be the definition of surrealism) they saw Dionysus as a ridiculous fat, jovial clown of a god, drunk off his own wine and running after centaur women to the third movement of Beethoven’s sixth symphony. Up until a year or two ago, I envisioned Dionysus as a type of Sir Toby or Falstaff, a general fool with a love for sack and the pleasures of life. Bacchai’s Dionysus, however, is a destructive and unforgiving god who tears the ruling family of Thebes apart and banishes the Theban women. He is made all the more threatening by his complete domination of sexuality in his cross-gendered persona, often described in literature as “manwomanish”, a beautiful, sensuous youth with all the harnessed power of a son of Zeus. Perhaps this is why Bacchai posters advertising the show around campus featured Zuri Warren in a long blonde wig.

Zuri Warren played a strangely happy-go-lucky Dionysus who, towards the end of the play, changed into a thundering god, appearing onstage in a Gagaesque silver

shoulder-winged breastplate (another one of Heather Rimmington’s spectacular creations), glittering like a rock and roll god. Freddie Clayton, who has been nominated as Best Actor in this year’s RHOscars, was an excellent Pentheus for whom you felt a pity towards despite his arrogance and misogyny.

The ending was the most powerful and gripping part of the play, with Daisy Jervis as Agave (Pentheus’ mother) and Joel Sport as Cadmus giving commendable performances in their sorrow at Pentheus’ death.

The scenes with the bacchic chorus were some of the strongest and the choruphaios should be applauded. However, the chorus scenes were also some of the most exhausting. Their ecstatic yells and the music which often accompanied them kept the tension incredibly high. Sometimes those with dialogue were unable to be heard over the general noise. The show ran for an hour and a half and though I can understand Bullen’s decision to not have an interval, stemming from the theatrical decision to insulate the audience in an intense Dionysian ambiance, I think those who attended would have happily benefited from a 15 minute breather.

Bullen mixed an integral piece of Greek theatre and mythology strangely well with the contemporary world. The famed Tiresias was dressed as a hippie with John Lennon glasses, and halfway through, the choruphaios had a Lady Gaga Monster dance crossed with classic Thriller moves. Strangely, or perhaps unsurprisingly, the Dionysian ecstasy which Euripides’ Bacchai holds can be found in and is relevant to modern day society.

It is this connection which Bullen wished to explore and which I believe this year’s Classical Society’s production of Bacchai duly portrayed.

Been to something inspiring on campus recently?

arts@thefounder.co.uk

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The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

EXTRA

Arts

Word Reclamation in Politically Correct Culture Julia Armfield Arts Editor

everyday language. It’s oppressive of you to tell me I can NOT use those words.” The gut reaction of any tolless perpetuation of internalised erant person is to lambast any word homophobia? The readers of Vanity commonly thought of as offensive, Fair were positively feral (and often but whose place is it to deny whatfied, but is it necessarily proof that painfully cavalier with their gram- ever a community chooses to say any negative word can be reclaimed mar) in their desire to declare one about itself? Of course, not to imply by any community to an overtly or the other but I personally can’t that a debate like this is ever done, homosexuality in our popular empowering end? tell if it’s really that simple. There several comments on the article culture—and in our youth culture If I were to be overly semantic is, for a start, a difference between also expressed the exact opposite. in particular.” about this (and ask the other edisomething that’s said and someSaid one anonymous reader: “I’d The other week, a frequent conDebate still rages between Vanity tors - semantics are my crack), I’d thing that’s read. Vanity Fair, for all like to remind you that not all gay tributor to Vanity Fair Online came Fair readers, many comments on point out that words like “queer” its claims of universality is, at its people are so accepting. I’m all for under fire for what many dissenters the article bearing dramatic vows to are, nine times out of ten, ones core, a magazine with a principally reclaiming names, but as a lesbian, claimed to be the use of homoquit the magazine or aggressive es- with starkly different dictionary straight white readership. And it is I despise the word ‘dyke’ and would phobic language in an article. Brett says in Berk’s defence, yet between to colloquial definitions. This, in principally the straight white reader never use it to refer to a group of Berk, a prolific writer on culture, all this lies the thorny issue of word many ways, is where the boot can who will, consequently, be saying women who are mostly straight.” politics and cars, was roundly lam- reclamation and the question of tend to fall as far as reclamation the word “fag”, mentally or aloud, The debate over Berk’s decision basted for using the term “fag” to whether or not a word retains its goes. “Queer”, for all its potenwhilst reading Berk’s article. Is it, to describe two young gay men refer to Kurt and Blaine, two openly status as “offensive”, no matter who tially unpleasant connotations, is ultimately, the same for Berk to on a programme ostensibly built gay characters on the hit Fox Show happens to use it. actually only a term intended to reclaim the word aloud as a homo- around tolerance and acceptance Glee, in his regular column. He is, I Let’s hark back a bit here. Around imply a certain deviation from the sexual, as to put it in the mouths of as “fags” will doubtless rage on for should point out, gay himself. the early to mid twentieth century, perceived norm. “Fag”, on the other others? Is it, as a point of fact, just some time, and it’s hard to come to Published on March 9th in the word “queer” was a common hand, has two connotations: one shoddy journalism? I know plenty any kind of concrete conclusion as VF.com’s popular segment, “The enough derogatory term for those being firewood, the other being of people, hard-core Chris Rock to how his actions should be adGay Guide to Glee”, Berk’s word of a sexual/gender orientation pork innards. Now, I don’t mean to fans though they might be, who dressed, or if he was in the wrong at choice prompted a slew of comother than “straight”. Used, in its get heavy here, but I’m just saying still aren’t sure if they’re allowed all. One reader may have said that ments on the site itself, as well as most technical sense, as a term that I can understand why people to the say the title of his infamous “it just goes to show that sometimes on twitter, tumblr and the Gay for effeminate gay males, it was may find it easier to make some“Black People vs. Niggas” routine we GLBT people can be our own Interests website AfterElton, and largely taken as an umbrella term thing empowering and dignified aloud, and it could well be the same worst enemies”, but the comment

by March 13th, Berk had altered for anyone exhibiting untraditional out of the word “queer” than a fairly for Berk’s article. The word “fag”, directly after his declared that “anythe article and issued the following gender behaviour. Fast forward unpleasant term for offal. There is, even to the most open-minded and one with half a brain can recognize statement: twenty-odd years, however (and as a point of fact, nothing positive tolerant person, can still illicit an sarcasm, wit and, irony in Brett “As an openly gay writer writnote the formation of an LGBT or- about the term “fag”, right down to uncertain gasp, however it may be Berk’s writing. Lighten up. He’s on ing in an overtly overblown style, ganisation called “Queer Nation” in its etymology, and it is this which intended. As a term, it is still asyour side.” I’ll put it out there, but I my intent in using the word in this March 1990) and the term “queer” many of Berk’s dissenters seemed to sociated far more with the negative have no idea what any of you might offhanded way was to continue my is now a word often preferred by latch onto. Let’s not forget that Glee and people baulk to see it in print. think. consistent efforts to confront and LGBT activists and those who, in itself aired an episode last season But should they? As one reader challenge stereotype, to unpack the whatever way, do not subscribe to in which Kurt’s Dad soliloquized pointed out on VF.com, is it actualOn a side note – just because I way in which language works… traditional heteronormativity. The for something like ten minutes on ly enlightened or simply oppressive have my reputation to maintain – Anyone with even a whiff of fanot infrequent addition of the letter exactly how wrong it was of Finn to for a readership of typically straight I’ll just say that I’d really rather you miliarity with my writing will know Q to the end of the LGBT umbrella use the term “faggy”, and that was white people to claim offense on didn’t go around telling everyone that I am, and have long been, a is evidence enough of its legitimate only about a blanket. behalf of the gay community? As that I watch Glee. I still think it’s a tireless agitator, here at VF.com and position in the community. This, Now, think about this. Is Berk’s a gay man responding to others hideous show; honestly I do; it’s just elsewhere, for gay rights, as well in its way, is successful reclamause of the word “fag” one or the who had commented, the reader that this series, there’s Darren Criss as a huge supporter of everything tion, turning a slur on its head and other of the following: a means stated: “Many of us have reclaimed and his triangular eyebrows to be Glee has accomplished in advancstripping it of its negative power by of unpacking and deactivating a the terms “fag”, “dyke”, “queer” considered, and after all, I’m only ing a meaningful dialogue about embracing it as something dignideeply hurtful word or a thoughtand reappropriated them into our human.

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The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

EXTRA

Arts

Review: The Promise, Channel 4 Peter Kosminsky, the BAFTAwinning writer/director, is usually known for his modern-day pieces. So when I heard about his new drama, ‘The Promise’ I was enthralled to hear it was about the Israeli-Palestine conflict. However, I also approached it with suspicion.

This is an issue that incites such emotional and polarized opinions; I thought that it was going to be biased. And I don’t have the stomach for political propaganda in the arts.

How wrong I was.

I did watch it. I hesitated initially, but like when there’s chocolate in the cupboard, I couldn’t let it go.

It was highly addictive. Kosminsky’s recreation of the events is just phenomenal. Erin Matthews (Claire Foy) is an 18-year old British girl whose British-Israeli friend Eliza Meyer (Perdita Weeks) has invited her to spend her gap year in Israel with her family. Erin agrees and prior to leaving she stumbles across an old diary of her nowdying grandfather Len Matthews (Christian Cooke), who was posted to Palestine during the British Mandate, and takes it with her.

Erin goes to Israel thinking it will be a care-free holiday, but instead is taken on a painful journey as she reads about her grandfather’s experiences as a British soldier. The viewer, meanwhile, is transported back in time as Kosminsky relives Len’s days in Occupied Palestine (before the creation of Israel) while Erin innocently – and somewhat naively – comes to understand the implications of this 60 years later in the present.

I’ll warn you, it is not an easy watch; the drama recreates the horrors experienced by Jews and Arabs both in the past and sadly, in the present. We see the unacceptable way the British treated the Jewish immigrants fleeing persecution in Europe. As time goes on, sympathy for the Jewish Diaspora declines as we begin to see how the devastating affects life for the Palestinian natives, to whom this had been their Homeland for many hundreds of years. It’s hard to stay sympathetic towards the Jews when the state of Israel is created and we see such harsh treatment of Palestinians who have had no part in the atrocities in Europe. The drama isn’t an attack on any one side, nor does it point the finger – it is just a fictional recreation of events that actually happened.

There are just so many characters that are interesting and every single

Victoria McKinney one has a symbolic role. Erin’s mom Chris (Holly Aird) represents this generational gap between Len and Erin. She is totally disconnected from what her father Len experienced and even when he is dying she has no desire to find out or open wounds. In a way, one could see her disconnection from her own father’s past as the reason why Erin is so unaware of Len’s – and all the British soldiers’ – history.

Yet I think this is a great sadness

that Kosminsky tries to highlight.

Paul Meyer (Itay Tiran), Eliza’s brother is this person who became a peace-keeper when he finished his Israeli military training. He is a complex character, with the mind of a revolutionary saying amongst Palestinians “once you have met your former enemy, realised he is a human being just like you, you can never go back”. And yet, when an Israeli military station comes under fire later, he joins in and shoots

back. When Erin questions why he did this, he simply replies “loyalty”.

Loyalty is definitely something that runs at the heart of this story.

This is drama explores the conflict through the eyes of British soldiers who were involved - and the consequences of their sudden withdrawal from the situation in 1948 for both Israelis and Palestinians. Its writer doesn’t seek to make draw any wider political conclusions on the scenes he depicts. In

fact, Peter Kosminsky is known for his work on wars and conflict. I read that he got the idea for it from a letter he received from a veteran who suggested “You should do a film about the British soldiers who were in Palestine,” it said. “No one remembers us.” I am confident that few people will come away from watching this without some mild curiosity and understanding of the role the British had in this ongoing conflict.

The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

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Arts The point about Clara is that Len hadn’t realised that she was a fighter. She was using and manipulating him to get information. I needed to show her in her ‘militant’ role. She asks Len to join her in the new Israeli army. The fact that he refuses shows the extent to which Len’s loyalties had shifted.

An interview with the director, Peter Kosminsky Victoria: Peter, there have been numerous accounts as to how long you’d researched the historical facts behind this drama before it was created. How long exactly did it take you?

Peter: I got the idea from a letter I received about eleven years ago from a war veteran who had seen my previous work Warriors (about the Bosnian war) and suggested I do a piece about the role of British soldiers in Palestine. I started working on it eight years ago when I was at the BBC. The first four were spent researching it; the remaining four were required for fundraising, writing, editing, transmission, etc.

That’s a very long time for a piece-in-working. You didn’t have any idea of doing a piece on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before?

I didn’t know much about it. I think I was aware that Britain had ruled the area at the time when the state of Israel was created. A strong sense of injustice emerged from the letter I received; up until recently former soldiers who served during the British Mandate weren’t able to march to the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday, for example. It just felt like something worth checking, to fill a gap in knowledge. So we interviewed very elderly veterans and became interested in what they had to say. I was cautious because

We see very bad treatment of modern-day Palestinians by Jewish settlers in the West Bank. Is this an accurate depiction of true events?

A number of documentary filmmakers very generously allowed us to view their work and the scenes in Hebron are drawn directly from some of these verité-style programmes. The Palestinian girls being stoned by Jewish settlers’ kids, the settler calling a Palestinian woman a whore, these are simply dramatic recreations of scenes captured in documentary footage we have viewed. Remarks made

by Paul in Hebron are drawn from the experiences of real IDF soldiers who served there, as testified to on the website ‘Breaking the Silence’.

You’ve come under fire from some commentators on social media sites who say that the programme is biased. Whenever someone Peter Kosminsky on the set of White Oleander with Renee Zellweger and Michelle Pfeiffer in 2002 makes something about this conflict, though, it incites emotion.

What do you say to that?

I had no real experience of makannoying when you get to eighteen Deir Yassin is important for a I say that criticism of the actions, ing period dramas. Initially we had or nineteen because you feel like number of reasons. It was the emboth foreign and domestic, of the no real plan to have a present-day shouting ‘stop telling me this and blematic massacre of the immedistate of Israel is not the same as story; that came later. that’ and then when you reach forty ate pre-Independence war period. anti-Semitism. I have made many you realise you know very little.

Something like 200 men, women films critical of British policy at Where did you get hold of those It makes you very powerful when and children were slaughtered. home and abroad but no one has haunting scenes from the concen- you’re 18 and you aren’t restricted There are very few, if any, history ever accused me of racism against tration camp at Bergen-Belsen? by self-doubt. books that don’t deal with it. Also, the British. We accept that one can We sourced that archive footage I based Erin’s character on my some British soldiers were nearby from the Imperial War Museum, two daughters, who are of a similar when the massacre was taking place criticise the actions of a governin London. Some of those images age. I see them coming home so it was important to include this. ment or a state without being have not been seen for many years. with friends; I listened to the way Most importantly, to understand accused of attacking the people of that state – living there or overThe footage is graphic and we they talk, respond to the world. why the Arabs left Haifa after the seas – as a tribe. For some reason, thought hard about whether it was Erin’s reaction is to always do the UN Partition you have to unin the minds of some Jews, any appropriate to use it. In the end, we opposite of what she is told to do derstand Deir Yassin. In Haifa in concluded that the Holocaust is so and I think that is quite typical.

April 1948, vans with loudspeakers commentary on Israel that is not entirely glowing is now taken to be central to the events that occurred Len, however (her grandfather) broadcast in Arabic “Leave now. anti-Semitism. I rather resent the thereafter – and the scenes seen at is the complete opposite; he is a Remember Deir Yassin and leave idea that because I might choose to the concentration camp so critical heroic character, kind and selfless while you can” and this prompted to an understanding of the attitude and I think it would have been too the mass exodus of Palestinians that criticise some aspect of the behaviour of another sovereign state that of men like Len when they arrived much for people to have two heroic we see in episode four. 30,000 Arin Palestine – that we felt is was, on characters in the story. Erin arrives abs left Haifa and this is important makes me a racist. balance, best to include it. in Israel thinking she’s going to chill to Len’s story because it explains Do you have any plans to make out by the pool, knowing absolutely why Mohammed finally agreed to anything like this in future and Erin is an interesting character. nothing about the people or the leave his home and flee the city. what are you working on now?

She is eighteen and she has a politics in that country, but in the Early on, Mohammed is adamant I’m working on a feature film on certain sense of naivety about her. end, after her many travels, she he will not leave and to understand the early years of Nelson Mandela.

She tends to say the wrong thing stands up for what she believes in why he did we have to understand at the wrong time, as if she doesn’t and is immensely brave. the impact that Deir Yassin had on I have no plans to return to the subject of the Middle East conflict. understand the gravity of the situthe Arabs of Haifa. ation. Was her character always In the final episode there is one ‘The Promise’ was shown every intended to be like this? scene where the Jewish Irgun atIn that scene in Deir Yassin, as That’s an interesting question tack an Arab village called Deir Len is trying to lead Mohammed’s Sunday from the 6th-27th February 2011 on Channel 4, Channel 4HD because a number of people have Yassin and execute innocent Pales- son to safety, he comes across and Channel 4+1. It is available to commented on that. My memory tinians men, women and children. Clara – his Jewish lover who of being that age is that you tend It is sickening and heartbreaking betrayed him to gain intelligence. buy now DVD now and to view free online through Channel 4onDeto think you know and understand to watch. Why did you choose to Why did you make their last enmand. everything about the world. It’s include this harrowing scene? counter in this scene?

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The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

EXTRA

Arts

Savoy Opera Society Review: Candide Dan Collard Writing reviews for amateur dramatics at one’s own university has always seemed like a rather problematic thing to me. They either sound sycophantic if good, bitter if bad, or patronising if an attempt is made to find a middle ground.

Not that the reviews themselves are necessarily of any more or less merit in terms of writing style than reviews of professional productions – just that one’s journalistic integrity will more readily be called into question. Clearly one’s objectivity as a critic is affected by one’s relationships with those involved in the show; even someone with no direct ties is always at risk of being confronted by an irate recipient of a bad review, “Who the hell do you think you are? You’re just a student! You have no right to say such things! You’re a twat! I’m going to tell my mummy on you!” Or words to that effect.

Thus it was with some mild consternation that my friend Nic Fisher, director of this term’s Savoy Opera Society show ‘Candide’, asked me to review it before I had even attended. I have no issue with admitting to my being friends with the show’s director. Indeed, I am at least pleasant acquaintances with a lot of the cast and crew of, and have in fact performed with many of them on several occasions myself. So I was fully aware that, should I not enjoy the show, I stood to irk and offend said friends and acquaintances by virtue of the importance I lay on integrity, my aversion to being a moral hypocrite, and the fact that I do enjoy a good rant when I find something dreadful. I realised, however, that Nic was fully aware of this also, and so agreed. Thus, solemn of expression and pint in hand, I entered the Student’s Union on Monday night and dared Savoy to entertain me.

And thank Jehovah they did – you don’t know fear until you see a hoarde of disgruntled musos (music students, you understand) glaring at you from behind their white wine spritzers and discussing in just which part of your anatomy to insert a cor anglais. Not that my expectations had ever been low – I knew from experience the quality of the voices on show – but tra-

Savoy Opera Society Presents:

ein t s n er B d r

a

on e L y ic B

s

Mu

5th, 6th, and 7th March SU Main Hall 7.30pm

£5 Students and Concessions, £7 Adults

“The Best of all Possible Worlds” ditionally Savoy shows are bawdy affairs, filled with obvious innuendo and one-dimensional characters.

This is, in part, due to the material provided by the society’s primary resource, the works of W. S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan – hugely enjoyable though they are. So the success was largely down to the rather brave decision to stage Leonard

Berstein’s rarely produced operetta, following the G & S-bucking trend set by last term’s ‘Orpheus in the Underworld’. Now, I would demand to be given the Nobel Prize if I were able to recount the actual events of the story coherently, but the simple use of multiple coloured masks worn by the cast to illustrate the ever-changing settings, coupled

with a clear and confident delivery of dialogue within the acoustically crippling SU main hall, meant that the gist was always with me to one extent or another. This simplicity of staging, I realised afterwards, was far more effective than any amount of technical wizardry would have been in telling Voltaire’s criminally complicated story.

The orchestra, conducted with vigour and levity by Kieran Stallard, was nigh-on faultless and brought the score to life right from the overture – the part which can often kill a show dead before it’s even begun.

The chorus displayed a togetherness I’ve rarely seen in productions here, and gave the utmost support to the principles with their strong harmonies and theatrical energy.

Ed Davis, Jack Wilde and Ilona Errington in particular stood out, taking on several supporting roles, and my heart genuinely went out to becrutched Sam Hancock (which doesn’t often happen) who supported admirably with his singing from the sidelines following a last-minute injury to his leg, with Nic Fisher himself filling in on stage (the irony will not escape any who know Nic’s own leg-related frailties). The principles themselves were all very well cast: Chris Moon-Little was in typically hammy, enjoyable form as Maximilian; Franny Saddler was wonderfully understated as the one-bottocked Old Lady; Tom Robson utilised all his acting nous to portray the lecherous Governor; and Savoy debutant Nick Littler held everything together with his lilting baritone, solid narration and great comic timing. The highest praise, however, is reserved for the two leads: Hillary Cronin’s sultry, vain and materialistic Cunegonde was enrapturing with her stunning vocal range and ability (the song ‘Glitter and Be Gay’ a prime example). And in Anoosheh Dastbaz, the show had a performer who captured Candide’s honesty, torment and amiability – a remarkably subtle acting turn combined with his trademark captivating tenor voice, his solo lament before the show’s uplifting finale being one of the most beautiful individual moments I have seen on stage at Royal Holloway.

There were, of course, numberless innuendos, moments of casual racism and the obligatory last-nightgags that accompany any Savoy show, but these really seemed like commonplace additions to what was a very competently constructed and undeniably enjoyable ensemble performance, with several bright sparks intermittently setting the show alight. Take my word for it – I assure you that I am being perfectly candid(e).

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The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

EXTRA

Arts & Film

Theatre Review: The Children’s Hour Sophie Yates There’s always a scramble at the box office when a renowned Hollywood star graces the West End with their presence. Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour boasts two such stars, Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men; Girl, Interrupted) and Keira Knightley (Atonement; Pirates of the Caribbean). First staged on Broadway in 1934, The Children’s Hour tells the story of Martha Dobie (Moss) and Karen Wright (Knightley), the headmistresses of a girls’ boarding school in 1930s New England. When a difficult pupil sparks a rumour that damages the reputation of the school, Martha and Karen are pushed into a chain of events that threatens their careers, relationships, and reputations.

The Children’s Hour’s popularity rests on the shoulders of its celebrity appeal rather than the play itself. This creates considerable pressure on the two leads to deliver stunning performances. Luckily, Knightley and Moss both gave moving and dynamic turns. Having seen Knightley in The Misanthrope, I knew she could deliver – and although she did not exceed my expectations, she certainly met them.

As anticipated, Moss also played her role with eloquence and arousing emotion. Although a thorough study of character is displayed, this may not be her greatest performance, perhaps due to the limitations set by the script and direction.

The ending scene gave the headmistresses their chance to shine as actors, and caused an uncomfortable but magnificent silence amongst the audience, which stayed with me long after the curtain had fallen.

Aside from the two leads, solid and moving performances were given by the whole cast, including the “children” (the youngest member of the cast is Lisa Backwell, actually aged 20, who some may recognise as Pandora “Panda” Moon from Skins). Bryony Hannah was brilliant; extremely convincing in her performance as the malicious and vindictive child who provokes the disastrous events of the second half. The tiny actress is actually 26 years of age, and played the role with just the right amount of childishness, balanced with the spiteful evil that defines her character.

Despite the praise I can’t help but heap on the acting and production, I do think that The Children’s

Hour lacks something. I can’t say it’s the best play I’ve ever seen, but I wouldn’t say it was particularly atrocious either. Unfortunately, I think it was the script itself – and perhaps it’s a matter of personal preference – which I found unsatisfactory. Highly predictable, disjointed, and rather slow at the beginning, I left questioning the director’s claim that the issues it dealt with were just as relevant as they were when it premiered on Broadway. Indeed, the central themes of the play – rumours, forbidden love, courage, shame, and moreover, the terrible consequences that one lie can have – have all been done before, and done better. I couldn’t help draw connections between All My Sons and The Crucible, both of which had left a greater impression on my mind. As I said before, if it were not for Knightley and Moss, I doubt the play would attract as much attention as it has.

A simple but dramatic tale of how a lie can have devastating affects, as well as a moving, if predictable story; I would recommend The Children’s Hour; it just won’t be making my list of most memorable theatre moments in the long run.

The Children’s Hour is showing at the Comedy Theatre in London until 30 April 2011. Tickets from range from £60 (advance stalls) to £15 (limited amount, available from 10am on the day of the performance). Call 0844 847 1707 for more information.

Film Review: No Strings Attached

**

the way.

There appears to be some sort of post-Sex and the City Samantha Jones movement in the Rom-com Yazmin Vigus department at Hollywood headNo Strings Attached sounds more quarters, about women who don’t Jennifer Aniston than Natalie Port- want relationships (think ‘A Little man, but the Black Swan beauty is Bit of Heaven’). But is this true? back on the silver screen cavortYou have to wonder, is No Strings ing with a dapper looking Ashton Attached commenting on the shiftKutcher in this surprisingly sweet ing sexual dynamic between men film about the complications of and women – implying women like love.

Emma (successful, independent The film explores the dysfuncand intelligent) are emotionally stitional relationship between Emma, fled therefore only after one thing? a doctor, and Adam, a budding Or is it simply following a trend script writer; two incredibly good trailing off the success of the 2009 looking people, who agree to have a hit (500) Days of Summer? committed sexual relationship miDespite attempting to push the nus the relationship. That is before envelope there is little originality matters of the heart start to get in about the story. The screenplay

crafted by 29 year old Elizabeth Meriwether doesn’t bring anything fresh to the table. Firstly, why do Hollywood Rom-com’s always have to be about architects and doctors and journalists? The rest of us need love too you know! At times the dialogue was predictable and corny.

Moments of sharp wit and genuine sentiment were lost in the clichéd scene setups.

There was a very obvious tinsel town glow about this film; A-list cast, music star cameo (Ludacris has a supporting role), glossy camera action, big-cheese director Ivan Reitman. I can see where the 25 million dollars it took to make this film went! And that wasn’t a criticism. In fact all the clichés gave the film a sprinkling of ‘I don’t take

myself too seriously’. I didn’t. For that reason I actually enjoyed the film.

What makes it marginally better than the average chick flick is the fact that beneath the comedy and eye candy there is the realistic depiction of a troubled relationship. Portman seems at ease playing the detached, aloof Emma while Kutcher’s performance as the love

struck Adam is endearing. Both leads are charismatic, lovable and most importantly have chemistry.

The relationship between the viewer and this movie are similar to the film’s own premise. If you’re bored go and see the film. I encourage you to take pleasure in it. Let it entertain you for a few hours. Then you can leave the cinema satisfied with no strings attached.

Seen some awful cinema recently?

Why not warn the rest of us before it’s too late?

film@thefounder.co.uk

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The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

EXTRA

Film

Film Review: Animal Kingdom

Samuel Gridley If your visions of Australian cinema are that of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Muriel’s Wedding and the more light hearted magical realism of Baz Luhrmann then Animal Kingdom will surely surprise you.

Although it is not a film concerned with (and therefore not marred with the concern) of national identity, it is in fact a genre picture. You may be almost hesitant to utter the words ‘Gangster film’, but that’s exactly what Animal Kingdom is, and it just happens to be an enthralling, gripping and beautiful one.

The film follows the story of ‘J’, immaculately played by James Frecheville, and the consequences of living with his criminal extended family after the sudden accidental death of his mother. Guy Pearce, in a solid turn, is the policeman who attempts to help ‘J’, survive and this is what the film is ultimately about, survival in an uncompromising environment. The characters around ‘J’ are rich and full, no matter how long they are with us they make an enduring impact. The standouts among these are undoubtedly Ben Mendelsohn as ‘Pope’, a decidedly unnerving performance that sears and bubbles under the surface, totally convinced of his normality when he is obviously crazed and, importantly, never goes anywhere close to hamming it up, which so

*****

easily could have happened. And of course there is the Oscar nominated performance of Jacki Weaver as Janine, which at first you wonder if she even turned up, but if you stick with it, is a slow burning, stunning performance that pays off to the last. This is no way to undermine Frecheville’s central performance, which is a fascinating portrayal of an isolated teenager. At first it is hard to gauge where he is coming from, and warm to him, his physical awkwardness adds so much to his social interactions and despite his distance you really do begin to empathise with ‘J’.

The central performance encapsulates the other major theme of the film, isolation. Director David Michôd frames everything in shallow depth of field, blurring off the world around these characters, particularly ‘J’ and encapsulates the microcosm that this family unit of criminals live within, out of reach from the rest of society. The photography as a whole is well done and nice to look at and balances well with the score to construct the slow burning, tension filled atmosphere.

What is most important here is that the film is not compromised by its genre implications. Firmly avoiding the sleekness and suave professionalism of say a Michael

Mann film (a giant of the genre) and quite thankfully, there are no signs of the slapstick, smart talking, flashy edited Guy Ritchie side of the genre, what the director Michôd describes as a “rock ‘n’ roll” gangster film. This is rather a portrayal of the emotional and psychological landscape of the life lived in organized or family crime. It’s more Mean Streets than Lock, Stock. But the inevitable ingredient of this genre is of course violence, and the way it’s portrayed here is fantastic.

It’s brutal and realistic, coming in short and brutal bursts, echoing the

nature of violence in our time, the length of a YouTube video, an act of terrorism, and the realism of the characters and the world around them only adds the devastating effect of these events.

Far be it from Animal Kingdom being a good Australian movie, in fact it’s a great one and no one wants to take away the credit from the director and cast alike for displaying the talent that the country has to offer, but what it is a is a fantastic piece of genre cinema in general. There is no doubt that in the US and possibly even our own

shores this will be regarded as ‘art house’ which is generally the death knell for such pieces. But don’t be put off by this, like Inception proved to a huge extent you can have genre material and utilize it with great direction and acting to create an enjoyable piece of the mainstream that challenges the audience to interact and empathise with the interesting characters and set pieces being displayed. Animal Kingdom is a triumph, a blend of drama, palpable tension, brutal mental and physical violence that is surely a must-see.

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The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

EXTRA

**

Film

Film Review: Rango

Hannah Riekemann

I have waxed lyrical before about being appalled with children, and some students here I am ashamed to say, who have yet to see a proper Disney film and thus I can only assume must have missed out on a few of the classics. Now before I get pelted at with tomatoes allow me to explain. In order to understand the complexities of Rango, yes I do realise I am talking about an animated lizard, you need to have at least seen Babe. The pig story.

At first glance, Rango seems that saccharine sweet feel good sort of children’s film that has adults rolling their eyes and the kiddies positively wetting their diapers in delight at the talking lizards, hedgehogs and some weird animals that neither I nor my Flatmate could place. However, I am rather thankful that no children were with us in the cinema at the time otherwise it would not have been screams of delight and my ear drums may never have recovered.

Rango tells the story of a pet lizard, voiced by Johnny Depp, who unceremoniously finds himself in the American desert with little hope of survival. Pitted against the odds he must outrun the giant hawk that is constantly after him and find water before dying of thirst. You see what I mean about the children?

He manages to stumble across a girl lizard Beans (Isla Fisher) who leads him to the town of Dirt.

There he finds the inhabitants brow beaten and dirt poor, literally and metaphorically as their currency is water. He winds up as sheriff of the town and has to work out what is happening to the water supply before the whole town dies. Cue more scenes of hawks and the horrific Rattlesnake Jack (Bill Nighy) which had me positively tearing my Flatmate’s arm off; the eyes in particular are akin to Sauron’s Eye. Scary stuff. However what ensues is good old Wild West fight sequences and the slow drawl and drudgery that set the scene well. Babe’s Mice narrators make a comeback here as the all dancing Mexican owls, I know, who are rather entertaining in their own right and throw in a couple of quips of their own. Some

few witty remarks here and some cute possums there and you have yourself a rather successful film. Or not.

The problem with Rango is the fact that it seems as though Gore Verbinski, the director, is scraping the bottom of the barrel somewhat with this film. The fault does not lie with the animation, which is simply phenomenal and for anyone who has never been Out West in America, it conjures up such a vivid image that the Flatmate and I were

scrambling for our water bottles.

Neither is the acting, or voices of the film, awful. Johnny Depp was terrific as the anxious and fearful 21st Century reptile thrust into a 19th Century world and gave us all the tremors and gasps we could ever hope for. Isla Fisher as Beans was similarly fabulous and Ray Winstone as Bad Bill was tremendous. No, the issue lies in the fact that it was almost too perfect.

Maybe that is because Verbinski borrowed heavily from Pirates of

the Caribbean where he was producer and you can feel that in the fight sequences that are organised and even the soundtrack carries the same musical phrasing. The grandiose vision of Pirates lingers in the distance across the road, a theme from the film, but even when we cross this road with Rango we are disappointed as the vision moves into the horizon yet again.

The deliberate pacing of the film, an attempt at the Coen Brothers I can only assume, borders on tedium

after a while. The film’s producers should also have been careful for it seems to not only be marketed at the young, which I would not recommend, but also at adults thus creating a rather disjointed feeling leaving the comic aspects to get lost amongst the dust and dead cacti.

All in all, I suppose it isn’t that bad a film for a Saturday afternoon but for a plot based on finding one’s identity and destiny, Rango spends a lot of time searching for its own place.

22

The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

EXTRA Love struck...

Results Every year, Royal Holloway’s performance societies get together inside Founders for a formal meal and presentation of awards to recognise commitment and achievement. The following are this years awards and their winners.

The Student Workshop

Best Chorus Member

Best Male

Best Off-Stage Contribution

Best Female

Giles Lindon

Best Actor

Amanda Williams

Ben Hodson (Leaves of Glass)

Drama Society

Best Actress

Prudence Chamberlain (The Pitchfork Disney)

Best Production Leaves of Glass

Laura Jackson

The Emily Oliver Award Sarah Hall.

Best Actor

Musical Theatre Society

Chris Dunford (Doctor Faustus)

Most Memorable Moment

Best Actress

Mary Roubos (Ripen our Darkness)

Best Director Charlotte Lewis (Leaves of Glass)

Best Technical Contribution Josie Applegate Costume (The Pitchfork Disney)

Savoy Opera Society Best Principle

Natalie Woodward (The Sorcerer)

Best Laugh

Best Supporting Team Member Josie Appelgate Costume (Doctor Faustus)

‘Agony (Reprise)’ (Into the Woods) and ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’ (Guys and Dolls)

Best Actress

Maria Listra (Into the Woods)

Best Core Production Team Member Lizzie Cooper Stage Manager (Doctor Faustus)

Best Production

How to Disappear Completely and Never be found

Natalie Woodward and James Proctor (The Sorcerer)

Absolute Harmony

Best Fresher

Best Newcomer

Jack Wilde

Luke Tierney

Best Actor

Josh Ward (Into the Woods)

Best Production Team Member Amy Higgins Choreographer (Guys and Dolls)

Best Production

Imogen Nation

Outstanding Contribution Awards Cory Smith (Student Workshop) Nic Fisher (Savoy Opera) Bruce Asher (Drama Society) Stacey Humphreys (Absolute Harmony) Keiran Stallard (Musical Theatre Society)

Into the Woods

Studying for that exam in Bedford library, running for a lecture in the Windsor building, grabbing a coffee in Café Jules or sipping a cocktail in Medicine...love can strike at anytime at Royal Holloway. Email lovestruck@thefounder.co.uk and tell me a little bit about the gorgeous girl or super-hot guy who you just can’t stop thinking about since your chance encounter about campus.

Let me play cupid and help you find your true love...or crush!

To Alex, the cute Bake & Bite girl I can never seem to catch you serving in there any more, but once you’re done playing Hide and Seek, how about coffee some time?

FROM THE LONG-HAIRED GUY WHO DOESN’T GO THERE FOR THE FOOD

jumping around in front of the crowd that had gathered, screaming “It’s my birthday too!”. Apologies for stealing your thunder – maybe I could buy you a belated birthday drink some time?

CARING GUY – NO LONGER COVERED IN SOMEONE ELSE’S VOMIT

To the tall, dark-haired and charming cutie who complimented me on my fundraising attire whilst I was collecting outside the college shop on Open Day, that freezing Saturday in March. You were the first generous person to put coins in my charity bucket, and you put a smile on my face for the rest of the morning despite the cold. Let me make it up to you with a drink?

THE CUTE SMILEY GIRL WITH THE FUNKY WOOLY HAT, PSYCHADELLIC GLOVES, SEXY SKIRT-HEM AND STRIPEY TIGHTS

To the girl I made out with last week at the Tuke party.

I’m still 100% gay, but it was swell getting to know you.

TALL GUY WITH THE DARK BLONDE HAIR

To the girl whose housemate I hooked up with after Disney Night at the SU the other week. You sang Beauty and the Beast outside the bedroom door the whole time we were in there. Would it be enormously crass to say I think I’m in love with you?

ALADDIN

To whoever it was that vomited on the kitchen ceiling last night.

Clean it up. I don’t want to make a scene and I don’t want to know what the hell you were even doing. Just clean it up.

GIRL FROM GOWAR BLOCK G The pretty girl with the black bob I always seem to see carrying armfuls of books away from Bedford Library after my Renaissance seminar on Tuesdays.

I’ve got a free hour around then, so maybe I could help you carry a few of your books over to Café Jules for a coffee?

RED-HEADED GIRL WITH THE NOSE STUD

I was the guy helping his friend into an ambulance after a messy night at Liquid last week. You were the girl

lovestruck@thefounder.co.uk

23

The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

EXTRA

Library fines help save the planet More than £4,500 was raised in a single day by Bedford Library after students were encouraged to pay off their fines to help save an area of an Ecuadorian rainforest the size of the campus.

The Royal Holloway Rainforest Project is a campaign set up by History student Ashley Coates, to try and encourage College students and staff to help buy up parts of the land which is home to some of South America’s

most impressive species, including the howler monkey and jaguar. The forest also contains more than 1,600 species of birds and 4,000 species of orchids.

The World Land Trust has calculated the price per acre of rainforest is £50 which means the minimum amount needed to save the 135 acres – the size of the university campus - is £6,750.

People have been donating generously for the past year, including the Royal Holloway Switchboard Team,

last year’s Student Union Sabbatical Officers and Royal Holloway’s BEARS. Outside of Royal Holloway, there have been donations from the Wentworth Club, the Dhillon Group, and Richard Caring, owner of London’s Ivy Restaurant and ESPIRIT stores. Local media interest has come from BBC Radio Surrey, the Surrey Herald and Brooklands FM. Ashley said: “I am extremely surprised by the amount that has been

raised in a single day and am extremely grateful to the library staff who have allowed us to advertise on the Bedford Library projector all year as well as helping us out by donating the fees raised. We also owe a lot to Dave Cobb, the Student Union Library Representative who went out of his way to organise this event.

“The money raised will make a visible impact on the conservations efforts in Ecuador.”

Royal Holloway International celebrates scholars’ achievements Royal Holloway, University of London held its annual International Scholarships Reception, celebrating the achievements of international scholars studying at the College.

The aim of this annual event is to raise awareness of the contributions of international scholars to the Royal Holloway community and the important role played by scholarships in facilitating study opportunities.

The event, hosted by Principal Professor Paul Layzell, provided a memorable occasion for scholars to mark their success, and to meet and

network with each other as well as with staff from across the College.

This year there are 42 new international students who are in receipt of Royal Holloway scholarships, of whom 30 attended the reception. These included Royal Holloway International Excellence Scholars, Santander International Excellence Scholars, Joint OSI/ Chevening/Royal Holloway scholars, Research Scholars, and Reid Scholars.

Three representatives from Grupo Santander attended the scholarship reception and awarded certificates to the scholars.

Professor Layzell said: “Royal Holloway is proud of the support it can make available to international students through the generosity of donors and supporters. Attracting the best students to the College from around the world is a vital part of creating a vibrant and diverse community, benefiting all our staff and students. It was a pleasure to meet such a wide cross-section of students, from different backgrounds.”

Sheryl Simon, Director of Royal Holloway International, commented: “The annual International Scholarships

Reception provides us with the opportunity to recognise and celebrate the achievements of our international students. This year Settrington provided the setting for the reception, and the warmth and informality of the venue enabled students and staff from across the College to share a memorable evening.”

For more information about Royal Holloway International – and for a full list of the scholarships on offer – please visit: http://www.rhul.ac.uk/ international/home.aspx

A plant’s eye view: Researchers study the effects of shade avoidance in crops The world of a plant can be a stressful place. Many plants constantly compete with their neighbours for light by elongating to try and get out of their shade. In crops, this elongation can dramatically reduce agricultural yield and so is a major limiting factor in how densely a farmer can plant a crop.

Scientists at Royal Holloway and The Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics, Barcelona have been studying the effects of this shade avoidance and are hoping to eventually impede this response to increase planting density.

Using a fast-growing “model plant” the scientists searched for individuals which showed a heritable loss of this response. To do this, they inserted a bioluminescent “reporter” to follow the activity of a shade-responsive gene in living plants. They simulated shade by adding extra far red light and found that they could observe the plant

glowing within as little as 20 minutes after the treatment. Using this system they were able to screen through thousands of plants to identify a number of plant strains that they have called dracula strains, which show no avoidance of shade. The study is published in the Journal of Experimental Botany.

Dr Paul Devlin from the School of Biological Sciences at Royal Holloway explains: “Shade avoidance is a major limiting factor in how densely a farmer can plant a crop. If plants are too close together then the shade avoidance response kicks in and they become too tall and spindly to produce a good yield. The new dracula strains we’ve identified in this model plant show a greatly reduced response and we hope that, ultimately, these plants can give us clues as to how we might also attenuate this response in crops.”

flickr/hugovk

24

The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

Features

Why are we so scared of female body hair? or alopecia is likely to hide this fact as best she can under a wig or Features Editor bandana.

LSJSN Feature Writer of the Year But hair in the wrong places evokes disgust and revulsion. It It is an ideal so universally adhered is its presence, not its lack, that is cause for shame and stigma, and to that it has become unquestionable: men are hairy, and women are the overwhelming majority of women devote significant amounts not. Other than the superficial but widespread claim that female body of time to ridding themselves of it. hair is ‘disgusting’ and ‘unfeminine’, Too much leg, underarm or pubic hair is likely to be denounced as explanations are never given as ‘wild’ or ‘unkempt’, and a hairy to why women are expected to be woman is considered eccentric, hairless, even though few of them are naturally so. Neither are expla- lazy, dirty, ugly or – horror of horrors – masculine. The hair that nations ever sought. But whatever grows between a woman’s legs or else might be behind it, our averunder her arms is the same biologision to female body hair certainly cal substance as the hair that she has no basis in logic. lovingly washes, brushes and styles, Hair in the right places on a but its meaning could not be more woman’s body is a source of pride, different. envy and lust. A head of plentiful The average woman is well-versed hair is a benchmark in traditional in the relative merits of this or that feminine beauty; it might be premethod of hair removal. Shaving ceded by such adjectives as ‘luscious’ or ‘glossy’, or praised for hav- is easiest, but the hair grows back quicker; waxing lasts longer, but is ing a ‘sheen’. Countless products, painful and expensive; hair removal each with the aim of maximising its seductive potential, are available creams and bleaches are effective but might irritate the skin; laser to buy anywhere and everywhere.

A lack of it can be cause for shame surgery solves the problem forever and stigma, and a woman who has but costs a small fortune. And lost her hair through chemotherapy while she might complain about

Kate Brook

the inconvenience, commiserating with her female friends about it ‘not being fair’ and chastising her male ones for ‘having it easy’, the chances of her actually questioning the practice of hair removal, of asking herself why she is doing it, who she is doing for, and what would happen if she didn’t, are slim. Although it is often costly, painful and timeconsuming, removing our body hair is not something we ever think about. It is just what we do.

Whether or not this is a relatively recent phenomenon is unclear.

According to Dr. Karín LesnikOberstein, editor of The Last Taboo: Women and Body Hair, the historical evidence for women’s hair removal practices is ‘rather mixed’.

‘There’s a lot of assumption that historically, this is something that women have always done,’ she says.

‘A lot of people assume that even in Egyptian days, women were already shaving their legs, and you can find evidence of that. But on the other hand, there is also evidence which argues that women until quite recently didn’t shave their legs, and that this is something that only came to the fore when they actually started showing their legs.’

chest, face, stomach, back or hands is diagnosed with ‘hirsutism’ and offered medical help.

Our discomfort with the issue manifests itself in a widespread reticence to talk about it. As LesnikOberstein points out in her own contribution to The Last Taboo, we rarely hear or read anything about women’s body hair ‘other than brief and repetitive instructions on how to remove it’. Even feminist scholars have neglected the subject – The Last Taboo is so far the only academic book to discuss it in any detail. Lesnik-Oberstein initially had difficulty getting the book published, she says, because the subject matter was considered either too marginal or too revolting to be of interest to readers.

The idea was that to talk about this, you’re either talking about something totally irrelevant, or you’re talking about something which is so aggressively feminist that no one wants to know about it,’ she says. ‘Either body hair is seen to be trivial [...] or else so monstrous, so threatening, so extreme, that it’s actually dangerous even to raise it, because then you just threaten all of the progress feminism has made.’

But many of those who are prepared to take the issue seriously are nonetheless influenced by the social constructs they criticise. Questioning cultural norms is not the same thing as rejecting them. Even after researching the issue in some depth, I have neither the inclination nor the courage to stop removing my own body hair. Even if I am unsure why, exactly, I am doing it, I will continue to shave my legs.

‘Being aware of these issues, even being very theoretically informed about them,’ says Lesnik-Oberstein, ‘doesn’t equate with what people actually feel about being attractive, being feminine, feeling good about themselves.’

It is this that lies at the heart of the issue. However illogical our obsession with hairlessness, it is so deeply embedded in the collective psyche that it goes unnoticed, unquestioned and unchallenged.

But whether or not it will always be so remains to be seen, because what is perceived as beautiful or ugly has always been subject to change – perhaps shaving or waxing will seem as bizarre a practice to future generations as whitening the face or wearing corsets seem to us today.

Before we can stop feeling ashamed of our body hair, however, we must first stop pretending it does not exist.

Representations of women in art and literature do not help us draw any concrete conclusions about the changing perceptions of women’s body hair. If hair removal is a recent development, as has been suggested, why is it that in hundreds of paintings from countless art movements, the nudes are so hairless as to appear childlike?

In Madame Bovary, the down on Emma’s upper lip is given as an example of her beauty, but as Daniela Casseli points out in her chapter in The Last Taboo, Marian’s ‘moustache’ in The Woman in White is described as ugly and inappropriately masculine.

Female body hair, Lesnik-Oberstein suggests, is far more likely to be considered attractive if it is light and soft. If it is coarse and dark, a boundary is crossed – a woman becomes troubling because she looks too much like a man. The distaste with which a woman with an uncommon amount of hair may regard her own body is compounded and confirmed by the hostile The Last Taboo: Women and Body reactions of those around her. In Hair, edited by Karín Lesnik-Oberthe past, ‘bearded ladies’ were put stein, is published by Manchester on display in travelling freak shows; University Press. today, a woman with hair on her

25

The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

Features

Sexism in the Media

broadcaster Talksport has caused more than a little controversy. Does this move indicate the green light Sexism on television is not exactly for all male sport commentators a new topic. For years, the BBC to indulge in the kind of talk that has wrestled with claims of ageism belongs in a pub (for dinosaurs) in and sexism towards their female a television studio? I’ll admit before presenters. Only last month, former I enter full rant-mode that I know Countryfile presenter Miriam very little about football, but I enjoy O’Reilly won her court case against watching other sports on TV and the BBC, who were found guilty I think the likes of Clare Balding, of unfairly sacking the 53-yearGabby Logan and Sue Barker are old from the flagship programme, more than worthy of their prestigwhilst keeping on 70-year-old John ious roles. Balding is effortlessly Craven. One need only mention the knowledgeable about all things name Arlene Philips to be aware of equine and in the case of Logan, I the ageism media circus surround- find it genuinely wonderful that a ing her untimely sacking from thirty-something woman can host Strictly Come Dancing. a flagship football league show on a The most recent episode of sexSaturday afternoon and more than ism in broadcasting is threatening hold her own when always outto rumble on and on. Ex-Sky Sports numbered by men. commentators Andy Grey and The comments, which even the Richard Keys’ sexist “banter” saw most macho of cavemen might see their resignations, but their almost as a little outdated occurred when immediate hiring to rival radio Grey and Keys began discussing

Vikki Vile

lineswoman Sian Massey, on Saturday January 22nd. Believing their microphones to be switched off, the two men agreed that Massey, and female assistant referees in general, “did not know the offside rule.”

Grey could be heard commenting, “What do women know about the offside rule?” before Keys agreed, replying, “Someone better get down there and explain [the offside rule] to her.” The pair then moved on to discuss West Ham vice-chairwoman and Apprentice aide, Karren Brady; Keys commenting: “See the charming Karren Brady this morning complaining about sexism?”.

“Yeah, do me a favour, love” stated Grey in response.

Sky Sports promptly sacked the two men. Some critics defended them, suggesting their views had been blown out of proportion, whilst others believed Sky’s decision had been the right one. No one can deny these views aren’t still rife

throughout the country, although in my view the point is that these (up until now) well-respected men felt it was okay to make these comments in the very public arena of the television studio. Moreover, when Keys participated in a radio interview (for Talksport, ironically) following his sacking, listeners expected a sincere apology, but oh no, siree. It appeared that Keys still had a mental block when it came to accepting blame, saying “If off-air conversations of television and radio presenters were reported up and down the country there would be no-one left working” and “I am here to say sorry to those people who I need to say sorry to.” No suggestion that he wished to retract the view he put across, then.

Clearly, social blunders and prehistoric views of women are what Talksport seek in their commentators as days after this interview, both Grey and Keys

found employment again. Grey said of the appointment: “This is an ideal opportunity to do what we do best, and that’s talk about sport”.

Doing what you do best, eh, Andy?

Assuming that the sport concerned isn’t women’s beach volleyball, I’m guessing.

It occurred to me while watching a news bulletin on these comments that the world of sports media should surely take a hint from current affairs. When was the last time you saw a news programme that did not feature a female as a presenter or co-presenter? It appears we live in a society where we trust Fiona Bruce to tell us the latest from Afghanistan but we don’t want Sue Barker to comment on the Andy Murray match unless in the illustrious presence of Tim Henman and Andrew Castle.

But then again, I’m a woman.

What do I know? I should probably just get back to the kitchen.

26

The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

Features

In Appreciation of Parents breathe a huge sigh of relief, and until then you could speckle your depressing workload with the odd There are thousands of job opday off, holidays and sick leave for portunities out there. You could be when you just couldn’t face going a taxi driver and pick up drunken in. That’s pretty much how your cateenagers at four in the morning; reer life will go, people, unless you you could be a doctor and treat become a mum. If you become a endless broken arms from children mum, you will probably have a job falling off climbing frames; you – you may be a nurse or a lawyer or could be a referee and pull apart a teacher on the side – but full time, the immature petty push rounds with no days off, no holidays, no at football matches. You could be sick leave, no retirement, and never a chef and cook endless meals for any pay, you will be a mum. And fussy and rarely-satisfied customyou will spend your days picking ers; you could be a counsellor and up your drunken teenagers at 4am, spend your days listening to other patching up your clumsy kids when people’s problems; you could be they fall off the climbing frame, a school teacher and try to teach pulling apart your offspring as they mischievous children how to form fight and argue, and cooking enda straight line and do up their top less, unappreciated meals. You will buttons. You could do any one spend your days listening to other of these jobs. You’d start at nine people’s problems, desperately tryand finish at six, and you’d get ing to teach mischievous children paid a reasonable amount, which how to behave, and doing a billion would keep you quiet even on the other jobs besides. Because you will days when you really couldn’t be be a mum and that is what they do. bothered to get out of bed and go Free of charge. to work. You’d retire eventually, and I don’t mean to ignore fathers

Felicity King

here – I’m afraid you guys all face pretty much the same fate. And with this in mind, perhaps we should view the upcoming Mother’s Day as something more than just another excuse for Clinton cards to make a teddy bear. Perhaps we should realise that every day should be Mother’s Day and Father’s day, because to be honest, every day is ‘My Children’s Day’. Every day our parents put themselves out to look after us and protect us, but how often do we remember to do the same for them?

I have always loved my mum, obviously. But as I have grown up, that love has turned into something more: a sheer admiration that anybody could be capable of doing so many different things at once. I did once hold a theory that she was in fact an octopus – not because she looked like one from any angle – but purely because it seemed that only a being with eight arms at their disposal could ever be responsible for doing so much, so well, and so quickly. My mum is incred-

ible. By 7am, when I stagger down unimpressed at my enforced early start, unable to string more than two words together, my mum has baked enough cakes to open her own bakery, mowed the lawn and probably translated ‘The Odyssey’, just for fun, and all before breakfast. I’ve not even managed to make my bed yet, and it will be another two hours at least before I can even remember my name.

The mind blowing multi-tasking aside, our mums earned a lifetime of free cups of tea, shoes and BBC Jane Austen adaptations a long time ago. We should have been thanking them before we were even born (which I do realise would have been tricky for us). They carry us around in their womb for nine whole months – I can’t even carry my shopping up the hill from Tesco.

And though I don’t think many of us can really remember our stay in the womb, I am certain we were happy in there – babies certainly never look or sound particularly impressed when they have to leave.

Mums carry us around and refrain from their much loved glasses of wine, they pee numerous times an hour, go up at least four dress sizes and even allow themselves to look fat, and they do all that just for us. And then of course, they give birth to us, and we’ve all heard the screams. To put it into context, if somebody gave you melon and told you to squeeze it out of your nostril, would you oblige? Your mum did, or at least she did something similar.

Dads too, and grandparents.

Guardians, step-parents, uncles and aunts. That entire orchestra of people that look after us and feed us and become walking ATMs. They all deserve to be recognised and appreciated, not just on Mother’s Day but every day of the year. They may be full time parents, but we’re their full time children, and we should be there for them just as much as they are there for us, just without the free cash withdrawal option.

27

The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

Features So did you know vaguely where your opinions stood for the future? Did you consider yourself to be a Liberal Democrat at that time?

I did consider myself a Liberal.

There were no Liberal Democrats in those days but I was Liberal. I didn’t know much about it, but instinctively I think liberalism doesn’t die as an idea. It is one of the great ideas in politics and it can’t be extinguished; the idea that you respect the individual, you want them to prosper, let a thousand flowers bloom. I also had a concern about the way the environment was being treated and no-one was really articulating that apart from the Liberals. So I was very at home with the party, and voted for them. I didn’t do anything really specifically for the party until about 10 years after I had left university.

So this wasn’t something you were entertaining as a career while you were at university?

Norman Baker: RHUL alumnus in Parliament in, and I guess that happens for many students. In particular what it did do was give me the opporNorman Baker, Liberal Democrat You completed a BA in German tunity to be away from home for MP and Under-Secretary of State for and History at Royal Holloway the first time for a long period and Transport, was a student at Royal in 1978. Did you enjoy your time secondly give me some responsibilHolloway in the late seventies. In an here? ity, because as well as achieving a interview with ‘The Andrew Marr modest 2:2 in German it gave me Show on Insanity Radio’ (broadI did. It was a very formative time my first taste of politics – not, surcast on Wednesdays, 8 to 10am) he and it changed me considerably as prisingly, in the political societies, talked about his experiences at Royal a person. I think I came out a more which actually weren’t very strong Holloway and his career in politics. mature person than when I went in my day, but actually by standing

Ashley Coates

Not at all. When I said I was involved with politics at university what I meant was ‘small p’ politics by campaigning and being elected to internal positions. There was hardly any party activity or really any party activity at the time. No, I didn’t know what I was going to do.

In those days the number of students who went to university was much smaller than it is now – about ten per cent of the population went to university, and the reason many of us went there was because it was perceived to be the case that if you had a degree, you got a good job.

So I went to study German, not because I particularly wanted to study German but because I was good at it and that was my best chance of getting a good degree. In the end I spent a good deal of time doing things other than studying, as many students doubtless do, and ended up coming out with a 2:2. I didn’t know what I wanted to do until I left and I went through a number of jobs before I settled into doing what I am doing now.

In 2010, Mr Baker was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport within the coalition government by Prime Minister for and being elected to the chair David Cameron MP. Since taking of the bar of my residential hall. I up the role he has announced on was elected three times to that post. behalf of the government, amongst It taught me about elections and it others things, the £560million Lotaught me about campaigning and cal Sustainable Transport Fund, a it also taught me a bit about busicrackdown on Blue Badge abuse, ness, because we negotiated with and a £10million fund to support the brewery companies in what was community transport services. effectively a free-house, to get the best possible deal for the money we had.

28

The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

Sport ....

The Founder Sport sports@thefounder.co.uk thefounder.co.uk/sports Editor: Johanna Svensson

Svensson Says: Johanna Svensson Sports Editor

Yet again time has flown away on its strong wings à la albatross gone the Hulk, and we face the end of the BUCS and ULU seasons.

We have several teams competing in the finals of BUCS and ULU Cups and several individual competitors in the finals of their sports taking place in Sheffield by the end of March. Colours Ball lies in the past – those who deserved praise have

by their pointing fingers, the quasi-lost look in their eyes which magically transforms into pure astonishment as Founders building appears in their view; and of course by the annoyed current student trying to get past this wall of wish-thinkers. These are, been given so, and those who as you well know, the prospective didn’t well… better luck next year. students of Royal Holloway.

As we come to the end of spring term, I’m sure you have noticed the herds of people huddling around campus, spurred on by an often more recognisable face belonging to a body wearing a bright-coloured t-shirt. ‘Tis rather difficult to miss. You know them

In observing these people, who make the silent section of the library seem more like Waterloo station, I can’t help but wonder who of these will become subjects addressed in this section next year? Is there a prodigy football player somewhere in there? A new

generation of runners, netballers or why not a fresh addition to our successful fencers amongst the potential new-comers? Guessing is of course pointless. But I know the basketball club would be more than happy to scout tall players if possible. You can’t teach height, after all.

That’s all for next year, and RHUL Sports still has a couple of important weeks ahead before a rest (possibly) followed by pre-season training. All final results and Colours Ball prize-takers will be announced in the next edition.

As usual: stay tuned.

Play Basketball, Save the Children!

Amarbeer Singh Gill On Sunday 6th March, RHUL Sikh Society and Basketball Club organised a 3-on-3 basketball tournament to raise money for Save the Children charity. The scene was all set, the referees were ready, the teams discussed their tactics (or so it seemed) and warmed up on the side-lines. Eleven teams were lined up to be split into two groups. The top 4 teams from each group would progress to the knockout stages but only 3 teams would be leaving with a prize.

After the rules were explained and the winners’ prizes revealed games began. The group stages didn’t have many close games and favourites quickly became clear. Amongst them were Team Gangsta, Little Scrappies, MACS and Team Jordan.

As most observers had predicted, these teams progressed easily to the quarter-final stages, along with four other teams. One team however (Nico Team), seemed to think they had been knocked out and were found to be AWOL when called to play. Instead, Kings of Punjab stepped up to take their place.

At this point I feel it is important to point out that Kings of Punjab lost all of their matches, but were probably the most entertaining team as a result of celebrating any basket or successful steal as if they had won the tournament. Credit must also be given to their fans that came out to support, and also to their supersub, Daniel Woodruff (who took

Photo: Daniel Woodruff some amazing photos!) who came in as a late surprise addition to the team.

As you have probably figured out, Kings of Punjab lost that match as well, and the winning teams progressed through the quarter and semi-finals to the final and 3rd place play off. The semi-final match between eventual runners-up and 3rd placed teams, MACS and Little Scrappies, was a very tense af-

fair, with the latter leading for the majority of the game and MACS making an unbelievable comeback to secure their place in the final.

And so the final games took place, which were the most closely contested matches of the tournament. Team Jordan was made up of Kevin Muller, Nick Heff and Lovis von Andrian and were the eventual winners, winning free pizzas and SU vouchers. Second place went

to MACS and third place to Little Scrappies, both winning SU vouchers.

All together, the event itself managed to raise £128.63, but I think another major factor that led to the success of the event was the number of groups that got involved. We had Sikh Soc, Basketball Club, RAG and Photography Soc all combining their efforts to produce an amazing tournament and all who came said

they had an excellent time! Hopefully this will lead to bigger and better events in the future.

Thanks must go to everyone who took part, to Domino’s Pizza for supplying the prizes, to Save the Children charity for providing us with resources and also a special thanks to Levke Rickmers and Luisa Miranda, it wouldn’t have been possible without them!

29

The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

Sport ....

tf

RHUL Women’s Rugby BEARS awarded the RFU President’s Recognition Award Lucy Fleming Sitting proudly at the top of the BUCS league after a year of highs and lows (but mostly highs), the ladies of RHUL Women’s Rugby BEARS had every right to feel proud of themselves. Since the beginning of the academic year, the rugby girls worked tirelessly both on and off the pitch to great avail.

With Colours Ball fast approaching, the club looked forward to celebrating the end of a very successful season. If they had known what was right around the corner, perhaps they would have ordered more VKs for the highly anticipated sports award evening.

A few months previously, in the midst of relentless volunteering and charity work, rugby matches in two leagues and hours of training with England’s Amy Turner, the opportunity to receive recognition for the club’s hard work arose. Introduced in 2006, the RFU’s President’s XV Award scheme seeks to identify and reward best practice in community rugby clubs all over England.

The committee of RHUL Women’s Rugby BEARS paid little attention, after all, what were the realistic chances of, out of every rugby club in England, a women’s rugby club from a small university in Surrey winning a share of £10,000?

Weeks later, the BEARS’ club president, Lucy Fleming, rediscovered the e-mail regarding the award. She read through the fifteen categories in the award scheme and, unbeknown to the rest of the committee, tried her chances in two of them. Applying for the ‘Student Rugby (PLAY ON)’ category seemed plausible; the club had, after all, retained a record number of members. Unsure of what else to enter the club into, she offhandedly applied for the headliner category ‘THIS IS RUGBY’. The RFU describes the qualities required by the winner of this group: “‘This Is Rugby’ embodies the core values of our sport: Teamwork, Respect, Enjoyment, Discipline and Sportsmanship. We’re looking for a rugby organisation that has undertaken a project that promotes our core values to members and the local community to enhance the image of the game.”

A combination of hours upon

Photo: Tamsin Bell hours of voluntary coaching at Egham Rugby Club, monthly rugby sessions with Spelthorne Disability Sports Club, participation in Make A Difference Day, Volunteering Week(s), RAG Week, The BIG Spring Clean and plenty of charity projects seemed to fit the required criteria. Five hundred words later and the application was completed, sent and more or less forgotten about.

The surprise came on the 4th of March: “Thank you for your application to the 2011 President’s XV Recognition Awards. The Panel are delighted to announce that Royal

Holloway WRFC has been chosen as the winner in the ‘This Is Rugby’ category.” The word ‘surprise’ doesn’t quite cover the reaction to the news.

The fantastic honour was entirely unexpected and RHUL Women’s Rugby BEARS deserve to be very proud. As well as winning a cheque for £500 for the club in recognition of all their hard work this year, the RFU offered the winners an additional £100. This additional money will be put towards the cost of organising a presentation event for all club members, local dignitaries, stakeholders and press

to attend. One of the judging panel (either RFU President Appleby, immediate past President John Owen, Junior Vice President Willie Wildash, Rugby Football Union for Women President Gill Burns, England’s most-capped player Jason Leonard, Paul Morgan, editor of Rugby World Magazine or a representative from QBE) will attend the event at Royal Holloway in the upcoming weeks to present RHUL Women’s Rugby BEARS with their cheque and a trophy to celebrate the achievements of the club.

As if this wasn’t enough, the RFU plan to use the club’s “outstanding”

work as a case study in a ‘Models of Good Practice’ booklet to be published and distributed to the game. Not only have the BEARS triumphed with individual achievements, being integral in a fantastic accomplishment representing Royal Holloway, but their example will be used to light the way for other developing rugby clubs.

Club president Lucy Fleming commented: “I am absolutely delighted with the news of the President’s XV Award. I could not be prouder of all the girls’ hard work this year! Well done – you all thoroughly deserve it!”

30

The Founder | Thursday 24 March 2011

The Founder Sport sports@thefounder.co.uk thefounder.co.uk/sports Editor: Johanna Svensson

Cheering for Charity

Sport ....

become accustomed to... only ever counting up to 8. The audience was truly supportive and the routine was met with loud cheers for their On Sunday 6th March the RH Tom efforts! The girls were able to repeat Cats team showcased their talents their routine once the music had in front of family and friends in the been fixed and it proved to be anRoyal Holloway sports hall. Set up other performance to be proud of. with chairs, music, mats and even All Girl Stunt is comprised of a photographer the guys and girls five girls who perform a fast-paced provided several show stopping routine for little over one minute. performances - quite literally! A Despite not having much practice few hiccups with the music system at their new routine the girls put stopped a few routines in their on a thrilling performance for the tracks but undeterred the teams set audience to enjoy with some gasps a great attitude the girls played ments. Sheer dedication from the out to put on a performance not to along the way seeing how high the the part well through their money Tom Cats injured president Becky be missed! The show started with girls were flung into the air. The inspired dance. The routine was McVittie allowed the show to go on, guests being offered programmes showcase provided an extra pracquick and energetic yet the great as she stepped up to the challenge and goody bags with sweets all in tice session for the girls before they timing from the team led to yet and performed in the final minutes aid of our chosen charity Cancer competed in Leeds on March 12. another impeccable performance. of the routine allowing the team to Research. The RH Tom Cats captain Next up were the RH Tom Cats Next weekend we hope for another wow the audience with their skillful Amber Hiller took centre stage to Hip Hop Team. Having placed 1st award winning routine! pyramid. The team put on a great introduce people to the world of at their previous competition and Finally it was the turn of our performance with highly in sync cheerleading (without pom poms), won the Dance Grand Champions Co-Ed Cheer Team! A last minute dancing and ambitious tumbling leading the guests through each Trophy on two consecutive days the injury during the run-through skills, having also altered their rouelement from tumbling, dance, girls were set to wow the audience prior to the show case left the tine to introduce higher level stunts stunting and cheer. with their moves and they certainly team having to think on their for the forthcoming competition.

The Tom Cats have several teams delivered. With cheeky smiles and feet to remember the new adjustIt was a sight to see and the audiacross each cheer division comprising both boys and girls in dance, Sport RHUL Team Opposition stunt and cheer and students and Basketball Women's 1st London South Bank staff across campus were invited to Men's 1st University of Surrey see the teams in action, it’s the first Fencing Women's 1st University of Essex time that the team have been able to perform locally in front of the University of Brighton Mens 1st Football home crowd so to speak.

Royal Free & University Medical School

RH Tom Cats Jazz Team took to Kings College London Men's 6s

the floor with their Avatar inspired

Imperial Medicals routine. The music and rhythm of

the dance gave clues to the theme

Womens's 1st University College London and by the end of the dance the Men's 1st King's College, London audience had figured out the story Hockey Men's 2nd Imperial College, London it told. The team performed despite

some earlier disruptions to their Women's 1st University of Portsmouth

music but took it all in their stride Women's 2nd Royal Veterinary College

and put on a seemingly effortless University of Brighton

performance that flowed together

Women's 3s St Barts & the Royal London with great energy. Many of the dancers also partake in the cheer Lacrosse Women's 2nd University of Portsmouth routines as well so a quick wardrobe change was needed before

the All Girl Cheer Team set out to St Mary's University College perform their newly choreographed Women’s 2nd Netball routine. Having placed 1st at their Women’s 3rd St Barts & the Royal London

previous competition the girls have St George's Hospital Medical School

improved on their routine to test

Women’s 4s London School of Economics their limits and introduced a newer and higher level of skills. UnfortuMen's 1st Brunel University West London nately the music refused to work Rugby Men's 2nd Imperial College, London but the girls put on their brave faces Squash Women's 1st SOAS and did the whole routine to the counts instead, the audience was Men's 1st Royal Free & University College Medical School Tennis able to hear what all cheerleaders

Women's 2nd University of Surrey

Rebekah Kerns

ence welcomed it will cheers and encouragement for those being held high in the air in their new stunts.

All of the teams performed incredibly throughout the showcase allowing RH Tom Cats to show off the skills they are proud of! Being able to banish the stereotypical view of girls with pom poms the teams impressed the audience with their stunts and, together with their supporters, were able to raise a staggering £205 for Cancer Research.

League

Result

ULU BUCS BUCS

24 - 95 84 - 135 135 - 98

BUCS ULU

2 - 2 1 - 2

ULU ULU

1 - 0 4 - 1

ULU ULU

0 - 3 1 - 1

BUCS BUCS

3 - 7 2 - 3

ULU BUCS

0 - 2 0 - 2

ULU

5 - 0

BUCS

4 - 16

BUCS

40 - 20

ULU BUCS

20 - 0 28 - 18

ULU BUCS

25 - 27 13 - 17

BUCS BUCS Cup

3 - 7 7 - 6

BUCS BUCS

10 - 2 4 - 8

31

The Founder | Tuesday 24 March 2011

Undergraduated Flickr/ Matthew Wilkinson

11. Poor on Campus Nicholas Blazenby

I checked my bank balance for the first time since Christmas.

There are no words to describe the horror.

There is also no money.

Student bank accounts, in my experience, seem to be the least monitored of all money deposito-

ries. We just blasé along until the Natwest cashpoint tells you that there are ‘insufficient funds’ and cold, bristling panic runs down your spine. Surely the good old loan will get me through whatever the term throws at me? How could I possibly spend that much money

on Crosslands wedges, alcohol and union tickets? Well somehow I did and I’ve got myself in ALL kinds of trouble.

Top Heavy Postgrad, who now cooks for me, cleans for me and offers sexual favours on a regular basis (I think it’s turning into a weird

mother/girlfriend relationship but she says that she just likes being a domestic goddess and looking after people. Still a bit odd, but best not to complain) has been helping me with my money troubles.

Firstly, when I owned up to being *cough* over a thousand pounds into my overdraft… she slapped me and flew into a mad rage that can only be compared to a teacher who “isn’t angry, just very disappointed”.

But my gloriously boobalicious woman has been working a couple of shifts dans le Store on Campus/College Shop/Why Bother Changing the Name It’s Still an Overpriced Hut of Crap since she started her MA. Win! She’d had her ear to the ground and discovered that someone was recently fired for stealing the tacky but expensive RHUL memorabilia and flogging it at hiked prices to foreign school trips.

Now, we all know that a job working for College is basically like being paid to breathe; whereas working for the Students Union is more akin to the trade that was abolished in 1807… But with thousands of students looking for work (except those Business and Management students who pay for everything with £50 notes) it’s not what you know, it’s who you know when it comes to College employment. So thank the baby Jesus that I’m banging someone on the payroll. As soon as my little Plump Pear told me there was an opening I gave in my C.V. quicker than a girl who doesn’t know her own limits downing jaegerbombs falls on her face in Medicine.

I was called for an interview forthwith and, dressed in my best shirt and tie, I strolled into Le Store with a feeling of nervous anticipation. But I was in for a rather large shock. Nothing prepared me for The Toad, aka the owner of the Shop who interviewed me, and her minions in the office who were very reminiscent of the Gringotts goblins. I have never felt so scared of a woman in my whole life. She obviously took the shop very seriously and seems to view her employees as untrustworthy philanderers, hence the copious amounts of CCTV tracking their every move.

This is probably quite fair given the circumstances but I imagine most of the pilfering of food is done by customers not staff. The exit door is before the tills. Just saying…

Anyway, my previous experience at a leading supermarket chain

whilst at school seemed to play in my favour and I got the job. I GOT A JOB! It was that easy. One terrifying interview and making sure I gave sickly sweet, flirty answers and I’m on college pay (which is, as previously inferred, similar to the hourly rate for London Escorts) and all it took was having someone on the inside. Bliss.

Unfortunately being the new boy I’ve been put on 7:30am starts which has meant abandoning my house in the Shott (I aint climbing no hill at that time in the morning) and instead crashing most nights at Wifey’s Boob Palace in Penrose Court. It’s a two-minute jog from campus so if I sleep in my uniform I don’t have to get up until 7:25am.

Win all round.

The job has definitely opened my eyes to the varied species present on our much under-rated campus.

There are of course the regulars – students who live on campus and can’t cook/have too much of Daddy’s money to bother going to Tesco. The ones who are culinarily challenged also tend to smell a bit. They also eat a lot of cheap, cheese based snacks. The ones with Daddy’s money only buy bottled water and food with clear calorie contents marked on the packet.

You get the odd lecturer who buys the FT, some milk and a sneaky fat-boy supplement to his packed lunch each morning. They then either grunt and leave or try to strike up a conversation about current affairs. Quite frankly, at that time in the morning, you will be lucky if I give you the right change and don’t accidentally drool, never mind conversing about the FTSE 100.

But my favourite group are the ones who come in, at varying points during the day, who haven’t slept, eaten or done anything other than quite illegal substances for the past 24 hours. They buy Gatorade, family packs of Ginsters and ask for Charlie Sheen quantities of tobacco.

Often still in their pyjamas and not wearing shoes, these are the students I salute (and wish I was part of, rather than working the 9 to 5 and having allergic reactions to several banned types of fun).

Sadly, money burns a hole in my proverbial pocket and upon receiving my first pay cheque I fully intend to go out and get monumentally mashed to celebrate having a job. The overdraft will sort it self out…eventually.

Just don’t tell the Missus.

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