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SU Election Special!
THE Volume 7 | Issue 8
p. 22
FOUNDER
The Independent Student Newspaper of Royal Holloway, University of London
Wednesday 6 March 2013
Constitutional Crisis Arises in SU Worker Disputes
General Manager constitutionally overrules General Meeting motions until after negotiations
INVESTIGATIVE REPORT
Toby Fuller Comment Editor and Thomas Seal Editor-in-Chief Our Students’ Union has reached a new level of structural uncertainty, a recently-leaked report confirms, adding to ongoing tensions between student-staff and Commercial Services. Details of an internal report investigating the accountability of the Commercial Services arm of SURHUL have been acquired by The Founder. The summary of the findings noted the Commercial Services staff ’s ‘failure[s] to uphold constitutional processes and requirements’ and their ‘inappropriate attempts... to influence the strategic directions chosen and decisions made by Sabbatical and Executive Officers.’ A redacted version of the report had previously been posted on the SURHUL website, but was removed due to the possibility of
identifying individual members of staff and the possible infringement of employment law. The ‘internal fact-finding exercise’ states its areas of interest as the reasons for SURHUL’s continued annual deficit and the extent to which the union remains ‘transparent and accountable.’ The report goes on to assert that ‘during the academic/sabbatical year 2011-2012, and potentially previous to that also, the Students’ Union of Royal
Holloway University of London was fundamentally not a student-led organisation and did not fulfil its function as a union led by the students, for the students.’ Attempts were made earlier
in the academic year to release the document, however, requests were denied by the Executive Committee on grounds of protecting the identities and rights of individuals involved in the investigation.
“the Students’ Union of Royal Holloway University of London was fundamentally not a student-led organisation and did not fulfil its function as a union led by the students, for the students”
The revelation of this report comes at a time when SURHUL’s commercial management have faced widespread criticism for their treatment of student-staff, both through this publication and in the most recent General Meeting. General Manager, Sean O’Donnell, sent an internal memo to staff on 20th February describing The Founder’s article last issue (‘Student Blinded Working at SU’, Volume 7 Issue 7) as ‘misleading’, reassuring ‘staff and other stakeholders that the Students’ Union takes Health and Safety within the workplace very seriously indeed.’ (Please see our clarification overleaf responding to this point.) Overall, this was reassuring news, though the memo did nothing to address the concerns over the apparent gag-order effect of the SU’s ‘Social Networking Sites Guidance’ raised by The Founder later in the same article. However, within a week, frictions
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Extended feature, pages 4-11 » Film
Comment
Surrey teen dies after taking drug at party
‘A Queer Turn of Events’
‘Demise of Democracy’
Not one, but two people wrote in to disagree with Comment Editor TOBY FULLER
An anonymous writer suggests an alternative to the voting blocs of SURHUL
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INTERVIEWS WITH THE SABB
News
18-year old died after taking ‘fatal’ substance at a party in Cobham
between SU student-staff and their employers arose again. The General Meeting of 26th February saw two motions, proposed by Jordan Schiller, pass almost unanimously, to applause from the floor. They called for better working conditions of student-staff (the Student Staff Benefit Package) and their empowerment through right to gain trade union status. But these motions have already been stalled. On 1st March another internal memo was sent to SU staff from O’Donnell. It tells staff that, despite the successful motions, ‘the Students’ Union continues to operate to the current staffing policies and procedures’, and that ‘this will continue until ‘further guidance/advice’ has been received. To justify overruling the implemen-
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‘Where’s our piece of the Pi?’ ZLATINA NIKOLOVA sees an often-neglected side of the awards
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The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
2 The Founder The Independent Student Newspaper of Royal Holloway, University of London Email: editor@thefounder.co.uk
THEFOUNDER.co.uk EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Thomas Seal Managing Editors Toby Fuller, Scott Wilson, Peter Hammond and Richard Cunningham News Editor Peter Hammond Deputy Florentyna Dalloz
Arts Editor Scott Wilson Deputy Rose Walker
Comment & Debate Editor Toby Fuller Deputy Dominic Pini
Sport Editor Theo Chiles Pictures Editor Amy Taheri
Features Editor Felicity King
Subeditor Alexandra Ioannou
Film Editor Zlatina Nikolova
Lead Designer Thomas Seal
Music Editor Katie Osmon
Clarification: Regarding the front page story of The Founder Volume 7 Issue 7, ‘Student Blinded Working at SU’, the Editor-in-Chief would like to clarify, in light of information that came to light after going to print, that the student-staff member described by the article was only temporarily blinded, and not permanently, as the article suggested. We sincerely apologise for any distress or inconvenience caused by any misunderstanding.
This edition designed by Thomas Seal Film section designed by Zlatina Nikolova The Founder is the independent student newspaper of Royal Holloway, University of London. We distribute at least 2,000 free copies almost every fortnight during term time around campus and to popular student venues in and around Egham. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Editor-in-Chief, 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. For advertising and sponsorship enquiries, please contact the Business Director: advertising@thefounder.co.uk
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tation of the motions, O’Donnell correctly cites the SU Constitution 13.2, which reads: ‘Matters regarding permanent, part‐time, temporary or casual staff and their employment shall under no circumstances be brought to a General Meeting, for reasons of confidentiality, but shall be dealt with in accordance with the regulations set down by the Union Staffing Policies.’ However, Point 13.2 of the Constitution had already been cited and dismissed in this debate. SU President Doug German raised it as an objection at the time of the original motion in the GM, and it was swiftly overruled by a popular vote called by the acting chair, the floor agreeing that the Constitution implies jurisdiction over matters regarding individual staff, and not the student-staff body as a whole. The SU General Meeting is, according to the SU itself, the ‘highest decision making body of the Students’ Union’, and therefore a clear conflict
of authority at the highest level of SURHUL has emerged, resulting in a temporary stalemate. It now seems apparent that this impasse between Commercial Services and the student body stems from the Constitution’s relationship to management itself. (This is also alluded to by VPComCam Jamie Green in our interview on page 9.) The General Manager’s memo confirms that the management of the Students’ Union, including Sabbaticals, are in private talks over the deadlock right now. The structural uncertainty of the SU evidenced in recent events, further vindicated by these leaked reports and memos, will also no doubt impact this week’s election campaigns for the positions of next year’s Executive Committee, and many will be expecting answers from candidates regarding their intentions to address the imbalance of power at SURHUL, and the perennially uncertain accountability of the commercial services management.
Deputy Principal Resigns from SU Trustee Board
Rose Walker Deputy Arts Editor
Rob Kemp, Deputy Principal of Royal Holloway, has resigned from his position on the Students’ Union Trustee board with immediate effect. This comes after the SU General Meeting passed a motion in December to remove the position of college trustee from the board to “improve the autonomy” of the union. According to their website, SURHUL’s Trustee Board exists to “ensure the Students’ Union is meeting its charitable and strategic aims, continuing to be financially stable and acting within charitable and financial law”. The motion was brought to the General Meeting on 5th December by Student Trustee Oli Rushby and Vice President (Communications & Campaigns), Jamie Green. They argued that having representation from RHUL management on the Union trustee board is a conflict of interest, as SURHUL aims to always represent the views of students, and these may not always necessarily be in line with the views of college management. Research by the National Union of Students has shown less than 20% of SUs in the UK have representation from the institution within their governance structures. Despite the motion passing in December, Kemp was only recently made aware of the decision
RHUL
which passed with 48 votes for, 8 against. Oli Rushby, Student Trustee said: “This is a massive step forwards in ensuring SURHUL’s status as an autonomous, democratic body for the representation of students. When it was discussed at the first board meeting of the year, Rob was in support of
the Union itself deciding whether or not the post should exist and he made it clear he would resign should such a motion pass. I’m grateful he has stuck by this, it is important for the student body to have a say in who sits within the governance structures of their union and there’s no reason this shouldn’t include the trustee board.”
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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News
‘Don’t be a mule!’ police warn students Florentyna Dalloz Deputy News Editor
‘Don’t be a mule!’ is the slogan for a campaign aimed at students across the UK, which warns against the risks of becoming a ‘money mule’. The aim of the Crime Stoppers campaign is to inform students of a money laundering scam that is specifically targeted at them, which, if they were prosecuted could result in a ten-year prison sentence. The perpetrators lure students and the unemployed in with the promise of a high salary and minimal effort job. The job role is disguised through titles such as ‘money transfer agents’
or ‘administration assistants’, when really it is illegal money laundering. The high salary acts as an incentive to students as typical ‘money mules’ receive 8% of the dirty money that is put into their bank account. The salary is advertised as being ‘hundreds of pounds per week’ so as to appeal to possible ‘mules’. Whilst the salary might appeal to those in need of money, the employees are then involved in criminal money laundering, as the bank accounts of employees are used to illegally transfer and temporarily hold the proceeds of crime. It is thought that the money involved could have been made from a numerous crimes such as credit-card fraud or money stolen from bank accounts. A fraud investigation company
Flooding in London causes a right puddle flickr/Antalya1997
called Financial Fraud Action is currently investigating this scam and they claim that students and the unemployed are ‘especially vulnerable’. Originally, new entrants to the United Kingdom were the main targets, but as the power of the internet has grown it has made advertising to possible victims far easier. It is now easier than ever to target the vulnerable by using job seekers websites to find contact details of those looking for work and therefore contact those more likely to agree to the scam. The perpetrators then send out mass emails that offer employment and thousands of these are sent to students. In a study of 2000 people, Financial Fraud Action claim that 19% of students who were approached
and offered a job agreed to become a DCI Carter, an investigator for Fi‘money mule’, this was far higher than nancial Fraud Action, explains the the unemployed as only 13% of that dangers of becoming a ‘money mule’: category accepted the job offer. ‘It's a colossal risk. In fact you are taking almost all the risk on behalf of the criminal. That's why they ask - the money mules are the ones most likely to be caught.’ Once the money has been paid into the ‘mules’ account the criminal behind the crime is disguised and the ‘mule’ instead is a traceable connection to the crime. The number of people affected so far by this scam is unknown, but the Financial Fraud Action believes it to be around 380,000. According to Fraud experts, hundreds of thousands of people are still in danger of being deceived into laundering money.
The perpetrators lure students and the unemployed in with the promise of a high salary and minimal effort job.
Surrey teen party death linked to ‘fatal drug’
flickr/Nightlife of Revelry
Florentyna Dalloz Deputy News Editor
Scott Wilson Arts Editor Flooding in Regent St. surprised commuters and customers on 2nd March. A burst water main effected trading throughout the day, forcing some shops to close and an apology to be issued from Thames Water. Regent St. is one of the busiest shopping areas in London, but this is not the first time a water main has caused daytime trading and pedestrian activity trouble. A water main burst on Oxford St. last year, causing
similar disruption. Regent St. turns over billions of pounds in profit each year, and is a popular shopping location for tourists and Londoners alike. The water main was dealt with by fire-fighters and engineers, but concerns have been raised about the age and deterioration of other water mains in the area, in order to prevent other avoidable floods in the future.
An eighteen-year-old man, who has been named by the police as Charlie Barker, has died after taking a Class A drug at a party in Surrey on the 23rd February. Charlie Barker, who lived in Farnham, is believed to have taken 2C-I or 2C-E whilst at a party on Cobham Common, and he died shortly afterwards. Although the post-mortem tests do not yet conclusively show the drug to be the cause of death and inquiries are continuing, the drug, which has similar effects to ecstasy and amphetamines is thought to be responsible for Barker’s death, and has been described as a ‘fatal drug’ by Surrey Police.
Surrey Police are also urging anybody else who thinks they might have taken the substance to seek medical help immediately if they experience any strange symptoms or general illness. Temp Supt. Matt Goodridge has released a statement: ‘Our advice is to go to A&E immediately if you believe you took this drug and start to exhibit worrying symptoms. Similarly, if you think you have taken this drug elsewhere and start to feel unwell, our advice is to seek urgent medical attention.’ A further statement was given on behalf of Surrey Police regarding finding those responsible for supplying the drug: ‘We have carried out extensive inquiries following the tragic death of this young man and the fact that we have already made two arrests demonstrates our commitment to tackling the use and supply of illegal
drugs.’ Two people have been arrested so far in connection with Barker’s death. A twenty-year-old man was arrested in Gloucestershire and an eighteenyear-old woman in Bristol. Both have been arrested on suspicion of supplying controlled drugs and manslaughter, and they have now been bailed until March. Charlie Barker’s mother Trudy Barker has made a statement saying that her son was ‘confident and warm as a child and had grown to become a thoughtful, artistic and caring young man.’ She also added that ‘Both at his place of work and at college he was loved by all.’ Chief Inspector Alison Barlow is urging the public to aid their investigation so that they can get “this potentially fatal drug off the street of Surrey”.
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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SU Election Interviews | President
THE FOUNDER Interviews... Over the pre-campaign weekend, the calm before the storm, four members of The Founder team tracked down as many of the students running for positions in the upcoming elections as possible, and proceeded to grill them on their manifesto claims, so you can hopefully make a more informed choice to choose your representatives at the ballot box this Thursday and Friday. And, hopefully, some of the interviews are quite entertaining, too. Interviews were obviously cut for space, but the unedited transcripts can be found at www. thefounder.co.uk. Unfortunately, we could not interview every candidate running, but we endeavoured to interview almost all candidates for contested positions. And we’d like to thank all the interviewees very much for giving up their time to be interviewed!
Craig Gent Running for President Thomas Seal: Why are you running for President? Craig Gent: The SU has really become a parody of itself. It’s as far removed from the student life and students as it’s ever been, and the SU is increasingly irrelevant to people. Other people running really have this ‘Oh I’ve sat on this committee and that committee and blah blah blah,’ and people don’t care. People are bored of the SU. So my campaign...it’s got a playful aesthetic, but...stop voting for boring people who are going to do boring things!
Photos: Thomas Seal
What would you say to the accusations that you are simply a ‘joke’ candidate? Joe Rayment accuses you of having no policies, and your candidacy took many by surprise. Oh, it’s not a joke. It’s not. I think it’d be fair to say that I’m using a playful aesthetic to make a serious point. I do feel that I could’ve run this election with all the serious policies, and won it. People have said so. But I don’t want to embrace what the Union has become. It’s full of Union hacks. A hack is a person who spends a lot of time and energy over tedious and nothing tasks, and that’s what the Union has become, and even the people who say they hate that have become that. Y’know? So I don’t wanna be that. I want to be anything but that. So Joe Rayment can I’ve got no policies: I say he’s got no policies. What’s he got?
‘‘‘Oh, I want to be your next president.’’ I bet you fucking do! Why? ‘Cos it’s a cushty little job!’
The swipe card system. Swipe card system... Yeah, I mean, it’s not a bad idea, but no-one ever knew that it was coming anyway, so no-one’s really missed it, have they? I don’t even know what Singh’s got. His top priority is to campaign for lower food prices on campus. ...Populist! Singh and Joe are both nice lads but...this is what I hate. Populist, boring, disingenuous. ‘Oh, I really care about you, blah blah blah’ Call me cynical, but I’m not a joke candidate. I just think, look at...AAAARGH!! Everyone in the union takes themselves so fucking seriously, and it’s all fucking boring, and what the fuck is going on? What is happening? These people man! Joe Rayment, you’re 21 years old! Singh, what are you wearing fucking suits for? They’re wearing suits! Who wears SUITS? I don’t even have a fucking suit. Running around going ‘Oh I wanna be your next president.’ I bet you fucking do! Why? Cos it’s a cushty little job, you don’t have to face up to the fact that there’s rampant graduate unemployment, and it will MAYBE make you competitively more employable than your peers when you come out of it! Oh my GOD! You can put all that in. In capitals. Take us through the playlist for the rave you have planned. Oh! The rave! We have to have a rave committee, so you make sure you’re getting a good rave, but you also want the spontanaeity of a night where you don’t know what’s gonna happen. South Quad would be good. People come in for about 6, and then leave again at about 8 o’clock the next morning when the police turn up. At some point we’re going to have something like Aphex Twin -womwomwom- when people are battered, but earlier in the night you need some Andy C -btsbtsbts- some breakbeat and stuff. I don’t want all the things they play in the SU. What’s that about? It’s already shit songs that they’ve laced a sub-bassline to, to go ‘WOMWOMWOM!’ I know some guys who have got, like, subwoofers on the back of a bike, so we can bring them along. And a light show.
So you want to smash the NUS? It’s not really a priority because they are irrelevant, but I do think that when students do wanna do things the NUS is a hindrance, the same way that the SU here has been for a long time. Except for the year when Dan [Cooper, 2011-2] was president and stuff actually got done, but we’ve seen a regress this year, and we’ve seen it every year before. Students want to do something: ‘Oh, I’d better fill out a risk assessment, blah blah blah.’ You say on your manifesto: ‘I want to find dynamic and efficient ways of doing even more nothingness - so we can move forwards, whatever it might be. ‘Drugs’’ - Do you want to explain? This is the populist in me. Not real drugs, weirdo. But everyone has this idea the union is moving forward, but where’s it going? Where’s it ever been? The drugs bit, I just threw that in because I figured what I wanted to do was to appeal to the rich kid vote. Y’know the people who swan around in the colourful chinos. I mean, I don’t know if they’re on drugs, I wouldn’t accuse them, but, you gotta be on drugs to wear them chinos. (He checks my trousers.) Nope, jeans! I do own brightly-coloured trousers, but they’re jeans too, so I think that disqualifies me from the drug-taking. One last thing: if you could only change one thing whilst in office, what would it be? I think that it would be to have a union that actually captures people’s imagination. That takes experimentation, which is why I can’t write everything in a manifesto. I really think that the Union only ever mediates people’s creativity, and fucking zest for life. It sucks it out of them.
Anything you want to say to your voters or your opponents? I don’t have a campaign team. I figured that the first thing that pisses people off about elections, year after year, is the fact that you can’t go to steal a sandwich from the College Shop, without being hassled by people in garish T-shirts. What distinguishes you from your opponents, Joe and Singh? And thrusting leaflets under their faces and things. People will go ‘oh fucking elections, bluueergh’. It’s fucking anI’m not boring! I’m not boring and I don’t care about my CV and and I’m not noying. I’m finally speaking up for the silent majority, y’know? First time. Here I am, a reformed man, this is what it lying to you! I’m not lying! looks like! (Laughs.)
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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SU Election Interviews | President
Amarbeer Singh Running for President TS: Why have you decided to undertake all the stress of running for President? AS: I’ve been involved in the SU since my first year here. I came and I set up the Sikh society, I was President of that for 2 years,, became Societies’ Officer, and I want to be able to properly give back to the SU. I want to properly be able to focus and spend time with that as my sole thing, without having to worry about other things like my degree. What has the SU done well this year? What has it done badly? The different departments have functioned a lot better collaboratively. Student Activities has had a much better relationship with The Orbital and Insanity. We’re very good at talking with the communications side. We’ve got Sports and Activities more involved in campaigns, in RAG, running SU entertainments events, and things like that. That’s definitely been a really really good thing; people are getting more involved, we’ve had more signups. That’s probably the biggest positive. I think the one thing where progress has been made but still needs work is General Meetings. There’s a lot of issues that surround them, I think probably a lot of people say this so it sounds a bit cliché, but they need to be properly scrutinised and thought about. And then I will implement it, too, instead of aimless discussion. Looking through your manifesto, I see that you’re planning to lobby for a new SU building in the near future. How feasible do you think this is, especially given the recent refurbishment? I definitely wouldn’t see this taking place in my time in office, but I always go with the principle that you never know unless you try. So I will go to college with these plans and go from there. Work with the college. If they said no I’d ask for an explanation and keep trying to push it through, and see if we can actually come up with a proper plan so then the next sabbatical teams can pick up and take it forward after that.
“For the past two years in my job, in Student Activities, we’ve broken records.” Why should people choose you and not Joe or Craig? I feel that those candidates have the same experience - they’ve been involved in the SU as much as I have - but the thing that sets me apart is the areas that we’ve been involved in, and the impacts that we’ve had. For the past two years in Student Activities we’ve broken records. We had a record number of signups in my first year in the job, and then again this year we broke that record, Societies’ and Colours Ball have been record-breaking this year, and we’ve had such an expansion outside of just sports and societies. We’ve included things like the LGBT charter, the discrimination charter, with sports, we’ve worked with to get wheelchair basketball and other disabled sports on campus. To actually have a bigger push, so rather than just thinking about Student Activities we’re actually trying to be as inclusive as possible, and that’s what I want to bring into the role as President. To be inclusive, find out what people want, and then make decisions, instead of me making all the decisions by myself. So, would you say you’ve got the clearest track record of improvement? Well, I would say I have a good one! If you could push through just one policy if you were elected, which one would it be? It would have to be about fairer prices on campus. Especially when you’ve got students coming and paying £9000 fees, the campus prices are just extortionate, especially when you can go down to Tesco and things are 1/3 of the value, it’s not right that here they’re overmarked by 200-300%, so I definitely really really want to push college, to be like ‘this is not fair, you’re getting three times what I was paying for my fees, and you’re still charging higher and higher prices, and this needs to be changed.’
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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SU Election Interviews | President
Joe Rayment Running for President Editor-in-Chief Thomas Seal interviews current Union Chair and ‘man of the people’ Joe Rayment on his presidential run Thomas Seal: Why do you want to be President, Joe? Joe Rayment: I’m running on a manifesto of making real noticeable change to students’ lives. I’m not running to sit on committees and stuff that people don’t care about. I’m running to actually make a difference. What do you feel the SU has done well this year, and what do you feel it’s done not so well? Tough one...it shouldn’t be a tough one! The campaigns run this year have been very good. I think making RhubarbTV into a thing that the every-student actually knows about is excellent. Mental Health Awareness is probably the best campaign we’ve run this year; it’s one I’m very passionate about. Not so well? As always, with the SU, the biggest problem is communicating things to students. To the every-student that doesn’t come to a General Meeting, that doesn’t listen to Insanity 24/7, perhaps doesn’t even read The Orbital, I think our communications could do with vast improvement. I want more staff in the SU, and I think my priority would be for a permanent member of staff on communications.
‘What sets me apart from Craig? I’m running on a manifesto of policies. Singh? I don’t want to be too harsh about his manifesto, but there’s a lot of stuff on there that already exists.”
Doesn’t your plan to split the Vice-President of Education and Welfare into two roles somewhat contradict your financial policies? Isn’t it going to be quite expensive to have another fully-paid Sabbatical Officer? No, it doesn’t contradict my financial policies at all, because my main financial policy is fighting for the bigger block grant which we desperately need. We’ve been running on a deficit for a few years. Commercial Services at Student Unions across the country are failing; there’s a change of culture and students just don’t drink as much, at least, in venues anymore. They do a lot of pre-drinking. It’s fair enough, considering that the maintenance loans often don’t cover students’ rent and accommodation in halls. But isn’t all this contingent on you definitely getting the bigger block grant? I don’t think so. I think that ULet is going to start making money. I think that putting the case to college for a fifth sabbatical is going to be easy. Because the college gets better rankings based on the SU being better and if we have a 5th sabbatical to split Education and Welfare, the SU will get better. An extra few thousands pounds each year in order to fund that is nothing to the college when they made £8m last year. I’d also say that I’d be happy for the sabbaticals to take a pay cut in order to fund it. If each sabbatical took a £2000 pay cut, then that’s getting well on the way to getting a 5th. What will you actually do to get SU staff the living wage? I remember Dan Cooper [SURHUL President 2011-12] was lobbying for that two years ago now. I want to actually budget for it. Then if we have to make savings elsewhere, I think that Commercial Services should be making enough money in order to pay their staff the London Living Wage. This year an Assistant Manager for Commercial Services left to go to a new job and we hired a new one. I think if Commercial Services can’t fund the London living wage for their student staff then we should cut down on the management. I’m not saying make people redundant; I’m saying if someone moves onto another job, maybe don’t fill that position so quickly. What sets you apart from your opponents, Craig and Singh? What sets me apart from Craig? I’m running on a manifesto of policies. I think Craig’s running as a protest vote. I think the NUS Inanimate Carbon Rod is a brilliant idea, but I’d encourage people not to do the protest vote because I think I’m running on a good manifesto full of real policy and real policies. What sets me apart from Singh? So I don’t want to be too harsh about his manifesto but there’s a lot of stuff on there that already exists. He’s got things like the Sabbaticals signing off on major purchases. People don’t know about this because, well... you don’t need to, really. But there’s a finance committee that all the Sabbaticals sit on, who sign off on unbudgeted expenditure over -
Photo: Thomas Seal I think - £3000. So they already do that. He says he wants an appraisal system for officers. We’ve got the scrutiny committee; that is that. I think that in the past that committee’s been run terribly, but this year it’s been working phenomenally well. He says he wants to have an entertainments forum. At the last General Meeting I proposed an entertainments forum instead of a subcommittee for next year...so that is happening next year. I think there’s some good ideas as well. I think that Singh’s idea about a review of the Rialto space is a good idea. I think campaigning for lower food prices on campus is the other one I quite liked. I think it would be quite difficult, that’s something that would be very hard to do, even though the college made £8m last year, which is double the requirements for an operating surplus. If you could just enact one thing in your time as President, what would it be? The bigger block grant, really, because that enables everything else. It enables a lot of stuff, it really does make everything very feasible: we’ve got more money to run the campaigns students want to run, and more money to push into clubs and societies. So you can’t guarantee a bigger block grant...but you can guarantee to try for a bigger block grant. That’s the promise you’re making? So the promise I’m making is to very, very much lobby the college for a bigger block grant. There are a lot of things, like the swipe card system, which I’m not relying on the black grant for. If you get 500 students into the SU 45 minutes earlier, they’re going to spend more money on drinks. We’re going to make the money back, from introducing the swipe card system, in months, if that! Anything you’d like to add? Check out my website, www.voteforjoe.co.uk, because I’ve got an extended manifesto on there. An A4 page isn’t enough to put in all of my plans for a whole year, so that site really explains a lot of my points.
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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SU Election Interviews | VPSA Features Editor Felicity King is putting the questions to the VPSA candidates (Unfortunately, Temi Awoniyi did not respond to his e-mail interview in time for publication.)
Gareth Berry
Angus Wyatt
FK: If you could only get one of the items on your manifesto passed which one would you choose? GB: I believe all of my points are relevant to everything going on currently. However, if I had to choose one to particularly push through it would have to be the drainage systems on the sports fields. This has been a particularly wet winter and it has seriously affected everyone’s fixtures. Sport is an important part of Royal Holloway and we need decent facilities to perform well. The pitch conditions also effect our charity work, volunteering opportunities and the recreational side of university life. They are the areas on campus available to all students for outdoor activities and their standards need to be improved.
FK: How would you improve the communication between societies and the SU? AW: In terms of the VPSA communicating student activities to the wider student body, I want to extensively use our student media outlets, including the introduction of a Student Activities Show on Insanity Radio and rhubarbTV and a column in The Orbital and The Founder. I will make better use of the blog, Facebook and Twitter accounts as they are effective methods of communicating with lots of students at once. I will also keep the weekly e-mail from the VPSA as this is a great way for clubs and societies to see what each other are doing and to convey a lot of info at once.
What do you think has been a problem for societies and sports over the past year and how would you address that problem if you were elected? I feel one of the major issues has been a lack of communication and publicity. This means that some events get poor attendance which people would have liked to attend. One of the issues is how information is distributed. I would like to centralise all relevant information to the SU website so students have easy access to it. I would also like to send an e-mail out to all students rather than just those involved in SA. I also feel events, important matches and balls need more of a buzz surrounding them, and so I would make sure they were advertised early enough, and perhaps work on teaser campaigns and such to get students more excited about the events we put on. What makes you distinct from all the other candidates running? I am one of the only candidates who has consistently done both a sport and a society. I have also currently worked in Student Activities for this past year so I am aware of the problems we have faced recently and am up to date with developments. Clubs and societies face different problems in regards to the SU and I can fully understand them all. I was born and raised in Italy, though with British nationality, and so I guess I look at things a bit differently and would like to do what I can to improve not only clubs and societies but all students’ lives and experiences at Royal Holloway.
Ian Stewart FK: What problems do you think societies and sports have faced over the past year? How would you address these? IS: I've been working hard on the issues faced by our Clubs and Societies, but due to the variety of activities they offer they all have different needs and face different problems. I think the only common problem they face is the lack of facilities. For Societies, there is not enough space to meet demands. I have been working with College to identify additional space and have managed to secure more rooms in the International building for society use but I will not stop there. The SU needs a strong voice to communicate with College to secure further space and to ensure that societies have use of the new performance space due to be built in the Boiler House. Royal Holloway has a long sporting tradition and while it is a great benefit to have facilities on site, the facilities are in drastic need of funding. A project board was established, which I have been a part of, to identify the spend priorities with regards to sport and major commitments have been made for developments that will begin in the summer. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, as the College are in the process of putting together a 10 year plan; our clubs cannot be left out of this plan, and I will ensure they are not. How will you ensure sports and societies are taken care of equally? Sports and Societies are so carried that they often demand different levels of support, in fact, their is still so much variation between the different types of sport and the various activities that societies engage in. This means that it that each sport and each society require different levels of support in regards to finances and time, what I believe is important is that we are ensuring that each club or society has access to the resources required for them to achieve their aims. What do you think is the most important item on your manifesto? In my time I have been lucky enough to work with some truly excellent committees, who have amazed me with the work they have produced. However, not all committees have reached this level, but I believe that taking on a committee role for the first time is a difficult job and that many failings are due to a lack of training or support. During the summer term we offer training during the Committee Conference, but I will extend this and deliver a programme of of training throughout the year. These workshops will be built around specific positions and will be developed and delivered by those that have previous experience. I believe that better trained committees will result in better run societies that will deliver a better service to their members.
I want to make Sports and Societies Councils more of a forum for discussion about the issues faced by committees, as opposed to the Sports and Socs Officers just relaying information to Presidents. I would also operate an office hours policy, where I would timetable a couple of dedicated hours each week for clubs and societies to come and ask me questions or give their feedback. Additionally, I want to clearly define the roles of each of the members of SAC so that they can act as a better liaison between Student Activities and clubs and societies, and vice versa. In your manifesto you talk about extending the charter against homo-trans-phobia to include race, religion, gender and (dis)ability. Why do you think this is so important? Student Activities should be open to anyone and everyone, and anyone and everyone should feel safe when participating in activities. This is intended to help more students get involved in clubs and societies, especially international students who generally have lower participation rates in student activities. Many people forget that the VPSA is meant to sit on the Inclusion & Representation Senate, so this would be my first step to ensuring that students feel included in their Union through activities. How will you ensure sports and societies are taken care of equally? Naturally some clubs and societies will have more needs and demands on resources due to their size and activities, but that doesn't mean that smaller groups should ever be overlooked; I am here to help everyone. The issues sports and societies face are sometimes surprisingly similar, and as a result of that I see them all as student groups doing activities, as opposed to these two separate categories. Ultimately, I want to see more interaction and collaboration between clubs and societies to strengthen the unity of Student Activities.
Liz Scott-Wilson FK: In your manifesto you talk about promoting collaboration between clubs and societies. What ideas do you have to achieve this? LSW: To ensure collaborations between societies I hope to promote a new "week" as it were. Something along the lines of a ‘do something new week’ for charity as a potential RAG event, where the money to join the society would go to RAG, for example. Also I would hope to promote socials such as the homecoming (which brought together what can be considered the ‘American Sport’ clubs of Cheerleading and American Football), Martial Arts Day (which seems to have gone missing this year), and perhaps introduce some for societies in a similar vein to the Classics Day (where Debating Society and Comedy Society do their bit to promote the Classical Society). I'd also very much like to try and get societies with conflicting views to debate issues as a public event, i.e.: ISoc and LGBT. (Ed.: Erm, I’m not sure they’re necessarily always conflicting.) In terms of experience, what have you done that you think makes you suitable for this role? In terms of experience, I have a good grasp of politics. My work experience was two weeks in the European Parliaments of Brussels and Strasbourg, where I was roped in to help organise events and to publicise the recent changes in Parliament. In my first year, I took on the role of First Year Representative, through which I gained access to the aspects of the role of VPSA. I have been a part of many small societies. I am now a committee member of the Karate Club, and I have links to others such as IFIS and the New Lyell Society, and through this contact, the idea I had in first year became an ambition. In your manifesto you talk about ensuring the SU website is used efficiently. What do you mean by this and how do you hope to achieve it? I believe the website is run smoothly concerning events and functions, however, where clubs and societies are concerned it is an underused resource. I would aim for there to be a page or link to something that would show exactly what is going on in the world of student activities, like a private blog for every activity to have its say alongside a notice board specifically for the clubs and societies within the SU. I also feel, having spoken to a few friends, that some clubs and societies (i.e. the Historical Reenactment Society) get overlooked and people don't even know of their existence, something I find a real shame! I would hope to use this as a means of raising profiles and helping societies progress.
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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SU Election Interviews | Orbital Stephen Atkinson
“The Orbital’s main weakness is the lack of efficiency.”
Thomas Seal: What made you decide to run for Orbital Editor in the first place? Stephen Atkinson: I’ve been involved as Comment Editor for the past year, which has been a position which I’ve been really passionate about, because I care a lot about opinions, debates, and people forming their own ideas and sharing them with each other. But now I feel more prepared and more experienced to lead the team from the front.
So over the past year, what do you think The Orbital has done well, and what do you feel it hasn’t done so well? At the start of the year we took a board vote to change from a magazine to a newspaper, which is something I’m grateful went through. It’s made the year a bit more interesting, being in direct competition with The Founder. I feel it’s particularly made my section, Comment, a bit more reputable. However, the main weakness is the lack of efficiency I’ve experienced. The time and effort it then takes for an article to reach the pages of The Orbital is so much work.
Running for Orbital Editor
Simon Rawlings
Running for Orbital Editor “I’m promising a referendum.”
Thomas Seal: Why are you running for Editor? Why undertake all that stress? Simon Rawlings: I super-enjoyed being the Lifestyle Editor this year, but there were some issues with the paper that I thought I could change if I was Editor, because when you’re a Lifestyle Editor you just have to get your content in, and it’s super frustrating when it comes out late. So I thought, ‘I’ll work as Editor and I’ll build the paper to be something everybody wants to pick up and everybody wants to read.’ If you walk into Bedford Library you see the dump-bins full of papers, and there’s also papers in stacks, which just says that people aren’t reading it as much as they used to...or too many papers have been ordered. Could you describe a couple of strengths of The Orbital this year? And a couple of weaknesses? I think it has succeeded in its transition to a newspaper. It was a huge task for the design team, for the Art Director, and for Julian, who was editing it. That must’ve been hard. They had some news stories that were super-good, the Freshers’ issue was a good unveiling of what the college were up to. Some of the section editors have been amazing. Stephen Atkinson is running against me but his section’s been amazing. That’s the good things.
You mention efficiency in your manifesto, too. But what exactly will this involve? We just need more training for the editors in general. I received very little training as to what it actually meant to be an editor. I was very up for the job, but the current Editor and Deputy never sat down with me last year and told me how they’d want the articles to be presented, what format, things like that. I came to know from putting the paper together what they wanted, but Bad things. It’s not been widely distributed. People keep saying to me ‘I can find The Founder but I can’t find The Orbital.’ The deadlines haven’t been met, it’s been really sloppy... that’s where the if they had told me right from the start it would have made the whole system faster. ship’s really gone down. There have been some sloppy front covers. The current one is the Societies’ Ball. It’s super-interesting but The Founder came out with a better front story. How would you go about getting more contributors? I have two main key areas I think we could really improve on. One is advertising, something I think we’ve barely done this year. I think it would be a low-effort job to put some posters out to Those can change by having fixed deadlines and fixed release dates that you plan to meet well in let people know not only about the distribution dates but also people’s ability to contribute. Sec- advance. ondly to integrate more with the Media Society, which we are officially a part of but something As Editor, how would you negotiate your relationship with The Founder? Obviously being a we haven’t really engaged with very much yet. newspaper this year introduced an element of direct competition. The point on my manifesto is ‘Who wants to read the same stories twice?’ Not me, and probably How would you negotiate your relationship with The Founder? no-one else. Before we select a front page, before we run a big story, I’ll drop an e-mail, I’ll meet It’s not something I’ve thought particularly about. I don’t consider it hugely important to negotiate with The Founder to make sure we’re writing different things. And it’s actually a really The Founder team in Crosslands or stop them on campus and I’ll say ‘by the way, are you running this? If not, we’ll run something else’. We’ll run this one and they can run that one. interesting way to compare the papers when they write about the same things. I don’t think it’s necessary to divulge the content of the papers to each other. So very collaborative, then? Yeah, because the only people who are going to lose out are the readers. When you say you will get ‘better articles’, how would go about actually doing this? It’s easier said than done. Why should people vote for you, and not Alex or Stephen? What sets you apart from them? Hah, yes, it almost sounds too easy to be fair to write. Like: ‘How would you make it better?’ ‘Better articles!’ I actually feel I have an action plan to get better articles, which at the end of the I’m a really creative person. By no means do I want to I don’t want to turn the Orbital into Vogue, but I have the capacity to give something appeal. People should vote for me rather than those day will make our paper better, more fun to read, and the main way I feel that is achievable is primarily to actually reach more people. The more contributions we can get, the more selective two is because, if I’m Editor, my whole focus will be on the readers. The readers need to decide whether the transition from a magazine to a newspaper has worked. People keep coming up to we can be. At the moment, I’m putting every article I get in, because it’s as much as I can do. me and saying ‘Oh I liked it better as a magazine’. It’s not a point in [Alex or Stephen’s] manifestos, Also, it would be really beneficial to train our editors more. so I think I’m fair in saying they’re not going to give the readers that decision. Why should people vote for you instead of Alex or Simon? We can all say ‘vote for me to get a better paper’, but what this really takes is a more efficient and So you’re promising a referendum, yes? Yes, I’m promising a referendum. more effective system behind the scenes. I’ve got experience leading teams: I’ve been involved leading the RHUL Christian Union this year, in which I have had to lead meetings, speak in And if you could change one thing about The Orbital in your time as Editor, what would it be? front of forty or fifty people, and I know my own skills in encouraging people, motivating people, which we’ve really been lacking this year under the current Editor and Deputy, so that’s Make sure that it comes out bang on time, so students feel like The Orbital is theirs again. why I feel that if people voted for me I would be able to achieve a better paper for them to read. Anything else you’d like to say to your voters? Vote for me, because if I’m Editor, The Orbital will be something which you feel is at all times in If you could just push through one change over a whole year as Editor, what would it be? every issue, yours and always relevant to you and always open for you to contribute. Engaging with more and more students through diverse communities.
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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SU Election Interviews | Orbital & VPComCam Alex Pegler
“I want more scoops than Mr. Whippy!”
Running for Orbital Editor
Thomas Seal: Why are you running for Editor? Why undertake the stress? Alex Pegler: Good question. This year, it’s been a fairly stressful kind of time being Deputy Editor, but you know what? I kind of thrive on that stress. And although it’s taken a few all-nighters and fighting to deadlines with 2 hours to go and-we-need-todesign-four-sections...and, y’know, that sort of thing, I’ve kind of thrived on that and really enjoyed that. I see it as a really good challenge that I want to take on and do well at. Highlight one or two strengths of The Orbital this year Strengths: stability of the publication. The Orbital has previously been dogged by snap resignations and boards falling apart, and that hasn’t happened this year. It’s partly down to me and it’s partly down to the Editor, Julian, who’s done a great job as well. I also think we’ve made a good stab at being a newspaper after being a magazine for a while. I think we’ve set the news and comment agenda sometimes. Some of the sections have been very strong too.
How about weaknesses? Weaknesses... Because myself and the Editor have been so consumed by Pegler used the iPad, as Orbital distribution had failed to reach the Hub. meeting deadlines etc., when people have asked to write for us we’ve maybe not been as good as we could’ve been with helping them out, and getting them going. And another weakness: maybe we’ve not made the best use of the papers we actually print. We’ve trialled new dump-bins and we’ve tried to kind of revolutionise our distribution, but that probably needs to be better, and we need to be more organised in getting the paper out once it’s been printed. How would you negotiate the relationship with The Founder? Obviously going with the newspaper format this year introduced an element of direct competition. At the start of the year I actually voted against going to a newspaper, because I felt our unique selling point was that we were a magazine. [But] I quite enjoy writing for a newspaper now so that’s good. I think there is enough news on campus to sustain two newspapers. Stories develop, and so we can maybe cover the same story but take a different angle on it. And we’ll try and get the scoops. I want more scoops than Mr. Whippy! Potentially we could network information with The Founder, and the wider media. I’m looking forward to the challenge of competing with an equally excellent competitor. Why should people vote for you, and not Simon or Stephen? Out of the three of us, I am the serious journalist candidate. If you want a student publication that holds the college and the SU to account, and sets the agenda on campus, and pursues investigative journalism, and proper objective scoops, then I’m the man for that. I’m sure they’d do a competent job, but I think I really stand out in terms of really pursuing the investigative stories and journalism that...maybe we haven’t been too good at doing this year. If you could just change one thing about the Orbital as Editor, what would it be? That’s a good question. My top priority would be that the Student Publication makes a stab at actually holding the SU’s Commercial Services to account. We’ve seen that with things like the Summer Ball they really fall short, and, at the end of the day, we need to make sure that they’re doing what they say they’re doing. A newspaper should be a vital tool in a democracy for holding people to account, and that’s absolutely what we should do. So...you say you’ve brought stability and regularity to The Orbital in your manifesto, but isn’t this very issue a fortnight late? Yep...been numerous issues because of that. One of them was because I had to go to Boston for a week, which wasn’t great, so that put everyone back. But equally I think it’s not quite correct to say we’re two weeks late this time, because actually we’ve taken the decision during the elections that, because myself and the Editor are taking part, we can have no editorial input for the purposes of neutrality. So, we were in the position to print this week, but we can’t. Is there anything you want to add? I’m the candidate with the experience to do the job properly. I’m Deputy Editor, I’ve brought stability, I’ve coordinated investigations on things like crime against students, road safety and ULU. I’m the man with the track record, the experience and the vision for a more investigative publication that can rival the excellent competitor that is The Founder.
Jamie Green The incumbent Vice President of Communications and Campaigns is running for a second term. He caught up with The Founder’s Toby Fuller...
Photos: Thomas Seal
(Regrettably, Green’s opponent for VPComCam, Jamal Johnson, did not respond to The Founder’s interview request.) TF: You are one of the few incumbents in these elections. What do you intend to do differently and what policies are new to your manifesto? JG: A lot of things, I think you actually spend a lot of time in your sabbatical year just learning how to do things. I think the difference would be that by this September I would like to be hitting the ground running. Even though I’m still taking a stand about what’s going on in higher education, that’s not the lead campaign this time. My lead campaign is about the housing crisis in the area, and trying to hold housing agents to account. I want to run a campaign called ‘reclaim your campus’. Often we have focused on the bigger things that are going on in Higher Education, but actually the Union should be fighting injustices on our own campus like lock-out fees, the lack of room space for societies, and lack of non-commercial space. TF: A great deal of your efforts – and indeed your proposed activity for your second term – has been focused on campaigning. Whilst campaigns raise awareness of particular issues, what practical measures do you propose to ensure that real change is made regarding the problems faced by RHUL students? JG: There are existing channels, we actually have quite good communication with the university and it’s about making an argument through those channels. Often I sit in meetings with the Vice-Principles and the Deans, and they’re very happy to talk about this ‘student experience’, the phrase they love, yet within this student experience you have students paying £9,000 for their fees, extortionate hall fees and then they are expected to pay £30 if they lock themselves out accidentally. So it’s about using the existing channels and putting up a bit of an argument against it, we also have media outlets and people like yourself should be holding people to account. It’s about having a coherent argument and coherent demands. TF: A significant number of candidates and observers have noted the continuing problem of SU politics being dominated by a minority of people who are not representative of the student population as a whole. What can you do to address this problem of democracy and representation? JG: Democracy has been a big one for me this year, I focused mainly on our trustee board which allows people to actually have a say in our governance structures. I’ve worked quite hard this year to make them accountable; we’ve got rid of the Vice-Principle because there was a ridiculous conflict of interest. The best way to make the General Meeting representative is not just making sure it’s well advertised but making the argument as to why stu- continued on next page...
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The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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SU Election Interviews | VPComCam & VPEW »
happening; this week we had a bit of an argument about what went on in the General Meeting. Things got a bit contentious about the motion that was passed regarding student-staff and I dents should be getting involved, why it’s important their voices think that our job as sabbatical officers is in a fair way is to be are heard in these meetings. It is an important thing that we are transparent about that. There is a distinction there as well: when having bigger arguments within our General Meetings and of I say we’ve had an argument about this with the senior staff, it course we want people from all parts of the political spectrum can be done without saying anything personal, which has hapto come along. pened in the past. Managers need to be accountable to students, TF: You state in you manifesto that you have ‘Fought for as much as we can. The sabbaticals, as the people that they are better SU democracy...[by]...removing RHUL management’s accountable to, need to be transparent about what is going on. influence from SU governance.’ How do you propose tackling If one thing that has popped up this week, it’s clear is that we do the issue of internal influences exerted by the commercial need to have a look at our constitution where staffing matters services team and ensuring that the SU is truly run accordand the power of General Meeting collide, and how they react ing to the will of students rather than those who are only with each other. My gut feeling is that at the moment it’s slightly concerned with the bank balance? undemocratic. JG: I agree, there are still fights to be had. This year we’ve made TF: Thank you Jamie. Is there anything specific to your the General Manager more accountable to the General Meeting, campaign that you would like to add or highlight to your and I actually think the Sabbs need calling out when things are potential voters?
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JG: Well, as I have said, I don’t want to run on the basis that the union is perfect; it is far from perfect, and of course you guys are pretty good at pointing that out. TF: (Laughs) JG: But if there is one collective group that can fight on the behalf of students, it’s the Students’ Union. So if the union just goes along running purely awareness campaigns and not willing to have a fight for students, then who is going to fight for students? I’m also very proud to have set up a TV station this year and Insanity met all its key commitments for its first year of broadcast. Also, I suppose you might refute this, but it has been quite a good year for The Orbital so I don’t want people to think that I’m just a one trick pony. I think I’m a reasonably credible student journalist, if you don’t believe me then check two Orbitals ago where I wrote an article on Lewisham A&E closure and I was actually quite neutral even though I mentioned the Tories! If that doesn’t prove my credibility as a journalist, I don’t know what will!
Chelsea Donelon for VPEW
Alice Branson for VPEW
Florentyna Dalloz: What do you think makes you unique as a candidate? Chelsea Donelon: I have been to other universities and have witnessed what works at other universities as well as understanding the logistics of implementing them here. I think this offers me an incredibly unique and valuable viewpoint. In addition, I am able and willing to set my politics aside so that I can balance supporting others while still being approachable to everyone. If you could succeed in only one area of your manifesto, which would it be? If I absolutely must choose just one, I would choose to split Vice President Education and Welfare into 2 positions. It might not be sexy or immediate but it will ensure a great future where education and welfare can be adequately looked after. The current Vice President Education and Welfare has said how much he has struggled and had to cut things simply because the job is too big for one person. Education is the reason we are at university and welfare is the community that creates the environment in which we live. They are two of the most important things the SU does and in order to make them better in the future, we need to have adequate people working for them. Why is education and welfare so important to you? I spent 2 years in a different university before I came here. Despite the fact I did well, I didn’t really like it. Then I came here and fell in love with what I was learning, and this school. I want every single student to feel that way. As for welfare, I was once in an interview for big leadership scholarship. I was asked what it meant to me to be a community leader. In answering that question, I realized something new about myself: that to me community leadership wasn’t necessarily the person at the front of the group but the person that created the community. The person that created the space in which everyone felt safe enough to do things they would normally be to terrified to do. That’s what I want Holloway to be: an amazing place where you find inspiration and courage.
Florentyna Dalloz: What do you think makes you unique as a candidate? Alice Branson: What makes me unique is I'm honest and I don't run away from any situation, I deal with it practically and efficiently. If you could succeed in only one area of your manifesto, which would it be? Only one? I would personally find that to be a disastrous sabbatical year. My promises link together and together it’s something amazing. Why is education and welfare so important to you? The fundamental reason students come to university is for an education. The social scene, clubs and societies are a bonus. A student's education will have a serious impact on their future and if their welfare and education isn't being looked after then what was the point in them paying £9,000 per year to be here? What experience do you have that you think will aid you best in this role? I have woven myself into the Students' Union over the past three years, I've been on so many campaign teams that it's almost embarrassing, I've sat on the controversial finance investigation, I've been a residential support assistant and sat on two sub-committees. The experience I have that will aid me most however is getting (almost) naked for RAG, it reminded me I can throw myself into any situation and deal with it. Other candidates have also suggested a healthy eating awareness scheme, what would make your ‘Body and Mind week’ the most successful? What would make the "Body and Mind Week" most successful is that it concentrates on all areas from body image and eating disorders to help inform students to confidence workshops, schemes on adopting a healthier lifestyle and above all reducing stress. From personal experience I know that stress creates bad habits, from what you eat to neglecting your needs. So: because it's practical and applicable to everyone.
April Heath for VPEW Florentyna Dalloz: What do you think makes you unique as a candidate? April Heath: Perhaps my optimism, I think it is key when working alongside colleagues to remain as hopeful as possible, as even when things are looking a bit pear-shaped, nothing will get done if you give up. It is important to be persistent and I will show that in pursuit of the goals outlined in my manifesto. If you could succeed in only one area of your manifesto, which would it be? I’d say that I definitely want to ensure that RHUL provides more vegan/vegetarian/allergyfree food options on campus, as well as running an educational campaign covering nutritional advice and raising awareness of the importance of healthy eating. I, myself, am intolerant to both gluten and dairy and so I have found it hard to find anything substantial to eat on campus and I know that others like me have suffered from the same problems, whether that is because of allergies or lifestyle choices. I want the healthy eating campaign to encourage students to pick up good eating habits and understand how what they eat affects them in the short and long-term and, perhaps most importantly, I want this to also provide a platform for people to talk about food-related issues and concerns. What experience do you have that you think will aid you best in this role? I have worked on the Student Activities Committee as one of the Events Representatives for two consecutive years, working very closely with the VPSA throughout my time in this position. This experience has given me good insight into the way in which the university operates and the way events are run. Additionally, I have also been involved with RAG quite a lot in the past year, helping out my boyfriend who is a member of the committee and producing last year’s RHUL charity Fashion Show. I have really enjoyed getting involved and it has given me RAG fever! engender pride in the university, its wider reputation and in everything that it has to offer.
Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton for VPEW Rose Walker: What inspired you to run for this role? Sidonie Bertrand-Shelton: In my 2nd year I joined FemSoc and ran as gender rep. When I was doing that, I loved it and found I was doing way more than my role required. Because of that I felt more comfortable and confident enough to run as Equlity and Liberation officer. This has helped me learn so much about myself as a person, but also about other people and how to support them. Royal Holloway has been the place I've lived and worked at for the past 3 years and I want to give something back - I want to leave this place in a better state than when I arrived here. Which parts of your manifesto for EdWelfare are you most keen to implicate? I really want to improve the course rep system - it's in place but not many people know how to contact course reps as each department does it differently. We need a stronger system to link the reps to the SU and to the students. Something really simply I'd like to make happen is for everyones Moodle to include the email address of their course rep. I also want to ensure our SU supports an app for mobile phones about harassment. A charity organisation provide a program that applies to your university, on which you can report if you've been sexually harassed or attacked. If you want to take it further, it provides the support and contact numbers you would need. If a victim is in a state of shock, or if you are an intertnation student, this is not always obvious. I think this type of thing is key in building victim's confidence to report such incidents. Also, I want to ensure that Founder’s becomes accessible to students who use wheelchairs but who don't have upper body strength. What would you say to anyone unsure about voting in these elections at all? I think most people may be third years who don't think it will affect them - it's about leaving a legacy and leaving it in a better state than you found it in. Other students might not vote because they're unsure about what the SU does - I want to encourage societies to have welfare officers that can point out the support the SU can offer them if they need it.
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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SU Election Interviews | Insanity
Archie Macleod
! Y T I N A INS
Shambolic Ninja-Penguin
(a.k.a. The Editor Formerly (a.k.a. the one with Known as Julian Farmer) the normal name) t n i o p nt-fori o p -current Editor of The Orbital s e t a d i -current Web Editor of d n a c e pare th m o C Insanity Radio Thomas Seal: Why are you running? Why undertake the stress, especially after a stressful Thomas Seak: Why are you running? Archie Macleod: Good question. I found it, as you do, in Freshers’ Fayre, and it’s something I’ve really enjoyed. Over the last year I’ve been on the board, I’ve watched what managers do, and seen what I think Insanity could improve on, and I want the chance to lead improvement, and to grow the station more than it’s already grown. Insanity Radio this year: what’s been good, what’s been bad? This year I think we’ve done a great job of getting new presenters involved, especially for the number of freshers and also existing students we’ve had in. We’ve made great inroads getting the community involved. Community is obviously something we’ve definitely got to improve on next year, because of commitments in our license etc., but we’ve got a very good grounding to start with because we’ve run workshops with two different schools, we’ve already had quite a few community presenters come in, so I think we’ve got a really positive base to work on. And what hasn’t been done so well? Our engagement with youth groups has definitely been less than we’d like. Obviously there is the problem of finding the time to do it, which is something I’m looking to improve on by emphasising the commitment Insanity is when you take it on and get elected. But also, there’s been very little advertising in the community itself, so one of my ideas for next year is to offer free advertising to non-profit making groups and events who don’t have the budget to pay for advertising, that kind of thing. A criticism of Insanity is that only people’s friends listen to shows, and only a few of them at that. How would you go about increasing the number of listeners? I really want to improve Insanity’s exposure in Welcome Week, so I want us to be running a full schedule throughout Welcome Week. I want us to be in the Welcome packs in freshers’ rooms, and then host at least one event in the Union. We can provide DJs, we can be selling t-shirts and things, so all new students really know who we are. Insanity offers an experience that’s pretty unique on campus. And I agree not enough people listen. We need to make sure people hear about us and listen to us. What is the big difference between you and Julian/’Shammy’? Why should people vote for you instead of him? My focus would definitely more on the public side of Insanity. Julian’s done a fantastic over the last year getting tech up to scratch and all that kind of thing. As he focuses on things like news etc. in his manifesto, I really want to push our public face, our events, our community involvement, and that kind of thing. My main focus would definitely be on things like Freshers’ week, community workshops, making sure that we’re known. If you could change just one thing in your year as Head of Insanity, what would it be? Very tough. Oh I don’t know. I’d probably go with my policy on introducing deputy board members, and this is one of the areas where me and Julian do disagree. I think every board member with a team should have an elected deputy, elected by their team or the whole station, which they can use to spread the load of running their team, because obviously it’s a big job. They’re jobs that are too big for one person, and I think we risk alienating the team members, who might see themselves as the grunts. They’re definitely not. They’re the people who do the work. Anything you’d like to add? Obviously Julian has got more experience in the radio industry than I have. However, I think I can come to it with a fresh mind. I can bring solutions more tailored to Insanity rather than saying: ‘this is what this station does, and we should do this as well.’ I think Insanity is quite unique that we’re the first student station - pretty much in the country - to switch to a community station on our own, and we have unique challenges in this area. I think we are a specialised case, so we need to make sure we’re doing our best to work to its needs.
year of being Orbital Editor? Shammy Ninja-Penguin: I’ve had a lot of fun with The Orbital, and I have been involved with Insanity for a while. I’ve got quite a clear vision of where I want to go, and we’ve come really far in the last year, since gaining our FM license, but there’s so much further to go. Fulfil the licensing commitments Get the license in 4 years when it’s up for renewal, and Be the station that it really could be. To really cater to the students and the community, because there are lots of areas which could be improved at the moment. Yes, would you like to elaborate on things that have gone well, and things you think require improvement? What’s gone better than I expected is we’ve kicked off our community engagement stuff. We’ve got workshops going on in schools and we’ve got some amazing feedback. We didn’t have any sort of track record, but now we have done a couple of schools, we can say to others: ‘this is what we can offer you’. We start building a bit of a reputation. It’s always going to be hard in the first year, but once we start doing that we can really do well. That’s something I feel we need to improve in the next year: talk to lots of schools and get more people involved with the community side of Insanity, because at the moment we’re very student-centric. I’m going to try and move away from that without alienating the students who enjoy working here, because obviously the majority of our volunteers are students. Unless we improve community, we might not get our license renewed, and that wouldn’t be very nice.
Yes, ‘community’ is the biggest thrust of both your manifesto and Archie’s. How can people differentiate you both? I’m the candidate with experience. Next year will be my fourth year at Insanity. I’ve been there every year since I’ve been at Royal Holloway. When I came here it was quite a small AM and web station. It was all a bit lacklustre and it was just like ‘well, that’ll do’. But now that we have an FM license, that really won’t do. In three years I’ve seen four very different station managers run the boards in very different ways and tackle some very similar issues in very different ways. If you get someone in who’s not really been at Insanity for a long time, you get similar issues that have come up in the past, tackled in the same way in the past...which doesn’t really work. And one of the things I really want to bring to Insanity is to model it more after the industry, especially in news. One of the constant criticisms of Insanity is that it’s only people’s friends that listen to their shows. How would you go about getting more listeners? My main manifesto point is improving community involvement, and the way to do that is to improve our station sound. We need new sweepers and jingles, because at the moment they sound OK, but the overwhelming response when I ask taxi drivers, shop owners, is: ‘Yes, some of it’s really good...but there are also shows which aren’t so good.’ I want to give us more of a commercial feel - not overly commercial - but more professional at least. Also, every show has a producer at the moment, so we’ll actually be using them as the front line of training. If you could only push through one change as Head of Insanity, what would it be? Absolutely the station’s sound, because as I said that’s the main thing stopping people from listening to us, both in the community and on campus. What lessons could you transfer from being Editor of the Orbital to being Head of Insanity? Absolutely. Over the last year I’ve learned a lot about how to handle the SU. The SU’s great in that they fund us and they give us a lot of support, but with a large organisation comes a lot of bureaucracy, so you need to know who to talk to to get things done. If there’s a problem with the phones, I know who to talk to there, etc. And I’ve learned generally how to run a board, what it’s like running a media organisation, the different challenges in terms of budgeting, as well as just general admin work. I’m sure you know at the top there’s a lot more admin work than people realise in terms of talking with companies, and various things.
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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News
News
College News Top tips for exam revision!
Helen Groenendaal
Everyone studies and learns in different ways, but hopefully you can benefit from these revision tips to build yourself up to peak performance on the day of the exam. -Take a positive attitude towards your exams: Start with the right psychological frame of mind - remind yourself why exams are necessary and why you are going to do well. -Reduce stress and increase self-confidence: Make yourself familiar with the form of the exam. Study past exam papers, noting the exam format, the choice of questions, and the all important time limit. -Review your study material systematically: Go through your entire stock of learning materials making cross-references. -Revise actively, not passively: Revision means more than re-writing or re-reading pages of lecture notes. Active revision means engaging your material in a questioning approach and following up points you don’t understand. -Learn how to retrieve and use your knowledge: Learn to ‘string’ ideas together by making connections between concepts and theories from different areas. -Practise structuring effective exam answers: Good exam technique only comes with practise so make sure you know how to structure your thoughts into an effect answer. -Practise writing complete exam answers: Get used to writing continuously for say, forty minutes without a break. This helps you to develop writing skills and to manage your most important resource - time! -Don’t daydream or drift into a negative frame of mind: Maintain good morale and keep fit during your revision. Remember to take regular breaks for fresh air, exercise and refreshment. And keep hydrated. -Consider the value of joint revision: Most students revise alone, others find it best to work in a revision group. Tackling revision questions with others reminds you that you are not alone, allows you to comment constructively on one another’s answers and helps maintain good morale. -Maintain a balanced revision timetable: Don’t revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others and spread your revision over two or more subjects each day.
Even more space to study! For a seven week period from Monday 8 April until Friday 24 May 2013, the Space to Study scheme provides you with additional spaces to study during the Easter vacation and summer term. These rooms are generally available between 0800 and 2100. As usual Bedford Library will be open for longer hours to assist you with revision
and exam preparations, extending to 24/7 for the period between Monday 22 April 2013 and Friday 31 May 2013. Study areas in both of the campus libraries are often busy around the clock, so the return of the space to study scheme will open up classrooms as additional study spaces. Classrooms in the McCrea and Queens Annex buildings have been made available
for the Easter vacation and through the exam period, from Monday 8 April until Friday 24 May 2013. You can find more information on the university website about the times these rooms are available and how to access them (some require swipe card entry). Occasionally, some teaching will take place in these rooms so do check this. Seats are
available on a strictly first-come-firstserved basis. PC Labs are also available for students to study 24/7, with the PC Finder tool at hand to help you discover free computers. This information is also available on eCampus. Happy studying!
Exciting literary line-up for R:Fest 2013 Authors and poets from Royal Holloway’s Department of English will delight and enthral public audiences when the eighth annual Runnymede International Literary Festival starts on Monday 18 March. The festival, which has former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion and twotime winner of The Man Booker Prize Hilary Mantel as patrons, aims to make writers and poets accessible to the community and inspire a love of literature. The programme of readings, discussions and performances will be held at
Royal Holloway and at the Centre for Creative Collaboration, in Acton Street, central London. It will include a series of events around the theme of The Body and Medicine, taking inspiration from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The main event at Royal Holloway will be a talk by Dr Eric Langley about Shakespeare, medicine and illness on Tuesday 19 March. Students from the MA Creative Writing course will also launch the latest anthology of their writing at the Centre for Creative Collaboration on Thursday
21 March. And if that’s not enough for you, the week is rounded off on Friday 22 March with readings by Doug Cowie, author of the cult novel Owen Noone and the Marauder, and alumnus Joe Treasure, author of The Male Gaze and Besotted. Oh and a day of poetry readings on Saturday 23 March – lots of events to keep your cultural juices flowing! For more information please visit the Runnymede International Literary Festival website.
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
Comment
Features
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Debate
Features
When all Pope is lost... Isobel Rutherford
The Pope’s resignation has forced the Catholic Church into the public eye once more, providing fresh opportunity for journalists across the media to put forward arguments against this ‘dated’ religion largely informed only by articles with a similar bias. Last week The Founder printed one such article, which began with the bold claim that ‘it is time to clean the lenses of our stained-glassed spectacles and view Catholicism for what it really is; an out-dated device for oppression and repression in dire need of appropriation for today’s society.’ This sentence alone highlights everything that is wrong with attacks such as these. Though we may perhaps appreciate the thoughtful metaphor of the ‘stained-glass spectacles’, the allusion to windows demonstrates the reason why articles such as this one contain so much ignorance: they are offered by writers who are on the outside looking in. Those who claim the church is outdated are often unfamiliar with the present day church itself. One can hardly miss the irony in an article which begins with this claim before going on to criticise Catholicism based on acts which took place in the 16th and 17th centuries. Using Thomas More, born in the medieval time of 1478, to condemn Catholicism in 2013 is inappropriate not only because of the gaping time period since his death, but also because anti-Catholics were responsible for this death. Indeed, while the article is quick to use More as an example of a figure of oppression in the Catholic church, stating that he ‘was responsible for the immolation of many so called ‘heretics’’, it fails to mention that More himself was put to death along with many other Catholics in his time. Though the Catholic Church has been responsi-
teaching is forgiveness. At church each week Catholics kneel before the image of Christ on the cross. They believe that God himself shared in their fallible human form so that sins might be forgiven. They do not believe that they are morally perfect and incapable of sinning – in fact they go to church out of recognition that the opposite is true. They do not ask that their worst actions are justified; only forgiven. Sins are confessed so that Catholics might put the wrongdoing of their past behind them and try again to be better people. The institution is not hypocritical; though it acknowledges and teaches against sinning, it accepts that sin is an intrinsic part of human nature, and offers a hope of salvation from this through the act of forgiveness. Beliefs such as these are largely ignored in favour of scandals that people outside of the faith can comprehend more easily. Nobody bothers to look in to why Catholics might be encouraged against homosexuality, for example. It is often assumed it is out of hatred rather than a devotion to the Natural Law of Thomas Aquinas which teaches that sex should be used for reproduction only. These are controversial beliefs, but Catholics hold them out of choice. The institution liberates rather than oppresses its followers, who have the freedom to follow whichever faith they choose. As the Pope’s power lies only within the Catholic Church, the new Pope will be important only to his lic Church is fuelled by the idea of following. This means that suggeshypocrisy; by the notion that an tions by non-Catholics that the new institution intended to promote good Pope should be open to ideas of gay morals in fact contains much cormarriage and women priests in order ruption and appears to practise the to reflect the wants of the society opposite. This criticism once again outside of the faith are inappropriate shows the ignorance of anti-Catholic as well as ignorant. In this impormedia; it misses the point of the faith tant time for Catholics, perhaps we entirely. should take time to understand their Although the church does encourfaith rather than condemning it. age moral behaviour, its central flickr/Catholic Church
ble for bloodshed in the past, it has also suffered much of this itself, with hundreds of Catholics martyred for their faith throughout the Reformation period alone. It seems that the views concerning Catholics are equally as dated as the beliefs of the faith itself are seen to be. On that note we should return to the 21st century and dare to look inside the Catholic churches in today’s
society. Those who have opinions on the church based only on its portrayal in the media may be surprised to find that the people who gather there each week look just the same as everybody else. Although they believe in the divine, they acknowledge themselves as merely human, and therefore fallible and prone to mistakes like everybody else. A lot of criticism directed toward the Catho-
Does what you just read make you froth at the mouth? Channel your anger into a 400-1000 word article! (Upcoming deadline is 27th February) All submissions to
comment@thefounder.co.uk
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The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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Caught in Justice? Dominic Pini Deputy Comment Editor
flickr/SalFalko
pers claim to know all the minutiae of the case. It’s almost as if the trial has been done, but without Pistorius being able to speak in his defence. I challenge the courts to find a full jury of people harbouring no preconception as to the defendant’s guilt. It seems bizarre that in a world where ‘innocent until proven guilty’ is so central to our judicial system, the newspapers are so quick to condemn and pass judgment based on as yet unheard evidence. At any rate, Pistorius’ career is ruined, even if he were exonerated. The reason? Because the jokes and articles have been written, he will forever be the Paralympicmurderer, Pistol-Pistorius, et al. This is because our newspapers are so preoccupied with salacious gossip, and eager to publish stories of celebrities’ misdemeanours that the truth is no longer as interesting as embellishment. Here we have the dichotomy between what is in the public interest, and what interests the public. What are the consequences of publishing an article with potentially damning errors? Either the possibility of a lawsuit that is highly expensive for the plaintiff so is rarely pursued, or the postage stamp-sized apology that they are forced to write, a meagre
recompense for the three-page spread that was used to condemn the accused. There have been a number of adduced solutions to this, such as possible injunctions imposed on cases where the trial is on going, in essence, a media block on publishing details of the case while it continues. Alternatively, there is the removal of jurors from public life, a hugely expensive way of ensuring minimal contact with the outside world. This was common practice two decades ago, where jurors would be put up in an hotel with no contact with family back home. Following the recent cuts, this was the first thing to be scrapped, as it was taxpayers’ money and the reason why so many jurors absented themselves from proceedings; they didn’t want to be away from home for sometimes up to a month at a time. Another solution that is being mulled over by the judicial councils is a URL block; a sort of injunction, but on that concerns itself solely with the Internet where, as in the case of Vicky Pryce’s trial, jurors would have Googled ‘Constance Briscoe’ or ‘Chris Huhne’, both of which would have brought up a minefield of potentially biased sourced claiming Pryce’s innocence,
or more likely, guilt. Tentative articles protecting newspapers from litigious individuals who take umbrage at what was written where tenuous assertions using words such as ‘alleged’, ‘apparently’, and ‘reportedly’ should also be discouraged. A reputation, or fame which could take years to build, brought into disrepute in seconds. Take, for example, the case of Kerry Katona, who successfully sued The Sunday Mirror after it published an article alleging that Katona was a prostitute prior to finding fame. This was found to be baseless and money was exchanged after the trial, but the inexorable damage was done. I suppose what I am trying to say is, it’s all very good to have freedom of press, in fact, it is something that I cherish very much; but at what cost? If the press’ freedom to publish what it wants is wrongfully ruining careers and lives, then to me it is incumbent that something be done to change it, whether that be having fewer speculative articles, or equal weight articleapologies; so if an article propagating Mr Pistorius’ guilt is found to be wrong, then an article of equal length and status must be published exculpating him, be that a three-page exposé, or a cover story, none of this postage stamp twaddle.
Next deadline
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icture this: You have just been arrested and you’re scared; incarcerated in a strange environment with new faces around you. You aren’t entirely sure what you’ve done, but you know that you’re in the soupiest of soups. After a few days of poor chow, you’re handed a newspaper, one that knows more about the case than you. It is ‘alleged’ that you’ve killed someone. You are ‘alleged’ to have shot him six times. These allegations, whether they be true or not, have just ruined your career, and probably your life. Recently, I sat in the public gallery for a murder trial conducted at Lincoln Crown Court. When the judge made his opening remarks to the jury, he mentioned that there should be no independent research and no use of social media, in essence, they had to listen only to what they heard in court about the case, hence keeping the jurors independent. Seems fair? This system relies heavily on trust, but what with the in-your-face nature of social networking and mobile phones, it is almost impossible to keep the courtroom out of the news and vice versa. Recently, we saw this with two high-profile instances, the case of Vicky Pryce, accused of taking speeding points on behalf of her now estranged husband Chris Huhne MP, and the Oscar Pistorius murder trial, in South Africa. The first of these cases has just seen the jurors discharged due to their lack of consensus agreement. The evidence has been presented, the papers informed, and the comment articles written, but now, a new group of jurors must be sought, a group of people who haven’t been paying attention to the news and won’t actively seek out articles written about the case. However, the judge has stressed that a ‘no agreement’ trial isn’t an indicator of any guilt on Ms Pryce’s part, merely that some jurors didn’t find her guilty. I ask you, will the next line up of jurors see it that way or will they come in with a preconceived notion of guilt, or at the very least, lack of clear innocence? I think so. With Oscar Pistorius, the police have released few details to the press, and yet it seems that various newspa-
The final deadline of this academic year is April 1st
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The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
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Comment
Laura Hutchinson
When I first read the article on the ‘Royal Holloway for Gay Marriage’ event I was bemused by the idiotic rant. This bemusement quickly turned into anger. As the writer claimed, the photo shoot promoting gay marriage and equality was, by orders of the chaplaincy, not allowed to take place within the Chapel itself for fear of politicising the issue. Although the issue is clearly one of high political significance we obliged their request for, unlike the writer spuriously claims, we have a great deal of respect for others’ individual beliefs and their right to object and disagree with the Marriage Bill. Others however did not agree with our compliance with the Chaplaincy and an online debate was sparked. Although, like the writer of the article, I do not particularly agree with
or enjoy the hysteria than can arise when one is ranting from the safety of one’s computer, these cyber-activists were not entirely unfounded in their claims. As he claims, ‘comments were twisted, words corrupted and the chaplaincy were immediately labelled homophobes and bigots’. How he managed to know what the original comments were is a mystery. The chaplains were labelled homophobes, an allegation which is completely unfounded, and as far as I am aware, completely untrue. The real anger however was directed against the religious institution itself, not its minions. The religious institution of Catholicism and Christianity [sic], I’m sad to say, is indisputably and undeniably, homophobic and bigoted. It is important for me to stress at this point that my argument is not with individual religious believers, my argument here is with religious institutions, especially, but not
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exclusively, the Catholic Church and its preachings. Those that choose to believe in its teaching are perfect at liberty to do so, I would never dream of taking away someone’s comforter even if I could. Religious institutions are responsible for some of the worst atrocities ever committed by mankind. They are responsible for genocide, the Fascist movement, the inquisition, the massacring of those groups who refused to believe their lies and most recently the Jihad war, I could go on but alas I have an essay to write. These atrocities are ongoing and right so, respect for these religious institutions is wavering. The article claimed attacks on ‘religious institutions appear to expose the disturbing neurotic desire for some sexual minorities to conform to established social orders’. As well as being one of the most idiotic things I have heard in a while, it is unfounded and untrue.. Attacks on religious institu-
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
Debate tions should be celebrated rather than labelled as neurotic. There is nothing more sinister and neurotic than religious institutions; those that attack them are doing so because they very rightly see that they deserve no more respect than the Dan Brown novels do. They infringe on civil liberties, oppress basic human rights, commit atrocious crimes and spread insane and dangerous lies all on the orders of an imaginary high power. These institutions deserve no respects whatsoever; they are extremely dark and dangerous forces that govern the lives of billions of individuals, preying on the unthinking and ignorant. The article claims by attacking the Church we have betrayed the tolerance that had previously treated us so well. Tolerance? I hope here he is not referring to the tolerance of the church, I really
TWO RESPONSES TO LAST ISSUE’S ARTICLE ‘Gay Marriage: A Queer Turn of Events’ by Toby Fuller One of the things that first attracted me to Amnesty International was that they are ‘independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion’. This is because they don’t want to limit the reach of their work, don’t want to exclude any group of people from benefiting from their human rights work because Amnesty’s ideology might be contrary to their own. Ironically, this admirable stance has drawn criticism from China, Russia, the USA, the Catholic Church and, most recently, an article in the last issue of The Founder. The crux of the argument was that our decision to use the chapel for a gay rights action was disrespectful, and that our action had sparked a vitriolic tirade of comments on Facebook and twitter that accused the chaplaincy at Royal Holloway of being homophobic. Firstly, I have no problem with the publication of such an article, in the same way that I have no problem with the sentiments expressed by its writer who, using that much-quoted phrase, is entitled to his own opinion. My issue is that the entire point of the action appears to have been misinterpreted, to the point that it appeared to pitch humanists against the religious on campus; urging those who would fight equality on campus not to turn on those who might help them. In fact, it seems naively, I had anticipated no problems in asking the chaplaincy if I could use the university’s chapel for an action concerning gay marriage. We decided that we wanted to do a photo action for LGBT history month, and in light of the controversies over gay marriage and our local MP’s fantastically misguided comments we thought we would send him a valentine’s card. The point of the photos was a play on the quote from Hammond that he made last year and had reiterated in the
Hannah Russell President Amnesty Soc. commons debate on the 6th February; that gay marriage was not a priority issue for his government. I emailed the chaplaincy about having a photo action with a queue of same sex couples going up the aisle inside the chapel, with one or both of our resident priests/ vicars at the front of the queue, showing their support for equal marriage. Our request was denied, and myself and my colleague, herself a member of the LGBT community, met with Father John and Rev. Cate to discuss how to move forward. They stated that they were unable to give their support for our action and asked that we not use the chapel to make such a political statement. It was made quite clear that the chapel was a priority space for religious students who might be offended by the use of it for a cause that they disagreed with within a religious context. Understandable and entirely reasonable? Perhaps, but it seems to me to highlight one of the most infuriating aspects of the church; the belief that they are justified in picking and choosing what laws to adhere to. At the time that the initial meeting had taken place, the bill had passed through the Commons and was on its way to becoming law. In the same way the Church feels it can ignore laws that afford rights to everyone from women to gay people to ethnic minorities, Rev. Cate told us that even when the bill became law, their respective institutions would not allow them to perform a same sex marriage ceremony. Father John voiced a concern that the use of the chapel would make it too political and therefore change
wouldn’t know where to begin. Religious institutions, whilst acting as a comfort blanket to many, impeach and deny on millions of individuals [sic] rights. The article also claimed the passing of the marriage bill signified ‘one of the last battles to be fought in the field of human rights’. Any educated person with a grasp on current affairs will agree with me when I say this is just a completely ludicrous statement. The fight for civil rights is one which is relentless and continual, the injustices in the world are unimaginable, and although the passing of the Marriage Bill indeed is a tremendous acGa complishment, the fight y M for civil rights is far ar ria from over. Th
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A tible at ptio iage was socie ra a r c e nts un ou o a o s s no ug apla ind s a en . diff d d yal nd w fin n fo Bil en ty tio su rne hun ign t fe ’r d gh ho in , c nd of tt of eq ad r o ch ifi w un er isg Ho yet ith ds it r a l its tire , the nal a a u c c n ue m o ity fro ust; llo th ho s ny elf ly t th y s lls all co ces e ce f pu ed o ant on st d w tu e tw taff for up th rta bs ve am th co Co betw m u ho ay e re mo octr reli pro fo u rn m a s p g r im rru m e s in w d wa cti ex in io o les at in , a r p o s I itso ar s o on ua e us O n re to the frie ttem ints unt hav an me pte en en th th l e n n m tw ts o n li d g qu o e d dia a w m R at I th gio ar ran ds pti in f m o eir som e o f m a big te n ick be egar ma is ra us ry w tin and ng to the y ots ly d th ere ind con eb f ou any rly . 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Th nasa b e tu N x c o fo nd ove for th s o r it o d n h is o La : A Ga to eir n w ned hin thin soc rcib s o alle ten se ur nn y M U ler soc hic th the g r ial ly a f se ngin ce a aM a bo pon anc ial h eir ga epe exp ssim xua g H utc ik rria tle re th e th acc they bac y co ls m ecta il lhin elso ge’ rig s to wit at n at h epta ha k o m e tio atso ne ev tio hts be nes igh as nc ve n th mun mor ns n, an en ty n, . Y fo s to t in tre e, b esta e p ity e. be d t, in ov ran one et a ugh on So ated etr blis rin lo H er ny alw s w t in e o ho u ayin he ciw: an Fo th th s th na un ro at ay ith th f th I pr so g th d e a h R de w. o s r all e fi e la ou we e ne isk ac eld st d ll cti u r’s . ly so s r ts vis sse C b ea ese of of c atts ll, hap ge m lib ivil ga left e rly bli er th : l er so ng aed ug th . ht e to O
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the intended purpose of the space, but he was wrong, the chapel is the most political place on campus. By denying us permission to use a part of the Founder’s building for our campaign, they made a profound political statement; that they must be more sensitive to the needs of the religious. In fact, the chapel itself belongs to the university, and as such the chaplaincy play a sort of caretaker role, but do not actually have the authority to ban anyone from using it. In order to respect their wishes, we compromised: we decided that we would use the area outside the chapel and the doorway. I can’t be the only one who recognises the absurdity of the idea that by crossing the threshold we were somehow being more political than we were one pace back. We are not a faction who wishes to piggyback on the plight of minority groups to antagonise religious groups, we are a group of Royal Holloway students who feel unable to sit back and moralise about the place of others in the world. The action that was taken was done so with the support of the LGBT society, and the chaplaincy agreed that we had been completely respectful of their wishes and that they had no problem with the resulting photos. Whatever you thought about the action and the way it was carried out, it remains an expression of my anger over the notion that, in 2013, there are still people who feel they have the right to exclude others from aspects of society, that homosexuals can have access to everything but the sacred. It is not that the institution of marriage is something that homosexuals are queuing up to be a part of, it’s that it’s just another facet of the equality that is denied to them. It’s not enough to ask for tolerance, we should strive for acceptance for all minority groups, and in that particular quest I’ve always found that actions still speaker louder than words.
t
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The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
17
Response
L
adies, gentlemen, selfidentifying hermaphrodites and gender neutrals, before I begin, I have a confession to make. I am an avowed socialist. I believe one day that we will, as a species, achieve a state of society where scarcity will be eliminated and where there will exist a true equality between all. In my spare time, I read Marx whilst listening to the soul-stirring Russian rendition of the Internationale. My favourite colour is red. For those who have dabbled in recent Student Union politics, you will be forgiven then for assuming that I am in favour of the current state of affairs at our teacup-sized rendition of Sovnarkom. The truth is, I am not. Back in 2010, I went to my first General Meeting as a wide-eyed, wet-behindthe-ears freshman – what I witnessed then, and what I witnessed at the last GM, has continually deterred myself and countless others from getting involved in what has the potential to be a great forum for intellectual debate. The problem is thus. For the uninitiated, there exists at the SU a permanent clique of individuals that dominate the affairs of our sole democratic institution on campus by the very merit that they are the only people to actually turn up. Taking an objective demographic sweep of the room at any GM after the first 30 minutes of formalities, all representatives of clubs and societies will have left the premises. Remaining are the die-hards of the democratic process at the heart of our Student’s Union who proceed to rule over constitutional change as they see fit, forwarding motions that would, in any national assembly of representatives outside of North Korea, be shot down as absurd. Let me give you an example. At the last GM, our Students’ Union voted in support of a new manifesto for the NUS that in one instance rules in favour of combating child poverty through ‘taxing the rich and expropriating the banks in order to fund the creation of new jobs’. Ignoring the tenuous link to addressing child poverty and failing to consider the merit of further progressive taxation is one thing. Ruling in favour of what effectively amounts to abolishing the right of private property is something completely different, and betrays a childish comprehension of economics on behalf of the NUS leadership that is truly worrying. Suffice it to say, the Chair of our esteemed Union and the Vice
President of Communications and Campaigns was overheard celebrating with glee that the motion had passed without debate ‘including the bit about expropriation’. How many of our current executive will wind up working in or alongside the financial sector after their sabbatical position is turned over to a new incumbent it is beyond my powers to predict - however, given the centrality of finance to the British economy, I would hardly be surprised should we find a fair few ex-comrades assuming mid-level management roles in the next few years. Another example, from the same
legitimacy of the SU to represent our College. Lip service is paid annually to increasing voter turnout and student participation, yet has this happened? No, it has not. Year after year, newcomers to our university come willing to engage in student politics only to be turned off by the closed shop of pointless tripe that is the SU General Meeting. Year after year the same complaints about our SU are heard over and over again in the pubs of Egham and in the lecture theatres of our esteemed University – Why are SU nights so expensive for what is essentially a glorified warehouse providing sub-par acts?
Meeting. All Clubs and Societies are to send their President as a representative, and SU staff will receive appropriate representation. A register of attendees will be taken before the meeting, and at its conclusion. In this way, the whole of the University will be represented at the GM by representatives who possess the mandate to rule on motions – present at the GM will be in the region of 150 members, rather than the 30 that currently dominate affairs. Do not doubt the willingness of students to fulfil such roles – by the merit of being held in high enough esteem by their peers to be elected will you find the incentive, and on the CV will you find the reward. With such a change, we would be able to get rid of the farcical campus-wide elections for positions on the executive; rather, by holding them internally to those elected as the representatives, the most worthy of these members will be justly elected to the role. This ‘election from elected’ removes the tedium of the current democratic process would argue that any body effectively Why, despite paying £70 per ticket, and assures the final quality of the can’t the SU muster a single decent representing less than one-tenth of successful candidate, rather than the its population has absolutely no right act for Summer Ball? Why, oh why can’t I find a spare computer or even current system where all too many to do this. also-rans choke up the efficient runan empty seat in Bedford Library? ning of our Union. There is, however, Why doesn’t the SU do something no need to remove campus-wide about it? There is no deficit of interelections for Sabbatical positions – in est in student politics - there is only the interests in keeping the political disillusionment. year ticking over, these should reMy solution to this problem is main at the end of the year. There are a simple one. It will remove the cliques, it will increase participation, only four, after all, and their imporit will legitimise the SU by empower- tance merits a universal decision. ing a group of members who truly There will be objections to these represent the student body in its en- suggestions – after all, no-one likes tirety…and, somewhat begrudgingly, having their power stripped from it will bring a more diverse range them. I do not profess it to be a of views to the GM than the idiotic perfect system, for there is no such Trotskyite drivel that is regularly thing. What I am suggesting is that spouted whenever the SU meets to an alternative to the chronic lack of pass motions. interest that has rendered our Union The SU must move away from its a lame duck for the past three years open floor policy where any man is possible. What the Union elite and his dog can enter and leave at fails to recognise is that our College will and where a small minority of is in desperate need of more repreself-interested pundits otherwise pre- sentation, not less. This very GM, a side over a hollow throne. I propose motion was put forward to remove that the SU shift towards a complete the necessity for Club and Society representative government. Each Presidents to attend the GM as a academic department – there are 22 representative of their membership. – will elect five representatives: one This was defeated, but only just. We for the three years of undergraduhave a brief reprieve, then, before ate study in the department, one for the last vestiges of true democratic postgraduates and one as overall representation are extinguished, and The typical SU line in answer to department representative. This will we should act now. It is long overdue this is, paraphrased, “nobody cares be done at the beginning of the year for a debate on what kind of Union enough”, given as the standard isat an appropriate juncture. All repre- we deserve – I answer: let us have sue answer to all doubters over the sentatives are to attend the General true representation. to thrust a motion upon us all before departing, never to appear again. Student politics at Royal Holloway has become a farcical charade. It is no small wonder that levels of student participation in elections, let alone actual policy-making, is pitifully small. Last year’s elections produced an executive on the basis of 10% participation on behalf of the student body. Splitting the vote between separate candidates, you are looking at a pitifully small mandate for action. Indeed, many roles were simply unopposed. These people are supposed to represent the student body of this College nationally – I
The Demise of Debate: The parlous state of democracy at our Students’ Union and what should be done about it
By ‘Red Letter’ meeting: Students of Royal Holloway, do you know now that those who work behind the bars of the student union venues and on the doors as security have voted themselves the right to get free access to SU facilities? No more waiting in the queues like us regular schmucks: when not working all SU staff are now entitled to free entry at SU nights and Antidote. We all know that favouritism in the form of ‘mates rates’ and queue jumps have been given to staff in the past – indeed, this may explain the glaring shortfall in bar takings experienced during the past academic year. This has now been formalised into SU policy. Thanks to the appearance of thirty members of the SU staff at the last GM, any possible dissent was rendered pointless by sheer weight of numbers. Suffice it to say, all of the SU staff who turned up to vote on the motion immediately disappeared afterward, despite the high-pitched squeal of ‘please don’t go’ from the acting Chair. This was a rare exception of demonstrated interest in the proceedings of our SU. Usually, motions are left to be arbitrated by the career politicians and veteran Union bores amongst us. The result is an intimidating and obtuse Students’ Union run by a left-leaning collection of special interest groups effectively representing nobody and the occasional congregation who appear en masse
“For the uninitiated, there exists at the SU a permanent clique of individuals that dominate the affairs of our sole democratic institution on campus by the very merit that they are the only people to actually turn up.”
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
18
Features
The City of Temples er side in Kathmandu when you’re a hunk of beef – cars, trucks, coaches and tuk tuks might honk like crazy but they do swerve and stop to ensure your safe passage. Would you believe me if I told you The same cannot be said for huthat there was a city in the world mans, as 130 major road accidents where cows walked the streets like are reported every day in the city humans and humans lived in fields (none involving cows, I’m sure!). like cows? No, I wouldn’t have I thought I was escaping cow believed me either if I hadn’t seen it mania when I visited The Pashufor myself. Kathmandu, the beautipatinath Temple (a highly signififul, bustling capital city of Nepal, is cant site for Hinduism), but what known as the city of temples but I’m I was actually doing was walking pretty sure I saw more cows than straight into monkey mayhem. religious buildings while walking its Strolling alongside the banks of streets. the Bagmati River, the cremation The proverbial chicken had a goal stands caught my eye (and the in mind when it crossed the road, smell caught my nose) as open-air but these cows obviously don’t and funerals were taking place only cross whenever and wherever they metres apart. As intriguing - and feel the urge. The animals are sacred, moving - as this foreign culture so it’s actually easier to get to the oth- was to me, I couldn’t help but be
Maddie Barber
It’s official. I’m getting old. I’ve tried to fight it. Every night I get out my binoculars and search desperately for the second star to the right but I can never find the bloody thing. The second star to the right of what, exactly? I mean, they’re hardly good directions. It doesn’t matter how many times I listen to the opening credits of ‘Peter Pan’, that choir can tell me that ‘the second star to the right shines in the night for me’ till they go blue in the face, I still can’t find the stupid thing. Sometimes I think I’ve found it but it always turns out to be a plane. I know EasyJet claim to be able to fly you to Majorca from London
white-knuckle determination). Five minutes later, though, I crossed paths with a second monkey holding a mobile phone. Clearly, these Nepalese mammals are in touch with 21stcentury technology! As we visitors looked on in admiration, the monkey began to dismantle the Samsung phone and drop each bit in a different place while a man frantically ran around under the tree trying to catch them. The back cover was the first to drop, then the battery and finally the sim card. Then the monkey had a good old nibble on what was left before scuttling off. I could have watched for hours! Granted, Kathmandu is a beautiful city with many cultural, social and religious attractions beyond compare, but you can’t beat watching an animal get the better of a tourist priceless entertainment.
decision two people make to stand up (or sit down, I don’t think there’s like a rule about it or anything) and publicly promise to love and care for one another forever. It’s the ultimate sign of trust and commitment. When we get married we are making a promise. A promise to be there such a big deal? After all it’s the 21st for somebody through thick and century. I’m not going to be labeled thin, ‘in sickness and in health’, even a harlot or banned from village tea if their leg falls off, even if both their parties anymore just for living with legs fall off. Marriage is a promise my boyfriend unmarried. that even if both their legs fall off I guess the reasons we still get you’ll be there, and you’ll wheel them married fall under two categories: around in their wheelchair and pass maid, but who was getting married? one is the perfectly acceptable but the Shreddies down to them from self- indulgent desire to have a wed- the top shelf in the Supermarket. It I mean, I liked the idea of being a ding- a day devoted entirely to you bridesmaid and all but not unless doesn’t have to be about religion and looking amazing and eating cake; I knew the couple. Then the penny it doesn’t have to be in a church. Reand the second is the more profound ally, what you’re doing at a wedding dropped. The penny takes a bit desire to publicly declare your love Luton from only £89 but I’m pretty longer to drop in my brain than in is saying ‘I do’. I do want you and I sure Neverland isn’t one of their holi- most people’s, I think. MY BROTH- and devote your life to another hudo love you and I do not want to be day destinations. I could go to the ER WAS GETTING MARRIED. The man being. It doesn’t matter that you apart from you ever, really- except don’t need to get married anymore. Netherlands, I suppose. It may not next few minutes are a bit of a haze for maybe the odd weekend, you I mean, don’t get me wrong it’s great know, if you’re pissing me off a bit. offer eternal youth and a crocodile but I’m pretty sure they included with a ticking clock in its belly, but me doing the ‘gangnam style’ dance, that you can hold hands with your Real life isn’t that romantic. The unmarried partner in public and it does offer a lot of cheese and that waltzing with my dad and jumping reason we’re all obsessed with Rowould definitely help ease the pain of so hard I hit my head on the ceiling. the state won’t behead you, that’s mantic Comedies is because they’re growing up. My brother was getting married, my excellent progress, I think we can all so unrealistic, a fairy tale in a land There is a silver lining to this brother. This is the guy that made me agree. However, if anything, the fact where magic is long dead. Marriage whole growing up and having to cry when I was ten by convincing me it is no longer necessary to get maris such a lovely thing because it alwash your own clothes and buy your our parents were burglars, and that I ried actually makes it more special. lows us to star in our own Romantic In the past, marriage was more like a Comedy, it allows us to be some own milk malarkey. Exciting stuff would be expected to enter into the starts happening. I told you all a family business and be a burglar too. business transaction and women got generic Jennifer Aniston/Hugh Grant little say in it. few weeks ago that I had become an This is the guy that writes ‘poo’ all character, just once. It gives us our Nowadays we don’t have to get unofficial Auntie. Well, I’ve got news over my revision notes. own ‘happily ever after’ (cue credits married. My father doesn’t intend for you kids, I’m not only an Auntie I’ve had every detail of my own and an Alison Krauss song). I know to sell me to the most eligible young that sound’s cheesy but that’s preciseI’m going to be a sister-in-law and a wedding planned since I was seven. bachelor in the county (although if it ly the point. Marriage is cheesy- it’s bridesmaid as well. Last week I got The only bit that’s slightly blurry was Mr Darcy I would sell myself) so about love. But as I continually tell is the face of the guy I’m marrya text from my brother. He said he if I get married it is entirely because ing- although he’s always tended to had a very special question to ask myself (as I tuck into my 16th cheese look a little like Johnny Depp… why I have chosen to- and that is what me: would I be a bridesmaid? Well, cracker) we all need a bit of cheese in makes it so wonderful. Marriage is a our lives. is it, then, that weddings are still I thought, I’d love to be a brides-
Why we do Felicity King Features Editor
distracted from our guide as a monkey scampered past with a purse in its hands. Now, if you read my last report you might think I’m obsessed with monkeys (I saw one on a motorbike at the Taj Mahal), but I swear this is purely coincidence. And it was definitely a different monkey. Anyway, said primate hastily scaled a tree, sat on a branch and began rifling through the purse with much interest while a desperate-looking woman (no doubt the purse’s owner) watched in shock. Once the monkey was satisfied with its contents, it threw the purse out of the temple grounds and set off to find more mischief. I was left astounded (and holding onto my bag with
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
19
Advice
THE
All this talk about ‘elections’, eh?
LOTS OF US ARE GRADUATING. SO WE WILL NEED:
Which is about hourly, on a good day.
Uncle Fullfrontle Dear Uncle Fullfrontle,
I’ve been watching this girl on campus for a while now. I think I really like her. Is there such thing as love at first sight? Anyway, I don’t know how to tell her how I feel and wouldn’t have the balls to do anything about it anyway. What do I do?
Kevin, Kingswood
D
FOUNDER NEXT YEAR!
You know, when you get to my age, you’ve got to use them when you get them.
BE A PART OF
ear Kevin, I always believe that a man must be the master of his own destiny. After receiving your message I thought long and hard about your predicament. I painted a series of oils and wrote a single sonnet inspired by your story. I must show you sometime Kevin. The brush strokes: angry and sporadic. The lines: seductive and ballsy. I locked these artworks away in a safe and returned to them a month later. When I opened it up the answer came to me like a stampeding erection; abrupt, pulsating and profound. Love at first sight is nothing but a mirage Kevin, but lust at first sight - that is an all too real oasis of rippling orgasm juice in which one can dive in face first and mouth open, and I tell you Kevin...You are in need of a bit of moisturising you parched old dog. So march right up to this girl and say literally these words exactly: ‘Let’s date’. Be brave Kevin, be brave.
-A DESIGNER -A FEATURES EDITOR -A MUSIC EDITOR -A FILM EDITOR -A SPORTS EDITOR -A WEBMASTER E-MAIL
EDITOR@THEFOUNDER.CO.UK IF YOU’RE INTERESTED!
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The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
20
Arts
THE CATOLOGUE
By Cat Kay
Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale: Complete Fiction, or is it?
For anyone who sat their A-level English Literature exams in the last few years -me included-, you might have already come across this compelling book on your study syllabus. Why did this book make it into sixth form classrooms across the country? To my mind, this novel has endless potential for discussion. This is not an easy book to read; it makes you feel uncomfortable. However, that is the point. The protagonist, Offred, often feels uncomfortable and as such so should we. Welcome to the dystopian world of Gilead. In Gilead, I wouldn’t be writing this book column, because almost all women are forbidden to read and are subservient to men. Even Offred’s name expresses her subjugation - it is formed from ‘of Fred’. She does not matter in herself, only in relation to the man for whom she is useful. This is because Offred
is a handmaid (or concubine), used only for her reproductive purposes. She is one of many handmaids being used in this way, in an attempt to counteract the falling birth-rate. The lives of the women and men in this parallel universe are fictional, but disturbingly, there are people in our world for whom the themes of this book are very real. For women in some countries, education and the chance to read and learn are hotly-fought-for privileges, not rights. One of the most prevalent themes in this book is the objectification of people. Of course, the handmaids are objectified, but so are the men. They are forced into positions of responsibility in which they are judged on their ability to maintain control over women and on their ability to impregnate women. Both the women and men of Gilead are treated like machines on a production line; they do not matter as individuals, only for
Alice by Laura Wade Student Workshop, Boilerhouse Theatre, 18-20th February 2013 Dir. Seona McClintok
their contribution to this power-mad, controlling state. The philosopher La Boétie, writing in The Discourse on Voluntary Servitude, claimed that we must say ‘no to the name’ of the person at the head of the structure which controls us. Offred arguably does this to some extent by playing forbidden games of Scrabble with The Commander, Fred, but the words she makes are confined to a Scrabble board, as she is confined to a life of servitude. Languages can liberate, but only when one has access to it in the first place. Royal Holloway has always been a beacon of education for women but even today not all women and people have access to education. This is only one of the many reasons this book is still so resonant today. Without giving away the ending of the book, the resolution of Offred’s story is irresolution. This throws out many questions to the readers. Personally, I’m still trying to answer them.
Great Writing clashes with Didactics in Anders Lustgarten’s Black Mirror, ‘If You Don’t Let Us Dream, We Won’t Let You Sleep’ Scott Wilson | Arts Editor
The plot of this play is brilliant: the private sector encroaches on the public and starts 'monetising social behaviour'. It is a threateningly plausible concept and, she will be able to look back on the Olivia Soutter good times with her brother without as Lustgarten's well-shaped piece showcases, effects everyone who isn't working in an ecliptic building inside feeling sad. After the success of Laura Wade’s SW1. Lustgarten pushes an idea as financially realistic Throughout her journey, ‘Posh’ in London last year, I had high we encountered the comic genius of and socially soul-destroying as those seen in Charlie hopes for her adaptation of Lewis Brooker's Black Mirror, but it is the second act that beJames Ireland's Caterpillar as Carroll's classic. Wade’s modern comes less a performance and more a contrived lecture. Wonderland's irate border conversion of the tale, set in Sheffield, The play opens with sounds of riot, an obvious indicatrol, Laura Cohen’s excellent dual follows a young girl who finds herself performance as both the slightly tion of the 2011 outbreak, then lights up on 5 business thrown into the extraordinary world demented Duchess and the suitably executives, who reveal their last names, their businesses, of Wonderland as she comes to terms gloomy Mock Turtle, and David and their plan. Simply put, they transform social welfare, with the death of her older brother. from the NHS to education, into a game of bonds and Rees showing his dark side playing Led by a dedicated production team, both the Knave and the glamorous, outcomes. We witness children unable to attend school director Seona McClintock transcreepy Cheshire Cat. Daniel Tremlett because of their parents' financial difficulties; a reward formed the Boilerhouse Theatre into and Hannah Farley-Hills wowed the for criminals not reoffending, which ensures there needs a world of talking animals and giant audience with their suitably bonkto be a steady supply of innocent criminals that will lollypops as we joined Alice on her never reoffend; an evil 'tax-box' device that is clamped to ers performances as the Mad Hatter journey. your home and shrieks until your debt is cleared, and a and March Hare. Poppy Abbott’s Perhaps the most pleasing streamlined Social Services that won't pick up an abanferocious Queen of Hearts paired aspect of this play was the plethora doned child because it puts the institution over 'their inperfectly with Jackson Reed-Fry’s of characters recognisable from centives'. The constant scene changes, each one revealing regal King of Hearts, with both acCarroll’s original work, played by a different face of the financial order, and a new victim, tors transforming back into Alice’s a hugely talented cast. Antonia hammers home the terrifying simplicity of this financial parents in the closing scene. The Draper’s strong lead performance as chorus of ‘Wonderlanders’ appeared supremacy: it's financial terrorism, and it doesn't stop for the troubled twelve-year-old Alice people like you. in various forms singing and taking was supported by Daniel McTasney’s on smaller roles such as Jodie Davis’ If you're not convinced this is a plausible narrative, endearing White Rabbit. In a clever sleepy Doormouse and Camilla remember that British Rail was privatised in '93, Royal parallel with the real world, all the Potter’s condescending Humpty Mail is soon to be auctioned, and there is currently disWonderland characters also played Dumpty. Special mention must go to cussion over how large a role private firms should have Alice’s family members, and Daniel Katie Overstall as Tweedledum for in providing mentoring for those on probation. also played Alice’s older brother her excellent ukulele playing, paired So, the concept works, and it is terrifying. The acting Joe. Here we see Wade altering the with Hollie McCarthy’s animated and this is all I shall say about it - was good, but domipurpose of the original tale slightly; portrayal of Tweedledee. nated by the subtlety of Lucien Msamati and Ben DilloAlice's search for the White Rabbit is Overall, this adaptation of way. But the play itself hits a didactic wall in the second a metaphor for her loss of Joe. This ‘Alice’ was a joy to watch, with the act. What was an interesting investigation of the lives of created a particularly poignant end- imagination and creativity of the cast the many coagulates into an extended and unexciting ing when she confronts the White and crew shining through in a night scene in which all those characters we saw in isolation Rabbit and he explains that one day of madness and mayhem. rendezvous and debate their rights and our future. Other
*****
reviewers have not reviewed this play well due to this. It must be acknowledged that in his introduction, Lustgarten explicitly states 'at its heart this system of finance that now dominates us is quite simple [...] now's the time for the return of proper political theatre'. This isn't a play that wants to deal in theatrical slickness: its mission statement is to lecture and argue. The stage is spartan: chairs, scaffolding, and tape. On either side, there are costume rails and we can see the cast changing into their next costume. But undermining this harsh realism is an awkward sense that this is Lustgarten's dream world. We're given a reality that's part of his fantasy. Lustgarten is an accomplished writer and activist and lines like 'debt is our word for love' are just beautiful. Yet this is all undermined by the tedium of the closing lectures - and a good lecture simply isn't boring. I wholeheartedly agree with almost everything Lustgarten says - I just don't think the final act is necessary. The stark and threatening moments of the play happen in the first act. The second act simply belittles the Machiavellian situations of the first, and dilutes the play into a soft drink. Understatement is something Lustgarten can obviously do, and when it's employed in a politically active domain, the rewards are colossal. Having my financially and psychologically devastated characters, whom I've invested my social horror in, suddenly convene in a fairy liquid support group just irritates me. I wanted more. When the Royal Court contacted me I was told, 'this will be a great play for students', And it absolutely is. Whatever your stance, it features a vehement debate about the financial elite and social needs, drawing heavily from the city that is only an hour away from our university. It partitions London into the parasites, the vulnerable, and the hopeless. In closing: this play is not inept, the reviewers and online army giving it one star are wrong, and although the cannon-fire of this play is powerful, the trajectory of it is not. Regardless, Lustgarten makes it clear in his introduction the play is meant to be jarring and informative, and the subject material will never leave a good taste.
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
21
Music
Beginning with The Beatles: 585 minutes, innumerable fags and a whole lot of talent equals a debut album Katie Osmon Music Editor
Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) and effectively embodying the spirit of the Sixties. The Beatles’ success is resounding. Enough of charting the bands sucWith their musical legacy assured, I cess, let’s get down to the debut itself. would argue that they are the most At 10am on Monday 11 February famous British band of all time. They 1963 at the Abbey Road Studios, the have had more number-one albums Beatles started recording what was and sold more singles in the UK than essentially their live act and finished any other act. Incredibly prolific, the 585 minutes later in three sessions Beatles released all 12 of their studio that day. It was an incredible feat albums between 1963 and 1970. The of achievement; how many bands 22nd March 2013 marks the fiftywalk in and out of the studio with a year anniversary of the release of recorded album the same day? I’ll tell their first album, which topped the you – few, if any. charts for 30 weeks until it was reLennon had a terrible cold, so with placed by the Beatles second album, throat sweets and a packet of fags ‘With the Beatles’. ‘Beatlemania’ took (of course), he took to the piano. hold with the fab-four (John Lennon, Lennon’s ‘There’s a Place’ was the
first track they recorded. The album includes songs such as the sentimental ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ and the rather chirpy ‘Love Me Do’. As was commonplace, a number of the tracks were cover versions of other popular contemporary hits, including Burt Bacharach’s ‘Baby It’s You’, Bobby Scott’s ‘A Taste of Honey’ and the Cookie’s hit ‘Chains’, to which the Beatles put their own mark on. Time was tight; the McCartney composition ‘Hold Me Tight’ was attempted thirteen times, but failed to make it on the album after not being thought ‘good enough’. The last song to be recorded that day in a single take was the Phil Medley and Bert Russell written, ‘Twist and
Shout’. By this time Lennon’s voice had all but gone and a raspy, strained performance was all that could be accomplished as the second take had to be abandoned. This album wasn’t perfect –it was rush-released to capitalise on their success following the release of singles ‘Please Please Me’ and ‘Love Me Do’ – but it is the nearest thing to capturing them live and that’s what makes it special. Every aspect of the album defined a single moment in time – even the famous stairwell shot for the cover by Angus McCabe was captured in only five frames – which serves to enhance the spontaneous quality of the record. The rawness that exudes from every aspect of
It’s time to get FILTHY! John Dedman
“Well… that’s not what I was anticipating!” was the immediate response I gave when first introduced to the band Filthy Boy two years ago. On the screen, as the end product of an art project, I had been confronted with a rather striking ‘Rocky Horror’ inspired image of our very own Harry Weskin. Standing together, arms draped around one another, Harry, Benjamin, Michael and Paraic grin inanely through heavy makeup, skewed top hats, and matching fishnet tights. Though slightly visually unorthodox for your average college band, it was the noise coming out of the speaker which was truly remark-
able for me; a sound so distinctive, so infectious, it was hard to believe these four childhood friends had only been playing together for two short years. Though they may have lost the extravagant outfits since, as well as their drummer to education (Benjamin is now Ed), these boys from Peckham, South London have managed to cultivate a dedicated flock of fans who crave their now characteristically macabre style. In the last year alone, they’ve been cited as one of Q’s ‘bands to watch’, had personal endorsements from Radio 1’s Zane Lowe and Radio 6’s Steve Lamacq, and their debut album ‘Smile That Won’t Go Down’ (out on the 1st April on Stranger Records) was plastered across the back cover of last month’s NME. With
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the buzz around this band being nothing short of exponential, and an imminent 8-date national tour kicking off next month in London, I took the opportunity to sit down with lead guitarist Harry to discuss how something which started as simply “just another thing to do after school” has propelled them in the same line ups as King Krule and The Vaccines, as well as a slot at Bestival later this summer. “Who are Filthy Boy?” - A question, though asked numerous times, which still stumps Harry. “Though a cliché it may sound, you just can’t put us in one box.” Despite citing inspiration from rock/pop acts old and new, notably Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Arctic Monkeys, Harry neither sees their style being poppy enough to grab the lucrative hearts of teenagers, nor customary enough to thaw the reserved temperaments kept for the old masters. He instead retains the working line that “we simply blend strange, playful storytelling with big chunks of macabre yet catchy guitar music”. This rather saucy storytelling or ‘vignettes’ to used Harry’s terminology, are delivered with such sharp British irony and cheeky enchantment I defy anyone to find these lovable rouges anything except ‘naughty but endearing’ to use Stephen Fry’s description in a recent tweet.
Their debut album, as well as their latest double A-side ‘Waiting on the Doorstep’ will shortly be out for pre-order on iTunes, with hardcopies available via their webpage (filthyboy.co.uk) and Amazon. For the hipsters amongst you, vinyl will also
‘Please, Please Me’ sits comfortably besides a sense of youthful-charm and sweetness, particularly in the Lennon originals ‘P.S. I Love You’ and ‘Do You Want to Know a Secret’; such quaint songs never really appear on their later albums. The ultimate legacy of this album is that it began the Beatles music catalogue (for which I, for one, am extremely grateful) and it’s still fresh and exciting fifty years on – that’s pretty damn impressive. Could bands today take a few pointers from the recording of this debut album and bash out an album in 585 minutes? Yeah they could, but you know what? They still won’t nail it like the Beatles did.
be available. From personal experience, however, you shouldn’t stop there; splash out a further tenner and see the boys in action. Either book tickets from their webpage, or if you find yourself at Bestival this summer be sure to look them up!
flickr/Eye-dyll
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
22
Humour
The Adventures of: Montague ‘Fresh’ DeLarge - Part the 6th -
Absolute Filth, Visiting Pope Benedict, and Snorting Christ You fucking rascals, I bet you’ve missed me. I bet all you Hollovirgins have been throwing yourselves off Founder’s clock tower, sacrificing yourself in ritual rapture mid-SU dance floor and the security staff have been running around with a displaced heart in one hand and a poor Holloway beauty draped across the other, because Monty Wasn’t In The Last Issue. Well, bugger you. I mean that charmingly. Monty’s a Busy Boy and an Important Individual. I’ve got a VIP card. But the best story is the one carefully told, much like the best sex is the sex quietly sold. The deviant is always the greatest storyteller - no one wants to listen to angels anymore. So, my salacious jugs of frogspawn, there was an evening at our Union that was tailored to Monty’s tastes rather recently. I am stipulating, of course, about the event you could synonymise as Infinite Quagmire, that darling erection on all of our calendars: Absolute Filth. There I was dressed in a shirt, tie and blazer, bearing furry handcuffs instead of a pocket square - because Monty’s a freak - and downstairs I wore a woman’s lacy underwear - a relic from a previous conquest, but I like to think they promoted a dangerous sense of androgyny and I love the way the undercarriage cups your man-pouch. In case that did happen, I drew smiley faces on both of my Semen-Orbs. This way, I could introduce them to Hollowenches as individual entities, and get a kiss down there. So I rocked up to the SU after four bottles of rioja, one bottle of port and a bottle of the fun stuff. What’s the fun stuff ? Trade secret. It’s quite unaffordable. I still like you. It’s not about money, you know. But it does help. I can’t remember much of Eternal Shit-Pit, but I remember one thing in particular. Monty was betwixt many a sexy nurse and lascivious panther, and one in particular piqued Monty’s peak. He - me - grabbed her like Prometheus grabbed the fire, but in doing so one of Monty’s jollies fell out of his post-conquest lingerie. She started screaming, as did her friends, and one fucking bottled me, but it takes more than fake plastic-glass to fell the debaucherous rhino that is yours truly. Feeling the breeze of a thousand hips swaying in unison, I looked down, and saw my Wrinkly Prune bobbing to the beats, and I thought, ‘let’s just dangle with this’. My Shampoo-Globe was grinning, she seemed to be aware of the situation, and I wasn’t dead yet, which is all signs go for Master DeL-
arge. “Oh,” I said to sexy panther, “I see you’ve met my friend.” I pointed at my Juice-Sack with amiable composure, “he’s called Samantha-Reginald-Raleigh. He’s alright. Do you want me to hook you up? I’m such a good wingman I’m head of ThrustMore Airlines.” She then struck me and left because Samatha-Reginald-Raleigh can be a bit of a dick. This might be because he does actually dangle from my penis. I was then interrupted by a vibration from my pocket. I stumbled into the smoking area and almost got into several altercations with men larger than myself who were defending their girlfriends from myself, and answered my phone, which is very expensive. “This is Montague,” I answered, “I’m shitfaced.” “Code black.” The voice replied. “Oh fuck, really?” I replied. Code black meant it was either the Vatican or a small principality I owned in Pakistan. “Benedict needs you,” This was said in Latin, which most of you don’t know, so I translated that for you because I’m a good chap. “You have a plane waiting for you. May God be with you as you fly.” “Well he doesn’t fucking lower the price of a pint you fucking clandestine fuck” I yelled, but the line to the Vatican was gone. Like I said, I’m an important human being, and with great importance comes a little responsibility. So I left Carthage Cumshot, and took a taxi into London. Whilst in the taxi I thought about the evening. What could Pope Benedict want? He’d only ever rang before, and that was for advice. I got to Heathrow, took my flight, and fell asleep. I was woken by a Vatican official and escorted away without going through customs. There’s no Indecency detector in a metal scanner. When Benedict received me, he was not in a good way. He was pale, furtive, and absolutely not alright. I hugged him and he took me to his private office, and I asked him just what was going on. “I just can’t deal with it, Monty,” Pope Benedict said, “I just really miss all the parties. I haven’t got lashed since I started in this gaff. I remember when I used to drink three bottles of port and tongue the crotch on statues of
the Virgin Mary, for shits and giggles. How have you been?” “Well, I’m a student, Benny,” I said with a shrug, “I drink things that are bad for me, smoke things that are bad for me, and read things that are bad for me.” “I’ve just had enough of this papacy gig,” Pope Benedict sighed, “I miss clubbing. I want to live like you again. It’s why we traded phone numbers.” This is true. I drunkenly gave his number to a beauty a few months ago, but she was hit by an unmarked car. I suspect it had Vatican plates, or it was unmarked. Benny looked at me earnestly. “Monty,” he said, “Let’s get fucked.” Monty won’t say no to duty. Six bottles of champagne later Benny was fumbling with the Vatican vault keys. He turned to me, his papal eyes ablaze with cunt-searing fury. “Monty,” he slurred, “venite ruinam nosmetipsos!” And so we entered the Vatican vaults. Bless him, Benny typed in all the security codes flawlessly, he clearly knew his game, and I can’t remember how many flights of stairs we staggered down. He took me to a large marble crypt. “Christus,” he sang, “Christus!” And pushed off the lid. Within was a tapestry of dust, with bits that were still remnants of a skeletal structure. Benny pulled out a credit card and started dividing some of the dust into a line. “Is that the last remains of Jesus Christ?” I asked. He just looked at me balefully. Considering the situation, it would have been really rude not to snort the last remains of Jesus and frankly I considered the whole thing an honour. I passed out, to awake to Benny drinking champagne out of his Papal hat, and messily told him the whole thing had been a pleasure. He walked towards me, face-planted over his desk, and fell asleep with his arse in the air. After that, I was detained for a week and a half by Vatican officers and the boring clockwork of multiple secret services. I was too important to be executed or deported, so like the treatment from the bureaucrats at the SU, I was given a slap on the wrist and told never to snort the last remains of Christ with ex-Pope Benedict again. I arrived on campus at night, whilst you were all sleeping, whilst the world was a careful and lovely place, and went to bed with what could be Christ’s anus up my nose.
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
23
Wreck-It Ralph ***
Zlatina Nikolova Film Editor Wreck-It Ralph takes place in the invisible-to-humans part of the arcade world, where the character of the title laments his inability to be anything else but a bad guy. He is the nemesis of Fix-It Felix in a 1980s arcade game, designed by Disney animators in the typical pixilated style of any computer game of the period, bringing a sense of nostalgia to an HD era. The plot promisingly follows Ralph (John C Reily) as he struggles for some form of recognition among the rest of the arcade characters. This forces him to go to another game in search of his own medal. However, as he leaves the world of Fix-It Felix (Jack McBrayer), the game is temporarily shut down because its villain is gone and children are no longer interested in playing it. As we enter the backstage world of the arcade games, the small figures, though entertaining, strongly remind us of the characters in the three Toy Story films. What the trailer does not reveal is that after losing his newlywon medal Ralph needs to go into yet another game, called Sugar Rush, where the film is mostly set. However, the novelty of the pink world, inhabited by candy and the little girls, who make racing cars out of them, quickly wears off and becomes
boring. During his search Ralph encounters the glitch Vanillope (Sarah Silverman), who is not even meant to be in the game because she cannot function like the rest of the Sugar Rush characters. Although she is irritating initially, she quickly wins over the giant Ralph. In the meantime, Fix-It Felix sets off to find Ralph and save their game, accompanied by the fierce female warrior and Hero’s Duty character Calhoun (Jane Lynch). Although the film is based on a wonderful and original idea, it cannot escape the struggle to resemble Pixar films
‘based on a wonderful and original idea, it cannot escape the struggle to resemble Pixar films’ either through its characters or through the relationships between them that it tries to build. It is obviously trying to develop a heartwarming storyline between Ralph and Vanillope but as the story pro-
gresses this proves rather predictable. Despite some of the cute jokes, it is tiring to listen to the many names Ralph and Vanillope throw at each other. As she later transforms into a rightful inhabitant of Sugar Rush and is no longer the simple glitch, Vanillope curiously looks like a miniversion of the Queen of Hearts of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland while the Candy King of the same game resembles Disney’s Mad Hatter. Despite the fact that it is an entertaining film full of funny characters, some of their jokes fall flat and the script does not explain some of the story details. Furthermore, towards the end of the film, it seems that the story is seeking an easy way out, attempting to give explanations for all gaps but unsuccessfully. For example, although the Sugar Rush characters accept her by the end, the audience is never given a reason for Vanillope becoming a glitch in the first place. Through her mini-queen gown, it is suggested that she was meant to take the king’s place but it is never directly stated, leaving space for speculation on the viewers’ part. Overall, Wreck-It Ralph makes for an entertaining evening but there was certainly a reason for it losing its Oscar to Pixar’s Brave at this year’s Academy Awards.
Film The Winners of the 85th Annual Academy Awards Best Motion Picture: Argo Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Daniel DayLewis (Lincoln) Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained) Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables) Best Achievement in Directing: Ang Lee (Life of Pi) Best Writing, Screenplay written directly for the Screen: Django Unchained Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published: Argo Best Animated Film of the Year: Brave Best Achievement in Cinematography: Life of Pi Best Achievement in Editing: Argo Best Achievement in Production Design: Lincoln Best Achevement in Costume Design: Anna Karenina Best Achievement in Make-Up and Hair-Styling: Les Miserables Best Achievement in Music, Written for Motion Picture, Original Score: Life of Pi Best Achievemet in Music, Written for Motion Picture, Original Song: ‘Skyfall’ Best Achievement in Sound Mixing: Zero Dark Thirty Best Achievement in Visual Effects: Life of Pi Best Documentary Feature: Searching for Sugar Man Best Documentary, short Subject: Inocente Best Short Film, Animated: Paperman Best Short film, Live Action: Curfew
upcoming-movies.com
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
24
Film www.hitfix.com
Cloud Atlas Eleanor Roots Cloud Atlas tells the story of people who meet again and again throughout eternity. The situations in which they meet are always different, but their feelings for one another are always the same. I have never read the book but I had heard what it was about and when I heard it was to be directed, I wasn’t sure how it would translate from page to screen. In the case of the film, the same actors (an impressive cast with the likes of Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving and Ben Whishaw to name but a few) are used in each story thread, changing sex and appearance with the use of heavy prosthetics. In each story, a different actor takes on the role of the protagonist, but they come into contact with characters that they have met before or are connected to in the future. With so many different storythreads, some will undoubtedly
be better than others; the story in which Jim Broadbent plays a publicist thrust into a care-home by his brother is truly ridiculous and I inwardly groaned every time the film returned to it. The whole point of it seemed to rest on the fact that you got to see Hugo Weaving and Ben Whishaw in drag – excellent prosthetics, no doubt, but not enough to rest a story on. This plot also jars tonally with the rest of the film as it tries to insert comedy into what is a deeply philosophical exploration of human life. It also makes for uncomfortable viewing with regards to the treatment of the elderly in care, and was a story that could well have been removed from the film to make time for the more interesting narrative threads. One of the main annoyances of the film came from the desire to see more from some of the stories being told. Indeed, at least three of the stories could have been developed into whole films in themselves – the Adam Ewing story (played excel-
lently by Jim Sturgess), the story of the composition of the ‘Cloud Atlas Sextet’, and also the narrative about the dystopian future with Sonmi-451. All of these three were excellent; I felt that all these stories had something more to give and that each could have made engaging feature-length productions. Each raised interesting ethical questions and featured some of the best acting of the film. The Ben Whishaw/James D’Arcy relationship was brilliant, and I just wanted more about the characters and their lives. Ben Whishaw is truly one of the best actors of his generation and his understated performance in this story as the gay composer will probably be one of the performances of the year for me. The other stand-out relationship was that between Somni-451 and Hae-Joo Chang – if you are not inwardly screaming ‘Kiss!’ whenever they appear on screen then something is wrong with you. The story from the far future, with Tom Hanks as a goat-herder, is problematic. Society has broken down, and therefore language has
too so the characters talk to each other in a mix of broken English and warped phrases, which makes it hard to understand. In the opening scene, Tom Hanks is obviously trying to tell us a profound story but the huskiness of his voice and the broken English make it hard to understand. I’m pretty sure I missed some of the key ideas of the film because of this.
“the film is far too bloated” Another distraction comes in the form of Hugh Grant: first, that he no longer looks like Charles from Four Weddings and a Funeral; and secondly in the fact that he does appear capable of acting in something other than a rom-com. Similarly, the use of Hugo Weaving as a hit man cannot help but reawaken the memory of him as Agent Smith in The Matrix, but he plays the role well. Although the film is far too bloated and some of the stories didn’t con-
nect with me as others did, I still enjoyed it because the good bits are really good. The good parts outweigh the weaker ones, which is why I have leant towards a higher star rating. At times, it feels as though the spiritual message is being spoon-fed to you, but this is forgivable as I’m not sure how it would have translated from page to screen without some guidance. Recognition needs to go to the excellent prosthetics, and the graphics department – it cannot be doubted that the film was visually spectacular. And Hugo Weaving, much like Jeremy Irons, will always play an excellent bad guy.
****
The Founder | Wednesday 6 March 2013
25
Film
VFX Artists on Protests: What We Did Not See From the Oscars Zlatina Nikolova Film Editor On February 24th the world witnessed the most anticipated event in the film industry of the year: the Annual Academy Awards, largely known as the Oscars. Each year the filmmaking elite of the world gather to celebrate the best work of their peers, and this year was no different. Although the list of the winners is slightly predictable, this is not what differentiates one annual Oscar ceremony from another. What does distinguish one show from another, however, are the unexpected mo-
ments that reveal the spontaneity of the celebrities, filmmakers and film industry. Among these will qualify Jennifer Lawrence tripping on her way to collect her statuette, Ben Affleck’s speedy acceptance speech, Seth MacFarlane’s eccentric and sometimes inappropriate jokes, and the protest that hit the red carpet that same evening. The basis for the protest at the night of the Oscars was the poor condition of the visual effects industry. Several hundred protesters gathered outside the Dolby theatre as the stars were walking up the red
carpet, insisting on better treatment for the specialists who work on films and make the spectacular blockbusters spectacular. Despite the slow deterioration of VFX companies in the US, what triggered the protests was when the company Rhythm and Hues filed for bankruptcy. Ironically, this same company has created the stunning visuals for Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, which incidentally won the award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects that night. The LAbased company was established in 1987 and was one of the first to open facilities in India in order to control costs.
Previously, Rhythm and Hues has worked on X-Men: First Class, The Chronicles of Narnia, Snow White and the Huntsman, The Hunger Games, Moneyball, The Golden Compass and The Cabin in the Woods, which are all films known for their stunning visuals. The reasons for the bankruptcy are the low fees paid for the work the studio has been creating, including the other five films for three different studios that has yet to be completed. As a result of the bankruptcy the company had to let approximately 250 employees go, and was not the only company to do so.
However, the company that created the stunning Bengali tiger of Ang Lee’s film is not the only victim of the crisis of the VFX industry. Digital Domain filed for bankruptcy in September 2012 and was later acquired by Reliance MediaWorks and Galloping Horse- neither of which is a US company. Meanwhile, Digital Domain’s work features films like The Watch, Rock of Ages, Thor, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Real Steel, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, and Transformers, just to name a few. Lately US-based VFX houses have been facing strong competition from foreign companies surviving on less than 5% of the profits of the market. This seems to be what has triggered the initial insecurities, which then escalated to the protest on February 24th. The ongoing issue of the visual effects niche in Hollywood filmmaking may grow to be a real crisis since more and more films rely on digital effects to not only enhance their visuals but also to narrate their stories. During the Oscars ceremony, there was no commentary of what was happening outside. The only hint at the protests may have been the music cutting off Bill Westenhofer’s speech as he was about to run over the time limit and maybe allude to what was happening. Meanwhile, in the streets visual pros carried signs reading ‘Respect for VFX’ and ‘We Want a piece of the Pi.’
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Sport
Is Wenger’s time at Arsenal Remembering LGBT Sports coming to an end?
Theo Chiles Sports Editor
Nathan Russell There were sighs of relief around the Emirates Stadium as a brace from Santi Cazorla sealed a 2-1 win against Aston Villa; Arsenal’s goal of a top four finish remained very much in sight. The past week brought fierce debate, not just from fans of the club, regarding the future of the Arsenal manager Arséne Wenger. A comprehensive 3-1 defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich after crashing out of the FA Cup against Blackburn has left many fans asking whether the Frenchman still has the quality to bring success to the North London club. In his press conference before the clash against Aston Villa he stated that he had never thought about quitting as manager, “not for one second”. The question still remains: is Arséne Wenger’s time at Arsenal coming to an end? Arsenal have played in the Champions League for 13 consecutive seasons and nothing should be taken away from what is an amazing feat, but is it enough? The last time the club won the league the trophy was golden to commemorate the unbeaten season of 2003-2004. You could argue that the current crop of players are living in the shadow of such an incredible achievement, but compared to the squad of eight seasons ago there are clear signs of a different mentality, a mentality that is in dire need of improvement if success is to come again to Arsenal. There was once a time when a player such as Nicolas Anelka would leave the club and a quality replacement would be brought in. In the case of Anelka that player was Thierry Henry, the club’s leading goal-scorer with a total of 228 goals; Anelka’s transfer also funded the construction of London Colney, Arsenal’s training ground to this day. One only needs to look at the past summer to see how things have changed. Robin van Persie was sold to Manchester United in a move that provoked much furore with Oliver Giroud and Lukas Podolski being drafted in as his replacements. They are both undoubtedly of a good standard considering their impact thus far. Compared to his previous ventures into the transfer market,
however, it seems as though Wenger has perhaps lost the magic touch that he once had. The manager himself could be showing signs of fatigue, depending on one’s perspective of the press conference prior to the Bayern Munich tie. It could be seen as an attempt to rally the troops, as it were, or perhaps more ominously, it recalls Rafa Benitez’s tirade against Sir Alex Ferguson in what proved to be his last season in charge of Liverpool.
“Compared to his previous ventures into the transfer market, however, it seems as though Wenger has perhaps lost the magic touch that he once had.” With the close focus on events at the club in recent weeks, a reported £70m transfer kitty is getting similar attention too. Some fans affirm that a few quality players are the impetus needed for Arsenal to taste success once more, but it could be argued that there are much deeper problems that must be tackled before the club turns its attention to additions. A football team’s mentality is something that can encompass many aspects such as their attitude, dominance and concentration, to name but a few. The Gunners seem to have recurring problems with this trio of elements and a solution needs to be found rapidly. The club used to play some of the best counter-attacking football in Europe; Steve Bruce once suggested that corners won against Arsenal were more dangerous for his team than they were for the Gunners, such was the speed that they were able to break down the field on the counter. Wenger’s team grew accustomed to being feared by the majority of teams who faced them, but this fear factor and incisiveness have both disappeared. Most fans would have no qualms with the 3-1 loss to Bayern Munich if the Gunners had gone out with a bang; instead they went out with a whimper and let the German side dominate them for the majority of the match. A constant hassling of the opposition and the return of that fear
factor are just two of the many ingredients in a potential recipe for the reclamation of success in the red half of North London. If a side keeps making the same defensive mistakes then there can be no room for success, solely failure. En route to the 2006 Champions League Final in which they were runners-up, Arsenal conceded just two goals. Compare that to this season, where Arséne Wenger’s team has made a mistake that leads to a goal every 71 minutes in the league, compared to a mistake occurring every 117 minutes last season. These numbers do not lie and they must change if Wenger has any chance of bringing success once again to North London. Players were seemingly purchased in the past because they fitted the Arsenal system. Now we must ask the question, do Arsenal even have a system? Olivier Giroud might have 14 goals and 10 assists in all competitions but his playing style would not have fit the bill for Wenger in the days of the so-called ‘Invincibles’ of 2003-2004. The combination of quick and deadly attacking play with security at the back was a philosophy and foundation on which that history was made almost ten years ago. These values are instrumental to changing the fortunes of a side that was knocked out of both domestic trophies by teams outside the topflight this season, for the first time under the Frenchman. There are positives for the Gunners’ fans. They have a strong British core of six players that includes England internationals Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Alex OxladeChamberlain. A winning mentality needs to find its way in to this team quickly as it is a club that can potentially dominate English football again, but a major overhaul is needed. Everything from the current style of play to the manner of player recruitment and the general mentality around the club needs alteration. If Wenger’s team does not make the top four this season then perhaps it is time for him to go. There is one thing that there can be no doubt about, an overhaul of the mentality at the club is needed and if the manager has to leave for this to happen then perhaps to part ways with him could be a step in the right direction.
In honour of last month’s status as LGBT history month, The Founder takes a (belated) look at some influential gay and transgender athletes that you might not have heard of: Lily Parr, football: Born in 1905, Lily Parr blazed a trail for both sportswomen and the gay community during a career spanning 30 years. At almost six foot tall, Parr was universally acknowledged to be one of the most naturally talented sportsmen of her age. The author Barbara Jacobs describes her as being able ‘to score from any place on the pitch, or in rugby kick the finest penalty or drop goal. Her ability was natural, magic, but honed by her refusal to conform to the art of being a woman.’ Parr met her partner Mary while working at a hospital. The two refused to conceal the nature of their relationship, even buying a house together. She died of breast cancer aged 73 and has since become a famous name in the LGBT community. Parr was inducted into the football hall of fame in 1992, is believed to have scored over 900 goals during her career. David Kopay, NFL: In December of 1975, The Washington Star ran an article about the difficulties of being a gay player in the NFL, which included quotes from an unnamed source. One person who knew the identity of that source was ex-NFL running back David Kopay, who correctly recognized it to be his old teammate Jerry Smith. The Star was inundated with abusive letters all rejecting the suggestion that a gay player could ever survive in the macho world of the NFL. Jerry Smith did not wish to be identified and Kopay was happy to honour his request, but he still felt as though action was needed. He contacted the author of the original article, Lynn Rosellini, and together they wrote a candid piece about Kopay’s career in the NFL and his experiences as a gay athlete. 1977 saw the release of the autobiographical ‘The David Kopay Story: An Extraordinary Self-Revelation.’ Kopay continues to receive mail thanking him for writing his book. Smith died of AIDS in 1987; he never publicly acknowledged his sexuality, although his uniform number, 87, was part of the AIDS quilt. Renée Richards, tennis: Renée Richards was born Richard Raskind in New York in 1934. Showing exceptional sporting prowess from a young age, Richards captained both her high school and university tennis teams. After qualifying as an eye surgeon and serving in the US Navy, she reached the final of the men's national 35-and-over tennis championships in 1972. Richards successfully completed gender reassignment surgery in 1975; the following year she tried to enter the US Open as a woman but was told that she would have to undergo chromosomal testing. Refusing to submit to the United States Tennis Association’s demands, Richards took her case to the Supreme Court who ruled in her favour in 1976. She reached the final of the doubles in that same year, losing to a pair including legendary gay tennis player Martina Navratilova, but would eventually taste success by winning the 35-and-over over singles title in 1979. Richards went on to coach Navratilova to two Wimbledon titles and was immortalised in film by Vanessa Redgrave in the made for TV movie Second Serve. Her greatest legacy, however, is the historic decision she obtained in favour of transsexual rights from the Supreme Court, which set a precedent for future transgender athletes. Tom Waddell, athletics: Born Tom Flubacher in 1937, Waddell was adopted by a family of former vaudeville acrobats after his parents’ separation. Schooled in gymnastics by his adoptive parents he took up athletics in high school before attending medical school in New Jersey. Waddell was called to serve in Vietnam in 1967 but was averted from fighting when he was asked to train for the decathlon at the 68 Olympics in Mexico City. He placed sixth in a field of 33 competitors, breaking half of his personal bests in the ten events. Waddell’s athletic career ended prematurely in 1972 after injuring his knee whilst attempting a high jump. After joining a gay bowling league in San Francisco later that year, he was inspired to create an event for gay athletes along the lines of the Olympics and by 1982 he had founded the Gay Olympic Games.
Sport
04 March 2013
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