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Volume 10 • Edition 5
march 2010
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insiteronline.com 3
editorial
W
Editor:
Katryna Storace Editorial Board:
Claire Bonello Elizabeth Galea Philip Leone-Ganado proofreading:
Claire Bonello, Vanessa Psaila art director:
Kenneth J. Vella head designer:
Jonathan Mifsud DESIGN & Production:
Isabel Micallef
HEAD illustrator:
Daniela Attard Illustrators:
Elaine Bonavia, Camille Felice HEAD PhotographER:
Keith Tedesco PhotograpHeR:
Yentl Spiteri
Media Officer:
Vanessa Psaila Sales & Marketing:
Glenn Micallef Contributors:
Anna Abela, Claire Bonello, Stephanie Calleja, Noel Camilleri, David Debono, Maria Felice, Andrew Galea, Elizabeth Galea, Emma Gauci, Fr Mario Jaccarini, Emma Laferla, Philip Leone-Ganado, Audri Mizzi, Matthew Mizzi, Carla Said, Christine Spiteri, The Nitpicker
ith the Ir-Realtà court proceedings presently underway, the issue of censorship has once again found its way into the limelight, and nowhere more poignantly than on our campus. Whereas reactions from student organisations were hardly forthcoming when the issue first surfaced, the current climate is such that having nothing to say on the matter is as much a shield of cowardice as it is one of indifference. Having an opinion on the matter does not, however, mean that individuals, student organisations, and publications alike should feel it in any way necessary to jump on the first bandwagon bearing the anticensorship slogan. There are so many angles to the issue that it would hardly be credible to assume that a single lobby group could embody all the complexities of the argument. The ‘Front Kontra ċ-Ċensura’, although well intentioned in its anti-censorship stance, is one such group that presents a very singular and uncompromising take on the issue. And it is precisely for this reason that The Insiter has not jumped on this particular bandwagon. Although there are various aspects to their proposals which are undeniably positive, such as the need for the introduction of explicit, inflexible criteria by which art should be rated locally, The Insiter finds that the ‘Front’ fails to express the full spectrum of opinions held and discussed at length internally. In all fairness, however, it may be that we say as much from a position of privilege. The Insiter has the luxury (and all the responsibilities that come with it) of being its own means through which opinions may be epressed in their entirety. And, unlike KSU, which, as a political body, has the responsibility to be unequivocal about issues which arise under their ‘jurisdiction’, The Insiter is an independent publication, and its independence should be defended with its own tools and in its own terms, and not in those of a coalition which speaks a language altogether alien to it. ■
6 insnippets 7 insiteronliners 10 infocus
Quite the chap
12 infocus
Wanted: Law course catalogues
15 PHilip’s column
Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt
cover:
16 inhershoes
Kenneth J. Vella, Keith Tedesco
Should we stay or should we go?
Apology:
The Insiter wishes to point out an error in the interview with Nigel Baldacchino and Adrian Abela in the 4th edition. The photo used was wrongly attributed to Adrian, and the illustration likewise wrongly attributed to Nigel. The photo is actually Nigel’s work and the illustration is Adrian’s.
inside
12 in focus:
17 involved
Beyond the pyramids
Wanted:
Law course catalogues
© 2010 Insite – The Student Media Organisation. All rights reserved.
19 P’OUT! 20 interview
Elisa von Brockdorff
22 inretro
Things we miss from the 90s
26 ingear
Peugeot 106
19 P’OUT!
the insiter’s surprise centre
The Insiter is published eight times a year by Insite – The Student Media Organisation and is distributed free on campus. Correspondence:
insite – the student media organisation
University of Malta Msida msd 2 0 8 0 TEL:
2340 3066 e-mail:
20 interview A TOUCH OF COLOUR
28 instyle
editorial@insiteronline.com Website:
insiteronline.com
41 indepth
paint it green
27 inreview 28 instyle 31 incognito The Nitpicker
32 Audri’s adventures
Gozo – Yeah, I was there too
34 inperson
Rachel Decelis
35 inbusiness
niu web-developers
37 letters to the editor 38 insights The freedom of choice
39 insights In it to win it
40 Fun Page 42 indepth report
A climate of great expectations
43 indepth report
Green facts and figures
45 indepth report Waste not, want not
46 inthegame
Sports as a stress-buster
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6 the insiter • march 2010
insnippets news stories THAT CAUGHT our attention this month Best business plan
For the ninth consecutive year, Junior Chamber International (JCI) Malta shall be holding its annual Best Business Plan (BBP) Competition. Individuals aged between 18 and 40, are invited to develop their business ideas (either as an individual or as a group of up to four persons) and turn them into a concrete business plan, while standing the chance of winning up to €2,500 and potential access to the necessary finance for implementing the business plan. As part of the programme, a number of training sessions shall be held by leading experts from various industries, and participants may avail themselves from a number of oneto-one guidance sessions to be provided by leading audit firm KPMG. This year’s BBP competition shall be launched on the 24 February 2010. Applications and business plan proposals are to be submitted by 17 March 2010. The final business plan is to be submitted by September 2010.
War of words
On 17 February, the Debating Society, an initiative of the Faculty of Arts and Degree Plus, launched its second semester run with a public debate in the KSU Common Room, debating the motion ‘This house would implement an integration programme for immigrants living in Malta’. Two teams of three students, chaired by Debate Society tutor Lou Ghirlando, argued for and against the motion, while the audience of students and lecturers presented their arguments in an open-floor debate, and finally voted for the team they believed had presented the more persuasive arguments, a vote won by the opposition team. The Debate Society will be holding a second public debate in March.
Get up stand up
GetupStandup, a new voluntary organisation, was set up by a group of Maltese students late last year. It aims to offer more channels of activism in Malta, and its beliefs are centred on the promotion of love and friendship among all people. Its initial focus was the improvement of the conditions of immigrants, the spreading of awareness on human rights, and the campaigning for improved intercultural relations. Through its website, one can choose to commit to roles within different projects and events. GetupStandup wants to create an environment where young people challenge their beliefs and create a platform for debate and discussion, not only with regard to the immigration issue, but also other social causes such as environment, education, and poverty.
Call for papers
A postgraduate symposium organised by the Department of English entitled ‘After the Modern: Language, Literature, Culture’ is taking place on 16–17 April 2010 at the Old University in Valletta. Abstracts of between 200 and 500 words for papers should be sent to aftermodern2010@ um.edu.mt by 25 March 2010. The organisers will also be glad to respond to questions about the conference. More information about the conference and the call for papers can be found at www.um.edu.mt/events/aftermodern2010.
Job cuts at UK unis
Many universities in the UK face a crisis due to funding cuts, resulting in thousands of job losses. The Higher Education Council for England announced that £449m would be stripped out of university teaching budgets in 2010 and 2011. It is thought that
15,000 jobs, mainly academic, could be axed as a result, and universities are preparing to close campuses and even ditch courses to cope. Entry requirements have been stiffened in the wake of this crisis, and other plans include having postgraduates replacing professors, and the delay of major building projects.
Rep elections: Round 2
Elections for student representatives are to be held on 4 March 2010. Nominations are to be sent for vacancies on the Senate, and the Faculty Boards of the Built Environment and Economics, Management and Accountancy, and the Boards of the Institute of Agriculture, the Institute of Linguistics, the Mediterranean Institute, and the Centre for Communication Studies. There will also be an election between two candidates who got the same number of votes in No-
vember 2010 to be on the Board of the European Documentation and Research Centre.
Student visa woes
Overseas students seeking to study in the UK may face a tougher time when applying for student visas after the UK Home Office introduced stricter requirements. Applicants would need to speak passable English, and those on short courses would not be allowed to have dependents accompanying them. Foreign students on non-degree courses would be allowed to work 10 hours a week, instead of 20, and all foreign students are required to be sponsored by a college licensed by the UK Border Agency, part of the Home Office. Any college or university wanting to bring in international students has to be accredited and licensed, reducing the number of such institutions from more than 4,000 to about 2,000.
insiteronline.com 7
insiteronliners
comments and posts from our website ☞ More comments and daily updates at insiteronline.com
A
fter months of hard work, we will soon be launching the new version of our site, insiteronline.com. We’ll still be working on news, features, culture and opinion pieces, but the new look will make everything a bit easier on the eye. Insiteronline.com will remain the site for following the censorship saga, ksu elections, and any other happenings on our campus. Make sure to have a look at it, and let us know what you think. Ideas are always welcome. Otherwise, is there anything which is getting you all hot and bothered on campus? Seen something worth reporting? Then you should send an email to news@insiteronline.com. If you want to be part of of our team, send us an email on editor@insiteronline.com.
........... Following KSU election teams and .... ...... es. dat bringing you all the up
facebook.dj/insitemalta twitter.com/insiteronline twitter.com/theinsiter
Reporting on-campus debates and meetings
insiteronline.com 9
illustration iella
infocus
10 the insiter • march 2010
Quite the chap Meet Fr Mike Bugeja. Young, charismatic, and at the centre of student life on our campus. PhIlip leone-ganado catches up with the university chaplain for a quick chat, and learns that there’s more to him than meets the eye
I
was pretty nervous as I made my way to the University Chaplaincy to conduct an interview with Fr Michael Bugeja, the Chaplain. Not because of my interviewee – a more welcoming or amiable man is hard to imagine – but for a number of other reasons: I had only a half hour slot in the Chaplain’s busy day in which to ask my questions, I had left home late and in a rush, and I had forgotten my to bring anything with which to record the interview (my track record with shorthand is similar to Tiger Woods’s with fidelity). And most of all, despite the fact that I’ve been on campus for three years, I still had no idea where the Chaplain’s office might be. For the record, head to the chapel, take the corridor to the right, and it’s the last door on your left: the one with the rabbit inside (but more on that later). We head into a meeting room across the corridor from his office. It’s a quiet space in what is, surprisingly (or perhaps unsurprisingly), a veritable hive of activity. So, having raced up from home for the meeting, and having got away from the bustle we begin: what does an average day look like when you’re the University Chaplain? “My day starts at 7 am when I open the chapel, with students and staff already waiting outside. Twice a week, I say Mass at 7.20 am” So far, so good – average workday. What follows next catches me off guard: “My days often run until 8 or 9 pm, with groups and meetings in the evening”. And of course “especially in a place like Malta, you’re never not ‘the Chaplain’”. I think he catches my look of surprise. Not to say that I’m on the go constantly, he hastens to add, modestly. And yet, there’s administrative work to be done in the office, work offcampus, liaising and organising with other organisations and with schools, birthday celebrations within the community to organise, a student’s new car to bless. Quite a varied job. “That it’s such a multi-tasked post makes it interesting [… ] the job is never boring. Ultimately, what’s most important is that I’m always available, people are made welcome. I make sure that the premises are here not merely as a chapel but because we believe in each other, regardless of race or belief”. Sounds nearly idyllic, so let’s change track. What’s the hardest part of being the Chaplain? There’s a short pause, then “Feeling that you can never do enough. The University is so vast, with so many layers, that no matter how much outreach you do, it’s never going to be enough. You’re swimming in very deep waters. It can get very tiring”. That much I’ve gathered, but anyone who’s noticed the Chaplaincy’s work can realise that it’s a labour of love. So what’s the best part? The answer is unequivocal: “The opportunity to meet students and people from different walks of life [… ]. One thing I treasure is being with people, friendship building, bridge building.” Throughout our meeting the word ‘learning’ crops up a lot.
“That everyone is on a learning curve is great, and helps me to further my own learning”. I decide to venture onto dangerous ground. Some might argue that learning hinders spirituality. What’s it like being in the rather unique situation of heading, within a staunchly Catholic country, a community that is (polls would suggest anyway) predominantly uninterested in religion? He shrugs it off, almost as though he saw the question coming. “I’m constantly impressed with the amount of people, students and staff, who seek out the Chaplaincy of their own accord.” People, he suggests, still feel a need to pay a visit, for whatever reason. “This is a space where everything is possible, it’s a space for sharing different beliefs. Yes, I’m a Roman Catholic, and I’m proud of that, but my formation, especially abroad, has enriched my desire to be with, and learn from, people of different faiths, or people who don’t embrace a faith”. I’m reminded of comments made to The Times, where he suggested that those who needed crucifixes in classrooms as proof of their faith needed to take a long, hard, look at their faith. But I’m also reminded of some comments posted in response, suggesting that perhaps he was the one who needed to re-examine his faith. Perhaps, for someone to whom faith is not synonymous with absolute conservatism, the University is not the hostile environment I’ve imagined. We turn to lighter a subject. To clue those of you in who aren’t aware, Fr Michael Bugeja owns a rabbit named Ellie. Ellie has proved quite a hit. “We have students coming over specifically to see the rabbit, ignoring the chaplain entirely”. So, a rabbit – does that have anything to do with Easter? Life, fertility, rebirth? “Some people are afraid of dogs”. Fair enough. He laughs when I suggest that Ellie may be the only actual pet on campus. “It’s a form of unwinding for the students who come here to relax or to study. We need to maintain our roots as human persons, and that includes relationships, a sense of caring.” So is that the whole story? “Well, it’s twofold. I was sick for a week after Christmas and got hooked on Farmville, so I needed to return to reality.” Ah. So who is Michael Bugeja? “When I’m not in the office – I’m quite young at heart, so I’m out with friends, meeting people, maintaining touch with reality. I’m fortunate enough that this is related to my work and my choice of life”. And, I ask, looking up from my notebook at last, what can you tell us that about yourself that might surprise us: “I could say that I enjoy my food, but that won’t surprise anyone.” From 8 to 13 March at 7.30 pm, the Chaplaincy will be organising Lenten exercises for youths, led by Fr Martin Cilia and animated by the Maranatha Youths.
insiteronline.com 11
photograph yentl spiteri
AT HOME: Fr Mike Bugeja and the latest addition to the Chaplaincy family, Ellie Photo: Yentl Spiteri
infocus
12 the insiter • march 2010
Wanted:
Law course catalogues The first edition of The Insiter for this academic year had highlighted the fact that all course catalogues related to the Faculty of Arts had been removed from the University website. An analogous situation is now being repeated in relation to courses offered by the Faculty of Laws whereby students are not able to consult such documents which provide essential information about all study-units which determine their academic choices. By Noel Camilleri
T
o probe deeper into this issue The Insiter spoke to Jean Noel Cutajar, president of the Għaqda Studenti tal-Liġi (GħSL), and a number of law students about the way they had to decide on which study-units to follow in the absence of course catalogues and whether such an action goes contrary to local legislation and the Bologna Process guidelines. Mr Cutajar pointed out that as a student organisation they had first brought this matter to the attention of Pro-Rector for Student and Institutional Affairs, Prof. Mary Anne Lauri during a meeting held with GħSL in September 2009. She advised the organisation to draft an email and send it to a number of high-ranking University officials. This was done in the beginning of October. This email, seen by this publication, urged those concerned to make public a course catalogue that is updated. Furthermore, GħSL asked the University to lift any restrictions imposed during the Add/Drop period in view of the fact that students were faced with such an exceptional difficulty, which meant that they had to attend all lectures to see for themselves what each study-unit consists of. In a bid to resolve the issue, after this first email was sent,
GħSL made a number of contacts with Prof. Mary Anne Lauri, and KSU Education Commissioner, Karl Agius. Despite all this, Mr Cutajar said that no progress has been registered until now, and with the second semester in full swing, law students are still without any course catalogues. In fact, by the time The Insiter went to print, KSU had informed the law student body that the issue was being discussed by the Programme Validation Committee (PVC), although GħSL are still unsure if there have been any developments on the matter, since the course catalogue has remained unissued. The PVC is a standing sub-committee of the Senate and is entrusted with devising quality assurance strategies while ensuring the validation of all programmes of study on offer. Specific studies on this issue have been carried out by the Academic Programmes and Resources Unit at the University of Malta itself which assists the PVC in its validation exercises which are central to the attaining of the Bologna Process goals. When asked whether GħSL was prepared to take further action, Mr Cutajar said that the society believes that “it is our duty to inform all law students about the current situation. In fact, we are planning to send an email to all law students through our student email database, informing them of the ef-
insiteronline.com 13
forts made by GħSL and clarifying the fact that the student has the right to make use of an updated Course Catalogue”. Pressed further when asked to specify any other action, Mr Cutajar explained that the organisation’s executive has never discussed such an issue, and as such is unable to specify anything in this regard. Law students who contacted The Insiter spoke about the confusion they had to face as they were unable to get to know the assessment methods and learning outcomes of courses. In addition, Law faculty administrative staff was not allowed to send students copies of catalogues but only read them out if specifically asked to do so. Other students complained about the fact that they came to know about certain assignments before the end of the first semester as lecturers had wrongly assumed that students were aware of the assessment system. On the other hand, others pointed out that such vital information is now on eSIMS and students are able to access the second semester study-units through this portal. The importance of a quick solution to such a problem is exacerbated by the fact that local legislation obliges the University to publish such data. Article 78 of the General Undergraduate Awards Regulation 2004, applicable as from October 2009, states clearly that ‘the University shall make every effort to ensure that the published Course Plans, Programmes of Study
and Study-Unit Catalogues are complete and up-to-date.’ In addition to this, in the glossary of terms, one finds a clear definition of what a catalogue of study-units should consist of, that is, ‘the detailed description of each study-unit shall indicate its type, level, code, title, content and learning outcomes, credit value, method of assessment, including the percentage weighting of each assessment component when applicable. The unit description shall also indicate if other units are pre-requisites or are required to be followed concurrently.’ Moreover, the Bologna Process, which has the aim of making teaching in European higher education institutions more transparent, specifies that, ‘institutions which apply ECTS must publish their course catalogues on the web, including detailed descriptions of study programmes, units of learning, university regulations and student services’. Besides, the use of ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) requires participant institutions to provide ‘course descriptions that contain learning outcomes (what students are expected to know, understand and be able to do) and workload (the time students typically need to achieve the learning outcomes), expressed in terms of credits’. All this crucial information is part of the fundamental rudiments of any university aspiring to be a centre that encourages research and innovation.
insiteronline.com 15
Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt A monthly Opinion column by philip Leone-ganado
enial can be a fun thing. Not holocaust denial of course, but denial like in that episode of Blackadder, where Rowan Atkinson’s character finds himself court-martialled for the offence of shooting the colonel’s favourite pigeon. The thickheaded Baldrick is called to testify in his defence, with the simple instruction, “deny everything”: “Are you Private Baldrick?” “No, I am not!” “Er…right. But you do know Captain Blackadder?” “No, I do not!” “Come on, Baldrick, be helpful! It’s me!” “No, it is not!” Or, that episode of Mythbusters, where co-host Adam Savage denies ever having made a prediction that turned out to be woefully inaccurate? Confronted with video evidence, he proudly declares, “I reject your reality, and substitute my own!” I suppose having attempted to remove the student publication Ir-Realtà from University grounds (more on that later), KSU and SDM (a completely separate and unrelated organisation) have no choice but to substitute their own reality, and if that means lying and denying anything they find uncomfortable, so be it.
Episode One: Interlocution and Installation Can one deny something when there is video evidence to the contrary? This isn’t so much a philosophical conundrum as a question I wish KSU and SDM would answer for me. After Arnold Cassola (slightly less ignorable than yours truly) also took KSU and SDM to task for respectively hosting and interviewing Norman Lowell on campus, the denial mills started whirring. KSU denied that they had any idea what was happening in their boardroom, and SDM denied that they had ever published such an interview. It was all Lowell’s doing, Sec Gen Robert Thake assured us, and SDM had nothing to do with it. You know, despite the whole issue of incontrovertible proof to the contrary (in the shape of Angelo Micallef). The interview has now been removed from YouTube, though copies still exist. These things don’t go away, Mr Thake, no matter how tightly your eyes are screwed up. And from verbal diarrhoea to contraception (I hope for your sake that looks like a non sequitur). When MOVE’s application to install and maintain a condom machine in student house was passed on from the Rector to KSU, did we really expect anything other than what actually happened? KSU denied responsibility,
claiming that this was a matter of social policy and as such to be dealt with by KPS, ignoring the fact that the administration of Students’ House is, oddly enough, just the sort of thing we don’t want our representatives to pass on to whatever stooge they can find. President Truman had a sign on his desk saying ‘The Buck Stops Here’, but President Grech might as well have a similar sign saying ‘What Buck?’
Episode Two: Reality and Respectability When I decided to comment on KSU and SDM’s shameful approach to the Ir-Realtà issue, I planned to remark on the fact that neither organisation had joined the ‘Front against Censorship’, a coalition aimed at protecting the rights of students and other citizens to free speech; I planned to remark on the fact that KSU, like thirteen over-privileged ostriches, refused for months to make any comment (despite their statutory obligations to defend students’ interests) and SDM’s only contribution was a late press release that pussyfooted around the issue while saying bugger-all; I planned to remark on all of this in a witty, slightly sardonic, but ultimately facetious manner. That plan ended when, during court proceedings against Mark Camilleri, editor of Ir-Realtà, it was alleged that it was not the Chaplain who complained to the Rector about the newspaper. Staggeringly, it was KSU itself. Staggeringly, the students that you elected to represent and protect you had apparently seen fit to do so by turning one of their own over to the police. Thankfully, KSU apologised for their underhanded manoeuvrings, and stepped down, citing the indefensible violation of their own statute. Then rainbows erupted from the office, and the people danced and sang, and there was much merriment in the Quadrangle. Or, as you might have expected, KSU dug their heads into the sand once again, and denied everything. I’m not sure what they want us to believe this time – perhaps the Precincts Officer lied under oath? Perhaps he never made a statement at all? Perhaps there were no court proceedings, no Precincts Officer, no newspaper named Ir-Realtà? Or perhaps they have finally lost the plot, and with it all sense of what can and can’t be reasonably denied. Perhaps they are actually deluded. Dear KSU, you are quickly becoming the most ludicrous students on campus. Do yourselves a favour – pull your heads out of the sand, stand tall, shake your heads to remove any residual grit, and then resign while you still have a modicum of respectability. Quickly, there’s little time. And for the record – my name is Philip Leone-Ganado, and I firmly deny the existence in any form of the column you have just read.
illustration camille felice
D
inhershoes
16 the insiter • march 2010
Should we stay or should we go? Full-time law student and former editor of The Insiter, Anna Abela, shares her ideas in a monthly column
L
photograph yentl spiteri
ately, I’ve noticed that whenever I am in the company of my peers (university-educated, twenty-somethings) the conversation invariably veers to the eternal dilemma: should we stay in Malta after we graduate or should we pack our bags and leave for pastures new? We collectively furrow our brows and ruminate, like a herd of cows chewing the cud. What pains me is that whenever the so-called ‘brain drain’ is discussed in the media, the debate is oversimplified. Graduates are caricatured as worshippers at the altar of Mammon, lured away from our island’s shores by the fickle promise of a thick wad of cash. If this were truly our only incentive, then surely our attitudes would have changed in the wake of a global recession. But with the economy down the toilet, we persist in plotting our escape from the safe haven of Malta, foregoing our ‘big fish, small pond’ status for the cutthroat competition of the European mainland. Unless you are lucky enough to be a medical graduate, this is a huge, counter-intuitive gamble – a gamble we are nonetheless willing to take. So why are we all yearning to pack our bags and leave? In my case, my pangs to leave the country usually strike whenever I am reading a local newspaper. This never fails to put me in a thunderous mood. Sometimes it’s a shoddily written opinion column by self-important politicians who really should know better. Other times it’s a news item reminding me that we’re still pussyfooting over basic civil rights. Public broadcasting does it to me as well, as do insipid university lecturers. Like many people my age, I feel disconnected from the Maltese mainstream. We are, after all, the Facebook generation, brought up in a world of unprecedented interconnectedness. Maltese politicians look silly when I contrast them with the eloquent foreign leaders I watch on TV. Likewise, Maltese media seems superficial and over-cautious. Our cultural output appears meagre and underfunded. And my frustration with the
academic standards of the University of Malta feels raw and real when I can make unflattering comparisons with the lectures I watch for free on Harvard’s YouTube channel. It is this visceral sense of alienation that makes the grass look ever so alluring on the other side. And yet, after a grouprant about how much we want to leave, one of us, usually the most idealistic, pipes up and says: “But shouldn’t we at least try to change things here?” And this is where things get really interesting. Because while many of us dream of leaving this sparrow’s fart of an island, we still nurse the small, flickering hope that perhaps we have the potential (or even the duty?) to stay here and change things for the better. The person who, to me, personifies this conflict best is Jacques René Zammit, the Luxembourg-based blogger known by his pen name, J’accuse, who, despite having left the island many years ago, still pens regular salvos on Maltese current affairs. Whenever I read his articles, I identify with the exacting standards he applies to Maltese society. I contrast his beautifully wrought analysis with the tripe on the timesofmalta.com blogs, and I remind myself that he was once a student activist who could have given so much back to his country. The same can be said of so many Maltese émigrés, particularly those who left Malta for the EU’s institutions. The folk rock band Brikkuni sum up this excruciating dilemma perfectly in their aptly-named ditty ‘Brussell’: ‘L-imħuħ ta’ ġenerazzjoni li mingħaliha lsienha sabet fil-qiegħ ta’ kexxun fi Brussell, fuq mejda t’uffiċċju modern Luxembourg / Pseudo-kittieba, artisti u politiċi li setgħu ikkmandaw ftit rispett, unanimament xammru d-dublett / Fetħu blogg, fetħu blogg u sarrfu ċ-ċekk.’ Should we stay or should we go? Ultimately, it all boils down to an inner struggle between selflessness and self-interest.
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Christine spiteri shows that there’s more to egypt than pyramids and the nile, as she journeys into MUqattam: the battered heart of cairo
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sn’t it ironic how the country boasting the longest river in the world, the tallest man-made structures, and several other affluent wonders, should also be one of the world’s underdeveloped countries? Deep in the heart of Cairo is a village called Muqattam (also known as the ‘zabbaleen’, or ‘garbage collectors’ village), where all the capital’s garbage is collected and sorted. Despite the overpowering smells and heaps of filth, the people living here day in, day out, are grateful for the lives they lead. Back in July 2009, a group of 15 students, of which I was one, together with two Jesuits, embarked on an expedition to render three weeks of service with the Sisters of Charity, and the children of Muqattam and Fagallah in Cairo, Egypt. I must admit I was a bit sceptic about going – my worst fear possibly being that the children would not like me, or that I would not fit in with the rest of the group. But once I overcame such initial challenges, I never wanted to leave. Many have asked me what made me choose to participate in such a lifechanging experience, and the answer remains: I don’t actually know. It was a risk, I guess – one that I decided to take blindly. The voluntary work experience started prior to our departure. We organised fundraising events at University, such as cake sales, plant sales and a car wash. We also started preparing the activities we were to carry out during the summer camp in Egypt.
Our Egyptian experience centred around the setting up of a Summer Camp for the children living in these garbage villages. During our month there, we taught them a couple of words and phrases in English, gave them colouring sheets to fill in, made crafts, and also prepared dances for the talent show which they presented in front of their families on our last day. When we drove into Muqattam for the first time, it was surreal; it felt as though I was watching a film, until I descended the four steps which led me off the sumptuous coach and into the heat and stench of the village. I was homesick for the first few days – I used to feel my insides churn as we trampled over every unimaginable form of rubbish surrounded by swarms of flies hovering in circles from one pile to the next. Here in Malta, it is unbearable to even think of driving behind a garbage truck. Yet, the people of Muqattam walk barefoot; children at play run after each other, men sit casually in coffee shop parapets puffing ...on their sheeshas, while some also whistle or mimic kissing noises to or grab our attention by hissing “Welcam to Egypt.” It was fulfilling to see the children appreciate what for us are insignificant things, such as crayons or a bracelet made out of wool. All that
involved
Beyond the pyramids
18 the insiter • march 2010
I met with during those three weeks gave me a lot to reflect on, especially with respect to the life I used to lead before facing such a harsh reality of people living in poverty. I realised how blinded I was by all the superficial things we are brainwashed to worship, and I feel sorry for losing so much of the simplicity of life through the busy lifestyle we lead, trying to juggle between University, family and friends. The people we met in Egypt know nothing of the above, and despite their austere way of living, they show no shame. On the contrary, they are extremely hospitable. I recall the euphoric feeling I would experience as we used to approach the Sisters’ around 8.20 am every morning, to a choir of screaming children, forgetting my dehydration and nausea due to the stench. It felt special hearing them call my name in their Egyptian accents, and gather around me, hugging and fighting to hold my hand. It is truly amazing how accepting these children are: they do not care who you are and where you are from. Their enthusiasm for learning was enough energy to replace all the coffee I used to drink in the mornings. It still surprises me that we could not speak each other’s language and still communicate beyond words, through a simple smile. I went to Egypt with the impression that I would give these children something of myself; but what they have given me is more than money can afford. They taught me to appreciate what true happiness means, and together with the friends I made within the group, I received the internal motivation to help me grow, both personally and spiritually. If there is anyone interested in taking part in a short-term voluntary work experience such as this during the summer months, I encourage you to contact Fr Michael Bugeja, s.j., on chaplaincy@um.edu.mt.
cover camille felice
P’OUT!
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20 P’OUT! • MARCH 2010
touch of colour
cutlery, inflated gloves, and pierrots: Welcome to the colourful world of elisa von brockdorff. By Carla Said
photography elisa von brockdorff
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Deception
People
‘Deception’ is an exhibition in which I participated, together with Romina Delia, Jasmina Reljic, Teresa Sciberras, Enrique Tabone and Christine Xuereb, which was on during the last two weeks of February at Lascaris Wharf in Valletta. I created an installation entitled ‘To Squeeze or not to Squeeze’ featuring many suspended transparent gloves filled with water. Luckily, none of the gloves fell on anyone’s head, which was a slight concern of mine. Although, maybe, I should have considered staging it as a publicity stunt.
People react to people. When a form of art is created and displayed, be it in the form of an artwork, music, literature, theatre script, etc., people will react. If the works verge on the unfamiliar, the reaction may not be a positive one. It’s normal to dislike or disagree with something, yet an openness to understanding the works in question should be encouraged further, even if the opinion remains the same. It’s comforting to know that a lot of great people in history often faced objection and ridicule on the basis of their thoughts and work before being eventually acknowledged. Ultimately, I believe that it’s best if one pursues whatever it is that they believe in because whatever you do, you realise that you cannot please everyone.
Studying art in the UK ...was quite expensive. Joking apart, I find that pursuing my Masters in Fine Art in England was overall quite enriching because I was exposed to so much contemporary art. The university I attended offered courses primarily in art and architecture, so the library resources were impressive. I’d spend hours going through books and journals. Also, living in Canterbury, I was two hours away from London by coach, so around every two weeks, I’d spend the day there visiting the latest exhibits which were also very inspiring. Moreover, the MA course focused on actual art practice – a course which unfortunately is not being offered in Malta yet. At times, it was a bit tough too – being a student in a foreign country, I had to live on a very limited budget (which meant noodles were often on the menu) and in a small room, which I often referred to as ‘the cupboard’, and had to share a house with five people. Also, I used to spend an hour in total, walking to and from the University everyday, sometimes in rather unpleasant weather and with some heavy bags in hand, cursing the day I got the brilliant idea to study abroad. However, apart from these situations, which I guess many students go through, studying abroad really helped me widen my horizons and see art from a more international perspective. It encouraged me to do more art and gave me a better indication of the directions I wanted to take.
Installation art: disposable or aptly finite? Not disposable. I hate throwing stuff away because I always think I will want to use it eventually, which does not always happen, however. People who live with me often complain about my ‘hoarder’ ways. Most of the stuff that I have used for installations, I keep. Sometimes the objects are featured differently in other works of mine too. It’s true that many times, art installations have to be removed once an exhibition or event is over. However, if documented well through video or photography, you still get to retain a part of it.
Joy Comes in different forms and is different and relative to everyone. For me, it’s when I visualise some idea or concept in my head and I manage to reproduce it through a photograph. What I like to refer to as getting the shot. Similarly, it’s also the same with installations I set up. Many times, they start off as sketches and it’s great if the work manages to live up to its sketchy expectations. Then there are ice cream joys and beer joys too!
Colour I am very fond of colours. In a way, I find that they are reminiscent of a childlike nature, which often tends to disappear when one becomes an adult. However, when it comes to my work, there are at times other intentions underlying my use of colour. There are instances where I use it as a cosmetic, to ‘confuse’ or ‘deceive’, creating a contradiction between the seemingly ‘innocent’ coloured objects, and hinting at the possibility of deeper meanings layered within the work.
The books on your bedside table Usually they are books or magazines related to art and photography. At the moment, its Portfolio, a magazine I ordered online recently featuring contemporary British photography, which I had first come across while studying in England.
The films you cannot forget Long ago, there was Requiem for a Dream. Unfortunately, the soundtrack, which is brilliant and strong, has now became somewhat overused. Then it’s the Russian film The Return and Almodovar’s Talk to Her.
The fragile beauty of plastic cutlery Its appreciation is almost lost when you have to paint 300 of them in different colours on your own in a little room on the roof in a limited amount of time.
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ten things Lately, there have been a good number of end-of-decade lists on the occasion of the end of the Noughties. For this reason, we felt we should go a step further and pay homage to the decade that came before, the glorious Nineties. Due to our age at the time, our memories are limited to the concerns of wide-eyed children and pre-teens teetering on the brink of adolescence, which is why they are worth featuring, in the name of good old nostalgia. By Elizabeth Galea
1 2 3 4 5
Animated TV series dubbed in Italian Whenever I end up talking about my childhood, the conversation at one point always veers towards the never-ending football fields of Holly e Benji, the supernatural shape-shifting powers of the volleyball in Mila e Shiro, the magical transformations of Sailor Moon and the haughty nobility of Lady Oscar. These heroes shaped our afternoons, taught us Italian, and made us wonder why volleyballs never stayed in the air for so long. The accompanying theme songs by Cristina d’Avena were the cherry on the cake.
Boy bands and girl bands
...
In my class, we were divided into the Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls fans. I was of the Backstreet Boys conviction. Where else could you find five perfectly gorgeous men (in actual fact, three attractive chaps and two pointlessly average ones) who danced in unison, wore matching outfits and begged us to quit playing games with their hearts, all while soaking wet in the rain and (accidentally!) lifting their tops to show their bare chests? On the other end of the spectrum, the Spice Girls made hideously gigantic colourful platforms look cool and had incredibly catchy songs with fun videos, until it seemed like they’d all got pregnant and disbanded. Other bands which you might have been hopelessly devoted to include East 17, Take That, 5ive (of ‘Slam dunk da funk’ fame), Boyzone, Westlife, B*Witched, S-Club 7, Steps, and All Saints.
Batman was happy While firmly aware that the new dark, brooding Batman films are superior to the camp indulgence of Batman Forever and Batman & Robin, I still fondly remember a time when Gotham looked like a theme park and Batman was cheerful enough to wear ridiculous plastic nipples and have friends apart from his butler, namely Batgirl and Robin.
Art Attack This TV show was such a lovely wholesome thing that there is a whole Facebook group dedicated to it. The concept was simple. The floppy-haired presenter showed viewers how to make delightful crafts out of the most ordinary things. The programme ended with aerial views of the presenter laying out various materials and textiles on the floor, while these slowly started to form a familiar picture. It was also punctuated by the interventions of an endearing talking sculpture.
Ballads The 1990s were the decade in which Bon Jovi’s ‘Always’, Toni Braxton’s ‘Unbreak my Heart’, Mariah Carey’s ‘My All’, Bryan Adams’s ‘Heaven’ and ‘Everything I do, I do it for you’, Savage Garden’s ‘Truly Madly Deeply’, Michael Bolton’s ‘Have you ever really loved a woman?’ and Celine Dion’s entire oeuvre were released. You get the picture. Ballads were big and shamelessly romantic in the 90s, upholding the tradition of the 80s’ power ballads. The theme song from Titanic, ‘My Heart Will Go On’, was at number one in the charts for what seemed like an eternity – but was actually six months.
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we miss from... the
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Chaps in leather jackets on motorcycles on cards and diaries In the 90s, the ideal man had street-cred, wore leather jackets, and rode a motorcycle. He also had a sensitive side, usually bought red roses, and was often portrayed in black and white or earth-coloured shades, to portray him in a pensive mood. Most of the time, he was accompanied by a hot blonde girl in cropped jeans. My sister had a number of diaries with covers featuring such men. These were usually scented and came with locks.
7 8
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Baywatch Because of this show, I used to spend my summers running on the beach with a yellow surfboard (pity it wasn’t red) jumping on my brother’s or sister’s back, pretending I was saving them from sure death. This show got away with the most hideous swimsuits to have ever existed, permanently sunburnt hair, and a character called Hobie (“Obbi!” in the Italian dubbing). A listen to the triumphant theme song on YouTube should prove a very cheerful experience to all.
The Fresh Prince of Bel Air ‘This is a story all about how my life got flipped-turned upside down…’ These were the words that kicked off this unforgettable gem of a TV show. Will Smith was a disarmingly adorable bundle of 90s’ cool. He wore his baseball cap sideways, his shirt was never tucked into his trousers, his tie was loosened and he rotated on a throne in the opening sequence. The other characters were just as memorable, mostly his nerdy cousin Carlton and his friend Jazzy Jeff. I still have an MSN emoticon of Carlton’s ‘happy dance’. That, my friends, is what one calls timeless material.
Gigi D’Agostino Anyone who releases an album called Eurodance Compilation should be treated with the utmost respect. Gigi D’Agostino was all the rage in my class circa 1999. His single ‘L’Amours Toujours’ was the soundtrack of many a glaring afternoon spent listening to a radio programme called Buzz FM (“X’enerġija ikun hemm meta nisma’ Buzz FM!”). If you were cool enough you’d be listening to this song while being given your first kiss in a diskow in the now-dead Marsascala nightclub scene. Similar classics include ‘What is Love?’ by Haddaway, ‘Ecuador’ by Sash, and ‘Pump up the Jam’ by Technotronic. Vive el Eurodance!
Decent music of the 90s Not everyone was happy to let himself go to the beat of Eurodance in the 90s. Some people sought to preserve their dignity by listening to Nirvana, Radiohead, Blur, Oasis, Pearl Jam, Travis, Manic Street Preachers, Suede, Jay-Z, The Fugees, the Wu-Tang Clan, the tragically fated Tupac and Notorious B.I.G., and many more.
24 P’OUT! • MARCH 2010
cess c a u yo he w do n about t h to o H . 1 atio u wis mic inform-units yothe acade study during follow year? ntally e m n o envir e you, ande to a w o r H 2. us a contribut o i c s con do you nment? how er enviro st s mo green s i m o youties? d t a 3. Wh the Nine from
rech Louisa: Bnane G Coursend Year: 2
’t . If there isn From eSIMS description, an adequate turer for c I email the le tion, or a rm fo more in rt and then a st r a ye e just let th period. e Add/Drop th f o se u make en’. The ut being ‘gre at our o b a n e ke it is wh I’m very t as we leave environmen herit, and it’s already a in t children will ation, so we must trea tu si s u precario it well. music. nes of 90s’ tu y h tc a c e carefree I miss th median. My ary o c e th , llo Fiore prim nd being at childhood, a school.
André Bonello Course Year: 1 st
: ba
From faculty pro eSIMS, and our vides us w booklet w ith find the la ith course descri a ptions. I tter very a purpose of access ccurate for the ing inform study-un its. ation on I’m very ‘g re environm en’, and I love th ent. I still e I always th drive a ca r, ro but w my proper b ins and w rubbish in the il people fr om litteri l always stop ng. Music like Scooter. Groove Coverage T was a de he 90s was a love and lightful m ly time: it ix and the la st decade between the 80s was to go , and the out late – out all the time a trend nd stay w the Intern e weren’t taken o et craze like we a ver by re today.
Dylan Agiu s
Course: B .Ed Year: 1 st
From eSIMS , friends, sinc but mainly from my e I don’t alw a adequate in formation o ys find n eSIMS. I agree with be extremely g ing ‘green’, but I’m no t reen myself. I like turning off switches, do the regular things and plastic a at home. W he nd paper take any no n purchasing a produc tice of wheth t I don’t er friendly – I’m more incline it’s environmentally the brand. d to simply look at Sarabanda o n on Italian TV Italia Uno. Lots of carto . I also miss ons a so flavoured Kit Kat Orange, rt of specially discontinue which was d.
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Charlene CamillerBi Course: LL. rd Year: 3
pective eSIMS, and from the res ulties. fac o tw sites of my purpose Not very. I won’t litter on frankly, ite qu t bu , or anything s born wa I . ch mu t tha not in a polluted world! ne – I had Music – especially Boyzo on my tel Ga y huge posters of Stephen like Scream, rs walls. Films – scary thrille ing out and go – s Urban Legend. Partie coincidentally, meeting up with people t messages – not having to rely on tex . Now there’s had freedom and liberty the 90s were t bu , more luxury d to contain ve pro d an , more fun a lot of firsts for me.
Annalise Abela
Course: LL.B Year: 3rd
Through eSIMS, through students who had already taken the studyunits, sometimes there are some course catalogues, but I don’t know, general ly what there is on eSIMS. I think I’m average. I try to separate my waste. I don’t litter, and I’m conscio us about electricity usage. When possible I try to use car-pooling. Cartoons I used to watch, like Sailo r Moon, Holly e Benji, and Cavalieri dell o Zodiaco. I miss buying the Beano real ly cheap. Soft drinks and chocolate wer e also really cheap – oh, I miss the 2 cents bubblegum. I miss the old-fashione d telephones, the boy bands and the girl bands.
. ManuelbD ri Schesem : LL.B Cour rd Year: 3
photos t aken usin ga iPhone 3GS Provided by Vodafo ne
nI eSIMS, the Firstly froemsecretaries for email thformation. more in ic but not enthusiaste at home and y rl e v o t o I’m n I separate wast ce, since I passive. ve a paperless offipaper when try to hascious of wasting am con ead printing. ead andIH liked ssistant Hsc . A ls n o a o e h b I used tool, and I miss my dly recall the of Scho c of the 90s. I fona during the musihappening in Malt change ars. those ye
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26 P’OUT! • MARCH 2010
I love my Peugeot while the powers that be might still want us to believe that public transport is the way to go, students, being the relatively wised-up bunch they always were, have most times opted for a private vehicle of their own. in the insiter’s monthly ingear column, we shall be taking a look at a number of cars which, by some virtue, happen to be perrenial classics in the world of student mobility. This month: the Peugeot 106. By David Debono
O
ne important decision that many university students have to make is that of deciding which car to choose as their first car – something that is considered by many as a rite of passage. Students may opt for many different things, such as bankrupting themselves by buying a brand new car (or if they’re lucky or rich, bankrupting their parents), or opting for the more sensible option of buying a second-hand car. Choosing which second-hand car to buy is quite the ordeal, having to take into consideration age, reliability, cost effectiveness, the design of the car and many other things. Let’s face it, no one wants to be stuck with a rusting piece of junk that won’t get you further than Junior College from University without breaking down – although with the states of the roads in Malta, it’s a guarantee that unless you service your car regularly, this will eventually happen. One of the most popular cars among our peers is the Peugeot 106. This French car, developed by the parent company PSA Peugeot Citroën, was launched for the first time in 1991 as a development of the Citroen AX, originally developed to replace the aging Peugeot 205. It was created for several reasons – mainly with the idea of safety in mind, being heavier and sturdier than both the 205 and the AX – but also to compete with rival company Renault with their recently launched Clio. It was also developed to replace the larger 205, to keep up with the demand for smaller, more compact cars. However, downsizing the car had its drawbacks; complaints were made regarding the limited interior space and the use of plastics on the inside –
something which was not commonplace at the time. In 1996, the second phase of the 106 model was launched as an alternative to the similar Citroën Saxo. Developments on the phase I model included the introduction of power-assisted steering and airbags and the common occurrence of sunroofs, as well as the introduction of more powerful engines combined with the successful light chassis of the phase I model. Production of the 106 continued until 2003 when it was replaced by the Peugeot 107. It had one of the longest production runs of all European cars and remains a popular choice of automobile for many people throughout Europe. The 106 remains a popular car to date, not just in Malta, but also predominantly in the United Kingdom and in France. Why is this car so popular? There are many reasons, ranging from its compact size and shape to its ease of use and fuel economy – these factors make the 106 an ideal car for a beginner driver who doesn’t want to spend a fortune on a new car when such a car is just as ideal. Its size and shape make parking – always a challenge for new drivers – easy; and its fuel economy is ideal for students who cannot afford to spend three quarters of their stipend on fuel alone. Although the car lacks some of the modern commodities which we may be used to in our parents’ cars – such as air conditioning and modern stereo systems – and in some cases, it has only four gears – it does remain popular among students, being one of the cars most prominently parked on the University campus.
MODEL: Peugeot 106 (1991) SHAPE: d crash barriers SAFETY FEATURES: They’re calle Y: BILIT RDA AFFO T STUDEN FUEL ECONOMY: TOP SPEED: BACKSEAT FUN: ™ CHICK SWOON FACTOR :
OVERALL RATING:
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Pick of the month: Book By ElizabetH Galea
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he novel opens with the arrival of newlywed Claire Pendleton, together with her husband Martin, an engineer, in Hong Kong in 1951. Claire is shortly employed as piano teacher to the daughter of a rich Chinese couple, Victor and Melody Chen. The Chens’ chauffeur is an enigmatic Briton named Will Truesdale. Will immediately becomes interested in Claire, while Claire is eager to leave the comfort zone of her safe marriage. She starts to become fascinated with this emerging facet of herself – a woman more comfortable among the throngs at the Chinese markets than among the British colonisers. This love affair is juxtaposed against flashbacks of Will’s love affair with Trudy, the glamorous daughter of a Shanghai millionaire and a Portuguese woman, and his subsequent life during the Japanese invasion in WWII.
While the details of Will’s murky past start to be unravelled, Claire and Will’s affair becomes common knowledge. Lee intertwines and develops both stories, underscoring the way the past impinges on the present, and lending the novel layers of intrigue. The author’s sleek prose reflects the elegance and discretion with which the society she describes glosses over the horrible. Through the gradual uncovering of Will’s past, we, along with Claire, perceive how deeply the Japanese invasion scarred Hong Kong society. The Piano Teacher also deals with an intrigue related to the Crown Collection, a collection of Chinese artefacts that disappeared during the war. However, the novel’s strength lies in the way it gradually lays bare Will’s relationship with his two lovers, rather than the whodunnit that dominates the latter part of the novel.
Book By Fr Mario Jaccarini S.J.
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evenly’, besides benefiting a minority, globalisation has also left the great majority worse off, bereft of not only their livelihood, but often of their environment and their culture. Peoples are seeing their culture destroyed by ‘Americanism’. Sacks, however, says, ‘The inequities of markets are no reason to abandon the market.’ He therefore proposes remedies to this state of affairs, such as shedding our idea that universality means uniformity when it actually means diversity in which we should rejoice. Moreover, there should be more responsibility towards the environment and especially towards others since globalisation ‘globalises human responsibility’. He discusses the idea of compassion in Hebrew culture, proposing it as an example. Another imperative is universal education. There is no space to mention all the points made convincingly in this book. Although I do not agree with all Sacks says, it made me think, and I would recommend it to all university students and academic staff.
o put into practice The Dignity of Difference, I decided to read this book by a Jewish Rabbi. The idea behind it is that because of globalisation in all its forms, people of great cultural differences meet, but without understanding and often with hostility. For peaceful and respectful co-existence, we must go further than searching for common human values, or exercising tolerance or accepting pluralism. We must come to happily accept diversity of civilizations, of which we are usually suspicious. This is a thoughtful, learned and wise book written in a very readable style, with a ranging bibliography from which Sacks quotes generously. He is able to sum up problems as well as proposed solutions in brief, telling sentences, like ‘Each year there are more billionaires. Each year millions die of starvation, poverty, and preventable disease.’ He discusses ‘Globalisation and its Discontents.’ Because ‘its benefits are not spread
Teens are obsessed with their appearance, especially their skin. Oiliness, a flurry of acne lesions, or even a single prominent blemish can contribute to slamming doors and days of sullen withdrawal, headphones stuck, blocking the world out.. To help calm down the stormy moods of adolescence by setting down a foundation for intelligent skin care, DERMALOGICA introduces Clean Start, a skin care brand formulated specifically for teens. The Teenage Skin One of teenagers’ common concerns is oily skin. The stormy moods of puberty with hormone level surging take up its toll on the skin. Androgens stimulate the sebaceous glands and they switch on sebum production (oil). Consequently we see that shiny appearance on the forehead, cheeks and chin. The other common skin problem is sensitivity. Unfortunately this is largely due to the wrong products. “The trouble is that most of the products targeted to this group, contain artificial fragrances, as well as artificial colours,
stripping alcohols and other aggressive ingredients. All of which are irritating to the skin” says Jane Wurwand, Dermalogica Founder. Clean Start Clean Start is a whole new product line researched and developed by the skin health experts at Dermalogica. This is a skin care system formulated specifically for teens. The motivational message behind Clean Start product line is health not beauty. Clean Start features 8 products designed to give teens a simple skin care system based on 3 basic criteria : to clean, treat and protect the skin. Reaching to our teens… This group is exposed to skin care brands which purport to solve problem skin. Such marketing creates the misconception that teens should only use skin care if they have acne. Clean Start addresses multiple skin conditions, oily, acne, normal and combination. It is a starter skin care product system
for teens that addresses their needs in a simple way. Dermalogica now gives young consumers an alternative which is inspirational, desirable, hip and cool, yet safe and effective. Visiting a Skin therapist A good way of getting information and learning about the skin and what products to use, is by visiting a skin therapist where the teens can go for a skin lesson. They can play with the products and learn how to use them. The best part is that you can do this with a group of friends, it’s fun and a great day out. You don’t have to book a facial as there are 20 minute treatments that focus on certain problem skin areas and concerns. This is a quick and effective way to solve problem teen skin. The key to healthy skin is to invest in the future of your skin at an early age. Clean start is now available in most Dermalogica Salons. Contact Biocare Company Ltd on 800 74 100 for your nearest Clean Start stockists.
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The Nitpicker incognito Festival of fools If you take a peek at SDM’s manifesto from the last election you’ll see that one of the proposals for February was to have a KSU Carnival float at the Nadur festivities. Donning my pyjamas, underpants (worn over the peejays, of course) and trusty mask, I headed to Nadur in the Nitmobile (the seats are really itchy for some reason). Alas, the KSU float was nowhere to be seen. You would’ve thought that it would be pretty easy for KSU to come up with ideas for a float, seeing as they’re so used to making proposals that are brightly coloured but fall to pieces if subjected to the slightest of breezes. While we’re on the subject of proposals, Champions League football returns this month. KSU had promised they would try (how hard can it be?) to get the games shown in the Common Room. Surprise, surprise, once again they have, as yet, failed to deliver. Then again, balls haven’t really been KSU’s strongpoint this year.
Condoomed Which brings me smoothly to my next topic. Once again, I find myself writing about the dreaded contraceptives. As you can see I’m not too enthusiastic about it. Not because I’m afraid of them, unlike the UoMeh Bible Squad (a.k.a. the BS), but because the topic has been argued over so much that even people who had been interested now switch off when they hear the words ‘condom machine on campus’. This is unfortunate, but such is life. However, this month I felt I had to comment on the Rector’s decision to let students (i.e. KSU and the other organisations in the Social Policy Commission) decide whether or not to install the Baby Preventing Machine of Mortal Sin in Students’ House. It’s nice that he can wash his hands of some matters, but not of others, like, I don’t know, banning newspapers, for example. Regardless of the reasons for the Rector going Pontius on us, on which I can only speculate anyway, MOVE’s proposal is now effectively as doomed as a Titanic made out of condoms. There’s more chance of a condom machine being installed in the Vatican. If there isn’t one already, that is. I say this because the Ultra Catholic Brigade would rather see Students’ House
burn down than allow a dispenser of ‘rubber jollies’ to desecrate the hallowed Christian ground of our university. And, as we all know, their voice is the one that counts the most in the mire of mediocrity that is UoMeh. If the above sounds in anyway disrespectful to the Ultra Catholic Brigade (as opposed to normal, sane Catholics who don’t feel the need to butt in on everything that isn’t their business), it’s because it’s meant to be. People with different views feel disrespected when beliefs which are based on fear and ignorance are given preference over their own, which, while not perfect, are at least based on openness, debate and reason.
Higher education: low priority Back in December, KSU was sent a survey by the European Students’ Union (ESU) as part of a research project on the services and quality of education provided to students. These results were part of the ground research for a publication that ESU will be publishing in March and which shall be presented to all Ministers of Higher Education in more than 46 countries to give a picture on the developments (or lack thereof) in certain aspects of education and what students deem as being necessary to work on in the coming years. Unfortunately, Malta will not be mentioned anywhere in the report, because KSU never bothered to acknowledge the survey. Clearly, wooden benches and silly signposts (we be Kantin’ yo) are more of a priority than higher education.
Over to you The Insiter reader, Edwina from Bidnija, has this to say about the female UoMeh ‘elite’: “I get really ticked off by these girls who try to keep up appearances and show off just because they’re in ‘univ-eh-sity’, so they think they can come clucking to school in their perfect high heels [...] they walk around in flocks and it’s really irritating especially in the library. This isn’t The Devil Wears Prada. I came up with a theory that they wear their high heels in order to be able to get hold of the books on the topmost shelf.” Ah, Edwina, I sympathise completely. It’s, like, really annoying when those ‘univ-eh-sity’ girls just won’t, like, shut the fu*k up when you’re, like, trying to work on an assignment on the second floor of the library, aye, but like, aye? Remember, you can suggest (or moan, or rant, or bitch about) topics that you would like me to write about by sending an email to insite.nitpicker@gmail.com.
illustration camille felice
32 the insiter • march 2010
Every month, a pint-sized human being tries out things and writes things about them. Meet Audri
Gozo calling audri’sadventures
—Yeah, I was there too
Y
ou must think I’m quite the adventurous type; first London, now Gozo. Talk about a joyride! Ah, the joys of being a complete slob in a costume never gets tiring. If you can’t beat them, join them they say. So I did. Them, of course, meaning three quarters of the Maltese population. Due to the fact that I’m somewhat special, I did not get to wait in a long queue for the ferry. That, of course, meant less stress and more time in Gozo – which is where my adventure begins. My friends and I have a Gozo regime: Friday is barbecue night. We stuff ourselves with food and leave some for the next day so as to avoid any unnecessary cooking or any other kind of activity that involves moving. So here I am, freezing, despite my adipose and polo neck layers, waiting for food. I do not cook, of course, but I’ve become quite the food-sampling expert. So, there goes my contribution. Our sausages remain raw and half bitten, and my burger has found it’s fitting place around my waist. I attempt to make conversation but I fail miserably, so I fall asleep watching television and work on my beauty sleep for a couple of hours. I wake up and smell the coffee. Then I drink the coffee, and begin to function. I have my first cigarette for breakfast, and try not to exert too much energy so as to have enough for Carnival night. We play poker for about five hours. I lose. Apparently, my poker face is somewhat distorted. Before I know it, it’s time to get ready for the long-awaited night, so I shower and change into my costume. I have a nurse costume. Not a sexy nurse, but a weird, bulky one with a purple wig. I try to match my eyelashes to my new purple hair but they decide not to cooperate, and get stuck to my friend’s wig by the end of the night. I have a striped, kiddie costume, an apron that looks like a bib, stockings, which look like, and a white handbag with a taped red cross. I blend in nicely with all the sexy, latex-wearing nurses. I have a Scottish boyfriend sporting orange hair and my
mother’s quilt as a kilt, a friend who looks like a cross version of Jesus and a hippie, his masked girlfriend, an Indian cousin, and a clown. You can tell our themed attempt at a carnival costume worked well. We have a drink or five before we get to Nadur, and before we know it, we’re walking towards the crowd. It’s my third year, so I know what to expect this time around. The joys of the carnivalesque: claustrophobia, masks, cold weather, music, costumes (the good, the bad, and the ugly), people, some of whom should be wearing costumes, and me of course, in the midst of it all. Sounds fun enough! Mother Nature was considerate and waited for the fun to finish before letting it rain. Very nice of her. In fact, I’ll dedicate my 4 am burger to her just to show my appreciation. So, the story goes, the nurse was tired, and on the second day, she rested. I wake up at noon and it’s Valentine’s Day. My face screams “love me”, but my stomach says “feed me”, so I do. We make brunch just to keep our arteries happy, then play a board game, which we win. Time flies when you wake up so late, so we soon had to get ready for Valentine’s dinner. We go to a ‘posh’ place where my boyfriend is blatantly judged for looking like ‘a killer’ due to his freshly shaved handlebars. We’re given roses – how sweet. The food was good, albeit served by a seemingly Victorian waitress and a Gozitan female version of the cookie monster. Other than that, it was delightful. I plonk out, probably due tomy carbohydrate overdose. Monday morning is spent cleaning and packing. We drive to the ferry and miss it: apparently we forgot to calculate the possibility of another queue. Being the last car to get on the next ferry, we manage to make it to Malta on time. So, being the exemplary student that I am, I manage to overcome all forms of peer pressure and attend my Monday lectures. How sharp reality hits when you’re trying to avoid it! My incentive is my next adventure: I’ve already got a date. Stay tuned for more roller coaster rides.
insiteronline.com 33
34 the insiter • march 2010
inperson
Personality of the month:
Rachel Decelis A wise man once said, ‘We do not inherit the planet from our parents, we borrow it from our children’. The environment and sustainable development is not only the theme of this month’s The Insiter, but is also on the global agenda as something that is gaining more prominence as the days roll on. By Vanessa Kurz
T
his edition’s Personality of the Month is the lovely Ms Rachel Decelis, who very willingly sheds light on the different aspects of her job, as well as speaks openly about her own feelings and opinions regarding certain environmental issues. Ms Decelis works as an Environment Protection Officer with the Environment Protection Directorate at MEPA. Her work involves the permitting of a wide range of industrial facilities – from small chemical and pharmaceutical plants to larger facilities such as waste management installations. Along with this demanding, yet fulfilling career, she also gives lectures on scientific writing at the Institute of Linguistics.
What got you interested in working to help the environment? I’ve always been interested in how science can be applied to our everyday lives. Working in a field related to the environment came as a natural choice, as I felt I could use my knowledge in science for a good and tangible purpose.
Some people have a nonchalant attitude towards the environment. What is your opinion of this? Do you think the Maltese fit this description? Unfortunately, some Maltese people are only concerned with keeping their homes clean and do not pay much attention as to how their actions affect the environment outside their homes. I feel this is a very short-sighted view. Fortunately this attitude is not shared by all the population and I’m sure that, overall, Maltese attitudes towards the environment have improved considerably over the past years.
As a member of the EU, is Malta living up to its standards regarding the environment? We’ve come a long way since we joined the EU, although there is always more to be done. We have seen improvements in a number of sectors, such as waste management, the regulation of industry and so on, although we do have specific local challenges relating to our small size and population density. There is also increased awareness among the general public about the need to protect the environment. I’m hopeful that this trend will continue, especially as new laws continue to be established to protect the environment.
Balancing a position with MEPA as well as lecturing at University must be tiring. What’s your secret to keeping up with it all? Planning! I try to use every ‘spare’ moment I have to fit in what needs to be done – for example, at the moment, I’m also learning Arabic, among many other things. Thankfully, my husband is very supportive of my work, which helps a lot. I also make it a point to recharge my batteries on a Sunday – I have a ritual involving tea and a newspaper that cannot be interrupted!
What aspect of your job would you consider most enlightening, and what part of it would you say is the most challenging? The variety involved in my day-to-day work is very positive – I can honestly say that no two days are the same. Over the years, I have drafted legislation, visited various industrial facilities, reviewed mounds of data, travelled abroad for training and expert meetings, and so on. There’s never a dull moment. The challenge is that the amount of work that needs to be done is considerable, involving a lot of technical knowledge and continuous input, and it is not easy to do what needs to be done in the time available.
Do you come across a lot of resistance in your line of work? Overall, operators are quite willing to improve their operations to ensure they cause minimal damage to the environment, however, when this costs money we do sometimes meet with resistance. Discussion plays an important role in these circumstances. It also helps that there are financial schemes nowadays designed to help businesses implement eco-friendly measures.
What drives you to keep doing what you’re doing? I like the responsibility that comes with the job, and the fact that I feel that my contribution makes a difference. Seeing the finished result of your work, such as a finalised permit, after months (even years) of hard work, is very satisfying.
insiteronline.com 35
emma laferla speaks to Liam farrugia and matthew sammut, two tech-savvy individuals who have put their skills to good use by starting up their very own web-deVELOPMENT venture
T
he hours spent flipping through wafer-thin yellow pages and flimsy business directories are now long gone. These days, the process has become somewhat simplified. Two words for you: Google it. Over the past decade, the average Maltese person has grown more dependent on the Internet as a means of procuring that morsel of vital information without having to step out the front door. Thus, companies seek to provide customers with a captivating and eye-catching glimpse into their business’ realm, by means of the World Wide Web. How? Cue Liam Farrugia and Matthew Sammut, the masterminds behind the company NIU. First, a word about the company’s name; NIU (pronounced ‘new’) encompasses precisely what this business is all about: innovation, coupled with a fast-growing global phenomenon. Furthermore, their straightforward yet striking and to-the-point slogan summarises exactly what the job of these two young men entails: Design. Develop. Deliver. The soon to be 23-year-olds are up-andcoming web developers who cater for a vast array of clients, ranging from private individuals to large companies alike, with the aim of transforming simple ideas into top quality websites. Recalling childhood years when internet access in Malta was scarce, I ask whether a career in web development had always been an aspiration of theirs. Matthew assures me that, even when connecting to the Internet back in the day sometimes felt like trying to get blood out of a stone, a career in IT had always interested him. Fortunately, getting started did not prove to be as difficult as it might have originally seemed. On the contrary, Matthew points out that in order to pursue a career in web development, the three paramount requirements are “a computer, an eye for design, and sheer determination”. As a result, they were able to release their brainchild without the need for financial or other aid. Budding entrepreneurs in Malta will be delighted to hear that the government is currently investing in a number of schemes to ease the burden of small companies, particularly in the fields of IT and e-commerce. Ironically, the company’s inception was to some extent a stroke of luck rather than years of preparation. Back in 2006, “there was never any intention to start our own company at first”. Their initial big break came about thanks to a driving instructor they knew who at the time was in need of a website. This set the ball rolling, and soon enough a myriad of further original developments were quick to follow. A swift glance at their portfolio reveals accomplishments such as the launch of blog.com.mt, websites for a number of local cafés and wine bars, and the baybands.com.mt website, which was developed in collaboration with local radio station, 89.7 Bay.
More recently, they were the brains behind the official portal for the Papal visit to Malta, and, luckily for us, they are at present redesigning the insiteronline.com website. The latter is described by the talented businessmen as “an attractive news portal for the printed publication, The Insiter”. The forthcoming revamped Insite website offers readers the chance to further their reading and remain updated on the latest news, online. Moreover, readers may also leave their comments on the articles posted by the Insite web-team. This online portal to the Insite world will in addition serve as an advertising domain. These days, a typical day at the office can be summed up in one word: “Crazy!” Matthew and Liam deal with the dozens of phone calls they receive each morning, after which they set off to meetings with clients, only to return to the office and get back to the drawing board for more designing and programming. Almost four years down the line, their best achievement to date is having successfully delivered over 40 websites, while juggling their career with university life as full-time students reading for a degree. Liam, who recently graduated from the University of Malta with a degree in BSc IT (Hons) CCE, currently has no intention of moving on and abandoning NIU. “My future plans are to start working on a full-time basis at NIU as head of the Technical Department.” Furthermore, he recently began participating in ACTS (Announcing Christ to Schools). Matthew, meanwhile, is presently in his final year of a BSc ICT (Hons) CSAI course. He took a gap year after Sixth Form in order to participate in ACTS. Of his present position, he admits, “the hardest part is keeping a balance between university and NIU without sacrificing the degree”. This dynamic duo has recently been joined by James Abela, a BSc IT (Hons) CSAI student in his fourth year. “He’s an asset to the company for his ideas, skills and determination.” The latest addition to the NIU team is in charge of the business aspect of the company. “We hope to make NIU one of the leading web development companies on the island,” they state enthusiastically. Clearly, these guys mean business: possessing an accurate vision of where they are heading, and intent on meeting and exceeding their customers’ expectations. So far their clients have been, for the most part, of Maltese nationality. However, NIU has also attracted the likes of a small number of foreign companies within the European Union. What is more, word has it that this promising team of web developers has several ‘niu’ projects in the pipeline – so watch this space.
inbusiness
niu kids on the block
Training the Trainer Programmes EU Information training sessions in conjunction with MISCO-Impetus Europe Consulting Group Background In a bid to bring Europe closer to the citizens and to address the communication gap between EU citizens and the European Institutions, an agreement has been signed between the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee (MEUSAC) and the European Commission in order to increase communication actions locally on EU related matters. As part of the activities for 2010, a Train the Trainer Operation has been designed in order to provide educators in both Malta and Gozo with increased knowledge on the European Union, its progression, the functioning of its numerous bodies and policies. In turn, this will present another access point to EU-related information thus contributing to the EU’s key priority of narrowing the gap between the Union and its citizens. MEUSAC has commissioned MISCO – Impetus Europe Consulting Group to provide the course material, train-
MISCO, FINO Buildings, Notabile Road, Mriehel, BKR 3000
ers and venues after issuing a tender call for the services related to the development and delivery of an EU training programme. Areas to be covered during this Train the Trainer programme: • The development of European Integration; • The unique legal order of the EU; • Institutional structure of the EU; • Economic principles of European Integration; • Matters dealt with by the EU • EU funding opportunities for the educational sector
and students alike • You will have a thorough understanding of the European Union and its various policies with a strong focus on how this affects the Education Sector Who is eligible? B Educ and Learning Support Assistant Students Duration 12 hours training programme and an optional 3 hours tour. The programmes are scheduled as 3 sessions of four hours each and an optional 3 hours visit to Europa House.
Why should you attend this programme? Venues: • You might be the lucky winner to visit EU Offices in Luxembourg or Brussels • You will learn on EU funding opportunities, how to apply and the benefits derived by teachers
IMPETUS Europe Consulting, Group 85, St. John Street Valletta VLT 1165 Malta
Transport to the following venues is being provided to and from University. Gozitan students have the option to attend such programmes in Gozo.
MISCO Gozo Training Centre, Dminka Street, Victoria, Gozo
insiteronline.com 37
Letters to the editor
Dear Editor, This is a reply to the article entitled ‘Etiamsi daremus non esse deum’, by Robert Thake which appeared on the last issue of this magazine. Firstly, I would like to proudly introduce myself as one of the ‘whingeing lefties’ who was burning a copy of the banned issue of the newspaper Ir-Realta’ in the campus quadrangle. Secondly, I would like to surprise Mr Thake by saying that, in contrast to his assumptions, I would definitely object to the banning of a book such as Suicide mode d’emploi, just as I objected to the banning of Ir-Realta’. I would also like to assure him that my basic knowledge of the now called psychiatric disorder known as ‘suicidal tendencies’ strongly indicate to me that a suicidal person will manage to commit suicide, with or without a suicide manual. Anyone with a basic knowledge of knots, pointed objects, the laws of gravity, and the human anatomy will know exactly what to do to terminate his life. Furthermore, ‘suicidal tendencies’ do not normally allow one to walk gaily to the nearest bookshop to purchase a book that indicates the best way to go. Even if that is the case, a person for whom life becomes an unbearable burden, who loses all basic instinct for survival and self-preservation and seriously wants to terminate his life should be given the necessary information on how to do so with dignity. Furtherfurthermore (my invention), a ‘mentally stable, non-suicidal’ person who is grateful to be alive will not
simply ‘decide’ to commit suicide after reading a suicide manual. One cannot ‘promote’ suicide. Suicide is not something you read about and decide it would be a pretty neat thing to do. If so, the argument should be extended to all films and pieces of literature portraying suicide, sometimes in an ‘explicit’ and romanticised way, such as The Virgin Suicides by Sofia Coppola and The Bible by God. As for The Turner Diaries, described by Mr Thake by the petty and cute euphemism ‘an anti-Semitic novel’, my reaction is obvious and predictable. The work in question is not a ‘novel’ but the physical manifestation of hate crime. This promotes racism and anti-Semitism, and it has been reported that this book has triggered a number of homicides against African Americans and homosexuals. One can of course say that as is the case with suicide, ‘racism’ and ‘anti-Semitism’ can be described as ‘psychiatric disorders’ and therefore cannot be encouraged or promoted. However, I’m sure Mr Thake will not concur. Before I got down to writing this letter, I planned on debating the argument that Mr Thake put forward in favour of the idea of an objective, universal morality. However, I am instead going to commit the ad hominem fallacy and state that it is not worth debating against an idea put forward by a person who is not aware that one can never, with any ‘justification’ make conclusions such as ‘morality = natural law’ and who proudly proclaimed that he cannot understand the (pretty basic) concept of a subjective morality.
Whingeing Lefty, Gabriella Mifsud illustration jonny
38 the insiter • march 2010
insights
The freedom of
choice
E
Andrew galea is currently reading for a degree in english
veryone agrees that the Rector’s reaction to Issue 8 of Ir-Realtà, and the condescending reasoning behind his decision, were exaggerated, to say the least. We all agree that the transgression on the radical liberal paper’s behalf did not warrant criminal prosecution and that the matter could have been dealt with on campus. To be fair, the problem had theoretically crossed campus grounds because the paper was distributed freely at Junior College, and I have it in good faith that it also made its way into stationeries. However, it is a University-born publication and could, arguably, have been dealt with according to University procedures. What everyone seems to be ignoring (or indeed, in many cases, oblivious to) is the fact that Ir-Realtà was undoubtedly in the wrong in the first place. Everyone is up in arms about the breaching of the basic human right to freedom of speech, but this goes hand-in-hand with freedom of choice, which was one option the paper did not give its readers. Now, I’ve heard all manner of ridiculous arguments as to why a disclaimer or warning sign was not necessary for this particular paper, among them, “if you don’t like it, stop reading it”, as if you can simply unread whatever filth you’ve happened upon in a paper that – let’s face it – had no prior history of publishing absolute rubbish of the kind it did. Not that the literary merit of the story has anything to do with my argument, but I felt I’d throw that in amid comparisons of Alex Vella Gera’s pornographic nonsense to superior literature containing such material. The truth is that while freedom of speech guarantees you liberty to express yourself without constraint, it comes at the recognition that what you say should not be imposed upon others. People have to be willing to listen. Sometimes people simply do not want to hear it. It’s a matter of respect. Which is why CDs, DVDs and most other forms of media are labelled with classification and/ or warning stickers – and these are things that one buys.
The warning should be all the more relevant for a freely distributed rag like Ir-Realtà. Get it straight: it is not that people need ‘protecting’ from corruption in a moralist, self-righteous sense. It is that when one does not want to be exposed to something, one should not be sneakily subjected to it, in all the permanence of printed text, because of the absence of forewarning. And that right to ignore it should be protected. Anti-censorship? Yes, of course. Always. But Ir-Realtà were most definitely in the wrong to start with, and that cannot be forgotten. The heated, childish reaction displayed by Ir-Realtà in its subsequent Issue 9, which in its sarcastic editorial and bitter warning labels shows no admittance of fault and thus no opening for dialogue (but only the mulish, irrational thinking of an immovable object) seems to me the very antithesis of progressive liberalism. I am inclined to argue that this inability to reason, which exemplifies itself in ‘talk shows’ like Xarabank, is perhaps a product of a patri-archal society, and the emphasis on ‘patri’ is intentional, referring to the religious connotation of the word in Maltese. The idea that religion is the complete antithesis of discourse is not new. By definition ‘blind faith’ is the closing of your eyes to anything other than what your belief dictates. This has manifested itself in the long run in a poor education system and patriarchal society, where students are taught to passively receive and reproduce data fed them by their family or teachers. They are not taught to reason or think for themselves. The rebellious cries of ‘freedom of speech’ are from people who have not really developed a proper argument for their case but are blindly following the figure head of the editor of Ir-Realtà, who has since replaced those other authoritative figures in their lives they saw fit to discard. Anti-censorship yes, always; but Ir-Realtà was wrong.
insiteronline.com 39
In it to win it O
nly a few moments in life can truly be referred to as turning points. The second day of the 2009 KSU election campaign was one such turning point in my life. That day was to change in a fundamental way my approach to people. It had been a bad day for our team, ACT. The campaign was turning out to be more taxing than we had thought. A series of mistakes we made in a short period of time, culminating in a stupid comment I passed during the KSU Annual General Meeting that day, left us running on low motivation. That same evening, a team meeting was to take place in a gazebo next to a playground in Msida. The meeting was to gel our team. It was the point where our hearts and minds met, and, since then, we never looked back. This is still one of the defining moments that I return to, as the first year anniversary since ACT contested KSU elections draws closer. I believe three words can truly sum up the coalition was formed last year: passion, trust, solidarity. These values helped us to achieve a positive outcome during the elections, where more than a thousand students chose to entrust us with their vote. All these individuals trusted ACT, but, more importantly, trusted that KSU could be relevant in some way or other to their student life. The concept behind ACT – a reformist concept based on the involvement of the largest number of stakeholders possible, aimed at bringing substantial change to student life – is still relevant today. ACT was a political project based on people, not ideologies. We were committed to facing the truth that a paradigm shift is needed in order to turn things around. We sought to address this need with our manifesto for a change which we, and a thousand other students, believed could happen. A year later, I look back on my experience as part of ACT and remember the determination of our candidates, the pas-
sion that individuals actively supporting us put into the project, and the contagious enthusiasm of Junior College students who showed their support all the way during elections. This was an important year for me personally. Following elections, I needed to reflect on what I had initially thought was the failure of a project. The result brought a certain degree of responsibility. I am now aware that there are at least one thousand other individuals, each with their own views on life, with whom I share the same vision for University. This means that whenever I speak up, I am, so to speak, representing the views of a thousand others. However, I learnt a golden lesson. Student politics is not a one-way speech. It is an open dialogue: a space where I have to listen to others around me. I learnt that student politics is not carried out in the KSU office. It is carried out among students, in the cafeterias, in the library, during short coffee breaks between lectures. It is an open conversation: the sharing of a dream, one that will prevail. Unfortunately, I look around me today and see this lacking. I do not see discussion, vision, or a sense of purpose uniting students. I noticed that student politics is a never-ending challenge. It is not a battle of ideas, but a dialogue between ideals. The challenge lies in the listening. I listened to what my teammates had to say on that cold evening of March 2009. I decided to take the challenge and seek to work on my own mistakes, thanks to their help. This was the success of ACT: we were not a team anymore, but a living community. This should be our University’s aim. I’m in it to win it. Are you?
matthew mizzi is a fifth-year Law student and former ceo of insite
any insights to share? email us on
you@insiteronline.com
40 the insiter • march 2010
funpage wordsearch Insite Erasmus Egypt Pout Peugeot Subbie Titanic Nadur Sustainability Ellie
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indepth
paint it green towards an eco-friendly campus
42 the insiter • march 2010
a climate of
great expectations
Following the recent symposium on climate change held at the University of Malta, Stephanie Calleja offers an overview of the finer points discussed by the experts who were present
F
or sceptics, believers and non-carers alike, the ‘issue’ (for lack of a more suitable generic term) of climate change is as inevitable as the rising sun. The media, unmistakably taking up the role of chief hobgoblins of their audiences, are causing an upshot of awareness. Whether we, as conscious readers, are taking the time to discern whatever is being shown to us or not, is a totally different story. A globalised society is bound to make us think within a collective frame of mind, but even so, this concern is really an assemblage of individual actors constituting one big snag. Should all states share the same burden, irrespective of their geographical, social and economic constraints? 7 January 2010 marked a significant date in the arena of local discourse with regard to climate change. The Department of International Relations at the University of Malta co-ordinated a symposium entitled ‘Climate Change: National Responses to Global Action’, during which several speakers voiced their concerns about the impacts of climate change on the domestic front. Surprisingly enough, it did not simply testify the ‘more action, less talk’ attitude, but it yielded other noteworthy results, as it attempted to clear the misconceptions of the public. Whereas public opinion might lean towards the belief that current sea levels in Malta are on the rise, studies conducted by the
University’s Physical Oceanography Unit revealed otherwise. Marine biologist Dr Alan Deidun mentioned a monitoring station at Portomaso that shows how sea levels around the island have actually dropped. Marco Cremona, the hydrologist on the panel, warned the audience that both the illegal extraction of water from illegal boreholes and the sole dependence on the costly reverse osmosis should be at the fore of the government’s concerns, especially since the Maltese are being confronted with higher water tariffs. He also asserted that the lack of rainfall is leading to a quicker depletion of the aquifers, and by the time Malta will be undergoing the severe effects of climate change, ground water will have vanished. Politicians present at the symposium did not agree on whether our island is capable of keeping up with emission targets set by the eu and the Copenhagen Summit. Resources minister George Pullicino was the most surefooted of the speakers about the government’s ability to reach the 20 per cent emission-cuts target. Caroline Muscat, assistant editor of The Sunday Times, and Harry Vassallo, editor of Illum, on the other hand, were both critical of the government’s ennui over the significantly valid option of resorting to renewable resources. Although minister Pullicino attributed the decline in electricity consumption to the government’s
courage to put energy subsidies to a halt, pl representative Leo Brincat blamed it on the recession. On behalf of Alternattiva Demokratika, Carmel Cacopardo called attention to the deficiency of interaction between the authorities in the national effort to combat climate change. For a small state with limited resources such as Malta, the mitigation of the effects of climate change is likely to have a ripple effect on other sectors – tourism and fishing in particular. The fact that our islands are surrounded by water further endangers our coastal zones, which is where tourism is mostly concentrated. Malta’s sandy beaches will continue shrinking and, as a consequence, in just a decade’s time, the smaller beaches may start vanishing. Owing to the status of one of Europe’s highest population densities heightens and intensifies the perils of climate change once it comes about. It does not take an expert to deduct that Malta is not a major co2 emitter when compared to the other states of the world. However, the uncertainty surrounding the perceptions on climate change, as well as the lack of awareness and knowledge of its causes and effects, are prohibiting the general population from being neutral observers and active agents in the ongoing environmental debate. It is important to note that despite being an Annex 1 state in the European Union, Malta still
hasn’t set up any organisation to zero in on the understanding of local earth systems. Dr Peter. A. Gatt, geologist and researcher at the University of Durham, reckons that the absence of ongoing studies on both natural and man-made forces constituting the impacts of climate change in Malta, is the main reason why Malta may tend to opt for alternative solutions with minimal levels of feasibility. University research is thus a makeshift source of comprehension. It is not simply the particular departments concentrating on geology, oceanography or sustainable development that have cone to the stark realisation that the impact of climate change on Malta is eminently noticeable. The Energy Audit carried out at University in 2007 formally disclosed the high dependency on electricity tubes, air conditioning systems, and computer systems around the place. Joseph Caruana, who is responsible for the communication channels of Greenhouse Malta, told The Insiter that “the Precinct’s Office has been offered a system by a private sector operator to introduce both waste bins and skips on campus. As regards Students’ House, the procedure is different to the one of the precinct’s area as ksu is running the operations”. Although an order has been placed, the bins in Students’ House will not be available until the Environmental Fair in March.
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In an official meeting between Prof. Juanito Camilleri, and the student organisations Insite and Greenhouse, the current Rector shed some light on the environmentally friendly measures being taken by our University with the view of ensuring a greener future for our campus:
1,000 tonnes of CO2 reduced by the University in 2 years
timers
1,600
installed at the library, with an estimated payback period of around two years
UV -reflective
80%
coating applied on windows in
University buildings during summer ‘09
of light bulbs at UOM are now energy-saving
control the airconditioning system
-10%
energy-saving tubes have been
-35% water
consumption
energy consumption
after a detected water leak was repaired
-â‚Ź40,000 20-25% savings
in energy consumption with the installation of power factor correction equipment
of electricity will be provided when the UOM installs
photovoltaic panes on all roofs on campus: The biggest photovoltaic farm in Malta
-5% -10%
emissions 2008, 2009
44 the insiter • march 2010
A greener campus? With the Environmental Fair just around the corner, one might wonder if raising our awareness is enough to bring about the radical changes needed to make our University a greener one. By Christine Spiteri
T
here is nothing like sitting on the wooden bench at the far end of the so-called Green Area in Car Park 6, while enjoying the unusual warmth of the sun’s rays on your cheeks on a late February afternoon. I observe the different people walking in and out of University and together with my friends, take a stab at guessing as to whether these passersby drive their own cars or take the bus home, until a girl cycles past us. “Imagine what it would be like, if we all had to cycle to school,” I remark, as we casually sip lemon iced teas. Nowadays, we are all so spoilt for choice with commodities that for many, it might seem irrational to use alternate forms of transport. It makes you wonder what is really being done to encourage students to contribute towards making our University ‘greener’. Throughout this year, ksu has put into effect a considerable amount of eco-friendly initiatives. Apart from the benches that we sit on – that have generated a great deal of positive feedback from students – there has been a contract signing with Greenhouse, and also the establishment of an Environmental Policy Committee to monitor and research ways and ideas on how to implement environmentally sustainable techniques and schemes on campus. The latest in this series of initiatives is an Environmental Fair that is being organised by ksu with the participation of 30 other organisations, between 1–5 March. In an interview set up with kps Commissioner, Andrea Pace, who is involved in organising the event, I ask about what sort of initiatives are being promoted throughout Environmental Week. He reveals that there is going to be something happening throughout the week, such as environmentally linked debates, clean-up campaigns, an energy-saving car show, and the plantation of trees in partnership with Nature Trust at Wied Għollieqa, among many more. The main intention of having a weeklong event is to help raise awareness about the problems we are facing with regard to our meddling in nature. The Environmental Fair targets to plant a seed in students’ minds, which, with a bit of nurturing, should help him or her make the right choices with respect to the environment. While Andrea enthusiastically points out what is in store for all
of us during the Environment Fair, I cannot help but wonder: is Environment Week enough? Is it really enough simply to raise awareness when most of us can barely see any changes being made in our immediate environment: that of our University? I am surrounded, as I sit, by plastic bottles lying on the ground at the foot of the litterbins. The sound of construction whirrs away in the background, as cars zoom past on the ring road. The absence of solar panels is conspicuous, as are the fragments of building waste and wooden planks dumped into a bin labelled ‘metal’. We can have an Environment Fair handing out flyers all year round, but what we truly need is an actual change in mentality – one that is tangible all around us.
insiteronline.com 45
Waste not, want not
T
Ihose of you who know me probably know that I’m a veritable eco-freak, who’d much rather carry an empty plastic bottle around all day than throw it in the wrong waste separation bin. Or, God forbid, a normal bin. So you can imagine the shock I got when, traipsing around campus for the first couple of times, I noticed the dire lack of waste separation going on. Wasn’t this supposed to be a campus full of educated adults capable of committing to memory seemingly endless volumes of information? Surely, then, it can’t be that hard to remember what goes into which coloured bin, can it? However, judging by the amount of Twistees packets in the tri-bins (dirty foil packaging, guys!) and recyclable material in the normal bins, the concept seems to be way beyond some people. Puzzling stuff. In students’ defence, the tri-coloured bins were slightly awkward to use. Old-fashioned tin bins with chipped paint and labels that could only be read from a distance weren’t exactly inviting. And it definitely didn’t help when it was discovered that after the effort some of you put into choosing the right coloured bin, those responsible for emptying them were putting all the contents into the same garbage bag. So, what is being done around the University to get recycling back on track? For a start, the bins have been painted green and placed on a number of locations around campus, eliminating the need to stand over the sets in puzzlement until you figure out in which coloured bin your empty Coke bottle should end up. The sets now fall under the responsibility of the individuals in the Precincts Office who, in turn, have a verbal agreement with Wasteserv to dispose of the recyclables. Wasteserv is also responsible for the emptying of the various bring-in sites around campus, which seem to be much more successful than the green bin sets. Curious as to why the unfortunate tri-bins seem to be taking so long to catch on, I was informed by both the Precincts Office and environmental student organisation, Greenhouse that in the three years that the bins have been available, there have never been any attempts at awareness and education campaigns. Without that extra push, many students and members of staff may never find the motivation to start recycling.
However, one should expect this to change should the UoM’s financial department approve the new on-campus separation schemes currently pending on the sidelines. With the correct infrastructure in place, the Precincts Office, together with Greenhouse, ksu and Wasteserv, may begin working on awareness campaigns, introducing students to the benefits of recycling. ksu is also working on providing waste separation bins in the student organisation offices, which undoubtedly generate a vast amount of recyclable waste. Furthermore, as some of you may or may not know, Greenhouse have made a number of locked skips available in the vicinities of University stationeries, in the hope that bulk recyclable waste is disposed of wisely. The worrying thing is that not all of the stationeries are making use of the available facilities, or, even worse, are disposing of waste incorrectly. I’m more than willing to pass on Malcolm Borg’s message from Greenhouse to these establishments, asking them to make that small effort to dispose of recyclables properly, especially since the correct facilities are being provided. Another incentive by Greenhouse is the battery bin found at Students’ House which, in contrast to the separation bins, is being put to good use. Using such bins is not difficult. It only takes a small effort to change our habits for the better. Finally, although this may not be directly related to the part students can play in recycling, Greenhouse will soon be launching a composting site on campus, where all the pruning for trees and shrubs will be shredded and composted. At the moment, an external contractor is being paid to shred the pruning on site and remove it. Thanks to Wasteserv and the eu, Greenhouse have been able to apply for funds to purchase their own shredder, the acquisition of which would set the ball in motion for the initiative to become an entirely internal affair. If not, they may find help at the Plant Health Department, who are also in the process of acquiring a shredder. It doesn’t take much to realise that an effort really is being made to begin proper recycling on campus. However, having attractive waste disposal units alone won’t get us anywhere. In the words of one certain wise man, we should be the change we want to see – if not in the world, let’s at least start with our own campus.
photography keith tedesco / yentl spiteri
If you’ve taken the time to throw away your plastic bottle into the correctly labelled bin, you’re probably concerned enough to question what becomes of it after it’s been disposed. Emma Gauci looks at where are campus is at in terms of waste separation and recycling
46 the insiter • march 2010
A little exercise a day keeps the stress away Maria Felice highlights the physical and mental benefits of exercise on the stressed out mind
E
ver wondered where the name for the sports brand Asics came from? ‘Anima sana in Corpore sano’ – ‘healthy soul in a healthy body’ or ‘sound mind in a sound body’. The physical benefits of exercise are endless and well known – the risk of suffering from major killer diseases is greatly reduced, bones are strengthened, calories are burnt, and so on. What about the mental benefits? When you are under stress your body gives out catecholamines which increase your heart rate and blood pressure in preparation for ‘fight or flight’. This was useful in the days when ‘stress’ meant there was a sabretoothed tiger standing behind you but in most situations nowadays the cathecolamines just make the stressful situation more stressful. Exercise uses up these catecholamines. Exercise also makes the body release endorphins in response to the physical stress of exercise and these serve to reduce negative effects such as aching muscles. People also claim that endorphins are ‘feel-good’ chemicals, and that they experience a high after exercise. Some psychiatrists and psychologists actually prescribe exercise for patients with mild to moderate depression, and studies have confirmed a positive effect. Exercise also lowers heart rate and blood pressure (in the long term), enhances the immune system, increases energy levels, reduces insomnia problems and increases appetite. Stress due to exams and assignments normally does the opposite of all these things. An added benefit of sport for students is the chance to get onto their feet and outdoors or into a different building. If sport is practised with other people then it also gives students an opportunity to socialise. I think this is even more beneficial when the people you are exercising with are not in your class because in that way you really do forget about what you’ve left behind on your desk. Admittedly, it is very difficult to fit sport into your life for the first time when you are extremely busy. That is why it is probably best to start making exercise a part of your routine at the beginning of a semester so that as the
stress-levels peak (and when you need exercise the most) you will keep on exercising because you have become so used to it. Having said that, even if you are not used to it there is no excuse not to pop out of your house in the evening and go for a walk around the block. If this article hasn’t convinced you that exercise is essential for students, then I invite you to draw up a little tally chart with a column for people you meet who think they have underperformed academically because they have been too tired and/or stressed, and a column for those who think they have underperformed because they wasted too much time doing exercise.
illustration elaine bonavia