The Journal - Edinburgh Issue 71

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PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR 2012 » Scottish Student Journalism Awards • PUBLICATION OF THE YEAR 2012 » NUS Scotland Awards

WWW.JOURNAL-ONLINE.CO.UK

EDINBURGH’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER

ISSUE LXXI

WEDNESDAY 24 APRIL 2013

EXCLUSIVE

‘The terror of failure grips the nation.’

HACKED

» Months-long investigation by The Journal reveals startling rise in cyber-crime against Edinburgh universities in recent years

COMMENT / Targets-culture hurting society

» Documents show hundreds of attacks and countless security breaches put personal data of students and staff at risk » Universities try to block release of reports highlighting embarrassing security deficiencies

13

IN NEWS / 3-11

• Toni Pearce elected to be new NUS president • Alleged ECSA ‘bully’ culture • Glasgow Trident protests • Panda breeding hopes

IN NEWS /

5

THE ANATOMY OF AUTONOMY

IN ARTS / 19-25

• Reflections on the passing of composer Sir Colin Davis • ‘Cupping’ at an Edinburgh coffee jam • Quiz Show theatre at Traverse

Calderwood star of MMA fight night • Formula 1: Progress report • Football: Trouble at Stoke • Sir Chris Hoy retires

IN SPORT /

27-31

Fiscal policy: independent currency Opinion and discussion on the economic options available to an independent Scotland

IN FEATURES /

15

2 / CONTENTS

NEWS

SHORTS

THIS WEEK INSIDE THE JOURNAL

Stuck for reconstruction

The Journal reflects on another failed round of negotiations for the SPL and SFA Scottish athletics on then up

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EXCELLENT NEWS FOR Scottish sporting prospects came over the weekend, with seven potential candidates for the 2014 Commonwealth Games achieving at levels that would permit qualification for the Glasgow games.

Hayley Haining, Derek Hawkins and Susan Partridge starred in London’s marathon, with Haining completing the race in two hours, 36 minutes and 52 seconds.

If selected for the games in 2014, she could become Scotland’s oldest ever female athlete at the Commonwealth Games.

Hawkins was the top British runner in the elite men’s race. Partridge, from Oban, came ninth in a time of 2:30:46, which is a good enough time for a place at the World Championships in Moscow in August.

Speaking to Scottishathletics she said: “I am thrilled with ninth place. The best I have managed before at this kind of level is 17th so to be in the top 10 in the London Marathon feels special.”

The standard qualifying time for Glasgow 2014 is 2:40:00, placing next summer well within the reach of Scotland’s sporting potentials.

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

@EdJournal / journal-online.co.uk

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/~jdhildeb/software/sudokugen/ on Mon Apr 22 17:36:32 2013 GMT. Enjoy!

IN FEATURES / 15 Lads mags: conquering myths How the much-maligned mags prove more fulfilling employers than stereotypes suggest

For whom the clock dings

BBC undercover in N. Korea John Steel investigates the ethics behind a journalitic trip to North Korea

You mars be joking...

A TRIP TO the red planet might sound like an attractive prospect, however, Dutch Organisation Mars One seem to be offering just a one-way ticket.

Anyone applying for a return ticket would be advised to check their travel arrangements.

In September 2022, the company intends to launch an expedition to Mars with humans aboard who are willing to accept the risk that a return flight “cannot be anticipated nor expected.”

A reality TV-style competition has begun on Twitter and Youtube to find members of the public suitably interested in visiting Mars and potentially settling on the planet.

Mars One intends to fund the $6 billion from commercial media and television

IN ARTS & ENTS / 21 ECA graduate fashion show Sneak-peek preview ahead of a big night at the College of Art

Find us on Facebook

IN COMMENT / 12

www.facebook.com/journalstudentnews

A SET OF historically significant clocks will once again chime throughout Glasgow Art School over a century after their construction.

The project to restore the time-keeping system, designed and built by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1910, has received funding from Museum Galleries Scotland to the tune of £16,800.

Groundbreaking in its day, the system requires no winding up, but consists of a set of 19 clock faces in different studios.

These are linked to a central master device that sends a pulse of electricity to ensure all the devices are displaying the same time.

For advertising enquiries or to buy ad space in The Journal Email ads@journal-online.co.uk, or alternatively, call our sales department on 0131 560 2830 or 0131 560 2826

The Journal is published by The Edinburgh Journal Ltd., registered address TechCube, 1 Summerhall Square, Edinburgh, EH9 1PL. Registered in Scotland number SC322146. For enquiries call 0131 560 2825 or email info@ journal-online.co.uk. The Journal is a free newspaper for and written by students and graduates in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Contact us if you’d like to get involved. Printed by Morton’s Printers, Lincolnshire. Copyright © 2008 The Edinburgh Journal Ltd. Elements of this publication are distributed under a Creative Commons license - contact us for more information. Distributed by Two Heads Media, www.twoheadsmedia.co.uk. Our thanks to PSYBT, Scottish Enterprise, and all who make this publication possible.

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

@EdJournal / journal-online.co.uk

STUDENT POLITICS / 3

2013 NUS NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Toni Pearce wins NUS presidency

NUS/Will Bunce

Former Cornwall College president and NUS VP becomes first non-university leader Gareth Llewellyn Deputy managing editor, Glasgow

Toni Pearce has been elected

2013-14 National Union of Students president at the union’s national conference at Sheffield City Hall.

The 23-year-old former Cornwall College president and current vicepresident further education secured 424 votes (57.92 per cent) defeating the current vice-president union development Vicki Baars by 214 votes.

Pearce said: “I’m really proud to have been given the opportunity to build the student movement around a vision for public education, and to be leading NUS as we build towards the next general election.

“Between now and 2015 we need to hold a full and frank debate about what education means to society and to properly articulate the public value of education in communities up and down the country.”

Pearce’s priorities included linking college and university students’ unions together to fight for local wins in the upcoming general election in 2015, to campaign for a single central admissions system for all colleges and universities, and to increase efforts to

organise and support students to run and win campaigns in their local areas.

More than 450 of NUS-affiliated students’ unions are in further education (FE) institutions and the majority of the students NUS represents are in FE. Conservative Party-supporting candidate, Peter Smallwood, polled 91 votes with 7 votes to Re-open Nominations.

There were 733 ballot papers received, with 732 valid resulting in a quota of 366.

Sam Gaus, representing the Inanimate Carbon Rod, withdrew from the race after a rousing speech highlighting some of the systemtic problems within the organisation.

Pearce studied at Cornwall College before being elected to the college’s students’ union from 2009-11 after turning her back on an offer to study at the University of Bath, instead advancing through the student movement ranks as NUS vice-president further education for two terms from 2011-13.

Pearce will succeed former HeriotWatt Students’ Union president and NUS Scotland president, Liam Burns, when his seond year in office ends at the end of June.

“I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.” // RESULTS Toni Pearce: 424 Vicki Baars: 210 Peter Smallwood: 91 RON: 7

McAsh fails in VP bid EUSA president runner-up in VP union development race Gareth Llewellyn

NUS/Will Bunce

Edinburgh University students’ association (EUSA) president

James McAsh has failed in his bid to become NUS vice-president union development.

Standing as an National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC) candidate at the NUS national conference in Sheffield, McAsh was defeated by 461 votes to 273 in a closely-fought contest with NUS Wales deputy president and NUS Services company chair Raechel Mattey, a former officer at Swansea University Students’ Union.

There were six votes to Re-open Nominations and one spoilt ballot, with a quota of 370.

Leading with a manifesto centred on democracy with what became a popular hashtag/soundbite of “I bloody love democracy”, McAsh wanted “to nurture, defend and extend student democracy on our campuses.”

Mattey will succeed unsuccessful presidential candidate Vicki Baars in July.

In the race to become the next NUS vice-president higher education, EUSA women’s liberation convener Naomi Beecroft — also running as a NCAFC candidate — was runner-up to incumbent Rachel Wenstone, polling

Recriminations over Thatcher death cheers President Liam Burns hits back after small group of delegates cheer news of former PM’s death Gareth Llewellyn

National Union of Students presi-

dent Liam Burns has called for humanity and sensibility folowing the death of Margaret Thatcher.

The news of the former prime minister’s death broke as the NUS national conference got underway at Sheffield City Hall.

A small number of delegates were heard to cheer her death leading to a backlash on social media from other delegates and Conservative party supporters.

Burns told conference: “Following misrepresentations on Twitter, I feel that I have to respond to Margaret Thatcher’s death.

“Now, let me be clear, I’m the last person to agree with Margaret Thatcher’s politics or her policy record as prime minister. But we must not forget that an elderly woman has

just died.”

Baroness Thatcher was Conservative prime minister from 1979 to 1990 and the first and only woman to hold the role. She served as MP for Finchley, in north London, from 1959 to 1992.

Burns added: “She had family, friends, colleagues and supporters who will want to pay their respects at this time, and the media and public debate will now be dominated by this unexpected news.

“It’s not just that this would reflect extremely badly upon us if we were to show disrespect at this time. We are better than that.

“We believe there is such thing as humanity.

There is such a thing as sensitivity. And there is such a thing as respect.

“I ask you all to think very carefully indeed about how you respond to this news as conference continues.”

Jim-full of McAsha with his P45 58 to Wenstone’s 437.

Beecroft gave a passioante speech wanting to transform NUS into a serious, militant movement against the government’s dismantling and privatising of education with liberation at its heart, calling the organisation a “cesspit of careerism and a route to a safe Labour seat.”

Re-open Nominations polled 24 with Socialist Workers Party member

Tomas Evans securing just 15 votes after Labour Students held a walkout protest during his speech over the SWP rape cover-up scandal.

McAsh was also one of 24 student officers seeking election to the NUS National Executive Committee Block of 15, being elected in the first round of voting with Aberdeen University’s 2013-14 sports president Mark McCorkell also elected.

ANALYSIS: The #nusnc13 smoke signals • Labour student activists retain control of national student movement • Conference votes reveal unexpected policy shifts in NUS

4 / NATIONAL POLITICS

@EdJournal / journal-online.co.uk

Thousands protest Trident in Glasgow

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013 Francis McKee

Activists want Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent scrapped Daniel do Rosario Political editor

Thousands

of

campaigners

marched in the streets of Glasgow on 13 April in protest against the Trident nuclear deterrent, culminating in a rally in George Square.

The demonstration was organised by the Scrap Trident Coalition, a broad group of anti-war, anti-nuclear and independence activists who oppose the renewal of the UK’s submarine-based nuclear weapon system, based in Faslane near Glasgow.

The march and rally passed without Incident, but 47 people – mostly students – were arrested in a related action on Monday as they blockaded the Faslane naval base on the Clyde. The naval base was forced to shut until 13:00, when the protestors were removed.

The Scrap Trident Coalition claim that renewing Trident will cost £100 billion over the course of its deployment, money the they say should be spent on ‘human needs’ like education, healthcare and welfare.

Mahmoud Mahdy, member of the pro-independence International Socialist Group, believes that the economic cost of Trident renewal has united disparate

activists.

“Nobody is thinking about it in terms of the peace element, because that is just common sense — nobody wants weapons of mass destruction 20 miles away from Glasgow.

“In the age of austerity the narrative is that there’s not enough money to basically bail the country out — leading to all the cuts we’re seeing.

“The problem we’ve always had in the student movement is when you’re fighting against cuts, what is the alternative except progressive taxation or taxing the rich? Well, scrapping Trident is a very concrete alternative. It’s an alternative that unites all sections of society.”

Mahdy was pleased about the media impact of the Faslane blockade and subsequent arrests, although he condemned the police, who he claimed treated the blockaders “disgustingly”, and “were very intimidating in terms of language.”

Activists say that the 47 arrested were charged with breach of the peace and were released the same day.

The Journal also spoke to Gary Paterson, a University of Strathclyde student activist.

He said: “We’re being told that we can’t have a free and fairly funded education for all, but that we must have earth

“There were horses, and a man on fire, and I killed a guy with a Trident.” shattering nuclear weapons on our doorstep whilst other countries like Ireland and Canada, and over 170 others manage get by without. 80 per cent of Scots are against Trident but we’re not being listened to.

“I am pleased to see people travel from all over Scotland and beyond to say no to nukes, I was also pleased that student representatives from all over Scotland recently voted unanimously for NUS Scotland to support the scrapping of Trident.”

The UK coalition government has said that no decision on Trident renewal will take place until 2016, although defence secretary Philip Hammond already set aside over £350 million for research and development.

Salmond names referendum day Government confirms Thursday 18 September 2014 as day Scots will vote on independence Scottish Government

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Gareth Llewellyn Deputy managing editor, Glasgow

First minister Alex Salmond has announced the historic Scottish independence referendum will be held on Thursday 18 September 2014.

The SNP leader revealed the date as the Scottish Government introduced draft legislation before the Scottish Parliament.

Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Salmond said: “It’s worth reflecting, just for a moment, on the privilege this nation and this generation will have — nothing less than choosing the future course of our country.

“We have been on a journey since 1999, since the restoration of our parliament here in the heart of our ancient capital.

We’ve witnessed a growing confidence, an increase in democratic accountability.

“I’m honoured to announce that, on Thursday the 18th of September 2014, we will hold Scotland’s referendum — a historic day when the people will decide Scotland’s future.”

Voters will be asked the yes or no question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”

The Scottish Independence Referendum Bill, introduced by deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon, sets out the arrangement of the referendum and should pass safely with the SNP enjoying a majority in the parliament.

The Bill outlines the costs of running, regulating and promoting the referendum with £8.6 million for running the referendum, £2.4 million to pay for a free mailshot for the two campaign organisations (included as part of the ‘Edinburgh Agreement’ at the request of the UK Government), £2.4 million for the Electoral Com-

mission providing regulation and oversight of the referendum, with the Scottish Government accepting the Commission’s recommendation that £1.8 million should be used for public awareness campaigns.

In a Scottish Government statement, Salmond said: “On 18 September 2014 people across Scotland will vote to determine their country’s future. It will be a historic day, and one on which this ancient nation decides its place in the world.

“People will be able to choose if they want a Scotland that is independent and able to make her own decisions – with a Scottish Parliament that is responsible for making the most of Scotland’s rich resources to benefit its communities and safeguard the welfare of our most vulnerable citizens and accountable for how we engage other nations around the world.

“Devolution has shown how we can use Holyrood’s powers to improve lives in the policy areas where we are already effectively independent.”

Opposition parties believe that Scotland will be better off if it remains as part of the UK and are campaigning as Better Together, fronted by former Labour chancellor and current Edinburgh South West MP, Alastair Darling.

The Scottish government has already introduced separate draft legislation to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in the ballot, a decision championed by the National Union of Students.

However, at the NUS Scotland conference in Dundee in March, delegates passed a motion to remain neutral on the issue of independence through the referendum, but will assist with promoting voter registration and support students’ associations in running voter registration drives as well as investigation of on-campus polling booths.

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

@EdJournal / journal-online.co.uk

ACADEMIC NEWS / 5

EXCLUSIVE

Cyber attacks put student data at risk An investigation by The Journal reveals startling rise in cyber-crime against Edinburgh universities Gareth Llewellyn Deputy managing editor, Glasgow

Scottish universities have seen

a rise in the number of cybercrimes against their IT infrastructure in recent years.

After a five-month investigation, The Journal can reveal that Scotland’s universities have experienced hundreds of attacks, which led the University of Edinburgh to send a report to the Information Commissioner’s Office in October 2012.

Documents seen by The Journal show that five websites and three ‘legacy’ databases have been compromised in the first three months of this academic year alone at Edinburgh University with at least 160 people believed to have been affected and advised to change their passwords.

The compromised websites were altered to promote advertising with one also redirecting to an external website before the university was able to remove the content and repair them.

Two of the websites were later reinfected, but again fixed. Compromised databases led to names and addresses being made to the public – which the university maintains were already in the public domain – along with passwords to minor databases, of which most were encrypted.

The university took action to take down the sites to review the code

leading to added security to its web servers and a new system put in place for database management.

The revelation of security breaches at one of Scotland’s most prestigious universities comes at the same time as documents from the University of the West of Scotland revealed that “there have been many thousands of cyberattacks [in the last five years] but none of them has been successful”.

In response to a request for information, the University of the West of Scotland said: “There has been no breach in security over this period. There have been many thousands of cyber-attacks but none of them has been successful.”

When asked to accurately quantify the information, a UWS spokesperson added: “There has been no data loss, malware infection, virus infection, cost to repair or other action taken to prevent further breaches, other than blocking spam email addresses.”

At Edinburgh University, The Journal can reveal that the affected websites at Edinburgh University were the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, Edinburgh University Brass Band and a website providing access to a database for a School of Biology research project on ed.ac.uk servers.

The university concluded that this instance appeared to be an automated Structured Query Language (SQL) injection attack rather than a targeted attack.

At the time, tech news website The

Register reported that Anonymousaffiliated Team GhostShell had targeted the world’s top 100 universities in a protest against tuition fees and an apparent falling quality of education.

In filing the report to the ICO, however, Susan Graham, the University Record Manager, determined this media coverage to be “very inaccurate”.

Of the people affected by the most serious security breach at Edinburgh University, 11 biology research students saw their details made available, 109 staff names and 53 email addresses released from the Veterinary School and up to 20 names, email addresses and a combination of names and passwords were obtained from the EUBB website.

A review of the university’s Information Security Policy has been undertaken this year and the university’s central management group received a proposal this academic year to enhance the overall security of systems outside of central control.

The number of incidents that may have occurred could be far greater, but were not logged centrally with the IT Infrastructure Division which only holds records from 2010/11.

With three academic colleges – subdivided into 22 schools – and three support groups – subdivided into 70 support services – the university’s IT security is devolved with individual schools and units responsible for protecting information systems, which

could have resulted in scores of other attacks which remain unknown.

In 2011/12, four individual school and student union servers were compromised with advertising and links to outside services added.

The servers were subsequently secured and malware removed. A user account was also compromised and allowed a malicious remote user access to 12 individual school desktop systems.

The user account password was changed and systems were checked.

A school publication website was also compromised via a SQL injection.

The server was secured and added material removed. In 2010/11, a server of one of the university’s colleges was broken into and a set of names and passwords were stolen.

The server was secured and method of handling names and passwords was changed. Despite repeated requests for comment, Edinburgh University failed to respond before The Journal went to print.

Queen Margaret University revealed to The Journal that it has also experienced attacks with six and seven machines respectively in two separate incidents in 2009/10 costing £130 to fix.

Two similar attacks took place in 2010/11 resulting in a cost of £150 to fix, however, a QMU server that year was also compromised through an “insecure/default install of PHP”.

The university spent £250 of staff time to investigate, solve and imple-

ment patches and security hardening through restrictions to external access to prevent re-occurrence.

QMU said: “When any infection is found the machine is isolated from the network and then will only be allowed back on the network once cleaned.

The devices would probably be off the network for at least half a day depending on circumstances.”

Despite the susceptibility to infection from personal machines on wireless networks, QMU does not have a comparison, but estimates the university machine infection as very low.

Unlike some universities, including Edinburgh University, QMU has a central reporting system to make it easier to spot potential problems on its networks.

Heriot-Watt University also confirmed that it has been subject to two cyber-attacks in 2011/12 which led to a web server briefly losing connectivity on one campus in December 2011 with a further compromise in January 2012 of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) trunk service briefly affected telecommunications on two campuses.

Both services were swiftly restored

by QMU’s IT services staff and relevant service providers, but not without some inconvenience to some staff and students.

Edinburgh Napier University declined to disclose information in relation to any cyber attacks against its systems.

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The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

@EdJournal / journal-online.co.uk

ACADEMIC NEWS// 7

ECSA blast college ‘culture of bullying’ Students’ association at Edinburgh College expresses solidarity with staff after damning EIS study Rachel Barr Local News editor

Edinburgh College Student’s

Association (ECSA) have spoken against the stress and lack of support faced by hundreds of teaching staff at Edinburgh College.

A recent survey conducted by Scotland’s largest teaching union — the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) — found a health-damaging and stressraising ‘culture of bullying’ within the institution. The survey was completed by over half of Edinburgh College’s EIS members and made visible the ‘untenable’ workloads and stressrelated health problems that continue to disrupt the lives and well-being of college staff.

EIS’ findings most notably drew attention to evidence of bullying within the college, highlighting how almost half of their respondents reported being bullied or witnessing bullying by managers. Speaking out against the college’s executive, a lecturer has claimed that the most vulnerable members of staff, such as those suffering from depression, are picked on as ‘easy targets’ and that the working environment is inhumane.

The results seen by The Journal show that out of 299 people who answered the survey, the vast majority of respondents were permanent staff. On the issue of bullying 24% of respondents explained that they had seen bullying or had been bullied themselves and agreed ‘very much’ with this claim. Equally 38% of respondents felt that their concerns about their work environment were not properly addressed.

Within the report a number of respondents wrote scathing criticisms of the management style at the college with one stating: “I have worked in FE all my adult life and I have never witnessed such bullying as in the last year (since October). It appears that those most vulnerable, suffering depression or temporary ill-health are picked on as easy targets. It is disgraceful.”

Another respondent added: “All joy [is] gone out of work, because of insensitive and crass management. They are just bullies!”

While some had more reserved criticisms the vas majority of respondents blamed the high levels of stress they were under on the running of the college. Some even explained that they had felt marginalised by the merger

process and blamed the situation for causing unnecessarily high levels of stress to staff.

In addition to this many respondents claimed that they had to take medication or had suffered illness as a result of the stress they were under.

A statement from Edinburgh College to The Journal states: “Edinburgh College has 1300 staff, over half of whom are involved in teaching. We have received no formal grievances relating to bullying or harassment of staff by management or colleagues since the start of Edinburgh College.

We don’t condone bullying in any way and have clear guidelines for dealing with this. We would encourage anyone who feels they are being bullied to raise this with us.

“It is disappointing that EIS have not presented the results of their survey to college management, nor requested a meeting to discuss the results. In recent months we have tried to arrange meetings with EIS on numerous different occasions to discuss issues around merger and harmonisation, which they have rejected each time. In contrast we have made steady progress with Unison, who represent support staff at Edinburgh College. We have signed

Allan MacDonald

“What madness drove them in there.” a recognition agreement with Unison and are now well on the way to agreeing harmonised terms and conditions for support staff.”

ECSA Vice President Kelly Parry has deemed the workload unacceptable for college staff and claims it is imperative that executive management make solid improvements to the teaching environment in response to the

report.

Speaking to The Journal, Parry stated: “ECSA are in absolute solidarity with staff at Edinburgh College on this issue. We are continually inspired by the work that staff do and the quality of their teaching, against a backdrop of reform, cuts and a management structure that lacks any kind of support for ground level staff”.

University finalises DNA breakthrough in capital “historic” alliance with Chinese vets Gareth Llewellyn Deputy managing editor, Glasgow

Partnership with professional body seeks to further international links in the field Hannah Dowe Standring Student News editor

The University of Edinburgh and the Chinese Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA) have signed a agreement designed to promote co-operation and collaboration on research and educational programmes between the two partners.

The agreement specifically involves the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare, a branch of the University of Edinburgh’s Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, established in 2011 and dedicated to furthering education and understanding in regards to animal welfare.

The partnership aims to promote animal welfare initiatives in China, a country not known for its strong record on animal rights, as well as supporting postgraduate veterinary education and promoting innovation in this field.

Professor Natalie Waran, Jeanne Marchig Professor of Animal Welfare Education, has labelled the collaboration a: “historic agreement, which draws upon the University of Edinburgh’s expertise in animal health and welfare research.”

This agreement marks the first time the CVMA has forged a link with

a UK university and builds on the relationship between Edinburgh and China established almost two years ago when two giant pandas, Tian Tian and Yang Guang arrived at Edinburgh Zoo. Incidentally, the pandas are entering the mating season (see page 8).

Professor Waran went on to express her expectations for the partnership: “along with the CVMA, we hope to develop dynamic expertise to enhance veterinary education — not only training Chinese veterinarians to meet the challenges of a changing and globalised profession, but also promoting animal welfare in the veterinary curriculum to ensure public safety and reduce epidemics.”

The Edinburgh-based animal welfare charity OneKind have also “welcomed” the development, highlighting the agreement as evidence of a “growing desire for change” and hailing the Jeanne Marchig Centre as: “the ideal partner to promote progress through animal welfare education.”

It is not the first such collaboration the Jeanne Marchig Centre has entered into. Current partners are diverse, ranging from Animals Asia, a charity dedicated to ending animal cruelty in Asia, to Scotland’s Rural College, a body which offers support to land-based industries in Scotland.

A team of scientists from the University of Edinburgh have discovered a way to zip and unzip DNA strands with the use of electrochemistry.

The scientists were working in cooperation with NPL and it is hoped the discovery will help to improve technologies such as biosensors and DNA microarrays which could make medical diagnostics cheaper and quicker to use.

The ability to zip and unzip DNA links to the double-helix make up of DNA which was discovered by Cambridge based scientists Watson and Crick in the 1950s. This suggested that DNA could be unzipped but until now the process has been too expensive or has modified the nucle-

otides which are the building blocks of DNA. According to the science website phys.org “The most common way of controlling the binding of DNA is by raising and lowering temperature in a process known as heat cycling. While this method is effective, it requires bulky equipment, which is often only suitable for use in laboratories. Medicine is moving towards personalised treatment and diagnostics which require portable devices to quickly carry out testing at the point of care, i.e. in hospitals rather than laboratories. The development of alternative methods to control the DNA binding process, for example with changes in acidity or the use of chemical agents, would be a significant step towards lab-on-a-chip devices that can rapidly detect disease.”

The paper, published in The

Journal of the American Chemical Society explains that electrodes are attached to a sample which contains strands of double-helix DNA. This reduces the chemicals and destabilises the DNA which then unzip.

Reducing the voltage of the electrodes then oxidises the DNA strands which then zip back up into a double helix.

The current method of binding DNA involves raising and lowering the temperature. This is effective however is not a cost effective method as bulky equipment is needed and is therefore only suitable in laboratories and aren’t portable or accessible for frontline medical care.

The current method differs as it provides a cheaper and easier solution to this problem and it is hoped this new technology will aid medicine in the future.

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8 / LOCAL NEWS

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

@EdJournal / journal-online.co.uk

Wham, bamboo, thank you ma’am: breeding hopes for Edinburgh pandas Zookeepers optimistic about Yang Guang and Tian Tian’s parenthood potential Jamie Tianson & Greg Biyanguang

The much-anticipated 36-hour

mating season of Edinburgh Zoo’s current resident pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang took place last weekend, following artificial intervention,The Journal has learned.

After an inordinate amount of attention from both staff and visitors, it seems that female Tian Tian has refused the advances of male Yang

Gavin Proc

Guang, necessitating artificial insemination; the first practice of its kind in the UK. Eschewing a male companion in the wild wouldn’t usually present a problem, as the animals normally mate with multiple partners during this short period. In the Zoo however, it has necessitated veterinary intervention.

The procedures started in the early hours of Sunday morning, and as our helpful sidebar points out, the process was a long and painstaking one...

An appropriately-thawed mixture of the frozen and fresh semen was delivered straight to the panda’s uterus, with a combination of both frozen and fresh semen being used.

The ejaculate was augmented with sperm from Berlin Zoo’s genetically significant panda Bao Bao (a former London Zoo resident).

According to panda mating expert at the China Conservation and Research Centre, professor Wang, using multiple samples of sperm emulates the panda’s n a t u r a l m a t i n g s t r a t e g y, maximis-

Chris Rubey

Just too Bambootilicious for you, babe ing the chance that a baby panda pops right out of Tian Tian in 100 days time.

A statement from Tim Valentine, Director of Giant Pandas at Edinburgh Zoo seen by The Journal said: “We were honoured to have gathered so many of the world leading experts on artificial insemination and reproduction management in animals at Edinburgh Zoo in the early hours of Sunday morning to help our own extraordinary team of talented veterinarians and animal keepers.

“This was ground-breaking science taking place for the first time in the UK. It would have been amazing if the pandas had mated naturally, however artificial insemination is the next best thing for the overall global conserva-

tion effort and the individual biology of Tian Tian our female.

“With every year that goes by where she does not become pregnant, it becomes harder for her to get pregnant naturally. Like IVF, artificial insemination is essentially an opportunity for science to give nature a helping hand.”

As a result of the pandas’ delayed fertilisation process, experts won’t ascertain for certain whether Tian Tian is pregnant until late July or early August. The results of the operation are by no means black and white, and final confirmation will only come with an ultrasound scan. In the meantime the zoo can only monitor hormone levels in Tian Tian’s urine.

SO NOW YOU KNOW / HOW TO INSEMINATE A PANDA Assisting the endangered giant panda in reproducing may sound like a noble goal, but it is also easier said than done given the panda’s tendency towards lethargy. The Journal asked a postgraduate veterinary medicine student for an insight into how one goes about making noncompliant pandas procreate. Here’s what he told us: “Electriejaculation is a method of retrieving semen from animals (dead or alive). It most often happens (always for wild animals) under general anaesthesia and is not a true ejaculate - the proportion of seminal fluids is much greater than in the usual ejaculate and the number of spermatozoa retrieved is less. It is however viable and can be used straight away, chilled or drozen for future use.

“You basically stick an electrode up the panda’s anus and that stimulates the ejaculation. (The panda needs to be asleep.)

“You take the sperm, stick it in a tube and deposit it into the female’s reproductive tract. The female needs to be in oestrus (or proestrus, depending on the species). She also needs to be asleep. AI is a standard procedure that is followed even after normal copulation to increase the chances of pregnancy in captive pandas in China.”

“My training at GCU gave me the practical skills and experience to get where I am today” KAREN SCHLEGEL Senior Broadcast Journalist, BBC

Our MA in Multimedia Journalism is Scotland’s leading post-graduate course and is accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC). Our students win more Scottish Student Journalism Awards than all other Masters programmes put together and undertake placements at media organisations such as the BBC, STV, Daily Record and The Herald. Such is the reputation of our programme that it’s consistently achieved an employment rate of over 75% in journalism and the media. Now that’s what we call a headline.

Brighter futures begin with GCU. To find out more, visit www.gcu.ac.uk Glasgow Caledonian University is a registered Scottish charity, number SC021474

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ACADEMIC NEWS// 11 Mike Murry

Middle class students feel ‘out of place’ at former polytechnics, study claims Research suggests middle-class students at ‘new’ universities compensate by taking more active role in extra-curricular activities Hannah Dowe Standring Academic News editor

Findings from a recent study sug-

gests that, for middle class students, simply getting to university is not enough if said university happens to be an ex-polytechnic.

Researchers from the Universities of Bath and Birmingham looked at the experiences of 90 students who attended two different universities in Bristol. One, the University of the West of England (UWE), is an ex-polytechnic — a so-called ‘new university’ — and the other, the University of Bristol, a member of the Russell Group of universities. Of the 45 students at UWE, those who were from a middle class background were found to feel socially “out of place”, and sought to compensate for this by taking a more active

role in extra-curricular activities.

Dr Nicola Ingram, who coauthored the study, presented its findings at the British Sociological Associations’s annual conference at the beginning of April. She explained that many of the students at UWE with high levels of cultural capital felt very out of place and engaged in extra-curricular endeavours such as running societies and undertaking internships.

Such efforts were considered necessary to make their CVs stand out, the perception being that their choice of university would fail to do this.

Dr Ingram further suggested that students from relatively affluent backgrounds “knew how to play the game better” when looking for jobs upon graduation, where they made use of a wider range of contacts than those students who, though having similar

aspirations, were from less well-off backgrounds.

The findings of the study suggest that even now, over 20 years after polytechnics became universities in their own right, there is still a stigma in some circles attached to attending such an institution. The study highlighted the apprehension some students at UWE felt at the prospect of telling people their place of study, with one student in particular admitting to devising a technique to avoid directly answering such questions by saying simply that he “went to university in Bristol.”

Another student, the daughter of an Oxbridge professor, profiled by the study was described as being “very unhappy about going to UWE”, and apparently considered transferring to another university in her first year. It

Unions slam governance shift Chris Rubey

“I have not come for what you hoped to do. I’ve come for what you did.”

EIS and NUS blast governance review as handing universities autonomy without demanding accountability Ben Cohen Staff writer

Trades Unions have branded the

new Higher Education governance

review as weak and disappointing.

The criticism comes after the code was published by a steering group of experts chaired by Lord Smith of Kelvin, a former governor of the BBC before the creation of the BBC Trust director and current chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland.

Larry Flanagan, EIS General Secretary, said: “The EIS is disappointed with the draft version of the Scottish Code of Good HE Governance published [16 April 2013] as it seems to offer nothing new to improve HE governance or accountability. In fact the main aim of the draft code seems to reinforce the autonomy of universities and consolidate existing power structures.”

One major criticism of the code is

the several vague statements of openness, transparency and accountability, making it easy for universities to avoid scrutiny if they do not meet the standards.

UCU Scotland president, Gordon Watson, said: “This is a code written by managers for managers, which is perhaps unsurprising considering the lack of staff and student involvement in the steering group and code development.

“We call on the Cabinet Secretary to reject the code and instead implement the proposals of the Higher Education Governance Review led by Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski. Further the Education and Culture Committee should not include the code in the Post-16 Bill.”

“You hear that Mr Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability...” was only through employing all her social capital, and gaining experiences through internships that she felt able to validate her choice of university.

This prejudice seems to be one not confined to those students at expolytechnic institutions themselves.

One fourth-year student at the University of Edinburgh admitted that when applying for university his parents discouraged him from considering ex-polytechnics. He told The Journal that he was against applying to the ‘new universities’ as: “the plethora of courses offered at ex-polytechnics have the potential to bamboozle

potential undergraduates.”

A second University of Edinburgh student offered a different view, telling The Journal of a need to “challenge the tendency to pander to the Russell Group universities” going on to say that “a better reputation does not necessarily mean a better education.”

Whether or not the apparent prejudice against ex-polytechnics can be deemed as fair does not seem to be the issue here. In a era when a university degree is more and more becoming a commodity, those whose degrees are from less prestigious institutions are obviously feeling the pressure.

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Robin Parker, NUS Scotland president, added: “NUS Scotland were clear from the outset where we needed to see real change. We wanted to see proposals to tackle high pay for senior managers.

“Instead, it’s more of the same, with no real staff or student involvement.

The code could have started reversing the clear gender imbalance on governing bodies. But instead we seem to get only warm words, and little action.

“There were opportunities to genuinely involve students as full members in the appointment and appraisal of university principals. What we have instead is a vague guideline for ‘consultation’.

“Obviously this is only a draft, but we must see significant improvements before the final code is produced. The Chairs had a chance to come up with their own meaningful rules, but they don’t seem to have taken that chance.

“We now hope to work with all stakeholders over the coming months to see real progress in university gov-

ernance, and have a code of governance we can all be proud of.”

The EIS has welcomed the principle that the Scottish Funding Council will require universities to follow the enacted code as a condition of a grant of public funding, but feels the loopholes for institutions devalues the code.

Flanagan added: “The universities will issue the code on a ‘comply or explain basis’ which upon reading the code means complying with the code ‘wherever possible’ and simply issuing an explanation in the following year’s annual report where this is not possible.

“The draft code seeks a wider role for the chairs of courts - which is unsurprising since the document has been written by an unaccountable group of chairs of university courts.

The new governance code has been produced by a steering group appointed by the chairs of court and will be included in legislation as part of the Post-16 Bill.

12 / EDITORIAL

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

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EDINBURGH’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER A year in student journalism

// WELL DONE

Finding a voice It’s been an interesting year to be a

student journalist in Edinburgh.

The Journal has been confronted with a melee of stories to report on, ranging from intriguing exposes to the more quotidian; from censorship scandals to chip portions at Teviot (you can decide which is which).

What has become clear, however, is the extent to which a bit of controversy can make people sit up and engage with what’s going on at their college or university. At the University of Edinburgh we’ve seen unprecedented numbers of students of all political stripes come out to express vociferous opinions regarding issues such as the censorship of The Student and subsequent motions to censure senior sabbatical officers. It’s taken a combination of unusual circumstances to remind people

that their elected representatives have the authority to speak on behalf of the community as a whole, and conversely, students have every right to initiate lively discourse and challenge what’s being said.

Frankly, this is very refreshing.

The relationship between student journalists, student politicians and the student body politick is a fickle one, and on occasions it can feel that the worlds of the former two groups are divorced from the latter. Attempting to bridge the gap is no easy feat, but it’s a challenge that this publication thrives on.

While student political movements are likely to remain rigid in their structure, it isn’t a stretch of the imagination to imagine that next year will see the benefit of engagement that has taken place this year – be it changes taking place to higher

Two of our journalists were honeducation policy, activism organised by organisations such as the National Union of Students, or political interests cultivated closer to home, the fact that this year has been one of intense and often provocative reaction has demonstrated the willingness of the student community to get involved. This is something we need more of.

In the run up to the independence vote next year, the voice of Scottish students – and the debate to be had surrounding this issue – has never been more crucial. Disagreement is a key part of decision making and consensus building. Engagement and vociferous debate is certainly at the heart of The Journal’s manifesto.

We wish you a fantastic summer break, and look forward to seeing you in the autumn.

The Thatcher legacy

very little ground uncovered regarding the death of Margaret Thatcher.

However, one issue which was not satisfactorily resolved in the aftermath of the former prime minister’s death was the treatment of young people who dared to venture opinions on her tenure.

The argument that young people who did not live through her tenure is not only ridiculous but indeed dangerous. The thousands of students of history at institutions the length of the country completely undermines the notion that they might be ill-positioned to take an opinion on a matter they did not experience first-hand.

It goes beyond history to sport and the arts. A Manchester United fan of 17 may not have seen George Best play in the flesh, but can still pass comment on his reputation as a footballer. Similarly

The Smiths broke up long before many at this university were born; yet posters in their rooms, vinyl and CDs on their shelf and gigabytes on their iPods demonstrate that influence.

The legacy of Mrs Thatcher – and indeed discussing any politician – is exactly the same; there are thousands of documentaries, contemporary documents and literature written about Mrs Thatcher. The effects of her tenure are woven in the very fabric of our society, for better or worse. Modern British politics are defined by her tenure, the tribal boundaries she raised within society still rear their heads in the towns of this nation.

It goes beyond politics; these are young people voicing an opinion. Any expression that breaks this inertia must be embraced. Be it a status update, or a blog post, these are examples of people caring about a serious issue, using the

Scots unresponsive to Salmond’s panda-ing?

oured at the inaugural Student Publication Association awards dinner at Southampton University on Friday 12 April.

Political editor Daniel do Rosario and Glasgow deputy managing editor, Gareth Llewellyn were highly commended in the Best Interview category for their work on interviews with MSPs and Scottish Parliament education conveners Stewart Maxwell and Neil Findlay, published online and in Issue XXII. Gareth Llewellyn also walked away with one of the top awards of the night, becoming the association’s first recipient of Best Reporter.

Congratulations to Daniel and Gareth on their successes!

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sean Gibson DEPUTY EDITOR Jamie Timson MANAGING EDITOR Jen Owen MANAGING EDITOR (DIGITAL) David Selby DEPUTY EDITOR (NEWS) Greg Bianchi NATIONAL POLITICS Daniel do Rosario STUDENT POLITICS Callum Leslie LOCAL NEWS Rachel Barr STUDENT NEWS Hannah Dowe Standring ACADEMIC NEWS Kirsten Waller

// REACTIONS

Opinions for all The mainstream media has left

PUBLISHER Devon Walshe EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Marcus Kernohan

opportunity to discuss the influence and legacy of an individual and the developments to society wrought by their hand. It doesn’t have to be Aristotle; the beauty is in the process of thought. This should not be discouraged; one didn’t have to be on the streets of Berlin as the wall fell to see the effect it has had on the way we view the modern world, and the way it now works.

Young people should be free to respond to political developments – not in order to prove any point to those who denigrate their capabilities but rather to inspire each other to greater action. No good can come of preventing young people from developing their critical faculties through engagement with both current affairs and history, no matter how erroneous they may seem to more experienced members of society.

by Jen Owen

Journal readers respond to recent stories from our papers and website The public letter of resignation the ISG wrote doesn’t mention sexism at all. So, this all sounds like political opportunism to me.

- Ali, via web.

Fairly left wing? The man describes himself as a stalinist. #justsaying Anonynous Even if all of the above is true, it doesn’t change the fact that the GUU is full of some of the most boring, yuppy aresholes that ever graced the planet.

Were they not knocking this place down? Or was that just the Hive? No worries though, I’m sure mummy and daddy will build a brand new one for yous afterwards.

- Nice Wan Touch tennis was awesome last week! Thanks again everyone should come along!

- Gaurav Singh

COMMENT Jon Vrushi FEATURES Lydia Willgress DEPUTY EDITOR (ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT) Sorry Goodman BOOKS John Hewitt Jones MUSIC Rebecca O’Malley FILM Nathanael Smith ART & DESIGN Gillian Achurch FOOD & DRINK Ben Kendall FASHION Oliver Giles DEPUTY EDITOR (SPORT) Ruth Jeffery PICTURE EDITOR Christopher Rubey DEPUTY PICTURE EDITORS Malgosia Stelmaszyk Ella Bavalia Stanley Liew Allan MacDonald LAYOUT DIRECTOR Alina Mika GRAPHIC DESIGNER Kristin Yordanova

.

Please direct all letters, complaints, threats and general rants for publication to letters@journal-online.co.uk.

SUBEDITORS Jonathan Langley SALES Arran Walshe Charles Beare

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

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COMMENT// 13

DISCUSSION&DEBATE

COMMENT “If at first you don’t succeed, stop.”

The system of targets and goals in all walks of life is hindering not helping our society and it needs changing Jamie Timson Deputy editor

Things can only get better. It’s worry-

ing how just one sentence can conjure up an image of New Labour so quickly. That aside, its an aphorism that the British have relied upon for quite some time.

The cuts, austerity, the economy, state funerals, divided Britain…it’s a bleak time and one that’s constantly changing. Changing, but unfortunately despite D:Ream’s best efforts not necessarily for the better. The problem is our attitude to change as a society. The setting of targets, for the economy, for unemployment, for immigration, it’s toxic. Incentivised business management exists from the stationers of Basildon to the bars of Bali, but the culture it creates is unflinchingly ugly. The win at all costs mentality that we so loathed in Lance Armstrong is there every day in companies up and down the country, its even apparent in the Job Centres – you know those places that aren’t meant to help out the destitute, those places that people wouldn’t voluntarily choose to use. Targets must be met, work must be found for the unemployed and if a job at Poundland doesn’t suit them…well it seems they shouldn’t have got themselves into the sorry mess of needing help from the state in the first place.

David Cameron and George Osbourne, aren’t - despite many of their actions to the contrary – fundamentally evil. Their belief system gives rise to their actions. When David Cameron spoke

in 2009 of Labour’s ‘big government’ causing the downfall of the economy, he truly believed the notion of the ‘big society’ would save the day. And yet how incompatible is that belief with 90% of his actions, here is a government who encourage free enterprise and unabashed capitalism, a political cohort who’s very ideology is rampant individualism…and then they’re surprised that people don’t look out for each other? They’re surprised that when they divide the lower classes into ‘workers and shirkers’, ‘strivers and skivers’ – like a Dr Seuss/George Orwell crossover – it doesn’t foster a ‘big society’ where the well off warmly embrace those less fortunate than themselves. This belief is not just Cameron and Osbourne’s. In the wake of the passing of the Iron Lady, one of her colleagues in amongst the hagiographies mentioned Maggie was constantly bemused by the reaction of society to what she saw as their liberation and freedom to create wealth. It seems the Baroness really did think that her philosophy of free enterprise and capital accumulation would instil in society a large sense of community and a spirit of everyone chipping in to help out.

Except it didn’t happen. Thatcher’s proliferation of a society ridden with greed and selfishness produced the “loads of money” culture in mid 80s and early 90s that didn’t have want or need for the notion of community spirit. The old adage of ‘madness being repeating the same actions and expecting different results’ couldn’t be more applicable for

David Selby

‘Individualism, like it or loathe it, is becoming a part of our everyday life.

The consequences are far-reaching, as more and more are encouraged to look after only themselves.’ the Conservatives of 2013.

Saying this and although many will argue different, its not really about the right or the left of the political spectrum. After all, the left aren’t suddenly demanding we rid the system of targetdriven management. No. Ed Balls – when he’s not taking paltry donations from George Osbourne – sings from the very same hymn sheet that Blair and Brown did: ‘The cuts aren’t working, look at the targets not being met, look at the figures’.

That’s the issue, if we focus on the figures we miss out on the bigger picture. Sure after the Olympics there was growth in the economy, but had anything actually changed? Were the public services in any better state? As a society we have become

so focused on goals and then are so disappointed in our sports stars that cheat to win and our children who lie about completing their homework, both examples of ends being prioritised over the means.

However, if we continue in this world where success is prized above all else, it’s a depressingly familiar future.

Individualism like it or loathe it, is becoming a part of our every day life.

The consequences are far-reaching, as more and more are encouraged to look after only themselves, great inequality occurs between those who can and those who cannot, because despite what Iain Duncan Smith would have you believe, not everyone in society has the same opportunities. As the inequality grows

so does the need to achieve the targets, if failure is so unappetising desperation means people will dodge, duck and dive like Del-Boy himself. Fine if you’re a market trader in Peckham, less fine when you’re working for Barclays dealing with high-risk economics.

The terror of failure grips the nation, with less inequality the reward for success would still be there, it just wouldn’t create such unreasonable behaviour amongst the masses. After all, people will still want to succeed, its just they wouldn’t fear failure in the same way. We seem to have taken Robert the Bruce’s most famous maxim and turned it into “If at first you don’t succeed, you’re finished.” And what kind of mantra is that?

The great many ways to peel an orange As Edinburgh Anonymous hangs up their hat, their identity will forever remain a secret; all right it was Max Crema Edinburgh Anonymous As a student, you often come into

contact with a variety of different people, often offering a variety of different services.

This is no more so the case than during the exam period, when all normality goes out of the window, and vast conversations can hinge on something as important as the price of highlighters.

However, on a midweek morning, it was an enlightening experience for this student to encounter a cloakroom attendant at the British Library who clearly felt the world was out to get him.

Now as a Brit, much pride is taken in not causing a scene. For many the concept of complaining about the service in a restaurant is barbaric.

The notion of actually voicing complaint, even in the face of such violent anti-British behaviour as queue jumping is beyond most of the population of this Fair Isle. I find myself firmly in this camp, loath to cause any kind of scene.

Perhaps then it was this thought that pervaded throughout the cloakroom attendant’s performance: “Do I look like an idiot bruv?”

An apparently rhetorical question however almost definitely directed at his colleague.

“Why should we take shopping bags? There’s lockers for any unnecessary bags” This seemed a rather pointed remark as the whole queue in unison looked down at their own bags to see if they were…“unnecessary”. What had initially appeared a rather simple task of handing in all bags and coats on entry to the library had now taken on a measure of difficulty, when faced with such a strict arbiter of the essen-

tiality of our belongings.

“I promise no shopping bags here” a rather jovial middle-aged gentlemen joked as he sidled up to the attendant.

Foolishly attempting to make light of was what was fast becoming a rather turbulent period in the attendant and consequently our own lives.

The expression of the attendant went from confused to disdain quicker than a dog who’s just sneezed – now that’s an online video for you to search - “No its not you, its them in there” he pointed now to a room that appeared to everyone to be completely empty. “They think we can take all kinds of bags…” There was a small murmuring where I assume the collective thought of the queue went along the lines of ‘Well this is a cloakroom’.

However, taking the role of subservient subjects in his lair of North Face jackets no one spoke up and the gentleman moved on muttering compliantly “No you’re right its abso-

lutely ridiculous…”

It was this setting, now devoid of any humour, which made the next few minutes even more absurd. His colleague - who up to this point had remained completely motionless, a mere extra in this Shakespearean drama – began to peel an orange. As I made my way to the desk, certain that I would pass through without adding to the melodrama, I felt this surge of pain in my left eye, as my head rocked back and to the left. It was an intense burning for a second almost as if someone had squirted acid, citric acid, into my retina. I swivelled round so I could see the culprit with my good eye. The culprit of course remained motionless, continuing to peel his orange unashamedly.

I turned to look at the attendant who had apparently gained a sense of humour that had been severely lacking only moments before.

“Whats wrong with you bruv?

Don’t make a scene…”

David Selby

14 / COMMENT

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The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

The Lad Magazine: The lesser of two modern evils Lydia Willgress argues that while they may have their faults, Nuts, Zoo and the like are preferable to Page Three

weeks at a men’s magazine and, quite frankly, it was great. I spent my time with a wonderful team learning more than I could imagine, amused by anecdotes and the giant cardboard cut-out of a lingerieclad Kate Middleton stuck clumsily on the office wall.

Other people weren’t as impressed when I told them about my placement.

“Yes,” I found myself explaining, “I helped on photo shoots, I spoke to models.” The fact I had got my name into the magazine was forgotten, the single-page feature lost among the fact that I had chosen lingerie and ordered props for Imogen Thomas.

To these people, I pointed out that I want to be a Professional Journalist, and therefore I have the ability to hold myself apart from the content that I write; it doesn’t matter if the reader is a fifteen-year old hormoneridden boy fascinated by boobs, or a 60-year-old woman who’s more keen on cross-stitch.

I quickly discovered that people had little interest in my career instead focusing on my morals. Whether lads’ mags are degrading to women was a question thrown at me frequently, but I couldn’t provide a simple answer.

I was well aware of the reaction the inclusion of topless pictures in such publications has caused, with the cus-

argument. She asserts that the need for a larger circulation and constant drive towards success in the industry forced the magazine to “abandon the idea that the girl’s personality was essential.” As girls stopped being asked about their hobbies, where they live and what they do, the magazines lost their focus and their need to show more than just the anatomy to the reader.

With the lads’ mag market in decline, this may be an age-old debate not worth having. Figures released in 2010 by the Audit Bureau of CirculaJoe Loong

tions saw FHM’s circulation fall by just over 15 per cent year-on-year and sales of Zoo and Loaded drop by over 20 per cent. However, White believes the problem runs deeper than the magazines themselves: “While [they] may be in decline, the culture they helped to create can still be seen in towns and cities all around the UK – from the Saturday-night porny perspex heels to the casual DIY sex tapes and still-held hopes for fast fame.”

But get rid of lads’ mags and you still have the internet (why else is the industry declining?), you still

have Page Three, the shops that sell six-inch heels, the increasing acceptance of sex in society, the handful of women who really want to be in the industry and the celebrities who insist on posting pictures of themselves in their latest delicate buy on Twitter. It may be a culture, but a culture created by the arrival of men’s magazines on the scene? I’m not so sure. Despite the criticism, it’s better for women who want to be in the industry to pose for a respected publication than upload their own gritty pictures to the internet for the whole world to see.

Thatcher: “correct etiquette” upon the death of a leader How the response of the few is pored over by the many Simon Thornton

The death of a notable public

“Cast it into the fire!”

Call our sales department on 0131 560 2830 or email ads@journal-online.co.uk

Last summer, I spent a couple of

tomary ‘banning The Sun on campus’ debate renewing itself as new rounds of freshers begin every year.

Toby Evans, publisher of Marie Claire and former men’s magazine worker, spoke exclusively to The Journal about including topless photos in lads’ mags: “In general, yes, I think it is degrading to run pictures of topless women. But I also think it’s all about contex, and on that front, The Sun fails: in a newspaper, it’s just grubby (in my opinion!) — a cheap footnote to the actual content of the paper. At least with a men’s mag, the women are the magazine, and so, to an extent, the power lies with them.”

Evans points to a key issue. The presentation of women in such publications depends on the franchise and the difference between topless pictures of your favourite celebrity being printed alongside an interview (let’s not forget that women’s magazines often do exactly the same) and rating ‘real girls’ out of ten (‘Pick your fav – it’s the least you could do’) is huge. The former have some degree of power, but the latter are subject to ‘lad banter,’ judgement and, sometimes, humiliation. It comes as no surprise that the ‘real girls’ who are voted for are the ones who don’t save face; sorry girls, but if you don’t publically display your nipples you’re only a four out of ten.

In a candid article written for The Guardian, Terri White, who helped launch Nuts magazine, furthers this

For advertising information

Lydia Willgress Features editor

figure is always bound to stir up the debate of whether or not a degree of ‘death-etiquette’ should be imposed, not only by the media but also by the public. I’ve always been brought up with the notion that it is disrespectful to speak ill of the dead, yet when the news of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s death was announced on 8 April reactions were as split and diverse as any of her policies.

The Guardian’s Glenn Greenwald criticised what he thought to be a “misapplied death etiquette” in regards to Thatcher being a public figure, feeling it not only to be “misguided but dangerous” to say nothing against someone who has died. This brings into question whether the way a nation reacts to an individual of such prominence should be restricted at the time of their passing? Or is the very fact that they are a public figure give us the right to express ourselves no matter how ‘malicious’ it may seem.

Just as she divided the nation whilst living, it seems that even in death there is no let-up for Thatcher.

In being such an important figure, it is hardly surprising that people did not adhere to the dutiful respect normally bestowed upon the dead. Most people have an opinion on Thatcher, and the word ‘divisive’ is one of the first to be thrown about when it comes to discussing her and her government.

For some, she saved a Britain that was in disarray in the late 1970s, overrun by unions and weakened world power; but to many she was the woman who divided and destroyed a nation, increasing the gap between rich and poor and ultimately allowing the so-called ‘welfare state’ in which we live today to thrive. I must admit now, that despite not being born when Thatcher was in power, her legacy is something that has always been instilled in me from a young age. (Being a Northerner, I probably have a more passionate outlook than most!)

Yet whatever your opinion about the woman is, one cannot deny that Thatcher had an impact. Many revere her thanks to her being the first, and thus far only, female Prime Minister of the UK and admittedly, she does get my respect for achieving that

post. Let’s not forget we’re talking about a greengrocers daughter from Grantham (despite the fact she never showed any signs of wanting to have anything to do with her roots after coming to power) and not an upperclass ex-Etonian hobby politician.

This was a woman who, after working as a scientist and lawyer, set out to prove herself against the male-dominated world of politics. But despite people lording her for ‘doing so much for women,’ or “breaking the glass ceiling” as Prime Minister David Cameron recently pronounced, she only appointed one female in her cabinet. She was a woman in a man’s world and seemed to revel in that fact.

As soon as the news was announced with regards to her death there were instant calls for those on the left of the political scale to show respect and keep reactions stilted.

Even Labour MP Tom Watson called upon his colleagues “on the left of politics [to] respect a family in grief today.” It seemed that the 11 years of hell, for many, were lost and forgot about in an instant; for now, we should all be good boys and girls and not say any nasty words.

Well alright, I’m sorry for the Thatcher family, as they’ve lost a mother and grandmother; and for those close to and who know the family then yes, they should show respect and behave appropriately.

But to stifle the views of those who are fundamentally anti-everything Thatcher stood for is, in my opinion, absolutely ludicrous. Especially when those who tell us to keep our opinions on the low at this time have no qualms in using her death to shout about praise and to an extent sanctify such a discordant figure.

When one enters a role such as Prime Minister, one loses the right to be viewed solely as a private figure.

Margaret Thatcher knew this. Of course she knew this. She was a woman of principle, averse to comprise and stuck to her guns throughout her tenure as PM. She wouldn’t have given a second thought to her adversaries. And for me, a couple of weeks ago it was an old lady with dementia that died. Thatcherism still lives; only when that has been eradicated will I truly be able to celebrate.

Therefore let us debate, let us assert our opinions. The shackles of ‘death etiquette’ will never be appropriate for a person of office, even when it’s the Iron Lady herself.

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

The Anatomy of Autonomy ON THIS FINAL edition of The Anatomy of

Autonomy we will be exploring the ‘bread and butter issues of economics and monetary policy. Making cases for and against independence with economic considerations in mind are Blair Jenkins, chief executive of the Yes Scotland campaign, and Alistair Darling, chairman of Better Together and former chancellor of the exchequer respectively.

To clarify the issue of the currency that an independent Scotland would be using,

Professor Catherine R. Schenk University of Glasgow

The debate over independence

threatens to be bogged down in speculation about how the economic system will adapt rather than whether a constitutionally independent Scotland will deliver better outcomes for Scots than the Union.

Within this wider debate, the issue of what money will look like is becoming more prominent. This might seem a rather obscure and technical discussion, but the Eurozone crisis has shown clearly that monetary systems have an important impact on social and economic experience of all people. In particular, strains in the Eurozone since 2010 have highlighted the difficulties of operating a single currency across a range of sovereign states.

Scots will have some choices to make in the wake of a Yes vote in 2014: stick in a monetary union with the UK and keep the pound, move into the Eurozone or launch a new national currency. In fact, these choices are not as distinct as they might appear. In a globalised economy a country like Scotland — that profits

COMMENT// 15

@EdJournal / journal-online.co.uk

Professor Catherine R. Schenk of the University of Glasgow considers the three most probable scenarios: continued usage of the pound, joining the Eurozone or having a new national currency.

In this last edition of The Anatomy of Autonomy we can only hope that we have contributed to the level of debate on the Scottish independence forum in the past few months, and that we have provided answers to readers and those who will be voting in the referendum in 2014. from international trade, seeks to attract international investment and wants free movement of workers across borders — already has limits to its economic policy sovereignty. Constitutional independence will not deliver economic independence and this is true for all states engaged with the global economy. However, there are shades of difference among the three currency choices.

Adopting the Euro could facilitate trade and payments with Europe and lend credibility and confidence to investors who trust the European Central Bank’s monetary policies. While Greece, Cyprus and other Eurozone states have faltered through not ensuring fiscal balance and diverging from the healthier economies in the Eurozone, there is no need for Scotland to fall into this trap. On the other hand, with Eurozone GDP contracting and the future of the Euro uncertain, 2015 does not seem a good time to join.

What about introducing a separate Scottish currency? Recent examples of currency disintegration are not very numerous. After constitutional independence in the 1950s and 1960s, a range of former British colonies introduced

PART VI: FISCAL POLICY

POUND, EURO OR BAWBEE? Prof. Catherine Schenk explores Scotland’s policy options

separate currencies as emblems of their new status but in practice they pegged the exchange rate to the pound so the amount of monetary independence they achieved was limited. New currencies followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the creation of new states in eastern Europe during the 1990s, the division of Yugoslavia into Slovenia and Croatia in 1991, and the separation of the Czech and Slovak republics in 1992 (Slovakia and Slovenia subsequently adopted the Euro).

In each case there were disruptive effects on trade and payments that were expensive and hurt economic performance. The lessons from earlier episodes, such as Malaysia and Singapore in the 1960s suggest that a gradual approach of disengagement with free transfer

and convertibility of currencies across borders at par and a stable exchange rate is likely to be most effective. The separation of Malaysia and Singapore in 1963 was fraught with political hostility, but the successful transition to independent currencies was co-operatively managed over ten years during one of the most volatile decades in the global economy.

Given that both the Euro and a separate currency will both constrain policymaking anyway in the medium term, perhaps the simplest and least costly option is to stay in a currency union with the pound. But this will require following the interest rate policy set by the Bank of England, which historically has responded more to economic conditions in the Southeast of England than

the regional needs of the UK. If a different exchange rate or interest rate policy would help Scotland, it might be better in the longer term to have the freedom to make these adjustments.

The status quo already meets the needs of a distinctive national representation on currency notes, which could evolve into the first stage of a gradual move toward disengagement, but this is likely to be a long process begun well after constitutional independence once the global recession and uncertainty are behind us.

In the meantime, there is little space for independent monetary policy for a small open economy such as Scotland no matter what currency option is chosen by a post-independence government.

Better Together and Yes Scotland consider Scotland’s economic future Alistair Darling and Blair Jenkins highlight the benefits and challenges that an independent Scotland would face Alistair Darling

BETTER TOGETHER I believe that we are better together with our friends, families and workmates from across the United Kingdom.

Our companies and businesses sell more goods to England, Wales and Northern Ireland than we do to all the other countries in the world combined. We have influence at the top table as part of the UK — especially in Europe. This influence matters a great deal to our farming and

Blair Jenkins YES SCOTLAND

To quote the renowned economists

on the Fiscal Commission Working Group: “By international standards, Scotland is a wealthy and productive country.”

So it still surprises me when people ask, ‘but what has Scotland got?’

Students across Edinburgh and Glasgow will be more aware of Scotland’s economic strengths than others.

By definition, you are part of a university sector that is among the best in the world.

Perhaps your degree will bring you into contact with the exciting BioQuarter at Little France, one of the hubs on which

fishing industry. It makes no sense to me to give this up.

However, I also believe that there is a powerful emotional argument for staying together. The UK is so much more than the sum of its individual parts. All of the countries have worked together for centuries and we have achieved so much together. There is so much more that we can do if we set our sights high.

The Scotland that I want my children and their children to grow up in is one where we define ourselves on what we want to achieve, not on a border or by blaming others for everything that has ever gone wrong.

I believe that we are stronger when we work together.

No-one can argue that Scotland couldn’t go it alone. However, we would be very dependent on oil revenues which account for nearly 20 per cent of Scotland’s tax income.

Everyone knows that oil prices are notoriously volatile. A fall in the oil price could leave Scotland very exposed indeed. Oil production has fallen and the cost of its extraction is rising; it won’t run out tomorrow but it won’t go on forever.

We know the nationalists are worried about this. In a leaked memorandum, the Finance Minister John Swinney admit-

ted that because of the volatility of the oil price they could not guarantee public services and are looking at the sustainability of the pension.

When challenged to share their private concerns in public, they cooked the books inflating the oil price, something their own advisors had warned them against. Rather than be careful and prudent with their financial plans, the nationalists are asking us to take a gamble on our economic future. It is a gamble with massive stakes.

Every week we see more questions going unanswered. Even a question as basic as what currency would we use has

been met with utter confusion.

The nationalists want to leave the UK, but automatically create a Eurozone style common currency within England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We have seen the problems that have taken place in Europe, is this really what we want to create here?

Crucially, their plans would mean our budget would have to be approved by the rest of the UK; that’s not independence.

And what is their plan B? A separate Scottish currency which would hit trade with the rest of the UK. Or would we use sterling like Panama uses the dollar, with no central bank to stand behind our mortgages and savings.

Scotland’s growing reputation in Life Sciences is based.

Engineers will know that the Port of Leith is well placed to benefit from jobs and investment as a key location in Scotland’s renewables revolution. Few in the capital will have missed Scotland’s burgeoning food, drink and tourism industries. And, of course, we have oil and gas.

Over the next few weeks, Yes Scotland will be pointing to the facts that show how wealthy our country is. In fact, Scotland would be the eighth wealthiest country per head of population in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) — with the UK lagging behind at 17th. And the statistics show our public finances are better placed than the UK’s, and many other European countries. That’s why, when pushed, ‘No’ politicians accept that there is no question

that Scotland could survive as an independent country. I’d go further — I would say we would thrive. That’s because there are major improvements that we can and must still make to our economy and society, but only independence will ensure we can do that. Let me explain two of the most important.

Firstly, why hasn’t our economy been growing more strongly? Over 50 years, Scotland’s growth has been 40 per cent lower than equivalent independent countries — that makes a massive difference to standards of living and public services.

We could improve on that; for example, by using new tax powers to tackle our business start-up rates and lagging commercial research and development. But only if we have the powers. Small independent nations are forging ahead in terms of growth, innovation and wealth creation,

so let’s join them.

Secondly, we have a fundamental problem with how our wealth is distributed. Far too many families do not feel as if we live in a wealthy country. The UK is one of the most unequal countries in the developed world, with income inequality among working aged adults rising faster here than in any other OECD country over the period since 1975. That hasn’t happened by chance; it’s a result of conscious policy decision made by successive Westminster governments.

As the Fiscal Commission Working Group pointed out: “Without access to the relevant policy levers — particularly taxation and welfare policy — there is little that the Scottish Government can do to address these trends.” Again, other small independent countries are leading the way, with countries like Norway not

only topping the wealth leagues but also securing far greater levels of fairness and equality. There is no reason why Scotland can’t choose the same path.

These are the opportunities that independence offers. The ‘No’ campaign will provide a vague sound-bite about ‘the best of both worlds’ and compile a list of issues which they think are too hard for the people of Scotland to deal with — unlike the Danes, the Swedes, or the Swiss.

But with Westminster’s austerity programme increasing poverty levels and undoubtedly harming growth, it’s almost impossible to offer a positive vision of the future under Westminster governments.

Quite simply, Westminster isn’t working for Scotland. Let’s take our future into our own hands and follow the lead of other small independent nations to forge a fairer and more prosperous country.

16 / COMMENT

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

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Booze and academia: fostering academic communities among university students The Journal examines the importance of fostering academic communities at universities Jon Vrushi Comment editor

At the beginning of this semes-

ter I went to a cinema with my tutorial group to watch a screening of Lincoln, the Oscar award-winning film. We gathered at the cinema bar before the film and got to know each other better. After the film, we went for another drink and talked for hours and hours. Personally, I realised that I would like to go into further study of the American civil war and started looking at honours courses the next day. Not only was it a good opportunity to socialise with like-minded people, but it was also an academically stimulating experience; I even got to become Facebook friends with some of my tutorial group course mates — a rarity these days.

Unfortunately this sort of experience tends to be an exception, a story to tell to your friends, rather than a normal social interaction among undergraduates. In reality, most tutorials are dull and non-stimulating. An

hour of pretending to have consulted the reading list when in fact you have, at best, looked the topic up on Wikipedia is hardly life-changing. Even the students who who actually make the effort of reading the suggested articles or even go beyond it, can be too introverted to participate unless probed by the tutor. All in all, tutorials, especially in humanities and social sciences can be, and tend to be uninspiring.

The first issue that determines the rest of the conduct of tutorials is the introduction — that awkward first tutorial when you are sitting in a small room full of strangers, waiting for the tutor to walk in and start.

Instead of a sorry excuse for an introduction where everyone states their name, age, origin and a reason for taking the course — where applicable — the tutors should conduct an icebreaking session, or two, or as many as it takes until everyone is comfortable enough with the group. Ice-breakers can range from simply talking about interests, hobbies and to dividing tutorial groups into sub-groups

“I’ll have three fingers of Glenlivet, with a little bit of pepper... and some cheese.” with a task or a project to implement.

Often throwing people in the deep end forces them to make an effort to socialise and understand one another better. Knowing more than the first name of people who you are supposed to discuss with can significantly improve the quality of the debate.

Since that cinema outing, there has been a perceivable improvement in the quality of our tutorial discussions.

It would be very difficult to foster a sense of academic community when people who study similar or same disciplines do not have the right opportunities to get to know each other. In my experience, most of my tutorial group course mates would not even stop to greet me; if I am lucky they will raise an eyebrow acknowledging the fact that they are aware of my existence. Assuming that I am not a complete social deficient, the reason for that would be the structure of tutorials.

At the University of Edinburgh, academic societies have shown how some efforts towards the building of an academic environment can be successful. Last year, the history society organised a pub quiz with students, PhD candidates and lecturers. We had fun during the quiz, and went for drinks after it, talked about our interests, research ambitions, experiences and so on. This year, the same history society did a fantastic job in organising a series of lectures with guest speakers and wine reception at the end, but unfortunately the turnout was disappointing to say the least, with as few as 14 students attending one of these events.

There needs to be a communal effort to improve this. In the name of fairness, it must be admitted that the barbarians are inside the gates. The party to blame the most are we, the students ourselves. However, it must also be acknowledged that it is not

easy to immediately move away from home to university and get used to an undergraduate’s lifestyle. The fact that freshers come to university and do not find an academic environment outside university hours, creates in their minds a template of a particular student lifestyle, where academic communities are not a feature of it.

This is where the university and student-run societies can make a change.

University is the time of our lives when we can afford to spend three or four years immersing ourselves in the study of something we are passionate about, and this immersion requires that we live with our subjects. Our academic interest does not end when the university shuts its doors, and this should be reflected in our extracurricular activities. A more stimulating experience in our tutorials and seminars, combined with more opportunities to socialise with like-minded people would be a good starting point.

E F F i C i E n t. . . Fa S t. . . r E l i a B l E . . . S a F E

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COMMENT / 17

Undercover journalism in North Korea John Steel questions the morality and ethics of the BBC’s investigative reportage in North Korea Myouzke

“Welcome to the desert of the real.”

John Steel Staff writer

‘North Korea Undercover’,

the latest episode of the BBC’s investigative programme Panorama, reflects the wider problem with the tone of coverage of the Korea crisis: an obsession of our western media with reporting the general backwardness and repression. Despite the grave sensitivity of the situation in North Korea, the BBC’s journal-

ist John Sweeney adopted a fetishistic approach to his subject, straying beyond the realms of ethical journalism. The documentary, aired on Monday 15 April, made for a great watch, but then again so does most coverage of North Korea. Be it a clip of goose-stepping columns of soldiers in Pyongyang, fervent news presenters decreeing the end of the west or wailing masses grieving the apotheosis of Kim Jong-Il, news editors know that North Korea

makes good TV. One such media executive, Ceri Thomas, the BBC’s acting deputy director of news, described Panorama’s investigation in North Korea as being an ‘overwhelming public interest case.’ He was defending the BBC’s move to ‘piggy-back’ – his words, not mine – an LSE trip to North Korea in response to the LSE’s charge that the programme had used their students as “human shields”. Watching Sweeney during

his guided tour of North Korea it quickly becomes apparent that he is discovering nothing new. Alongside a fixation with the inconsistency of the electricity supply, Sweeney falls into a pattern of highlighting the poverty and secrecy of North Korea. With a limited educational purpose it is difficult to detect any public interest in the undercover trip to North Korea.

As the tannoys ring out in central Pyongyang, Sweeney adopts a sensationalist tone – one that he sustains throughout the programme. ‘You can feel the tension rising’ he tells the camera from the safety of his hotel balcony, ‘what’s really happening, we don’t know’. Despite this he is undeterred from taking the opportunity of being in North Korea to perform a series of publicity stunts. In Pyongyang national library, Sweeney orders George Orwell’s ‘1984’. On a visit to a hospital he berates the doctors for not showing him any patients. While in transit he constantly provokes his tour guides by ignoring their demands not to take photos.

Elsewhere in the programme Sweeney conducts an interview with a North Korean defector. She tells him that officials in North Korea who ask questions of their superiors would be killed ‘everyone knows that’ she says. Despite this Sweeney’s conduct toward the North Korean officials remains bellicose and unforgiving. At the end of a hospital tour he asks the translator to “tell the doctor we are not fools we haven’t seen any patients, please don’t treat us this way.” His comments leave the doctor to make excuses for the Kim Jong-Un regime. Conscious of the dangers that North Korean citizens face in speaking to foreigners, it is wholly unfair to try to hold them accounta-

ble for their own persecution. Rather than this being, according to The Guardian, ‘very courageous reporting...and clearly the right thing to do’ Sweeney’s challenges to low-ranking officials, doctors and factory workers is unethical, cowardly and self-consciously emotive.

When discussing the countries internment camps, which are thought to hold up to 200,000 prisoners, Sweeney asks two questions of the former prisoner he interviewed: ‘How did they bury the dead in the winter when the ground was cold’; ‘How many bodies in one hole in the ground’. To be more constructive, journalism must go beyond the present macabre fascination with practices of the North Korean state as presently International media is failing to convey the seriousness of the North Korean crisis. Indictments of the Korean state for its numerous breaches of human rights are tempered by the attention that is paid to more sensational aspects of state activity. Evoking the irrationalities of life and government in North Korea has become the stipend of journalists world-wide. Far from being the natural complement to reports of wide-spread famine or threats of nuclear war, ridicule of the North Korea inevitably trivializes the traumas of its population as well as the dangers that the Kim Jong-Un order may pose to the rest of the region.

In a bid to excite audiences too little attention is being paid to the ongoing cataclysmic humanitarian crisis in North Korea. The BBC expresses its mission in the triptych: ‘to inform, educate and entertain’. It is characteristic of a global trend that in this case it fulfilled the latter to the detriment of the first two.

On shipping containers, ad nauseum The perilous ponderings of a student who has reached the end of their tether at the writings of all academics Michael Boredsly Staff writer

What follows is a small story that represents 4 years of frustration studying a social science that seems to be incapable or unwilling to talk about things that matter in a way that is comprehensible.

On standardised shipping containers, Martin Parker writes that he is uncomfortable with the simplistic eco-

nomic account about their influence on the birth of globalisation — arguing that it is a gross oversimplification. Which of course, it is.

For the uninitiated, this is the widely held notion that the invention of shipping containers was a significant contributing factor to today’s world of globalization though the speeding up trade and logistics, leading to all kinds of knock on effects including offshoring to China and so on.

Louis Vest

“All Isengard is emptied!”

The counterpoints are varied — there are all kinds of historical lead-ups to the containerisation of goods, it wasn’t a simple turning point that turned on the switch of globalisation, there are hidden stories about standardisation debates, dockland decline, unions and governments, and finally that the box itself is not an almighty agent of change. The story of containerisation and globalization is a useful heuristic device, but a simplistic one.

But Parker doesn’t stop at swatting down the story there, probably because he must get published in a trendy journal about ‘mobilities’, while showing off that he’s been to the Tate Modern. Musing on the foreboding presence of an art installation that looks a bit like a shipping container, and recalling a tragic case of frozen bodies tumbling out of a shipping container in the port of Naples, he says: “An account of rationalisation, standardisation and economics can never explain our fear of 390m2 of darkness, or just why someone would pay for their frozen body to be shipped back to China.

Neither can it account for the complex ways in which one mobility system has moved ports to new moorings, as well as opening the possibility of filling art galleries, and academic journals.”

Yes. Things are often used in ways that nature or humankind did not intend — if you cut a hole in a melon and stick your cock in it, making a fruit salad becomes somewhat more complicated than it might have otherwise been. And yes, a social policy report on healthy eating, say, tells us nothing about the religious, moral, hygienic, nutritional, and

psychological questions that might be raised about a man’s desire to be intimate with a fruit. But does it need to?

A bar stool has on occasion found itself used as a murder weapon, but a manual on basic carpentry contains nothing on the history of inebriated violence in traditional working-class settings. A child may upend a bowl and use it as a hat, but this need not shake our conventions of considering bowls to be predominantly of use as culinary vessels.

Parker’s paper is a perfect example of academics doing their thing of searching for all the things that can be said of something, rather than what is useful to say about something. Many of the things he outlines in the article make sense, and add to the story of the shipping container. But a lot of it is just nonsense that serves nobody except for himself.

A final point, that takes us back to the Tate Modern. That shipping containers have ended up in academic journals and art galleries is trivial — a ‘tin of artist’s shit’ has also ended up in the Tate Modern. Evidently, as with tins and art galleries, anything can end up in an academic journal.

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A&E / 19

CULTURE&LIFESTYLE

ARTS&ENTS ARTS Concrete, controversy and the post-war problem The Journal explores the role that the University of Edinburgh’s main library has to play as a pivotal icon of the nationwide debate surrounding brutalist architecture.

Nicola Osborne

Laurie Goodman, John Hewitt Jones

Chris Rubey

Creaking along linoleum-lined

corridors at night, the University of Edinburgh’s main library in George Square can evoke the ambiance of a Beckett play, the soundworld of a composition

by Luciano Berio, or the twisted scape of a Francis Bacon painting – any aesthetic form of the late twentieth century, in fact, that finds a new way of expressing the cataclysmic events that occurred at the end of the twentieth century.

From the outside such a distinct obstacle is hard to miss, and judging by photos taken in 1968, things haven’t changed much. Despite the new turquoise linoleum, luminescent study pods, and clip art-esque Information Services signs that festoon the building, there’s no escaping the utilitarian statement of 50’s intent.

The library is one of the least controversial designs from an architect whose portfolio emcompasses banks and parliament buildings around the world, as well as domestic extensions for local clients in Edinburgh.

Perhaps his most famous British project in the post-war period is Coventry Cathedral; a building for which Spence won the commission to redesign following its destruction during the Blitz in 1945. Spence’s radical design transforms the old burnt-out shell of the medieval structure into the new, challenging construction. A fusion of conservative values and progressivism, the cathedral signified a key turning point in Spence’s career.

National public debate ensued over the design – which received praise and opprobrium in equal measure – culminating in a tangible public acceptance of the utility of the brutalist style.

Regardless of scepticism surrounding the building’s aesthetic appeal, Coventry cathedral attempts to deal sensitively with the memory of a difficult period of national history by preserving an important public space.

The University of Edinburgh library wasn’t the only university building for which Spence was responsible, and in 1959, Basil Spence and Partners was commissioned to come up with plans for the campus of the University of Sussex; a set of designs that would prove to be extremely controversial. Spence’s designs also appear across Edinburgh in

the most unlikely sites. From the semiart deco garage on Causewayside, built in the 1930s for the Southern Motor Company (and now a Majestic Wines warehouse), to the Scottish Widows headquarters on the Dalkeith road (the ominously-lit hexagonal building opposite Pollock Halls), he’s an architect who has tangibly shaped the cityscape of the Scottish capital.

Attending Edinburgh College of Art between 1925 and 1931, where he began studying sculpture before turning his attention to architecture, Spence used his talent for perspective drawing to earn money by undertaking commissions for small practices.

The main library occupies the quietest southwest corner of George Square; a glowering hunk of concrete that’s a fine example of high brutalism. From the outside it’s not difficult to see why this challenging style is often described as ‘totalitarian’: eight, squat stories of reinforced concrete, each floor with a menacing overhang that looms over the sides of the building.

This is a building built with utilitarian functionality in mind, and standing in the entrance as students bustle through the cavernous lobby, the high, square walls make it hard to forget the several hundred tons of reinforced industrial concrete bearing inwards on the structure. The severe character of this brutalist behemoth is further emphasised by the quiet rows of Geor-

gian houses that once surrounded the entirety of the square.

While these Georgian terraces may pander to more mainstream aesthetic sensibilities, 1960’s plans for remodelling the square by Spence and Robert Matthews (who would gain notoriety founding the RMJM partnership) originally incorporated the demolition of the structures in their entirety. Following staunch objection from the Cockburn Association and the Georgian Group of Edinburgh, they were preserved on the west side of the square and partially on the east.

This entire altercation seems ironic considering that it’s now buildings of the same modernist style as Spence’s library that are battling for listed status elsewhere in the UK. Occupying centre stage in a nationwide debate is the ostensibly uninspiring colossus that is Preston Bus Station. Completed in 1969 by the Building Design Partnership, the structure now suffers from decay with an estimated £23 million in costs to repair, facing potential destruction after being rejected for listing on two occasions.

Speaking in March on BBC2’s Daily Politics Show, Angela Brady – the President of the Royal Institute of British Architects – condemned the demolition of brutalist icons as ‘acts of vandalism.’

Her interest in the subject highlights the tension that surrounds brutalist architecture. While post-war building

represents a sizeable chunk of British twentieth century architectural history, examples from the period are often dismissed as guilty, unloveable carbuncles which assault our street lines.

This perception overlooks the original impetus behind the brutalist building type. Preston Bus Station – much like the Edinburgh University Main Library – was a structure intended for vast public consumption.

Post-war Britain was home to a vast rebuilding campaign spurred on by the desire to provide buildings which catered to all segments of society. As a building material, concrete provided a swift, economic means for achieving this.

These were optimistic, visionary projections for the future nation.

Preston Bus Station, for example, was to house 80 double-decker buses, becoming one of the largest bus stations in Europe. Speaking on Radio 4, renowned

architect Rem Koolhaas defended brutalist architecture: “There’s almost a global consensus that any architecture from the late sixties, seventies and eighties should disappear from the face of the earth because it’s so harsh and presumably so socialistic,” adding that buildings such as Preston Bus Station are “an emblem of a time when architecture was interested in doing good things.”

The issue has been illustrated most recently by the National Trust’s acquisition of several modernist masterpieces into their collection. The move arrives amid increasing concerns that modernist architecture – including works such as Preston Bus Station – are a fundamental component of British heritage.

So, while Edinburgh University main library may be considered an eyesore by some, it represents a small part of a movement that valued ethics over aesthetics and helped revitalise the infrastructure of damaged post-war cities.

20 / A&E

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The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

Alasdair Thomson: reshaping notions of sculpture Edinburgh sculptor challenges our concept of what is achievable in stone with his recent project, Fabricae Gillian Achurch Art & Design editor

A

disconcerting

conflict

between eye and mind ensues upon seeing Alasdair Thomson’s most recent work. The light cotton garments which the former determinedly insists hang on the walls are anything but; these hooks support the weight not of woven threads but of heavy slabs of meticulously

sculpted marble in true embodiments of trompe l’oeil.

The monumentality traditionally accorded to the figures in portraits, for whom garments are accessory, is here instilled in the clothing itself. A simple child’s dress, worn climbing shoes and folded surfer t-shirts become a testament to the sculptor’s skill.

The concept for this body of work, entitled Fabricae, in fact grew from Thomson’s study of busts in the National

Gillian Achurch

31 Nicolson Square Edinburgh EH8 9BX Tel: 0131 667 4035 Email: mosquekitchen@btconnect.com

After graduating in 2004, Thomson began exploring for himself the techniques of the Renaissance sculptors he had studied. An apprenticeship to American sculptor Mark Mennin followed, before a diploma completed under Italian masters in Siena three years ago.

Earlier this year, Alasdair received the People’s Choice Award for ‘Blouse’ at the Royal Scottish Academy’s Open exhibition. Fabricae was exhibited in February at Fettes College, which recently also commissioned a group of sculptural seating pieces from their alumnus.

Thomson remarks that as an arts centre, “Edinburgh has a lot of untapped potential.” He adds: “There are a lot of talented, creative people here,” and that with new galleries and pop-up exhibitions, “opportunities to exhibit are increasing.”

As a stone sculptor, working in Edinburgh poses challenges due to the lack of readily available, large blocks of marble. Many of the works in Fabricae are carved from found blocks, the design largely dictated by the existing dimensions. Although he finds a greater freedom in sculpting smaller works, Thomson hopes that future commissions will offer him the opportunity to

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Portrait Gallery; eventually it was the form and fall of the cloth draped over their shoulders that became more interesting than the figures it adorned. The sense of weight that Thomson found intriguing is emphasised in his own work, through the addition of wooden pegs, hangers and coat hooks from which the sculptures ‘hang.’

This project is a departure from his usual focus on functional sculpture, with which he encourages the viewer to interact and employ touch to fully appreciate the work. He articulates his motives behind Fabricae, evident in the finished pieces: “I hope to challenge people’s perceptions of what is achievable in stone.”

A History of Art graduate of the University of Edinburgh, Thomson’s studies of Classical and Renaissance figurative sculpture and the use of dress influenced this project. Visible too is the influence of the sculpted, veiled faces by Stephen Shaheen, with whom Thomson will be working in Italy this summer. He also notes an admiration for Australian sculptor Alexander Seton, who has similarly represented the convoluted forms of contemporary textiles and supple plastics.

Gillian Achurch

execute larger pieces. Not yet feeling that he has exhausted the theme of drapery and clothing, he envisages one day producing an ambitious life-size, free-standing marble sculpture of a wedding dress, adorned with pearls and sequins and presenting a multitude of textures and folds.

As a medium, stone has its own voice in the resulting work, sometimes fracturing unpredictably. The Carrara marble from which most of the works in Fabricae are sculpted is softer and easier to carve than others, allowing for some of the incredible intricacies in evidence.

A pair of climbing shoes, for example, are drilled with fragile holes to allow for the incorporation of real laces. Noting the eternal variations, intricacies and challenges that clothing and fabric offer, he believes that he will continuously be drawn back to this theme.

Thomson is currently seeking opportunities to exhibit in London, and will be participating in the Bristol Festival of Stone from 31 May to 9 June. He has submitted work to the Paisley Art Institute Open, hoping to exhibit here in May, and to offer Edinburgh another chance to admire his work during the Festival this summer.

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

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A&E / 21

ECA Fashion Show Preview The Journal gets a sneak preview of this year’s ECA graduate fashion show Oliver Giles Fashion editor

Just a few days before the Edinburgh College of Art’s (ECA) graduate fashion show, many of the students are still frantically working away at rows of sewing machines in their studio.

However, they are thriving off this collective creative energy: surrounded by tables stacked high with all manner of fabrics and with their finished outfits being wrapped up for the runway show, this is the culmination of four years of hard work.

Abuzz with adrenalin, the students are more excited than stressed by their impending deadline; ECA’s graduate fashion shows on 25 and 26 April are the students’ opportunity to showcase their graduate collections in Edinburgh before travelling down to London for Graduate Fashion Week.

Previewing the collections before the show, it is clear that the outfits showcased at this year’s event will be more varied than ever; all the collections are interesting and cohesive.

Speaking to fashion design student Melissa Thwaites amid the madness, she explains: “We started our research in October but throughout the process we’ve had tons of little projects, which is nice because it gives you a long time for thinking whilst doing all these other things.”

Thwaites’s collection was sponsored by French lace company Sophie Hallette, which provided the material for Kate Middleton’s wedding dress.

However, Thwaites’ collection is much bolder than that collaboration suggests; she combines brightly coloured lace with almost sheer knitwear to create a striking new mix of fabrics.

However, as well being inspired by lace, Thwaites explains that her collection: “is about the challenge to create and design in a moment, rather than over a painfully long period,” and that her design process was based around spontaneity and following her creative impulses. This spontaneity has led to a varied collection; however, her bold colour choices and innovative reworking of lace mark her collection out as unique.

Another fashion design student working on mixing fabrics is Andrew Alistair McLaren, who blends different fabrics together throughout his collection. Picking one of his outerwear pieces off the rail, McLaren explains:

“Inspiration came from taking tailored suits apart and being really creative with putting them back together.”

As well as blending fabrics including wool and faux fur, McLaren has deliberately left cutouts, which he describes as ‘loopholes’, in his outerwear; this means his bright, iridescent satin tops are also on display. McLaren’s use of iridescent fabrics really makes the collection stand out, but they were inspired by an unusual source: “The collection is called ‘glitch’,” he explains. “I chose that name because it’s all inspired by television glitches — the bright colours that come from TV glitches and when screens freeze.”

Student Isabella Lyginou’s collection is inspired by a more ancient source than faulty televisions: the fashion of Ancient Greece. Combining structured leather jackets with oversized silk trousers, Lyginou’s collection offers a respectful nod to her source of inspiration while remaining defiantly modern.

Lyginou also intriguingly uses soft plastic detailing to explore the ideas of reflection and shadows in her designs, which also made her think more deeply about how her clothes would look on the runway. She explains: “When I started using plastic I started thinking about the model walking down the runway and how the lights are going to look on my clothes.”

Equally busy upstairs were the costume design students, many of them perfecting their outfits on mannequins during these final few days.

Explaining the two different projects she has worked on this year, costume design student Sarah McGovern said: “The first project was an ancient Japanese fairy-tale called Bamboo Princess.

I’ve been really interested in Japan for years and I’ve travelled there a couple of times, so with my own first-hand research I went into the project and made a big Japanese kimono. It should be really, really striking. My model is 6’6” in heels, plus her big updo, so she definitely makes an impression!”

Stacy Jansen is another costume design student whose final project has been inspired by other cultures. Also influenced by her own experience of spending time abroad, this time with the Masai tribes in Kenya, Jansen’s final-year project is devising a performance piece (above) that she hopes to take back to be performed in Kenya.

The Masai influence is clear, but Jansen has added a personal touch to the cos-

tumes by hand-painting many of the fabrics. She adds: “It’s a very artistic interpretation, rather than being ethnographic. However, I’ve been very careful over what can be changed and what should remain the same.”

ECA graduates from previous years have gone on to work for brands including Giorgio Armani, Givenchy and Salvatore Ferragamo; a recent ECA graduate success story is Holly Fulton, who debuted her seventh own-brand collection at London Fashion Week this February. With these soon-to-be-graduates already producing such coherent collections, this show suggests that ECA have successfully produced another crop of stellar fashion design graduates.

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EXPORTING SCOTTISH DESIGN SCOTTISH DESIGNERS ARE BROADENING THEIR HORIZONS IN LA, NEW YORK AND BEIJING.

David Selby

22 / A&E

Bernie

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film

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

The summer in cinema The Journal previews the highlights of the coming months Nathanael Smith Film editor

Summer is imminent, and while the

Nathanael Smith Film editor

The question at the centre of Bernie

— Richard Linklater’s hilarious comedy that is finally getting a UK release — is how much you should be prepared to forgive someone just because they are a thoroughly nice person.

It isn’t a film that comes with a ready answer to that question, however, and it leaves that sense of moral ambiguity hanging over the closing credits.

Bernie, played with beautiful restraint

by Jack Black, is loved by everyone in the town. He’s an undertaker’s assistant, famed for singing sweetly at funerals and sensitively comforting mourners. He’s a philanthropist, an amateur actor and something of an expert on flowers.

He is the last person you would expect to commit murder, so when he does, the town’s loyalties are tested, particularly when the unfortunate victim was hated by

everyone except Bernie himself.

Black’s waddling, simpering performance occupies the core of the film, and he inhabits the role to an extent that is surprising for those who know him as the shouty guy from Tenacious D and School of Rock. He treads a fine line between nauseating and sympathetic while selling the idea that an entire town could love him.

Matthew McConaughey and Shirley Maclaine provide superb support as a lawyer and a rich widow respectively.

What elevates Bernie from a gentle black comedy to a genuinely innovative oddity is Linklater’s choice to use real townspeople as talking heads recounting their memories of Bernie.

Yes, that’s right, Bernie is based on a true story, and Linklater deftly blends real life accounts with the dramatisation of events. It’s an offbeat, thought-provoking film that proves conclusively that the truth really is stranger than fiction.

sun may be inconsistent, the one thing you can rely on is a slate of exciting films over the holiday period.

Yet this isn’t a guide to big blockbusters: chances are you already have tickets booked to Star Trek Into Darkness and Man of Steel; chances are at least one of the big studio films will be a disappointment — this is to highlight the films that won’t have a multi-million dollar marketing campaign, and will undoubtedly be of higher quality than The Wolverine or The Lone Ranger.

British comedy looks set to have a strong August with the big-screen début of Norfolk’s greatest son, Alan Partridge in Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (9 August), which has a title silly enough to give us hope. Edgar Wright finishes his Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy in The World’s End (14 August). If it is as good as Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, this should be the best comedy of the year.

For those who like their humour tar-black, try the next film from Sightseers’ Ben Wheatley, A Field In England (5 July) which is only set in one field in the English Civil War, but will probably be very violent.

American indie cinema has a strong summer showing, too, with Joss Whedon’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing (14 June) already getting strong early reviews and Richard Linklater’s trilogy closer Before Midnight (21 June) being hailed as one of the year’s best by festival-goers.

Jeff Nichols, the director of the astonishing Take Shelter, returns with Mud (10 May), a Mark Twain-ish story about two kids who befriend a convict.

Early word says it features Matthew McConaughey’s best performance yet.

Greta Gerwig, indie darling from films such as Greenberg and Damsels in Distress, writes and stars in Frances Ha (26 July), a mumbly, black-andwhite film about a slightly useless New Yorker who doesn’t achieve much. Gerwig has a magnetic screen presence and anything she appears in deserves attention, even if the story looks a little self absorbed.

World cinema is even further off most audiences’ radars, but two must-sees are Populaire (31 May) and Wadjda (19 July). The former is a French romantic comedy about a secretary who enters into a typing competition and falls in love with her boss. It’s a bright, frivolous film with a sense of fun that puts American romcoms to shame. The kitsch 50s setting

just adds to its immense charm, while lead actress Deborah François is good enough to become as big a star as a post-Amelie Audrey Tatou.

Wadjda, however, is in a different league altogether, and is simply one of the best films of the year so far. The first film to be made in Saudi Arabia by a female director, it’s surprisingly simple and apolitical, telling the story of a schoolgirl who wants to buy a bike. It’s such a nuanced depiction of childhood in a country that is often seen as wholly misogynistic that people might expect something more confrontational, yet the charm and joy of Wadjda is in the small moments.

The ‘big finale’ sees a girl reading the Qur’an, but it is wholly gripping, thanks largely to a wonderful performance by newcomer Waad Mohammed.

Among this rich array of films, keep an eye out for restorations of classic films being released on the big screen.

Jurassic Park (23 August), one of the best blockbusters of the 90s, gets a 3D conversion so this time the velociraptors will be attacking you. Werner Herzog’s bonkers Heart-of-Darknesswith-conquistadors epic Aguirre: The Wrath of God (7 June) will be both majestic and mad on the big screen.

And finally, don’t forget to watch the film of the summer, Fast and Furious 6 (17 May).

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

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A&E / 23

Books agenda The Journal takes a look at the recently-published collection of letters between two literary giants HERE AND NOW: LETTERS Paul Auter & J. M. Coetzee

letters are a treat, and offer a valuable account of the life of the modern (Faber, £20) author.

As the collection progresses, their Daniel Davies relationship becomes more intimate and less formal, eventually leading Here and Now collects the corre- Auster to confess that Coetzee has spondence between Paul Auster and become his “absent other” — a conJ.M. Coetzee, two writers who occupy stant companion to his daily life. similar constellations in the literary Time passes, novels are published imagination, written between 2008 (the collection covers the publicaand 2011. After meeting for the first tion of roughly four books), and a time in 2008, Coetzee proposed to vivid, gruelling portrait emerges of Auster they begin to exchange letters, the author in the global literary marin the hope they would: “God willing, ketplace. Errant critics, chaotic litstrike sparks off each other”. The erary festivals and charlatan literary

journalists all provide entertaining subjects for the authors’ penetrating gaze.

The correspondence shifts between quixotic forays into global politics and more serious inquisitions into philosophical matters.

Their treatment of the financial crisis (Coetzee’s solution is that they simply replace the old ‘bad’ numbers with new ‘good’ numbers) and the IsraelPalestine conflict (make Dick Cheney homeless and relocate the state of Israel to Wyoming, Auster suggests) typify their irreverent attitude towards major world crises. However,

when their attention is focused on an issue close to their hearts, such as sport, much of their analysis is generous, engaging and insightful. These are two of the greatest literary minds at play, each exchange peppered with wry humour, their strong personalities shining through every letter.

Auster and Coetzee become welcome companions; slightly curmudgeonly old grumps railing against the decline and fall of modern society, yet warm and intelligent friends. Their genuine affection for one another is the lasting impression these letters leave.

The Journal reviews the latest offering from South Africa’s most notable contemporary novelist THE CHILDHOOD OF JESUS J. M. Coetzee

lectually profound and obscurely allegorical novel. Protagonists Simón (Harvill Secker, £16.99) and David — aged roughly fifty and five respectively — are struggling Vivek Santayana to make a new life for themselves in the Spanish-speaking, quasi-socialist The Childhood of Jesus is a book utopia of Novilla. Simón is embroiled that represents a significant diver- in a desperate, quixotic search for gence from the rest of Coetzee’s David’s mother, while David is becomoeuvre. Instead of a bleak, dystopian ing rebellious and recalcitrant. As he tale, this is a perversely comic, intel- becomes progressively more unruly,

his teachers become tired of his insubordination, and along with his ersatzparents he is forced to flee.

The novel itself isn’t directly about Jesus, but it’s full of gospel allusions, continually appropriating biblical symbolism. Coetzee uses a narrative voice that conveys the untamed wildness of a child’s curiosity in order to raise broad philosophical questions relating to, among other things, the

existence of god, Zeno’s paradoxes, Marxist and Hegelian conceptions of history, a monist conception of the universe and macroeconomic scarcity. None of the questions surrounding these issues are resolved, but the reader is left in a state of profound ambiguity. It is, above all, a beautifully-balanced work of great intellect that reduces intractable philosophical quandaries into simple, comic images.

Quiz Show

THeatre

New writing at the Traverse leaves the audience with some difficult questions Celia Dugua

Traverse

patrons fill the seats of the live studio audience of a pseudo-realistic game show False.

Staff bustle around the set touching up make-up before a trio of contestants enter to provide cliched responses to presenter Daniel Caplin’s (Jonathan Watson) predictably artificial questions. Everything seems familiar, yet something isn’t quite right — the questions Caplin asks are slightly too contrived, even for an 80s quiz show.

As contestants Sandra (Eileen Walsh), Molly (Gail Watson) and Ben (Paul Hickey) progress through several rounds of False, it becomes

Eoin Carey

clear that Drummond’s script has an unexpected twist.

This is accompanied by Andrew Edward’s masterful set, which evokes a surreal atmosphere as it collapses from Caplin’s glossy studio into the postmodern wasteland of Sandra’s subconscious. Popular songs echo around the auditorium and steam rises from a scattered myriad of television sets.

Although the disorienting structure of the play is integral to the narrative — far too intriguing to give away here— the symbolism and dialogue is relentless, and as a result it’s easy to miss some of the issues that the play alludes to.

At times the script risks being

laid on a little too thick, compounded by Sandra’s propensity to convey a far younger side of herself than necessary. This is particularly visible in Sandra’s closing speech, which, although brilliantly performed, seems to drive Drummond’s point home just a little too hastily.

Nevertheless, the journey undergone by the protagonist is riveting, full of emotion, and accentuated by an energetic and colourful cast.

Drummond’s script addresses a whole different kind of corruption to Robert Redford’s 1994 film by the same name and reaches further than the commercial model it is based on to speak about society’s complicity in violence.

Ella Bavalia

24 / A&E Matt Stuart

@EdJournal / journal-online.co.uk

Sir Colin Davis: 1927-2013

The Journal mourns the death of a towering musical mind

John Hewitt Jones Literary editor

Over the last few weeks, British public life has been dominated by a number of significant deaths. For many, however, the departure of a major voice in the world of classical music will have been a particularly momentous loss.

Davis’ achieved particular renown with his interpretations of works

by the romantic composer Hector Berlioz, however, the breadth of his repertoire that has recieved acclaim stretches from Mozart to MacMillan. Notably successful performances – and subsequent recordings – of Michael Tippett’s The Midummer Marriage and The Knot Garden at Covent Garden lead the composer to state “Colin has an instinctive understanding of what I want without our ever having discussed it. I just feel that as far as interpreting my music

is concerned, he’s the tops.”

Receiving his first big break with his appointment to the role of assistant conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in 1957, Davis followed an unconventional route to the podium.

Winning a scholarship to study the clarinet at the Royal College of Music with Frederick Thurston, he was unable to take part in conducting lessons because he did not play the piano, something over which he

had no regrets, later declaring that “conducting has more to do with singing and breathing than it does with piano-playing.”

Having started out with the semiprofessional Chelsea Opera Group, Davis went on to fill in for Otto Klemperer at a concert performance of Don Giovanni at the Royal Festival Hall, foreshadowing his appointment as chief conductor of Sadler’s Wells Opera in 1961. The same post at the BBC Symphony Orchestra followed in 1967; a role that allowed him to explore more contemporary repertoire, working in tandem with the BBC’s innovative controller of music, William Glock.

In 1971, Davis succeeded the Hungarian conductor Georg Solti to begin his fifteen-year tenure as musical director at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. During this period he helped to nurture an orchestra that had seen a number of departing musicians and new appointments, establishing a reputation among many musicians as a great musical mind with an eye for calm, clear interpretation. As long-serving member of the orchestra Richard Peake Peake puts it: “He was always a gentleman. One of the old school who seldom lost his cool.”

Receiving his knighthood in 1980, Davis would achieve the role that had previously eluded him, becoming the principal conductor of the

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

‘He was a man of great humility.

A total musician whose sensitivity was directly reflected in his music-making.’

London Symphony Orchestra in 1995 following a spell at the Dresden Staatskapelle.

Becoming the president of the London Symphony Orchestra in 2007, Davis would continue a fruitful career conducting orchestras across the world, also fulfilling pedagogical roles as international chair of conducting studies at the Royal Academy of Music, alongside a similar post at the Dresden Conservatoire.

The sheer number of tributes to Davis appearing from musicians of all stripes hints at the degree to which Davis’ musicianship will be missed. Speaking to The Journal, music director at the Royal Opera House, Antonio Pappano made his feelings clear: “He was a man of great humility. A total musician whose sensitivity was directly reflected in his music-making.”

Edinburgh Coffee Jam For advertising information

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Andrew Gass

The Journal joins Edinburgh’s coffee community for a spot of exploratory tasting Ben Kendall Food & Drink editor

If,

as we parted company at a chill-ridden crossroads one blustery evening, I told you I were off for a spot of ‘cupping’, what would first spring to mind? Don’t answer that, for — unless you are particularly well-informed — taste-testing at the Edinburgh Coffee Jam probably wasn’t it.

And that is precisely what coffee lovers Edinburgh-wide found themselves doing at Freemans of Marchmont one chilly Tuesday in April. Cupping. Yes. First, though, the ‘Jam’. Inspired by the conception of the Glasgow Coffee Jam little under a year ago, Edinburgh’s coffee-cognizant folk have inaugurated their own monthly gathering for all caffeine enthusiasts. Which, frankly, is everybody, right?

It’s a chance for all facets of the coffee-loving spectrum — whether barista,

roaster, veteran or newbie — to convene, chat, learn and perhaps indulge in a little coffee geekery.

This month it was custodian David Freeman’s turn to arrange a little cupping sesh.

In essence the coffee-world’s answer to wine-tasting, cupping is the gentle systematic brewing, sipping and appreciating of various coffee roasts. Beans are coarsely ground, steeped briefly in boiling water to a strict 1:20 ratio, skimmed of errant grounds and supped from a spoon. Notes are taken (dry aroma? Wet aroma? Taste, body, aftertaste?), mmms are uttered, flashes of enthusiasm skim sippers’ eyes.

Edinburgh’s own new-kids-on-theblock New Town Roasters and Glasgow’s more established Dear Green provided sample, but that’s not all one can expect.

It’s in the nature of the Jam to keep things fresh and exciting. Next month is Wellington’s turn. Watch this space: anything could happen.

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

@EdJournal / journal-online.co.uk

Field West Nicholson St’s latest offering comes up trumps

FOOD&DRINK / 25

Chicken Ramen / Tofu Ramen Sam Stern

Chicken contains tryptophan

Ella Bavalia Ben Kendall Food & Drink editor

In these days of compromised luxury

and tightened purse-strings — let us be honest here — it isn’t with the greatest enthusiasm that one reads “Michelinstandard cuisine”, “stripped back” and “bare essentials” shoe-horned into the same sentence. They evoke haut skimpiness, the anxiety of a sparse dish more sacrificed than served.

However, one couldn’t be more analytically mistaken, for thus Field markets itself, but thus it does not deliver: it is far, far better.

Opened only in January of this year, Field is still in its Edinburgh gastro-trough infancy. Occupying the former site of Home Bistro on West Nicholson Street and —more importantly — the empty space in Edinburgh’s culinary memory, this newcomer dishes out the sort of fare one would expect of a rather swanky Michelin joint if Nigella Lawson were put in charge of the generosity index. It is smart without too much self-conscious reserve, generous without condemning you to post-prandial bloat.

We start with a nifty little plate of beetroot-cured smoked salmon (£6.25), four meaty cuboids of coral flesh with a blush-

ing magenta sheen, like fat rubescent dice.

The fish’s native oily richness is tempered by the sweet overplay of beetroot cure, cut through by both a sharp crème fraîche tinged with the rusty warmth of saffron and a raisin and caper compote. Though at risk of redundancy, the accompanying ‘crispy crab ball’ — a sort of seafood arancino with a fluffy, fleshy inner and toothsome deep-fried carapace — made for a not-incongruously pleasurable addition.

Changing lanes and shifting into fifth, we next enjoy the darkly resonant gaminess of a sautéed duck breast (£13.50), whose deliquescent tenderness — all meltingly supple puce-hued flesh — belied a liver-rich almost irony depth. It sits, sliced, atop a wilted couch of brassican Savoy cabbage and coroneted with a ring of mayonnaise spiked with yuzu: a headily fragrant citrus hybrid from Eastern Asia.

By chance accompaniment was again a crisply fried number, a slender ‘log’ of crunchily coated risotto flecked with confit of duck leg.

Altogether a splendid supper, merrily conducted in the shadow of a giant cow.

No, really. Go see for yourselves.

41 West Nicholson Street EH8 9DB www. fieldrestaurant.co.uk 0131 667 7010

which triggers serotonin (the ‘happy’ hormone), easing stress and increasing mental focus. Iron in the darker leaves increases clarity of thought while the vitamin C in the citrus and vegetables gives it a kick-start.

Fresh ginger works for digestion and anti-nausea. Noodles aid relaxation. Substitute tofu for chicken if you’re vegetarian or a thinly sliced griddled steak if you’re low on iron but not in the money.

Enjoy with green tea and good luck to you all!

COOK’S NOTES: Buy stock in pots from a good supermarket or, roast and enjoy a small chicken, boil up what’s left in loads of water with an onion and carrot. Strain and chill for the best chicken stock. Alternatively use a lowsalt Knorr stock pot.

1.

Cut the chicken lengthways into thin slices. Transfer to a plate. Turn it in a few drops of oil, 1 clove crushed garlic, optional squeeze of lime/lemon and chopped coriander. Set aside. Wash hands well.

2.

Bring a pan of water to boil.

Add noodles. Boil 2 minutes or till just tender. Drain. Set aside.

3.

Tip stock into a pan. Add half the ginger and 2 cloves garlic. Bring to boil.

Reduce heat to minimum immediately.

Simmer for 5-10 minutes to infuse flavours.

Use time to wash and prep vegetables.

Remove from heat.

4.

Brush a griddle or frying pan with oil. Put it on medium/high heat.

5.

Add chicken strips. Cook 2 minutes or so per side till golden outside and white all through (never pink). Test with a knife. Return to heat if needed. Set aside.

6.

Return stock to pan. Remove ginger. Add remaining ginger cut into matchsticks and the sliced garlic. Add

David Selby mushrooms and green vegetables. Simmer for 3 minutes or until cooked but still textured.

7.

Put noodles into a bowl. Add stock and vegetables. Place chicken on top. Add coriander, spring onion, optional chilli. Add a drop of soy, a drizzle sweet chilli sauce or a squeeze of lime if you like.

Enjoy with green tea. Eat with chopsticks/ spoon.

TOFU RAMEN: Griddle or fry slices of tofu in place of chicken. Use vegetable stock.

VARIATIONS: Chicken, noodles, oyster sauce: cook 175g egg noodles. Drain. Mix sauce from 1 tbsp each soy sauce, rice wine, oyster sauce, 1 tsp sugar. Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok. Stir-fry garlic, ginger, chilli, spring onions for 30 seconds. Add 1 tbsp oil. Chop sliced chicken into bits. Add to wok with pak choi. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until chicken cooks through. Add sauce. Heat through. Serve.

EGG & VEG STIR-FRY: cook 175g egg noodles. Drain. Mix 2 tbsp soy, 1 tsp sugar, little grated ginger for sauce. Mix sauce, noodles, 2 beaten eggs, 4 sliced spring onions, handful sliced mushrooms, handful sliced mangetout, 1 sliced red onion, 1 finely sliced de-seeded red pepper

INGREDIENTS 1 skinless chicken fillet 500ml chicken stock 4 cloves garlic, 2 sliced Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 1 bundle ramen or 1 nest egg noodles 1 small red chilli, deseeded, chopped (optional) Handful chopped Pak Choi/dark green Asian leaf Small handful shredded Chinese leaf or iceberg lettuce 1-2 spring onions, sliced A couple of mushrooms, sliced A few rings red onion/shallot (optional) A few fresh coriander leaves Groundnut/sunflower or vegetable oil for frying A few drops of sesame oil A few drops of soy sauce A piece of fresh lime/lemon (optional) in a bowl. Mix well. Stir-fry in a hot wok in 2 tbsp oil until cooked through. If you want to add chicken, slice into small pieces and stir-fry till cooked. Add in at the last minute.

BLACKFRIARS New Cowgate restaurant combines simplicity with sophistication Mary Kinsella

Kat Abdullah

Nestled comfortably on a Cowgate side street is the newly opened Blackfriars Restaurant and Bar, formerly the beloved Black Bo’s vegetarian restaurant.

While the location has a history to live up to, Blackfriars’ menu and atmosphere provide a refreshing take on cuisine, enriching their food and flavours with a simplistic sophistication that visually dazzles as much as it excites the taste buds.

Entering Blackfriars instantly evokes feelings of ease and warmth, combining class and comfort while retaining the elegance of a bistro.

At last, a place where almost every wine is offered by the glass, allowing indulgence in a good wine without having to purchase an entire bottle.

With a plethora of origins from Sicily to South Africa to Romania, every choice has been thoughtfully made, reflective of the menu as well as the owners themselves.

Despite the minimalistic menu, there is an option for every palate.

This columnist begins with the Jerusalem artichoke soup (£5.00), a simple and subtle showcase of the slightly sweet yet nutty member of the sunflower family. The drizzle of pesto atop this camel-coloured soup provides an organic visual contrast mirrored in the flavoured juxtaposition of nuttiness and creaminess.

With the bowl empty and a heightened appetite, the arrival of the baked ricotta brik (£15.00) is welcomed gladly. This Tunisian ricotta-filled pastry surprises and instantly pleases, for the crisp and flaky pastry is accompanied not by heaviness but a light-

ness that melts across the tongue and finishes with a cleansing, yet not overpowering, hint of lemon. Combined with the colourful array of beetroots, chicory, and blood orange, this dish offers its own Trinity — colour, texture, and flavour.

Certainly full but unable to pass on dessert, the churros and chocolate (£5.00) arrive and revive one’s hunger, for the intoxicating aroma from the warm, sugary coating is too tempting to resist. The crispy outside and doughy inside provide the perfect contrast, and the dipping chocolate makes this tasty morsel complete.

A meal to remember, and with a bar with a menu of its own just next door, appetites can be continually satisfied no matter what their kind.

57-61 Blackfriars St. Edinburgh

Opera.

Expect the unexpected.

The Pirates of Penzance 15 May – 8 Jun

Get £10 tix if you’re under 26.

Any seat. Any performance.

scottishopera.org.uk

Glasgow • Aberdeen • Edinburgh • Inverness

Registered in Scotland Number SCO37531 Scottish Charity Number SCO19787 Registered Office: 39 Elmbank Crescent, Glasgow G2 4PT

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

SPORT// 27

@EdJournalSport / journal-online.co.uk

Swearing, not dying, and a spot of minor rioting Because sometimes, you know, there are just too many things to rant about all at once...

Ruth Jeffery Sport editor

While contemplating the big

issue of what to write about for the last Hacker of the year, this writer came up with a list of topics more plentiful than the last five editions put together.

The main topic I was itching to get my pen round was the violence of football fans following recent games between Millwall and Wigan and Newcastle and Sunderland. Scenes of fans fighting in the stands, throwing bottles at police, setting bins on fire and even one case of a man punching a horse have not been seen on a large scale since the 1990s. Many have heralded the violence as a slipping back into the age of the ‘football firm’, a time when the stands were monopolised by trouble-makers and

the streets post-match were terrifying.

The stories of excessive fan trouble do seem to be getting a tad too common and one would hate to think about reliving the days when the British (but particularly English) football fan was an unpopular figure around the world.

This is prime editorial material, and something I would normally be delighted to sink my teeth into. But was it too predictable for the last rant of the year, I wondered. These thugs posing as football fans deserve fewer column inches than Carlos Tevez’s driving fines or Marouane Fellaini’s hair. A waste of ink, I decided, to let rip about these rowdy fans giving the sport a bad name and generally attempting to recreate the unruly scenes of the 80s and 90s.

What then? Something else which caught my eye recently was during the

OCEAN DWELLER

by Ruth Jeffery

England

of worms, lid tightly on and all that.

Trotting on from an issue which could spark more readers’ letters than when I called the Six Nations ‘pointless’, I was still all-of-a fluster about the big topic for my editorial. I wanted to rant about something. And that’s when it came to me — Neil Lennon and his touchline ban for swearing.

This calls into question the SFA’s punishment policy, as even if the allegations of insulting language are true, Lennon is hardly the first person to let rip on the football pitch. Much of that which is not picked up by mics would probably be pungent enough to burn a hole in your gran’s tea cosy, and that’s only taking gentleman Scott Parker into consideration.

But perhaps a story about a Northern Irish man swearing on a football pitch is actually not that big a deal.

A pitch-side activity that did light up the weekend of every football fan last week was Paulo Di Canio’s spectacular celebration for each of Sunderland’s goals as they beat Newcastle 0-3. The sliding, fist-pumping, roaring Italian was more demonstrative than San Marino’s manager would be if they won the World Cup. This, however, is neither here nor there.

Getting distracted by online clips of football was not helping my Hacker to get written, and I still didn’t know if I wanted it to be about swearing, not dying or minor rioting.

Then a thought struck me, like a bolt of lightning from above. Could I not write about all of them? Encompass these fragments of madness from the last week or so into one big, nonsensical jumble? So that is exactly what I did.

FORTUNE TELLER

Paul the Octopus will make you a few squid

Scotland’s cricketer Denness dies aged 72 Former

Grand National on 6 April, where Auroras Encore shattered betting coupons everywhere with a surprising win at 66/1. The big story here was of course that horse safety had been much improved on the previous outing, with all hailing the better fences. Two horses died at both the 2011 and 2012 races, yet this time round even the RSPCA conceded that improvements had been made with no equine injuries and only two falls out of 40 horses. All made it past the first seven fences for the first time in history — even the notorious Becher’s Brook couldn’t halt anyone’s party.

All the articles praising the races’ fewer falls rang hollow here, however.

Relief at no horses dying actually appears somewhat backwards, because hosting an event with even potential animal fatalities seems a tad dishonourable. However, can

cricket

Captain Mike Denness has died of cancer aged 72. Born in Belshill, Lanarkshire but brought up in Ayr, Denness was the only Scotland-born England Captain. Although dabbling in rugby during his youth, he gained a love for cricket while playing for Ayr Cricket Club and in 1962 joined Kent on recommendation from fellow Scot Jimmy Allen. Denness, a batsman, made his Test debut in 1969 and was named Captain five years later. After his playing career ended he worked as an ICC match referee between 1996-2002 and was an ECB pitch liaison officer. Tributes have poured in for Denness on Twitter, with former England Michael Vaughan saying “classy batsman and lovely chap.”

McCoy tumble means no Punchestown outing AP McCoy will miss this week’s Punchestown Festival in Kildare, Ireland after a fall during Cheltenham on Thursday 18 April left him with broken ribs. The jockey, who will be Champion Jockey for the 18th time at the end of this season, fell from Nicky Henderson-trained horse Quantitativeeasing during a three-mile handicap hurdle. McCoy told Friday’s Racing Post: “I’m very sore around the rib area but other than that, I think I’m fine…I expect to be out in the morning.”

McCoy also missed out on last week-

end’s

Scottish

Grand

National.

US athlete Crawford receives heavy ban Former

Olympic

Champion

Shawn Crawford this week received a two-year ban by the United States AntiDoping Agency (USADA) after failing to inform them of his whereabouts.

Under the USADA rules, athletes must fill out forms four times a year and must be available for drugs testing.

Crawford shunned these rules three times in the last 18-months, meaning that the 35-year-old has had all of his previous results disqualified. He is well known for his 200m gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics and his silver medal in Beijing four years later.

Pirlo autobiography reveals all Andrea Pirlo has written an autobiography entitled ‘I think, therefore I play,’ due out soon (date undisclosed) and Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport has published some extracts. The Juventus midfielder has always been held in high esteem by the footballing world and had a fantastic ten years at Inter Milan before joining the Bianconeri in 2011. His new book is set to reveal insights about Milan, Juventus and manager Antonio Conte.

Stories previewed by La Gazzetta include being given a pen as a leaving gift from Milan and Conte throwing bottles of fizzy water in the dressing room.

Matthew Dunne-Miles Octopus whisperer

I’ve been dogged this past week readers! The phone has not stopped ringing. I can’t leave my tank without being hounded in the streets and frankly I haven’t been able to get a moments rest with the constant notifications from my Bebo page.

Every hobbledehoy wants to know who I have foresaw to be the third Premier League side to be going down this year and the truth is readers…I’m not going to tell you.

As my Uncle Ben once told me before being brutally mugged, “with great power, comes great responsibility” and indeed the power to see the footballing future is a great one. It means I don’t have to watch Charlie Nicholas on Soccer Saturday and frankly it’s worth it for that alone.

However, to announce the soon-tobe relegated before it has happened is to mess with the very fabric of time itself. I think we’ve all seen enough of Back To The Future to know that’s a bad idea.

Anyway, on with the predictions… *Who says the guys at PFA don’t know how to have a laugh? Well most people say that but they’re to be proven wrong. The association will announce that the winner of their prestigious Player Of The Year award is none other than Sunderland’s Lee Cattermole. However, once Lee stands up to collect his trophy, there will be a sudden guffaw of laughter from the panel and Cattermole will sink back into his seat. PFA Chief Executive Gordon Taylor will explain the gag afterwards “I know it’s pretty mean, but seriously can you imagine if we did give it to

Cattermole? I’ve never seen less attractive football,” he will tell the press, before adding: “at one point, we considered using Kieran Dyer instead but thought he’d be too injured to even stand up from his chair.” *My crystal ball has been very Mackem-centric this week. I see unrest in the Northeast as Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio creates further friction with his Geordie neighbours by signing a police horse, recently punched by a loutish Newcastle fan, to play for the Black Cats. In response to claims that the horse has only been signed to anger the Tyneside team, Di Canio will respond “That’s not a fair comment, you haven’t seen this stallion play. He’s got a great

left foot.” However the horse’s time at Sunderland will be short-lived, when he spots Paolo eating a cheap beef lasagne and makes a move to Inter Milan. *After sad-eyed Neil Lennon’s recent ban from the touchline for swearing, I predict that the Bhoys will look for a more ‘PG’ manager next season. I foresee 60s heart throb, granny’s favourite and all-round nice guy Cliff Richard taking over at Parkhead. Celtic fans will initially be hostile towards Cliff, but that’s until they hear his rendition of ‘Millennium Prayer’ before the opening game of the season. I see grown men reduced to blubbering messes, though that may just be Rod Stewart.

janGlas

28 / SPORT

@EdJournalSport / journal-online.co.uk

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

FOOTBALL FORMULA 1

Formula 1: Early-season report

Mercedes GP

As the teams hit Europe, Ali Wollaston sees how the season is shaping up Ali Wollaston Staff writer Red Bull After some early season criticism, Sebastian Vettel’s dominant win in Bahrain sent an ominous message to the rest of the field. The triple world champion had faced questions about his ability to defend his title - with other teams appearing to have closed the gap to Red Bull in terms of race pace - but has responded emphatically with wins in Malaysia and Bahrain to top the standings after four races. The win in Bahrain also reinforced Red Bull’s reputation as consummate race strategists, pitting Vettel at the right moments to give him clear air ahead and allow the defending champion to manage his tyres perfectly.

Concerns still remain over the consistency of Mark Webber, but on his day the Australian has the guile and experienced to compete with the very best.

Ferrari: Fernando Alonso remains firmly in the championship frame and his victory in China confirmed that Ferrari have delivered the Spaniard with a car that can truly challenge the dominance of Red Bull. Alonso’s raw talent allowed him to battle Sebastian Vettel last year, but the poor qualifying pace of his Ferrari too often put him at a disadvantage on the starting grid. Despite some early concerns over the rear brake balance of this season’s car, Ferrari have finally found the qualifying speed to give

the former world champion the grid position that could prove vital in his championship quest. The return to form of Felipe Massa will also delight the Ferrari garage, and there are real signs that the Brazilian is finally recovering from his accident in Hungary in 2009.

McLaren: McLaren will be looking for positives after quite literally suffering a slow start to the season, with their car failing to match the pace of the top teams. The team still do not appear to have recovered from the loss of Lewis Hamilton to Mercedes, but in Jenson Button they have an experienced racer who has repeatedly proven his ability to manage his car peerlessly in changeable conditions. The young Mexican Sergio Perez has yet to truly deliver behind the McLaren wheel, but an improved performance in Bahrain - in front of his wealthy Mexican sponsors – showed his battling qualities and bodes well for the future.

Lotus: Kimi Raikkonen was tipped by many as a dark horse for the 2013 championship, and the Finn showed his credentials by winning the opening race in Australia with a brilliant display of tyre management.

Consistency has been the key to success for Raikkonen since his return to Formula One, and his Lotus has been on the podium at three of the four races so far. Romain Grosjean also made it onto the podium in Bahrain, and the Frenchman’s increased maturity will please the Lotus team, with

the errors of last season seemingly behind him.

Mercedes: Back to back pole positions in China and Bahrain proved that Mercedes have the car to compete in 2013, but the Silver Arrows results have suffered due to greater tyre degradation than their rivals. Lewis Hamilton sits third in the standings after Bahrain however, and with Nico Rosberg also showing promising pace the future looks bright for Mercedes. Guided by team principle Ross Brawn, Mercedes have set targeting the 2014 title as their top priority, but will be seeking race wins this season to provide a platform to challenge next year.

Best of the rest: Force India have started brightly and Paul Di Resta was unlucky to miss out on the podium in Bahrain. Both the Scot and teammate Adrian Sutil have made positive openings to the season and there are signs that the team aren’t far from challenging for race wins. Rivals Williams and Sauber have both made disappointing starts, but Pastor Maldonado and Nico Hulkenberg are proven talents who should aid both teams progression as the season unfolds.

Red Bull feeder team Toro Rosso also have cause for optimism, with young Australian Daniel Ricciardo displaying decent pace. At the rear, Caterham and Marussia have shown little sign of the improvement required to appease their sponsors, and will have to bring updates to the car to stand any chance of competing this season.

Chaos

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Loose

GOLF

Out of the woods Tiger Woods escaped disqualification from the Masters and will be looking to lift the Claret Cup in Scotland in July Jonathan McIntosh Staff writer

The second round at Augusta and Tiger Woods was tied for the lead at the par five 15th. His shot from in front of the pond was lobbed onto the green. It hit the flagstick, before rolling back into the water.

That shot would have given him a two shot-lead but controversy ensued.

Tiger dropped his ball two yards behind its original placement and, with the help of a television viewer, it came to light that it should have resulted in a twostroke penalty. Tiger signed a six on his scorecard when he should have signed an eight. Historically, that would have resulted in disqualification but, due to a technicality, his penalty was waived.

Whether he should have been disqualified has been debated by many.

Of course, there were vested interests in keeping Tiger in the competition.

Viewing figures plummet by an average of 40 per cent whenever the biggest name in world golf misses the cut in a competition.

It has become fashionable for television viewers to pull up any discrepancies that go unnoticed. When a golf tournament is covered by the television, the viewer will only see more shots played by players in contention than the rest of the field. In the interests of fairness,

it should not be allowed that a television viewer can affect the result.

On the other hand, the integrity of the game, with its mosaic of complex rules and sub-rulings, should have been adhered to, and some say Tiger was lucky to stay in the Masters.

After years of scandal and injury, Tiger may have lost the respect of millions of his fans, but it seems that his sporting talent is back. Since the turn of the year, he has won three out of seven tournaments, and still finished fourth at the Masters, despite the penalty. He finished 2012 with five successive top-10 finishes.

Tiger is back on the hunt for the record 18 major titles held by Jack Nicklaus. He rarely lets a winning position slip and had that shot dropped in the hole would have added a 15th major title, and fifth Green Jacket, to his trophy cabinet. At the age of 37, he still has the time and the talent to win a final four majors.

His best chance this year appears to be at The Open at Muirfield in July. Tiger simply loves playing in Scotland. Two of his three Open victories have been at the Old Course, and the St Andrews locals welcome him as if he is one of their own.

They will be out in force again in July and Tiger will be one of the favourites to lift the Claret Jug. Expect him to be in contention again this year.

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

@EdJournalSport / journal-online.co.uk

SPORT// 29

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

Hometown girl Calderwood takes Fight of the Night Jim Alers takes the vacant featherweight title in the main event, but Joanne Calderwood leaves everybody talking Callum Leslie Student Politics editor

Mixed martial arts returned to Glasgow as Cage Warriors 53 took place at the Kelvin Hall with a stacked card.

A decent crowd witnessed a number of hometown stars, with the hall around twothirds full.

In the main event, Jim Alers defeated Joni Salovaara to win the vacant featherweight title, which had been vacated by recent Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debutant Conor McGregor. Alers had been in line for a title shot for a while, and finally brought home the gold with a submission victory in the fourth round.

Seven of his previous nine wins had come by submission, and Alers spent most of the fight looking for another, coming close in rounds one and three. Alers improves to 10-1, and will be tough to beat going forward.

In the co-main event, hometown girl Joanne Calderwood stole the show with a knockout of the night victory over Sally Krumdiack, improving her record to 6-0.

After just three minutes of the first round Calderwod unleashed a barrage of shots that dropped Krumdiack, where she lay motionless for around a minute after the fight was stopped.

This was Calderwood’s last fight before heading to Invicta FC, where she has signed the promotion’s first six fight deal.

She will fight Claudia Gadelha at Invicta

FC 6 on July 17, a card headlined by the hotly anticipated featherweight title fight between Marloes Coenen and Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos.

Speaking after her victory, Calderwood said: “I’m speechless right now. The crowd went wild and that’s all I want — I just want to entertain everyone, especially on home soil.

“Especially after showcasing KO of the night out, hopefully I can go over and show the same in Invicta.”

Calderwood’s partner James Doolan, making his Cage Warriors debut, was less successful, coming up short in a submission loss to Portsmouth’s James Pennington in the second round. This loss proved controversial, as Pennington had a point deducted in the first round for an illegal elbow to the back of the head that left Doolan reeling.

In a card full of strong finishes and not too many judges’ decisions, Ireland’s Neil Seery looked impressive in a quick TKO victory over Romania’s Paul Marin. After some hard stand up straight from the off Seery hit a strong kick to the body that buckled Marin leaving him with a nasty rib injury, and Seery took the victory. Seery will fight for the promotion’s inaugural flyweight title at Cage Warriors 55 in Dublin against Mikael Silander.

Elsewhere on the main card Mats Nilsson defeated Chris Scott via unanimous decision in a dominant performance, and Jason Ball defeated Jason Cooledge in another submission decision.

FOOTBALL

The battle for cup glory at Hampden Park As Pat Fenlon and Neil Lennon prepare for war in the Scottish Cup, we preview the two keen greens Chris Rubey

Gary Paul Staff Writer

Last weekend saw the semi finals of the FA cup and Scottish Cup provide drama for thousands of fans following their clubs to Wembley and Hampden.

While reports down south focused on the fighting among a small band of Millwall fans on Saturday and a violent stamp from Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero on Sunday, Glasgow played host to two exhilarating semi-finals with 14 goals to boast.

First, we witnessed Falkirk’s much touted team of youngsters decimate Hibernian, taking a 3-0 lead in the first half thanks to some slick play and goals from Craig Sibbald, Jay Fulton and Blair Alston. Hibs manager Pat Fenlon looked to be having another Hampden nightmare but the introduction of 18-year old Alex Harris sparked life into the SPL side, the Scottish talent scoring one and setting up another on the way to a remarkable 4-3 comeback win. Leigh

Griffiths (who else?) scored a stunning long-range effort in the closing minutes of extra time to book a place in successive finals for Hibs.

That it took that moment of magic from Griffiths to win the match tells a familiar story for the Leith side this season. His 25 goals in all competitions is an incredible tally and one that has masked a lot of the frailties in the rest of the team. In attack, Eoin Doyle has yet to really prove himself as an SPL striker despite impressing in spells and winger Paul Cairney has failed to meet the expectations piled on him after some decent performances at the beginning of the season.

In midfield things have improved on last term but there is still a distinct lack of creativity; perhaps the emergent talent of Harris can fill this void, but it would be rash to put too much pressure on the 18-year-old so soon. The arrival of keeper Ben Williams is a positive however; recently awarded the club’s player of the season award, Hibs fans will be pleased to have at last found someone who instils

confidence between the sticks.

The cup final will surely be a highlight in a disappointing season for Hibernian, especially after such a promising start. With just one league win in 2013, amid thrashings from St Johnstone and Motherwell, Pat Fenlon will hope their contrasting cup form continues at the end of May. Sunday’s all-SPL semi-final saw Celtic and Dundee United battle to another 3-3 draw in normal time, before Anthony Stokes latched onto a superb ball by James Forest in extra time to give Celtic a 4-3 victory and a chance for their first domestic double under Neil Lennon.

It was surely a relief for Lennon to overcome his ‘Hampden Hoodoo’ having lost to Rangers, Ross County, Hearts, Kilmarnock and St Mirren in the latter stages of the cups in recent years. In a season where many predicted that Celtic would simply win everything, Lennon has to start delivering.

Last season saw an opportunity for a domestic treble vanish, their only

triumph coming in the league. This year, St Mirren were inspirational in their semi-final victory over Celtic and Lennon will be desperate now not to let another cup slip through his hands on the big stage.

Their European exploits were highly commendable, and nights like the victory over Barcelona, and even in defeat in Turin will long be remembered by their fans. However, the domestic campaign has been sluggish: winning the SPL was almost a given, but Celtic could be the last team in Scotland to win their division title with SFL 1, 2 and 3 already wrapped up. Neil Lennon needs to show he can motivate his players when it matters. Come the final, his opposite number in the Hibernian dugout will have no problem encouraging his side to make up for last year’s heartache so the champions elect have to perform.

Both sides have tasted victory in this fixture so far this season but the final is bigger than any other match; hopefully both sides can rise to the occasion and entertain as they did in the semi-finals.

30 / SPORT

@EdJournalSport / journal-online.co.uk

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

FOOTBALL

Civil war brewing at battleground Britannia Why Stoke City will not sack Tony Pulis despite growing fan hatred of the long-serving manager

Ronnie Macdonald

Sean Gibson Editor-in-chief

Thunderous booing. Thousands invade the pitch. Fans point

at the main stand of the Britannia Stadium, united in baying for the blood of chairman Peter Coates. Stoke City Football Club is consumed by utter turmoil.

Such was the scene on 10 January 1998, during the 0-7 defeat to Birmingham City — still the heaviest home loss in Stoke’s history. However, the Potters are currently uncomfortably close to repeating that ugly moment in the club’s history. Coates is once again the club chairman, and the same intransigence which prompted the 1998 mutiny could well tear Stoke City apart in the coming months.

Current Stoke manager Tony Pulis is not a popular man with an increasingly vocal and sizeable minority of the club’s fans, as his side’s stark slump in form since the turn of the year has mired the Potters in the Premier League’s relegation battle. However, the club’s unwillingness to follow the modern fashion in the treatment of its manager is causing ever-increasing friction among Stoke supporters.

The combination of unpopularity and poor form often spells the end for the modern football manager, but regardless of whether Stoke survive this year Tony Pulis will almost certainly remain in charge next season.

This is not a groundless assertion — Stoke chairman Peter Coates has form, which that dark day in January 1998 illuminated only too well. Coates

roused the ire of Potters fans in the 1990s with his unwillingness to spend big to push the club into the young money-magnet that was the Premier League. Instead, the best players were sold without discussion and the club left its much-loved home — the Victoria Ground — for a windy, soulless, tinpot shell of a new home, the Britannia Stadium. Relegation to the third tier was the fruit of Stoke’s first season in residence.

Coates stepped away from the club between 1999 and 2006, returning a richer man for his Bet365 business. Coates’ investment and the club’s meteoric rise since his return has bought the chairman a lot of time with Stoke fans, but old wounds are now reopening as he shows that old intransigence, unmoved by open fan opposition in resolutely standing by his manager.

Tony Pulis has never been popular with the Stoke faithful. The recent poor form is merely an opportunity for Pulis’ critics to get out the knives once again. These critics prematurely pegged Pulis as a small-time, limited manager with no credentials and have been unable to confess in recent years just how colossally wrong they were.

When Pulis first joined Stoke in 2002, the newly-promoted secondtier side appeared doomed to relegation. In Pulis’ first game in charge — a 4-2 defeat at Walsall — Stoke fans had sneered, loud and proud, “you don’t know what you’re doing.” However, with several astute signings and promotion form in the run-in, Pulis saved Stoke on the final day of the season.

Pulis was ultimately sacked in

2005 following what Potters fans have termed the ‘binary season’, which included a string of 17 consecutive matches that ended either 1-0, 0-0 or 0-1. Many fans were glad to be rid of Pulis, despite the solid midtable stability. But one year on, when Peter Coates bought back the majority stakeholding in the club and returned to the chairmanship, his first order of business was to rehire Tony Pulis as manager.

A more belligerent manoeuvre the new chairman could not have made.

Since that day, Stoke supporters have been divided — the two sides pushing each other to equally extreme and distorted opinions. Each camp has fashioned a distasteful, derogatory moniker for the other. The ridiculous stand-off goes unnoticed by external commentators, who profess their confusion as to why Stoke supporters hold Pulis in such low esteem.

Peter Coates went to a lot of trouble to bring back Tony Pulis, trusting him with a lot of the money he has always held so precious. Fan opposition to Pulis has been significant even throughout the recent period of major success that included a first-ever FA Cup final appearance and a first foray into Europe in nearly 40 years. As the upward curve begins to level out, let alone turn downward, the angry cries of those anti-Pulis fans will conflict ever more violently with the intransigence of a chairman who has already shown he will happily ignore the wishes of Stoke fans.

Should the club plummet further, it is not unreasonable to foresee that the Britannia Stadium will become an open battleground once again.

FOOTBALL

Jenga-esque league reconstruction plans wobbling Scottish football’s new dawn is still shrouded in mist as the latest plans fall to opposition Gary Paul Staff writer

The future of Scottish football is up

in the air once more as the latest proposals for league reconstruction failed to gain the approval of a necessary majority of SPL clubs.

Under the proposed set up, Scotland’s 42 professional clubs would compete across three leagues (12-12-18) with the top two leagues ‘splitting’ into three groups of eight after two rounds of fixtures. The top eight then contest the title and European qualification, the

middle eight play for promotion and relegation in and out of the Premier Division, and the bottom eight fight to avoid relegation to the third tier.

This all sounds very complicated, almost unnecessarily so, but SPL chiefs and club directors were convinced such a format would increase meaningful games for all clubs, throughout the season. This in turn would reportedly increase interest and investment from sponsors and attempt to make Scottish football more financially stable.

Along with the formation of one governing body, fairer distribution of

wealth throughout the three leagues, and development of a pyramid system below them, this promised a forwardthinking future for Scottish Football.

The SPL clubs were on board, agreeing to sacrifice some of their own income to allow for such change. All except two, that is.

Ross County and St Mirren both elected to vote no to these proposals, and quickly came in for a torrent of abuse from the media and directors of other clubs, most notably Stewart Milne of Aberdeen. He accused Stewart Gilmour of St Mirren of having a self-

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serving agenda and putting Scottish football in jeopardy in a tear-soaked outburst on Monday.

Gilmour took his time in releasing a statement defending his stance and silenced his critics stating that he had acted in the interest of his club’s fans in rejecting the new league format and criticising the ‘all or nothing’ nature of these talks. He plans to seek an alternative and took particular issue with the existing voting structure within the SPL. Currently, a number of matters need an 11-1 majority in order to pass. This is a bizarre system that existed to allow the Old Firm to dictate change in the SPL; the two could effectively veto anything which would assist smaller clubs and this helped in part to propagate their dominance before Rangers’ decline last summer.

Ironically, it is this 11-1 system which halted the progress of talks this week as just Ross County and St Mirren needed to vote against them. Even more fittingly, when a change to this system was proposed at the start of this season, Aberdeen elected to maintain the 11-1.

They perhaps saw themselves as the emerging ‘second force’ but instead are languishing in the bottom half of the table.

A number of clubs have expressed their disappointment, but questions have to be asked as to why it was all or nothing. Gilmour wants to see almost all matters reduced to a 9-3 majority, and was in favour of most of the other changes proposed; he simply could not

say yes to a system which maintained the ridiculous voting system which typified the self-serving nature of the SPL. Scottish football needs a single governing body to take control of the game, it needs fairer distribution of wealth, it needs a pyramid scheme at the bottom to allow for ambitious clubs, and in truth, it needs a change at the top. Fans clamouring for a bigger league need a reality check — we don’t have the quality for an 18-team league, and a 16-team league does not allow for enough fixtures and associated income for clubs to survive.

Whether 12-12-18 and 8-8-8 was the way to resolve this we may never know, but there needs to be an increased opportunity for promotion into the top tier (perhaps from play-offs) with the infrastructure to stop the teams who are relegated from falling off a financial cliffedge as seen with Dunfermline.

Most importantly, right now we must not lose the hunger for change; if we lose the initiative now, it could be a long time before it returns.

Chris Rubey

The Journal Wednesday 24 April 2013

SPORT// 31 SPORT

@EdJournalSport / journal-online.co.uk

SPORT /

Hacker:

Victor Meldrew in the house

Ruth Jeffery takes a scattergun approach to the ranting in the final Hacker of the year

27 Chris Rubey

Sir Chris Hoy retires

Edinburgh’s Olympic cycling hero not to compete at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Ruth Jeffery Sport editor

Edinburgh lad Sir Chris Hoy

announced his retirement at the age of 37 from cycling last week in a move which sees him out of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Hoy is Britain’s most successful Olympian with six gold medals under his belt. The last two were fruits of London 2012 and most people will remember him as the athlete who epitomised the games’ spirit and sportsmanship.

Hoy said in a press conference last week that his decision to retire is in part due to doubts about how successful he could be in Glasgow next year.

He was quoted by the BBC, saying: “I wanted to get a medal for Scotland. I didn’t think I could so wanted someone else to take my place. It’s a decision that I didn’t take lightly and I thought about

it very hard. In sport at the highest level you are dealing in the smallest margins and you can tell when you are good but not good enough.”

At the press conference in Murrayfield, Hoy also said: “It is a hard time — it is one moment at the end of your career when you say ‘enough is enough.”

Always held up as a true sporting gentleman as well as an incredible athlete, Hoy will work alongside the Scotland team at the Commonwealth Games as a mentor and will no doubt have some clarifying advice to pass onto the younger competitors. He will also act as an Ambassador in the bid for the 2018 Youth Olympics and as a mentor for the Scottish Rugby Union.

Hoy has always made much of his Edinburgh roots and was honoured with the freedom of the city in September to celebrate his Olympic achievements. He toured the city on an opentopped bus and was greeted by fans

who travelled en masse to support him.

His knighthood in 2008 was another highlight for the athlete, the same year that he collected three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics and was named BBC personality of the year. Since the announcement, tributes have poured in for the star with Lord Sebastian Coe describing him as an ‘icon’.

Sir Steven Redgrave, who with five gold medals was outstripped by Hoy at London 2012, has said: “Sir Chris Hoy should be rated right at the top of Britain’s sporting pantheon, he is not just a big name in Britain but a major sportsman in global terms. To be winning medals and competing at the highest level for 13 years is a phenomenal achievement.”

Some may be disappointed that Sir Chris will not be lighting up Glasgow’s velodromes come next summer, but given his immense presence, we haven’t seen the last of him yet.

LEAGUE TABLES

FOOTBALL

FOOTBALL

BUCS Scottish Conference Men’s 2A

BUCS Scottish Conference Men’s 1A P W D L

F

P W D L

A GD Pts

F

A GD Pts

Stirling 2nd

8 6 1

7

14

19

Ed' Napier 1st

8 5 2 1 15 8

7

17

Heriot-Watt 1st

8 4 1 3 15 16

-1

13

Abertay 1st

8 4 2 2 17

7

10

14

Edinburgh 1st

8 2 3 3 16 18 -2

9

Robert Gordon 1st

8 3 2 3 19 14

5

11

Aberdeen 1st

8 2 2 4 12 18 -6

8

Edinburgh 2nd

8 2 3 3

9 15 -6

9

Glasgow 1st

8 2

7

Glasgow Caley 1st

8 0 3 5

9 25 -16

3

1 21

1 5 13 18 -5

RUGBY

HOCKEY

BUCS Scottish Conference Women’s 1A

BUCS Scottish Conference Women’s 1A P W D L F

P W D L

F

A

GD Pts

A GD Pts Leeds M. Car'gie 1st 11 9 0 2 362 130 232 45

Edinburgh 1st

8 8 0 0 31 6

25 24

Durham 1st

12 9 0 3 414 111 303 45

Edinburgh 2nd

8 3 2 3 18 19

-1

11

Loughborough 1st

12 9 0 3 394 172 222 44

Glasgow 1st

8 3

1 4 14 21 -7

10

Newcastle 1st

12 6 0 6 147 269 -122 27

Aberdeen 1st

8 3 0 5 19 25 -6

9

Birmingham 1st

12 4 0 8 269 335 -66 18

St Andrews 1st

8

4

Nottingham1st

11 2 0 9 84 430 -346 12

Edinburgh 1st

12 2 0 10 146 369 -223 6

1

1 6 20 31 -11

FOOTBALL

Hibees hold McInnes and his Dons to ‘frantic’ stalemate Hibernian and Aberdeen take a point apiece from a closely-fought contest as the season begins to wind up at Easter Road Scottish Premier League

HIBERNIAN

0

ABERDEEN

0

Ruth Jeffery Sport editor

Derek McInnes got his first point in charge of the Dons as Hibernian and Aberdeen drew level on Monday night at Easter Road.

Hibs had the best of the chances throughout but seemed nervous in the first half and missed some good opportunities in the second.

Leigh Griffiths once again proved to be the Hibee’s playmaker, attempting an ambitious close-range bicycle kick in the first ten minutes which, had it gone home, would have been a spectacular goal. In the event it shot just wide. The turquoise-booted forward was mobile from the start, harassing Aberdeen in midfield and never looking content to wait for the ball.

Hibs manager Pat Fenlon was

pleased with the clean sheet: “We’ve been conceding too many goals- three last week and three the week before that- so it’s important to defend well and our back four didn’t give them too many opportunities to score so that’s probably the most pleasing aspect.”

His counterpart McInnes said of his debut as boss: “I thought it was a committed performance and there was a lot of effort on show from the players. I thought tonight we were a bit frantic. More than a bit frantic at times. I thought maybe we forgot to play- we were well worthy of a point but I don’t think we did enough to win

the game obviously.”

Aberdeen’s Joe Shaughnessey did a good job of dominating Alex Harris down the left, beating him for headed balls and stopping him from picking up some of Hanlon’s long balls wide of the post.

The most talked about man in every Hibs match, Griffiths also provided some entertainment for the crowd in the second half when he received the ball from Handling’s throw in and chesting it, spun around and dodged three of Aberdeen’s defence with some neat footwork. He was overcome near the corner flag, but for a moment

the Easter Road faithful were vocally amused.

If anything, the second half was a livelier affair with Niall McGinn getting closest for the Dons. Griffiths had another couple of chances and teammates Eoin Doyle and Alex Harris also looked likely contenders to mark the scoresheet.

Fenlon was upbeat about the future: “There’s a lot to play for this season still. We’ve got another home game on Saturday and we’ve still got to play Hearts as well which is a big game for everybody and we’ve got a Cup Final as well.

Edinburgh - Journal dergisi.pdf

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11.03.2013

11:28