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ISSUE 13.2
YOUR NEWS - YOUR VIEWS
DUNDEE UNIVERSITY STUDENT MAGAZINE
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the end is nigh? Keeping a Close Watch on Principal Downes’ Strategic Review
gic ate Str iew & Rev You
ff : FAO Sta Cuts?
YOURNEWS....YOURSPORT....YOURVIEWS....YOURSCIENCE....YOURMUSIC....YOURFEATURES...YOURHEALTH... YOURTRAVEL...YOURINFOCUS....YOURART.....YOURREPRESENTATION...YOURMAGDALEN
If you are interested in getting involved in The Magdalen we are still looking for graphic designers and promoters. E-mail us @ themagdalen@dusa.co.uk
current affairs We uncover what’s going on in all your latest international, local and campus news. Education special
features facebook flowchart quiz education report cards
sport tennis f1 DUSA Volleyball and Netball
travel
winter travelling oktober fest
regulars health monthly timeline cartoons
fashion menswear “It’s Getting Chilly” Shoot
Contributors Editor Natalie Coupar Assistant Editor Beth Shackley Current Affairs Editor Jo McIntyre Deputy CA Editor Mitan Patel Features Editor Ross Barrow Travel Editor Michelle Lacey Fashion Editor Liz O’Hara Entertainments Editor Ruth Hunter Sports and Societies Editor Barry Davidson Finance Director Adam McVey Contributors Rory Martin Kirsty Fergusson Michelle Travers Nicola Brown Henrietta Evans Ruth Hunter Matt Simmonds Neil Cant Alistair Bell Nicola Bell Laura Bouch Henrietta Evans Jordan Dunbar Andrew Smith Adam McVey
Exams are finally coming to an end - thank goodness! What better to celebrate with than a peruse through your favourite magazine - The Magdalen? This month we’ve went all education-y (it is a word so man up and deal with it) and covered a whole variety of issues from the Strategic Review to report cards being installed at University’s. But don’t worry. It’s not all about “dull” yet extremely relevant things like education. Ruth Hunter has done fantastic work in covering a number of art related events, including an interview with Martin Boyce. We also have an interview with the Proclaimers and the Travel team show us the best places to go in the winter months. On Fashion we address the boys this month on what’s what in Mens
Word Of The Month:
OSTENTATIOUS
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fashion. The horrific trend of “minesweeping” on campus is covered in our health section and Jordan Dunbar has taken up a new column with his musings on Dundee Urban Myths. The science section has taken on a new guise in the form of a rant by our assistant editor and resident genius. I would like to thank the gorgeous people featured on our front cover for their patience and fashion synchronicity. I believe they all look rather hot. I hope you have a lovely winter season and look forward to seeing you all in January. p.s Why 13.2? You know why. Kind Regards, Natalie Coupar Editor n.coupar@dundee.ac.uk
: marked by or fond of conspicuous or vain glorious and sometimes pretentious display
PUBLISHED BY Grahame Thewliss D.U.S.A Airlie Place Dundee DD1 4HP vpc@dusa.co.uk
Recycle your copy of The Magdalen
the monthly timeline. 26th November – Dundee’s Christian backlash against the omission of Jesus from the winter festivities has allowed Nativity plays back on the theatrical menu for schools and societies.
nov-dec nov-dec
30th November: Susan Boyle attained Number 1 on the album charts with her CD I Dreamed a Dream. She now holds the title of most albums sold within a week for a firsttime artist. Over 400 000 copies have been purchased.
27th November: Tiger Woods is in car crash in Orlando after several allegations of infidelity – police say he is to blame.
2nd December: Marilyn Monroe is outed as a marijuana smoker, following the retrieval of silent footage, dating 1958-1959
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2nd December: British sailors that were detained by the Iranian authorities are released. The five yachtsmen had been captured while sailing over the borders of Iranian waters.
7th Decmber: Government speaks of Swine Flu vaccinations for all children under 5, alongside “high-risk” adults. Enough “Tamiflu” has been created to treat the entire population of the UK.
7th December: Copenhagen Climate Summit opens up debate regarding carbon emissions – nuclear energy is discussed as a possible solution to energy problems.
8th December: Car bombings continue in Baghdad. 448 are injured and 127 people are confirmed dead. Al-Qaeda are said to have been more active in the area due to their protest against the government, stating the government is unable to protect its people.
4th December: FIFA draw the groups for the South Africa 2010 Football World Cup, seeing the host nation drawn against 2006 World Cup runners-up France, along with Uruguay and Mexico. England faces what has been described as an ‘easy draw’ against Slovenia, USA and Algeria.
7th December: Alistair Darling proposes to counteract the “bonus culture” in Britain by creating a one off “super-tax” on thousands of bankers’ bonuses.
news : campus Animation Success?
>Rory Martin
A short animation made by students from Dundee and Abertay universities; called The Happy Duckling has won a BAFTA Scotland award for Best Animation. Students from the two universities came together in the 07/08 academic year under the guidance of renowned Israeli animator and former tutor at Duncan of Jordanstone, Gili Doley to create the animation. The animated adventure follows a young boy who is being followed by a relentless happy duck who trails him throughout this the pop-up book world where the story is set. The Happy Duckling has already been shown in almost 50 countries worldwide, and won several awards at film festivals around the globe. The Happy Ducking can be viewed online at http://www.happyduckling.com/
St Andrews Student Death
Alex Wilson, a first year student at St Andrews University, plunged to his death from a cliff on Friday 6th November. Alex was taking a shortcut to a beach party through the area known as The Scores when he fell 60ft off a cliff at 01:30am. A lifeboat from Broughty Ferry along with an RAF helicopter from Northumberland was launched to find the student. However, his body was found washed up on the shore near the St Andrews Aquarium Sealife Centre, an hour and a half later at 3am. There were no suspicious circumstances. St Andrews University Vice-Principle Stephen Magee described Alex as a “bright and very popular student who was much loved by his family and friends”. This is the sixth fatal accident in seven years at this spot. The Royal Society for the Protection of Accidents is trying to raise awareness on the dangers of this area to new students.
DUSA Presidents Open Letter In an unprecedented move, Student Union President Andrew Smith has written open letter to Dundee University Principle Downes citing concern over possible further cuts to the university. The threat of cuts and their possible detrimental effect on the student population is currently of great concern. The Law Library has already seen its opening hours reduced by roughly a third after a cut in the budget of the Information Services department. This was despite a petition from over 200 Students. Instead of cuts in this area there was a call for the budget to be increased, especially as Dundee University has taken on a record number of students this year. As well as the issue of cuts the open letter also highlighted many other key issues such as Principle Downes reference to the university as a business. This raised concern with many students about the idea that education could ever be considered a business. The move by President Andrew Smith is the first time a DUSA President has gone against the Principle’s apparent aims so openly. As well as this letter DUSA has started a petition calling on Principal Downes to reinstate the Law Library hours, stop further cuts and oppose any staff redundancies. This split shows the deep divide between students and staff that more cuts could create. For further information on this issue please see the letter and article by Andrew Smith on the DUSA website.
Fundraising Success For Students
On Friday the 23rd of October, the school of education, social work and community education raised over a thousand pounds for Cancer Research UK. A number of events were organised by School President Liam Sturrock as part of Breast Cancer awareness month. Students and staff dressed in pink and took part in a number of events including a bake sale and a raffle. Liam said that the response had been good with those from other schools also participating. Also on Friday the 30th of October, a number of researchers from Dundee University also did their bit for fundraising for Breast Cancer’s ‘wear it Pink’ campaign with a number of events at Ninewells hospital.
DoJ’s V&A Achievement DOJ student’s V&A success Fourth year Duncan of Jordanstone student, Kirsty Fenton will have her work exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum next year alongside some of the biggest names in the art world including Tracey Emin and Grayson Perry. Her winning entry will form part of the V&A’s first major exhibition of quilts next year. Kirsty’s design ‘Threaded Wrists’ was made after students were challenged to create a quilt that displayed a narrative quality. Her design deals with the problem of child labour which is a massive issue in the textile industry around the world. Kirsty said she is thrilled to have received such an opportunity and said “it is quite intimidating to think that my stuff will be there alongside all these other huge names, but it is also fantastic”. The exhibit will take place at the Victoria and Albert Museum in spring next year.
news : local & national Student Pub Crawls Face Backlash
Robbie To Return?
Polar Bear Moves North
Some say it is a right of passage to participate in alcohol induced mayhem during university, but could the legendary student pub crawl be under threat?
Robbie Williams to Reunite with Take That After Robbie’s three year break, he is said to be set for a reunion with Take That. The star appeared on Jonathan Ross on Friday 6th November and admitted he had been working alongside Take That. He said that they have done “bits and bobs” together and that he couldn’t say much about their reunion at present. The star also revealed that he stopped performing for a while due to his nervousness on stage. Robbie left Take That in 1995 and went on to become an extremely successful solo artist. He has just released his eighth album - Reality Killed the Video Star. Whilst in New York for Mark Owen’s stag do, the band and Robbie were said to have gone to Jimi Hendrix’s old studio to work on new material.
The UK’s only polar bear Mercedes was moved last month from Edinburgh Zoo to a new enclosure in the Highland Wildlife Park. Her old enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo was criticised as being too small for such a large animal. The new enclosure at Highland Wildlife Park extends over four acres of land and is regarded as far more typical of polar bears natural habitat.
Carnage UK organise drinking events for 350, 000 students across the UK every year, including Dundee. This week alone will run 10 nights across Britain. At each event, students pay £10 for entry into around 10 bars and a nightclub (many of which will offer promotions). However the National Union of Students wants to see such events banned in all British universities after Philip Laing, a 19year-old student from Sheffield Hallam was pictured urinating on a wreath of poppies at a war memorial after a 12 hour binge. Laing, who now faces a prison sentence and disciplinary action from Sheffield Hallam, was one of 2000 students who took part in the pub-crawl last month. However this is not the first controversy linked to a Carnage UK event, in Bangor, north Wales, a local man was attacked during an event while Gethin Bevan, 20, a student at Bath University, committed suicide behind a nightclub after attending a Carnage pub crawl. The NUS has launched a campaign to stop the company holding any further events, writing to local authorities and MPs and according to a recent survey 17 student unions have already banned Carnage.
SLC Cock Up Thousands of students across England are still waiting for their loans and grants months after term started. Statistics from the Student Loan Company indicate that up to 70,000 students are still waiting for their payments to arrive despite claims by the Student Loan Company (SLC) that all who submitted their applications on time would have their payments by the end of October. In one example a student who submitted her application in April still has not received any payment from the SLC. The Conservatives are blaming the government for this delay, have accused them of dithering and warn they need to get a grip of the situation before the next group of students start in January. With no idea when the problem will be rectified, it would seem that the wait for many English students is far from over.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (who own Mercedes) stated that she was settling into her new environment incredibly well. There are also plans to get more polar bears and start a breeding programme after Mercedes dies. The Royal Zoological Society claim that such a programme would help ensure the survival of the species whose natural habitat is under threat from global warming. However, these plans have been criticised by the born free foundation.
news : international Korean Navy Clash
US Army Base Shooting
A South Korean warship has exchanged fire with a North Korean vessel according to reports from both countries. Reports from South Korean officials state that the South Korean ship fired after the vessel from the North crossed a disputed sea border. North Korea is insisting that its ship did not cross and the reaction from the South was unjustified. They are demanding an apology over this latest incident which comes after months of increasing tension in the region. It comes just days before US President Barak Obama is due to visit the region where North Korea is seeking a meeting with him to discuss the nuclear issue.
A US army major who is accused of killing 13 soldiers at US army base Fort Hood in Texas was due to be deployed to Afghanistan. Reports indicate that he strongly opposed his deployment there and found it deeply troubling. US officials say that he acted alone in this attack despite being linked to Yemen-based cleric Anwar al-Awlaki who is accused of being sympathetic to Al-Qaeda. Major Nidal Malik Hasan was shot four times during the attack. At the time of going to press he remained in hospital but had regained consciousness and was able to talk.
Danish Student Arrest A Danish student, Niels Krogsgaard, has been arrested in Iran after government authorities accused him of covering antigovernment protests. According to the Danish Union of Journalists, Mr Krogsgaard was in Iran working on an academic paper about Iranian politics. Candian, Japanese and Iranian journalists are also being held in custody for covering the protests without The 40th anniversary of Sesame Street permits. this week is to be celebrated with the appearance of Michelle Obama on the new Iran has greatly tightened its reporting season. Previously the show has seen the regulations after mass media coverage likes of Kofi Annan, Beyonce and Robin of protests that followed the disputed Williams. June election. At least 30 protesters have Sesame Street – starring Elmo, Big Bird, Bert, been killed in clashes with security forces Ernie, the Cookie Monster and Oscar the since the elections. Thousands have also Grouch – is now aired in over 140 countries. been arrested and around 200 opposition In each country, the program focuses on activists remain in jail and 3 have been important cultural issues. In South Africa sentenced to death. the characters promote HIV awareness, in Belfast the characters attempted to bridge Despite the lack of coverage, the protests the sectarian divide and in the Middle East in Iran continue. Reports from within the they teach children about tolerance. country indicate that security forces are The only showing that still exists in the using batons and tear gas to break up UK is on BBC Northern Ireland, which was large protests. Other unconfirmed reports instigated by Deputy First Minister Martin state that security forces are using live McGuinness. ammunition to disperse crowds.
First Lady On Sesame?
Student ReAdmitted A Brazilian student who was expelled by her university for wearing a mini-dress has been reinstated. Geisy Arruda, a student at Bandeirante University (a private college in Sao Paulo) was expelled because the university stated that she was causing a disturbance in classes through “a flagrant lack of respect for ethical principles, academic dignity and morality”. She was reinstated after outcry from the public as well as the government. The education minister called for the university to explain its actions and the minister for woman’s rights said the actions showed “total intolerance and discrimination”. The university said that it would reinstate Geisy Arruda but would not offer an explanation.
comment : international Europe The controversial Lisbon treaty will come into effect this month. It creates the position of President of the European Council (the council is composed of the heads of state of all 27 European Union nations; and the President will be a mere spokesman/woman on behalf of the council) and the High Representative (this is the more significant position, which will represent the interests of all EU nations on international matters). Proponents vigorously state that it will allow more efficient governance. However, opponents of the treaty argue that it abolishes the sovereignty of EU member states in favour of a “federalist” Europe. The EU started, in the form of the EEC (European Economic Community), as a bloc of European nations that sought economic (but not political) integration. The EU itself was created with the signing of the Maastricht treaty in 1992, which created a much stronger political union between the members of the EEC. The Lisbon treaty is an equally historic treaty. Here is a brief history for those of you who are unfamiliar with the Lisbon Treaty: ∑ In 2004, the Lisbon Treaty was agreed by the EU leaders. For a “treaty” to be ratified (come into effect), all member states must agree to sign it. Only once all member states have done so, the document becomes law. ∑ Initially it was a constitution (critics still refer to it as a constitution) with the inclusion of creating an EU flag, anthem and logo. The French and Dutch voters were asked via a referendum whether they supported the treaty and both groups firmly rejected the notion of the treaty.
>Mitan Patel (Note that not all member states have had the opportunity of a referendum on the treaty, some governments have signed the treaty without a vote.) ∑ In 2007, a new document was drawn up, stripped of any mention of a super state, such as the aforementioned anthem, flag or logo. In 2008, the Irish referendum on the new Lisbon treaty showed that Irish voters were not happy with it. ∑ In mid to late 2009, most nations had
signed up to the Treaty, including the UK. Only the Polish, Czech and Irish governments had yet to sign the Lisbon treaty. The Irish held a second referendum and this time the answer came back yes (as the recession highlighted the need for greater cooperation with Europe and there were assurances given that certain matters such as abortion would not be imposed on Ireland from Europe). The Irish government signed, soon followed by the Polish government and despite the Czech Presidents disapprobation with the treaty, he eventually signed the treaty very recently, finally ratifying the treaty as all member states had singed the treaty. The EU currently has overriding authority
on a small number of issues, but the advent of the Lisbon Treaty greatly expands the number of issues the EU has overriding authority on. Is this sacrifice worth it? Undoubtedly the Treaty will ensure greater cooperation with the other European nations. It is often said, given the rise of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China- the economically powerful developing countries), the EU is necessary to counter these countries rising influence, both in terms of economics and national security. The emergence once again of Russia also reinforces the need for such a union between member states. EU supporters will always highlight the ever dangerous political landscape, necessitating a strong European Union with huge powers. In Britain, most of the population is said to be against the idea of further European integration. The Lisbon treaty referendum was never given; this is seen to have happened as the pro European government, feared a rejection of the treaty. This now presents a huge problem for the Conservative Party who is set to govern after the upcoming general election next year. As stated, their party is generally against Lisbon and promised a referendum on Lisbon, but since the treaty is now in effect and they cannot do anything significant to release Britain’s obligation to it, they have revoked their promise of a referendum. This has angered many of the British public and is set to make the Conservative Party policies on Europe very interesting.
infocus: strategic review The Strategic Review >DUSA President Andrew Smith Following the DUSA AGM in October I wrote to Principal Downes to convey the concerns of a number of students, and to ask a number of pertinent questions about the upcoming Strategic Review being undertaken by his office. Following the letters publication on www.dusa.co.uk Principal Downes took part in a number of meetings with me and other students. The main argument I made, and still do, is that as a matter of policy DUSA will not support any cuts that impact upon the learning or pastoral experiences of students. At present it feels like we are being told that there are no planned cuts but on the other hand we are also being told that resources will be increase for areas that are achieving “excellence” this raises the obvious question of what happens to areas that are not defined to be achieving “excellence”- the issue is that without cuts or a significant redistribution of resources there is no way to build one department without it being at the expense of others. While we can not be sure of anything
Comment
that is going to be in the report I want to guarantee you that if I am in the same position as my predecessors have been in the past then DUSA will not be supporting any cuts and we will never ignore the will of our members. During a time when graduate jobs are becoming harder to find and the cost of living is only increasing then it seems to me the onus is on the governments in Hollyrood and Westminster to ensure the cost of being a student doesn’t deter others from enjoying the same privileges that we all have, graduates already pay more tax in general and should not be taxed extra on top of that. The issue here is not what Principal Downes may or may not decide to do but is rather the trend that is seeing an increasingly market driven approach to the University experience across the country. We believe that University education is a value to society and must be invested in during a recession. We believe that the never ending talk of tuition fees and cuts across Britain
can only undermine education in this country. In November DUSA launched a petition that urged the Principal to ensure that no support budgets were cut and that teaching staff were not made redundant as a result of the recession. This is a petition and an issue we fully intend to return to in the New Year and is one of the many ways we hope to influence the process. When students work with the University then we can all benefit, this has been seen with the recent increase in hours to both the main library and the law library which came as a result of a strong dialogue, similarly the work of the 16 school boards across campus have seen the whole student representation system strengthened in the past 2 or 3 years. A copy of the letter I wrote can be found on http://www.dusa.co.uk/news/index. php?page=article&news_id=102125
>School President of Social & Environmental Sciences Adam McVey
Students are aware there is a problem on campus when even their lecturers look worried. This time round, the lecturers are duly concerned about the University’s strategic review. This is a review to examine the quality and efficiency of the University. This includes all aspects of research and teaching for the staff. The University has stressed that they want to focus on quality of research but many are concerned that the financial income will play a role in setting the criteria of “quality research”. Lecturers are worried that if their research activity is not highly funded it will be axed by the University. One of the Economics lecturers has pointed out that very few Nobel Prize winning research papers have received any such financial backing. So apart from our lecturers missing out on the
Nobel Prize why else should the student body be worried? If a lecturer’s research is deemed to be substandard and is axed, they will have more time to focus on lecturing and “quality research”. This creates a problem when there are many members of staff in a department each having their research dropped. It isn’t hard to imagine that if more free time is found for a department’s staff it won’t be long before staff cuts are considered. If lecturers have more free time then the University needs fewer lecturers to carry out its functions. The problem with this logic is that departments will lose key skill sets if the number of lecturers is cut. Lecturers with specifications will be lost and therefore the modules they run will be lost. This
reduces the choices open to students and moves our campus from a diverse multitude of modules to a dull monotone set of core subjects. This all makes the assumption that within our University there is pointless, time consuming, costly research going on. Having spoken to lecturers who are worried about this, none of them feel their research is pointless and it begs the question- Who will be targeted and stopped carrying out part of their academic functions? The strategic review will be published over Christmas to give us an answer.
infocus: Principal Downes: Biography The Dean of our Life Sciences faculty has found information leading to the understanding of lithium. This drug is used to make insulin, treat manic depression and promote controlled growth. He is a co-director of the Division of Signal Transduction Therapy – an exclusive collection of six drug companies which control the world’s drug production and understanding. He has received an OBE within the 2004 list for the Queen’s Birthday Honours. Peter Downs was appointed “Acting Principal and Vice-Chancellor” here at the University of Dundee earlier this
year, following his position as VicePrincipal and Head of the College of Life Sciences obtained three years previously. He has been a member of staff at Dundee University since 1989, when he was appointed the role of Professor of Biochemistry. During his time with the schools of science, he has attained several prestigious awards including the Colworth Medal of the Biochemical Society His extraordinary contributions to the University of Dundee and subsequent effect on the international field of science deserve and achieve great recognition from his colleagues, faculty and the university as a whole. He states he wishes to bring the same recognition to all departments of
the university as those of medicine, life sciences and art at Duncan of Jordanstone, raising them all to equal standards.
there a poor staff to student ratio? As boring as all of these queations may sound it is important that you develop some sort of interest for your university. Our student voice needs to maintain a degree of authority so that when these “difficult decisions” concerning “impact” focus” and “excellence” are made, we at least have an iota of whats going on. The report is due out in January and we hope that it will be subjected to extended scrutiny from all of the facets of our university bodies. The likelihood of it being passed through
Senate without our recommendations is high.
His commitment to Dundee University is unfailing and his scientific and academic contributions will surely continue for many years to come.
Editors Note: The Strategic Review raises many questions to all involved with our education process. It is not the intention of the Magdalen to pre-empt the motives or the outcomes of the Strategic Review. Instead we want to allow you to make an informed decision about your education. Principal Downes has held sessions with the SRC and a further meeting with a smaller core. It is up to all of us to ensure that such communication continues. What is happening at your school? Are you lacking books? Is your library having its hours cut? Is
representation: Student Representative Council
SRC is still cracking on with the important business of representation. The last meeting on the 10th of November affiliated six new societies. Film, Forensics, Afro-Caribbean, Bhangra, Caporeira and Psychiatry were all welcomed into the DUSA family of societies. Look out for the new additions on the list of society websites at DUSA.co.uk. The big news of SRC was the presence of the Principal to answer questions and concerns of the Council. Mr Downes was asked about a range of policy issues such as pricing of Halls of residence, library resource provision, as well as potential departmental cuts. The principal has now agreed to look
into making halls of residence more cost effective for students. The principal is also working to reassure the student body that any potential cuts will not have an adverse effect on the student experience. The last SRC was dominated by the ammendment of no less than 8 bye laws and 2 codes of conduct. All were passed by the SRC with a few minor adjustments. The SRC also endorsed a monthly membership option for the University gym. It’s now upto the Exec to negotiate with the ISE with the council’s mandate to ensure this option becomes availbale to the student body, watch this space!
After the University’s unwillingness to look at the rerintroduction of the daytime bus service to ninewells and West Park Villas, the SRC decided to continue persuing the issue. The Student Council will now be making suggestions as to where the University can find the £50,000 to fund the scheme. The SRC also came to the conclusion that we’re no where near as accessable as we should be. After some discussion the SRC decided get in people’s faces to let campus know what we’re upto much more. Search on facebook for the Dundee Student Representative Council and join the group.
How Representation Works
Student Representatives
University Structures
DUSA Executive
Students Representative Council (SRC)
Services & Facilities Subcommittee
Learning & Teaching Subcommittee
Court, Senate and their Committees
College Boards
School Boards
School Staff-Student Liaison Committees School Presidents
Class / module Representatives
The Student Body
• Informal feedback to staff • Module feedback surveys • National Student Surveys (NSS) • Programme Review Panels • Hall Committees
You’ve graduated. Now here is your Report Card. Ross Barrow investigates why replacing the current classification system with report cards might be a good idea after all.
British universities grade honours students using a classification system. So, at honours level (4th year for most courses in Scotland), you can achieve a First, 2:1, 2:2 or a 3rd. Last year, according to the Good University Guide, 65.8% of students graduated from Dundee University achieved a First or a 2:1. Whilst that figure looks flashy on a university league table, in an ever competitive jobs market, it doesn’t help anyone with a top grade to stand out from the crowd. It seems that a new system should be introduced, which would do exactly that. Wouldn’t a system where captaining the hockey team, volunteering as a Peer Connector or being an active member of the debating society were recognised alongside academic qualifications be far more valuable to students and their prospective employers? According to the Guardian newspaper, students and employers certainly think so. In fact, a system of “report cards” has been mooted by such groups, which would offer this type of information, giving employers much more detail about you and giving students the opportunity for their achievements to
be formally recognised. A system of report cards would serve students and employers far better. Students would be more inclined to join societies and get involved in their university, benefiting the student experience for everyone. We would also not have to worry that we were spending time that could be better spent studying, as employers would see value in our extra curricular activities. It might also encourage some of us to get fitter, by joining the basketball or athletics society. For employers, they would be better informed of their candidates for jobs, and could more easily spot the potential of graduates. It might be a cliché to say that there is more to life than grades, but a report cards system would make that statement a reality.
Get Involved Societies
There are a million and one societies and sports to get involved with at Dundee Uni. They’re a great way to network and build up your CV.
Representation It may sound like the last thing that you might want to do, but student representation is one of the most important aspects of life on campus. Get in touch with your School Convener or DUSA’s Deputy President for more info.
Part Time Job There are many benefits of having a part time job, the obvious one being an increase in your cash flow. Further to that, having a part time job whilst at Uni shows that you’re
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>Kirsty Fergusson Unfortunately winter is creeping up on us. With the weather deteriorating quickly, the work piling up rapidly and the end of semester not too far in the distance we think some winter fun is in serious need! Feeling the pinch? If you haven’t already been tempted by post-exam cheap flights then why not stay in Scotland and explore? This issue, The Magdalen takes you on a tour of must-do’s in Scotland through out the festive period. Edinburgh German Markets... Why not take a trip to the capital to visit the German markets in all their glory? On November 24th at 5pm the Christmas German market opens at Mound precinct, outside the National Gallery of Scotland, this is also when the winter wonderland is launched including the big wheel and the outdoor ice rink! This is so much fun for a Christmas day out with all your friends to celebrate the end of semester, getting you well and truly into the Christmas spirit. The German Christmas market in Edinburgh consists of 25 little wooden cabins, each brightly illuminated with all of the usual seasonal trimmings. The aim of the market
is not to rival the original ones in Germany, but to bring an authentic experience for all to enjoy. The best thing about this is that you don’t have to spend a penny so it is perfect for all you skint students. The atmosphere in Edinburgh is amazing when night falls and the festive lights take over the city; it is definitely worth a visit! Dundee Ice Skating... Why not try something new this winter? Public sessions start from 10am-12noon everyday and continue at various different times throughout the day. It is best to phone up and book before you go along as sometimes there are ice hockey matches on in the evenings which are definitely worth going along to watch if that interests you!
SCOTLAND WINTER SPORTS 1. Skiing in Aviemore... Aviemore is the home of the Cairngorm Mountains, and is situated in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. This is the perfect location for some fun filled days of skiing and snowboarding on the beautiful Cairngorm Mountains. You can hire all the equipment when you get there, including warm outdoor clothes if you have not come prepared. If you have had enough of skiing for one day, the Cairngorms is home of the highest restaurant
and bar in the UK, so that is definitely worth a visit after an adventurous day on the slopes for some chill out time.
Whisky Tasting... The Speyside whisky trail makes a great road-trip with friends. The trail consists of nine distilleries scattered around the Moray area of Scotland. The distilleries include whisky-tasting which will warm the cockles of your heart (and your stomach!) in the Scottish autumn weather. Highlights of the trip are Glenfiddich distillery – a wellrecognised dram – and the Benromach distillery – the smallest in the Highlands. Scotland boasts the only whisky trail in the world so it is a truly unique experience. However if you’re suffering from the classic student lack of motivation, Perthshire is home to the Famous Grouse Experience in Crieff, which is accessible by public transport from Dundee and is a five star visitor attraction. More information: www.maltwhiskytrail.com www.famousgrouse.com
travel: FYI: “WINTER” BREAKS
HOLIDAYS IN WINTER Sick of “Winter” with the Rentals? Try our winter breaks?
POLAND beauty, history Poland is a country rich in a visit and culture and is well worth utiful bea d’s lan Po for a winter break. vides pro ate clim y ter scenery and win st ong am ing ski for perfect conditions ere Th . ane kop Za in s ain the Tatra mount the tallest are magnificent views from a perfect is ich wh d, mountain in Polan at Christmas way to spend a winter break lish town that time. Czestochowa is a Po actions, from provides fantastic tourists attr architectural medieval castles to fantastic t in Poland buildings. The Lake Distric
for outdoor fun, provides many opportunities horseback riding from sailing, canoeing and . If outdoor fun to fishing and scenic walks w is the place is not your thing then Warsa shop amongst to visit if you are looking to the buzzing the local markets and enjoy e of the well nightlife. Krakow is the hom s markets, which known traditional Christma tinue all the way open in December and con ely worth a into January. They are definit atmosphere visit to indulge in the festive Michelle Travers that Poland has to offer. –
Spending time after exams in the Czech capital is the perfec t way to ignite the Christmas spirit in even the biggest scrooge. To get in the Christmas mood head for Sta ré Mesto – the old town – and explore the beautiful markets in the Old Town Square in the idyllic Czech setting complete with colourful bui ldings and the traditional Tyn church. Petrin Hill is worth visiting for breathtak ing views over the city, as is Prague Castle for a
ALA, COROMANDEL PENINSU e is nearing; In Scotland, Christmas tim chill is nipping. the , the rain is dampening zing in New buz In contrast cicadas are ple eating peo tch Zealand; seagulls wa sun bakes the ile their fish and chips wh mer sum a nt their backs. If you wa e to go is tim the nd getaway to New Zeala to March. ber vem No during the months of n dow ed roll Follow the cars with the out as g gin han s windows and brown arm ards fbo sur of d loa ir people drive with the are es anc Ch ks. rac strapped to their roof el. and rom Co the to they are road tripping d che bea this in s ion The must see attract , ata am ang Wh ui, peninsula are Pauan
PRAGUE traditional winter fairytale exp erience! If you’re looking for something interesting between pints of Staropram en, visit Franz Kafka’s house in the Old Town Square for an insight into Pra gue’s most famous literary figures. After your day in Prague, head to Bohemia Ba gel in the Old Town for an inexpensive snack...they serve bagels piled high wit h everything imaginable! It’s a great pla ce to meet other travellers and check your emails. - Kirsty Fergusson
NEW ZEALAND
and Cathedral Hot Water beach, Whitianga of buzzing mix Cove. All beaches have a takeaways. p chi cafes to secluded fish and tely one hours ima Each beach is within approx low tide at hot ring drive from one another. Du lf a big hole rse water beach you can dig you l hot water ura nat in the sand and bathe in the ow. Be bel s ing spr coming from the deep hot digging en wh ter wa careful of really hot spring ck, blo sun in lf and be sure to lather yourse burn y ma t tha g thin as the water isn’t the only you. – Michelle Lacey
t s e f r e e B h c i n Mu
travel:
>Michelle Lacey
PROST! Yelled a bunch of red faced Bulgarians, swinging their frothy beer mugs towards us. PROST! We yelled back as the thick glasses clanged together. We had successfully said ‘cheers’ in German to our new friends. It did not matter that the language between us comprised of badly broken English and German - prost was the only word we really needed to know. Every year Munich holds one of Germany’s most popular festivals – Oktoberfest! During this three-week long festival over six million visitors from all parts of the world come to experience Oktoberfest. Why? Firstly, to drink some of Germany’s finest beers out of the iconic one litre mug. Secondly, to indulge in the delicious German food, found strategically placed by the entrances of the beer halls. And of course to absorb the jovial atmosphere inside the beer halls and experience the thrilling carnival rides outside. Many people are confused with the word “Oktoberfest” as the festival actually take places in September. In 1810 the first Oktoberfest was held in October to honour the Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig’s marriage to Princess Therese von SachsenHildburghausen. The festivities were moved forward to September allowing for better weather conditions. The original name remains as Septemberfest just does not have the same ring to it. With one eye closed, concentrating on
counting the right amount of Euros we wait for out beer wench to return to the table. Singing and linking arms while standing on table tops the view is hazy from people puffing out their smoke. Spotting our beer wench making her way through the crowds we soon jump off the tables to avoid being escorted out. I pay her eight Euros and give her a small tip; this is encouraged as your beer wench will give you quicker service when serving you beer.
“PROST!” Watching the beer wench hustle her way back to the kegs she easily holds upmost of fifteen empty beer jugs ready to be washed and refilled. In 2009, approximately 77000 thieves were caught trying to steal a beer mug. Due to hefty fines and unwanted embarrassment I decided to purchase a mug from Hofbräuhaus for only 10 Euros. Located in the heart of Munich this beer hall was once occupied and enjoyed by Hitler. Many people are often confused with how Oktoberfest works. It is very simple. At the Hackerbrücke train stop you simply spill off the train with the other hundreds of people, following the handsome German men in their lederhosen and women in their feminine dirndl. If you want to spend a full day at Oktoberfest it is advised you arrive at a
beer hall around 9.30am, as from lunchtime onwards it can be very difficult to find a seat among the rows and rows of bustling people. Another important point is Oktoberfest is FREE. There is no charge to enter the grounds or beer halls, leaving you plenty of money to play with for the beer, food and carnival rides. You should make it a goal to visit and consume at all fourteen beer halls. Although perhaps over the span of a few days as fourteen litres of beer is ludicrous even for the jolliest of Germans. After a few jugs do not be too over confident thinking you can handle some of the four-looped roller coasters and the screaming towers of death. At night time be sure to walk up the steps towards the huge statue of Bavaria. Here you will find one of the best views of Oktoberfest. The mix of flashing lights, crowds of happy people and roaring Bavarian music in the distance is great to experience. With the tents closing around 11.30pm be sure to eat a sizzling bratwurst before departing for home – who cares if it is your second dinner, you are at Oktoberfest! With 6.5 million litres of cold frothy beer consumed and the 2009 Oktoberfest do not miss this festival next year. It will be a truly memorable experience, even if your memory is a bit fuzzy. September 18th - October 3rd 2010
travel: CROSS-CULTURAL ENCOUNTER
A NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO TOOK PART IN VARIOUS ERASMUS EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES WERE INTERVIEWED By OUR TRAVEL WRITER Michelle Lacey, TO FIND OUT WHAT THEY LIKE ABOUT DUNDEE AND WHY WE SHOULD GO TO THEIR HOMETOWN
Cagla Yazgin – Cyprus What is your favourite place in Scotland and why? “I love Glasgow, it’s my favourite city. It has great shopping and lots of exciting things to do. It is always busy and there is a great atmosphere.” What would you recommend to visit in Cyprus? “Larnaca is a place in the Greek side of Cyprus, they have big festivals and celebrations every year for Christmas and it is definitely worth a visit. There is a lot to do and most tourists who come to Cyprus at Christmas time go there because it is very nice.”
Devan McClane – America What is your favourite place in Scotland and why? ” I love the Dundee’s city centre, how everything is so convenient but still has that very old time charm. What would you recommend visiting in your hometown?
I would recommend going to one of the college football games in North Carolina to enjoy the tailgating before the game and to be able to see a true American sport that brings out the fun side to everyone. Michelle Lacey – New Zealand What is your favourite place in Scotland and why? “I really enjoyed travelling to Montrose and seeing the beach that stretched along the coastline. Although different from New Zealand beaches it was good to smell the sea again and walk along the coast.”
What would you recommend visiting in New Zealand? To any visitor arriving into New Zealand in summer (December – March) I order them to go to Cathedral Cove. This is found in the North Island in the Coromandel Peninsula approximately 2 hours drive from Auckland. After admiring the views during the one-hour bushwalk down to the beach you’ll find white sands, crashing blue waves and a huge rock that you can walk through. Pack a large lunch; you’ll want to spend the day here. Hedda Riedel - Germany What is your favourite place in Scotland and why? I like Scotland because of its diversity, history and landscape, for example Edinburgh and Stonehaven with its castle.
What would you recommend visiting in you home country? For people visiting Germany I would recommend to visit Berlin, Hamburg, the castles along the Rhine and the Oktoberfest.
science: the not-so-scientific takeover
IPCC Finds Skewed Statistics The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found manipulated statistics regarding human impact on global warming.
At this time of great concern over ecology and climate change, the leading board has found leaked emails in their hundreds from the CRU (or Climatic Research Unit) of the University of East Anglia. The University’s findings have had an impact upon our understanding of global warming, through their influence on the IPCC as a whole. The CRU had released heavily influenced evidence to support claims that climate change is entirely anthropogenic. Basically, they glossed over the extreme changes in climate that have occurred within the last 1200 years and chose not to include those facts within their overall statistics. During mediaeval times, an unlikely period of warmth occurred, swiftly followed by a “little ice age”. This is similar to the Great Freeze, occurring in Britain 1963. These are not anomalies, as mini episodes of cooling are recorded to have occurred at least once every few decades for the past 500 years, and some even further back than the 1500s. It is disgraceful that any such information is withheld from the general public, but perhaps our society requires ‘shock tactics’ in order to act positively towards the lessening of global warming. While it is not
possible to argue the CRU did the correct thing, surely the important issue is that climate change is happening regardless of petty omissions in data. James Lovelock created a hypothesis named “Gaia” (after the Greek goddess of the earth) which claims that the earth is able to adjust itself despite the influence of humans or, extremely oversimplified for simpletons like me; the earth can look after itself. Many denouncers of global warming use this as evidence for their views, claiming that our effect on the temperatures of the world is temporary and will be balanced out by this great ‘mother earth’. Nevertheless, the earth is changing, the ice caps are melting and the geese are getting fat… Surely, the correlation of human activity, population and industry with the rising of temperatures is undeniable. Although extremes in temperature have been a part of the history of the earth, our actions inevitably have consequences. Logically speaking, even if the earth were to jump in temperatures of its own accord, there are only so many resources within it. For example, one day our oil will run out. It is doubtful that Gaia will top up as easily as pay as you go. As such, I believe it is our duty to act ethically, avoid the wrath of Gaia and take matters into our own hands. Skirting around the issue pointing fingers will not achieve anything, action alone will solve the question of global warming and it is better to act positively than not at all.
A Solar Powered plane has begun its journeys with a “fleahop” on the 4th December. The plane – a “Solar Impulse prototype plane” managed a heigh of just a single metre. It would appear it has a way to go before reaching its 2012 target of a round the world trip. The next planned event for the plane will take place in Switzerland, at the Payerne air force airfield. They expect the plane to reach an altitude of almost 9000 metres.
our Future Is Private
This month, Ross Barrow looks into Lord Mandelsons plans to effectively turn Higher education institutions into PFI’s. The Magdalen asks what matters more; profit or personal development? Since the economic downturn, businesses, families and individuals have had to tighten their belts. With less money to go around, budgets have had to be cut, state schools have been more popular with middle class parents and individuals have had to cut extravagant purchases. Universities have not been immune from the tough economic conditions either, but what will this mean for the future of degrees? The question of how Universities should be funded is rarely out of the media spotlight. Whether students are complaining that the cost of University is too high, or taxpayers are arguing that they are footing the bill for students who they see as providing no benefit to society, this question is always controversial. Recently, Lord Mandelson gave an indication of where he believed Universities should be heading for cash, towards big business. He stated that to encourage this, Universities should focus
more on practical training and science based courses. To market University degrees to business in this way would change the very essence of what student learning is about. Businesses would have far greater control over University teaching. Students would be constrained in their learning by a top down teaching culture, discouraging free-thinking and critical analysis. This robotic learning culture would be more characteristic of primary school than a university environment. The market would decide what degrees were useful and which ones were not. If businesses have anything to do with what we study, traditional University subjects such as History would be discouraged. Is that the kind of society we want to live in, where we are told what to learn by the
market? Didn’t we come to University to study a subject we were passionate about? This policy would take the love out of learning, reducing Universities to factories, where ‘useful’ degrees were churned out in their hundreds so business could increase their profit margins. Of course students want their Universities to develop good relationship with businesses; after all, students want access to jobs at the end of their studies. But this policy is the wrong way of doing it. The relationship between the student and business should be a two way street. Lord Mandelson proposes a one way street where there can only be one winner; the interests of big business.
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The “Are You Addicted To Facebook To The Detriment Of Your Degree, Friends, Job And Now Ex Partner (Because They Never Saw You And So Ironically Broke Up With You OVER Facebook)?” Flowchart Quiz Start!
Go to the bathroom, stand in front of the mirror and take a good look at yourself mate.
Go to the bathroom, stand in front of the mirror and take a good look at yourself mate.
Yes
Do You Check Your Facebook At Least 10 Times A Day?
Have You/ Would You Ever “Stalk” Someone You Didn’t Even Know? No
Yes
No
Go to the bathroom, stand in front of the mirror and take a good look at yourself mate.
Do You Play Bejewelled/Farm Ville Or Any Other MindNumbingly Irrelevant Game?
Yes
No
You are officially a Facebook addict. You have no idea what the real world is anymore and can’t even remember the last time you had a face-to-face conversation. Perhaps it’s time your friends staged an intervention. Well, they probably would if you weren’t on Facebook every waking hour of the day.
Do You Get Update Texts Send To Your Mobile?
Yes
Go to the bathroom, stand in front of the mirror and take a good look at yourself mate.
No
You only class a relationship as official if it’s been listed on Facebook.
Yes No
Go to the bathroom, stand in front of the mirror and take a good look at yourself mate.
Yes
When someone writes something on your wall, you actually wait a few hours before replying so that you don’t seem addicted.
No
Whilst it would appear that you’re not a Facebook addict, we would like to argue otherwise. Think about it, how many people do you see continually on Facebook in the library? Maybe you’re not a Facebook addict - but the chances of that being true are pretty slim!
9
health: MINESWEEPING The horrific craze that is sweeping campuses across Britain.
T
he Urban Dictionary defines it as “The act of stealing, appropriating, or simply picking up an unattended drink, with the intention of aquiring it as your own.” Most people with any sense of dignity would simply define it as the act of making yourself vulnerable to a number of harmful – if not embarrassing – situations. Minesweeping is a dangerous craze currently sweeping campuses up and down Britain. This thoughtless and unnecessary act is perhaps another unintended consequence of Credit Crunch Britain. Yet we’d like to think that students at Dundee University have got a bit more self-esteem than the idiots who are quite keen to play a boozier version of Russian Roulette on a night out. Everyone has “borrowed” a traffic cone, but surely nobody would be dim-witted enough to steal a drink that could have anything from rohypnol to pubic hair in its contents. In Health this month, the Magdalen looks into a little-known yet potentially lethal game that students need to be aware of.
REASONS NOT TO BE AN IDIOT A number of Facebook groups have foolishly opted to advocate the supposed “pros” of minesweeping. The Minesweeping (Danger Drinking) Society claims that it’s all about taking from those who are careless enough to leave their drink unattended. This argument is entirely nonsensical when it means that the unattended drink in question still gets drunk. A drink spiking research project carried out by Mentor UK a few years ago found that of all the participants asked, only 1% viewed “don’t minesweep” as a precaution. This surely insinuates that it has become a social norm, which is an alarming fact to health campaigners and police nationwide.
ALL CONS AND NO PROS MAKES A SAFE DRINK Aggressive Situations How would you feel if you had worked your arse off all week for meagre wages only to find that the money that went into your bank had been stolen? You’d be pretty pissed off. Now lets translate that situation in terms of minesweeping. On no level would you be impressed with some gadgie student trying to steal your drink. By minesweeping you are putting yourself in great risk of getting lamped and subsequently banned from your drinking venue. And you would only have yourself to blame.
R-E-S-P-E-C-T If dying, getting kicked out or banned from the Union doesn’t put you off minesweeping, then perhaps the simple – “have a little dignity and respect” will work for you.
Drink Spiking There is almost nothing more terrifying than having ones drink spiked. A recent article by Moore, Burgess and Donovan in the British Journal of Criminology discussed date-raping drugs at length. The article was indicative of the level of awareness that society has for drink spiking. In 2004, the Times Higher Educational acknowledged, “date rape is the new student fear.” The link between drink spiking and drug facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) is commonly made in society, particularly amongst young woman. The issue of date rape arose in the 1980’s when woman on campuses in both the USA and the UK began to complain about being sexually assaulted by their male dates. This worrying trend has not declined over recent years, with 55% of participants in a survey held across four university campuses in Britain claiming that they either had first or second hand experience of drink-spiking. It is obvious then, that regardless of gender, drink spiking is a very real and lethal occurrence. By participating in minesweeping you are opening yourself to a lethal situation; be it DFSA, common assault or death.
Stealing other people’s drinks just because you have no money is pretty low. If you are having problems with the old cash flow, there are a number of different ways to solve your problems than resorting to what is technically thieving. It’s like that ad at the start of a movie; “you wouldn’t steal a handbag, you wouldn’t steal a television...” and you shouldn’t steal a drink. Minesweeping is tacky, seedy, dangerous and just makes you look like a twat.
CONTACT Suzy Lamplugh Trust: www.suzylamplugh.org Check out the NHS guides on how to protect yourself from the dangers of Drink-Spiking: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Drinkspiking/Pages/Introduction.aspx
music: The Hype Machine: Irreverent, Trend-Setting Bunkum Our charts these days seem to reflect the heart-broken attitude of our society. It’s almost like a horrific repeat of the Spice Girls era as the past few months have witnessed a massacre in music. Ke$ha has brought us the completely awful Tik Tok whilst Madonna-Wannabe Lady Mentalface GaGa has been spitting out number ones at a rate of knots. As usual, the charts are not to be paid any attention to. As Art Brut infamously sang; “the record buying public shouldn’t be voting.” And so, when we emerge from under our duvets one morning only to find that David Cameron and his cronies have taken over the planet, we can at least blame the smoke and mirrors of the Singles Chart. So what have we been listening to? Well since moving office we have been subjected to the utter noise that is Graeme Thewliss’ (Vice President of Communication)
CD collection. Post-Hardcore band Glassjaw feature heavily on his playlist. Having supported muso-legend Brand New in their Autumn tour, we sincerely hope that Glassjaw will be producing new material in the future. The Magdalen CD collection is as healthy as ever, as our love for the legend that is Frank Turner grows more each day. Poetry of the Deed was released in September this year, and the ex-Million Dead member looks set on becoming an icon in British music. We reckon you give him a listen right now. Now we understand that typically we tend to focus on alternative music and pay little attention to popular culture. We intend to keep it this way. So, on the Drum n Bass scene DeadMau5 have coupled up with legendary Rob Swire to create dancefloor classic Ghosts n Stuff. Keep an eye out on these gods at festivals
in summer. Additionally, End Credits by Chase and Status, featuring Plan B could simply not gain enough airplay. The thing is, we firmly believe that the proper music of Britain - that of Lethal Bizzle, Kano, The Law, Chase and Status, Master Shortie, Example and Prodigy - does not reflect our politics. The music of Britain has attitude, energy, innovativeness and dynamics. It is with this that we sincerely hope that the next election to not reflect the record buying public but instead the talented British artists to be find in all four corner of our fine kingdom. Could you really imagine David Cameron body-popping to Genesis by Justice? Could you envisage Gordon Brown raving to Poppiholla by Chicane? No and definately not thank you sir. One dream that we can all imagine however, is that of Charles Kennedy returning to the heart of the Lib Dems to get down and dirty to Omen by Prodigy. Maybe the record buying public shouldn’t be voting and instead let the plethora of talented songwriters and producers run the country instead. The Factolator Don Diablo and Examples tune Hooligans was co-written with R Kelly, who on hearing the sample felt that it was pertinent he was part of the project. The X Factor finalist Olly Murs celebrated his birthday in a Parisian Mansion after one over-zealous fan gave him the house for a weekend complete with full staff and free booze. Robert Plant once snogged Madonna after mistaking her for his wife at Elton Johns Masquerade Ball.
Frank Turner at XFM Recording
16
Basshunter, recently on Never Mind The Buzzcocks, actually got lost in Fulham on his way to the show. After stopping off for a chippy he had to call the producer only to find that his car had been stolen.
Scottish legends The Proclaimers meet our music editor Ruth Hunter to talk about love, God and music. After meeting Craig and Charlie Reid of The Proclaimers it is clear that after 20 years of fame they are still serious about the quality of their music and putting on a great live performance. Even if you are not a die-hard fan it is impossible not to be charmed by their passionate and sincere singing . Songs from their new album ‘Notes and Rhymes’ such as the titles track ‘Notes and Rhymes’ still retain that head bopping addictiveness of their better known singles over the years. ‘Love can move mountains’ display their optimistic and genuine belief in people’s capacity to help and inspire each other. Looking around the room during this sentimental tune, I caught sight of the occasional tear in the eye of some gruff looking middle aged Scotsmen.
Meet The
Proclaimers
Do you feel elated when you’re on stage? Craig: Sometimes yeah, sometimes you do, we play so much…I’m not saying you get blasé, you don’t get blasé, sometimes it kind of captures your attention and you can feel what the audience is feeling.
“You don’t have to believe in God to believe in love”
Is there a venue you feel most at home playing? It really depends where you go, it also depends on the night of the week, Thursday, Friday Saturday tend to be good nights. In terms of people being more relaxed and to be honest they’ve been drinking as well, so that kind of changes the dynamic a bit. Did you like school? Craig: no, no, no… Charlie: I liked some of It but I disliked some of it intensely, You know I don’t think our personalities really suited being at school. If you don’t like authority really then you don’t like school. Having said that there’s a lot of things I did like at school, subjects I did like. We were at quite a lot of schools, primary schools, we moved about a bit. Do you believe in God?
Craig: I don’t know.
top yourself.
Charlie: No
Charlie: This is not a genuine recommendation!
Craig: Sometimes I think yeah they’re must be and then sometimes I think no, I can’t believe that this is it. This is all there is. Do you believe in love? Charlie: Yeah, I think romantic love is not all what love is, there’s a lot of different, much greater loves than that, if you believe that people care for each other and will sacrifice for each other, and will go the extra mile for each other (I suppressed the urge) when it really matters, I think that’s true. You don’t have to believe in god to believe in love. You’re music is generally so optimistic.. Craig: It’s mostly optimistic, mostly, it’s not all optimistic, I never quite trust people who say everything’s up in sherry, but then again I trust people less who are always miserable all the time, I think, if it’s that bad,
Craig: If it’s honestly that bad give up, I don’t believe people are miserable all the time I just don’t believe that. I think that most of our songs are positive, some of them aren’t. But we put as much as we can into all of them. Try to be honest every time you make a song and be direct. Do you have any advice for the budding young musicians of Dundee? Charlie: Stick to what you believe in. Write about what you know. And don’t try to sound like anybody else. I think you’ve got to find your own voice, or way to express yourself, I think that’s a crucial thing. If you want to do anything original you have to find your own voice. Be it a literal voice or be it how through you play. You’ve got to be able to find your own way of doing that.
take it as gospel: Reviews & Previews “Winter” Films
It’s A Wonderful Life
White Christmas
Bad Santa
Rating
Rating
Rating
Fight Club Chuck Palahniuk
our lifestyles. Despite the violent and disturbing nature of the book, it maintains a funny and ironic perspective on things, a juxtaposition which can make the reader slightly uneasy. It is surprisingly, if you are reading it after having seen the film, a rather short novel but with our advertising, image-fuelled attention spans this works out quite nicely.
It’s a Wonderful Life is Frank Capra’s 1946 American Classic. Around the holiday season only Jesus could make you feel worse about yourself than Jimmy Stewart. He plays the selfless and beloved hero, George Bailey. With Five Academy Awards under its belt it’s hard to miss this seasonal classic it arrives on our TV sets as inevitably as the second coming. George Bailey is dealt the miserable hand of financial hardships and lost dreams in the quaint town of Bedford Falls. This uplifting fable explores the importance of the hard working individual in our evil competitive capitalist society but at Christmas. Similar to Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol, Bailey is shown the value of life by a supernatural being who presents him a world without his existence. Exploring a dark and noir-ish Christmas world allows Bailey to return to his idyllic town with a renewed confidence and endearment hence the title, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’. Whatever time of year you view one of Capra’s greatest films, it is hard not to be influenced by the joy of those patterned jumper-wearing upbeat 50s Americans!
The Book Bit
“I want you to hit me as hard as you can”
18 16 1624
‘Fight Club’ by Chuck Palahniuk is a story whose charmingly cynical narrator and sardonic analyses of contemporary American consumerist society successfully retains its appeal in book form as well as it does in the better known film. Its transition to the silver screen starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton developed a cult following and the film’s popularity, like the development of the underground organisation within the story, eventually reached a mainstream popularity that ironically takes it out of its original niche indie image. The book, which was published in 1996, is an extremely harrowing and haunting analysis of the power the consumerist world has over
This 1954 musical starring Bing Crosby and Vera Ellen narrates that Christmas sentiment that we help each neighbour out in times of need. Crosby and Danny Kaye two army buddies are successful entertainers who form a troupe with sister act Betty and Judy. After realizing that Bob and Phil’s old WII commanding officer General Waverly is in a dire financial state due to the lack of snow supposedly falling running his seasonal inn to the ground (a business plan dependant on the weather may not have been the wisest one ever made) the troupe decide to put on a show. And what a show! With marvellous dancing from Vera Ellen and the beautiful rendition by Crosby of the title’s song at both the beginning and the end of the film White Christmas is a must see, though it helps to watch it after a few egg-nogs when the often overwhelming cheesiness of the script becomes a bit hard to bear. There is no doubt that this is a Christmas film to make you warm and fuzzy with sentimentality, which as TV tells us each year, is compulsory.
The novel is written from the first-person perspective of an unnamed narrator and Palahniuk draws us in with his bitter, sarcastic dead-pan view of the world. The narrator addresses the reader in a conversational tone which works in an appealing way to deal with such heavy issues as consumerism, corporate America, insomnia, loneliness, support groups, mental illness and perhaps most importantly, soap.
Maybe not the best Christmas film to watch with the elders or the kids but a treat none the less. It is more reminiscent of the cynical candour associated with the deconstruction of the ridiculous traditions of the season that us young folk like to point out. Billy Bob Thornton ‘graces’ the screen as one of the most sexually explicit and corrupted Kris Kringles you will hopefully ever meet. Willie T. Stokes and his ‘trusty’ elf are the alternative, hardcore, naughty-to-nice Christmas characters that break into store safes and make their very own Happy Holidays. This alternative Christmas twist is definitely one of the wittiest due to the inspired mix of classics from South Park to A Christmas Carol. Filled with a comical cast from Billy Bob Thornton to Bernie Mac and the Coen Brothers as executive producers, this film is a guarantee Christmas winner if you’re not in the mood for the usual finely matured cheese sentimentality we see each year. Filled with ugliness inside and out with a black humour that Granny won’t understand, Bad Santa is a cynical yuletide treat for the Grinch within.
Fight Club is a story of failure as ambition that evolves into an anarchistic underground group called ‘project mayhem’ lead by the narrator’s enigmatic and excessively confident friend Tyler Durden. Motivated by the adrenalin of violence, this book is exciting and relatable especially from the student perspective where apathy can often seem like the more appealing route. And if you’re not in on Fight Club’s final plot twist, well, apologies, read the first rule of Fight Club.
Rating
measure it in inches: Martin Boyce Interview With Ruth Hunter Ruth Speaks To The Artistic Genius That Is Mark Boyce In a phone interview with Martin Boyce interrupted several times by the scheming demons of technology, we discussed the challenge of bringing his Venice- exhibition ‘No Reflections’ to the DCA and the effect the dramatically different backgrounds of Old Venice and the white modern space of the DCA would have on his work. The presence of the sculptural chandeliers in
inverse and created a Modern space inside a historical Venetian environment. His interpretation of the modern in the old was very successful and the designer of the DCA Richard Murphy is said to have been influenced by Scapera’s work. Some of Scapera has also influenced Boyce “My work doesn’t directly reflect it but there are moments that reflect his relationship
being with people. It’s not solely about personal recognition but about people seeing, thinking and talking about the work, you can do something that creates a broader dialogue but you don’t have any control over it, it’s like a ripple effect that just spreads and continues, that’s really exciting for me.” “You make the art that you want to make,
“I know artists who don’t care if their work ever gets seen” his work, for example, take on different meaning: “In Venice you actually find chandeliers but in the DCA they are more like alien objects and they become more sculptural, something new in a different environment and it’s a part of it which I find exciting.” He contrasted his task with artist Carl Scapera of the 60s and 70s who did the
with water” When discussing the implications of success on the creative process of an artist, Boyce described how it is different for every one. “Well that’s a very personal thing. I know artists who don’t care if their work ever gets seen. For me personally, I can’t understand wanting to work in that way because it’s all connected to a social aspect that’s about
Other Artsy Events Around Dundee ‘The Nine trades of Dundee’ is a project supported by The National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council’s Inspire Fund. It is inspired by ‘The Nine Incorporated Trades of Dundee’ an organization, operating since the 1800s, representing nine trade groups: Baker, Cordiner (Shoemaker), Glover, Tailor, Bonnetmaker, Flesher (butcher, mmmm, flesh), Hammerman, Dyer and Weaver. Though bonnets may not be in as big demand this season the project aims to combine art into the workplace as a way of breaking down the prejudice that art is just for artists. Running from July 20092010 look out for the 9 artists working in 9 different work places in Dundee. Some of their work will include ideas such as accumulating the doodles drawn in offices, Having visual displays in hair salons of shared thoughts of the day and perhaps
most excitingly forming a ‘Garbologist’ movement whose headquarters shall be made out of rubbish. They will have working for them as well 9 lovely assistants from Duncan of Jordanstone.
unlike a service industry and advertising where you’re dealing with results. With art it’s completely different - you don’t know what’s going to happen once it goes out there.”
measure it in inches: Reflections of Venice With Ruth Hunter The Venice Biennale is one of the biggest, oldest and most prestigious art festivals in the world. This year, three talented Duncan of Jordanstone art students were chosen to assist at the 53rd Biennale. Organised by the DCA and then chosen by the Scottish Arts Council, Glaswegian artist Martin Boyce created an exhibition for the Scottish pavilion of the Venice Biennale. Bonnie Lee Huarneck, Rachael Rebus and Hannah Champion were then chosen as the invigilators who were to work at his exhibition for the first two months. The atmosphere of Venice this last summer the girls have described sounds like that of an artistic dream world. As invigilators they did not merely oversee Martin Boyce’s exhibition but they acted as guides and maintenance, opening it up every morning and even sleeping in the same 15th century Venetian palazzo the exhibit was located in. The girls describe the seven rooms of Boyce’s sculptural exhibition as being inspired by the winding streets of Venice and how it is ironically titled ‘No Reflections’ in a city of water. The Magdalen caught up with them to discuss their feelings on the festival. Bonnie and Rachael are both 4th year Fine Art students and Hannah is a third year art and philosophy student. In the plastic basement cafeteria of Duncan of Jordanstone it is difficult to summon up images of the architecturally and historically rich buildings of Venice but as I question them about the Bienale you can see the nostalgia glow in their eyes as they recall how they spent their past summer. What did you think of ‘No Reflections’ as an exhibition? Hannah: When I first walked in I thought it wasn’t the kind of thing that I’d be normally interested in but spending more time with it I grew to love it and I loved the idea. I learned more living with it and getting to know it really well made me think about it a lot, I’ve never had the chance to think about a piece of art that much.
Rachael: When you got to see it at night with the doors shut and the light falling over it and the shadows the chandelier sculptures cast on the wall.. Bonnie: Yeah we got to see it at night when the lights were off. It was
“He wrote about the deserted zoo, all the birds have flown and all the animals have gone, all the straw is stamped down..” 7 interconnected rooms you had to go through, it was kind of a metaphor for streets outside I thought. H: It was called No Reflections in this city full of reflections. The letters on the wall were picked out of the shapes of the chandeliers, which were influenced by these concrete trees. B: There were these 4 concrete trees by artists Joel and Jan Martel for the French decorative arts exhibition in Paris in 1925 and they were all destroyed after the exhibition. All that remained was a black and white photograph of the sculptures and Martin Boyce found this photograph and its kind of been the things that’s been behind most of his work for a long time. So it was kind of like a ghost of the Martel trees passing through every room because all the influenced shapes and forms continue in each room. H: The whole idea in the exhibition about the petrified songs is based on this poem he wrote about the deserted zoo, all the birds have flown and all the animals have gone, all the straw is stamped down and all the pools have dried up and so its kind of about the idea of a pool and all the reflections that have gone into a pool, all the faces that have stared into it have been dried up so everything that has been reflected in this pool is now evaporated in the air. So the idea for the petrified songs is that they’re evaporated and floating around your head.
You sort of lived in the exhibition didn’t you? H: Downstairs behind it. We were like the caretakers for this abandoned landscape. R: it was strange being in this empty palazzo by ourselves after everyone had left. We had to run across it in our pyjamas to get to the kitchen! What was the atmosphere like in Venice? H: I really enjoyed being surrounded by art all the time, we were totally immersed in it. At night we mostly hung out in the Rialto area in this outdoor bar and made friends with strangers. Later the other invigilators came and we would go to each others’ houses and drink vino sfuso, these massive vats of wine. Were there any embarrassing occurrences? H: Well I didn’t jump into the canal.. B: I was pushed! I was pushed!...(upon further reflection) I enjoyed the seaweed, H: When we found you you were just sitting on the steps splashing around B: it wasn’t just any canal! it was the Grand Canal! When I do canals I do them in style. Most tourists just look at them. B: You got to immerse yourself when you go to Venice! you gotta become one with the city. Do you see your future in a festival like the Biennale? Do you think such public acknowledgement is important? B: Public recognition is important when it’s about the work but not about the artist H: you don’t work to get it in the Biennale. Martin got all these funds and resources to be able to what he wanted to do which would be great. R: I think in the Biennale though the work is informed by actually being in Venice. In terms of your own practise I think its good to be aware of these things but right now, all I’m doing is pushing my practise to the
furthest it can go, I just want to develop myself and not let these things into my mind set, I don’t think that’s healthy. Do you think Duncan of Jordanstone pushes towards creating for commercial success as artists? B: I think they just really encourage you to grow as an artist as cheesy as its sound and they’re quite open in that way, they push their students to get out there and see what’s out there and not be held in by the institution. They want you to go to the DCA or travel to Edinburgh and see the shows, or go to Venice!
“There was this time we got stranded on an island..” H: You’ re never really pushed to make stuff just to be sold I don’t think. While in Venice the girls were inspired to create their own exhibition for Dundee from what they had learned in Venice. It took place in the Lower Foyer Gallery in October with great success How much was your Dundee exhibition influenced by Venice? R: I think it was impossible not to be influenced. H: the way we hung it and put it together was really influenced by Venice, because I think we learned how to actually present an exhibition. B: Looking back especially you can see how much it was all influenced by Venice, and the flooring in the Foyer gallery was actually quite Venetian which worked in our favour. Can you compare the artistic atmospheres of Venice to Dundee? B: Well it’s really hard to do that because so many of the spaces here are influenced by the kind of white cube gallery setting which takes over most institutions all over the UK at the moment, I can’t think of any space that would match Venetian architecture. H: It was kind of overpowering to a lot of the art that didn’t work with the architecture in Venice but Martin Boyce’s worked perfectly, it worked with the whole building.
Would you see yourselves staying in Dundee when your degree is over? B: Yes, I could definitely see myself staying in Dundee. I’m originally from Glasgow and I know Glasgow has a massive art scene but I feel like Dundee has a lot to offer at the moment in terms of contemporary art so I‘d like to be a part of that and see where it can go and with the Victoria Albert museum in a few years and the McManus galleries are reopening soon as well. H: I wanted to go to Edinburgh art college but if I’d gone I never would have gone to Venice and I wouldn’t have ever had the exhibition and there’s so much stuff they’re really trying to throw at you, they’re really trying to help students out here at the moment I think. And I’d feel bad if I left Dundee after everything it’s done for me. R: I would like to stay in Dundee for a while but I don’t know, I haven’t planned that far ahead. I just want to see what happens, I would like to think that I’ll stay but if not, I’m sure I’d come back at some point. Are you going to go back to Venice? All; Yeah! H: in 2011 for the next Biennale. What was one of the most memorable things that happened in Venice? H: There was this time we got stranded on an island. And we got to drive the big double decker vaparetto water bus home. We were stranded and they drove up and we were like brilliant! Cause we thought were gonna miss the Redentore fire festoval. They pulled up and they said you wanna come up to the captains cabin and we were like yeah! and they asked us do you wanna drive? It was amazing and there was some old Italian guy in the background just chuckling to himself. If in 10 years time you’ve not had the kind of success you’d hoped for would that disappoint you as an artist? B: We all want to be practising artists. You can’t plan your life one month in advance, you just have to wait and see what happens, focus and hope for the best. In the midst of recession and in a study that offers no reliable future employment wise the girls attitude towards their careers and work seem to be resiliently optimistic. It’s true that Dundee has a great and ever increasing art scene of both students and practising artists but do these young artists hold a future in store
in which they can get the support they need to work? Art in these times if anything gives us an escape from having to constantly focus on planning our realities and let’s us reflect on things beyond money and work. Though some think that if cuts are made, art and humanities are the most deserving areas but by starving out the education of those who create the cultural representation in our societies we lose aspects of identity and pride. Let us hope that these young artists get to leave lasting reflections upon the world.
Cartoons:
Odes and Other Things Which Don’t Fit Anywhere Else: throwing my laptop out the window, “ After Which was maybe a step too far, Ode To Webmail by Emily Kane
I realised that as it tumbled out my E-mail popped up on the task bar, It only took five hours, And 80 status updates, Relating to how much Webmail had ruined my life and I’d had to hand my essay in late, If I didn’t have to use the treacherous technology, Which I’m sure just stalls to mock me, I doubt I’d be rocking back and forth screaming like a banshee, If fact I’m quite sure that my life would be complete, Instead I’ll just keep sitting here, Tapping ctrl alt delete, Ctrl alt delete, Ctrl alt delete, Not responding.
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You Know You’re At Dundee Uni When... 2 Degrees of Separation Everyone you’ve ever met knows most of your friends already and has probably already lived/slept with/ drank with your best mate.
Walk Of Shame You’ve done a walk of shame that’s lead you to walk right through campus at 9 in the morning when everyone is on their way to lectures.
Webmail You’ve found yourself screaming at webmail on numerous occasions, as well as updating your Facebook status to emphasise how much you hate webmail.
The View are Everywhere OK, so you have met the View. It’s time to get over it because every man and his dog has met them and in some cases, claim to be them.
Mark The Shark? There will be at least 50odd people who you chat to/drink with on a daily basis and know absolutely nothing about.
Perth Road PJ’s
Job Hunt You know you’re at Dundee Uni when you’ve spent 3 years of your degree “looking” for a part time job that never materialises.
It’s completely normal to see someone walking up the Perth Road in their pyjamas.
Pieces of Wood On a daily basis you walk past those random wooden structures and still have no idea as to what they actually are.
Know anymore? E-mail them to themagdalen@ dusa.co.uk
Urban Myths with Jordan Dunbar
The Clydesdale Bank Machine at the back of the Union It was a cold December day when I pushed my card into the glowing green slot and began to curse Clydesdale’s mother and accuse it of inappropriate relations with her. An old man shuffled up to me and began to laugh with a hearty roar. I asked him what he was laughing about and why he had a peg leg. He then told me the story of our stone age machine, how back in 1982 there was a fuel crisis in Dundee. The Union began a series of cost cutting and energy saving ventures; uniforms made from hair, cabbage beer and someone turning off and on a torch in Mono for a strobe. The most startling decision was still to come though. A kitten was secretly taken from the local
cats home and enrolled in the School of Mathematics. After three months of extensive study and trying to find a calculator that his paws would fit, a plan was put into action. Colin had his maths degree and kitty calculator and was placed inside the bank machine. For years he happily pawed students money, did his algebra and occasionally indulged in Kitty Kat. Colin was happy and the students were happy, his mental arithmetic was faster than any cat could hope for and customers received a businesslike mioaw with every transaction. As the
seasons passed Colin’s little kitty paws became more stiff, he gave off a fish like stench and made rude comments about peoples haircuts and lifestyle choices. He’s an old cat now, trying his best to keep up with people’s financial requests but sometimes he has to take a cat nap after requests over forty quid or when typing up a bank statement. “So spare a thought for poor old Colin next time your waiting for him to give you cash” the old man said as he hobbled away. “Hurry up Colin you cat b****rd!” I screamed and gave the machine a kick. Still don’t know how he got a peg leg.
Fashion News Hello, Boys. Sometimes leafing through the fashion section of a magazine can be an overwhelmingly girly experience. However The Magdalen likes to address this balance by catering for our lovely male student readers in equal measure. So here are some hand -picked highlights from recent sartorial headlines that might get our boys hot under the collar!
Liz O’Hara creative director, Frida Giannini has paired up with Mark Ronson to develop a true hand-held Gucci experience. It allows you to gain access to the latest fashion news, shows, events, collections, and even Mark’s personal play list. The only downside - if you
Technically Style However, something you guys can get hands on now…if you are one of the ever growing club of “i phone” owners, the most stylish application of all is upon us. Gucci is getting to grips with technology as
Campus Chic
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Art as Fashion Greg Lauren, nephew of the renowned fashion designer Ralph Lauren, is an american actor and artist. He is an incredible painter and has sold a lot of work to celebrities. However his latest exhibition called “alteration” is a fascinating take on art and fashion. Lauren has produced what can only be described as a wardrobe of paper. He hand stitched and painted a range of men’s suit jackets, coats, bags and even shoes from Japanese paper. Even in photographs the pieces look incredibly like real fabric, and at the same time seem so delicate, beautiful and fragile. The works are essentially sculpture, and make a comment on the way our generation sometimes wears clothing with cultural or historic significance in a thoughtless way. The incredible exhibition is on view at 28 Wooster Street, New York, until November the 1st.
On the Runway Earlier this month, DKNY revealed it’s Spring 2010 menswear collection. The muted greys and cold vanilla hues were sweetly contrasted with citrus shades, and the occasional cheeky royal blue. Casual tailored trousers were rolled around the men’s ankles giving the collection a fresh, modern twist. There is also use of many relaxed layers reminding us the range is still aimed at a cool spring morning.
Anna and Jo ,Ages: 21, Studying Primary education Style Inspiration: None, just wear what they feel like. Both sporting on trend cool greys, stripes, and checks
already found it difficult to focus in lectures, Gucci’s style updates under the desk might not help!
Prince, Age: 23, Studying Architecture Style Inspiration: Tries to have his own style, loves shopping in All Saints
Figure It Out
J
Beyonce K nowles is known fo r her voluptous figure.
tley igh e is n K a sh Keir s that . in m i h a cl lly t ura t a n
Elizabeth O’Hara
ust to clarify straight away: I have no problem with curvy women. In fact, I often wish I was one. Well, one of the curvy women the magazines hold up as examples of “normal” women anyway - Beyoncé, Scarlett Johansson, Eva Mendes. Because these women have boobs and a bum, they are praised as glowing examples of what it means to be a “real woman” . Only, the problem is, these women only have curves in very specific places. Just because they have a voluptuous cup size and backside doesn’t mean they don’t have tiny waists or toned thighs. My issue is this - a while back, we were all complaining that the media was giving women an unhealthy body image. Our self-esteem, we were told, was plummeting because of the widespread use of stick-thin models and the exposure to anorexic celebrities. Were we starving ourselves, they asked, because we wanted to look like Cindy Crawford in a bikini? The answer is, of course, yes. The hypocrisy lay in these self same magazines that berated the fashion industry and blamed it for our new body self-consciousness using the same skinny models and advising us on diets and exercise regimes to shave inches of fat from our stomachs. However, that’s still not the issue at hand. Whilst the fashion world hasn’t done a complete u-turn, it is now, in a desperate attempt to appear inclusive, started extolling the virtues of “real women“. And by real women, they mean celebrities and
models with their curves in the right places. We’re told that men don’t want skinny girls; they want women with boobs and a curvy bum. And whilst this is great, it means that once again they are excluding groups of women by praising only one body shape. A body shape that is just as unachievable for many as the heroin-chic look so popular a few years ago, because it involves having a perfect hourglass shape that so few of us are born with. Why do we think rates of breast enlargement have increased for younger women in the passing years? I for one will never have the body of Salma Hayek. I was born with the lanky, skinny, boyish figure I have today and while many may say that this article is an attack on curvy women from a jealous, flat-chested girl, it truly is not. I merely resent the fact that in response to harsh criticism for making women feel fat and inadequate, the media has turned around and started to make us feel inadequate for not being “sexy” enough. Isn’t it time we started praising women of all body shapes? Curvy, skinny, and everything in between? I’d rather see fashion magazines telling us to embrace our bodies for what they are, not set unachievable ideals in either end of the spectrum. We should definitely praise women’s bodies, but not in such a way that others without that figure feel less beautiful, or less of a woman, because of it.
ving r a t s e “Were w they asked, es, ourselv anted w e w e becaus indy C e k i l to look ikini?” b a n i rd Crawfo
Image consciousness is major part of the human pschye. The impact that celebrity culture has had on societies views on what it is to be “woman” or “man” is huge. If you are concerned about the health of your friends, flatmates or partners, you CAN help. The Beat Eating Disorders charity do amazing work with people who have suffered/are suffering from eating disorders. Their helpline is 0845 634 1414. Furthermore, DUSA’s peer connectors are always avalable to lend an ear to students. You can find them on Floor 4 of the Union.
Screen siren Eva Mendes has the perfect hourglass figure.
A worryingly thin Nicole Richie.
It’s Getting Chilly ! Words: Nicola Brown Photography: Liz O’Hara
It’s easy to initially despair at the impending cold weather and darker days. Summer outfits are banished to the back of the wardrobe and winter warmers re-emerge victorious. Fear not though, as this year the high street has provided us with some fabulous pieces ensuring we all stay snug in the cold whilst remaining stylish. With pieces to suit every occasion you’ll be spoilt for choice: with snug oversized knit-cardigans and classic coats appearing in many of the high street stores, along with sequins and sparkle permeating evening wear in the form of dresses and blazers. In this Autumn-inspired photo shoot we have sourced some of the best options from the high street to keep you cosy and fashion-forward throughout the Winter months. The day-wear items featured are available from the high street and range from prices £19.99 - £69.99. All of the models featured had their hair done prior to the shoot at KISMY - Jeff Thomson hairdressers on Perth Road.
Sport: Formula One’s Season 2009 >Neil Cant
“The FIA World Motor Sport Council found Renault managing director Flavio Briatore and executive engineer Pat Symonds guilty of race fixing” The 2008 formula one season produced its first British World Champion in over a decade when Lewis Hamilton won the drivers championship at the last race of the season, on the last corner. Though he was viewed as one of the favourites to retain his title during the 2009 racing calendar, what occurred illustrated the excitement that formula one can generate. Pre-season testing had indicated that teams Brawn GP and Renault F1 would go on to have good seasons, whilst McLaren Mercedes and champion Lewis Hamilton were expected to struggle. True to predicted form team Brawn GP started the first race of the season in Melbourne with Jenson Button on poll. The result of the race could not have gone any better for Brawn, with Button finishing first and team mate Rubens Barrichello finishing second. This one-two finish was to be the first of four in a very successful season for Brawn. Champion Lewis Hamilton was disqualified in Melbourne for an incident that was to cloud the entire season for McLaren and things did not improve for the team in the early stages of the season. McLaren failed to register a top three finish until race 10 of the season in Hungray. As the calendar raced on Brawn GP led the way in both the drivers and constructors championships, with Jenson Button winning 5 of the first 6 races. The team that managed to prevent a six race winning streak were Red Bull Racing, led by Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Red Bull Racing were one of the most consistent teams of the 2009 season, finishing in the top ten in roughly 80% of races, collecting 6 winners trophies and two one-two finishes. The first half of the season was undoubtedly
dominated by Brawn GP, whilst the second half of the season produced much improved performances from Ferrari and McLaren. The British Grand Prix is viewed as the turning point, with Red Bull taking a one- two finish in a race which saw Button off pole for the first time in the season. The following race moved on in similar fashion with Webber winning the race despite being penalised for a drive through offence. Sport would not be sport without controversy and drama, two things that the 2009 season had in abundance. Arguably
the most controversial moment in the recent history of formula one was the race fixing allegations levelled at Renault, by former driver Nelson Pique Jr. Pique Jr claimed that he was ordered by team bosses to crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, in a strategy he claimed was tailored to the benefit of team mate and eventual race winner Fernando Alonso. The FIA World Motor Sport Council found Renault managing director Flavio Briatore and executive engineer Pat Symonds guilty of race fixing, handing down life and five year bans respectively. Renault as a team
were given a two year suspended sentence, owing to the fact that the FIA laid the blame at the feet of Briatore and Symonds. Driver safety during the season was also in the headlines, most notably the incident during qualifying for the Hungarian Gran Prix which saw Ferrari driver Felipe Massa struck on the head by a suspension spring from the car of Rubbens Barrichello. Massa missed the rest of the season, a scenario which opened the door for attempts by Ferrari to install Michael Schumacher as his replacement for the reaming races. This never happened due to fitness complications. Jenson button went on to win the Formula One World Championships, a 5th place finish at the penultimate race of the season in Brazil proved enough to end a stuttering second half to the season and secure the title. Sebastian Vettel finished second in the Driver’s Championship on 84 points, with Rubbens Barrichello making up the top three on 77 points. Brawn GP finished top of the Constructer’s Championship on 172 points, with Red Bull Racing finishing second on 153.5 and McLaren finishing third on 71 points. Button succeeding Hamilton in winning the title was the first time two drivers from the same country had won the Driver’s championship back to back since Graham Hill and Jackie Stewart in seasons 1968 and 1969.
Sport: Andre Agassi’s Nightmare >Alistair Bell
Just over a week ago, a dark and greatly belated confession from one of the biggest stars in tennis rocked the sporting world. In his autobiography, recently serialised in The Times, Andre Agassi claims he tested positive for the recreational drug cyrstal methamphetamine in 1997. This was around the same time as his incredible dip in form, when he slipped from a January ranking of 12th in the world to 141st by that November. In his book, Agassi recalls taking the drug at home with his assistant ‘Slim’. ‘’Slim dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I’ve just crossed. There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head.’’ What is even more shocking however, is the manner and ease with which Agassi was able to dupe the sport’s governing body into letting him off the hook. Having failed the routine drugs test, Agassi faced an independent tribunal. ‘’I say Slim, whom I’ve since fired, is a known drug user, and that he often spikes his sodas with meth — which is true. Then I come to the central lie of the letter. I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim’s spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it.’’ The ATP believed his story, abandoned the case, and agreed not to make any details public. So Andre Agassi was a cheat. He took hard drugs while playing as a professional sportsman and then told a blatant lie to save his own skin. It’s easy to see why he did it. His career and reputation
were on the line, and both would have been destroyed had this become public knowledge. Some high profile players have leapt to his defence, citing the fact that Agassi took the drug recreationally and not to be performance enhancing. But that’s not really the point. All professional athletes have it drilled into them that they should never take drugs. It is a line they should never cross. But agassi, fully aware of the possible repercussions, did cross that line, and lived to tell the tale. Should we believe that this was the only time Agassi took drugs during his career? Should we assume it was a one off? Already reports have emerged that on at least one occasion, Agassi took amphetamine given to him by his father before a match. This story has also reminded us of the somewhat questionable handling of other tennis players who have failed drugs tests in the past. For example, it was only in May of this year that Frenchman Richard Gasquet tested positive for cocaine. Yet the 22 year old managed to escape with a reduced two month ban which effectively allowed him to return to action straight away. What was his excuse? He’d been kissing a woman the night before, she had probably taken cocaine earlier and that was how the drug had reached his system. It makes ‘the dog ate my homework’ seem highly plausible. In 2003 seven unnamed players tested positive for a banned steroid but were found not guilty after all claiming they had taken contaminated mineral supplements. How many more tennis players have also taken drugs and escaped punishment? This is the big problem. Tennis is much bigger than one man, but that man’s confession has now called into question the integrity of the entire sport.
Sport: Volleyball >Matt Simmonds Dundee University Volleyball club has enjoyed a lot of success over the last few years, but now an unprecedented 2 year unbeaten run by the Men’s team has eclipsed those previous achievements. It has been 23 months since they last lost a match, winning promotion to division 1 in the process and also the conference cup without dropping a set, they now are in a 2 horse race for the championship this year. The Men’s volleyball team is incorporated within the volleyball club which is one of the biggest sports clubs in the university. Club captain Graeme Spowart outlined there aspirations for this year, “The aims for the year was originally to finish top two, but with that already all but secured we are hoping to become the first Dundee University Men’s volleyball team to win Division 1. We are also hoping to reach the British University C S Championship finals in Sheffield.” Their most recent result saw them extend
their winning streak, with a 5 set thriller against fellow title rivals Glasgow which saw them run out 3-2 winners. They were supported by a 30 strong home crowd who expected to see the continuation of this remarkable run. Power Hitter George Chrysostomou picked up the man of the match award with another stunning display. These were the first sets the team has dropped in the unbeaten run but are 5 wins out of 5 in the current campaign. The title can only now be won by either Dundee or Edinburgh. Their next match is against title rivals Edinburgh away, who are the only other unbeaten team in the league, which will go a long way to decide where the league title goes. The club also have a vibrant social calendar with weekends away to outdoor championships in Perth, to indulge in such delights as exercise ball jousting, and a weekend away to a European city to play a
local team. In the new year they are hoping to travel to Madrid and are also hoping for an away qualifying match for the BUCS championships for another club weekend away. They hope continued success by the team will spike more interest in the sport and allow the teams achievements to be exceeded in the future.
Netball >Barry Davidson The Ladies Netball Team are one of our focus clubs this month and appear to be one which has improved an enormous amount in the last few years. The 2005-2006 season saw the club to struggle to field a single team and languishing in the 3rd tier of the Scottish university netball. These days it is a different story through with two teams representing Dundee. The firsts are fighting it out in the top league, Conference 1A, whilst the 2nds are currently competing in 3A, having only been promoted from league 4A last year. “Last years president emailed me the history of the club recently and it really shows that we have come on leaps and bounds from a couple of years ago”, reflects Captain Joanne Kerins. Much of this improvement could lie with the team having an actual coach to work with. Fiona Booth is seen to be doing a great
job in motivating the girls and helping improve their league standing, with Joanne describing her help as, ‘amazing’. Results wise, it could be said to be a rather mixed start for the girls , with the competitive season still only in its early stages, both victory and defeat have been tasted by the 1st team. They went down narrowly to Aberdeen last week, but recorded an exciting single point victory over Edinburgh the previous week. The ultimate aim of the first year team this year looks to be consolidation of their position, in what is a very tight league with a high standard of opposition. The 2nd team recorded their first victory of the season last week over Aberdeen, and are also aiming to maintain their position in their respective league this year. The girls are also keen on their social events, with a highly competitive annual boys v girls match scheduled at the time of writing this article.
Like most of our clubs though social events ultimately mean the drinking of copious amounts of alcohol. Initiations at the start of the season were said to be extremely messy, and knowing Joanne as I do, this comes as nothing of a surprise. To add a bit of variety to the schedule, and following a trend of most of our other sports teams, the club are intending to go on tour this year with Leeds the likely destination, fundraising currently aimed at ensuring this trip goes ahead as planned. All that is left to say is.... watch out Leeds!.
Society: D.A.R.E >Barry Davidson You may have seen them around campus in bright purple hoodies, or you may have been approached by them while in a haze trying to offload sweeties in Mono, whatever your encounter D.A.R.E society certainly make a fair impression on campus. If you are curious, D.A.R.E stands for Development and Research Expeditions, and they are widely seen as one of the most proactive of our societies. This can be reflected by the way in which they have received the accolade of Society of the Year in both 2008 and 2009. So what makes D.A.R.E so unique then?. Well, the work of DARE is to ultimately raise money though different events held during the university year, money which is bound for those in need throughout the globe. One of the ways this is done is by the sending of groups over to various countries to participate in projects during both Christmas and summer. Money raised through events throughout the university year importantly goes straight into these projects, and is no way used to subsidise the air fares of those involved in the projects. The aforementioned social calendar appears to be one of the society’s main assets; this due to the fact that it is always jam packed. (excuse the pun!)
Members take part in events from jam wrestling, abseiling down the Tower Building, to selling glowsticks in the Union on clubnights. This year the popularity of the society seems to have hit new heights. “We have been pleasantly surprised at how many people have come along to our weekly meetings, at the first one just after fresher’s week the room was packed with people having to sit on the floor”, remarked President Rachel Dale. The main event to have already taken place this year has been the annual ball. This year the ball took place at the Invercarse Hotel on the 16th of October, and proved a great success with a good turnout. “We had 80 people at the ball and I am sure everyone had a great night.” said Rachel. Christmas sees the first round of projects this year with two groups heading off on their travels, with destinations Romania and Kenya. The Romanian project sees the group return to the town of Campina to work with the Open Hands Project, a site of many previous successful summer and Christmas trips. Open Hands is a rehabilitation centre which caters for vulnerable Romanian young people, some of whom have been on the
Humanities Social Committee >Barry Davidson The Humanities Social Committee have yet to be affliated to DUSA. Since its beginning at the start of this year, it has left a mark on the experience of Humanities students. It’s monthly pub quiz’s have been a success, hosted by riotous jokester Calum Munro. The recent Never Mind The Copyright bore witness to some awful singing, hilarious team names and some slanderous celebrity based abuse. Their annual ball was recently held in the Hilton Hotel and was a great success. The Committee aim to bring together the students of one of the University’s biggest schools. Chairman of the Committee Calum Munro notes that “the biggest problem in being a Humanities students is that you often won’t really know many people in your classes until third or fourth year. We aim to bring people together by putting on
these events at least once a month. It would be quite cheesy to say that it’s a great way to meet new people but the fact of the matter is that it really is!” The Committee are already making plans for a school Sports Day next year, complete with egg and spoon race. They also hope to see the return of the Never Mind The Copyright Quiz and continue to see the hoodies throughout campus. If you are interested in getting involved in your school then the HSC is definately the way in. It’s fun, doesn’t take up too much time and they really know how to party. You can contact the chair at c.z.munro@ dundee.ac.uk or simply get in touch with your class rep for more info. We hope to see this Committee affiliated soon and wish it the best of luck in its endeavours.
streets and formed addictions to alcohol and drugs. The project looks to show these youngsters a new path in life, largely based on Christian values, while in doing so showing them a bit of compassion which they had possibly never felt before. The Kenyan project is running for the first time this Christmas, the team from Dundee flying out on the 18th Decemeber. When they reach Kenya the group will spend some of their stay in an orphanage, activities on the itinery for the trip include handing out food parcels, during a Christmas period where we take food very much for granted. This summer the range of projects on the horizon are ever extending. Those taken last year included Romania, Bulgaria, Guatemala, Borneo, and Ghana. What the guys and girls of DARE are able to illustrate is that they can have endless amount of fun through the vast array of social events they arrange, whilst at the same time, make a real difference to the lives of those in need throughout the globe. The summer and winter projects are also seen by those involved as a live changing and extremely humbling experience.
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