Issue 19 - November 2010

The

MAGDALEN

DUNDEE UNIVERSITY’S STUDENT MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER • NO.19

THE FREE MAGAZINE BY STUDENTS, FOR STUDENTS.

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The

No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

Magdalen CONTENTS 5 NEWS: Campus 5 NEWS: We love Cox From page 11

9 SOCIETIES: Two worthy investigations

11 CUTS: From serious to comic: why they matter 16 CARTOON 17 MUSIC: The inevitable X Factor chat, reviews, opinions and how to enjoy your own misery.

Page 23

21 THEATRE: What your uni has to offer 21 ARTS: Dundee exhibits, and a reflection on film 26 FASHION: Weird finds and inspiration not to buy!

30 TRAVEL: Sheep and Austria 34 SCIENCE: Free opportunities!

Page 37

37 SPORT: Your updates from the Sports Union

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The Magdalen

Editor Beth Shackley Assistant Editors Henrietta Evans Emma Gaffney Sarah Gray Events and Relations Jane Garstin Art Editor Ana Hine Current Affairs Editors Faye Cawood Ciara McFadden Fashion Editors Nicola Brown Colette McDiarmid Seonaid Rogers Features Editors Jamie Harris Paul McCallum Gabriel Neil

Editorial Hello dear readers, We’re all feeling a little on edge with the consequences of cuts looming and the increasing possibility of a dystopian academic future. Here at The Magdalen, we strive to make you feel a little better. Our dedicated team of writers have investigated the facts and possibilities (both serious and nonsensical) for your reading pleasure throughout the featured cuts section.

Our music section cheers you with melodic reviews, but gives you a lesson in how to endure – and perhaps enjoy – your melancholy.

The nose was too red to even photoshop, so instead just enjoy the fox jumper.

Fashion provides some atrocious items to lift your spirits, and gives you an incentive to save your pennies. It also just looks generally pretty. You can also find some local(ish) escapism with our regular writer, Sarah, whose monthly journey takes her to the Isle of Skye. If you fancy being a little jealous, you may also appreciate an account of Austria.

Contributors

Ruth Hunter

Performing Arts Editor Rosie Cunningham

To further brighten your day, why not celebrate our sporting successes on page thirty-three.

Don’t forget there are countless opportunities to get involved, not least of all the DUSA pantomime [insert horrendous panto joke here]

Science Editor Dr Jon Urch

Lastly, a tragic piece of information… I have a cold.

Societies Editor Melina Nicolaides

Beth Shackley

Film Editor Jess Johnstone Graphic Designer Hannah Graham Head of Design Ryan Fitch Music Michael Duncan Martyn Sroka Maggie Thompson

Sports Editor Graeme Spowart

Editor

Faye Cawood Michael Duncan Elgin Flanefien Jane Garstin Sarah Gray Jamie Harris Jess Johnstone Fiona Lindsay Paul McCallum Ciara McFadden Gabriel Neil Melina Nicolaides Emily Oates Graeme Spowart Martyn Sroka Helena Young

themagdalen@dusa.co.uk

Travel Editors Kirsty Fergusson Christina Fueher

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No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

Campus News V&A winner crowned

Magdalen Logo Competition Relaunches!

Dundee’s new gallery project will be

The Magdalen logo competition has re-opened.

We’re looking for an iconic design to top the front cover of the monthly Brian looks to you magazine for a logo for students, by students.

Whatever style, however you’ve created it, we’re interested in seeing it. For the chance to win £50, and have your design on the front cover every month, e-mail themagdalen@dusa.co.uk for further information and design brief, before Monday the 13th of December.

underway soon, now the winning

architect has been chosen. Kengo Kuma’s design (labelled B in

publications) was voted the favourite

out of the the six designs. The 42 million pound devlopment will begin around

autumn of next year. Japanese architect, Kuma is very honoured to have his design picked and is excited about bringing his plans into fruition.

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Help for the homeless HomEd has recently been set up on campus to raise awareness the issue of homelessness, particularly in the local Dundee area. There were 1714 homeless households recorded in 200910. The group aims to provide education and increase direct student involvement in providing relief. The society braved a sleep out outside the Union at the end of October in order to raise money for the charity Shelter. With statistics such as the 42 year average life expectancy for those who ‘sleep rough’, this is clearly an issue which deserves attention and student support. To get involved contact s.h.rankin@dundee.ac.uk.

Skint Premier: Episode 3 The third installment of Skint is finally upon us! Come along to the premier, which is taking place on Friday 3rd December in Mono and witness the final chapter of Dan’s journey on the big screen!

Brian Cox Loves The Magdalen!

When Brian Cox came back to Dundee for his Rectors Installation, Faye Cawood caught up with him to chat about the hot topics on campus and found out a lot about the exciting things that he is planning.

Hello Brian, how does it feel to be back in Dundee? Does it feel like you’re coming home?

“Absolutely. The older I get the more I feel it. My sister lives here too; it’s funny I didn’t realise when I was growing up what kind of town it was, I now realise there is a real spirit in this town. When I was a student I used to come through this town and I hated it, I thought they were trying to make it the biggest car park in Europe. But what’s impressed me in over nearly 50 years now is the resilience of the people and how Dundee has reinvented itself since then. It’s at a real high point now.”

“I’m a city boy, I

believe in cities; anything that can regenerate that is valuable as far as I’m concerned” So what do you think of the Waterfront development plans?

[Brian spoke about the lecture given by Kylie Messinger on how museums are a marker for regeneration, and how before he put his glasses on he thought it was going to be given by Kylie Minogue]

“It is the most beautiful site. I think the V&A will change the city once it’s built, and whichever one they choose will be really amazing and will change the life of the city in everyway.”

It’s a bit of a hot topic on campus at the moment, what do you think about the president’s resignation?

“Well I think it’s a big topic, you know the diplomatic answer is we have to move on. The personal answer, as there is Brian Cox the rector and Brian Cox the person, I think this is not the time to be doing what he did. I think it was unthought through on his part and he was the first to know it, and then to not tell the truth about it. I think he’s a good guy, and clearly there’s nothing wrong with a rag that does it; but at the moment, it is unecessary.”

[Brian goes on to talk about the current political situation.] “As at the moment,

The Magdalen: News we have to batten down the hatches because we are in for a bumpy ride. We haven’t seen anything yet. As the policy at the moment is so confused, there has never been a better time for Labour not to be in power. We are going to see a lot of unpleasantness. We can see it happening in the south - thankfully not here yet, but we need to really tighten our belt by cuts, but we are incapable of it.

[Brian then goes on to talk about how we can help ourselves and some projects he wants to start] “I’m coming up with some good plans. The thing I’m really excited about, even though it’s in its embryonic phase, is trying to get low cost housing for the students. I’m doing it throughout the university, making use of all the buildings around Dundee that are not used. Given the cuts are going to come, give them low cost housing for students with single parents or those who are poor, and we could do it ourselves. I think it’s quite exciting. It also regenerates the town. It means there is a kind of life again. I’m a city boy, I believe in cities; anything that can regenerate that is valuable as far as I’m concerned.”

How are you feeling about your Rectors Installation?

“You know, we will see what happens.

Now I’ve got to get a job, so I’ve hit the ground running and never stopped.

Hopefully I will be back in November so I’m trying to do as much as I can whilst I’m here and kick things into touch.”

What other projects are you working on at the moment?

“I’m trying to do another documentary; we did ‘Brian Cox’s Jute Journey’, now we are doing ‘Brain Cox’s Drug Trail’.

We were shooting in Tanzania. It was amazing. We were looking at neglected tropical diseases and work done at the college of life science, putting it in context of the situation and the cultural

nervous of my own opinions, but the nice thing about getting older is you don’t give a bugger anymore and you just get on with it! It was interesting.”

What acting projects do you have coming up?

problems.”

What do you think of the new diabetes research project being lead by a Dundee scientist?

“I think the diabetes [research] is incredible, but the biggest problem is diet. We are eating all the wrong stuff in the developed world. It’s about awareness. But these guys are doing an amazing job.”

You recently appeared on Question Time, how was it?

“Very nerve wracking. Actors get a bad wrap. We are known as lovies and this and that, and the thing about being an actor is it’s like being a scientist. You have to examine your script and know its ins and outs, that’s how you create a three dimensional character. It’s complicated. The better actors, that’s what they do. That applies to thinking too. They have a bit more to offer. You walk into a situation like that and they kind of think of you as a lovie, so I was quite nervous. I have always been

“RED. I’ve got RED opening this week— Retired and Extremely Dangerous—in which I play Helen Mirren’s ex-lover, a Russian spy. I did that in April. I’ve just done Coriolanus with Ralph Fiennes, which was fantastic, it’s great. Ralph is a really amazing director. I’ve been supporting a protégée of mine, Rupert Wyatt, he has just had his big break which is a double edged sword. It’s a Planet of the Apes prequel.”

Do you prefer to be on the stage or screen?

“Films are hard these days as the problem is the multiplexes don’t serve cinema—and cinema in its creative sense and the commercial aspect of it. So many are moving toward this 3D aspect which is ridiculous. It’s not about that. It’s about what’s going on in the movie and what it’s about. Unfortunately, a lot of films are not about anything. A lot of movies are really basically quite stupid. I’m not knocking them as I’ve earned my living from it! So it has its uses and actually some of them can be quite entertaining. I think we need a lot more independent cinemas. The distributors are cowards. There needs to be a movement so that the art of cinema is taken care of. We haven’t got it quite right because of market forces.”

From talking to Brian I really got the sense that he is very passionate about everything he does and really cares about this city and the university. He also really cares about the students, and I think he will make a great rector. We wish him all the best.

No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

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Chilean rescue: This month we saw the long awaited rescue of 33 Chilean miners who had been trapped half a mile below ground in the San Jose mine. The miners, whose ages ranged from 19 to 64, faced a mental battle as they were buried under hundreds of metres of rock with no knowledge of when they may be rescued.

In fact, there was a chance they would remain under ground until Christmas - a total of four months without seeing family, friends or even sunlight.

So how did the miners cope? It was deemed important that they kept in regular contact with their families and loved ones. A phone line was set up so that the men were able to video call for one minute each per week. This was later raised to five minutes and eventually eight minutes each.

Most families wrote letters to their loved ones every day. They were advised to discuss only positive things such as their children and not to mention any bereavements for fear of breaking their morale.

Another way the miners dealt with the hours of darkness was to set tasks and chores for themselves.

New Zealand mining expert Dave Feickert stated: “Even if it’s work that isn’t particularly useful, it’s important to morale that they’re doing something, plus it takes their mind off being trapped underground.”

Another paramount way of coping was exercise. Edison Pena – one of the miners - said that whenever he felt worried or down he just ran up and down continuously as it

was the only thing that helped take his mind off the situation at hand. After his release from the mine he has continued to run to help him cope with the trauma.

Dave Feickert commented on the importance of this: “These are very fit guys who are used to a lot of physical activity, if they’re suddenly not doing anything they’re going to get depressed.”

Sanitation was also key for their survival. Mike Tipton, Professor of Applied and Human Physiology at the University of Portsmouth said “Long-term survival will depend on the avoidance of infection and injury; sanitation will be an important factor in this regard and require some organisation.” The miners used a 1 metre deep shaft as a latrine; unfortunately nothing could be done to conquer the smell in the hot mine.

As a result of all of this, every miner was rescued physically unharmed. They were tearfully reunited with their families, and directed to hug Chilean President Sebastian Pinera. “Camp Hope” (the site in which the family members of the victims camped at during the ordeal) as it is now known, was filled with rejoice.

Miner’s rescue, sourced from cnn.com

them each a free iPod, Greek miners have fundraised for them to take a free holiday to Greece, a local businessman has awarded them each with $10,000 and they have been given free sushi for a year as well as being given an invitation to watch Manchester United play at Old Trafford. But how are they coping with every day life?

Edison Pena is furious at the mining company, stating “there were many moments I thought I would die…it is hard to come back from death, I want to live... do you have any idea how it felt to live in darkness?” Personally I cannot imagine how it must have felt, I can only hope that behind all the expensive gifts these men can settle back into normal life, surrounded by their thankful families and loved ones.

By Fiona Lindsay

So what now? The miners have been showered with gifts from every corner of the world: the executive of Apple has offered Image from bbc.co.uk

Courtesy of telegraph.co.uk

The Magdalen: Societies

StopAIDS: Student Campaign Dundee 33 million people in the world are living with AIDS, yet HIV is a preventable condition. Despite this, over 6000 new people contract it every day. In 2005, former Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged along with many other heads of government at the G8 summit that they would provide universal access to HIV treatment by 2010. Whilst progress has been made, (there are now 20 times as many people on HIV treatment than in 2004) this target has not yet been met.

AIDS primarily affects the poor and vulnerable. The pandemic is much more serious in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe, reflecting the striking differences in health and wealth between these areas and the developed world.

More worryingly is the difference in availability of treatment. In the UK almost 100% of those diagnosed with HIV receive treatment where as in Swaziland, 26% of the population are living with HIV yet only 42% of those receive treatment.

This leads to a life expectancy of just 33 years.

HIV does not however have to be a death sentence. Drugs have existed for 20 years that can extend the life expectancy of those with the virus, but unfortunately only 60% of HIV sufferers are receiving them. More alarmingly, for every 2 people who receive treatment another 5 are infected. HIV is a growing pandemic.

a lifesaving HIV drug they are able to monopolise the market and charge a very high price. This means that many people are not able to access lifesaving medication. The only way to lower the price of a drug is to introduce competition (allow generic drug companies to produce the drugs). This can be done by waiting until the patent runs out and hoping the originator pharmaceutical company feels compelled to take out a voluntary licence, or by declaring a public health emergency (and taking out a compulsory licence). If none of these things happen there is no choice other than to accept the price imposed by the originator pharmaceutical company.

Another factor is that there are no drugs designed for children despite the fact that 2.1 million of them are living with HIV. Instead, doctors must guess what dose to give children by halving and quartering adult doses. Consequently 50% of children born with HIV die before their second birthday. Given that the market is almost exclusively in the developing world and that drugs for children commonly yield no profit, pharmaceutical companies do not see any economic benefit in investing money into research.

Therefore, despite the obvious need for child-friendly drugs, there is currently no research in this area.

Clearly more needs to be done if we want to look forward to a world without AIDS.

If the drugs exist, why are they not being made available to those who need them most? In many countries, the healthcare infrastructure is underdeveloped and those who are in need often don’t receive the supplies.

In developing countries, those who are treated live in towns and cities. In rural villages, people often have to walk for days to reach the nearest clinic and even then there is no guarantee the drugs will be available.

Secondly, the high cost of drugs means many cannot afford them. Currently WTO (World Trade Organisation) legislation allows a company producing a new product to patent it so no other company may recreate it for 20 years.

If a company is the sole producer of

As students, what can we do to change this? StopAIDS is a student run campaign with branches across universities and colleges in the UK, which believes the world’s response to the HIV pandemic is insufficient and unacceptable. Students are campaigning to improve national and international policy. The aim is to change how the HIV pandemic is tackled and bring an end to the devastating effects that HIV has on families and communities throughout the world.

Our main campaign is an initiative called “Push for the Pool”. This involves pharmaceutical companies and universities who hold the patents for HIV drugs donating them to the Patent Pool Foundation. The creation of a patent

pool has many benefits. New, cheaper drugs could be sold throughout the developing world, and for every drug sold, the pharmaceutical companies will receive a royalty fee through their patent.

It is thought they will in fact make far more profit by selling a new drug at a lower, more affordable price as currently only 1% of overall profit is made in the developing world. This is because so few people can afford the more recent drugs.

By allowing competition between generic manufacturers the price of life saving HIV treatments will drop. Developments of existing drugs could also be made, creating a child-friendly treatment and a much needed fixed-dose drug.

Due to the efforts of the Student Stop AIDS campaigners and others, the Patent Pool has gone from a pipe-dream to a UK government policy. The Patent Pool has the potential to revolutionise HIV treatment but its success depends on the support of governments and the involvement of pharmaceutical companies to ensure that it becomes a workable reality.

You can help to make this a reality by pledging your support at http://www. stopaidscampaign.org.uk/ StopAIDS Dundee upcoming events: • Sponsored Swim at Olympia swimming pool in Dundee on Sunday the 28th of November- if you would like to take part in this please get in touch!

• Bake sales at the Dundee University Main Campus Library, and Dundee Medical School in Ninewells Hospital, where you can sign up to the ‘Push for the Pool’ petition.

• Wear Red’ night out at Liquid on the 1st December. Keep checking our facebook page for more details.

If you would like any information about getting involved with StopAIDS Dundee please contact- stopaidsdundee@ googlemail.com Join us on facebook- Dundee Student Stop AIDS Campaign.

Facts and figures taken from: Student StopAIDS campaign action pack 2010

By Helena Young

No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

Melina Nicolaides Investigates...

Dundee University recently added the British North America Club, or BUNAC, society to its never ending list of clubs. The BUNAC society began 50 years ago at a university in England by students who had a slightly strange obsession with North America and a desire to get over there and work or volunteer. The program grew bigger and now BUNAC hosts about 16 work and volunteer programs not only to North America but Australia, New Zealand, South America and Asia.

Robert McLean, President of BUNAC, actually took part in one of their programs, Summer Camp USA, where he spent a summer working at Camp Airy in Maryland. BUNAC helped him apply for his VISA, and gave him all the necessary information: he’d be working for nine weeks, all of his food and accommodation would be paid for, he’d be a camp counsellor teaching music and living with ten fourteen year old boys and his plane ticket was paid

Muslim Message Society In 2006 a group of friends set out with one simple goal in mind: to rectify preconceived notions of the Muslim culture and its faith.

for by the camp. When telling me about his experiences at the camp, McLean mentioned that not only did he enjoy working at the camp but he loved that on his days off he could take trips with his friends down to Washington D.C or Baltimore. He enjoyed it so much he went back and did it the next summer as well. BUNAC also offers Work America programs which allow you to choose where you want to go. A Dundee student, Jamie Bell, applied for it and ended up with a job at a private golf club in New York City. She loved it so much that she applied again for the next year and got a job in Georgia the next summer.

The Muslim Message society is based on the Shi’a school of thought and their main goal concentrates on developing a platform in which Islam is presented in a different light compared to the stereotypes fabricated by the media— that people understand that the faith of Islam promotes peace. The society hosts a plethora of Interfaith events to raise awareness of the elements of Islam and other religions, mainly Christianity.

The Interfaith events are quite popular, anywhere from 70 to 300 people show up on average per event. Events normally involve the organiser inviting two speakers, one of Islam faith and one Christian. A topic is then chosen, and each speaker spends about half an hour teaching about the topic from the point of view of his or her faith. At the end there is a question/answer period followed by refreshments so everyone can mingle

For more information on the BUNAC society you can go to the website www. bunac.org.uk or www.DUSA.co.uk/ DUBUNAC or find them on Facebook.

The society will also be hosting a number of information sessions on Monday the 15th of November in the Dalhousie Building, Lecture Theatre 1, starting at 5:30pm for those interested in Summer Camp USA and 6:30pm for those interested in Work America programs.

and discuss the event. The event is not intended to be a debate, but to simply raise awareness and help clarify any misunderstandings between people of different faiths.

The upcoming Interfaith event is on the 18th of November at 7:00pm in the Tower Extension, Lecture Theatre 1.

There will be a Muslim speaker and a Christian speaker discussing the topic of Forgiveness. If you’re interested in Islam or just curious about the events I highly suggest going along to it. For more information on the society or if you have any questions go to their website www.DUSA.co.uk/TheMuslimMessage or email them at MMS@Dundee.ac.uk.

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The Magdalen: Cartoon

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Monsterdamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

By Elgin Flanefien

No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

CUTS!

The cuts are inevitable - but what are the direct repercussions? The Magdalen team investigates, explains, and postulates.

Strategic Review Update

Ciara McFadden

The Strategic Review of the University of Dundee was announced in late 2009 aiming to reduce spending by up to 12%, generating possible annual savings of £8million. This however, comes at the potential cost of 195 posts across four Colleges and various support services. An additional £1.5million of savings in non-pay services has also been proposed.

“The Strategic Review was initially developed last year and has since been out for consultation following which the

finalised plans are now being presented to Court,” said Professor Pete Downes, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee.

“It is hoped that staffing reductions can be obtained by voluntary means and... a voluntary severance scheme has been launched which will close at the end of February 2011.” Professor Downes has encouraged all staff considering this option to put their names forward in strict confidentiality. Will the loss of so many staff have a detrimental effect on the University’s quality of teaching as a whole?

The Strategic Review paper was

presented to Court on October 25th, but following the Scottish Government budget setting in November there may be further impact on the funding for the entire sector.

The document includes the creation of a School of the Environment, a School of Business and many more new and “exciting” developments.

The University claims to be preparing for a potentially substantial cut in funding by the Scottish Government towards Higher Education. “The severity of cuts in core funding may force us, and the sector, to look beyond this review and at more radical proposals.”

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The Magdalen: Cuts

How much is your degree worth Cuts! They are most certainly, and I think it can be said with confidence, something that every student at this university is aware of to some degree. For instance, you may have heard how little money the Scottish government has for next year.

On the 20th of October 2010, after the UK Government published their annual Comprehensive Spending Review, the trusty Barnett formula broke down Scotland’s share of the pickings. They were slim. Finance secretary for Scotland John Swinney announced an overall budget for 2011/2012 of £27.907bn, a decrease of £1.3 billion compared to the £29.240 billion budget of 2010/2011, “representing a 4.6% cut’ in the budget of the Scottish government.” This included a massive 25% cut in one year. To the capital budget, that’s about £800 million, which Swinney says “endangers economic recovery”. Basically, we needed that money. The extent of the Scottish government’s spending cuts will, obviously, have a significant impact on the country’s Higher Education budget.

The extent of these impacts will not be fully realised until the Scottish budget is published in mid-November. However, the plans for cutbacks in our humble university have been gestating since April 2010.

Whether heard in the whispers surrounding a lecturer’s resignation, the rumours regarding the decisions behind the dropping of certain modules, the future merging of various departments or indeed the transparent decrease of funding to your course, cuts are most definitely occurring across the entire university.

With the on-going recession it is hardly surprising that the university is having to make sacrifices. But what exactly is being cut? Why is it being cut? And who makes these decisions? “a decrease of £I.333 bn in the

Scottish budget for 2011/2012”

The Strategic Review published by The University Court on April 19th, 2010 was a breakdown of university expenditure and what areas should be cut back on. The review says that it was “commissioned by Court on the basis of a proposal from the Finance & Policy Committee that the Senior Management Team (SMT) review the University’s activities in the context of current academic performance, the likelihood of cuts in public spending for higher education and the challenges faced by the University in attempting to reach the 3% surplus identified by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) as that required to generate the levels of investment necessary to ensure long-term institutional sustainability.”

The review stated that the future spending of university funds would be directed by a “vision for the future development of the University” according to three criteria that were considered to summarise the university’s “overarching vision and mission”. These criteria included: “the three pillars of excellence, focus and impact.” “On the basis of clear examples of excellence in all four Colleges and within many of the service directorates, the vision proposes that investment must be focused on these areas of strength if we are to enhance the effectiveness of the University and grow its reputation.“ The four colleges at Dundee University include, as we all know, The College of Art, Science and Engineering (CASE), The College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), The College of Life Sciences (CLS) and The College of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing (CMDN).

Your college’s strengths and how much they should be budgeted for is supposedly assessed by this evidence of ‘excellence, focus and impact.’ Basically, cuts are made to the different colleges (as well as the SASS) according to how well they each fulfil these three criteria of: ‘excellence, focus and impact.’

But you don’t need to say the words too many times before they begin to lose all meaning. So how is a college assessed as meeting these standards of ‘excellence, focus and impact’ as set out by the university court in April 2010? Some of the more worrying parts of the review contained details of the individual targets of these assessments such as: “modern language teaching will be reduced to being primarily teaching for degree modules and other teaching solely necessary to support that activity. The future viability of American Studies and European Studies will be considered, with a strong possibility that these programmes will be wound down, while the closer alignment of accounting, finance and economics will result in a rationalisation of the portfolio focused on business education.”

“The re-prioritisation of teaching in undergraduate anatomy and physiology will be undertaken in the immediate future and together it is likely that these exercises will show staffing resources exceed those required for portfolio delivery. “ “In Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, there will be a significant rationalisation of the undergraduate portfolio resulting in a likely reduction from 11

No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

courses to 4 thematic programmes (strong candidates would be Art, Craft, Interactions and Visual Communications) each of which will be aligned with its research themes and together will continue to meet the University’s student numbers targets.”

changed.

Such suggestions for cutbacks were made according to the reasoning of the subjects’ location in “the positioning of the College’s programmes in the global marketplace.” In reference to the implications of such proposed cuts the review affirmed that:

Little in the original strategic review has changed, the areas proposed to be targeted have been addressed in more detail and many of the originally proposed areas for cuts are now being implemented. There is an increase in the worry being articulated across campus that as Andrew Smith noted in April that: “With the overt focus on ‘excellence’ it has been suggested that the outcome of the Strategic Review will be to take Dundee University closer to becoming a specialised University.” The visible results of the review can start to be seen across campus with teachers threatening to go on strike:

“Many of the proposed changes will lead to a requirement to reduce staffing levels across the University, the precise extent of which will be identified on a School by School and directorate by directorate basis during the next stage of the review.”

It is easy to see pretty quickly that ‘excellence, focus and impact’ are descriptions suitably vague enough to be applied to any aspect of the university that is not considered financially lucrative. This inevitably leads to larger cutbacks across subjects that receive less outside funding such as the humanities subjects. In response to the review Andrew Smith the then President of the DUSA executive 2009-2010 had stated that: “The Review recommends a widespread reduction in staff numbers and I find it very hard to believe that this could possibly be done without compromising the quality of education or services.”

How can the university expect to promote excellence in teaching (as is set out as one of its fundamental aims on the Dundee website) when it is cutting back on its staff? And surely if these cuts are based on the low evidence of ‘excellence’ in departments then this implies that these areas of study require more attention, not a deprivation of resources. The court re-assessed the review in June (a time when very few students were around to kick up a fuss) and little in its overall intentions for the university have

“Many of the proposed changes will lead to a requirement to reduce staffing levels across the University” Flash Forward to 20th October 2010…

Dundee University’s staff ready to strike: “Dundee University staff members are preparing to go on strike unless assurances are given there will be no compulsory redundancies from the institution.”

“The University and College Union (UCU) has criticised the strategic review as pointless on the back of the UK Government’s spending review and said it is set to ballot members for industrial action.” -The Courier 26/10/10 Nearly 200 teaching jobs are said to be shed in order to save £8m a year. The UK government published The Comprehensive Spending review on 20/10/10 with the budget for education in the UK laid out in accordance with The Browne review, advocating most of the review’s reforms in higher education with particular emphasis on the increasing of graduate fees: “In further and higher education, the Government believes that there must be a shift away from public spending towards greater contributions from those that benefit most and who can afford to pay, to maintain high quality provision while

ensuring the sustainability of the public finances. To help ensure the quality of provision, these increased contributions will be combined with reforms to deliver more choice, with better information for learners.” The DUSA executive responds: “Students are being forced to pay for reductions in University teaching budgets, burdening the workforce of the next thirty years and disadvantaging many, of great talent, who would otherwise have attended university. The cost of HE funding will be felt by students and graduates at a disproportionate level to that of the institutions themselves.”

“The benefits of a thriving Higher Education sector with areas of world class teaching and research are felt by all of society. It is therefore in the interests of the national government to provide greater financial support to such institutions. With uncapped fees in England and Wales, Universities will become more akin to big businesses. By creating a market for Higher Education; students and institutions alike will begin to make decisions based on financial considerations instead of the traditional benchmark of academic quality.”

Until we find out the Scottish government’s Budget, which is to be published in mid-November, the extent of the cuts on the colleges and SASS will not be fully known.

Until then, stay vigilant.

---------------------------------------------For more information on how you can get involved or if you want to know more about university cuts in general visit the DUSA website at: dusa.co.uk All full statements by DUSA exec and associated members can be found on the DUSA website at dusa.co.uk where you can also find the full 11 page report of the strategic review.

For more information on the The University Court you can go to: www.somis.dundee.ac.uk/court

By Ruth Hunter

13

The Magdalen: Cuts

Honey, I shrunk the

departments …Well, most of them Our University Principal, Pete Downes, along with other principals, has recently held a Strategic Review, looking at the allocation of funding in the university has been published (it’s up on the press releases section of the university website) and, frankly, it makes for a pretty boring read. However, if you wade your way through the financial jargon and management-speak, you can get to the basic point being put forward.

Throughout the Review, you keep running into a strange term – “rationalisation.” What does this mean?

According to the Review it seems to mean a no-frills university education.

Welcome to “Easy-Uni.” For example, the College of Art, Science and Engineering will apparently have to “rationalise” their courses. Again, wading through jargon this actually seems to mean “have fewer courses available,” since Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art will have to reduce down from 11 undergraduate courses to 4 “thematic programmes,” with far less freedom for students to choose what they learn.

Since when was it rational to have fewer things to learn? We seem to be venturing into the world of Orwellian doublespeak.

Fortunately, the review is far less slippery when it comes to the College of Arts and Social Sciences – claiming that it is likely that both European and American studies courses may be “wound down” with economics, accounting and finance being considered for this as well. The College’s tuition fees will also be increased “incrementally

over a three-year period,” apparently because its postgraduate programmes are becoming more popular, neglecting to remark that the increase of fees will be, no doubt, a disincentive for foreign students to come here.

cuts don’t come from primarily practical concerns, but rather an ideological prejudice against these subject areas as being of less importance. It is common to see the so-called “soft subjects” being derided in the media as being useless.

In the College of Art, Science and Engineering, the number of research groups in the Art School and the Engineering, Mathematics and Physics departments will be reduced, making them into larger, less diverse research areas. In the College of Arts and Social Sciences the number of research areas will be reduced so only the areas with the highest “excellence ratings” will be kept – meaning reductions in research in areas such as politics and economics.

The review claims that the funding for the College of Life Sciences is “unlikely” to be reduced in any way.

This prejudice portrays these subjects as being “easy” choices for students who just want a degree without too much work. It only takes asking students from these subjects to realise that they most certainly have to work hard for their degrees. It is also said that what these subjects teach is of no use to anyone – but the analyses society gains from Geography, Sociology and History are invaluable for creating a world where we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. The Arts might not be entirely oriented towards creating businesses, but I doubt anyone would want to live in a world without art and design, and that requires well-trained artists. The prejudices against English literature, Film and Philosophy revolve around not understanding what they do – which is to train students how to think in novel, creative, and most importantly, critical ways. Now, more than ever, we need critical thinkers in our society to try and create ways out of the socioeconomic mess we are in. And I don’t think I even need to go into the reasons why we need mathematicians and medics in our society.

Similarly throughout the Review, we see the College of Life Sciences being favoured in this way, and the Colleges of Art, Science and Engineering and Arts and Social Sciences bearing the brunt of this Strategic Review’s “rationalisations.”

Once again, it is the so-called “softsubject areas” being targeted in cuts; the Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, as well as Mathematics and some reductions to the College of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing. The School of Humanities is due to undergo a structural change towards the “Melbourne Model” whereby Humanities courses become prescribed and inflexible, with a poorer staff-student ratio.

This isn’t the first time this kind of targeting has happened. During the 80s, when university funding was particularly low, many of these kinds of departments had to close down, meaning valuable educations were denied to hundreds of potential students. These kinds of

Sadly, this Strategic Review is both purposefully difficult to read and fuelled by a prejudice against subject areas which society genuinely needs to progress, expand and make worthwhile.

By Jamie Harris

No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

15

What the cuts mean to us And why we should pay attention.

It’s everywhere. Practically every media outlet in the country is talking about the recent swathes of cuts as put forward by the government as a way to cut the budget deficit – the difference between what the government spends and what it gains through taxation. But why? Well, this difference is usually made up by encouraging companies, both national and foreign, to invest in the government with the promise of a return on that investment.

Recently, the government has been seeking more and more of this kind of investment to fund public spending. Essentially what this means is that the government has been spending more than it makes and has taken out a bunch of loans and owes a lot of money (think of it like maxing out a load of credit cards). The deficit for the year 09/10 is a mind-boggling £178 billion.

The result of this, according to the new Conservative-Lib-Dem coalition government, is that we need to massively cut down on public spending – welfare benefits, military spending, police, state education and most importantly for us, the universities. The English budget for universities has been dropped by £499 million, and there will be roughly 6000 less university places next year. Amongst other industrial action at universities in the UK, staff at King’s College London have staged a walkout

in protest at their £27million cuts and students in Middlesex University have occupied one of the buildings there in response to the closing of their philosophy department.

Currently these cuts do not affect the Scottish system, as university funding here is controlled by the Scottish government, run by the SNP. At the time of writing there have been no cuts to university funding in Scotland as yet, but many expect the universities to have to tighten their belts after 20th of October when the Scottish Government announced its spending review.

Only this March, the University of Glasgow announced plans to lay off 80 staff from “a range of faculties” due to financial concerns, despite it being found that they will have a £6million budget surplus this year.

This all culminates in the current news that the University of Dundee, in anticipation of government cuts will be cutting their budget by 10-12% by sacking 195 staff, saving £8million over the year. The news of this has resulted in the union representing university staff here to vote in favour of strike action

in an attempt to save jobs, which could disrupt exams and the smooth running of courses.

The work of academic staff at universities attracts postgraduate research, where a large proportion of many universities’ income comes from.

Led by Principal Pete Downes, the University of Dundee has recently completed a Strategic Review to help create “financial stability” and discuss budget allocation. The details of the changes the Strategic Review would make can be found online.

By Gabriel Neil

The Magdalen: Cuts

Perhaps Another controversial article you say? I think I will.

audience engagement, because they need to save time (time is money).

A conversation was sparked with my girlfriend last week while we were watching an episode of ‘New Tricks’ on the BBC iPlayer (Don’t judge me; Jeremy Kyle and Countdown weren’t on, and there isn’t much else for us busy students to do). The episode – as always – was about an unsolved murder case. The setting? A university library. The story is unimportant, because anybody who watched Scooby Doo as a child knows it’s always the janitor or the creepy fairground owner, but one blasé line in the episode stood out for us.

There are no more tutorials; because they are a waste of time when you have books that you can read.

The rector of the university was speaking about how they closed the library, because it wasn’t cost effective and their VLE was much better. Jess (the wife) turned to me and said; “they’d never close a university library”. It was contradictory, so the conversation began.

Would the cuts at universities ever affect the library? Or anything that students really use? We know that there have been cuts to teaching staff, but that doesn’t really affect us because we know there will still be a lecturer there at 5 past the hour. We know that the union has brought prices up by like 5%, but that doesn’t matter when a pint is still the cheapest in town. So does it matter?

Welcome to a university in my dystopian world; You wake up at 8, because all classes are now reserved exclusively to the morning, to save money (maybe your lecturers have another job in a bakery in the afternoon (I don’t know much about bakers)).

You go to your first lecture, which is just a dictation of information with no

It is now ten o’clock and you have had two lectures (which probably have some emotionless pithy business name now, like ‘Terminuses’) out of the six modules you’re doing per semester – that’s right, six modules a semester. To save money now, nobody does honours degrees and you’re only at uni for two long boring years.

There are no societies or clubs because of lack of funding and time.

Who has time to act, play chess or RPGs or canoe (nobody should ever canoe - man should never fight the sea) when you’re cramming what used to be four years of university into two?

You’re always busy and stressed with work, so you spend all of your time in the… VLE? I DON’T THINK SO! If Dundee University’s current Virtual Learning Environment is anything to go by, it’d be shit slow at best. People would be complaining about the bandwidth and struggling to search for anything online.

[Say bandwidth three times and tell me you don’t sound like a pubescent, Victorian, bourgeois girl with a lisp, pronouncing her lover’s name!]

The library is a place where people meet to read, learn and socialise (what can be more social than watching a computer for five minutes and running to sit at it when the person leaves, just to have

that awkward conversation with the person that sits there before you?).

Without it, what would we do?

[DISCLAIMER; the library is not closing, this is very effusive and fictitious] Worst of all is that perhaps Good Charlotte will be proven correct and “college education” will become a bastion of ‘elite’ and well off. Perhaps it’ll be filled with people called Crispin, who say things like; “I’ll have you know that I’ve been told I don’t even have an accent” – the kind of people who’re more posh than the Queen (University of St Andrews students, for example) Perhaps in a world where you have to skimp and save everything while trying to get an education, flair and beauty will disappear from language.

Perhaps even worse, we’ll have to get rid of parenthesis; which would make this article a lot less amusing and easier to read.

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps; but then again… perhaps not.

by Paul McCallum

No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

The X-Fractal Its a huge topic point at the moment, the X-factor I mean.

Usually I wouldn’t go near it without some kind of large pole from a barge! Recently however, I have been drawn to the flashing lights and loud music of the show on a Saturday night; albeit, more influenced by my struggling bankbalance and furious, vigorous essay writing, rather than the need for entertainment.

We all know how the X-Factor works: Simon, Cheryl, Dannii and Louie hold auditions all over to find the freshest talent in the country, bringing together The People to show their singing prowess to the world. The best then battle it out, with the winner gaining a million pound record deal, probably a few half-decent singles and a whole lot of fame.

Its maybe been three weeks now that I’ve watched it, and although I detest

to confess it; I do find myself enjoying the musical trials and tribulations of the various contestants. I watch in awe at the talent contained in Everyday people; working man’s heroes if you wish: I laugh at Wagner and his acts of surreal innuendo, I listen in awe at the unique voices of Cher and Katie, I also fully admire the personality and openness of Matt, a fellow Pearl Jam enthusiast.

There’s just one thing that niggles the back of my mind though, something that I think of every time that I hear of the show, the other side of The X-Factor.

I find myself asking ‘What good does this contribute to UK music?’, I mean, entertainment-wise the show is topnotch, but have you ever bought a past contestant’s (or ‘Ex-Factor’s) single?

Have you ever heard a track from a winner – probably a ballad – and thought, ‘Wow, what an original and creative piece of music that is!’? Or have you just noticed the winners becoming no more than passengers to the machine that is

Is the X-Factor good for music? the merchandised music industry?

The show unearths brilliant, unique talent don’t get me wrong. But the contestant’s seem churned into a pop-idol existence.

We see huge emotion in their faces, crying in reply to the public’s face-value opinions. I worry for the contestants. I worry for their health and whether they feel they are being pushed into being something that they are not. I worry for Wagner as being taken for as a fool: was it not two weeks ago that the judges pointedly asked how to pronounce his name, and yet they still disrespect him, live in front of millions, by failing to translate that his name is pronounced ‘Vagner’ and not ‘Wagner’. Did you, as a viewer, not see the immense distress in Katie’s demeanour as she broke down, waiting for her judgement to be bestowed upon her. I find myself asking, “If she desired, would she be allowed to leave this show, and how easily?”, and “Could her condition, and the potent emotion that she portrays be detrimental to her health?’”. Surely we are approaching the stage where some contestant’s human rights are on the brink of being breached.

People who make music, people that creatively contribute, people who have played in venues for years, holding desperately to the idea that they will someday appear on Jools Holland, these are the people that progress the musical art form. I fail to see how these people, taken up off the street can actively make anything more than a means of entertainment. Don’t get me wrong here, I don’t doubt that these people are very talented, and given a few years on their own may make something of themselves musically. I just keep thinking that the whole process of receiving a crash course in pop-stardom; the synthetic and easy-fix rush to fame, is neither helpful to the industry or to the people on the show.

It all seems very innocent, very fun; the making of a star, but stars that burn brightest burn quickest. The show may well have to go on, but let’s hope that The X-factor learns to nurture talent, and not to beguile it.

By Martyn Sroka

17

The Magdalen: Music

Maggie Thompson

reviews...

The

Black

Keys

The Black Keys have a sound.

A great sound in fact, which manages to distinguish them from most other musical acts hanging around these days.

Bangin’ drums from Patrick Carney and low-fi fuzzy guitars that loop round and round from Dan Auerbach, not to mention his voice, make The Black Keys a two-piece live show not to be missed. Selling out the O2 Academy in Glasgow and pumping their latest album in the car on the way there, The Magdalen was—let’s be honest— super-excited to be seeing the boys from Akron, Ohio play modern day white-pretendingto-be-black-boy rock’n’roll with a deep and tender soul.

The opening act, The Walkmen, frankly sucked as much as a vacuum cleaner,

so the crowd was indeed ready for The Black Keys to come on. For a band that doesn’t have a distortion free note in their catalogue, I was slightly disappointed seeing them live. I wanted the room to be filled with the loud sounds of the Keys that would defy you not to dance to them like you do in your bedroom. Most of the songs, for some reason though, didn’t hit me as squarely in the chest as they normally do when coming through my lap top speakers. They lose a certain intimacy live that most of the indie rock bands who play similar sized shows don’t have to worry about with their danceable riffs and known-by-heart lyrics. The Key’s large back catalogue and the tendency for most of their songs to sound similar to the ear of someone who has not immersed themselves fully into the Key’s six albums saw a lack of energy from the crowd. Though the songs of the new album, especially ‘Everlasting Light’ and ‘Howlin’ for You’, which were fresh in the minds of fans, and the last song ‘I Got Mine’ and encore ‘Your Touch’ definitely rocked the theatre as it should have been throughout the whole gig. The addition of two new touring members on bass and organ showed a new direction for the band and maybe (hopefully) a bigger sound that can fill the larger venues that the Keys are booking.

Carney was very impressive though, hitting the drums harder than anyone I think I’ve ever seen, so kudos to him.

Auerbach could perhaps take a page from the hip hop artists he admires so much and think about connecting with the crowd a little more. That’s right, The Magdalen just served Dan Auerbach some advice. Don’t take it the wrong way

Dan, we really like you and we are only telling you this because we know you can do better. Catch you on the flip-side boys.

Michael Duncan

reviews...

Eliza Doolittle

Thursday 21st October Fat Sam’s When Eliza Doolittle skips on stage to a sold out Fat Sam’s you know you are watching an artist enjoying an ascent into pop stardom. She is instantly charming with her soft but edgy voice and her indie princess appearance - she cuts a petite figure and is all curly hair and hot pants. It’s hard to take your eyes off her, and it’s just as well. If this 22 year old London girl wasn’t so eye catching and charismatic, her backing band might have stolen the show.

They look like a barbershop

No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

quartet in their matching bow tie and white trouser out-fits. One plays the double bass while the guitarist occasionally reaches for a ukulele. They smile from beginning to end, playing music that you’re sure you might have heard somewhere before.

The ‘old time’ influences on Doolittle are well sign posted throughout her music.

Set opener ‘Missing’ samples a song by 1950’s trio The Fleetwoods, and her single ‘Pack Up’ takes its chorus from the World War One marching song ‘Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag’.

Eliza’s set bounces along nicely, chirpy and inoffensive, until she plays the late night version of Cee-Lo Green’s ‘Forget You’. Eliza knows her fan base well and she shows it here, apologising to the ‘Mum’s and Dad’s’ in the audience for the bad language before starting the sing-a-long.

When the show ends, her songs don’t leave much to think about except the chorus to ‘Rollerblades’ that is now stuck under your fingernails. And this is just the way it’s meant to be. Eliza Doolittle is an artist who only wants to cheer you up when you’re down, make you remember summer now that it’s autumn and doesn’t care what you think. She is Buddy Holly in a post Lily Allen universe.

Eliza’s mother, Frances Rufelle, is a Tony Award winning musical theatre actress, and her grandmother founded the Sylvia Young Theatre School in London. This rich heritage of musical success might have you thinking Eliza Doolittle was reared for show business. No doubt such a bloodline wouldn’t be a hindrance for the young Eliza, but she still has to be talented. She’s performing breezy pop tunes that teenagers and their parents alike listen to. At least she never came through the X-Factor.

19

Album of the Month:

‘Come Around Sundown’

by Kings of Leon

While it isn’t quite an album of the month, it is indeed the album that everyone will be talking about. When I first listen to Come Around Sundown, I wonder why the opening track is called ‘The End.’ Apart from the obvious confusion it causes in the logical sphere of my brain, I wonder why the foursome would choose to make the elephant in the room so freaking obvious. Because on their fifth studio album I, along with everyone else who have been listening to them since Youth and Young Manhood, are wondering if the band they had once truly loved is indeed gone.

And, like its predecessor Only by the Night, there is nothing particularly wrong on this album.

They are working on a big, layered sound with lots of oooing and ahhing that stadiums full of people are going to scream and rock out too. But the King’s greatest strength was always their Tennessee garage rock sparseness that made every genius riff, drum rhythm and Caleb’s spectacular voice so in-your-face that it became a command to love them. I don’t want back-up singers, like the kid’s chorus that seems to be going on in the background of ‘Radioactive’. On ‘Pyro,’ Caleb’s voice is back to its best, but is overtaken by layers of guitar that obscure its skin-tingling roughness. Most of the songs are pretty unremarkable though.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place is the situation I think the Followill’s find themselves in: worldwide success and money, or keeping true to their once smaller but die hard fan base.

They know exactly the choice they have made though and sometimes I think, good for

them. Kings of Leon still have all the talent they have always had, but have lost the quirky, raw sexiness which used to make them so appealing. These songs are incredibly listenable anthems which you can’t help but like.

But there are no stand-outs on the album, actually most of the songs kind of sound the same with the exception of ‘Back Down South’ which recalls Neil Young in a fantastic way. Listen to it, but don’t expect it to work itself into the roster like their first three.

Wooden Box With A Fistful Of Fivers Last month saw the official, state sponsored return of folk music. We saw David Cameron declaring his new favourite band to be West London folkers Mumford & Sons and their long term gigging partner and love interest, Laura Marling, was placed atop the heady heights of the NME Cool List 2010. The inauguration of this new wave of traditionalists highlights two things. First off, Mumford & Sons’ love of acoustic instruments and second hand waistcoats means they can play in the dark and hold down an image of poverty despite being filthy rich. This makes them ideal role models for David ‘Country’ Cameron’s government spending cuts. The Second thing is that these two acts are just the very cool tip of the proverbial iceberg. Beneath the waves there has been a resurgence of folk related musical acts.

Wooden Box With a Fistful Of Fivers are an impressive pick from this growing and vibrant bunch. Their sound is rooted in

The TheMagdalen Magdalen: Music

Musical Reflection

of the Month: ‘A Love Affair With Caledonia folk and tales from Americana myth. The Scottish sextet consist of two guitars, bass, drums and a two man brass section that brighten their songs with flashes of Latino trumpet and sax.

The band cite the Morricone soundtracks to Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns as a big influence. You can certainly hear this in the echoing whistle and Latino trumpet on the intro to ‘Hang The Noose’.

If you listen closely you can hear the sound of Clint Eastwood riding alone into the distance as the end credits begin rolling.

Wooden Box played a candle lit gig at the Doghouse in October whilst touring their debut album. The live show was a boisterous performance of songs that sound a little more measured on record (but only a little). The three part harmonies, which do sound good on the recording, mix with the ruckus of guitar, drums and brass to give the live experience an exciting energy. Wooden Box also showed a more sensitive side, playing a few gentler songs in amongst their boot-slapping barnstormers. After the gig frontman Ali Downer admitted that playing the quieter songs was not what Wooden Box normally like to do, but being able to see the Doghouse floorboards between the thin crowd and the ambient tea lights dotted through the venue may have been too powerful mood-setters for the band to resist.

This year the Scottish sextet released their debut album ‘Home & The Wild Hunt’ on the student run, Glasgow label ‘Electric Honey’ which is also responsible for the early releases of other Scottish acts such as Belle & Sebastian, Snow Patrol and Biffy Clyro. The album is available at any of their gigs and the band have also been kind enough to let us stream it from their Myspace page (www.myspace.com/awoodenbox).

Your Own Sadness’ It is my dream to interview The National, specifically lead singer Matt Berninger. Most of the time, when I am supposed to be writing proper articles for the music section of The Magdalen I am having a fantasy face-toface with the band in my head and poring over interviews they give to the New York Times, gathering information for my witty questions. Berninger, recently speaking about the song ‘Sorrow’ off their latest album ‘High Violet’ said the lyrics were about a person in love with their own sadness, about finding their own sadness so pleasureable that they don’t want to give it up. I feel like that song gives expression to a large part of why I love the music that I do.

Its not masochism as such, but it is definitely narcissism

with a dash of feeling-sorry-foryourself. But isn’t it just so awfully beautiful to meditate upon the dismal aspects of life to your own personal soundtrack? Its that 3 AM feeling of drinking a glass of wine by yourself and listening to Lou Reed, or The Tallest Man on Earth knowing you have to be up in five hours, but not caring because for a moment you are alone with the incredible sad genius of a song writer who seems to be speaking to only you. So thank you my songwriting friends (for that is what I consider you to be) for giving me my happiest unhappy moments, because what is life if not ups and downs? The National are touring at the end of November, but tickets are sold out everywhere.

Unlucky for you if you don’t have one...

Top Ten 3 AM Tunes or, ‘Soundtrack to My Sorrow’ 1. Late - Ben Folds (a tribute song to Elliott Smith) 2. Say Yes - Elliott Smith 3. Casimir Pulaski Day - Sufjan Stevens 4. Daughters of the Soho Riots - The National 5. Karma Police - Radiohead (substitute any Thom Yorke song) 6. First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes 7. I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie 8. Flume - Bon Iver 9. Both Sides Now - Joni Mitchell 10. New Slang - The Shins

By Maggie Thompson

No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

Performing Arts:

Your opportunities ‘Skits and Giggles’- Lip Theatre Groups Comedy Sketch Show Monday 22nd November is going to be a day for a laugh, thanks to Lip Theatre Company. Featuring original sketches, all written by Lip’s very own members, their pre-Christmas comedy sketch show will be in Mono, DUSA, starting at 8pm. Costing a mere £3 per ticket, it’s well worth the money, including a trip to Oktoberfest, a run in with some unusual gangsters plus much, much more. Join the group that recently gave The Fringe Festival ‘Brain Humour’ for an evening of fun and laughter.

The holiday season is looming and in keeping with the festive spirit DUSA is producing our very first Pantomime!

The JOOT Theatre company is run under the direction of Dr. Jodi-Anne (Jo.) George.

Our next production (to take place in the spring of 2011) will be of a new play, Hollow Earth, by local writer Anthony Gomez. Future plans also include a film of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. If you are interested in joining JOOT, please contact Dr. George at: j.a.george@dundee.ac.uk

Open auditions for parts in the performance will be held in midNovember with both students and staff welcome to participate. This is the first time we have ever done a pantomime that is open to all societies and students, and we really hope it will bring town and gown together. All profits will go towards the advice and support centre, with students being given a choice as to how the money is spent. For further information please contact Vice President of Communications, Natalie Coupar at vpc@dusa.co.uk (she’s behind you). It will be held on Thursday 16th of December in the West Park Conference Centre, and is open to all University staff and students, as well as members of the public!

21

The Magdalen: Arts

art Review FIRST UNAFFECTED/ UNAFFECTED FORMAL/ EFFECTS LAST “The Scottish debut of Cullinan Richards” ‘First Unaffected’ 1 – 28 Oct ‘Unaffected Formal’ 29 Oct – 25 Nov ‘Effects Last’ 26 Nov - 4 Dec COOPER GALLERY, DOJ (go into Duncan of Jordanstone by the front/Perth Road entrance, take a right at the reception desk and walk to the end of the corridor).

Open: Monday – Friday 9.30am – 5pm, Saturday 10.30am – 4.30pm “Please do not step on the plastic.”

Sheets of plastic cover most of the floor in the right hand room of the Cooper Gallery. I’m resisting the urge to step onto the clean, shiny plastic but only just. Half finished paintings lean against the wall and tins of house paint sit in bundles on the floor. I’m about a metre away from the pots and the security cameras to my left and right are the only thing that prevents me from prying the pots open. I want to check if the lemon yellow splashed over the canvases is actually contained within any of these tins in front of me.

Cullinan Richards are an artist duo.

They are Charlotte Cullinan and Jeanie Richards and they’ve been working together in London since the late 90s – previously under the name ArtLab. A couple of weeks ago I met them with the student curatorial team. They were slightly older than I expected them to be but looked very much like artists – disinclined to speak and anxious to get back to installing their work.

‘First Unaffected’ is only the first phase.

On the 29th of this month (October ’10) from 6pm till 8pm the space will be filled with DoJ students and local artists drinking free beer and filling the air with pseudo-philosophical interpretations.

The exhibition will change in some way but carry on the thematic concerns that Cullinan Richards laid out in their manifesto ‘Shandyism and its Effects [Extracts from a script 1997-2008]’.

They seem to be attempting to bring the process of making art, the studio space, to the wider public. It’s an interesting idea, reminiscent of musical demos or extra features at the end of a DVD, behind the scenes footage.

At the back are some stairs (part of the building not the exhibition) which lead to a pile of chairs and full bottles of coke and water. Something tells me that this isn’t part of the exhibition but you can never be entirely sure with conceptual. I can also see Sophia Yadong Hao – the curator of exhibitions at DoJ (or DJCAD if you like words that are easy to type but slightly unpronounceable) – bustling about through the glass doors at the foot of the stairs so maybe we’re not supposed to be down here. A sign maybe Cullinan Richards?

Back upstairs there are tables for prints and stage lights reflecting into a mirror above my head. The whole exhibition is very white space/minimalist but it’s thought provoking enough to remind me that I missed the WASPS STUDIOS OPEN DAY 3 – 4 OCTOBER which the Scottish Arts Council (now Creative Scotland... don’t get me started) described as;

“The only time of year when hundreds of artists’ studios across Scotland open their doors.”

Oh well, there’s always next year.

My favourite bit of ‘First Unaffected’ is their portable cinema sign – like the old ones you see in American films or outside CAMEO in Edinburgh – where there is a screen of light with metal rails and words hung letter by letter over the front. It usually stands in the window of the Savage School Window Gallery where Cullinan Richards show work by different artists and theorists. Right now it says ‘Never again’ but I think they come back every evening and change it. I’ll check tomorrow.

By Ana Hine

No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

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The Death of British Cinema?

On the 26th of July this year an announcement was made by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regarding the abolition of the UK Film Council. Now, I understand that for many people this will mean nothing, as when the announcement was made - despite the fact that I was dumbstruck with disbelief - most of my friends had no idea what the UK Film Council was, or how it operated. For those of you that are also unaware, the Labour government set up the UKFC in 2000 to help develop and promote the British film industry.

Supported by funding from both the government and the National Lottery the UKFC has backed over 900 short and feature films and has helped increase the UK film industry contribution to the economy by 50% since the council’s creation.

I understand that many people will be disappointed to hear that this large revenue will no longer be generated due to the abolition, but at the same time, feel that there will be no real effect on their everyday lives as a result of this.

This, however, is where you would be wrong my friends! The UKFC is at the centre of British independent filmmaking and despite the fact that you may not have heard of the council, I bet that you have definitely heard of the films.

Bend it Like Beckham was one of the first films to be supported by the UKFC and because of this was able to artfully explore racial differences; sexuality,

sexism and friendship. From the title alone, it is easy to see that this film is a cultural product of its time, a reflection of British pop culture that, unfortunately (yet unsurprisingly) Hollywood would have massacred!

Living in a time of such prolific globalisation where America is encroaching on every aspect of our social, political and cultural lives, surely having such a strong industry with a highly distinct style is of upmost importance, and this is exactly what the UKFC was striving to do. British director and screenwriter Shane Meadows was allowed to develop his own personal style through funding that was given to him for This is England, winner of Best Film at the 2006 British Independent Film Awards. A truly beautiful film that really manages to capture the sense of fear and misunderstanding that plagued the youth of the time. From the critical acclaim that followed This is England, Meadows was able peruse his individual style and create Somers Town and Le Donk & Scor-zay-zee, arguably, because of the platform he was given by the UKFC. This is not just true of filmmakers, however, as many actors and actresses have been given their first big break through UKFC supported films. Keira Knightley, for example, in Bend it Like Beckham, James McAvoy, who was able to make the transition from television to his first leading film role in The Last King of Scotland and Gemma Arteton in the highly successful St Trinian’s.

The Conservative’s reasoning behind the abolition of the UKFC is part of their larger plans to cut public spending, and whilst most people understand the country’s need to save money I can’t help feeling that the government are unable to see past their initial expenditure to the wealth of returns that are available to them. Independent UK films took 8.2% of the UK box office in 2009 and whilst this doesn’t seem like much, it was the highest figure in ten years, meaning since the creation of the UKFC success has grown exponentially. In 2009 alone UK films grossed $200 billion at the worldwide box office, proving that there is potential financial gain to be had from encouraging and supporting new British talent. Critics of the UKFC who claim that the money donated is often not put to good use should also be aware that for every £1 that the UKFC provides a further £5 is generated at the box office, which sounds like an awfully good investment to me!

Despite protests from James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Pete Postlethwaite, Damian Lewis, Timothy Spall, Daniel Barber, Ian Holm, Clint Eastwood and many, many more, the UKFC is expected to be completely dissolved by April 2012.

Whilst government spending cuts are inevitable, I for one am saddened that the arts are seen as dispensable and pray that despite the lack of support given by government this is not the death of great British cinema.

By Jess Johnstone

The Magdalen The Magdalen: Fashion

News: Now usually, when you need a little cheering up, it’s best to do that via the medium of retail therapy. Well, wannabe fashionista/wild child Lindsay Lohan, who is currently in rehab (yes, again!) indulged in a little retail therapy online. Spending a whopping $20,000 – ok maybe this may be a little extreme for our student budgets. Hmm, if only they gave £20,000 student loans...

Now that all the fashion shows have been wrapped up for spring summer it’s time we get wrapped up because you may have noticed... it’s freezing! You may think its hard to be fashionable in winter with all those layers on, but layering is bang on trend. The snood made an appearance at the Burberry show last year and it seems like we just can’t get enough of them!

Andre Leon Talley – the former Vogue editor - isn’t this guy cool, but scary. He’s the new judge on America’s Next Top Model, which if you haven’t seen the latest series so far, its bitchier and better than ever with so much more crying (if that was ever possible). How cruel we are to laugh at them when they’re getting all their hair chopped off!

Oh no! Is it that time already?

Kate Moss’ final topshop collection went on sale earlier this month. Kate has had a hugely successful time with topshop since first launching her fashion line in our fav high street shop in 2007. What’s even more amazing is that it’s more affordable than the high fashion on the catwalk, and we think Kate knows a little bit about fashion – seeing as she has been on the catwalk for over 15 years!

Now that it’s winter, not only is it important to look good wearing your latest wardrobe items, it’s also important to take care of your skin. The cold weather can make your skin extremely dry and sensitive, so remember to take care of your skin and moisturise daily.

No.19 No.18 The Cuts Issue The Anonymous Issue November October 2010 2010

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Handmade Horrors

By Colette McDiarmid

We can’t all claim to have been fashionable. Everyone’s got horrors lurking in the family album which would make you want to curl up and die! Some people’s idea of fashion is very different and individualism is a welcomed part of fashion and often hard to pull off. All you fashion conscious readers may have heard of an auction website called etsy – it’s a little bit like ebay, where all the clothes and other items are handmade, you get some really amazing things, definitely worth looking at if you want something different.

Unfortunately though, other people’s idea of a “different” and “unique” brings etsy to a whole new level. In fact, some of the items on etsy are so bad that there has been a website set up dedicated to some very unfortunate items. The aptly named Regretsy has a full on gallery of all the most shocking items that have appeared on etsy since it was set up and what’s even better is the money made from this site goes to charity.

Often it’s not just the photos that will have you doubled over, its the descriptions as well. The Magdalen has brought to you, the very worst pieces, quite possibly in fashion history from the Regretsy clothing section. For the ones we’ve missed out? Well, I’m sure it’ll be a welcome distraction next time you’ve got writer’s block when trying to write a 3000-word essay!

Etsy Description: “ADORABLE Mexican Theme 1950’s Hand Knit Cowichan Swing Cut Sweater Jacket It’s an adorably cute white early 1950’s hand knit wool blend Cowichan sweater that’s Mexican or Mexico themed!

The sweater is cut in the swing style, with an a-line cut and wide cut sleeves. I just ADORE the images that are on this piece- cactus, mexican blankets ,sombreros, pots, and on the back a cute donkey being led by a man! Perfect with pencil skirts or cuffed up jeans!”

At first glance, that cardigan does look pretty hideous but we’ve grown to love it. Often, we find it’s the items that grab our attention are the ones we end up buying.

Etsy Description: “Loveralls Upcycled Denim Overalls Don’t you just LOVE the pants with wide, comfortable legs well, here’s a pair you might like and they’re Earth-Friendly too!!”

Attention grabbing these may be, but please... don’t do it.

So, if you’ve got a spare $125 or so, then not only would you be giving money to charity, you’d also become instantly famous on campus. Go on, treat yourself.

Go to www.regretsy.com to see the alternative descriptions, and for more fashion frights!

The Magdalen: Fashion

Do you really need

more clothes?

This question is one I frequently hear uttered by the parents in a mystified tone, and I find the straightforward response ‘yes’ never seems to satisfy. I find it difficult explaining that even though I’m only just scraping by on the old student loan, that I do nonetheless need that vintage-inspired 50s dress – oh and those jazzy rings, and yeah well, that pair of winter boots with the fur lining too...“but mum they’re so ‘in’ right now”; it’s never a comfortable conversation to say the least. This conversation is inevitably worsened by my own knee-jerk reaction, which is to automatically contest their argument under the assumption that they are old and hence know nothing of the modern world. This very mature retort undoubtedly stems from childhood defiance, though now I’m in my twenties I can’t help but contemplate whether they do have a point.

With each advancing year, I feel it is hard not to appreciate my ability to even ponder such a futile question. I’d be lying if I said this happened always, but I cannot deny that my moral guilt will occasionally pester my mind like an infant wanting attention when I do find myself contemplating another purchase. With recent devastating natural disasters including the floods in Pakistan, not to mention widespread, unyielding cases of poverty - the idea that some silly, materialistic girl is contemplating more clothes all seems ridiculously trivial.

Though that’s life, and here I am: contemplating.

When I succeed in scrubbing away the last hard-to-rid traces of moral guilt (latest edition of the ‘Big Issue’ in hand; my bit is done), the rational argument presented by the parents inevitably surfaces. I’m sure I’m not alone when I describe the crippling fear I experience when

the parents announce they are coming for a visit. This rather dramatic reaction is not because I dislike them – they’re alright – but instead stems from the military operation I know I must carry out in order to hide any traces of my extravagant shopping sprees. As I frantically scramble around my room accumulating handfuls of dresses and shoes I cannot help but assess whether I really needed any of it, particularly in light of the fact that I couldn’t afford it in the first place.

As a student, being in a constant state of financial turmoil is a given, with the word ‘skint’ seeming to be the pillar of my vocabulary. Yet every week I inevitably manage at least one night out, each of which must of course be accompanied by a new garment of clothing. However this expensive habit has had obvious repercussions on my bank balance and when it results in having to make the dreaded phone call home to ask for yet more financial assistance to

No.18 The Cuts Issue November 2010

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buy University supplies, I can’t help wondering whether my priorities are correctly ordered. So as I reassess my bank balance and find myself yet again contemplating busking on the street (which is problematic considering my complete lack of musical talent) I know that the simple answer to whether I need more clothes is of course no; but when is anything ever simple?

My desire for material things does not stem from necessity: there has not once been an occasion in my life when I had to buy clothes for fear of having nothing at all to wear the following day, which of course makes me extremely lucky.

Although I nonetheless feel there are aspects of our society which encourage us all to strive for perfection, particularly with what we wear. In today’s imageobsessed culture, with unattainable images of perfection gracing our TV screens, magazines and adverts, there is a definite pressure to look good. The X factor is a perfect example of this. No longer is it purely a competition between singing contestants, but instead a weekly challenge between judges Cheryl Cole and Dannii Minogue, critiquing them often quite vehemently – on who wore the best outfit.

The media and our celebrity driven culture has also trickled down into our own day-to-day lives through social networking sites like facebook and twitter. By uploading photos and detailing our antics through status updates we become entertainment for our friends: we have essentially become the celebrities in each other’s lives. If facebook was

purely an interaction between friends then this would be a different matter, though I highly doubt there are many of us who - after scrolling through our contacts – could affirm that they are all genuine friends, and that there are not several, if not most of whom the title ‘friend’ is a gross exaggeration. This glimpse we have into other peoples’ lives means we are constantly critiquing, and in return being critiqued on what we wear, whom we’re with and where we go.

After a dress has seen too many flashes from the camera it becomes obvious to others how many times we recycle our outfits. For the fashion conscious among us, wearing an outfit once is ideal; twice forgivable; three times you’re pushing it and four: shunned. Ok, so I’m getting slightly carried away but I do feel that facebook does cause us to rethink whether we sport that drab number already hanging in the wardrobe that has been photographed to its slow and painful death, or whether we spend the money and buy the glitzy number being held hostage in Topshop.

As students we are also restricted in where our budgets allow us to shop.

This means that mass-produced, budget clothes from the High Street often form the foundations of our wardrobe. Though due to the nature of affordable fashion, this often means the clothes begin to deteriorate after only a few wears.

Therefore a high turnover in purchases is surely an inevitable part of disposable fashion.

Along with the pressures of society and the short shelf-life of high street fashion I feel there is an obvious motive, and perhaps the most important reason why so many of us buy new outfits on a regular basis, and it is quite simply because it makes us happy. Being young and at University is not always a non-stop, alcohol-fuelled party: or it is… but this can become part of the problem. As we progress further into the semester, the pressures of attempting to successfully juggle essays, reading lists, part-time jobs - whilst also maintaining a social life that will not garner the label ‘Recluse’ - can all begin to take its toll. So if buying clothes will bring a smile to my face, albeit a temporary one, should this be condemned? I realise that not everyone will share my love of fashion and hence will have their own little pleasures to brighten their day, though being that this acts as something of a coping mechanism during a crucial period in my University life does the answer ‘yes’ to the question of whether I need more clothes seem so ridiculous? I chose to believe it does not. So yes mother, I do need more clothes!

By Nicola Brown

Magdalen Travel The Magdalen:

Visiting Skye - more Scottish excursions with Sarah Gray I love trains. I also love sheep.

Before you give me a strange look, let me just say that I’m from America and we have a severely lacking train system and even less sheep. But now I’m here in Dundee until December, and a weekend trip to Isle of Skye gave me large quantities of both trains and sheep; as well as glimpses of beautiful scenery, a boat tour and a trek through the Highlands.

My friends and I spent the better part of Saturday morning and afternoon on a train from Dundee to Kyle of Lochalsh. I threw my worries about looking like a tourist out the window and passed the time by snapping photos of the countryside. By the time we were on our second train from Inverness to Kyle, my friends and I needed a new game to entertain us whilst on our journey. None of us are from Scotland, so we practiced saying the town names correctly, mimicking the automated train voice. I now know how to pronounce Alltshellach properly— kind of. We were continuously impressed by the mountains covered in unblossomed heather, plump sheep at all angles on the hillside, streams and lakes glistening in the sun— okay, I’ll stop with the cliché description because I think you get the point, but it’s quite a beautiful country you’ve got here.

By the time we arrived to Kyle of Lochalsh, our legs were grateful to be walking again.

We were

immediately greeted by a cool wind and a clear view of the Skye Bridge over Loch Alsh. After strolling in and out of the visitor information centre and various gift stores, we grabbed lunch at Hector’s Plaice and Bothy—a small, but bustling cafe and fish and chip shop. All the food is freshly prepared and the prices are reasonable. It was here that I appropriately had my first meeting with fish and chips, and we got along really well.

The next few hours were spent walking along the shoreline as the wind howled around us.

Once we got to the actual Isle of Skye via bus, we hit up another tourist visitor centre. Note to readers: when you travel to some place you are completely unfamiliar with, find the visitor information centre; they have all the resources you could ever need. We picked up some pamphlets about boat tours for the next day, and the cashier told us about a trail that would lead us through the Highlands to church ruins.

Despite the fact that darkness was fast approaching, we all

agreed a hike to the ruins would be a good idea. And despite the fact that the trail ended up being much longer than anticipated (we never reached the ruins), the views were worth it. The mountains were just tall enough so that clouds grazed the tips, and the grass blanketed everything so heavily that you almost didn’t notice the tiny streams running from top to bottom. Even with a road winding through the mountainside, it felt like no one was around for miles.

Not to mention, I got stared down by both a cow and a Highland sheep, and if the nearby house hadn’t been so close I would have jumped the fence to get a closer picture.

We ended a long day of travels at Broadford’s Claymore Restaurant—a place that was recommended to us by a worker at the local Co-operative store.

We arrived at the tale end of dusk and didn’t leave until it was completely dark outside, with tomorrow only an hour away. Wanting to get the local experience, we all ordered a round of Isle of Skye ale and the most random assortment of various dishes: potato soup, onion rings, chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese, fish and chips, and after stuffing our faces and satisfying our strange cravings, we splurged and each ordered a different desert.

Safe to say, we were a waitress’ dream. I’m sure our waitress was stoked when we

No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

decided to order another round of drinks...but hey, it was raining outside and we didn’t want to walk back to the hostel just yet.

This time, I chose my ultimate love—whisky and coke—and got my pick of whisky, so naturally I settled on one that was from a distillery on the island. By the time we finally made ourselves leave, we were too warm from food and alcohol to notice the chill air and slight rain.

The next morning brought dense rain clouds and drizzle, but after confirming that our scheduled boat tour was still on we headed back to Kyle. We boarded the Seaprobe Atlantis—a glass bottom boat—for a tour of the Isle and loch, wildlife, and surrounding scenery. The captain was very knowledgeable about the area and sea, and in going below deck we were able to see the kelp forests, crabs, and starfish from our windows. Up on deck, we combed the area for otters (those adorable creatures are so hard to spot!), saw a whole lot of birds, and then lucked out and saw several harbour seals lounging around. Since our time in Kyle/ Isle of Skye was quite short, the boat tour gave us a great, cheap way to see a lot of the area easily.

As with Saturday, we warmed up and filled up at Hector’s once more and took a stop in the museum and shop at the train station before it was time to go. It was a wonderful trip, but if any of you want to travel to Isle of Skye: give yourself several full days up there, and make sure you’re familiar with the public transit otherwise you might find renting a car more helpful. The Isle of Skye is absolutely beautiful, and there is plenty to do, but the time we allotted ourselves just didn’t give us a chance to do as much as I would have wanted. But then again, a Highland sheep did stare me down. I guess I can’t complain too much.

Travel Playlist • “Life Magazine” by Cold Cave, for when you’re happily walking to the train or bus station.

• “Wires and Waves” by Rilo Kiley, for when you’re taking off or landing, leaving behind the troubles of yesterday.

• “On The Bus Mall” by The Decemberists, for when you’re on the bus with friends or a lover and it’s raining (again) but you don’t care.

• “Suburban Beverage” by Real Estate, for when you’ve just sat down on the train, its speed is picking up slowly, and everything moves past your window.

• “Lunar Sea” by Camera Obscura, for the rest of the train ride.

• “Chinatown” by Wild Nothing, when a weekend far away seems so appealing and a way to feel alive again.

• “Vagabond” by Wolfmother, for when you remember life and traveling is about living free.

• “Walking On A Dream” by Empire of the Sun, for when you reach your final destination and everything feels so exciting.

• “Home” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, for when you’re heading home.

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The Magdalen: Travel

Kirsty Fergusson’s latest Travel musings I spent a few weeks of summer 2008 inter-railing Europe. We chose to take a route across the continent, hitting Budapest, Vienna, Prague, Berlin and finally Amsterdam. I don’t mind admitting that I was expecting the least from the second stop in Austria. I know very little about Mozart, had no desire to try Weiner Schnitzel, and found the idea of a country without any sea borders more than just a little claustrophobic! I spent three days in the city and left being able to cite Vienna as the place I’d most like to return to in Europe. Its mix of cultural eclecticism and beautiful architecture was truly captivating.

Here are my five highlights from

one of Europe’s unsung heroes: Hofburg Palace Calling all history students: understanding the rise and fall of the Habsburg family’s empire can only be truly completed after a visit to the Hofburg Palace.

Dating back as far as the 13th century, the palace was rapidly expanded as the Habsburgs became more powerful in Europe.

This magnificent palace sits in the centre of Vienna itself, and houses several museums.

Personally, I think the architecture is the best part. Wandering the palace’s nooks and crannies is free of charge and most rewarding.

Demels Chocolatier Although not the original home to Sacher Torte, the famous Viennese cake, Demels Chocolatier is not to be missed.

It is on one of the most beautiful streets in Vienna, Kohlmarkt, and sits alongside the Hofburg palace and the most exclusive designer shops in the city. If you can’t afford to take a designer handbag home, heading for this chocolatier offers a little slice of luxury for far fewer euros. I tried their version of Sacher Torte, and bought up the pretty mini chocolate bars for family and friends. It is well worth spending your day’s food budget on cakes and coffee from this place, trust me! www.demel.at

No.18 The Cuts Issue November 2010

Schönbrunn Palace This UNESCO World Heritage site was once the Habsburg’s summer palace. Although it is situated slightly outside of the city, is easily accessible on the U-Bahn. The palace is a Versaille-like paradise containing 1440 rooms. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens, a maze and even a zoo, which is home to a family of pandas. I found Schönbrunn to be a welcome respite from wandering cities for two weeks, so would definitely recommend it.

Wombats Hostel Ok so it doesn’t have a history dating back to the 13th century, but it’s a pretty amazing place to stay! Wombats Hostel was founded by two Australian travellers who now have two

hostels in Vienna, one in Munich and one in Berlin. You are greeted with a free beer voucher for the fantastic basement WomBar, which plays great music and is a fab place to meet other travellers.

The bar also serves Ottakringer, one of the worlds most underrated beers! Wombats has the cheapest all you can eat breakfast buffet I’ve ever encountered in a hostel, with fruit, cereal, toasties…everything you need to set you up for a day of sightseeing. It was safe, clean and definitely rates as my number one hostel experience. We liked it so much that we stayed at their Berlin hostel too. www.wombats-hostels.com The Ringstrasse This area is well worth visiting.

Ringstrasse is where much of Vienna’s architectural elegance can be found, including the

beautiful Greek-style Austrian parliament. I found this area incredible due to the vast styles of the buildings… somehow it all fits together perfectly. You can also see many beautiful parks in this area which are perfect for relaxing during summer months. The gothic-style Viennese City Hall, the Rathaus, is located in the Ringstrasse and is worth a visit even just to take some photographs.

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31

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Sport Catch Up:

Dundee University Sport ran two successful Octoberfest events last month. Volleyball and Basketball were played in the Campus Sport spirit of fun and fairplay. Both events were full to capacity with teams coming from different clubs to make two very vibrant and colourful nights. Fancy dress was the order of the day with smurfs, supermen (and women), the pink panther and pingu all in attendance, not to mention the other even more famous penguin, Piper, the Sports Clubs magnificent mascot.

Pictures are up on the Sports Union Campus Sport page and the results from the event can be found at http://www.dundee.ac.uk/ ise/dundeeuniversitysport/ campus-sport/ In other Campus Sport news the racket ladders are up and running this term. These ladders are a great way to take part in fun competition that pitches you against those of similar ability. We have ladders running in Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis and Tennis and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still not too late to enter. For more information or to pick up an entry form contact ISE reception or check out the website where forms are also available: http:// www.dundee.ac.uk/ise/ dundeeuniversitysport/ campus-sport/

The Magdalen

Men’s Hockey Club: Dundee University Men’s Hockey Club has a number of reasons to celebrate the start of the new hockey season this year.

Building on last years’ successful season, where the club’s first team finished third in the Scottish Universities Leagues, they have made a bold statement of their ambitions by entering the Scottish Hockey National Leagues for the first time in fifteen years.

The calibre of the 1st team is evidenced by the fact that a number of the players have international experience at junior level and over half the team have played at the top league level in Scotland. The lure of playing for the university team has brought a number of student players back to their alma mater from local Div. 1 national league sides. The team is led by former Scottish Under 21 international

and Scottish Universities Captain, Paul Martin, a final year medical student.

The quality of players has ensured that the university side remain unbeaten after their first four national league fixtures and has raised the possibility of the team being promoted to Division 2 in their first season back on the national stage.

Men’s hockey are one of two university sports teams who have been awarded a Team Scholarship by Dundee University Sport, the partnership between ISE and the university Sports Union (the other team being women’s volleyball). The Team Scholarships are designed to support university sports teams who it is felt have the potential, commitment and drive to succeed on a Scottish and British universities front. Scholarship

support includes strength and conditioning support, needs analysis, coaching support and workshops tailored to the needs of the team.

Paul McPate, Assistant Director of ISE said: “Men’s Hockey is to be congratulated on their commitment to improving performance and raising their competitive targets. Their determination to succeed and their willingness to train hard to achieve this success is a positive example to other sports teams at the university” This week Dundee University men’s hockey team take on Edinburgh University in Tier 1 of the Scottish Universities Division, with a victory essential to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the British Universities and Colleges Championship 2010/11.

No.18 The Anonymous Issue October 2010

Dundee University Sport Scholarship Programme Dundee University Sport Scholarship Programme Dundee University Sport aims to support students develop and compete in sport at varying levels. The Dundee University Sport Scholarship Programme complements our work at national level and is designed to empower talented student athletes to successfully combine academic study with high levels of competition.

The Sport Scholarship programme has been running for over 10 years with funding in excess of ÂŁ60k to support talented students at the University hoping to compete, or already competing, on the

international stage. Guidance and assistance in helping students combine academic studies with training and sporting performance has positively impacted on scholarsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sporting success for the University and beyond.

An individual Sport Scholarship is offered to talented athletes across three levels depending on their ability level and potential while a Team Scholarship is available to university teams demonstrating a high level of commitment and potential to perform well and succeed at Scottish and British level for the University.

of 50 individual applications across 20 sports making the selection process a difficult task. Applications were of a high standard, with the student athletes demonstrating a commitment and motivation in terms of improving performance and sporting success.

However, 12 individuals have now been selected as scholarship athletes for 2010/11 and Dundee University Sport is confident that they will do the University proud in their competitive endeavours and achievements.

This year the Scholarship Programme received in excess

Dundee University Sport Scholars 2010/11 Award Name Gold Andrew Woodall Gold Abigail Brown Gold Nick McKelvey

Silver Mhairi De Sainte Croix Silver Jenny Tan Silver Sarah Kelly Silver Morag McLarty Silver Paul Brennan

Bronze Gemma Neill Bronze Eilish McColgan Bronze Gavin Robertson Bronze Evan Marback

Sport Water Polo Curling Alpine Skiing

Degree Accounts & Finance Product Design History

Fencing Athletics Athletics Athletics Karate

Medicine Law History & International Relations Dentistry Medicine

Cycling Athletics Rugby Rowing

Nursing & Midwifery Accountancy & Maths Neuro-science Medicine

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