Issue 20 - January 2011

The

MAGDALEN

DUNDEE UNIVERSITY STUDENT’S MAGAZINE • JANUARY • NO.20

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No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

Magdalen equality issue

CONTENTS

5 NEWS: Campus 6 NEWS: Dundonian protests Page 16

9 OPINION: Are religion and science compatible?

10 EQUALITY: Your eclectic vision and interpretations 18 MUSIC: Can metalheads and pop princesses live in harmony? Pun intended.

Page 20

20 MUSIC: A dying art?

23 FASHION: A huge leap for transsexual equality; Lea stuns regardless of identity 28 TRAVEL: Can you actually

enjoy a gap yah without any guilt?

Page 23

30 SCIENCE: Another great aquatic discovery 32 ART: The DCA; perspectives on the exhibit 33 SPORT: Ultimate updates!

Page 37

3

The Magdalen

Editor Beth Shackley Online Editor Ashley Dorning Assistant Editors Henrietta Evans Emma Gaffney Events and Relations Jane Garstin Art Editor Ana Hine Current Affairs Editors Faye Cawood Ciara McFadden

Editorial Hello dear readers, Equality is an issue that affects everyone in countless ways.

Currently it would appear that even being a student gives us an unequal status in society.

Following from our feature on cuts, it seemed fitting to examine these inequalities on a different level. We’ve received amazing submissions, some of which may be found exclusively online!

Fashion Editors Nicola Brown Colette McDiarmid Seonaid Rogers

Our new website, which has been created by our new online editor Ashley, will feature extra content, and allows you to directly comment on articles.

Features Editors Jamie Harris Paul McCallum Gabriel Neil

The travel team give us two different perspectives on working abroad-and the virtue behind the motives for doing so.

Film Editor Jess Johnstone Graphic Designer Hannah Graham Head of Design Ryan Fitch Music Editor Maggie Thompson Performing Arts Editor Rosie Cunningham Science Editor Dr Jon Urch Societies Editor Melina Nicolaides

Our fashion writers also give you insight into the progressive world of the industry, in their report on Lea - the first visible transsexual model.

Also, the music section provides disgraceful entertainment alongside interesting debate this month, with ideas on financial viability and genre compatibility.

Behold the wonder of the invisible eyebrows

Contributors Vicky Anderson David Bajek Faye Cawood Laura Darbyshire Henrietta Evans Harley Freemantle Laura Fulford David Hart Ana Hine Ruth Hunter Emily Kane

Beth Shackley Editor themagdalen@dusa.co.uk

Fiona Lindsay Frankie Mack Rory Martin Rose Matheson Robin Murphy Emily Oates

Sports Editor Graeme Spowart

Graeme Spowart

Travel Editor Kirsty Fergusson

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No.19 The Cuts Issue November 2010

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Campus News V&A receives funding from Scottish Government.

Discussion on Gordon Brown’s new book.

The V&A waterside development has received £5 million funding from the Scottish government. This means that the project can start to be developed during 2011. The development will improve Dundee’s waterside as well as providing a platform to showcase not only Scottish design talent but some of the best contemporary designers across the globe. The funding means that the Project partners such as The University of Dundee can start fundraising for the costs of constructing the museum. The project will not only create jobs in a sector that employs over 63,000 but also add to the arts sector that makes the government £5.2 billion annually.

Professor Pete Downes said “We are delighted with the funding package which the minister has announced today, which will allow the project to progress at full speed in the year ahead.” The V&A is due to open in 2013 as part of the regeneration of Dundee’s waterfront area.

DUSA will be holding a discussion on the former PM’s new book “Beyond the crash” on Monday 24th January. There will be a special high profile speaker at the event. The book discusses the former PM’s time as the leader of the Labour party as well as the struggles he faced during the countries economic crisis. Keep an eye on DUSA and the Magdalen’s new website for information on who the guest speaker will be!

Monday the 13th of December.

Dundee staff vote to strike.

Dundee staff have threated to strike over the proposed forced redundancies and plans to cut almost 200 jobs. A vote by members of the University and College union saw 65% vote in favour of a strike.

However the union said it was continuing talks with management. The job cuts are in response to the governments plans to cut university funding, it is thought the proposed job cuts would save the

The Magdalen has launched a brand new website with up-to-date information on societies, campus news and comment from our team of student writers. Now, you can comment directly on news stories and features, without having to get to the pub to chat about it.

If you’d like to have your story posted online or in our print version, get in touch with us at themagdalen@dusa.co.uk

university £8 million a year. Money will also be saved in reducing the number of buildings used by the university. There will also be a merge of subject areas to create a new school under the heading of School of the Environment. These two actions are expected to save the university £1.5million a year.

Volunteering fair On the 23rd of February Dundee will host its annual volunteering fair in Bonar hall. The fair is open to all staff and students and will feature over 50 local, national and international organisations.

The companies will be offering many volunteering and work experience placements, which can help enhance your C.V and employability. More information of the companies attending can be found on the career service website.

The Magdalen: News

Cuts, fees and protests Despite all the campaigning on campus and across the U.K the government have voted in favour of higher tuition fees.

Although this may not affect some of our students it is still important to consider the effect it may have on spending cuts to education in general. Students here at university have already felt the tightening of the budget for higher education with many subjects funding being cut as well as the removal of some degree modules.

The way some students have dealt with the cuts has ruined it for the majority.

Most students do not agree with the violence that has been used, and if anything it did not help put across our message. The students at Dundee can be proud of the way they tackled the problem with peaceful protests that got attention but did not cause too much disruption. Both the walk out and the study-in attracted attention for the right reasons and made people sympathise with the cause.

The result in Westminster was without a doubt disappointing for the generation of young people who will now be burdened with significantly greater debt than they would have faced previously. Many have countered this claim with the fact that no one will pay up front fees. However, to many students this means nothing. Most students who choose to study in England see the figures of £9,000 per year and overall debt of over £40,000 and they will be deterred from aspiring to become a university graduate.

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat government pushed the two motions through at the last minute and ensured consultation was kept to a minimum.

They took a massive gamble with

the futures of young people.

The process was fraught with disagreement and rebellion and the government’s expected majority was slashed to 21 votes.

However once again, the actions of a few tarnished the majority of students who protested with good intentions.

Unfortunately it will be the protests and the images of the Prince’s car being attacked that will be remembered. As Dundee University students, we must be clear that we will not partake in any such activity. Our protests will be vocal and visible but never violent.

The moves to chip away at young peoples’ futures via the English HE system will continue – the EMA will be scrapped, interest rates on our loans will be raised and young people will be burdened with increasing amounts of the country’s debt. Student activism must grow and the minority who has cheapened this movement must not deter us.

In Scotland the campaign is only beginning and over the next few months we must engage in debate with our MSPs, the Scottish Executive and each other to determine the best way forward for the Scottish system. The Education Secretary Mike Russell MSP has indicated that up-front tuition fees in Scotland are not an option and that we

must seek a ‘uniquely Scottish solution’ to the inevitable funding crisis here.

The case for some kind of graduate contribution has become more vocal over the past year with many claiming that students should pay back some proportion of the cost of their education.

The governments in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland have so far shown that they intend to protect the futures of their young people and that they will seek to determine the most fair and progressive outcome possible. We need to make sure this happens.

DUSA will continue to facilitate student debate on campus and over the next few months, in the lead up to the Scottish election, we want you to tell us what you think should happen in Scotland.

We will organise events with our MSPs and encourage the Education Secretary to come to Dundee and address the students. The ‘Our Future’ campaign will go from strength to strength over the next few months.

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

7

Human Poaching This month we saw the long awaited rescue of 33 Chilean miUnfortunately these days it is still not unusual to hear of animals being poached for their body parts – however, what about humans being poached for their body parts? This is a very real problem emerging in East Africa, specifically in Tanzania and Burundi.

The problem began when some witch doctors claimed that the body parts of albino people are a key ingredient for a potion to make people rich. While individual albino limbs fetch a price of about $200, a full albino person’s corpse can fetch about $75,000 on the black market.

This is a huge amount of money especially considering that 60% of the population earn only $1 a day. Police in Tanzania claim that there is no way the poor people of Tanzania could afford a potion such as those being created by the Witch doctors. A speaker from the Albino society in Tanzania commented “Poor people cannot afford to spend so much money on a little concoction from a witch doctor.

The buyers must be wealthy.

They are not even trying to strike it rich, they’re trying to strike it richer.” Since the witch doctors’ claims just over three years ago over 60 albino people have been savagely murdered for their body parts.

Despite over 200 arrests being made in connection with the killings in 2008 not one of the people were actually convicted. Although it has taken a long time the Tanzanian Government have finally began to acknowledge the severity of the situation and execution is now the punishment for being found guilty of hunting humans.

So far this year seven people have been hanged. Despite this Frank Alphonse who is the director of an albino trust in Tanzania stated “the sentence doesn’t touch those wealthy people who sent those criminals to murder the albino in the first place. The source of the crime is still there.”

The Red Cross are working closely with albino communities in Tanzania and Burundi however they still face great danger. It is thought that it is mainly human traffickers that carry out the brutal beheadings and mutilations.

However in 2007 it was reported that a Tanzanian teacher had been arrested for the murder of their own albino child.

Many albino people find themselves trapped in their own homes or fleeing for their lives to shelters created by the Red Cross. Some albino children now attend police protected schools.

However the terrible killings are far from over. The past year has seen the killing of many albino people, in particular children. One of the latest is the murder of a four year old boy and his mother, their corpses were found with their limbs hacked off. The last known murder was that of a ten year old boy which took place on the 21st of October 2010; the boy was hacked to death as his family and neighbours tried to save him, they were severely injured and eventually had to flee from the violent attackers.

A severed leg was all they were able to

reclaim of the child. The father of one eleven year old girl murdered earlier this year stated “What happened to my child is very painful. I wonder why albinos are targeted…because they are just human.”

Although the murdering of Albino in ritual killings is a newly emerging problem, albino people in East Africa faced persecution long before this. Often being taunted for their skin colour and referred to as “ghosts”. Due to their condition, most Albinos’ have red eyes, in the past it was claimed that this was because they practiced witchcraft and some Albino women were executed for this reason prior to the ritual killings.

After immense pressure from charities and organisations, both in Africa and abroad, the government has been forced to clamp down on the hunters. As well as the hunters actually facing conviction and the death penalty; the Government have now also tried to introduce licenses for people practicing traditional medicine. The president of Tanzania also ordered all adults to fill out a form listing anyone they suspect of killing albino people. Andrei Engstrand-Neacsu of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent simply stated: “What’s needed is education, we need to make people understand what albinism really is.

Ignorance is the origin of discrimination.

And ignorance has ultimately led to these crimes.”

Fiona Lindsay

The Magdalen: Opinion

You Know You're a Student at Dundee University When...

1. You know at least one person who works at the Union.

2. You've done the notorious Perth Road pub-crawl.

6. You’ve moaned about the lack of a bridge to Tesco and joined a facebook group about it.

7. You’ve said you’ll go up the Law but actually have 3. You’ve done the notorious never done it. Ever.

Perth Road pub-crawl and actually made it to the 8. You’ve gone to the shops Union. up the Perth Road in your pjs.

4. You hate Abertay students for no other reason than 9. You’ve missed your lectures they are at Abertay. because you were out at Skint.

5. You’ve seen someone’s chair fall down one of the 10. You’ve been at Uni for holes in the floor at the over a year but still library. don’t know where your classes are.

11. You’ve heard about the Murder House on Roseangle and always wanted to go in.

12. You’ve started putting the in front of anything and pluralizing everything.

13. You know when the Rugby/ Football team are out because of a) their shirt/ tie/chino combo and b) their well developed drinking talents.

14. You’ve promised to get involved in some kind of society or sports club, but never got round to it.

Adam Neil

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

A matter of gravity: God, the universe and Stephen Hawking Over 800 people turned out for the 2010 annual Margaret Harris Lecture on Religion in the Dalhousie Building given

by Christian academic Professor John Lennox.

Professor John Lennox has participated in public debates with fervent atheists such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Lennox is the professor of mathematics at Oxford University and has challenged the findings of ‘The Grand Design’, written by Stephen Hawking and Leonard Mlodinov. The talk, and book (God and Stephen Hawking: Whose Design is it Anyway?) are direct responses to Hawking’s controversial bestseller. The book argues that invoking God is not necessary to explain the origins of the universe, and that the Big Bang is a consequence of the laws of physics alone.

Before the lecture I managed to catch up with John Lennox for a short interview.

Lennox who The Times described as “Christianity’s new poster boy” originates from Armagh, Northern Ireland. He described his upbringing by his parents as “Christian in a fairly long tradition of Christianity.” However, his parents were “very unusual, they were Christian without being sectarian.” This allowed him to live without the baggage that comes with being sectarian. He added, “secondly what was even more unusual was that I was allowed to think so that I could come to my own opinions. And saw Christianity modeled on my parents.” He said that he was even allowed to read “all kinds of sources and books, Christian and non-Christian.” He was asked once by his father if he had read the ‘Communist Manifesto’.

When Lennox left the ‘tinderbox’ of his native land to study at Cambridge University, he had the privilege of being present for the renowned Christian academic and author, C.S Lewis’ last lecture series. He also did not wander

from his faith. Once, a fellow student said to him: “Do you believe in God? Oh, I’m sorry you’re Irish. All you people believe in God and you fight about it.” He has more often than not fought against the idea that it is ‘all in the genes’ rather than whether it is true. Nonetheless, this never stopped him from befriending people who did not share his world view. It has also, of course, not stopped him from debating with the ideas of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Lennox cites “the more that I have exposed my Christian world-view to other world-views, the more that I have been confirmed to Him [God] that my faith is true.”

The evidence for which he says is cumulative, in the sense that there is both objective truths and evidence. In his words “God is not a theory, but a person. You respond to a person in a much more multi-dimensional way than a theory.” Evidence can be cited from the likes of history, science and experience.

Opposition to this position in academia and public life has not been unusual due to him being “in constant dialogue with other people.”

Science can appear intolerant towards faith in a multicultural society. Lennox however, does not put it quite in that way; he says that science has “immense cultural authority, therefore, a number of very vocal people are trying to use science to claim that it is not intellectually respectable to believe in God.” Debating Richard Dawkins was perhaps the hardest for him, and Hitchens was the most surprising due to him conceding defeat in a match to then ask for a rematch. Both he said, have “childish and rather anti-intellectual arguments”.

Lennox admits that he never debates to win but “to put ideas into the public space and let them think.”

Justifiably he says this antiintellectualism may have damaged science. “A number of my atheist colleagues are finding Dawkins embarrassing... surely offering a choice between God and science is dangerous because if they choose God then you will be accused of putting them off science.”

This choice is “a false alternative.”

His concluding message for Dundee University students is that we should

“hear both sides of an argument, and don’t shut your mind apriori because the essence of a university education is to bend over backwards to see what the other person is saying. You will always learn something even if you adhere to your previous view. So open yourself to evidence wherever it comes from.”

(The Lecture) The lecture itself was highly intellectually engaging as Professor John Lennox provided a rational response to the question of the compatibility of faith and science and Stephen Hawking’s denial of a creator God. A statement like “philosophy is dead” was swiftly and aptly refuted due to it being a philosophical statement in itself. Therefore, it put into question Hawking’s claims that “scientists have become the torch bearers of the torch of discovery in our quest for knowledge.”

Extending this idea, he attacked Hawking for having ‘an inadequate and outdated view of God’ due to him believing that as science progresses, the less God is used for an explanation for a gap in knowledge. Therefore, we created God so that we could explain something like lightning rather than God created us.

This is in other words called the ‘‘God of the Gaps’’.

Hawking cites: “Because there is a law of gravity, the universe can and will create itself out of nothing.” To this there was a valid response. How can something be both created out of something and nothing at the same time? Lennox called it “Alice in Wonderland, not science”.

‘M theory’ (which this is based upon) and laws themselves cannot create something by themselves in the same way the jet engine could not exist without Sir Frank Whittle and the materials available to him, in this case the laws of physics. Lennox compellingly pointed out yet another contradiction after another.

To finish he reaffirmed how science has consistently reinforced his faith, this latest episode proved to be no different. It is wholly rational to him to be a Christian Scientist due to the evidence, compared with the reductionist views of many atheists in his field. This lecture left much answered while also leaving many thinking and questioning their own beliefs and assumptions.

Rory Martin

9

The Magdalen: Equality

A theistic equality?

Written by David Bajek, President and Founder of Dundee University Atheist Society 2009

students union or surrounding buildings without being over-looked by a large crucifix from the back of the chaplaincy.

Walking around Dundee and particularly the University campus, we are fortunate to have a fantastic multicultural tapestry of students, which of course brings up the issue of equality – but how often do we consider the question of faith in that sense?

Our campus holds a wide variety of religions and their respective societies, including Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, Hinduism and a great many others - but then, how often do we really consider the students without religious ties?

One might on occasion stop and consider a student entering the United Kingdom for the first time from a distant country, a staunch religious background, or even some opposition to religion as a whole – how might they react to the constant pushing and plugging of the numerous religions that make up our presumably secular society, particularly if their own views are not as well funded or represented?

In our every day stroll about any

University’s buildings and streets it is unlikely that a typical student will never come across any aspect of religion; be it a simple conversation, a poster on the wall for a chaplaincy service or religious society’s event, or a student handing out initiative flyers for a local house of worship. In fact, a typical student at present in Dundee cannot visit the

In Dundee it is well known that certain subjects carry a significantly higher proportion of students from religious groups than others, and so it becomes a minority issue when the few remaining students can often be made to feel obliged or even pressured by their peers to join (or remain in) the relevant religious societies for fear of losing friends or becoming alienated – a process which we all know is not specific to University life.

As Professor Richard Dawkins puts it, “We are all atheists with respect to most of the gods that societies have ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further”. This is a concept that seems to be very much lost among theists on our campus, and indeed around the world. Essentially a Christian takes an atheistic view of Hinduism, and a Muslim will take an atheistic view of Roman Paganism, but each believe their faith in their respective deities is justified and correct. As a result it may often feel as though the only time the numerous types of theism gel together as a whole is when they are up against total atheism.

On investigation in fact there is a distinct lack of equality in Dundee when it comes to the nature and very constitution of some societies which are curiously allowed to bear the name of our University; some that will act differently towards potential members on the basis of their religious beliefs, and exclude entry to those who do not share the beliefs of the society. This type of blatant discrimination is another example of one of the many subtle faces of faithbased inequality which was also shown to exist in many British faith schools

by Dawkins’ “Faith School Menace?” documentary.

Outwardly it would seem that at least as a collective, theists on a typical campus have a strong social network of support groups, societies, events and places of public worship. But inherently this suggests that their diplomatic voice is also very well represented when it comes to political actions around Universities – getting backing is easy when you have entire institutions behind you who by default tend to agree with your world views and support your ideals.

Certainly in Dundee, ultimately one would be forgiven for thinking that the overall atmosphere and presence on campus is fairly theistic, where the overall assumption seems to be that the students are generally religious. So, how can important decisions be made without this idea factoring in somewhere, however remotely, and what place does this leave for an atheist? Where do those individuals, who operate under the assumption that there is no God, go for social networking, to discuss their world views, to be represented or to find backing as a voice of secularism?

Until the recent formation of the Dundee University Atheist Society, atheists had never before even been particularly considered. Two recent polls have led the way to suggest that atheist students are in fact a majority on campus above agnostics or theists, who would be further subdivided into the assortment of possible religions of theism (http:// oneworldcampaign.wordpress.com/ big-faith-debates/answer-the-questionsi-e-polls/) – even globally this begs the question, why should those claiming the existence of various conflicting and contrasting supernatural deities have such strong representation compared to those who are simply rejecting these claims?

All over the U.K. the exponentially emerging atheist, sceptics and secular societies are providing excellent forums for honest, scrutinising and critical religious discussion free from unnecessary censorship, as well as representing their members in important University matters. These societies have taken a step towards a side of religious equality that had neither been considered nor addressed, and each endeavours to ensure the voice of secular reason is not only always heard, but readily accessible.

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

“I wanna be like you I wanna walk like you Talk like you, too You’ll see it’s true An ape like me Can learn to be human too!”

King Louie may get more than he bargained for back in 1967 when he first sang his way into our hearts. Fifty years on in 2007 our primate relatives, Pan troglodytes, started a movement to give them equal rights to us humans, Homo sapiens.

As a baby, Hiasl was taken from his family in Sierra Leone and smuggled into Austria and now stays in Voesendorf, south of Vienna. He enjoys relaxing in front of the TV and a piece of Sachertorte just like any other Viennese person, except for one thing: he is a chimpanzee.

Hiasl and his potential legal guardian, Paula Stribbe, attempted to break the barrier between human and animal rights. Stribbe campaigned for Hiasl to be declared a person and awarded basic human rights; this means the right to life, protection of individual liberty and prohibition of torture. So before you say, “What’s the point in Chimpanzees having the right to vote?” We are not talking about the right to vote or the right to marry!

In 1982, Hiasl was being sent to a vivisection laboratory in Austria but the crate full of baby chimpanzees was seized and transferred to an animal sanctuary. It wasn’t a happy ending… yet. Twenty-five years later when Hiasl was 26, the sanctuary in Voesendorf went bankrupt and Hiasl was heading back to the laboratory again.

With basic human rights the chimpanzee would no longer be “owned” but would be under “moral guardship” and if mistreated could become wards of the state.

This case has put pressure on other countries to consider the rights of higher primates and Spain has been considering the case of bioethicist Francisco Garrido who is a fan of the Great Ape Project (GAP). GAP believes that the closest genetic relatives are part of a “community of equals.”

Higher primates include chimpanzees, gorillas and orang-utans but chimpanzees are genetically closer to humans. Humans have appreciated their common physical similarities including behavioural observations showing they are also capable of mourning bereavement, self-recognition and of solving puzzles that would stump human infants. Recent genetic studies show that we share between 95%-98.5% of DNA with our banana-loving counterparts.

Some scientists believe that chimpanzees should be on the same genus branch of the tree of life as humans by changing their taxonomic name from Pan troglodytes to Homo troglodytes. This is because humans and chimpanzees diverged much more recently than animals that are already in the same genus such as the horse and donkey. This would encourage the already imprinted “Theory of Kinship” where animals will instinctively lean towards and care for things which are

chimpanzees have been compared with human infants; they both have protective services such as IPPL and NSPCC. In this case chimpanzees are capable of the same and in some cases doing more than the human and activists see it as unfair that they have fewer rights.

Like any tricky moral issue there are two sides to the story. Many people believe that giving animals the same rights as humans does not make sense if we follow the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Animals are instinctive and generally amoral creatures and this raises the question that if they can’t respect human rights, should we respect animal rights? Activists will clearly disagree with this but the scientists lead a convincing opposing argument.

Although we share 98% of our DNA with chimpanzees we also share 90% of it with mice and we even share half of it with our counterpart’s favourite food, the banana. Scientists argue that if Chimpanzees deserve 98% of human rights does this mean rats deserve 90% and bananas 50%?

Many people worry that this might create a hierarchy of animals which would inevitably, if eventually, result if the chimpanzees are granted some human rights. It could reverse everything that was achieved by Emmeline Pankhurst and Martin Luther King Jr. Many of the arguments we are hearing today are similar to those for slavery abolishment and womens’ rights.

genetically closely related to ourselves therefore help us conserve the few wild chimpanzees left in the wild.

Although humans are considered equal, they rarely are. As much as we hate to admit it there is always going to be someone smarter and fitter than us.

Activists campaign that animals should have a claim to rights as they can feel pain, but not all should be given equal rights as some are not in their interests.

For example giving the intelligent dolphin the right to vote would be useless when it can’t even hold a pencil. However adult

In the end Hiasl was not granted a legal guardian in 2007 but the movement is still going on in Spain and who knows how long it will be before it reaches our shores considering we have Europe’s only monkey, the Barbary Macaque, which has recently been introduced in Gibraltar. Until the monkeys themselves can tell us what they want it is unlikely anyone will come to an agreement and in the end they might not like the criteria for human rights made by us but might have their own version which maintains their current way of life.

After all who would like to be imprisoned for stealing a banana?

By Rose Matheson

11

The Magdalen: Equality

Peaks and Troughs: the natural situation and the fallacy of equality At a time where ownership is a chief influence on history it seems that even the possession of ideals is not off limits.

Equality, or rather the pursuit of equality, originated as an egalitarian principle but has been appropriated by the social left-wing in Britain and warped to fit their cause.

Emerging in a period when the significant inequalities arose from economic status alone, the egalitarian principle had as its objective the attainment of a classless society. The world, and especially Britain on which I will concentrate solely in this article, has changed dramatically since those days and particularly with the increasing variance of what I term “the natural situation” – a person’s lot in life, into which they are born, given to them without choice or endeavour and entailing the inherent advantages and disadvantages they experience. With a plurality of religions, classes, cultures and a different emphasis put on gender and disability now than previously, there has appeared a great variety of natural situations. The principle of equality has been adapted accordingly.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission, the chief body responsible for the burgeoning equalities field, describes seven protected categories: age, disability, gender, race, religion and belief, sexual orientation and gender reassignment. But others who fall outside of these categories can also be observed as subjects of inequality, for instance students or the homeless.

It is clear then that the issue of equality affects everyone; a person is either in a (protected) category or in the unprotected majority. The pursuit of equality in 21st century Britain is not concerned with a classless society, but with the advancement of certain people’s natural situations to achieve a category-

less society.

However, though the cause of equality has been championed by successive Labour and Tory and particularly enthusiastic SNP governments it has had to slug it out against a population which is at best indifferent to its campaign.

Measures – such as free language classes for migrants or the provision in the Equality Act 2010 for “positive action”, which will allow minority status to be considered when competing for employment – typically become mired in controversy as people cry foul. Of particular interest to students are the comments of Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, recently, who said “Every university should… recruit on the basis of no more people coming from the private sector than there are in the public as a whole”. Mr Hughes is advocating a limit on the number of private-school applicants to be accepted by universities, regardless of ability level.

This exposes the fallacy of the United Kingdom’s approach to solving inequality, for inequality can only be offset by more inequality.

Imagine that the UK is a bare brick built wall. The population, the institutions and the culture are all mixed up together to form a social cement which is cast roughly across that brick foundation. Now that cement bonds together to provide strength and durability, but when it settles as a society it is spread uneven, with peaks and troughs.

It could be suggested that the dumbingdown of our culture by trash TV and

things of its ilk are equivalent to taking a block of sand-paper and eroding the cement down to a basic level, and certainly those peaks, those pinnacles of society, are not encouraged to grow taller. But the measures brought in to promote equality are equivalent to applying plaster to the uneven cement, to fill in the depressions and level them out. Measures such as positive action or those proposed by Mr Hughes are taking the protected categories and elevating them to a higher level, without addressing the peaks, the unprotected majority.

This is a dangerous approach as it is inevitable that some people at the bottom of the pile will be overlooked and left to suffer unassisted. That is certainly the situation in which, rightly or wrongly, a great bulk of the white working class sees itself. But I would also caution against calling this eventual aim a state of equality, and would suggest a redefinition. Institutions such as our university are not struggling to make all men equal, but to provide unequal assistance to achieve equal reward. And that is patently unfair.

However, the purpose of this article is not to advocate a refocusing of the country’s efforts onto a purer ideal of equality. That ideal would involve all men being equal, in terms of assistance by the state and of opportunity. I contend that such a utopia can never be borne out of a modern, multi-cultural British society.

It is inevitable that two infants who are identical in intellect, age, gender and every other characteristic inherent in a new-born child, but who are raised according to different cultures, should mature into very different adults. They will have been encouraged to develop different values and to cultivate different

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

skills to meet those values, and when they enter the place of education or employment the citizen with the skillset closest to that sought by society will receive the greatest reward. It is evident then that plurality of cultures broadens inequality. And it is an interesting contradiction that those who trumpet the value of equality are usually also to be found hailing multi-culturalism.

The discussion so far has established that we are not driving towards an ideal of equality in Britain, but one of unequal assistance to achieve equal reward. I have also put forth reasons why, in a multi-cultural society, a true equality can never be achieved. There are two further arguments which apply to both types of equality.

The first argument draws strength from the long history of our country. As the centuries have ticked by Britain and British society has been influenced by a variety of cultures, be they Anglo-Saxon, Norman or West Indian. It has been battered and scarred by conflict both civil and global, and has been advanced by the discoveries of Britons and by the utility of the inventions of foreigners.

British society has emerged as the beautiful sum of all of these forces.

Where equality exists it does so because of a solid, historical reason. And where inequality exists, that too is the legitimate product of hundreds of years of the British story.

Attempts then to set on an even keel categories of men which our society, trundling along as a great insentient being, has decided should be uneven are a vocation in direct conflict with the force of history. And those who pursue equality have set on a course which crosses, and which will bring them into collision with, the evolutionary path of society. To achieve equality, any equality, to surmount the insurmountable weight of social pressure, the “equalitists” will have to bend in their favour every institution which is applying that pressure. Every family in every street in every town, and every place of work or education or recreation which those families attend will have to be bent towards the equality cause. Thus, though the pursuit of equality is presented as a moral endeavour to bring forth the natural progression of society, it is in fact a revolutionary act, and worse, one for which no mandate has been granted.

There is a second objection which applies to both British and true forms of equality, and it draws from a future where the ideal has been achieved.

Equality of education, family experience, practical training and opportunity will result in a great unconscious mass of citizens thinking and doing the same. It will provide a great pool of workers from which the elite may choose, and a more homogenous (and thus larger) market for products. Meanwhile, equality of wages will allow pay to fall and prices to rise without the restraint usually exercised by competition between employees.

And even to those idealists who cannot foresee the presence of an elite, it will still be necessary to deny the freedom of thought, religion and heritage so that the ‘equal’ situation can be maintained. With freedoms granted, diversity will give rise to inequality.

To summarise what has gone so far, the current drive in the name of equality is not mandated and is therefore illegitimate, and is also revolutionary. If it succeeds it will only extend inequality by instituting a system of unequal assistance to achieve equal reward.

Meanwhile, a purer ideal of true equality is incompatible with a multicultural Britain, because cultures – while equal in value – are not equal in substance.

Nevertheless, if an equal state was achieved in it would be either short lived, or horrifically oppressive.

However, the existence of inequality and the undisturbed persistence of the natural situation should, and can, be justified on more solid grounds than simply that it is better than the alternative.

The anecdotal approach is to say that inequality evens itself out; that while a man is paid more on account of his strength a women is treated less harshly on account of her femininity, or that while a native enjoys greater privileges than a migrant he has also paid more in taxes. Some credence can be given to this approach and especially when we

consider that each individual’s natural situation is primarily influenced by the actions of his parents and grand-parents, and thus to some degree it is deserved.

However, there is a more convincing argument for allowing inequality to persist - rooted in social logic. It is a chief symptom of social harmony that a society is able to accept inequality on the grounds that how it is now is how it has always been. A society which is able to accept an unequal order of things for which there is no logical basis must be free from petty and jealous squabbles about who has what. Instead, each person must be adequately provided for and be comfortable with their natural situation, and they must understand that as certain elements of a person’s character – their ability, temperament, health and wellbeing – are decided in the natural lottery, and as the accumulated character of hundreds of years of citizens acting on society has resulted in certain inequalities, those inequalities themselves are a product of nature, and are natural.

And finally there is a practical benefit to this approach and it is equally simple.

Whereas non-mandated action in pursuit of equality will result in illegitimate inequality, there can be no question about the legitimacy of natural inequality.

And whereas inequality created by human action, (such as keeping a private-school student from attending university in favour of a less-qualified candidate from a public school) can be associated with a specific person or group responsible, those who suffer from natural inequality have only the sky at which to strike out. The current approach gives rise to a risk of personal harm not allowed for by the natural situation.

A population which is neither engaged in attempting to extend inequality through the statute book nor in a futile attempt to make society truly equal can live instead in peaceful harmony with natural inequality. The citizens can go busily about their occupation, using the most tools and greatest resources available to them to improve their natural situation, with a sense of justice and reassuring stability and a comfort properly earned.

There are great benefits to be had by embracing the equality of the natural situation and by receiving its occasional harshness with a quiet and dignified acceptance.

Harley Freemantle

13

The Magdalen: Equality

All degrees aren’t created equal.

Golf-Management Studies is the hardest degree in the world.

classification and personal ability are huge factors. But does this mean that Social Sciences are generally ‘better’ than Biosciences? Or that that Medicine is ten times more valuable than Art?

OK, so that statement probably isn’t true. But how many times have you had drunken banter about the relative value of your degree? It’s the uni equivalent of the playground “my dad could beat up your dad”. In the end nobody truly cares and a few stereotypes are pedalled; “in philosophy exams you can just write crap”, “maths undergraduates are boring”, “biology is only about cutting up frogs”. But really, are some degrees better than others?

However justified you think Universities UK’s findings are, it’s a mistake to use them to grade subjects. Unfortunately, the Government’s choice to treble fees is doing just that. Worried more than ever by a lifetime of debt, prospective undergraduates will be taking the proverbial teachers’ red pen to subjects that show little monetary return - by studying humanities you might spend thirty years in debt. This conflation of value and worth thus undermines not only a students’ freedom of choice, but also belittles academia by making it subservient to the market. Because understanding riverbeds won’t, in all likelihood, increase ‘employability’ (there’s that word again) as much as understanding contract law might, individuals’ academic preferences are dictated. In turn, of course, Universities’ funding priorities will shift to match that choice – not long ago Dundee University was targeting the less-popular language departments. What all this misses is intrinsic value.

Surely it’s a given that some subjects are just ‘mickey-mouse’? Does a horse even think enough for there to be an Equestrian Psychology degree (as offered by Glyndwr University)? What about a BA in Play and Playwork? Or a BA in Food Styling with Photography?

All real courses I promise. Seemingly, all degrees aren’t created equal - especially when it comes to ‘employability’ (surely the king of all careers advice buzzwords). What you probably don’t realise however, is that there is massive variation between seemingly safe, traditional subjects when it comes to earning power.

Research body Universities UK found graduates can expect to earn an extra £160,000 over their lifetimes compared to non-graduates. Broken down though, the study found that Medicine was the most profitable degree, with graduates earning on average an extra £340,000.

Following this was Engineering, earning an extra £243,730. Social Sciences bring in £169,267 and Biosciences £111,269. Humanities take penultimate place with £51,594, and coming last is the Arts with just £34,494 (only 10% of Medicine’s extra earnings!). Of course this isn’t the complete story. Degree

Up until now, we students have been saved by the idea that the critical and evaluative skills developed studying riverbeds, or Marxism or whatever else, are the valuable bit of the degree. In fact, it’s what we criticise mickey-mouse subjects for failing to have. Where’s the scientific method or abstract thought in Food Styling with Photography? Should they even be called a degree? Well in a University system concerned ever-more with employment outcomes, such things don’t really matter.

Would it surprise you to know Golf-Management Studies has an employment rate of 90% after six months (even in this economic shit-storm!)?

Or that you need AAB at A-level to get in? Or that it’s offered by Russell Group member Birmingham University?

““Mickey-mouse” subjects are doing well because they fill a vocational, money making, niche.”

Golf-Management Studies graduates are currently jetting around the globe earning good money for what seemingly is knowing how to water a lawn. It’s not an isolated case either. Look at Abertay’s Ethical Hacking. “Mickey-mouse” subjects are doing well because they fill a vocational, money making, niche.

The introduction of fees, and now the trebling of them, is shifting profoundly the reasons for studying at university.

Students are presented with a choice, but in a system that seems ever weighted towards disciplines that are safe earners.

Of course it’s not all doom and gloom.

Undergraduates do, on the whole, have some level of affinity with their subject, but as public institutions are ever aligned with the market, affinity gives way to aspired affluence. All degrees are not created equal.

by Robin Murphy

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

15

In equal measures?

Drugs and Equality

Most people are recreational drug users. (If you doubt this, consider how many of your friends drink alcohol). The desire to periodically alter one’s consciousness is common to all human cultures , even if there are always some abstainers.

What has this to do with equality issues?

Well, over the last few decades, most of the world has become party to an international system of treaties that require states to make it a criminal offence for their citizens to possess certain mind-altering chemicals for personal consumption. Bizarrely, many people who are quick to condemn governments that criminalise other non-violent or consensual behaviour, such as homosexuality, religious belief or expressing political views seem not to notice that the criminalisation of drug use is a comparable injustice. But consider this: to accept that the use of a certain drug should be a crime, you must accept not merely that using that drug may be bad for your health, or at least present risks to health that people would be better not to run; you must believe the far more radical position that people who take that drug deserve to be punished.

I don’t have space for philosophical arguments over what behaviour the State can justly subject to criminal penalties; I only note that the position on drugs is incompatible with the normal position on recreational risks. We do not normally accept that the criminal justice system should be our primary tool for public health education, or that people deserve criminal penalties merely for failing to live up to optimal standards of healthy living – whether they overindulge in sugary foods, take no exercise, or participate in dangerous sports or unprotected sex.

Why should it be

different just because someone uses chemical means, rather than physical, to seek euphoria or satisfaction? I’ve never heard an intellectually sound justification for drawing a legal distinction between drug-related and non-drug-related risks.

There’s not a hope in hell that anyone can show, say, taking magic mushrooms to be more dangerous than, say, base jumping. Even if you think that the State should, in principle, be allowed to impose criminal penalties for taking risks to one’s own health, why should the less dangerous pursuit be criminal simply because a drug is involved?

So we have an equality problem. I’ve sometimes heard people claim that the crucial difference is that sports aren’t addictive: this argument fails because lots of currently-prohibited drugs are also not physically addictive: MDMA (ecstasy) and most psychedelics for instance – and the existence of ‘adrenaline junkies’ or indeed ‘sex addicts’ suggests that issues of self-control are less than clear-cut.

Anyway, this distinction disappears when we factor in the risk of dependency into our calculus of harms.

“I’ve never heard an intellectually sound justification for drawing a legal distinction between drug-related and non-drugrelated risks.”

But there is a more glaring inequality: any pharmacologist or neuroscientist will tell you, alcohol is a drug whose health risks are at least in the same ballpark as the more dangerous Class A drugs such as diamorphine (heroin) or cocaine, and considerably greater than relatively non-toxic drugs such as cannabis or the psychedelics – even when you control for the much greater number of people who use alcohol.

I am not a statistician. It’s possible that some of our top pharmacological researchers have misconstrued these relative risks. But I can say this with certainty: if we are to have any pretentions to justice, all drugs must be assessed

according to the same criteria – if it is morally permissible to punish people for drug use, except if that drug is, say, alcohol, we need rocksolid evidence that alcohol is less dangerous than the least dangerous drug we do propose to punish people for using. Yet our government admits that their persistent refusal to apply the same criteria to alcohol (and tobacco) as to other drugs is based on “historical and cultural precedents” , as the Home Secretary agreed in 2006. What this means is that the government is prepared to use the criminal law to enforce the personal prejudices of the (alcohol-using) majority – that the wrongfulness of an action somehow scales negatively with its popularity.

None of this means that the State should be blasé about the health of its citizens. The point is that if our society is to be just, then mere danger to one’s own health is a very shaky rationale for criminal penalties, and in any case our approach to users of different drugs must evaluate their risks in a consistent, non-arbitrary manner.

Our descendents will look upon our criminalisation of people who use an arbitrary subset of drugs with much the same bafflement and shame as we have for our ancestors who condoned punishment for equally imaginary crimes such as homosexuality or blasphemy.

It may take some time, but we will be a more humane society for it.

By David Hart

The Magdalen: Equality

Gay rights... and lefts Despite the hideous ease of my white, western, middle class upbringing, there are still restrictions set in place that influence, advise and sometimes command who I am and am not allowed to f**k.

Obviously the most important perspective in this debate is that of the f**kee whose opinion on the matter I always take into full consideration. I know that f**king is not considered as important as food, shelter, health and education (and often rightly so as without many of these things f**king would not be possible, even education to a certain degree for example; I have very recently found out that a friend my own age was unsure whether ejaculating in a woman’s anus would induce pregnancy) but it most certainly falls under that universal societal concern of freedom. How can a rational or moral or even a legal argument be made of my desire to f**k either men, women or both? How can anyone point out what is wrong with being gay while completely ignoring what is wrong with being straight? Both

“How can anyone point out what is wrong with being gay while completely ignoring what is wrong with being straight?”

sexual inclinations have their ups and downs.

Why, oh why, when in discussion, observation, initiation or participation in homosexual sex must alarm bells go off in my mind telling me that this is bad in the same way that I have been trained to understand peeing on the carpet is. My inner child, the one who was crystallised at that age when self awareness kicked in and brought with it the fear of making a mistake, the fear of not being loved and accepted, he cries out to me, no matter how much I try to smother him with a pillow, I can’t get him to turn off. This voice, who has been brainwashed in a country whose laws and culture have all been moulded by a Catholic doctrine, defies all the powers of my rationality and tells me that gay sex is dirty, an act people don’t like. One needs people’s acceptance in order for mummy and daddy to love you.

Though there are no longer laws against buggery, cunnilingus, etc. between same sex couples, there is certainly a current of acceptable debate running through our society concerning the matter of whether different people are or aren’t gay, straight or bisexual. When it comes to sexuality I have family and friends who have no extreme religious or psychologically f**ked up backgrounds, some don’t even have a sexual background, who have declared to me and others that gay people shouldn’t be allowed to marry, or for some reason (more often than this especially amongst younger generations) that bisexual people are just kidding themselves. Why is having a clear-cut definition of someone’s gender so important?

Whatever reasoning they use to establish these views is not even the biggest part that bothers me, it is that they care whether someone is gay, straight or bisexual.

“Much of our humanity lies in all the ways in which we are able to give mother nature the finger.”

Listen. All human genitalia have sensitive nerve endings and these nerve endings can be stimulated by either the male or the female of the human species, what does it matter for whatever psychological or biological inclination, which gender of person someone prefers to have this performed by? The penis may be designed by nature to fit in to the vagina but since when did we start let nature boss us around? Much of our humanity lies in all the ways in which we are able to give mother nature the finger. I’m not talking about global warming or screwing the earth over but thoughts and actions that have lead us to inventions like the robot hoover, the large hadron collider, and slankets. As the incredibly contrived, generally up his own arse but unfortunately deceased artist Sebastian Horsely said: bi now, gay later.

Which is a nice way to sum up most arguments concerning sexuality, yes? Yes.

by Frankie Mack

BloodHate: is the gay bloodban justifiable?

Everyone likes to do their bit.

It’s what makes us feel better about ourselves, and after spending far too much money in the slave quarters of Primark or buying some cheap ass chocolate instead of home grown cocoa bean fair trade, we need something to feel good about!

The solution? Give some blood, it’s quick, not too painful, and you can save a life doing it. Or so you would think anyway.

Some people are still unaware of the fact that gay and bisexual men are subject to a lifetime ban from giving blood in the UK. A quick browse on the Web shows why, it’s not publicised. When I typed in ‘blood ban’ in the search box nothing came up. Yet they’ve written many articles about the ban for ME (myalgic encephalopathy) sufferers. The NHS advocates strict guidelines to its donors.

For example, if you have ME you can’t donate because of the risk to your own health. However the ban for gay men is viewed by many as prejudiced and unjustified, so the question that must be asked is, why is this ban enforced?

It is common knowledge that HIV is spread by unprotected sexual contact and infected blood. The disease has been a threat for many years and can be spread in a variety of different ways, including oral and vaginal sex. The ban was introduced in the 1980’s when AIDS was on the increase. The gay community is generally seen as a hotbed for HIV. However the NHS writes on their site that “Although HIV is currently most widespread in gay men and people of sub-Sahara African origin, there is still a high risk among heterosexual and nonAfrican populations” giving the statistic that people who acquired this disease “heterosexually” have risen in the UK from 740 in 2004 to a staggering 1,130.

So it leaves me wondering, if there is such a high HIV rate for the heterosexual population too then are they doning infected blood, choc-full of HIV? Of course not, because the NHS screen all their samples meticulously. Blood doning is a dangerous process whichever way you go about it. Give a Type B transfusion of blood to a patient with type A and you’ve got a whole lot of dead red cells. Give A to B, and you’ve got the same, antigens fighting polar antibodies, it’s a bit of a disaster. The point that should be made is that there are other dangers to doning aswell as HIV.

The NHS have also banned anyone who’s had sex with a prostitute in the past ‘year’ from donating. And also anyone who’s had sex with an intravenous drug user, someone who would be extremely susceptible to HIV! The problem I have with this ban is a time issue. Tests have shown that some blood samples recently infected with HIV may not show up on a screening, so I think I would see the sense in the NHS banning a man for a year after he’s had unprotected same sex contact (as some other countries are doing). I don’t see the sense in enforcing a lifetime ban to someone who hasn’t had contact for more than a year i.e a bisexual man. The NHS are cutting out a huge part of society’s demographic by doing this, even men who just experiment with their sexuality are banned, it seems a bit ridiculous, and promotes a strong view of promiscuity in the Gay community, something we’ve been trying to get away from for years! Statistics show that since 1985 only two patients have been infected with HIV through blood donation, this shows just how well the screening process is working.

Many countries such as Japan, Argentina and Australia have already lifted the ban, with positive results. They allow men to donate who have not had sexual contact with a man for at least a year. US sentor John Kerry commented on the ban saying “Not a single piece of scientific evidence supports the ban”. This is true to form, as new revelations in blood screening techniques make it almost impossible for HIV not to be detected.

New screening techniques show that HIV can be detected in the blood from as little as twelve days after the infected contact, so it is argued that there is still a ‘window of time’ where this could be dangerous.

However, donors aren’t stupid; they know the risks just as much as anyone. Blood donation is a kind and selfless act, not a malicious one. They would have the common sense not to go and donate

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

blood straight after same sex contact, the assumption that they do not is insulting and misconstrued.

Gay Rights groups are up in arms about the whole thing, and rightly so. NUS LGBT are running a campaign called “Donation not Discrimination”, have had many protests and sent petitions to SABTO (Advisory Committee on the Safety of Blood, Tissues and Organs ). LGBT societies at Aberdeen and Licoln have both had successful on-site protests. BBC Radio Two and FiveLive have also featured broadcasts on the ban. Prominent gay rights activist Peter Tatchell comments on the ban saying that “the truth is that most gay and bisexual men do not have HIV and will never have HIV. Their blood is safe”.

The ban is currently under review but the Terrance Higgins trust (a HIV and sexual health charity) support lifting the ban, but also see the NHS’s reasoning behind it.

In an interview with the Times they said that “We believe that the current policy of the National Blood Service was based on the best available evidence when it was drawn up. Only when an expert review has re-evaluated risks to the safety of the blood supply should the current policy be changed in line with new evidence”.

In my opinion this ban is longoverdue.

We aren’t stuck in the dark ages of HIV being an undetected killer, there are now accurate ways of recognizing the infection in its early stages. I think that the ban should be reduced to a year for gay and bisexual men. The NHS are shooting themselves in the foot by putting this blanket ban on gay men for life, and are causing unnecessary uproar from protesters and student groups around the UK. Research shows that they’ve had to spend a lot more on marketing and advertising in order to make up for the loss in donors.

Whereas the gay community now view the bloodoning service as a prejudiced organization. A year ban is safe and efficient and gives participants the chance to do a good deed, it should definitely be changed in the near future, as segregation is not accepted in this country and should definitely not be accepted when it comes to saving human lives.

Sign the petition here :- http://www. bloodban.co.uk

By Laura Darbyshire

17

The Magdalen: Music

Equality vs Quality: parity between musical genres?

Society always has its differences. It is indeed to its credit that they exist, creating the multi-dimensional and ultimately diverse environment we live in; it broadens horizons and cultivates minds. Music is mostly definitely not the exception. From rock, to classical, jazz, RnB, blues, pop, the list is endless with each genre subject to maybe even a dozen or so subgenres. So a question began to pry on my mind… is equality between genres of music achievable? In fact what does this mean? That is to say do we need a broad coverage and awareness of all music from all genres for equality between genres or is this even necessary for an understanding and appreciation of music? Well, I would argue no, particularly the second notion.

For many, TV and radio provide the main source for music on a day to day basis and when used wisely, they can be very informative. However, others would argue that they provide a misrepresentation and misinterpretation of music and musical interest, focusing in on only what is deemed popular or even what record companies want us to believe is popular: it is used as a selling point.

This is seemingly very limiting. We have Simon Cowell and the likes of Xfactor of recent to thank for that. Does this mean that in fact equality within music is culpable to mainstream success? It is the only way that music is ever covered on national radio it seems. If this is the case, we have significant inequality within music at the moment. Let’s take rock for an example. A favourite among many and a genre I am highly partial to myself, very few bands of the genre that I would say were outstanding have had a top hit in the popular charts or even so little as a bit of recognition. Of course music, like anything, is always subjective yet if equality in music is based upon mainstream coverage and success, quality is undermined or at least shortsighted.

Back to my original question, is a fair coverage of all musical outlets necessary for appreciation or even necessary full stop? Surely this would facilitate a more rounded musical individual in the long run I hear you say. Not at the cost of quality. With increasing insistence on the need for music to be popular in order to be ‘good’, it is inevitable that certain types of music, which can be exceptional, are unfortunately overlooked. This saddens me greatly but perhaps it is their anti-populist nature, unable to typify a stereotype, which ultimately makes them attractive. It can only add to the richness of society after all. Call it the appeal of artistic difference if you will.

In all eventualities, equality within music, at least based on the grounds of mainstream recognition, seems unwarranted. Music is what it is and need not be subjugated to the realms of popular culture. It exists to be found. It enthrals your every sense. That is part of the excitement and chase of it all. It is hence a shame that emphasis is placed on downloading, part of the conspiracy of technological developments. So sterile, so impersonal, gone are the days of browsing hours on end in record stores-

it used to be such an adventure! That is perhaps where certain genres are lagging behind, unable to be accessed due to technological constraints, generating further inequality where quality and musical genius is an evident truth.

Nonetheless, it is the way in which the music industry operates as a business which needs to be addressed.

Competition between genres will always exist and the industry is lock, stock and barrel guilty for generating this environment, even if it is needlessly at the cost of quality. Music must not be monopolised- it is an artistic endeavourand the industry should attempt to maintain equality between labels at least for such purposes. Music used to be young and fun. We should aim to keep it that way. As such, quality should always overrule musical equality whatever that means. Lead on urchin! Musical appreciation awaits.

By Henrietta Evans

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

19

The dress down:

‘A place where the charts don’t stand a chance’ 1. What’s My Name – Rihanna ft Drake An amnesiac reflection on a relationship, “What’s My Name” is a bizarre song which offers no sense or sensibility to the listener. Relying almost solely on nonsensical onomatopoeia, the track is layered with obvious auto-tuning and repetitive snares. Top lyric? “Hey boy, I really wanna see if you can go downtown with a girl like me.” Translates as; “I really want to see how embarrassed you’d be going shopping with a girl like me who believes that wearing less clothes is better.” This song is great in the club, but when you really sit down and listen to it, it’s the musical equivalent of Donnie Darko: confusing, random and completely pointless. Rating 3/5

2. When We Collide – Matt Cardle Arrrgghhh. This is a song that has split fans of music to the deepest depths.

Whether you’re a Biffy lover/hater, this cover could have been a lot worse, let’s be honest. Carrying the classic XFactor climax (you know the bit I’m talking about) Matt Cardle has proved that the XFactor winner could murder any song and still get to number one. Well done Cowell, well bloody done. Rating 2/5

3. The Time (Dirty Bit) – Black Eyed Peas This song stamps all over the grave of Partick Swayze with its unapologetic synth-fuelled beat and punctuating melodies. Will.I.Am and Fergie go to extremes to ensure that anything relatively similar to the original song is tweaked with robotic undertones, to the point where the listener begins to think; “is this the future?” Black Eyed Peas, why? Their utilitarian days of “Where is the love?” are obliterated with this anarcho-authoritarian drivel. Rating 1/5

4. Lights On – Katy B Ft Ms Dynamite

Another funky dub-laden track from musical maestro Katy B, ‘Lights On’ shot through the charts as the Mercury

Prize winning Ms Dynamite combined her musical talents to produce this poptastic track. We’re struggling to find a bad word to say about this short and sweet track. Lol jk. The old school production is repetitive, boring and at times completely lacking in artistic talent. Ms Dynamite makes such an insignificant appearance that you wonder why they bothered to put her name to it in the first place. Dubstep fail. Rating 2/5

5. Do it Like a Dude – Jessie J What? Are you actually being serious?

You’re really going to name your awful, cheap and tasteless track “Do it Like a Dude”? Oh, you are. This abomination of a musical piece is far from a feminist reflection on the hip hop industry and instead a complete embarrassment to the entire female gender. Yes, I took it that far.

The lyrics make no sense and the backing track is representative of the bland electrogrunge tracks which are all over the charts right now. For those with any taste, save your ears the abuse and TURN IT OFF. Rating 0.5/5

6. Your Song – Ellie Goulding This supposedly sentimental cover of Elton John’s “Your Song” should be taken literally. Ellie, this is Elton John’s song. It was intended for him to sing, not you. So leave it well alone. John Lewis’ has attempted to surpass the success of their previous advertising campaigns by encouraging Ellie to sing this song with her sickly angelic voice. The track is completely stripped down, with the exception of some odd moments where Ellie wails into the distance, leaving the listener feeling slightly bemused. Maybe if we look away she’ll stop doing it.

Collectively look away people, for the sake of Elton John. Rating 2/5

7. Firework – Katy Perry On numerous occasions I have caught myself dancing around my room to this track, only to be stopped by the full force of my flatmates hand slapping me back into normality. With edgy violins pushing you onto the edge of some 80’s hyped up montage, Katy Perry uses every light

metaphor in existence to describe what we can only assume is Russell Brand.

I’ve never let my colours burst before, nor have I owned the night like the 4th of July. He’s leading you down the wrong path Katy; don’t say we didn’t warn you. Rating 1/5

8. Like a G6 – Far East Movement Where to begin? You cannot invent your own dictionary to justify a song: that is what has been proven true by the Far East Movement. As millions of people across the world ask “what on earth is slizzard?” the Far East Movement continue to laugh as they rake in millions from what can only be dubbed the worst song in history.

Rating 0/5

9. Only Girl in the World – Rihanna It would seem that we can’t keep this female powerhouse out of the charts these days. Give someone else a go Rihanna, jeez. You’re so selfish. This song is reminiscent of a 90’s house track to be heard in some seedy club in Magaluf. We thought Rihanna had gone dark and mysterious; some would go as far to whisper credible. “Only Girl in the World” was Rihanna’s way of saying “I’m just messing with you!”

A quick return to her one-dimensional dance tracks which brought her to the fame she enjoys today. Rating 2/5

10. Who’s That Chick – David Guetta Ft Rihanna OMG. OMFG. Looking around the office, it has become clear that Rihanna’s third position on the charts is not a set-up, but actual real life. David Guetta puts on his best Darth Vader impression, accompanied by Rhianna playing C-3PO. Another dance track, Who’s That Chick uses phrases like “ultra-sexual”, “beating like a disco drum”, and “she’s been a crazy dicta” to convey absolutely nothing. You guys are buying this stuff, why? You are the scourge of the earth. Rating 1/5

by Emily Kane

The Magdalen: Music

MP3 Blogs Are (no The history of musical piracy extends far beyond Napster’s legal dalliance in 1999 with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which resulted in the partial shutdown of the MP3 trading service until Napster agreed to pay copyright owners and music creators.

Rewinding back three decades, the

emergence of the cassette in the late 1970’s had begun to challenge the sales of more traditional LP’s or long playing phonograph records. By 1979 the Sony Walkman had been released for the mass market, meaning that music fans could now record their own ‘mixtapes’ using simple cassette recording equipment. The music recording industry sat by on tenterhooks as they watched cassette sales supersede from those of LP’s; presuming that music fans would now simply record their favourite tracks and bypass the copyright owner entirely. The British Phonographic Industry quickly responded with the now renowned (and perhaps ill-advised) slogan of “Home Taping is Killing Music.”

Vinyl sleeves took to carrying the slogan, often illustrated by the skull and crossbones that have come to represent musical piracy.

The seditious nuances found in youth subculture were undoubtedly fuelled further by the idea of ‘the man’ attempting to restrict the more laissezfaire approach to the dissemination of music. The philosophy of the mixtape would continue to be the thorn in the side of the music industry, long after the compact disc became the number 1 music carrier in the mid 1980’s.

In the UK, the Copyright, Designs and Patent Act (1988) became the principal legislation covering intellectual property rights. The legislation gave music creators and copyright owners the rights to control how the ways in which their material may be used. The legislation detailed copyright infringements which may constitute criminal offences. These included making copies for the purpose of selling or hiring to others, the penalties for which could result in a fine of up to £5,000 and/or six months imprisonment.

It is fair to state that such penalties were obviously directed towards those who attempted to make considerable financial gain from musical piracy, however, the CDPA made concrete the governments’ position on the illegal creation or dissemination of music.

By 1989 sales of CDs had reached over 200 million units, resulting in the gradual disappearance of vinyl from record stores. Musical piracy quickly soared as compact discs were duplicated and sold on the illegal market, allegedly accounting for 33% of global sales by 1998. Running parallel to the illegal duplication of CDs was a new trend in musical piracy – MP3s.

MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer 3, commonly known as MP3, is a form of digitally compressed audio recording which allows for playback on digital music programs. The approval of algorithms and later public release of the MP3 format in 1994 combined with the growing universal use of the internet as a means of communication saw the rapid spread of MP3 files on the internet.

The creation of peer-to-peer networks on the internet provoked further dismay from the music industry. Users of these networks could now rip MP3s from CDs and upload them to the p2p file sharing networks, available to anyone for download. In 1999, friends Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker released the original Napster.

The first large p2p file sharing network, Napster sparked a major backlash from the music industry as record companies clamoured to have it shut down and their products removed from its network. After a long legal battle in America, Napster agreed to charge its users for the service, the income of which would be paid to the artists and creators.

The numerous legal battles and widening legislation have done little to quell the tide of musical piracy which has come hand in hand with the growth of the internet. The British Phonographic Industry estimates that one in three consumers use illegal websites to download music. Whilst it was originally thought that the advent of online digital media store iTunes Store would offset if

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

not) Killing Music not completely rid the music industry of the illegal download of MP3 files, it would appear that the illegal downloading of music has yet to even plateau.

In 2010, the Digital Economy Act was passed by the UK Parliament. The act detailed legislation regulating digital media, increasing the ease of tracking down and suing those who persistently infringed the system. Governments are now beginning to go as far as putting the onus on to Internet Service Providers to hand over details of persistent infringers and ‘shop them’ to the law.

The Act continues to be a bone of contention in British politics, with some citing it as Orwellian and flawed.

Legislation aside, governments across the globe seem to be by and large confused with how to deal with online music piracy.

Returning to the mixtape philosophy, there are some parties who are benefiting from musical piracy. MP3 blogs have fast become the go-to point for any discerning music fan. Often run by a music fan or collective of music lovers, MP3 blogs offer critique and download of new music. It can be argued that for one to stay ahead of the musical trends, MP3 blogs are a must. The mixtape philosophy does not endorse sticking the proverbial finger up to the music industry; instead, the mixtape philosophy nurtures a culture of spreading the musical gospel. Indie labels are said to be sending MP3’s of their artists to blogs in their droves, desperate for some free publicity. In the age of digital media, the blogosphere reigns supreme. Much can be said for passionate music fans that spend hours trawling through the thousands of blogs for that one band nobody else has heard of.

“I regularly download MP3s from blogs, most of which are by unsigned bands or bands I haven’t heard of before,” noted a Dundee student, “if I like the MP3, of course I’ll buy the album. I’m not out to ruin a musicians’ life by refusing to pay for material which they’ve probably worked their arse off to make. Musical piracy isn’t black and white. In the massive ocean that is the internet, there are a lot of musical pirates who see MP3

blogs as a means to getting ahead of the trends.”

Some record companies continue to turn a blind eye to MP3 blogs, often noting an increase in sales coinciding with a track being advocated on a well followed blog. The amusingly titled Scottish BAMS Awards (Bloggers and Music Sites Awards) are organised by renowned Scottish Blogger ‘Peenko’.

The awards have fast become one the most recognised honours by the Scottish indie music industry. Compiling the opinions of around 20 or so Scottish music bloggers, the awards determine the top twenty musicians of the year. The sense of community found in the music blogosphere is not to be taken lightly. If PR agencies and Record Companies recognise the gravitas of MP3 blogs, then the less hip and trendy government ministers will perhaps one day follow.

It would appear that digital music piracy is binary. File sharing networks continue to be abused by music users who download “en masse,” with little consideration being given to the artist or copyright owner. MP3 blogs and blog aggregators on the other hand are fast becoming the launch pad for new bands and artists.

The jury is out on the moral rights and wrongs of digital music piracy; however it is important to note that the music industry should be doing more to encourage the legal purchase of music. Programs such as Spotify have meant that users are now put off illegally downloading a track when they can access it at any time they so wish.

In February 2010, 10 billion songs had been sold on the iTunes Store. The scaremongering adage of “Home Taping is Killing Music” is looked upon now with a degree of ridicule. Instead MP3 blogs are fast becoming the life and soul of the music industry.

Emily Kane

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The Magdalen: Fashion

News: Happy New Year to all from the fashion editors at The Magdalen.

We hope that you’ve enjoyed our section so far over the past few months. Since last semester we’ve managed to cover a fashion show and do our very own Christmas fashion shoot, which is available to view on the DUSA website. We’re always looking for new ways to make our fashion section more exciting, so if you have requests as to what you’d like to see in YOUR student magazine then please email c.z.mcdiarmid@dundee.ac.uk My new favourite programme Well, the holidays are over and it’s back to books books books and although its been great to indulge in food and chocolate and more food and more chocolate, enough is enough! A new guilty pleasure of ours is The Rachel Zoe Project. Rachel Zoe is a stylist to all the A-listers (yes, rich people need fashion tips too!). It’s no surprise that everyone wants to look their best on the red carpet, so it may surprise you to know that celebrities pay people like Zoe, to pick our their outfits for big events, such as the Oscars or the VMAs. Of course we all like to have a chuckle now and again at the worst dressed pages, where some of the rich and famous feature more than others. However, there is one person who rarely gets it wrong and that’s Rachel Zoe. She’s dressing almost everyone in Hollywood right now. Her new reality series features her stressing

unveiled her latest design and we love it!

One to watch in 2011 She may only be thirteen, but Lourdes Leon (Madonna’s daughter) already has her first ever fashion line, ‘Material Girl’ for Macy’s New York. Her line has been modelled by Taylor Momsen who plays Jenny Humphrey in Gossip Girl. We at The Magdalen think that Lourdes is one to watch in 2011.

out and bitching to the max and it seems like the reality t.v. bug is still with us in 2011. Meltdowns, catfights and crying; we can’t get enough!

The Queen of fashion and music!

Vivienne Westwood has been chosen to re-design this year’s Brit Awards.

The Iconic fashion designer who has strong links with the punk movement has

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

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Natural Beauty When you look at this model you see a beautiful face, long dark tresses and a body to envy, but beyond the pretty exterior this model has a different story to tell.

This is no ordinary model; not one who is married to a rock star, or has graced the front cover of Sports Illustrated. She simply aspires to be accepted for who she is.

Last year in October 2010, the fashion world is coming close to accepting her thanks to her high profile fashion campaign with Givenchy. However, it is not only acceptance from the fashion world that she craves, but the approval of her father Toninho Cerezo a famous Brazilian footballer. However, it is thanks to her friend Ricardo, who chose her for the fashion shoot with Givenchy.

Since this conspicuous appearance, her presence has been well noted by the general public -everyone hasn’t stopped talking about her since.

Nowadays, we are fascinated by peoples’ lives, their celebrity, who they are dating or whether they are gay or straight. This intrusive nature means as soon as you step into the public eye you are there to bare your soul to the cameras and the media. Unfortunately, nothing can remain secret. So how did people take it when they found this model was born a man?

The fashion world has always been

knew she was different. As an adolescent she was attracted to boys and girls and the idea of transexuality terrified her.

Lea, 28, is currently having hormone replacement therapy before undergoing a sex change operation. (The beauty said) the transformation has meant she has been shunned by her strict Catholic family, including her father, former Brazil international footballer Toninho Cerezo.

Givenchy’s creative director, Riccardo Tisci, said of Lea: “She’s a true goddess.

“She’s always been very feminine super-fragile, very aristocratic.”

a place for controversy from size zero, animal fur and drugs. So it is refreshing to see models on the catwalk, representing real people and real issues for a change. Most people aspire to look like a model and have unrealistic ideals about their weight their height and their bust size.

Lea T has embraced this and has publicly “come out” as a transsexual in the hope that she has helped others overcome their fears about who they are or who they think they are. She posed naked for French vogue, which must have been a huge personal victory for Lea. Lea was actually born Leandro Cerezo 28 years ago, the child of Brazilian football hero Toninho Cerezo. She was born in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Lea did not begin experimenting with her sexuality until she went to school in Italy – but she says both her and her father

Lea has been quoted “I agreed to pose in the name of all my transsexual friends”.

As a sign of her determination to take pride in her transsexuality, the French Vogue photograph is unashamedly bold.

With one arm around her waist and another only partially covering her male genitalia, leaving little to the imagination.

Back in Lea’s hometown the reaction has been positive among activists who see her public presence as a step towards greater tolerance.

“It’s a good, positive example and this is very rare,” said La Roche, who heads a government department fighting for transvestite and transsexual rights “It is important to have Lea in a magazine.

All positive press shows society that we are capable of things other than prostitution or being hairdressers.”

However successful Lea is with her modeling career doesn’t really matter, the fact is that she was brave enough to stand up for her rights and the rights of others. One thing is for certain, that she has paved the way for others to “come out” and break the boundaries of sexuality and gender in the fashion world.

The Magdalen: Fashion

Dundee fashion updates

Last month, The Magdalen’s Fashion editors took a short trip to Liquid Nightclub for a charity fashion show. The fashion show was organised by Dundee City Council worker Caryn Prophet.

The show was organised to raise money for Dundee Disability Sport (DDS) and as you can see from our photos, it was a huge success with some truly amazing outfits.

Dundee disability Sport is an organisation run by Dundee City Council to help young and old disabled members of the community to improve their vocational and social skills.

Dundee Disability Sport (DDS) are trying to raise funds to purchase a more accessible new minibus for their members. They need to raise £42,000 towards the cost of a new minibus as the one they have will only last them until next year. If you want to find out more information about DDS go to their website (insert web address).

All of the clothing and accessories were kindly lent by retailers from Dundee’s very own High Street. It also allowed the opportunity for the independent retailers such as Missy LaLa’s , Rara and the pretty vacant showrooms, Beco Boutique, Maggie’s Farm and Crafty Mermaids Jewellery Boutique to showcase their own items and provide some edge!

As well as the catwalk show, stalls were set up in Envy by Crafty Mermaids, Ann Summers and The Waxing Station. All of the stalls were selling some of their items or taking part in the raffle. A fashion show wouldn’t be a fashion show without goodie bags! Breo made up the bags with a cool ski hat, keyring and watch!

No.20 No.18 The Equality Issue Issue The Anonymous January 2011 October 2010

Now, there’s one thing about fashion, there are rules. Although it may look glamorous when you catch glimpses of a fashion show on the TV, unfortunately we don’t have the budget like the fashion shows of Chanel or Dior. We, the fashion editors, learnt a very important lesson. If you aren’t lucky enough to get a VIP pass to the fashion show (i.e no free champagne or seating) then don’t wear heels, unless of course you’re supplementing enough booze to ease the pain! Rule no.2 make sure you get there early and get a good view, absolutely no point in standing behind someone who has backcombed their hair into the shape of a bird’s nest. And finally, Rule no.3: don’t have too much to drink when there are bags on sale.

There is no doubt that it was a well-organised and amazing night. The fashion show opened with the Xfactor music (thankfully Louis Walsh was nowhere in sight), then 3 dance groups provided entertainment between sections, including local dance group Street Vibes. The fashion show had a wide range of clothing from Bridalwear to underwear and mixing up vintage and high street to perfection and we’ve picked out our favourite outfits of the night; a very tough decision indeed.

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The Magdalen: Travel

“And this one time, at band camp…”

Vicky Anderson did last summer American Pie Style: here she tells all…

Probably the most well known line from the teen comedy American Pie! Ah yes, summer camp: an American tradition - something we in the UK do not have the opportunity to experience. Not that we are missing out, I mean, how much fun could it possibly be?

This was the question I asked myself on the 30th May this year, whilst sitting on an aeroplane bound for New York. Only a few months earlier I had thought I would be spending my holidays working in an office in Somerset, watching the days drag by. Then all of a sudden, it seemed, I was on my way to a camp in North Carolina hired as a speciality Ceramics Counsellor with CCUSA. What had I let myself in for?

Had I really applied to get a job looking after American children?!

Insanity, surely… this summer, however, proved to be the best of my life by far!

I was quite nervous at the thought of having to play teacher and surrogate mother to hundreds of children, especially American ones. My apprehension, however, turned out to be unfounded.

Unlike any of the notorious American stereotypes, the children turned out to be as well behaved, inquisitive, and mischievous as all the other children that I have looked after.

Camp itself also exceeded all of my expectations.

There is no better way to describe camp than by saying that it is just like the movies.

I became part of a unique world comprised of cookouts, campfires, and sing alongs. I found myself dressing up in crazy costumes for the sake of square dancing, having the union jack painted on my face when we hosted a huge World Cup football tournament, smothering myself

in mosquito repellent for cabin outings to the beautiful Dupont State waterfalls, and jumping around while singing Puff the Magic Dragon as pre-bedtime entertainment for the kids!

I looked forward to meals of brisket and corn bread, PB & J

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

(peanut butter and jelly to those uninitiated in American cuisine) sandwiches, and of course, the ultimate in camp treats ‘smores’. I shared in the children’s triumphs, and disappointments, their laughter, and tears. I became the one who tucked them in at night, helped them get ready in the mornings, and the one they looked up to. I’ve never felt so needed, or wanted, in all of my life, and it genuinely felt important. Looking among my co-Counsellors who had camped here as children, I could see the importance camp had upon children and why it was such a savoured American tradition.

Camp was followed by a party at a co-Counsellor’s ranch in North Carolina – you have never witnessed a barbeque and a few celebratory beers organised so well – 40 camp Counsellors are nothing if not meticulous!

After hitching a ride to Atlanta from a kind co-Counsellor – a journey full of shakes and fries after a summer of incredible home cooking at camp - I then embarked on a four-week tour of the East Coast, taking in the Washington monuments (along with a few Forest Gump quotes for good measure), Niagra Falls, the beautiful parks and Universities of Boston, the beaches and chowdah of Cape Cod, and finally New York City.

And of course, many, many Greyhound buses.

I left the USA with memories that I will always cherish, and friendships that I never imagined I’d form. I am in daily contact with the people I met, and am already organising my flights for camp this summer - how else can you get an experience, where you play sport and tie-dye all day, whilst earning money and getting a great tan – not in Scotland anyway! For the moment,

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however, I continue to talk about this one time, at summer camp…

The Camp Counselor programme offered by CCUSA was the BEST. I was able to work in the States for the duration of camp (9 weeks) and then spend up to 2 months travelling afterwards. My flights, food & accommodation, travel insurance, visa, and social security were all organised for me, as well as getting paid pretty well too, allowing me to focus my attention on other things, like how on earth was I going to get everything in my backpack!

If you think you would be interested in spending your summer as a Camp Counsellor in the USA, or taking part in another overseas working holiday programme, call CCUSA on 0131 454 1687 or check out the website www.ccusa.com

The Magdalen: Travel

Ethical volunteering? ‘…and then I just chuuundaahed everywhaaaaaaaah.’ We’ve all seen the ingenious YouTube video by The Unexpected Items and VMproductions; a hilarious parody of the increasing number of middle class school leavers and students who descend on less affluent people in order to travel the world and ‘make a difference.’ But do they really make a difference? Perhaps I should say do we make a difference, as last summer I went on a volunteer project teaching English to teenage girls in an orphanage. My time there brought a lot of the ethical issues surrounding overseas volunteering to the forefront of my mind, so this month I wanted to highlight some of the issues I encountered when volunteering, and explore the more serious side to the gap year.

I feel that my motivations for volunteering were partially sound. I wanted to use my skills to help people, and to donate some of my time to those who have less than I do. Yet I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also motivated by getting to visit the beautiful Yucatan, and earning the right to add ‘taught English abroad’ to my CV as graduation crept closer.

Many of the advantages that I gained from my volunteer project would have been accessible had I volunteered at a Scottish children’s unit, or a soup kitchen – yet the desire to become a globalised and worldly individual upon entering the job market means that many of us are searching elsewhere to flex our philanthropic muscle.

I chose the company that I volunteered with mainly because I could afford the cost. Whilst they don’t advertise specifically as an ‘ethical volunteer company’, their prices are fair and they employ local people in the host countries to run the project and accommodation, which can only be a positive thing. I paid £100 year-long membership fee, then only had to pay for my flights and rent to the woman who ran the volunteer house

over in Mexico.

The low prices meant that my £100 was not donated to the project itself, but also meant that I wasn’t parting with thousands to profit a povertyexploiting corporation. I found that the best way to donate was to do it myself, by taking materials with me that the girls could enjoy, and by leaving them with my SpanishEnglish language books along with a small parting gift of an atlas – something simple yet educational, and beneficial to them

I volunteered for just over three weeks.

This was just enough time for the girls to initially look upon me with suspicion, us to gradually get to know one another and eventually build a bond just in time for me to depart, leaving them with new English teachers. This was not something I had anticipated.

Each time one of us flew back to the UK, we had to explain to the girls where the other ‘maestra’ had gone, leaving them looking disappointed.

As well as language skills, we also taught them how to crochet, as handcrafts can provide a stable living for women there, yet our UK education gave us little grounding in teaching the girls how to really make a practical living. Most of us had quite limited Spanish, which wasn’t a massive problem, however made our English lessons a lot less effective. If we attend a beginner’s language class in the UK we would not expect it to be solely explained in the foreign language! Whilst our lessons may not have been without fault, essentially we were still useful, as the orphanage simply cannot afford to have professional teachers for the girls, some of whom also cannot cope with the mornings they are entitled to at state-funded schools. Better preparation

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t also motivated by getting to visit the beautiful Yucatan, and earning the right to add ‘taught English abroad’ to my CV as graduation crept closer” directly. It seemed, however, that there was a fine line between giving the girls a few useful things and flaunting our privilege. Our cameras and iPods made me increasingly uncomfortable, and after a few days I stopped wearing my cheap H&M jewellery to the orphanage, as the girls often looked at it with awe – highlighting that such luxuries were not a part of their lives. This would have been far less of an issue for them had we not invaded their lives; a truth which is hard to swallow when we think of volunteering as a purely positive act.

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

on our side of the world would make overseas volunteers far more useful, as the situations that we often found ourselves in were often new territory for us, let alone the girls. Yet the fact that we are allowed to stumble into their lives and attempt to help out just because we can pay a company to allow us this privilege certainly smacks of volunteering as a CV builder for the wealthy youth over genuine philanthropy.

Most articles that exist on ethical volunteering mostly condemn volunteer companies which charge excessive fees in order to make large profits, as I’ve mentioned above. I could easily rant about ‘good’ companies versus ‘bad’, yet if you do your research it becomes quite clear which companies are overcharging and which offer a more genuine service. It seems that a lot of the ethical responsibilities lie with the volunteer in making the correct choices when undertaking a project like the one I worked on. After experiencing a

volunteer project I don’t feel that there is no good to come of volunteering abroad, after all the girls that we taught needed teachers, and we at least provided something. But what can we do to ensure that volunteering is as ethical as possible? I have compiled a small list of ‘tips’ to get you started!

Tips for Ethical Volunteering: Take a look at this website: www. ethicalvolunteering.org. Whilst it won’t tell you what companies to volunteer with, it highlights many of the perils of volunteering and helps you to make an informed choice.

Make sure you are realistically informed about the project you are undertaking.

For example, building houses for homeless families in the developing world might look great on the CV, but unless you’re physically fit, it’s probably not going to benefit the town you’re working in.

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Consider volunteer work in the UK too.

It’s far less expensive, there are loads of really worthwhile projects to get involved in at home, and although it might not be as glamorous, it might turn out that your skills are better used here!

If you do decide to take on a project, give it your all and experience everything!

Don’t be the stereotypical ‘Gap Yah’ and spend every night ‘on the lash!’ You’re there to try and make a difference, and you can get drunk at home or once the project is finished!

Haven’t seen the ‘Gap Yah’ video?

Log on to YouTube and check it out! http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=eKFjWR7X5dU

The Magdalen: Science

A giant in the depths: An aquatic discovery of vast proportions

G

iant squid, giant octopus and now, a giant virus. The world’s oceans have been found to be the home of a real-life titan. The CroV virus has recently taken its place among the giants of the ocean after a team of scientists lead by Curtis Suttle, of University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, sequenced the massive 730 Kb of DNA contained within the virus.

The large genome size of this virus, as well as its massive 300 nm diameter makes it the largest marine virus ever discovered.

The study of giant viruses, since the discovery in the 1990s, has led to some very controversial theories. Scientists now believe that viruses may have had a significant part to play in the evolution of cellular life. Research into the largest of all giant viruses, the Mimivirus, suggests that it could be the viral ancestor of the nucleus – a structure found inside the cells of all animals and plants and the location of a cell’s DNA. ‘I think viruses have been around for at least as long as life.

They could have been the original

replicators, and life was merely bolted on around them in order to aid their replication,’ says Mike Allen, a senior researcher at the Plymouth marine laboratory and one of the team who sequenced the CroV virus.

As scientists unlock the secrets held within these giant viruses, the way in which we see viruses is changing. No longer are they considered to be simple biological machines that infect a host simply to replicate and

No.20 The Equality Issue January 2011

Cafeteria roenbergensis cell infected with CroV move on. The vast array of genes being uncovered in these viruses suggest that they are much more complex. Mike Allan has said.

‘It’s not just about getting in and out with these viruses, they manipulate the cellular environment in complex... ways to enhance the infection,’

Cafeteria roenbergensis cell infected with CroV

While the idea that viruses may have had a major role in evolution is extremely attractive we simply do not have enough information about them to know whether or not this is true.

Therefore, future research into these viruses by scientists such as those in Suttle’s group will be important in understanding

Uninfected Cafeteria roenbergensis cell

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the complexity of the viruses as well as shedding light on their possible involvement in the evolution of life.

Laura Fulford

Uninfected Cafeteria roenbergensis cell

The Magdalen: Art

ART REVIEW Minimalist Works from the Holocaust Museum Jonathan Horowitz 27 November 2010 - 20 February 2011, DCA (Dundee Contemporary Arts) So what’s in the exhibition?

‘Countdown’ of 1995 - the film Philadelphia plays visible only through a number on a white background. As the number grows the film becomes easier to see. The soundtrack is clear though. The rising numbers are meant to remind the viewer of the growing number of lives lost to AIDS. I feel it would be better, however, if the numbers were larger and the film was in colour.

The white room it is shown in also makes it oddly clinical - you get the message but not the empathetic emotional response.

This is Horowitz’s first solo show. It’s based on his response to an exhibition at the holocaust museum although it also includes retrospective works.

There was a ‘Rainbow American Flag for Jasper in the Style of the Artist’s Boyfriend’ from 2005 above a bed where the pillows read “John” and “Yoko” or “Lindsay” and “Sam” or “Thelma” and Louise”. The juxtaposition is nice - I do like how gay friendly the exhibition is and it is nice to see a celebration of Lindsay Lohan and Sam Ronson as a couple.

One of the pieces made as a direct response to Horowitz’s visit to the Holocaust Musuem in Washington is ‘Pink Curve’ which mixes one of Ellsworth Kelly’s ‘Memorial’ pieces (a large white curved canvas emphasizing the anonymity of the Holocaust victims) and the pink triangle symbol that gay men were forced to wear in the concentration camps. Horowitz reminds the viewer that the National Socialist Party murdered specific groups of

people for specific reasons – a point he (Horowitz) felt was lost in Kelly’s piece.

Overall the exhibition is intensely political (if a little politically safe in the UK) and highly enjoyable. Horowitz himself comes across as an intelligent and thought provoking artist and I wish I’d made it to his opening talk.

“Do you think that aesthetics and ethics are opposed in some way?” - Elizabeth Peyton asks Jonathan Horowitz in “And/

Or” one of the artist’s books available in the DCA shop. Come to one of the critical forums to discuss the question.

Words and Photographs (c) Ana Hine

Ultimate write-up This summer five members of Dundee University Ultimate club were representing their countries at the Under 23 World Ultimate Championships in Florence, Italy.

In the Open division Graeme McDowell was playing for Great Britain, Joceyln Trottet playing with Switzerland and Andrew Davidson, Chris Hunter and Jared Cordner representing Ireland.

The training and experience gained from this opportunity is evident when watching the players at training bringing an increased level of intensity and skill to every training session.

The Magdalen

Archery hits the spot for Norma!

In April 2009 Norma Smith from the University Health Service attended a Campus Sport “come and try” session for staff. The session, led by Archery Club members was designed to give university staff a taster of the sport.

Norma - who has battled a back injury which has restricted her mobility and activity levels for the past 18 years – enjoyed the session so much that she joined her local Archery Club, Links Archers in Montrose, the following month to supplement her weekly attendance at the university club. Her enthusiasm for her new-found activity resulted in her buying a new

bow in July and by the end of the year Norma had placed runnerup in the Scottish Archery Indoor Novice Championships.

However Norma’s success with a bow was only beginning. Just over one year after she first picked up a bow, her commitment to personal improvement and training saw her finish runner up in the Scottish Outdoor Championships for a recurve bow. She was subsequently selected for the Scottish team to partake in the British Championships. Norma followed up this remarkable success by achieving her “Bowman” classification, which is achieved

by approximately the top 15% of UK archers.

Following her debut representing Scotland, Norma now has her sights (and her bow!) set on further archery success. It is hoped that additional sports science support and guidance now being provided by ISE will enable Norma to continue her meteoric rise in archery and enable her to continue to succeed on the national - and hopefully international – arena.

From Campus Sport to international sportswoman – now there’s a fairytale ending!

No.18 The Anonymous Issue October 2010

Results: It was another promising Wednesday for Dundee University Sport. Men’s Football continue to bring mixed fortunes across the 3 teams, with the 1st team enduring another frustrating day of coming out of a very closely fought game with no points. The 2nds are now undefeated in 5 games earning a 2-2 draw with local rivals, St. Andrews. The 3rd team won their first game of the season; after 3 loses all the hard work has paid off with a 3-2 away victory over St. Andrews.

The hockey fixtures saw both men’s and women’s 1st teams

away from home and the 2nds at home. It was a successful day for the travelling sides with the Men’s 1st team gaining a revenge victory over Glasgow and keeping their hopes of a top 2 finish alive. The women’s 1st team continued their good form with a comfortable 3-0 win over Edinburgh’s 3rd team and still remain on course to challenge for a league and conference cup double. The women’s 2nd team narrow 1-0 loss leaves them 6 points from safety at the bottom of the division at the half way point of the season, but have 2 _ months till the next game, so can come back strong.

The Men’s Rugby 1st were unusually the only rugby fixture of the day and they did themselves credit with their 5th win in 5 games, a 27-17 away win at Glasgow.

The day continued to get worse for Glasgow University losing their 3rd fixture against Dundee of the day, a 10-2 loss to Dundee Men’s 1st Tennis team. Dundee had lost 10-2 in the return fixture and probably marks the ‘result of the day’. The Men’s tennis 2nd team also recorded a 10-2 victory to maintain their challenge for promotion.

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