The Magdalen D U N D E E
U N I V E R S I T Y
S T U D E N T S ’
M A G A Z I N E
ISSUE No.28 | MARCH 2012
Vote RON? Why Re-opening Nominations could be the smart vote.
EXECUTIVE ELECTIONS 2012/13 BRIAN COX INTERVIEW SCOTTISH DANCE THEATRE REVIEW THEMAGDALEN.CO.UK - FACEBOOK.COM/THEMAGDALEN
COMING SOON TO DUNDEE: BUSSMANN’S HOLIDAY
THE WORST DATE EVER A TWO DAY EVENT BY RAID DUNDEE
DAY ONE 23 MARCH 7-9PM AIR BAR, THE UNION
CATCH A ONE OFF CHARITY PERFORMANCE OF THE AWARD WINNING COMEDY SHOW THAT IS SOLD OUT EVERYWHERE FROM AUSTRALIA, EDINBURGH FRINGE, LATITUTE, NAIROBI TO THE UK HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT. HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITIES, NEWSPAPER EDITORS AND WAR CRIMINALS BEWARE. TICKETS £5 POPCORN INCLUDED
DAY TWO 24 MARCH VENUE TO BE CONFIRMED
JANE BUSSMANN TALKS ABOUT COMEDY, CORRUPTION, JOURNALISM, UGANDAN WAR CRIMES, HOLLYWOOD AND EVERYTHING THAT WOULD GET HER FIRED WHERE SHE IS NOT FIRED ALREADY. JOIN US ON FACEBOOK FOR UPDATES & TO BOOK TICKETS R.A.I.D DUNDEE
The Magdalen D U N D E E
U N I V E R S I T Y
S T U D E N T S ’
M A G A Z I N E
Riots in Perspective Page 16 Brian Cox Page 6
Exec Elections Pages 18 + 19, 20
Guardian Masterclass Pages 15
DCA Art Review Pages 12 + 13
Vote RON? Pages 9
THIS MONTH IN THE MAGDALEN Editorial and Campus News
Current Affairs
Alex Shilling Interviews Brian Cox RON (Re-Open Nominations?)
Lifestyle
Citizens Advice Bureau DCA: Top 5 Patrons You Hate
Art
Jane and Louise Wilson Tin Roof and ‘Artist of the Month’
Features
Guardian Work Experience Riots in Perspective DUSA Executive Student Elections
Contents
4+5
6-8 9
Fashion
Campus Style Style Crush A Picture Perfect Icon
Entertainment
10 11
Scottish Dance Theatre Shame Film Review Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy Enter Shikari
12+13 14
Korea Anyone? Day Trips From Dundee
15 16+17 18+19, 20
NFL/Superbowl Decline of Scottish Football Ultimate Frisbee Sports Union/Player of the Month
Travel
The Magdalen
Sport
NO. 28 - MAR 2012
20+21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
30 31 32+33 34+35
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EDITORIAL It may surprise those of you in meatspace that our Students Union will soon be holding their annual elections for the Student Executive, Media Managers, and School Presidents. If you avoid the DUSA Facebook pages, then you may not have heard this is happening. This month we’ve taken some time to look at the elections and the candidates, and ask some long overdue questions. We contacted those running for the positions on the students’ executive, and those who replied (there were many who didn’t) surprised us with their rather predictable, boring answers. We have responded suitably. Do you know who or what RON is? RON (Re-open nominations) is a system which was introduced in last year’s executive elections to do exactly what its name suggests. Ana Hine has explored why RON might a be a great choice for your vote. (If you don’t want to vote for any of the available candidates, or you don’t think those candidates should win, I compel you to vote RON.) Our new website is nearly here! It has been a long time coming, but we’re excited to announce that it is around the corner! So why not check out: www.themagdalen.co.uk - have a read, leave a comment, and let us know what you think! Enjoy, Finlay Craig Editor in Chief
This issue of The Magdalen was brought to you by: Published By: Navid Gornall, DUSA, Airlie Place, Dundee, DD1 4HP - vpc@dusa.co.uk Printed By: Winter & Simpson Print, 16 Duninane Ave., Dundee, DD2 3QT Editor in Chief: Finlay Craig - themagdalen@dusa.co.uk Assistant Editors of: Submissions: Emma Gaffney & Melina Nicolaides Production: Ana Hine & Mhairi Rutherford Online: Ashley Dorning, Henritetta Evans & Ciara McFadden
Category Editors
Production
Current Affairs: Alex Shilling Features: Ciara McFadden Entertainment: Kevin Fullerton Sport: Clare McCaughey Art: Ana Hine Lifestyle: Mhairi Rutherford Travel: Danielle Ames Fashion: Katarzyna Nazarewicz
Marketing: Nicholas Manderson Photography: Steven Fullerton Graphic Design: Jamie Law, Cassie Morrison, Danielle Ames, Cilein Kearns, Patrick Connarty, Nicholas Manderson & Peter Hine. Proof Reading: Ailsa Dempsey & Mariclaire White
Contributors: Alex Shilling, Finlay Craig, Melina Nicolaides, Nicholas Manderson, Inga Belokurova, Mhairi Rutherford, Jay Fraser, Magdalena Pentcheva, Alice Harrold, Megan Hutton-Smith, Danielle Ames, Kevein Fullerton, Cilein Metatarsals, Ali Dawson, Martyn Simpson, Sian Cook, Greg Smith, Connor Murray, Sophie Warburton, Clare McCaughey,, and Harrison Kelly.
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The Magdalen
NO. 28 - MAR 2012
Editorial
CAMPUS NEWS - MELINA NICOLAIDES The SOC Adventures DUSA TV’s latest show, ‘The SOC Adventures’, provides a humorous yet brilliant insight to our university’s societies. Frustrated by the complete lack of information DUSA provides regarding societies DUSA TV member, Maggie Pentcheva, came up with the concept of filming, interviewing and partaking in different societies so the student body has a better grasp on what they do. Maggie is not only the creative mind behind The SOC Adventures but also directs and presents the show. Her light-hearted enthusiasm brings to mind the witty shenanigans of Bridget Jones. The first episode of The SOC Adventures, which will premier at the start of this month, features Maggie dressed as Shakespeare interviewing Lip Theatre. She also had the amazing privilege of joining the members in practicing their ‘acting exercises’, helping in making the set and covering herself in baby powder. The second episode of The SOC Adventures, also to be released this month, features the boxing team and features Maggie knocking the Coach and a full blown Rocky Montage. When asked, Maggie revealed to
The Magdalen that coming societies to be featured on The SOC Adventures are Tae Kwon Do, the Sunday League, and Karate. To watch the show be sure to check out the DUSA TV Youtube channel. If you are a member or know someone who would like their society featured contact DUSA at steven@dusa.tv. Elections This month’s issue focuses heavily on the DUSA elections, further along in this issue there’s a run down of all the candidates (well the ones that responded to our email) and their policies. Voting begins on the 7th, 8th and 9th of this month, so VOTE! Or RON them all if you feel like they’re unfit. Lip Theatre Co. Lip Theatre’s latest production, an adaption of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, premiers in Mono at 7pm from the 19th to the 21st of this month. The show follows the familiar tale of Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole and the exciting, bewildering and often bizarre adventure that ensues in the world of Wonderland, but with an unexpected, darker twist. Tickets are £4, for more
information check out their facebook page, search: Lip Theatre Presents ‘Alice in Wonderland’. OpSoc The society that brought you the amazing Jesus Christ Superstar is now presenting the Broadway hit ‘Spring Awakening’! The landmark musical which was called ‘electrifying’ by Entertainment Weekly, explores the journey from adolescence to adulthood, and all the bumps in the road along the way. It follows a group of late 19th century German students dealing with sexual awakening, sexual frustration and the coming of age. Entertainment Weekly also called it “a celebration of youth and rebellion”. Last year Jesus Christ Superstar won Best Event by DUSA in 2011, and with Spring Awakening already having won 8 Tony Awards, this show looks promising! The show is premiering from the 7th to the 10th of this month at 7:30 pm in Bonar Hall. Tickets are available online at www. dundee-opsoc.co.uk or look for OpSoc members selling them outside of the Union in the weeks leading up to the show. Got some news? themagdalen@dusa.co.uk
DUSA MEDIA ELECTIONS
MEDIA MANAGER ELECTIONS 7TH - 9TH MARCH
The positions of DUSA TV Manager, Editor of The Magdalen, and Discover Radio Station Manager are being hotly contested in this year’s elections. Running for DUSA TV Manager are Maggie and Inga, for The Magdalen it’s between Ana, Melina, and Mhairi, and for Discover Radio it’s between Laura and Andi (and of course RON). Please take the time to vote this month. FINLAY CRAIG
Ana
Mel
Mhairi
Inga
Maggie
Laura
Andi
Campus News
The Magdalen NO. 28 - MAR 2012
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CURRENT AFFAIRS
Interview with Brian Cox
ALEX SHILLING
PAGE 6
The Magdalen
NO. 28 - MAR 2012
Current Affairs
CURRENT AFFAIRS
I
prepare thoroughly for all my interviews, the usual form- Google search, flick through articles written on subject by other interviewers, analyse possible topics, points to focus on, points to tread carefully aroundbut I honestly do not know what to expect from Brian Cox. He’s the one Dundonian I’ve always wanted to meet, ever since I came here to study the September before last, not purely for his connections to the university but also because, to a half-Scottish South Londoner fascinated by everything to do with his father’s homeland, Brian Cox seems to me to be the essence of Dundee. As such, I’ve not gone in with my usual tactic of having questions on every conceivable topic- armed only with a few open-ended questions as my foundations for the interview, I’m happy to just let Brian talk. If further proof were needed of the stature of Mr Cox in Dundee, this is it; the fact that someone who loves the sound of his own voice as much as I do is willing to shut up and let his interviewee talk! The first thing I ask Brian is a fairly routine question about his feelings on the university’s manner of dealing with the education cuts imposed by the Scottish government. He replies that he feels that “the cuts haven’t really affected Dundee like they’ve affected other universities as our book-keeping is a lot better than it is at other institutions.” He praises the attitude of the Scottish government as well- “we have a government that has this policy of free education for Scottish students. South of the border, there’s a very clear message that cuts are going to be affecting schools and universities, whereas up here, we’re trying to buck that system in a way.” This is a view that would be contested by many students in Dundee, let alone Scotland, but we have limited time so, much as I would like to, I cannot press him on it. Moving onto the subject of the proposed Dundee-Abertay merger last year, he is equally as forthright. In fact, for added affect, he repeats himself twice: “well, the merger was a no-no; it was always going to be a no-no. It was never going to happen; it was never going to happen because it was just a careless remark made (by Mike Russell, Scottish Education Secretary.)” My interviewee makes the point that many of the merger’s critics have made- about the differences in terms of institutions between our university and Abertay, and then goes on to damn Mr Russell’s proposal as “just one of these things that somebody said in a meeting, and somebody jumped on it, went “oh!” and it kind of blew up in a hysterical manner.” I’ve only asked Brian two questions so far, but I’m already convinced that my policy of asking him open-ended questions is paying
off. His style of answer is straightforward, but not blunt; to the point, but not dealing with the point in hand and nothing moreBrian Cox manages to make his answers full of possibility. His views on the DUSA Exec are also a cause for interest- particularly in light of the forthcoming campaigning schedule. He says that he feels that the current Exec “are doing a good job,” but that “they need a sense of continuity- I personally would like to see the President serve for more than one year.” This is a point: why does the DUSA President only, typically, serve for the one year? “If you think about what’s going on at the moment- with the cuts that are happening, and the re-structuring of the university and the President being responsible for looking after the best interests of students amidst all that and the kind of frustration felt by the President, because he has a vision for the place, I do think that it would be better if the President served for two years rather than one.” Again, a straightforward point made, but one that makes a lot of sense. Iain Kennedy, of course, is re-running for DUSA President, if he is successful, how valid Brian’s point is will be interesting to watch next academic year. Those of you who are friends with Brian on Facebook will have noticed his occasional status updates- typically exhortations for students to “get off Facebook and do your work!” or more recently, “if you’re in a class/lecture and on Facebook, log off this instant!” With this
who will read this and damn Brian as an old fuddy-duddy stuck in the past, unable to cope, late alone engage with, the latest developments in technology. But I’m not one of them. Personally, I think we could all learn to step back from websites like Facebook and Twitter and imagine our lives without them. Our rector’s view is that these websites “distract people and it’s habit-forming, like smoking. It’s something they do every day, and they can’t stop it.” I’m as guilty as the next student when it comes to social networking sites- the first thing I do when I wake up every morning is check my Facebook and Twitter, before I’ve even showered or brushed my teeth; which, aside from being extremely obsessive, is pretty disgusting when you think about it. But the point that Brian’s making is that this is not just a lifestyle issue- the way in which our lives revolve around these websites are actually damaging our academic careers. And the worst thing, in my eyes, is that we’re actually aware of this. During exam season, how many of us post Facebook statuses or Tweets along the lines of “opened a textbook.. been on Facebook for the last 20 mins. revisions going well then lol”? I’ve seen scores of them over the last 12 months alone. What Brian’s pointing out is that we are sabotaging ourselves, and I reckon he’s right. It seems so very easy to stop it, but talk to any student and they’ll tell you a different story. Brian’s been replying to my question for a good couple of minutes and I am reluctant to disrupt his flow, as this is all excellent but I
“I personally would like to see the President serve for more than one year.” - Brian Cox
Current Affairs
in mind, I quiz him on the topic of online media. Brian tenses, as if he knows I’m going to ask him this question, and hesitates before replying “I’m not a great one for social networking sites.” Without wishing to be patronising, this is not exactly atypical for his generation. He goes on- “I’m very happy to interact, but the one time I did actually put something, no one actually reacted to me at all!” Not strictly speaking true- his “get off Facebook and do your work!” clarion calls to arms status attracted forty-eight likes and seven comments, but I do see his point. Facebook just isn’t his thing, and neither is Twitter. Fair enough. But he hasn’t quite finished. “I’m not a great Facebook fan, it’s a lovely idea and I can see its upside, but I can also see its downside- which is that it’s just another distraction, another element to the multitasking which we all try to do too much of.” If I’m honest, this is exactly the kind of answer I was hoping for when I asked Brian the question about Facebook. There are some going to be some students out there
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gauge that we have quarter of an hour left at most, so again, have to move on. I quiz Brian about a subject close to the hearts of more than a few students- unpaid internships. Not for the first time, I’m surprised by his answer. “I’m a professional actor and I’d expect to be paid for my work that I do, and I don’t see why that should be any different for students doing internships.” Once again, brief but making a courageous and perhaps unexpected point. “They should take something out of their internships if that’s what they’re doing- even if it’s just having their lunch paid for.” The student internship issue, of course, was analysed in a very wellresearched article by Mariclaire White in the December issue of the Magdalen, and from her findings in the piece and from my own knowledge of student internships, students do get a poor deal with employment, particularly internships. Brian is the university rector, our representative on the national stage who promises on his Twitter account (which mysteriously, hasn’t been used since April of last year) to “defend
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CURRENT AFFAIRS you (the students) at every turn” and it will be interesting to see if he follows this unpaid internship issue up on the national stage- going back to the merger issue, Brian informed me that he was involved in “interaction with governmental decisions” with Mike Russell, so he clearly does have some kind of input at governmental level. My assertion at the start of the article that Brian Cox is the essence of Dundee is backed up by his answer to my penultimate question. Why, I enquire of the man who was born into a Roman Catholic family in Dundee, is Dundee so great? What’s its attraction to students? Yet another surprising answer. “When I was growing up in Dundee, I used to look out on the River Tay and say to myself that as soon as I could, I’d leave- I couldn’t wait to get out of Dundee.” It occured to me that many people feel that way about their hometown- until I moved to Dundee, I’d lived in London for nearly 19 years and love it more than I can say, but of the four universities that I applied to, four were in Scotland. In my experience, young people want to prove that they can manage under their own steam, away from the influence of parents and teachers, and I was no different. Brian continues, “but now, I come back to Dundee, I’ll always come back.” He then goes on to praise Dundee as a city, to say how much it’s changed, and praises the people of Dundee for the way the handled the difficulties posed in previous decades. “When I look back and see the change Dundee underwent in the 1960s, and the way it suffered then, when
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the government at the time tried to turn Dundee into the biggest carpark in the UK, it’s incredible that Dundee has come through it.” And it is incredible. People I know take the mickey out of Dundee and refer to it as “Scumdee,” but the fact is, it’s a great place for students to be. There’s so much going on and the city is so welcoming that one can’t help but feel one’s made the right choice to study here. The “Scumdee” references typically come from my friends in Glasgow- but then Glasgow has its own problems. Why does Dundee have none of the problems with sectarianism that cities like Glasgow have? Brian tells me that “when I was growing up, being a Catholic, we used to have fights with the Protestants- but there was nothing nasty in it, we were just messing about. I think the real reason that there was never any serious sectarianism was because of the trade at the mills. Both Protestants and Catholics would work together side by side.” At this point, the charming PA from the DUSA Media Hub office opens the door and tells us with a smile that Brian’s got five minutes till his next appointment. I ask my last question. What does he think students can get out of being involved in organisations such as the Magdalen? “It helps people to keep focus, it’s all good life experience.” He goes on to relate a story about meeting some students near Duncan of Jordanstone art college the day before this interview, and getting talking to a 4th year History student. “I got talking to this guy, and he told me that it was only now
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that he realised he was unhappy. I asked him how many hours he was in uni a week for, and he told me three.” Even to me, a 2nd year Politics slacker, these hours sound short. “There are too many people walking round campus with too little time on their hands.” Out of all the well-thought out, clear, constructive points he has made during the course of this interview about students, about government, about Dundee, I think that this is the most significant. We, as students, do an awful lot of things other than study. We eat, we play video games, we get drunk, we procrastinate, but when our own rector is noticing that, from what is after all just a visit of a few days to his hometown, I think it’s time for us to look at our lifestyle. I don’t think that just because Brian Cox has told me, the thought has been in the back of my mind for some time and it’s only now that I’m seriously considering it. This twenty minutes or so that I’ve spent chatting with Brian have been the most interesting twenty minutes of my second year at Dundee so far, but I believe that it’s important for me not just as a journalist, but as a human being, to actually take something out of what my interviewee says, as opposed to simply recording it, writing it down and using it in an interview for the student magazine. Today, if nothing else, our university rector has made me think- about my government, about my fellow students, and about myself- and I don’t think that I could ask much more from any interviewee than that.
Current Affairs
Vote RON ? ANA HINE & FINLAY CRAIG
W
hen you log on to your MyDundee from the 7th till the 9th of March, you’ll notice a new tab on the right hand side of the screen marked ‘elections’. If you click on it (which, y’know, you should) you’ll be able to vote in the DUSA election for 2012/2013. If you don’t know who to vote for, don’t support any particular candidate or disagree with a position being uncontested, you can click on the option labelled RON (or re-open nominations) which ensures that the election process is kept democratic. It’s easy to be apathetic about voting. After all, it’s difficult to see the effect that the Exec has on the student experience here at Dundee Uni. I mean, what do they do tucked away in their union offices all day? Have you ever been to the Exec? Their offices are across from the pool tables, on the right. It’s a big door with offices inside… It’s understandable why you might not be aware of the particular role of individual members of the Exec though. Maybe you’re more concerned with your degree, with going to class or with Skint on a Tuesday night. Consider though the fact that more people go to Skint on a Saturday during the Summer than vote in the Elections. It’s not just these few days in March that matter, it’s about the whole of the next academic year. The Exec have influence and they do represent the student body. For example, members of the Exec regularly meet up with financiers, academics and advertisers,
Current Affairs
making decisions that effect us on the basis of what these people say. The idea that we could go through the whole of our University degrees and never learn about what the Exec really does is shocking. Student’s shouldn’t feel bad about approaching members of the Exec on campus, or even sending emails to them. But its not just the Exec who are there to represent you. There are media managers, school presidents and class reps there to hear your queries and problems, and it is important to keep these channels of communication open. There is a perception that the Exec is
He’s dating a member of the Union staff and he’s a bouncer here too. Is he qualified for the job of VPCC? Or did he just know that the position would be open? What about Julie McGovern, whose non-sabbatical (unpaid) position has been integrated into the sabbatical position of VPC (Vice-President of Communications) to create the VPCC position? She’s standing for Independent Court Member. Or Iain MacKinnon who doesn’t receive any financial comeuppance for the work that he does, and yet is so dedicated that I saw him in his office on a Sunday evening. (Shows I’m pretty committed too...) He’s
If RON wins the nominations WILL be reopened. So if you’re in doubt or you disagree with the way things are going – Vote RON! cliquey, but we have allowed it to become so. Did you know that our current President, Iain Kennedy is re-running for President? Or that Rachel Doherty, (currently VPSA, Vice-President of Student Assocations), is now running for the position of Deputy President (along side Sophie Warburton, President of the Sports Union)? It seems like every position has an unsavoury story behind it. Take the uncontested candidate for VPCC (Vice-President of Campaigns and Communications), Daniel Charlie Mc Glade.
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running for uncontested re-election. RON is so important because these positions aren’t merely ceremonial titles. Whoever wins will receive an office, and a bar tab. Some will even earn as much as £17,000. If RON wins the nominations WILL be reopened. So if you’re in doubt or you disagree with the way things are going – Vote RON.
Voting begins on
Wednesday 7th March PAGE 9
ART
Jane and Louise Wilson Exhibition, DCA Saturday 21 January - Sunday 25 March JAY FRAZER
B
efore visiting their new exhibition at DCA, I was already well aware of Jane and Louise Wilson, the sibling artists who often work together as a duo. I had heard of their twin antics in the past; how they both submitted exactly the same degree show at separate colleges (Duncan of Jordanstone and Newcastle Polytechnic). I had wondered if this was perhaps a play on art colleges and their grading system, or if they just relied on each others’ ideas and approaches to artistic work to be successful. In essence, they intrigued me. I had heard rumours about the pair hiring photographers and not capturing the images for their works themselves. To me this was a blow to how art should be made; it should be a hands-on practice, with interaction with materials essential. So I went in with judgemental eyes, already feeling critical and a little cheated. However, as I began to survey the photographs I began to wonder to what extent the person who took the photos mattered, as the first images in the gallery are beautiful yet shocking. Someone captured these highly impacting images and even if it wasn’t the artists themselves, they decided to display them. These initial large images are photographic prints that depict the abandoned town of Pripyat, a town affected by a tragic nuclear accident, and the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. The prints are ghostly images of various abandoned public places within the town, for example a cinema, a nursery and a swimming pool. The tragic stories behind these massive prints makes the experience of viewing them all the more imposing. There is a vibrant rich colour to each of them which, in contrast to the desolation, gives the scenes an ironic feel. In some there is evidence of nature thriving; trees and plants encroach on the buildings seemingly swallowing the remains of what was once the town. The prints have an aluminium surface and so appear very glossy. To begin with this irritated me as reflections of other viewers are quite obvious, however the more I delved into the atmosphere of the photographs the more I realised the texture of the pieces make it possible to do so. The glossy surface draws you in, and the reflections begin to become ghostly figures, appropriately adding to the eerie scenes. There is also a sculpture made of multiple yard sticks, an image that runs throughout the exhibition. Within each of the Chernobyl prints one of these measuring sticks is placed. To begin with
the point of these sticks eluded me, but I soon realised that their conveyed idea of ‘the limit of measurement’ may not be the only reason for their presence. I felt that the artists wanted to impose their own idea and creation onto these images to make them their own. It seems to me almost unjustifiable to use images of a disaster that, as far as I know, is of no emotional connection to the twins. Though they did visit the site and I’m sure they were emotionally affected by the experience, placing the measuring sticks seems to be a marking of ownership. But perhaps I am missing the point and the sticks are merely what they say: an ironic representation of the fact that the enormity of this catastrophe cannot be measured. However, it did still seem as if they were attempting to employ the shock factor on the public who are, sad as it is, drawn in by this tragedy and disaster. The second part of the exhibition contains a film installation based on the story of a hotel murder in Dubai. While I understood the recurring theme of shock and disaster, after the Chernobyl prints I felt less affected by the constructed CCTV images of a man entering a hotel. Images of the artists themselves occasionally come onto the screen with various parts of their faces highlighted, highlighting their obvious interest in repetition of pattern which can perhaps be linked to the fact they are twins and so have very similar facial features. However, the films didn’t flow very fluently for me but did certainly impose an atmosphere. One film projected was also mirrored on two other walls, making you feel as if you were part of the installation. The mirrors also seemed to tie-in with the concept of repetition and pattern which features throughout. The last section is a selection of 16 screen prints, which were especially created for the exhibition. They are portraits of the artists, again with painted faces. These images are printed onto mirrored Perspex and have another layer, consisting of captured scenes taken from the CCTV footage within the videos. Once again, the Wilson sister’s have taken a tragic story and imposed themselves onto it to make it their own. These seemed the perfect conclusion to the exhibition as it rounded up most of their main themes: tragedy, indulgence of the viewer and self-presence. All in all, the exhibition had an eerie, imposing feel which leaves you thinking about major themes rather than merely the images themselves.
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The Magdalen NO. 28 - MARCH 2012
Art
“It seems to me almost un-justifiable to use images of a disaster that, as far as I know, is of no emotional connection to the twins.” - Jay Frazer
Jane and Louise Wilson Atomgrad (Nature Abhors a Vacuum) 2010 Courtesy of Jane & Louise Wilson and 303 Gallery, New York and Galería Helga de Alvear, Madrid.
Art
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ART
A glimpse into an art student’s mind. Siobhan Morison - 2nd Year
Tin Roof: Art Collective ANA HINE
I
MAGDALENA PENTCHEVA Your influences? They vary a lot, depend on the project but at the moment they are Constantin Brancusi and Peter Randall Page. They make sculptures that look organic, alive, it’s as if they are going to start moving. It makes me slightly uncomfortable, which I like. Thoughts on modern art? Tricky, I used to hate modern art and think ‘just squiggles’ but learning more about colour and shape I now appreciate them more. Well, I still think some of it is squiggles. Why apply for art at university? When I was young, art as a profession was frowned upon and not a ‘proper’ job and if you had any brain at all you shouldn’t pursue it. Then I had enough! Favorite masterpiece? I do love the line drawings of Rafael and Leonardo. The more you find about different artists the more there is to explore. Favourite artist? My favourite sculptor is Barbara Hepworth and favourite painter Lucian Freud. In a fight who would win Barbara or Lucian? Barbara of course, she has big, big sculptures. Just drop them!
t’s been a year since the first keys to the studios were given out at Tin Roof. And they’ve just had a little party to celebrate their one year anniversary. Joanna Helfer, one of the founding members of the collective, is showing me around. “It’s very sort of DIY, the whole concept of Tin Roof. Everyone contributes, we’re not putting everything on for everyone. It’s not slick. It’s not tidy or clean. You have to muck in if you want to get involved. The advantage is that it’s very, very cheap and you immediately get a sense of belongs and community rather than little pockets of people working.” Helfer is dressed in blue overalls. Something I’ve never seen on a real life person before. She leads me through the labyrinthine space – pointing out which makeshift studio belongs to who. It was Emma Alexander who opened the door to me though (the annoying thing about these kinds of places is that they’re bloody difficult to get into. I’d been banging on the grated metal door for about five minutes before texting her with a quick ‘I’m here, let me in for the interview please’. There was ice on the ground.). It’s not much warmer inside. The different people milling around are all wrapped up in coats and scarfs. Industrial warehouses might be cool, but they’re not known for being well insulated. When you first walk into Tin Roof what hits you is how much it looks like an art collective should. There’s old sofas to lounge on, a small white walled exhibition space (which will be hosting a show by Neil Nodzak this month), a rickety wooden staircase leading up to an empty upper floor that just begs to have raves hosted in it, a workroom area with hacksaws and power tools, a cosy little kitchen, a single toilet, and dozens of little dens filled with second hand furniture and cutting edge artwork. Studio spaces come in two sizes. A full sized one is £60 a month and a half is £30, but don’t even think about enquiring after
one – they’ve been booked up till next year. In May 2010 Alexander and Helfer founded the collective as a response to what they perceived as a lack of facilities for emerging artists. They found that their art school peers were worried about losing the creative feedback and communication that they got from being around other artists everyday. Helfer explains that: “We were like ‘yeah, something needs to change.’ We were part of a really proactive group of art students who were like ‘right, we can’t just let that atmosphere or productivity just disappear when everyone graduates and moves away.’ So we asked ourselves why no-one wanted to stay here and it was because there was nothing going on and because there was no affordable studio space.” Being the kind of place it is, Tin Roof is a good place to learn about other art events going on in the city. There’s talk of the Ickle Film Festival organised by Jammy Hurricane, which is currently looking for submissions. Then there’s the events that they host themselves. Last summer there was the Tin Roof Barbecue, Yard of Fun, and Avant-Yard. Yard of Fun was is association with the zine Yuck N Yum (i.e. booze was also supplied by them) while Avant-Yard was with Rhythmachine (“post-degree show madness” according to Helfer). Tin Roof is volunteer run and seems to be mostly held together with love and youthful exuberance. Be sure to pop down sometime (just make sure you have someone’s number). Tin Roof can be found at : 17 Ure Street, Dundee They are also on Facebook : facebook.com/groups/135086906539023/?ref=ts
FEATURES
Guardian Masterclass ALICE HARROLD
I don’t think I’ve ever been more nervous than when I walked into The Guardian’s Reception, York Way, London and sat in the waiting area for the course to begin. The building is a cross between an Ikea and the Google headquarters so basically, it’s amazing. The walls are made of glass and the chairs are all massive, comfy and brightly coloured. There is a glass cabinet winding around the corridors filled with awards and impressive things. I even saw an Emmy. The reason I was there was to take a two day master class with Guardian journalists Heather Brooke and Paul Lewis in investigatory journalism. Brooke broke the MP expenses scandal last year and Lewis revealed the story on Mark Kennedy’s undercover policing, along with many other things. The nerves I had came on suddenly when I realised that almost everyone else waiting looked very adult in an ‘I have a real job’ sort of way. As it turned out, among the others taking the course were reporters from The Washington Post, Star (a German magazine), and the BBC to name just a few. There was also a lawyer, a dramatist and someone from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and many other interesting jobs. Thankfully though, there were also four other students. My nerves aside, I couldn’t get out of my head how much this had cost. The fee to take part was £500. I know, it’s insane. And that’s not including transport to London and accommodation for two nights. So as I’m sure you can imagine I was expecting this to be brilliant. And it was. We learnt about the Freedom of Information Act, how to find people online, how to access police records etc. James Ball who worked at WikiLeaks before he started at The Guardian spoke to us about encrypting information online and keeping sources anonymous. And on top of all this I was getting the chance to meet and learn from working journalists. The Guardian, like many media companies is using its resources of talented writers to give people what they want: experience. They offer lots of different master classes from comic fiction to food writing to song writing. There’s something for everyone who wants to be published one way or another. But is it worth the extortionate rates? Is it good that only some
Features
people and companies can afford these types of courses? Is this a necessary new way for print media to support itself? Journalism is one of the many industries where connections and experience are as important, if not more important than a degree. The hardest thing is getting your foot in the door but as it turns out you can pay your way in too. I think it is completely unfair that this kind of experience can be bought and that it is so expensive at that. I think instead that paid internships which lead to jobs should be far more widely encouraged and available. That said, obviously paying for a course doesn’t necessarily get you a job but it can
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be what gets you the experience that will. So if I feel this way why did I take part? Sadly, this is the way that things are done right now and you can either get involved or step aside. My abstaining wouldn’t have changed anything except hurting my prospects. I ended the weekend having a drink in the bar downstairs in The Guardian building with a table of journalists (Heather Brooke and James Ball included) discussing WikiLeaks, religious halls in Oxford, the dangers of reporting in Egypt and feeling very happy with myself. I wish this wasn’t the way things were done but I’m still glad I went.
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FEATURES
W
ith over half a year having passed since the 2011 England riots, have we gained any new perspective on them? The Guardian recently ran a series of articles called ‘Reading the Riots’ about research carried out by the paper and The London School of Economics based on interviews with 270 anonymous rioters. This study has given a unique insight into the statistics on rioters and what they consider to have been their motives. Of those interviewed 78% of them were under the age of 25, 47% were black, 79% were male and the majority of them were from London. The riots were an awful display of violent anger that divided communities, made conditions worse in many ways for young people and ultimately resulted in the
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deaths of five people. It is important though to understand where that anger came from to prevent it from happening again. So what actually happened and what caused it? According to the Guardian report, “the riots began as a small-scale disorder in Tottenham, north London, on 6 August [when] a peaceful protest against the police shooting of a local black man, Mark Duggan, two days earlier, turned into more serious violence.” The riots continued until the 9th August and spread across England as buildings and vehicles were burnt, shops were looted and battles between the police and the public came to a head. The Guardian compared what the interviewees considered as important causes of the riots with ICM Research of the publics’ opinion. The rioters considered
poverty, policing, government policy and the shooting of Mark Duggan much more important causes than the general public. The public considered criminality, moral decline, poor parenting and gangs to be more influential. On August 11th 2011, David Cameron said, “gangs were at the heart of the protests and have been behind the co-ordinated attacks.” But according to police records, only 13% of those arrested were gang members. The Guardian report suggests that gangs, although involved, had little to do with the orchestration and that there was actually a truce in gang hostilities during the riots. How important was the current economic situation to the riots? The rioters interviewed frequently mentioned the cutting of the Education Maintenance
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Features
The Magdalen
FEATURES
The Riots in Perspective ALICE HARROLD
Photo: BuBuKa2 |flickr All rights reserved
Allowance, the £9,000 tuition fees and the closure of youth services as reasons for rioting. Yes, looting was a major part of what went on during the riots and two thirds of rioters convicted were charged for robbery but those interviewed described the theft as opportunistic as opposed to being the purpose of the riots. So it’s fair to conclude that even if looting didn’t happen, the violence would have occurred. Looting was a symptom; not the cause. There is an obvious pattern between rioting and periods of economic or social hardship in Britain. In 1981 there were riots around England in April and July. The 1980s of course was also a time of recession. Unemployment passed two and a half million people in Britain, a level not reached
Features
since the 1930s. In 2012 cuts have hit young people especially hard and almost 1 million people under the age of 25 are unemployed. According to the Guardian report, “analysis of more than 1,000 court records suggests 59% of the England rioters came from the most deprived areas of the UK.” The Conservative Party government in power during the 1981 riots instituted the stop and search power under the Vagrancy Act of 1824. This meant that police could now stop and search people based only on a ‘reasonable suspicion’ that an offence had been committed. The method was applied disproportionately to the black community and caused widespread resentment amongst young black men towards the authorities.
The modern stop and search policy was sighted by interviewees as a motivation to riot for the same reasons: perceived racism and a lack of respect on the part of the police. 73% of those interviewed said that they had been stopped and searched in the last 12 months. Possibly the most important fact to take from this report is that 81% said they thought the riots would happen again and 35% said that they would participate. If rioting on this scale were to happen again would we be any better prepared? Or could tackling youth unemployment, tuition fees, policing tactics etc. stop the riots from reoccurring? The answer remains unclear..
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The Magdalen
FASHION
Campus Style MELINA NICOLAIDES
TH ! N O M E H T H OF S U R C E L Y MEL’S ST Chelsea Penny Anyone who has flipped through a magazine or walked through the Overgate must have noticed the fashion world’s new, edgier alternative to the skinny jean, the leather trouser. Originating in the 1930s, they were worn by the working men of Germanic countries, fast forward a couple of decades and they’re being worn by rock legends such as Axl Rose and Steven Tyler. That is until they caught the eyes of Karl Lagerfeld and Olivier Rousteing who slapped them on models such as Kate Moss and Miranda Kerr, who were then photographed in them creating a huge demand for high street stores to start producing them at reasonable prices and finally now that the initial commotion surrounding the trend has died down and people are still buying them we can see that the leather legging is going to be around for a while. Anyways, pulling off leather trousers or leggings, is a feat in itself which I previously thought was near impossible unless you were Kate Moss or Miranda Kerr. However, Chelsea Penny, a first year hair-
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The Magdalen
dressing student at Dundee College, pulls them off with ease. The reason her leather leggings look so good is because of a few simple reasons, the first being, she invested in a good pair. When buying leather leggings do not be cheap. You have to prepare to splash out a little, because if the leather looks cheap, you will look cheap. If you’re unsure if the leather looks cheap the easiest way to tell is by how shiny it is. You want less shine, a matte leather is the way to go. They will be more expensive but worth it. And, fear not, you don’t have to hit Chanel or Balmain to get yourself a quality pair, Chelsea got hers from Topshop and they look fantastic. The next reason that Chelsea’s leggings look amazing is because she paired them with a classic, structured blazer and a printed tshirt. The blazer, printed t-shirt, leather leggings combo has become a quintessential look this past year and now rivals the Little Black Dress for the title of ‘best going out ensemble’. Chelsea finishes off the look with a pair of adorable leopard print heels adding a playful element to the outfit. Ultimately the outfit is a 10/10. Chelsea, you’re doing it right.
NO. 28 - MAR 2012
Fashion
Trend Report: LBD The little black dress, invented by Coco Chan el and later immortaliz Audrey Hepburn in Brea ed by kfast at Tiffany’s, revo lutionized the fashion w Chanel’s original LBD w orld. as first printed in Fren ch Vogue in 1926 and fe a drop waistline and a atured crew neckline. While it has evolved through th ades it remains the un e deciform for a Girl’s Night Out. This month, I hit to see how Dundee Un Skint iversity girls wear their own LBDs.
Rachael Boyle
Maddie Malone
Louise Hamilton
First Year Dentistry
First Year Computer Graphic Applications Development
Second Year Sport & Exercise
Rachael’s LBD is an A-line, shift and was bought from Zara. She pairs it with nude heels from Barratts automatically making the look scream classic elegance.
Fashion
Maddie’s asymmetrical LBD has a ruffle going across the sleeve, which makes it incredibly playful. She throws caution to the wind and braves the winter weather with bare legs and those gorgeous black, suede wedges that seem to havetaken over the high street this season. She bought both the shoes and the dress at www.boohoo.com.
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Louise’s LBD was bought at New Look and is also a shift, however hers features embellished shoulders, which unfortunately you cannot see because of my lacking photography skills. She pairs it with black tights, and black heels making the look both sexy and couture-chic.
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FEATURES
THE MAGDALEN’S SATIRICAL ROUND UP OF THE STUDENT EXEC. ELECTION NOMINEES
CANDIDATES THAT DID NOT REPLY TO THE MAGDALEN
Natasha McKim
RUNNING FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT WELFARE
Frances MacLachlan
RUNNING FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT ACTIVITES
Craig McKirgan We contacted this years candidates for the DUSA Elections about why they’re running. From those who replied, there was too much rhetoric and too few original ideas. We feel this attitude is an unacceptable status quo to leave unquestioned for another year at our £6M a year Students’ Union. So we decided to poke a little fun at how poorly considered, painfully generic, and perfectly banal some responses were.
RUNNING FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT ACTIVITES
Sophie Warburton RUNNING FOR DEPUTY PRESIDENT
What can you bring to the role that it otherwise lacks? “Experience. The role of President is a complex one, it takes time to understand the job and build relationships in order to deliver for students, I have been able to achieve these things and now I want to move forward with new ideas to make the student voice even louder on campus.”
Iain Kennedy (Current DUSA President running for re-election) Why are you reapplying? “I have decided to stand for re-election for one main reason: I still have more to offer DUSA and its student members. Over the past 12 months I have been able to gain a new perspective on where DUSA and the university must do more, areas such as making lecturers more available to their students and ensuring that the Union is the best place in Dundee to unwind.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: I haven’t realised my original policies, I wish to make lectures more available, and I’d like to maintain DUSA as primarily a cheap pub. PAGE 18
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: I have spent 5 years working in DUSA, 1 year getting my seat warm and would hate to let all that hard work go to waste. What is your proudest achievement in the position you held last year? “This year’s Exec have achieved a lot, but my personal proudest achievement was helping to prevent the merger of Dundee and Abertay through working with Abertay’s President to force the Education Minister to publically rule out a merger.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: I agreed quietly with Abertay’s strong and vocal campaign against the proposed merger of Dundee University and Abertay.
Paul Hosking (Running for DUSA President) Why are you applying? “Because students aren’t receiving the best level of support. New students deserve to be made welcome and supported. However, there needs to be more support for all ages. Budget cuts are also making it financially difficult, and I believe the university can help students to budget effectively. The student experience is the best time of your life: we can make this better.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: Students only know the Union as a place to drink, and students are bad at spending their money intelligently...oh and budget cuts; they are important. Features
What can you bring to the role that it otherwise lacks? “Student representation at Dundee is flawed. I am determined to change how representation is conducted at the university. DUSA is the centre for student experience and it could be used more effectively. I want to try and engage everyone because I’m eager to change the student experience.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: DUSA is cliquey and is becoming more irrelevant from the student experience year on year. Representation is flawed, but I am eager to change the student experience...? What experience have you had that makes you a suitable candidate for this role? “I’ve been a class rep for four years. I know how the representation system works. I was also a discipline rep, so have liaised with the SRC. I was a prefect and mentor as well so have a lot of organisational experience. I have experience helping people who want change and support. I’ve also had plenty of meetings with staff.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: I have worked closely with the clique I do not like.
Rachael Doherty (Current DUSA VPSA) running for Deputy President. Why are you reapplying? “I am running for the position of Deputy President having noticed the lack of student involvement on the wider campus. I wish to create a bigger sense of campus community through the SRC.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: No one seems to care or notice what DUSA and Exec does. What can you bring to the role that it otherwise lacks? “Having seen first-hand what previous Deputy Presidents have achieved, I wish to make the SRC more Features
accessible to students so that we can improve pastoral care and student employability. I have already begun this task, but as Deputy President I would have a more substantial involvement within these areas.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: I am a good friend with the outgoing DP. This role will give me more power to realise my previous position’s policies. I have stopped doing my current work, as I think i’m going to win. If reapplying, what is your proudest achievement in the position you held last year? “I have worked within DUSA for a number of years as SRC rep and VPSA. I understand how DUSA and the University operate, long and short term. The implementation of Raising and Giving Week was fantastic in bringing everyone together to start building the community I intend to create on a wider scale. I am keen to build on my own and previous deputy presidents’ work to meet students’ needs through the use of contacts I have already made.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: I intend to build on sand.
Anna Dimitrova (Running for Vice President of Student Activities) Why are you applying? “The post of Vice President of Student Activities is key in the process of delivering outstanding student experience to the Dundee Uni community. For the past 3 years I have closely worked with the people who held that position as part of my involvement with societies on campus and I have seen how many wonderful ideas have come to reality through the past. But to me the international dimension of our diverse student body was not really reflected in those. So, I apply for the post in order to change that and create an event, sort
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of Nationalities Festival, that will work in the reverse way to how international events have done so far: it will introduce foreign cultures to Scotland, rather than Scottish culture to foreigners.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: Scotland is nice, but I’ve had 3 years of Haggis and Ceilidhs, and Scottish people need to get over them! What can you bring to the role that you feel it otherwise lacks? “In my opinion, my greatest contribution to the post would be my global outlook. Dundee University is a very popular destination for many internationals and this trend should be represented in the activities offered by DUSA apart from giving those people the chance to group in nationality based societies. Aside from the International Fest’s organization, I would like to attract the attention of global youth to Dundee University by continuing an event to be organized this year for the first time: a youth empowerment conference on the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: DUSA cannot see beyond the Tay. I plan to change this. What experience have you had that makes you a suitable candidate for this role? “For two years now I have sat on the Student Representative Council as International Students Rep and School of Humanities President. I am also very involved in societies’ life on campus by establishing the Diplomats@Dundee Society last year and organizing a huge project under it, the Discover to Inspire youth Conference. For all that and many more reasons, I feel I am a candidate very suitable for that role. For more, check my profile.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: I actually started a Society.
Continued over the page...
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Iain MacKinnon (Current DUSA Hon. Sec.) Sarah Getgood (Running for Vice President Student Welfare) Why are you applying? “I’m applying because I believe student welfare is one of the most important aspects of the union. There are a lot of potential pitfalls and it’s vital that students know they can turn to their union to help if they’re having a tough time.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: This is what I think you expect me to say. What can you bring to the role that you feel it otherwise lacks? “I believe I bring enthusiasm and passion, two of the things that awareness campaigns for welfare can lack! I would like to bring a stronger focus on mental health than there has been previously.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: <insert generic comment.> Mental health has been forgotten about, I plan to change this. What experience have you had that makes you a suitable candidate for this role? “I’ve spent the last year as an elected member of the Student Representative Council, as Equality, Welfare and Disability Rep. The experience of working with students in that capacity, and working in conjunction with the current VPSW are experiences that I think have definitely developed my capabilities, something that makes me a suitable candidate. I’ve spent over a year working as an administrative leader in an international on-line organisation; campaigns are no stranger to me!”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: I’m good at red tape.
Andrew Jardine (Running for Vice President of Student Engagement) Why are you applying? “I want to help the student body, as I feel I can bring experience to the new role, as well as taking on board and campaigning for the issues which are important to the student body.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: I want to help you, to help me, help you (help me). What can you bring to the role that you feel it otherwise lacks? “As this is a new position within the Executive, this question cannot really be answered. However, I aim to bring fun and approachability to the position as well as trying to engage with the wider student body on DUSA activities.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: One does not simply engage with the student body... If applying for the first time, what experience have you had that makes you a suitable candidate for this role? “I have sat on the Student Rep. Council for the last year as the 1st Year Learning and Teaching rep. This has involved engaging with class reps and trying to increase the strength of the links between them and the SRC. The latter part will be part of the remit of the new position, and so feel I can bring that linking experience to the Exec.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: My experience is actually relevant.
Iain MacKinnon (Current DUSA Honorary Secretary running for reelection) Why are you reapplying? “I’ve loved my first year on the Executive, it’s been really interesting seeing how things work behind the scenes and even though Honorary Secretary is a non-sabbatical position (unpaid, shared with studies) I still seem to spend an awful lot of my time in DUSA!”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: I want to help you, to help me, help you (help me). What can you bring to the role that it otherwise lacks? “Not sure how to answer this question seeing as I’m already in the role! I like to think I bring a bit of fun to role which could possibly be very dull, I like to get stuck into tasks and see them through to the end so I hope in that sense I help make things run more smoothly for everyone I work with.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: Awkward...errr...I guess I’ll try and be more fun!? What is your proudest achievement in the position you held last year? “I know it’s a cheesy answer, but honestly I can’t think of one specific achievement. Everything I’ve done has affected DUSA in some ways, from my Bye Law changes making the disciplinary process easier to my Air feedback cards which have (hopefully) helped make our menus tastier.”
WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: Extra cheese in the disciplinary process - not so good. Extra cheese in air bar? - Tasty success! Continued over the page...
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Features
Daniel McGlade (Running for Vice President of Communications and Campaigns) Why are you applying? “After 4 years of study at the University, two of which I have worked within DUSA part time, I experienced a lot, and would love the opportunity to contribute to the University in a major role, using my experiences to develop and enhance student life for future generations.”
Help on Campus from Citizens Advice FREEbyINDEPENDENT, Student Services
CONFIDENTIAL & IMPARTIAL A
re you having trouble with your and your landlord isn’t getting it fixed, landlord or your roommate? Are come and speak with us and we’ll listen your debts getting out of control? Is your and help guide you in getting the right employer treating you unfairly? Are you information and advice to get things settled. splitting up with a partner? Have you If you have an employer who is not bought something that does not work? responding to your request for a P45 when Citizens Advice have just opened an you leave employment, the HMRC tax WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: office on campus where you can talk to office can help encourage an employer to I will bring a set of skills. I will us about your problems with housing, give you the form, we can help you to get enhance stuff. debt, employment, consumer goods, in touch with HMRC. Do you know what relationships and benefits. We will try to help holidays you are entitled to and is your What can you bring to the role that OPENING TIMES paying you holiday pay? We can you by discussing what your problems are, employer you feel it otherwise lacks? giving you good, reliable information about help you source information on your rights “If elected I will bring a set of skills what your options are and this will assist you so that you can deal with things yourself developed throughout my university in making a decision as to what to do next. and know that you have your facts right. life, both in class, on the sports field We have helped our clients solve a range The CAB also offers work experience and within my employment. I will of problems with different approaches, and volunteering positions. John Young a sometimes a formal letter to a retailer from fourth year law student says, “I joined the enhance the student experience and LOCATION Citizens Advice pointing out your rights CAB almost two years ago because I was strengthen the bonds between Union will help resolve a consumer problem, in keen to improve my skills relating to my and University, to the benefit of the more complex cases the Citizens Advice Inlaw degree. The type of work involved with student body.” Court Project can assist with this, or maybe the CAB means you receive a lot of client the only way to recover a rent deposit is to contact which can improve interpersonal WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: take it to the small claims court, where again skills and problem solving abilities. I will bring a set of skills. I will you can be guided through the process by This type of experience is excellent for enhance stuff. the in-court advice service. At other times enhancing your CV and is looked upon it might be helpful just to know your rights favourably by graduate employers.” What experience have you had that and responsibilities, for example, when makes you a suitable candidate for you start cohabiting with your partner. You can get some information on these With debt problems, we might refer you to topics and more on our public website, this role? the Student Funding Unit to make sure you http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/scotland. “Working within DUSA has enabled me Issue 26 indd.indd 2 are getting all of the income you are eligible htm. Be sure that you use the Scotland to engage with permanent staff and gain for. If you still have debts we might be able tab on the adviceguide website because an understanding of the Student Union to refer you to a specialist debt adviser Scottish law and practice is sometimes as both a student and an employee. or show you a good, trustworthy website different from that in other parts of the UK. This experience is something I plan with advice on how you can manage to draw on, allowing me to work with your own debts. We also can provide an For advice on volunteering or work a greater understanding of processes appointment with the ADAPT (Avoid Debt experience opportnities email advice@ and the needs of the student body.” Act Positively Today) project who can offer dundee.ac.uk Or come and see us at advice and help with benefits, borrowing, the Advice Team reception, DUSA WHAT WE THINK IT MEANS: banking issues and budgeting or the Money level 4 on Wednesdays from 10:00 to I will bring a set of skills. I will Advice Project. They can offer assistance 13:00 and Thursdays from 13:00 – 16:00. on a one to one basis in being better enhance stuff. able in managing your financial affairs. Maybe neighbours complain if you are noisy or you have a leaking radiator
ADVICE ON YOUR RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES WEDNESDAY 10am - 1pm THURSDAY 1pm - 4pm
ADVICE TEAM RECEPTION, LEVEL 4 DUSA
www.adviceguide.org.uk
Features
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NO. 28 - MAR 2012
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25/11/2011 16:23
Style Crush:
Lana Del Rey
MELINA NICOLAIDES
A
rmed with a voice so hauntingly beautiful it puts Adele to shame, it is no wonder Lana Del Rey has been pulled out of the grimy bars of the East Village and is being flown around the world to sing for the likes of John Galliano and Anna Wintour. This month’s Vogue cover girl and the Brit Awards’ International Breakthrough Act nominee seems to have both the fashion and music industry wrapped around her perfectly-manicured, little finger. What is it about Del Rey that is so magnetic? Aside from the voice, obviously. To begin with, her style. Separating herself from the exaggerated, outlandish style of her fellow Top 100 artists like Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj, she brings a fresh look to the the world of pop that has been long overdue. From being interviewed in jeans and a plain white t-shirt to gracing the Brit Awards in a siren-red, off the shoulder gown it becomes clear that her impeccable style is almost impossible to categorize. Glamourous, sexy, romantic, vintage, girly, retro, americana - all seems to encapsulate it, while simultaneously not doing it justice. She can be found at the fashion industry’s hottest event in a floral shift dress and the next day be spotted smoking on the streets of New York in old-school cut offs, a vintage varsity jacket with a backwards baseball hat. However, despite what she’s wearing, be it
jeans or a gown, she always pairs her ensemble with her signature winged eyeliner and red lips, ultimately conjuring up images of old Hollywood glamour. While everyone from Christina Aguilera to Kim Kardashian has tried to work the old Hollywood glamour look, Del Rey actually pulls it off with ease, as if she were born in the 40s and stumbled into 2012 by mistake. Her style, much like her music, is a romantic reflection of the timeless fashion of the past. Furthermore, her complete nonchalance regarding her overnight rise to fashion stardom only helps to heighten the captivating air surrounding her style. The lyrics, “I’m in his favorite sun dress/Watching me get undressed… I heard that you like the bad girls/ Honey, is that true?” from her hit song ‘Video Games’ reveal this hard pop style. So she’s wearing the dress he likes, calling him ‘Honey’ and yet the power seems to be definitely in her hands. Lana Del Rey doesn’t do coy. Though what is specifically interesting about her fashion sense is that she can wear incredibly young, feminine pieces in a serious, adult manner. Underneath the peter pan collars, false eyelashes and the classic Veronica Lake curls, it’s obvious you wouldn’t dare cross her. After all, she’s the only celebrity I can recall who wears doily lace while singing about hitting a guy in the back of the head with a gun. http://www.lanadelreymusic.ru http://whenthegramophonerings.com/ http://randomnessdarling.blogspot.com http://liveonbeauty.org http://getjaam.blogspot.com
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Fashion
FASHION
A Picture Perfect Icon
MEGAN HUTTON-SMITH
M
odels have always been in the public eye, with many recently becoming high-profile celebrities outwith the fashion world. With the new BBC Four film We’ll Take Manhattan recently screened on TV and being lauded by the critic, light is now being shone upon the influential Sixties icon Jean Shrimpton. The Buckinghamshire born beauty first began modelling at the age of 17 after graduating from the Lucie Clayton modelling school in 1960. She gained instant public appeal by breaking the conventional mould of the voluptuous, upper-class model that was highly favoured in previous years. Her unique look consisted of a thick cut fringe, significant arched eyebrows and seductive doe-eyes which automatically shot her to fame as a fresh new face in the modelling world. Not only is she acclaimed as a Sixties icon but she has been hailed as one of the fashion world’s pioneers, having been credited with the launch of the miniskirt, dubbed the world’s first supermodel and as the first muse to famed fashion photographer David Bailey - a man that would help to propel her aspiring career. The pair met in 1960; Bailey was a rising star about to secure a contract with worldrenowned British Vogue. After briefly meet-
Fashion
ing the young Shrimpton he insisted on using her in a shoot. The photographs the pair produced were highly admired and propelled both Bailey and Shrimpton further into the limelight. Shrimpton first graced the cover of British Vogue in 1962 and became a frequent face during subsequent years, posing as the cover girl five times. Aside from being the face of British Vogue for an extended period of time, she gave rise to the infamous miniskirt. In 1965 Shrimpton emerged in Australia in a white shift dress which ended a daring 10cm above her knee, causing uproar amongst the media and shooting the trend to extreme popularity instantaneously. However, it was not only Shrimpton and Bailey’s professional relationship that was catching the attention of the world, but their chemistry behind the camera as well. Despite being married when the pair met, David Bailey romanced Shrimpton for four years and the pair were briefly engaged. When asked about their relationship, she commented: “We were instantly attracted, and whenever we worked together this attraction created a strong sexual atmosphere.” Both their private and professional relationships helped to launch the pair as two of the most influential icons of the Sixties.
The Magdalen
NO. 28 - MAR 2012
After a long stint in the spotlight, Jean Shrimpton decided to retreat from modelling and focus on family life after she gave birth to her son in 1979. Her departure from the fashion world would not decrease the significant impact she had on it. Her unconventional look and style gave the sixties the kick start it needed to establish itself as a brand new and alternative era; an era that would ultimately change the face of fashion for decades to come.
David Bailey and Jean Shrimpton
http://ghostinsnow.blogspot.com http://fanpix.net
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Entertainment
Scottish Dance Theatr e:
Pavlova’s Dogs KEVIN FULLERTON
I
’ve often wondered what it would be like to read a newcomers while also self-referencing enough to sate film review from someone who had never been in the appetite of a more hardened dance viewer. Over a cinema before, had never watched a film. Imagine its forty minute duration the viewer is subjected to a the sense of wonder that would be conveyed at the thought experiment that is at every turn undermined things we take for granted when we go; the dimming and made fun of by the performers. There are jokes of the lights, the curtains pulling back to reveal that about struggling for arts funding and what constitutes black monolith of a screen before you as the picture entertainment, but before long the light and bitchy begins. To see a medium with entirely fresh eyes is an humour falls more and more into the territory of exciting thing; it opens up a barrage of possibilities in surrealism as the performance becomes wild and your mind. It was only once I had left the Scottish Dance chaotic. Soon every normal social boundary is broken Theatre’s new production, Pavlova’s Dog, chattering down and the show erupts into an exhilarating frenzy away excitably about the show and marvelling at the that is as overwhelming as it is entertaining. technique of the dancers, that I realised that viewing It was an interesting experience for me as it an art form for the first time was exactly what I had just seemed to consciously break down almost every done. preconception I had towards “I WALKED AWAY FROM THE DUNDEE Fair warning: if you’re a fan dance. Before I entered the of contemporary dance or theatre I assumed I would be REP GENUINELY AMAZED THAT I HAD have any knowledge of it at all, watching an entirely serious NEVER WATCHED CONTEMPORARY then this review will probably and sober work of art. I was sound as naively stupid as oddly intimidated by the idea DANCE BEFORE” a man frightened of tying of a contemporary dance his shoelaces for fear of strangling himself. However, I show. But Pavlova and the shorter works before it were honestly walked away from the Dundee Rep genuinely brimming with such good nature that I was immediately amazed that I had never watched contemporary put at ease. The dancers perform with such astonishing dance before. The show consisted of five sections; four grace that is hard to imagine outwith the show itself and short dance pieces and then the main act, Pavlova’s despite the fact that the show is fully choreographed Dog, after the intermission. The shorter sections felt an air of effortless spontaneity radiates from the stage. like a whetting of the appetite for the main portion of Anyone as reticent as I was before going should set the show, featuring themes that were easier to grasp – their preconceptions aside and take a trip to the Rep, love, companionship, loneliness – which seemed to be because Pavlova’s Dog will succeed in shattering them. building up towards the far meatier Pavlova. An exploration of how viewers perceive the The Scottish Dance Theatre will be continuing their concept of contemporary dance itself, choreographer performances of Pavlova’s Dog throughout the Spring. Rachel Lopez de la Nieta has created a smart and Visit www.scottishdancetheatre.com for more hilarious piece with Pavlova’s Dog that is accessible for details. PAGE 24
The Magdalen
NO. 28 - MAR 2012
Entertainment
Entertainment
Reviews
KEVIN FULLERTON
I
The Descendants
t’s that time of the year again when every film in the cinema feels like it was purpose-built with an Oscar nomination in mind, and the new George Clooney vehicle The Descendants is no exception. The film tells the story of the descendant of wealthy Hawaiian landowner Matt King (Clooney) as he comes to terms with his wife falling into a potentially fatal coma after a boating accident. Now King, an absent father, must reconnect with his two daughters as they cope with the revelations that follow the tragic accident. The Descendants is essentially a typical ‘journey’ film.
“THE SHEER WEIGHT OF CLOONEY’S PERFORMANCE GENUINELY DOES GIVE THE FILM A SATISFYING ENDING” By the end of the film, every character will become a better person and learn a little bit about themselves, and the film makes no secret of this. But while the plot is predictable and unsatisfying, the film’s core is instead the study of the central protagonist. Clooney gives an amazing performance as the good-natured father with intimacy issues, packing his character with a subtlety that the sheer amount of heavy dialogue wouldn’t leave room for with a less experienced actor. Aside from its main performer though, the film is nothing if not lacking. It seeks to convey the relaxed attitude of Hawaii in juxtaposition with the horrible event that anchors the storyline, but usually over-eggs this to the extent that ‘gentle’ becomes ‘glacial’. The Descendants meanders around the screen, filling its story with plot contrivances and unconvincing conveniences that are transparently and mechanically manoeuvring the film towards the closure that it feels it needs. And yet somehow the finale, without giving too much away, does manage to pack an emotional punch and the sheer weight of Clooney’s performance genuinely
Entertainment
The Magdalen
does give the film a satisfying ending. While the rest of The Descendants might not be worthy of the praise currently being lavished upon it, the film may be the finest performance of George Clooney’s career.
Shame
S
hame, directed by Steve McQueen, follows the life of Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender), a sex addict who attempts to satiate his sexual appetite with a series of increasingly empty sexual experiences whilst trying to hold down his highly-paid job. But when Brandon’s sister Sissy (Carey Mulligan) comes to stay, Brandon’s lifestyle is thrown out of balance as he tries to conceal his addiction and his transparently incestuous thoughts for her. The film is beautifully shot by McQueen, and every frame looks like it could be paused to create a perfectly framed photograph. Indeed, from a technical perspective everything in the film is nigh-on perfect. The colours are washed out and blank, mirroring Brandon’s empty life, and the camera insistently follows Brandon and his eye line, showing what is in his head above any of the other characters. Despite this insight into the main character, the film is loaded with ambiguity, never entirely reassuring the audience about what is going on. This is most obvious in Fassbender’s performance, which remains just the right side of restrained. But for some reason, despite the technical beauty of the film, Shame struggles to really ever draw you in emotionally. The film spends so long conveying the detached feelings of its main character that it fails to fully engage the viewer in the scenes that should be emotive. Naturally this is an explicit, though never erotic, film and should be avoided by those of a nervous disposition, but those who feel they could sit through the film with their friends without giggling should go see it, if nothing else to appreciate the technical virtuosity that Steve McQueen possesses.
NO. 28 - MAR 2012
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Entertainment
KEVIN FULLERTON & ALI DAWSON
For and Against
N
oel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy, E4’s new surreal comedy from The Mighty Boosh star, is a show that some people are destined to hate and others to love. Leader of men and entertainment editor Kevin Fullerton loves it, whereas underling and puny writer Ali Dawson does not. Read on and rejoice as they argue for and against it.
“WHOEVER THE PERSON IS WHO OK’D LUXURY COMEDY, I LIKE THEM. THEY’VE TAKEN A RISK.”
I
n the darkest recesses of E4’s commissioning department there must be some individual who managed to sneak Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy past any sane person working there. Amidst shows like Embarrassing Bodies, about doctors examining people with oddly shaped testicles and the like, and endless repeats of The Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother there was someone who said ‘Let’s let Noel Fielding do a show in which a military veteran who happens to be a chocolate finger with a dead wife discusses playing swing ball by himself before launching into a song.’ Whoever the person is who OKed Luxury Comedy, I like them. They’ve taken a risk, which is something all too rare in modern television. Much like a taffeta elk gliding softly through the subtle night, Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy makes no sense. It’s stream of consciousness television with all of the self-indulgent nonsense that such a thing entails. But when it hits the right note it is genuinely funny. It’s a show that will unsurprisingly divide many. Its brash visuals, off-the-wall humour and already divisive central star will put off as many people as it attracts. And the truth is that Luxury Comedy doesn’t always work, but it’s appeal comes from the fact that there isn’t anything quite like it at the moment. In the world of television, replete with wall-to-wall reality shows and bland observational comedians, seeing Noel Fielding be enthusiastically odd is a wonderful thing. Kevin Fullerton
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N
oel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy is the latest venture being made by Noel Fielding, who has made a name for himself as one half of The Mighty Boosh, and as a captain on Never Mind the Buzzcocks. After the first episode of Luxury Comedy, it is obvious that these are two shows that he should have stuck to. ‘Luxury’ is the correct word to describe this show; with daring sets and costume design it is obvious that a lot of money went into the production of the series. Sadly though, what is more obvious is that the duty of actually writing comedy was neglected by Fielding, as it appears he spent more time thinking of strange scenarios rather than worthwhile dialogue to be spoken by his characters.
“THE DUTY OF ACTUALLY WRITING COMEDY WAS NEGLECTED BY FIELDING” Now I am well aware that people will refute my argument by saying that I just ‘don’t get’ Fielding’s comedy and that it is more ‘about what he does rather than what he says’. However, I am a big fan of The Mighty Boosh, I do find his stand-up funny and his banter on Buzzcocks does make me laugh a lot, but the overriding factor in these is that someone is performing as Fielding’s straight-man, a person to act as a grounded comparison to his surrealist performance. Without that grounding, it must be sadly said that Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy does fall short of the mark that it hyped itself up for. Six out of ten.
Ali Dawson
NO. 28 - MAR 2012
Entertainment
Entertainment
MARTYN SIMPSON
Enter Shikari
A Flash Flood of Color
I
t’s safe to say that the world we live in is in a bit of a downward spiral right now. With riots in England, the Eurozone crisis and large-scale conflicts overseas making the major headlines in the last six months, it could be considered surprising that very few British bands have taken these events into consideration when writing their songs. While bands such as You Me At Six, Kids In Glass Houses and Bring Me The Horizon write songs of a more personal, ‘why does this girl not like me?’ nature, Enter Shikari have established themselves as a band that have a political and cultural awareness that is far beyond their years.
into the collective consciousness, and their 2009 follow up Common Dreads gave them a platform to launch their confrontational but well-rounded political and social sentiments. With A Flash Flood of Colour, the band have really come into their own as songwriters are concerned, with lyrics ranging from the angry and reactionary on songs such as ‘Arguing with Thermometers’ and ‘Ghandi Mate, Ghandi’, to the calm and contemplative with ‘Stalemate’ and ‘Constellations’. However, while the lyrics are some of their strongest and most accomplished to date, how does it fare musically?
“ENTER SHIKARI HAVE ESTABLISHED THEMSELVES AS A BAND THAT HAVE A POLITICAL AND CULTURAL AWARENESS THAT IS FAR BEYOND THEIR YEARS” Although their 2007 debut album Take to the Skies hinted at their rabble-rousing aspirations, their latest effort shows that they are no signs of stopping for breath when it comes to pounding beats or lyrics that could be seen on the signs of Occupy London. While bands in America have shown no aversion to talking about the current political climate - with Rage Against The Machine, Rise Against and Green Day having all produced an album or two that provided their own commentary on the political, economic and social injustices that had played a part in the States in the past twenty years, particularly post 9-11 - very few British bands have been willing to get on this bandwagon. Chumbawumba’s 2008 album The Boy Bands Have Won highlighted the problems that plagued the UK at the time, but due to the lack of publicity surrounding the band it was passed off as a whisper in a hurricane. Enter Shikari, on the other hand, had no such problems. Take to the Skies had already launched the St. Albans quartet Entertainment
The Magdalen
Well, the most striking difference in this album is the inclusion of dubstep. Taking ideas from artists such as Skrillex, Shikari have expanded on the drum and bass elements that they experimented with on Common Dreads. While this could be seen as the band ‘selling-out’ to keep with the current wave of dubstep, making its mark on clubs and charts around the UK, the sheer ferocity of the band’s sound has seemingly quadrupled because of this. The musical and lyrical articulation of the band’s music and Rou Reynolds’ politically driven sentiments come out clear as crystal, making this album a true fanfare for the common man. NO. 28 - MAR 2012
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TRAVEL
South Korea, Anyone? SIAN COOK
Photo Provided By Sean Cook
I
ible yet unbreakable threat - that I could not leave the premises until I had a clear indication of where I would be, and what I would be doing, in the next twelve months. I could stay in Dundee and study. No thanks. I could remain within the UK and get a job. Not overly keen on that idea. Or, I could opt to sacrifice luxuries such as a bed, a chair and drinkable tap water, and live on a peninsula, on the other side of the world. That’s insane! Go for it. South Korea, anyone? I have been in Yeosu, South Korea for approximately seven weeks, and so far, it has certainly been a life changing experience. I am working as an English teacher in a private academy, where each day is different, and… with platinum blonde hair and and my clothing screaming “WESTERNER”, I seldomly fade into the background. First of all, the cutlery is comprised of chopsticks and, thankfully - due to practicing with pencils and cornflakes, the majority of my food no longer ends up on the floor. Secondly, karaoke bars (termed noraebangs) are incorporated into most coffee shops on every street. There have been several occasions where I have taken to the stage, to endure a harmless humiliation, and have acted as the Korean’s English Jukebox. In return, my beverages have been paid for, and additional bonuses have included being escorted out of the building, poked and prodded [what would, in the UK,
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NO.28 - MAR 2012
be bordering upon sexual harassment]. What’s more, I have joined Judo and now volunteer at the local Orphanage as well. I have had the opportunity to co-write a book for the “Outdoor Project” programme, run by Yeosu City council. The book is used to train student and adult volunteers for the world EXPO, Yeosu 2012. And a Korean English speaking radio station has asked for interviews with the Foreign English teachers involved with the “Outdoor Project”. As if my face being plastered on countless Korean schooling websites, in the EXPO 2012 training book, on outrageously huge magnets on tour buses, and on two sides of my academy building wasn’t enough. However, I am very grateful for this experience and this is an adventure I would very much love to share with all of you at the University of Dundee. “How old are you, Sian teacher?!” I am 21 years old. And boy, Korea is certainly keeping me busy. For more information visit www.siancook.com. Where all the Korean drama can be accessed at your fingertips. [It’s possibly more dramatic than Coronation Street].
All the Korean drama can be accessed at: www.siancook.com
Travel
Photo: FlickrUser Munira
t’s a routine of boredom, isn’t it. Attending lectures, writing up lectures, reading around lectures. Did I mention lectures? The weather is dreary, the workload ceases to disappear and you struggle to find a jar of enthusiasm to reduce learning about the History oSouth Korea, Df Plastic or the Human Reproductive System from painful to marginally painful. And no, it is not always possible to seek refuge in the DUSA Exec offices or wander down to Tescos for a food shop, only to end up purchasing a variety of exotic hair dyes that you deemed ‘necessary’ items. Procrastination. If only they offered that subject as a degree. Sound familiar? Well, I have some good news for you. Life does not always require you to have an encyclopedia sized textbook open at your desk. In fact, the textbooks have no idea. I had no idea, either. There are, however, two facts that I am certain of, and two that I wish to share with you. 1] My name is Sian Cook. 2] I write this 6,269 miles from where you are sitting… in a place where I most probably sat. After graduating from the University of Dundee in Forensic Anthropology, Class of 2011, I decided that education could, momentarily, be placed on hold. Education was not the challenge I was looking for. One day, I chained myself to my University library chair and issued myself an invis-
TRAVEL
Day Trips From Dundee MHAIRI RUTHERFORD
As Residents of Dundee, we are lucky in the fact that Dundee is a great starting point for discovering Scotland. We’re relatively close to the major cities as well as the Highlands, with some great places to explore and visit very nearby. The most obvious is of course St Andrews, but there are numerous more easily travelled to by bus or train. If you plan on visiting any of these places, it’s advisable to use google maps and bring a print out along with you (or of course, use your phone), and make the most of your visit.
Broughty Ferry
Anstruther
Blair Atholl
How to get there: Strathtay 75/78/79/73 buses from outside the Overgate. Get off at Broughty Ferry Library. Cost: around £3.80 return
How to get there: Take the 99/96 to St Andrews from the bus station, changing to the x58 and x60 once you get there. The x58 and x60 both run once an hour. Cost: Get a Fife day-saver for £9.
How to get there: By train. You’ll need to change at Perth (it’s very easy). Find timetables on the Scotrail website. Cost: £18.20 return (much cheaper in advance or £12 with a 16-25 Railcard)
If you plan your day wisely, going to Anstruther can be a great trip. You can easily take an hour before the connecting bus to Anstruther to wander round St Andrews, and explore the Cathedral grounds and old graveyards. Anstruther is a beautiful seaside village in Fife. The multiple award winning Anstruther Fish Bar offers some of the best fish and chips in the UK. It’s worth visiting purely for the fish supper, or, as a vegetarian, for their white pudding (nobody is confined to just chips here). It’s a great trip to take on a sunny day as you can get off the bus early at Cellardyke, take a trip down to the pebble beach and walk along to Anstruther from there (it’s very simple, direct route). There’s also a scenic walk along the cliff front to Pittenweem, a picturesque fishing village. You can get the bus back to St Andrews from the main road in Pittenweem.
If you want to see a place which typifies the Hollywood view of Scotland, then look no further than Blair Atholl. It’s a village nestled at the entrance to the highlands and is worth the journey purely for the beautiful views from the train. Once there, you can visit the Watermill and indulge in homemade scones and snacks baked with flour produced there, either in the garden overlooking the burn that powers the mill or in the white-washed stone walls of the picturesque mill itself. If you’ve got cash, visit the castle and take a tour. The castle grounds are magnificent, with an old kirk, walled gardens, and forest within. If you go down an unmarked path found by the side of the bridge on the main road you can wander along by the peat stained river (pack a towel - it’s an exhilarating, cold swim). Keep walking and you’ll eventually come to the castle grounds, and potentially explore them for free.
“The Ferry” is only a fifteen minute bus ride from town. Historically, it’s the seaside town the Jute Barons of Dundee set up home in, away from the industrial stoor of Dundee. (For our non-Scots students, ‘stoor’ is a term for something that is dusty or dirty.) However, now the real draw of Broughty Ferry is Visocchi’s cafe, well known as the best place locally to get ice cream. Ideally, the ice cream should be enjoyed during a walk by the seafront, while it dribbles down the cone onto your stiff, wind-beaten fingers, as you ponder why exactly you’re eating ice cream in the cold Scottish weather. Fortunately, the Ferry also happens to be full of cosy pubs with cask ales on tap to warm yourself up with afterwards. In particular, The Ship Inn in is worth a visit, offering a variety of ales and beers in an old-man pub environment, complete with dark varnished furniture steeped in the nostalgic scent of tobacco smoke and whisky, leather booths and a fireplace. There’s also a castle, art gallery and play park to explore. Broughty Ferry is relatively small, so everything is very near to each other.
Photo: FlickrUser Munira
Travel
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NO. 28 - MAR 2012
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SPORT
NFL:Mid Season
Superbowl GREG SMITH
Around The League GREG SMITH
T
he NFL is approaching mid-season and there is a lot to talk about. Earlier in the year, I predicted the Indianapolis Colts would suffer without their All-Pro Quarterback, Peyton Manning, and would be below .500, well the Colts are currently 0-8 and are the front runners for the “Suck for Luck” campaign. Andrew Luck is a Quarterback for Stanford University and is projected to become the 1st overall selection in the 2012 NFL draft. So, unless the Colts somehow manage to turn their season around and win the next couple of games, he’ll be on a one way flight to Indianapolis. Another team that was in the hunt for Andrew Luck were the Miami Dolphins. During the off-season, Miami were considered to be a team with a Top 5 defense and a balanced offense utilizing the run with recently signed tailback Reggie Bush and the play-action pass of 4th year Quarterback Chad Henne. Unfortunately for Dolfans worldwide, Henne is out for the rest of the year with a season ending injury, Matt Moore is his replacement. The defense is ranked 23rd overall and the season is looking similar to the 2007 one in which the ‘Phins finished 1-15. The lack of success for the Colts and Dolphins has been a hot topic for weeks now, however there are other teams around the league that have been making some noise for the right reasons. The San Francisco 49ers under new Head Coach, Jim Harbaugh, are comfortably leading the NFC West with a 7-1 record. The Detroit Lions are establishing themselves with a new identity on offense and defense led by Quarterback, Matthew Stafford, and Defensive Tackle, Ndamukong Suh. The Buffalo Bills are also causing problems for opposing teams with their opportunistic defense and resilient running back, Fred Jackson. Each of these teams have been the surprises of the season so far and are likely to make the post season, neither of them have made the playoffs in over 10 years. Its never too early to talk MVP (Most Valuable Player) and so far there have been a few candidates: Wide Receiver, Calvin Johnson; Defensive End, Jared Allen; and Cornerback, Darrelle Revis have all had stellar seasons so far but right now, there is one player who is simply balling. Who is that you ask? That would be none other than Green Bay Packers Quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. Through 8 games, Rodgers has thrown 24 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions for 2,619 yards with a passing rating of 129.1. When completing passes for a gain of more than 20+ yards, he is completing nearly 65% of his passes, right now there are only 3 Quarterbacks who have a total QBR of 64% or more. Rodgers QBR? Over 71%. Green Bay are currently undefeated and have the potential and talent to achieve the perfect season. If they succeed, they would be the first team since the 2007 New England Patriots to go 16-0 in the regular season.
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The week leading up to Superbowl XLVI was full of hype and bold predictions. It was a rematch of Superbowl XLII in which millions of viewers around the world would see Tom Brady and the New England Patriots face off against Eli Manning and the New York Giants once again. Did the game live up to hype? It certainly did. For 60 minutes both teams represented their respected conferences well in a close game, which evidently ended in a similar way to the last time these teams met in the Superbowl. With less than 2 minutes remaining on the clock, Eli drove the Giants to the redzone which resulted in an unusual Ahmad Bradshaw touchdown to put the Giants in front for the remainder of the game. The Bradshaw touchdown was one of my favourite moments of the game. With full speed, Bradshaw ran through a hole in the middle of New England’s defense, however as he approached the 1 yard line, he attempted to stop himself from going into the endzone, but regardless of his effort, he just fell down as he crossed the plane. Ultimately, all Bradshaw could do after his TD celebration was watch and pray as Tom Brady took the field with less than a minute to go. Few teams in the NFL have a quarterback that can be considered clutch in the final moments of the game and can come through for his team time and time again, fortunately for the New England Patriots, they have that quarterback in Tom Brady. During his career, the Golden Boy has lead New England to 33 game winning drives in the 4th quarter, so no pressure right? Brady did his job and threw the ball to several open receivers such as Tight End, Aaron Hernandez and Wide Receiver, Deion Branch balls that would usually result in a completion. The biggest blunder perhaps was an incomplete pass to Wes Welker, a catch that could have changed the momentum of the game and would have most likely set up Brady and Co. to win the game. After several dropped passes and only one first down, Brady had 5 seconds to throw a Hail Mary. As expected, it was a well thrown ball from Brady that was up for grabs in the Giants endzone, tight end, Rob Gronkowski was the closest Patriot to the ball and later told reports that he “almost had it”. For those who don’t know, Gronk was suffering an ankle sprain from the AFC Championship game and was never 100% healthy coming into the big game. Chances are he would have caught that ball if he had been on top form. With the final whistle, the game was over and the Giants were declared SuperBowl Champions once again. Eli Manning was the game’ MVP (Most Valuable Player) and rightly so. His pass to Mario Manningham was executed perfectly and fitted into the tightest space in which only Manningham could catch it. Due to the impact the catch had, there has already been discussion about it, many comparing it to David Tyree’s in Superbowl XLII, some even saying it is better, but that’s for you to decide. At the end of the day, Eli came through for his team when they needed him the most, making big plays and representing himself as the team’s leader. With two Superbowl rings, Eli can now back up his statement and, in my opinion, belongs up there with the other top tier Quarterbacks in the elite because. after all, you can’t spell Elite, without Eli.
NO. 28 - MAR 2012
SPORT
SPORT
Decline of Scottish Football CLARE MCCAUGHEY
D
uring the festive season, while being coerced by my father into viewing another mundane SPL fixture, I pondered the desperate state of Scottish football. The game in question was St. Johnstone versus Aberdeen. It was played in blizzard conditions at a time when many roads to and from the north were blocked and people were being advised not to travel. One would have to question the motives of the SPL and Sky television for their decision to air a match that was attended by less than 1500 people, it was a degrading spectacle and a terrible advert for Scottish football in general. It was not always so in Scotland! I wonder how many students attending this University are aware that both football clubs in this city have appeared in a European Cup Semi Final. One of them has also appeared in the UEFA Cup Final-in 1962/1963 season Dundee FC reached the semi final, with a team of 11 Scotsmen, five of whom went on to represent our country at international level. The mighty A.C Milan defeated them over two legs with a crowd of 35,000 for the home leg at Dens Park. This was not a club record, as 43,000 had attended a Scottish Cup Tie between Dundee and the Rangers in the fifties. Dundee also holds the record of the highest attendance for a club match in Scotland (not involving Celtic or Rangers) when a remarkable 136,495 spectators attended the Scottish Cup Final between Dundee and Motherwell. On top of all this, Dundee has also paid a world record fee (£23K) for a footballer called Billy Steele in 1952. It is sad to reflect that Dundee now plays to crowds of two or three thousand. Dundee United, having secured the Premier League Championship for the first time by beating their local rivals, Dundee, in the final league game of season 1982-1983, gave United entry into Europe’s premier tournament. They reached the semi final and somehow beat Roma 2-0 in the first leg at Tannadice to get within touching distance of a European Cup Final. Unfortunately, they were beaten 3-0 in the second leg, but this must go down as one of the best displays ever by a British team in Europe. The following year, United reached the UEFA cup final and were narrowly beaten 2-1 on aggregate. At that time, the UEFA Cup Final was played over two legs and United were defeated by Gothenburg of Sweden. Despite the anguish of the defeat, the sporting applause for the Swedish players as they picked up the trophy at Tannadice, earned United fans the first ever UEFA fair play award. It was not only in Dundee that Scotland led the way, in 1967 Celtic became the first non Latin team to lift the European Cup, much to the chagrin of the English, especially their xenophobic press, when they
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beat Inter Milan. They also appeared in another European Cup Final in 1970, and three semi finals in the seventies. All this was achieved with Scottish players, born within a 30-minute radius of Celtic park. Celtic also holds two amazing crowd records: their Scottish cup final victory over Aberdeen in 1937 was attended by a crowd of 147,365, which remains a world record gate for a national cup final. They also had the highest attendance record for a European Cup competition match, when they defeated Leeds United in April 1970 in the semi final of the European cup-the crowd was a remarkable 136,505. This game was played at Hampden Park, to satisfy the huge demand for tickets for a game between the Scottish and England champions. Celtic also appeared in the UEFA cup final in 2003, where they were defeated by Porto. They took 80,000 fans to Seville for this final, and due to excellent behaviour regarding the defeat, were awarded the UEFA fair play award. Rangers were also a force in Europe, having been the first British team to appear in the UEFA club competition when they met in Fiorentina in the final of the now defunct ‘Cup Winners Cup’, in 1961. They won this competition in 1972, having also been beating finalists in 1967. They also appeared in the 2008 EUFA cup final against Zenit, St Petersburg, where an estimated 130,000 Rangers fans descended on Manchester for the game. Even allowing for the close proximity of Manchester to Glasgow, this was a remarkable demonstration of the Rangers fan base. Rangers also hold the British record for a league game, when 118,567 watched their New Year’s Day game with Celtic in 1938.
1980’s
2000’s So, where has it all gone wrong? We were a proud country with great achievements and attendance records. Crowds are dwindling. The old firm, who once considered themselves predators in the football transfer market, are now the prey. The ridiculous prices been charged by all the SPL teams, coupled with the manipulation of fixtures by Sky and ESPN, is leading to a mass exodus by the ordinary supporter. It is a fact that you can watch Bayern Munich versus Borussia Dormund for approx 15 EUROS, when the average price in the SPL is £23. I leave you with the final thought. The ‘passing game’ that Barcelona execute with such consummate ease instead of considerable skill, was introduced into the game by the Scots when they turned up to play English teams in the early part of the last century. Before then passing was at first illegal and later frowned upon by the English. Oh what we all would give for a return to those idyllic days…
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Ultimate Frisbee DANIELLE AMES
T
his past weekend, I happened to stumble across my first table tennis tournament. I found it the height of entertainment, much to the dismay of those competing as the funniest part of all was how seriously everyone was treating it. The silence in the room was interrupted only by the patterned clacking of ball verses paddle; the player’s brows featured a strained crinkle, and my favorite part, the frequent use of towels used to wipe their sweat drenched foreheads. The towel is what set me over the edge, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer. My enormous guffaw of laughter got me kicked straight out of the hall. And that’s when it hit me; just as my fellow chortling counterpart turned and asked: “do you realize that’s how most people view Ultimate Frisbee?” I didn’t get it. To me, playing Frisbee was probably the coolest thing a person could ever do. It was like steroids for one’s sex appeal. But then again this is all coming from the person who played the tuba in the High School marching band so my cool radar may not be the most reliable source of judgment. Ultimate Frisbee was first invented in the autumn of 1968 at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey by a student named Joel Silver. It’s said that the playing field used nowadays for Ultimate is based off the measurements of the high school parking lot, the pitch they’d use for practicing, and team sizes (seven for outdoors, five for indoors) were based on how many people turned up to play in the early stages of the game’s conception. For all who remain ignorant regarding the glory that is Ultimate, I shall provide the briefest of cheat sheets to assist your knowledge
of the game. Ultimate is traditionally an outdoor sport, with the objective being to throw the disc between teammates until a player is able to catch the disc in the end zone to score a point. When one is in possession of the Frisbee, they must stop moving and can only pass the disc to a teammate. At the same time, defenders on the other team attempt to intercept the Frisbee, or block the pass to force a turnover, in which they gain possession of the disc and proceed on offense. Tournament matches typically last twenty minutes and that is more or less, the glory of the game Ultimate. It somehow manages to always end up surprisingly physical for an alleged, non-contact sport; I’ve quite the stash of grass burns, and bruises to show to any skeptics. One noteworthy feature of Ultimate is that there are no referees for any of the games, even at the most aggressive levels of competition. This follows the spirit of the game that whilst on the pitch, competition is stiff and the fight for the disc brutal, but it’s only a good game if played fair so all judgment calls are left up to the players themselves. Kate Robinson, captain of the women’s team at Dundee Uni, states that: “I would say my favourite Ultimate moment was the University Women’s Regional Final 2012 - the Dundee Uni girls had trained so hard and worked their butts off in the weeks running up to the tournament, and fought fierce to make it to the final against the Regional champions [Edinburgh] of the last few incredible years!” Still not convinced that we earn our sweatbands? Try throwing a 70 yard full field forehand huck of 175 gram of flying disc for a point, and you’ll be hooked. I promise.
Want to find out ho w to get involved and play so me Ultimate Frisbee? Contact Ciaran Delan ey or if you just want to wa tch go to there next match.
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Ultimate Frisbee CONNOR MURRAY
T
he University of Dundee Ultimate Frisbee Club are an up and coming team playing an up and coming sport. With their popularity increasing and their very successful year so far, it’s time for the rest of us to start paying attention. Playing a sport which can be described as Frisbee meets Netball meets American Football, the University club, also known as the Dundee Stars, have established themselves as one of the top teams in the UK. With no league system or one off games, the Ultimate season is played through tournaments, with the Winter Semester being Indoor season, and the Spring Semester being Outdoor season. The Stars started off the Indoor season with Open Regionals, which was held here in Dundee over the weekend of the 29th-30th of October. The immense support given to the club allowed them to enter three men’s teams and one women’s team, the most of any club. The teams all placed well, with the Seconds narrowly missing out on a place in the Division II Nationals after losing in sudden death to Glasgow Firsts. The Firsts were also unlucky in sudden death, this time to Edinburgh Firsts, and finished a close second, qualifying for the Division I Nationals. From the beginning, Nationals were the main priority, and though they lost in the final in such a bitterly disappointing way, the main objective was achieved and the club set about in preparation for the bigger stage. Held over the 26th November, Division I BUCS Indoor Nationals were held in Coventry, and the Stars played a magnificent tournament. As they made their way through to the semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history, Dundee came across a very strong Manchester team and narrowly missed out on a place in the finals. However, the strength and mentality of the team allowed them to pick themselves up, and grind out a victory against a strong Southampton team in the Bronze Medal play-off, resulting in the club’s first BUCS medal. This prestigious award allows Dundee to be counted among some of the top clubs in the whole of the UK, and showcases the talent and hard work ethic that our University Ultimate club maintains. The mixed teams and women’s teams have also enjoyed a great year. At Mixed Regionals, Dundee once again had the most entered teams with three teams competing. All teams performed amazingly well with the Seconds yet again narrowly missing out on a Division II place and the Firsts again being narrowly beaten in the final in sudden death by Edinburgh. However, Nationals were again the
priority and a 5th place finish was another amazing result. The women’s team are currently preparing for Nationals after performing very well at Regionals, with the Seconds finishing 8th and the Firsts yet again losing out to Edinburgh in a closely fought final. The current captain of the club, Ciaran Delaney, says that he is enjoying “the club’s most successful year”. With membership numbers increasing, and training sessions and competition for places set at a really high standard, Ciaran believes that he team is in an extremely healthy position. The team is currently training hard for the Outdoor season, with Outdoor Regionals being held on the 10th and 11th March in St. Andrews, the Outdoor Nationals taking place on the 21st and 22nd April in Manchester. The club hopes to finish in a high position again, with a medal at Nationals a very much achievable goal from this team. Keep your eyes and ears open, and your fingers crossed for the club at upcoming tournaments. Go Stars!
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Sports Union News
SOPHIE WARBURTON
Elections
On the 1st of March we are giving you the opportunity to vote in the Sports Union Elections. This is your chance to have a say in who will be running the Sports Union next year. From Archery to Volleyball and all those in between, the results of these elections will have an impact on your club. So far there has been an immense amount of interest in Executive positions, which should make for some exciting and closely contested elections. Voting will take place on campus, so there is no excuse to abstain. If you care about the future of Dundee sport and its affiliated clubs, please take two minutes out of your day to vote. Make sure you have your say!
Blues and Colors
On the 20th of March the Blues and Colours awards ceremony will take place in the Bonar Hall. These awards celebrate the successes and improvements of our athletes from all the clubs ranging from Hockey, through Rowing to Snowboarding. This year has already been very successful for all the clubs and many individuals have shown exceptional skills and dedication not only to their sport but their club as well. The annual Blues and Colours Ball takes place on the 23rd of March at the Invercarse Hotel. It is the social highlight of the Sports’ Union calendar and it is a great night for all who attend. This year’s ball is going to be the biggest in Sports’ Union history. Tickets will be on sale from the 20th of February in the Sports’ Union office and sell out very quickly, so be sure to get them ASAP!
Dundee Celebrations 2012
On the 8th March the Sports Union and DUSA are hosting the Dundee Celebrations event. As part of the London 2012 Inspire events to promote the upcoming 2012 Olympics in London. The Sports Union will be running a number of sporting events during the day including Blind Football, Touch Rugby 7’s, Paralympics Rowing and Inflatable Football. Through these events the Sports Union hopes to promote both the Olympics and Paralympics. There will be a medal table during the day where people will be assigned a country and will earn points for that country by taking part in the events. During the day DUSA will also be hosting stalls promoting the Cultural Olympiad. Come down with friends and enter a team, and even if you can’t make the whole day be sure to pop by for an hour in between lectures. It promises to be a fantastic event so make sure you pop down to campus on the 8th March between 10am and 6pm and get involved. In recent times Dundee University has produced our very own Olympians with Dentistry graduate, Wendy Houvenaghel, winning a silver medal for cycling at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Current Dundee University student Eilish McColgan is hoping to gain a place running middle distances in the GB Olympic Team and follow in her mother’s footsteps as an Olympic athlete.
Dundee BUCS performances
Dundee is having a very impressive year so far in the BUCS Leagues with a number of sides pushing for titles or promotion. This includes Men’s Rugby 1st, Men’s Basketball 1st and Netball 1st who are all unbeaten in league fixtures this year. Men’s Rugby are having a particularly impressive run of 21 matches undefeated including a
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Player Profile recent 43-0 BUCS Trophy victory over Heriot-Watt 1st XV. This means they will now be up against a very powerful Durham outfit in the quarter-finals of the Trophy on the 22nd February down at Fortress Riverside. 1st XV prop Gavin Robertson has also been selected for the Scotland under-20’s squad and is on the bench for their Under-20’s Six Nations encounter against Wales alongside Dundee University Sport Scholar Andrew Redmayne. Our Men’s Basketball 1st team are also on very fine run of form without a single defeat this season in all fixtures including their local league matches. This has been another impressive year for the club as a whole as their 2nd team (in only their second year in existence) has also had a strong season with just one defeat in their BUCS league this year and with two more matches to be played they will be hoping to make it two league titles for their club. Women’s Netball 1st are also pushing for title victory in Scottish BUCS 1A, though with six fixtures still to be played they have a lot of hard work ahead of them. With a vital away match this Saturday to Edinburgh and a home game against St. Andrews next Wednesday,
NAME: LYNSEY BROWNLOW AGE: 19 COURSE: PRODUCT DESIGN HOMETOWN: TROON 1. What sport do you play? Volleyball. 2. Where do you train? We train 3 times a week at the ISE, hall 1. 3. How do you socialise with your teammates? We have a sponsor pub in which we go to after Wed and Fri training. Regular socials include 3 legged pub crawls, ladies nights and we’re also just back from our annual Club Trip to Madrid. they will be hoping to move ahead of title rivals Edinburgh. The Netball club’s 3rd team are also hoping to gain promotion from their league and are currently top with two more matches to be played. Men’s Rugby are not the only clubs involved in BUCS Trophy matches with our Women’s Fencing squad also facing English opposition on the 22nd February in the form of Keele University. Women’s Rugby 1st are also hoping to join them on the 22nd with a potential away fixture against Newcastle University however before that they must get past the challenge of St. Andrews University a week beforehand. With two more fixtures in their BUCS League, they will also be hoping to bring a league title back to Dundee. In other sporting news, the Ski and Snowboard club had a very successful day at BUISC with Gold medals in individual competitions for Craig Mathers and Danny McCormick and silvers in the Ski Duals and Board Duals. Five other members also reached finals at their individual events. Clearly the annual Ski Trip to Tignes was put to good use for upcoming competitions.
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4. Is it hard to have a balance between your studies and your sport? It can be difficult to balance studies and sport, especially last year when we were more successful. We play matches most Saturdays and Sundays, home and away which can take up working time. However, I often feel it can help to have a run about and clear your head of studies. Being in second year, it has not been a huge issue. 5. What is the best part of being in the Volleyball club? The best part of being in the club is the people you get to meet. Volleyball is a sport that is more popular in foreign countries, so I’ve made friends from all over which is cool. We have a cracking coach as well, so training sessions are really productive. It’s good to work off the student alcohol belly too! 6. What influenced you to begin this sport? I’ve played this sport since I was 11, so I naturally wanted to continue.
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adverstise here - themagdalen@dusa.co.uk