ISSUE 46
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THE MAGDALEN
EDITOR’S LETTER
ISSUE #46 MARCH 2015
Did you know it’s been two years since I last uttered a swearword?
EDITORS
Alright, that’s just simply not true, I cussed this morning, saluting the day with a hungover profanity. I was barely conscious that I was doing it, fortunately the only victims of my verbal threats were my pillow and, my quilt which had long since left my side and was attempting a break for
Editor-In-Chief Dominic Younger Andrew Stewart
it, traitor! Yet, what happens when my audience are humans and not upholstery? In a world of more Facebook users than Catholics and literally, millions online and interacting every single hour, our words resound across social media with more power than ever before. We have never had such a human community, we have never had, to ‘check’ ourselves before we ‘wreck’ ourselves so often. One (nip)slip of the Freudian tongue can see us twitter-fired by scrolling vigilantes! So, as the last bastion of barraging offensives, let us, the print media, take you back to where it gets uncomfortable. This month we are utilising our right to offend and we aren’t holding any punches. So sit tight and get ready to question your morals, mood and method! As always, submissions, complaints and comments can be forwarded to: themagdalen@dusa.co.uk It has been both an honour and a privilege to work with the wonderfully, dedicated teams of writers, designers and, of course, editors who make this magazine what it is before you. To them, I say adieu, best of luck in the future, I won’t forget my time here. To you, the reader, thank you for picking up a magazine that has a dear place in many of our hearts, it was worth it, just for that.
Deputy Editor Adele Hamilton-Sturdy Creative Directors Kenny Meek Juliet Wright Deputy Design Editor Andrew Simpson Features Editor Kathryn McKnight Arts & Entertainment Editor Kate McAuliffe Current Affairs Editor Euan Forbes Fashion Editor Leona Reid Creative Writing Editor Kate McAuliffe Lifestyle Editor Kate Lakie Societies & Sport Editor Dominic Younger Science Editor Andrew Stewart
Stay free.
Dominic Younger Editor-in-Chief The Magdalen
CONTRIBUTORS Sarasvathi Arulampalam, Sarah Doig, Euan Forbes, JB Fyfe, Simone Kortung, Kate Lakie, Dominic Marshall, Kate McAuliffe, Joseph Nickson, Chun Yang Ooi, Lori Petrie, Cameron Rathie, Angela Robertson, Lamya Sadiq, Andrew Stewart, Stefan Tomov, Lewis Wotherspoon, Dominic Younger.
PRODUCTION Freya Bigg, Maha Ghani, Ross Grubb, Ummi Jameel, Antonia Koutrouza, Caitlin MacLeod, Fabio Maragno, Mollie Miller, Jill Montgomery, Gavin Reid, Macario De Los Rios, Jodie Robb, Gemma Smith, Katie Wilkinson.
PUBLISHED BY Zuchaela Smylie, VPCC DUSA, Airlie Place Dundee, DD1 4PH vpcc@dusa.co.uk
PRINTED BY Winter & Simpson Print, 16 Dunsinane Avenue Dundee, DD2 3QT sales@wintersimpson.co.uk
THE MAGDALEN
CONTENTS ART
CREATIVE WRITING 03
Left in the Deep
04
Magic
18
StAnza: Starting Spring in Verse
19
Local Art: Joseph Nickson
LIFESTYLE 05
My Month Without Meat: A Survivor’s Story
06
Going Gluten Free is Bad for Your Health
FASHION 08
Spring/Summer 2015
10
Spring Clean Your Make Up Routine
ISSUE #46 MARCH 2015
ENTERTAINMENT 21
Where is The Winds of Winter?
22
Stuff of the Month
24
Superhero Wars: DC vs Marvel
25
Is Originality Dead?
SCIENCE 26
Got Science?
28
The God Article
CURRENT AFFAIRS SOCIETIES
11
Death of a Tyrant
12
Should Military Recruitment on Campus be Banned?
30
One Water Dundee
31
Harvest Together
FEATURES
32
TEDx University of Dundee
14
The Rise of Tess Holiday
16
Offendophobia & Offendophilia
SPORT 33
Dundee University Handball
SUPERHERO WARS PAGE 24
TESS HOLIDAY PAGE 14
2 ISSUE 46
CREATIVE WRITING
Left in the Deep Lamya Sadiq
When, she said, When? When did my Diamond begin to split? begin to scratch, begin to crack, begin to bleed? The flawless porcelain running jagged under your fingertips Red. to the chisel, so finely fed. How, she wondered, How? How did light penetrate my Diamond so Black? painted in a tint in which even the deepest Night lights its candle. Burglar! Thief ! He trespasses. Ignorant of caution, devoid of fear. Where, she cried, Where? Where have my broken shards been swept? Retrace my dotted steps, Blind. Has he blinded me? Black, I repeat, I’m sure it was beautiful. Black, Black, Black one that is nowhere imitated in nature. ...was it beautiful? Beyond concentration, I find, I can not retrieve my familiar shards Why, I ponder, why? In the weightless pause of a changed mind, all that once was melts. Like the sugar that in its dissolve, sweetens and sweetens my tea A bitter taste soon forgotten. What, she demanded, What? In an uneasy illumination. Unguarded. What have I done? Sweep, He said, sweep. We sweep until all the lurid shards rest, At the infinite bottom of Past’s unlit deep. ISSUE 46 3
CREATIVE WRITING
Magic Chun Yang Ooi They were the generation Brought up with magic being myths And myths being legends And legends – nothing but a fraction Of the figment of the imagination of their ancestors... But we – we were taught that magic was real With lines of stringed up alphabets Strewn over pieces of parchment Where it catches your beady eyes Down the whirlpool realm of its own conjecture Sounds much like a tool of the demon Or maybe the works of the devil But no my child – it is but a book A mere book – that is Magic The kind of magic you find – In the kind of people you Brush shoulders with on the bus, or The ones you exchange smiles with In the middle of the cold winter night The kind of people who sometimes Feel broken and defeated and unworthy of life The kind of people like you and me – Who were taught to never tickle sleeping dragons And though dragons exist before the end of fairy tales We learned that dragons – Can be slayed and princesses can be saved For we, we are magic Every single one of us has a lil’ spark in us That little spark trapped within Waiting to ignite – waiting to explode Into a firework display of passion That will light up the darkness For I say break free From the prison your mind has put yourself into. Because there is only two ways to live As if everything is a miracle; or nothing is.
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LIFESTYLE
My Month Without Meat: A Survivor’s Story It was a dark and stormy night, the lights were flickering - Wait, that’s not how this story goes! Every year, alongside my New Year’s resolutions, I like to set myself a challenge. A challenge, as described by The Oxford Dictionary, is ‘a task or situation that tests someone’s abilities’. This year, I was to give up meat and become a vegetarian for a WHOLE month. Did it challenge me? Oh yes.
it wouldn’t be as difficult as I thought. The food was actually pretty epic. What is this hummus that I had avoided all my life? Veggie burgers… made of beans? Wow.
This was how I started the month, in misery, anticipating starvation and possible death
Why? •
I am possibly the biggest meat eater ever.
•
Vegetables should be served in the smallest portions possible, if at all.
•
As I work at KFC, cooked animals surround me 20 odd hours of the week.
I will confess that I only managed three and a half weeks before caving. One day I just continuously smelled bacon and it was just too much, I threw my hands in the air and that was that.
While yes, this may not seem like a challenge to some, it certainly was for me. Imagine suddenly changing your lifestyle one day; you are no longer allowed to eat basically your entire diet.
HOWEVER, I still see this as a challenge won. My diet has noticeably changed since. Meat is no longer the focus of every meal, instead it is often replaced by some really interesting dishes that I had never even considered before. Hummus is now my favourite food and best of all, I can no longer eat KFC without becoming violently ill.
This was how I started the month, in misery, anticipating starvation and possible death.
So I set you this challenge. Why not try giving up meat for a while? I’m sure, like me, you won’t regret it.
Quickly, after spending only half my weekly food allowance on what turned out to be double the quantity of food, I came to realize that, yeah, maybe
Andrew Stewart
ISSUE 46 5
LIFESTYLE
GOING GLUTEN-FREE IS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH G
oing gluten-free was one of the biggest diet trends of 2014 but now it is 2015 and it’s long overdue that giving up the gluten purely for a fashion choice came to an end. I’m not saying this to be a killjoy and I would not describe myself as a ‘hipster hater’ by any means; rather I write this because I recently discovered that cutting out gluten unnecessarily can be really bad for your health and feel this knowledge ought to be shared. A lot of people I’ve spoken to felt that glutenfree foods were an easy way to make your diet healthier. Food companies of course bolster this notion by creating branding and packaging to make gluten-free products look healthy and appealing. However, unless you actually have an intolerance to gluten, then this sadly just isn’t the case. Gluten is a protein. Put in the simplest way possible it is one of the components in wheat - the other component being starch. Starch is a carbohydrate. Already some alarm bells will be ringing for some of you…we know
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from the 2013 diet trend of protein shakes that protein = good and carbohydrates = the evil food of Satan (or something more scientific). Gluten acts as the binding agent, used in your wheat-fuelled foods to hold it all together. You may have noticed that gluten-free products have a much more crumbly texture? This is because the binding agent has been removed.
“
OPTING FOR GLUTEN-FREE FOODS WHEN IT ISN’T ESSENTIAL REDUCES THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE IN YOUR FOOD. So what happens when you make products gluten free? Well for starters when you remove the binding agent your wheat-based foods such as bread and pasta will fall apart (stating the obvious sorry). meaning other components have to be added to replace the missing gluten. These replacement products often reduce the overall health quality of the original food. The gluten is
LIFESTYLE
usually replaced with other products that are higher in sugar and/or saturated fat, such as potato starch. This is largely a problem if you buy supermarket ready glutenfree foods as they make cheap substitutions that are not healthier ones. In short, more often than not, in opting to go gluten-free when it isn’t essential, you are lessening the health value of food.
“
GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS ARE AN EVERYDAY NECESSITY IF YOU SUFFER FROM GLUTEN SENSITIVITY, WHEAT
everyday necessity if you suffer from gluten sensitivity, wheat allergies or coeliac disease. This article is aimed at those of you who may purchase something gluten-free simply because you think it will be healthier and let you know that unfortunately this simply isn’t always the case. I also feel that gluten is subject to a lot of unnecessary hate and that if you can eat gluten with no health concerns then you should cut it a little slack and eat your gluten-full sandwich with full relish!
Kate Lakie
ALLERGIES OR COELIAC DISEASE. Most of the time ready-made products that do not use gluten will use something cheap and easy to produce to substitute the missing protein. What is more, by following a gluten-free diet you may potentially cause a decrease in the amount of beneficial bacteria in the gut, which can negatively impact the immune system. Now I do not want those of you who suffer from gluten intolerance and may be reading this to think that I am being dismissive or undermining a serious problem. I fully understand that gluten-free products are an
ISSUE 44 7
FASHION
SPRING/ SUMMER 2015
DENIM
STRIPES
Denim is a must for the new season, and there’s no wrong way to wear it. Double denim, flared, fringed, embroidered. Whatever style you choose is more than acceptable this Spring/Summer. It was showcased everywhere on the catwalks in a spectrum of blue shades, from Roberto Cavalli’s bleached over-shirts to the vintage indigo washes of Fendi and Gucci. Continuing with the vintage vibe, denim jeans, dresses and jackets have all gone retro… think pinafores, dungarees and westernstyle collars along with detailing and embellishment.
Nautical stripes have long been a favourite when it comes to Spring/Summer fashion. This year the trend has diversified, and to further the navy and red stripe combo we’re seeing new and different angles of stripe in a variety of colours. The classic Breton navy-and-white look is still strong but now stripes of any width and direction (horizontal, vertical or otherwise) are on trend. From monochrome to bright orange, stripes were all over the catwalks, featured in a variety of dresses, blouses and tunics.
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70’S
KHAKI
Following the throwback to the 90’s that we had last season, this Spring/Summer we’re throwing it back even further to the 1970’s. The influence of arguably the most iconic fashion decade in recent years was showcased through numerous designers’ Spring/Summer ’15 collections, including Anna Sui and Prada, and particularly Gucci and Emilio Pucci. In terms of colours, go for soft, chalky, pastel shades such as mauve, peach pink, grey, pistachio green and baby blue, and earthy brown tones like camel, rust and terracotta. Suede is set to be huge, and adding a suede item to an outfit can instantly update it. It’s a prominent fabric from 70’s fashion, and looks great for skirts, as well as bags and boots. Vintage detailing such as fringing is an added bonus. Platform suede boots are already taking the high street by storm, and are perfect for this time of year when it’s still a little chilly outside! Looking to the more bohemian side of 70’s fashion, it’s all about the shape of the garment. For skirts, A-line is the way to go. In terms of dresses, think loose-fit shift style with bell sleeves and crochet edging. For trousers and jeans, you can’t really get any more 70’s than flares, can you?
Shades of khaki were all over the catwalks, in everything from Acne’s military-style tunics and cargo shorts, to the safari-style shirts from No. 21. Boxy shapes and square pockets are key for this trend, and all shades of khaki green shirts are ideal for layering as lightweight jackets with rolled up sleeves as the weather improves, or belt oversized styles at the waist and wear as a casual dress.
Sheer panelling on dresses and blouses was something that was seen frequently in Spring/ Summer collections for this year from the likes of Valentino. Block colour garments with sheer and transparent panels rather than cut-outs look set to be big in the coming months. Items with delicate, vintage-style lace detailing in light creams and white are also something to look out for, as Valentino, Chloe and Louis Vuitton showcased in their collections. Think Parisian-esque fabrics and “broderie anglaise” as Roberto Cavalli and Valentino adopt a more modern “laser cutting” technique in whites and creams.
THIS SPRING/SUMMER WE’RE THROWING BACK EVEN FURTHER TO THE 70’S
“
SHEER & LACE
FOLLOWING THE THROWBACK “TO THE 90’S LAST SEASON,
METALLIC Coming back stronger than ever, metallics are destined to be big this season. From casualwear to formal wear, they took the catwalks by a storm and all tones of metal, whether it be gold, silver, bronze or even holographic, are very on trend for Spring and Summer. Loose, shift-style dresses and tops or metallic clutch bags are easy to incorporate into a “going out” outfit to update your look.
ORIENTAL Last summer the kimono was huge, and it’s reappearing again this year for Spring/Summer. Wrapstyle tunics, dresses and lightweight coats with kimono sleeves featured heavily in collections by Herve Leger and Matthew Williamson. Floaty silhouettes, light-weight silk and chiffon fabrics are key for this trend, as well as oriental floral prints in vivid blues, oranges and pinks.
Images (left to right) : stipes: Altuzarra, New Look. Denim: Fendi, Topshop, Topshop. Metallic: Asos, Asos. 70’s: Topshop, Gucci, Asos. Oriental: Matthew Williamson, New Look. Khaiki: Acne, Warehouse. Shher & Lace: Topshop, Chloe
FASHION
Sarah Doig ISSUE 46 9
FASHION
Spring Clean Your Make Up Routine Angela Robertson
Spring is quickly approaching and it’s time to spruce up our beauty routines! Gone are the deep berry lip shades and the excuse to wear glitter on anywases and rekindle our love with pastel hues. Here are some suggestions to help create a fresh, dewy look - perfect for the spring months!
“
It's time to dust off our lighter bases and rekindle our love with pastel hues.”
No7 Precision Lips Pencil
£6.75
These moisturising, long-lasting lip pencils can be used as a lip liner or even as an all over colour. The formula of these pencils is extremely creamy, meaning they do not stick to any dry patches and give around 4-6 hours of wear before needing retouched. The colour Soft Blush is a suit-all rosy pink with a hint of coral. There are numerous colour options in this range, but Soft Blush is a great all-rounder; perfect for day wear and a night out!
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation
£8.99
This inexpensive base rivals foundations which are triple its price. There are six colours on offer which means there is not a massive variety for darker skin tones, however if you can get a colour match then this is a truly lovely base. It's applies like a dream and leaves a light, natural, dewy finish on the skin - what's not to like? It contains small glitter particles to make the skin look more alive and youthful, however, don't worry as these particles are not obvious on the skin. If you want a radiant, light-to-medium coverage base then this is ideal for you.
Garnier Skin Naturals Moisture Match £3.99 This is a range of five moisturisers which target five different skin types including dull, fatigued, dry and oily skin. A personal favourite has to be the Wake Me Up Revitalising Gel which comes in the orange box. If, like me, you are still suffering from dry, lacklustre skin from the winter months, then this is the option for you. It contains citrus extracts and hibiscus flower to help revitalise the skin. Apply this product, leave it for five minutes and then apply the Rimmel foundation and you have a flawless, dewy look. Also, at less than £4 a pop you can't go wrong with this range!
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CURRENT AFFAIRS
THE DEATH OF A TYRANT R
ecently the world came together to mourn the passing of King Abdullah the regal dictator of Saudi Arabia. Western leaders flocked to Riyadh to attend the funeral of the king, and wasted no time in pouring honeyed words over a regime whose disregard for basic human rights is a blight on the world. Tony Blair, whose dissent into moral depravity is almost complete, referred to the deceased as a “great modernizer” and hailed him as a champion of women’s rights. The flag over Buckingham Palace even flew at half-mast to commemorate the passing of the West’s favourite dictator.
Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil producer and its vast reserves are sold to Western governments with guns and state of the art military equipment going in the other direction. Of course, our relationship with Saudi Arabia is a marriage of convenience. The gulf state is located at the intersection between Europe, Africa and Asia and, rather like the Suez Cannel, provides a key base from which to influence world affairs. The other, and
perhaps more obvious reason is oil. Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil producer and its vast reserves are sold to Western governments with guns and state-ofthe-art military equipment going in the other direction. This Cold War type relationship has stood the test of time with Saudi Arabia now, without a hint of irony, regarded as an important ally in the struggle against IS and global terrorism. However, the type of fundamentalism practised in the Kingdom strikes a startling comparison to the headchopping barbarians currently occupying Northern Iraq and Syria. The Saudi legal system is based on judges’ strict interpretation of sharia law and, whilst they abstain from crucifixions, public floggings and beheadings are common. The Saudi justice system regularly punishes political dissenters, like blogger Raif Badawai who was recently sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in jail for having the audacity to criticise the country’s religious authorities. All the while the Saudi Air Force, using British jets, drops bombs for human rights in Iraq and Syria. With friends like these…
Lewis Wotherspoon
ISSUE 46 11
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Should Military Recruitment On Campus Be Banned?
A
movement to ban military recruitment and military societies on campus is sadly an increasing occurrence and, frankly, the wrong decision. Many involved in such movements fail to see beyond the conflict role of the military which actually has a greater remit. All parts of the military play a large humanitarian role, most recently evidenced in the Ebola crisis where units have built hospitals and treated patients. The Navy also fulfil anti-piracy and anti-drug smuggling roles, and let’s not forget about the Search and Rescue helicopters that respond on average to over 1,000 emergency calls across the UK every year.
Many involved in movements to ban military recruitment fail to see beyond the combat role of the military which actually has a far greater remit.
Furthermore, a role in the military is a chance to gain employment, learn new skills, share your own skills and forge a career. So why deny a medic, engineer or linguist the chance to use their skills and gain employment because some students disagree with the military remit? If you do not agree with them, just walk past recruiters, no one is forcing you to sign up. Few of us agree with what the fat cat bankers did to the country in 2007 but yet we still actively ask their companies to come along to our graduate careers fairs because, ironically, despite the corporate greed displayed by those at the top, we still see this as a more admirable career path. If the argument is that by banning military recruiters we decrease the chance of people putting themselves in harm’s way on the front line then perhaps we should ban police, fire and ambulance recruiters as well, personnel who also risk their lives on a daily basis. To continue creating such bans on the military on UK campuses is to deny many an opportunity but is perhaps above all a disgraceful act against all the men and women serving, who have served and who have tragically lost their lives so that we can live ours. 12 ISSUE 46
Euan Forbes
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Universities are the last bastions of critical selfreflection we have left and even then - they are becoming regimented.
A
s a young man I didn’t just dream of being in the army, I actively pursued it. I was an Air Force, Navy and Army Cadet for the majority of my childhood, growing awkwardly into my khaki uniform. It gave me discipline, it gave me pride but I was always alienated from my fellow cadets, not for the desire to fight but the desire to learn. I do not suggest here that military potentials are knuckle-dragging brutes, far from it. Some of my brightest, most switched-on and curious friends are going to and have joined up. Yet the military world demarcates conscience and often for good reason. I was constantly at odds drilling in the hall, I was critical of the ‘enemy’, and I was also uneasy about the heavy-handedness of my NGOs when dealing with troubled kids. This wasn’t the place to question ‘where are we going?’ and ‘what we are doing?’
What’s my point? Universities are the last bastions of critical self-reflection we have left and even then they are becoming regimented. We are marshalled into platoons of tutorials, churning out the same thoughts, same essays and general sameness time after time. Becoming ready-made morsels ripe for companies and battalions to take at the end of the knuckle-dragging experience through academia. Chasing that ‘proper job’ for when ‘I grow up’ (I realise this patronising generalization doesn’t apply to everyone, forgive me mature students) but what is proper about it? You don’t step out of line or don’t think a little differently. I don’t want to ban military recruitment; I want to ban all recruitment because I still, naively, believe in the necessity of academia. It shouldn’t just be a stepping-stone; it should be a career unto itself. I am against the Fordian production line we call further education, especially when our University skimps and saves because everyone ‘needs a degree’ (University of Dundee recently sold it’s own University Press to Edinburgh). The inconvenient truth is that not everyone should be doing a degree, myself included. For the sake of the status and title we have ridden roughshod over what used to be a specialty. The path less travelled these days is quitting education and making it on your own. Instead of molding toy soldiers, toy accountants, toy interns, ready and willing to do our duty in times of austerity, I propose that Universities should begin recruiting the brilliant minds and potential of our young and mature students, give them opportunities of learning not killing. At least, that’s my King’s shilling on the issue. Disagree? Send your orderly attacks this way: @felixyounger
Dominic Younger ISSUE 46 13
FEATURES
the rise of
In January this year, Tess Holliday was signed at MiLK, making her the largest model to be signed with a major modelling agency in history. What followed was a storm of opinions on social media, in the comments of news articles and in daily conversations. The issues within the plus size model industry have been discussed at length and notably in a Daily Mail article in November which “exposed” that frequently, the apparently plus sized models are actually slimmer girls with padding. The plus-size ideal is a perfect hourglass figure, with a small waist and large breasts, lost are the other features that can come with being plus-sized, like a fuller face and a rounder belly. The concept of plus-size models representing and encouraging the average sized consumer is lost in the deception. Tess Holliday is arguably a fresh face in an industry that, even when promoting what is marketed as a “more real” aesthetic, adheres to methods of airbrushing and falsifying. A size 24, she has been applauded as an important role model for many women by the owner of MiLK. As a role, models advertise clothes while demonstrating what the clothes look like on a human body. With 14 ISSUE 46
the average size in the UK being 16 for women, there is no doubt a market for plus-size clothing and advertisements that reflect the average consumer. In their essence, women whose body types are
similar to Holliday’s are consumers who will be purchasing clothing no matter whether their health is deemed in danger or not. Arbitrary and frankly superficial judgements as to whether or not they should be considered unhealthy has no effect on their rights as a consumer.
Inevitably, the discernment as to what models owe their audience must be discussed. Modelling has fundamentally not been about promoting a healthy ideal, but an aesthetic. Arguably, the scandal surrounding the abundance of underweight models in the industry is grounded in the fear that these models promote an unhealthy body ideal which has been named as a cause for body dysmorphia and eating disorders, especially among more susceptible teens. While the effect of representation in media on mental health is not in doubt, it must be acknowledged that the standard in media is still underweight models. Institutionally, fat-shaming and stigmatising body types that veer from the size zero seen in magazines and on TV is still prevalent. In the face of that, the argument that Holliday’s signing will lead to some sort of promotion of unhealthy ideals and a glorification of obesity seems to be lending a lot of credence to the power of one woman
FEATURES
‘Modelling has fundamentally not been about promoting a healthy ideal, but an aesthetic’ and her body. Ultimately, it must be remembered that above all Holliday is promoting herself from an aesthetic perspective, not a health ideal. While there certainly is a need for discussion surrounding health and obesity, this discussion belongs in another forum. As for Holliday, her work is allowing for a validation of young women, whose appearance fall between the cracks of media today. Comments like: “Not healthy at all, nothing attractive at all about this” pose the question - must confidence in one’s appearance hinge on a body which is deemed healthy by society’s standards? Self-hatred will never be an effective motivational tool. If Holliday’s work allows for an acceptance for different body types, is that really something that will cause obesity? Or will it just allow for a more self-accepting society? To quote Holliday herself: “I hope this makes you realize that it’s okay to be yourself, even if you happen to exist in a fat body.”
Sarasvathi Arulampalam
ISSUE 46 15
FEATURES
OFSEN DOPH OBIAGD OFFENDOPHOBIA SDPL OFFENDO PHOBIA HDVAA DFFE NDOP HOBIA & DGUA THE DD OFFENDOPHILIA SGRORI THE DFDY AYIHDIH SDDHD DHSHOS ARE WE ALL AFFLICTED ? Throughout the nascent days of 2015 one theme has presented itself more bitingly and more persistently than any other: offence, and our (often news-boggling) relationship with it. It’s a confusing dynamic however you approach it. But I hope to clear things up a bit: the reaction to offence (be it popular, extremist or somewhere in between) will, almost always, do more than the original offending article will to illuminate our baffling relationship with giving, taking and (perhaps most obsessively of all) apologizing for offence.
Seen it yet? Assuming you’re as confused as I was, let me help you along: The video depicts 12-year-old dance protégé Maddie Ziegler and Shia Labeouf each portraying one of the two warring sides of a werewolf ’s inner nature i.e. the human and lupine.
I’ll come clean: I quite enjoy offending people.
One demonstrative case slipped through our newsstreams in January: following torrential online outrage (made manifest in tweets such as ‘Very thin line between art and paedophilia’ and YouTube comments including the oh-so-proportionate ‘I like Sia but I think this video is child pornography’), Australian musician Sia apologized to ‘those who feel triggered’ by her (apparently) controversial ‘Elastic Heart’ music video.
Admittedly, neither those who operate under the ‘Total-Paedo-Until-Proven-Innocent’ paradigm, nor Twitter-savvy werewolves for that matter, are demographics any sensible person would like to find themselves on the wrong side of, however this episode exemplifies a broader phenomenon which permeates our news-streams and our national discourse, one I like to call Offendophobia: our fear of offending people.
I recommend watching the video before reading on (if you’re not convinced, I’ll sweeten the proposition by pointing out that I absolutely do not consider it to be child pornography).
I’ll come clean: I quite enjoy offending people. Hell, I even like being offended myself and while this article is not a call to arms for a Clarksonesque crusade whereby we band together and travel the world insulting and
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FEATURES irritating as many people as possible, I will argue that (if done thoughtfully) there is something good to be said for causing offence, and even for receiving it: it challenges our convictions, and our presumptions. Furthermore, if those convictions are worth having, then being offended is nothing but an opportunity to galvanise them. Now, in the context of Labeouf dancing half-naked impounded in an enormous bird-cage, arguing over what we can and cannot say or depict may seem trivial, but there’s a more serious side to all this: following the fatal shooting of 11 Charlie Hebdo employees on January 7th it is no longer possible (if it ever was) to argue that our right to offend is an academic or inconsequential issue; it is also now very difficult to argue that those who are defensive about their own liberties in these regards (and you can count me among them) are overreacting. Especially when our freedom to offend seems to be on the negotiating table:
In response to the Charlie Hebdo attack, Pope Francis made comments which, in the interests of fairness and contextualisation, I should point out were introduced by the qualifier ‘I believe you cannot react violently’, he continues however ‘but if Mr. Gasparri, my great friend says a curse word against my mother he can expect a punch, this is normal [...] you cannot provoke, you cannot insult other people’s faith, you cannot make fun of faith.’ I wanted so badly to like this guy, I really did, but this bothered me. I’d go so far as to say it offended me.
causing offence can, if done with thought and conviction, be a good thing. I hope you disagree And when the Pope says curse words against your freedom to offend he can expect to be the partial focus of a semi-vitriolic opinion piece. This is normal. I have a thick skin (and an elastic heart?), and the Pope’s words (however heinous I found them) did give rise to edifying self-reflection, namely on the immunity of religion from ridicule. He didn’t reverse my feelings on the subject, but God loves a trier. So as not to leave you with a whingey afterta ste, I’ll draw attention to the graceful and deliberate decision of Michelle Obama (no stranger to the tempestuous meteorology of social media shitstorms) not to cover her head while attending the funeral of Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdul Aziz. Whether or not you’re onside with MObama’s decision to go nude-headed at the memorial, you’ve got to admit: this passive and non-violent gesture gave some small cue to the offended to re-consider their convictions. More important than all that though, she proved my point: causing offence can, if done with thought and conviction, be a fucking good thing. I hope you disagree. Cameron Rathie
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ART
StAnza: Starting Spring in Verse From the 4th to the 8th of March, St Andrews hosted its 18th annual poetry festival: StAnza. The event was launched by Game of Thrones actor Clive Russell, a Fife resident, who later hosted an ‘In Conversation’ discussion about his interests in poetry on Saturday the 7th of March. With headlining poets including Simon Armitage, Christine De Luca, Forward First Prize winner Kei Miller, Sinéad Morrissey and New Zealand’s first Poet Laureate Bill Manhire, there was an eclectic variety of styles and voices to suit anyone passionate about verse. This year’s celebration focused specifically on the themes of ‘Unfinished Business; and an Archipelago of Poetry.’ The former, inspired by Valéry’s famous quote that ‘a poem is never finished...’, focused on the creative processes that go into producing poetry, such as editing, translating, and selecting, while also referring to poetry which deals with the ‘unfinished business’ of everyday life. The latter’s thematic focus centres on the dual meaning of the ‘archipelago’, that is ‘an extensive group of islands’- so relating to anything coastal - in keeping with St Andrews’ location, but also referring to its definition as a grouping, or collection, rather than an individual. 18 ISSUE 46
“There was an eclectic variety of styles and voices to suit anyone passionate about verse.” Funded by Creative Scotland, Fife Council and EventsScotland, Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer for EventScotland, describes Scotland as “the perfect stage for cultural events,” praising StAnza for celebrating “both the best Scottish and international poetic talent. With a number of performances, exhibitions, open-mic events and workshops there was undoubtedly something for everyone at the festival.” But it wasn’t just about poetry. StAnza, in celebration of Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink, also had two all-day workshops, one located in the Hill of Tarvit’s Edwardian kitchen and the other in Kellie Castle, focusing on metaphors about food. Also included was a performance of Bedazzled: A Welshman in New York, jazz singer Lorna Reid, and the Viridian Quartet who performed Steve Reich’s ‘Different Trains’. However, if you missed the 2015 festival, do not fret and be sure to check out Scotland’s only international poetry festival when it returns next year. Kate McAuliffe
ART
LOCAL DJCAD ARTIST: JOSEPH NICKSON ISSUE 46 19
ALICE KIM, VISUAL ARTS CATEGORY WINNER 2013
“I was very proud of my coursework, and to win an international award for it was amazing.” LEARN MORE AND REGISTER TODAY AT
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www.undergraduateawards.com
ENTERTAINMENT
where is the winds of winter ? Kate McAuliffe
Like the Ross-Rachel ‘will they, won’t they’ dynamic of Friends, George R. R. Martin is playing a similar game with the release date of The Winds of Winter, the next instalment in his epic series: A Song of Ice and Fire. Not averse to toying with the emotions of his fans, he hinted at a 2015 release date, only to rip out our hearts with a suggested 2016 postponement, before consoling us with a potential release later this year, criticising his publishers for trying to schedule his books’ release. With nearly four years since the release of the fifth book in the series (A Dance with Dragons), many fans feel a nagging frustration that will only deepen the longer he delays its release. But what is hype may never die. What’s worse for fans is that, instead of focusing on the reader-pleasing continuation in his series, Martin is instead spending his time on other filler in the Game of Thrones universe. In 2014 Martin released four different texts: prequel novella The Rogue Prince, a catalogue of history of Westeros in The World of Ice and Fire, an illustrated young adult novel The Ice Dragon and short story collection A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which features a compilation from the Tales of Dunk and Egg. So fans of the series must wait an excruciatingly long time to find what fates have befouled several of Martin’s most beloved characters. Fuck the King. Fuck the books.
With only two years between the first and second books in the series, stretching to five between the third and fourth, then six between the fourth and fifth it seems the winds are not in the sails for Martin’s next instalment. But are we all giving Martin too hard a time? At 66, yes, we all fear the prolific writer’s impending doom, but does mean internet abuse and pressure to finish his series is acceptable behaviour from diehard fans? Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire is the embodiment of epic, with anal detail and hundreds of named characters.
"Fuck the King. Fuck the books." While other fantasy writers advised Martin to end each novel around the 400 page mark, he continues on, ending where he sees a justified conclusion. So, whenever the release, at least we can be certain of at least 800 pages of the Westeros we want, even if it means saying goodbye to few fan favourites. Just beware, for the hype is dark and full of rumours.
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ENTERTAINMENT
STUFF
of the
MONTH
MARCH 2015
TV SHOW
GADGET
Grumpy but hilarious television cynic Charlie Brooker returns with a new series of his brutal deconstruction of the current week’s mishaps and highlights. While his unyielding commentary on the latest events is unfalteringly funny, the real star of the show comes in the form of unenthused knowledge-seeker Philomena Cunk. Listening to her pondering such worldly topics as philosophy and the life of Winston Churchhill (pronounced Win-stone) with her signature child-like sense of wonder provides a welcoming break from Brooker’s fiery retorts.
As the winter nights drag on endlessly and the sun continues to give up on us by tea time, the people cry out for a shining light of hope. If you, like so many of us, are still yearning for the cheerful twinkling of Christmas lights to brighten the darkest of shadows, San Francisco based design company have created LED-powered headphones. Finally, we can pretend we’ve fallen straight out of Tron without compromising on the quality of our sick electro beats.
Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe, 10pm Thursdays on BBC2
Glow Smart Headphones
APP
Daily Mail-o-Matic, iOS & Android, free Ah, the joys of tabloid newspapers. Here at The Magdalen, our free-thinking young minds don’t tend to follow their 25p per issue example. However, it’s always good fun to whip out this handy sensationalist headline generator and imagine a world where THE UNEMPLOYED ARE INFECTING THE TAXPAYERS WITH CANCER or, my personal favourite, THE METRIC SYSTEM IS MAKING BRITAIN’S SWANS OBESE. Alternatively, you can follow Katie Hopkins on Twitter. In fact, I’m beginning to suspect she might be using this very app for her posts.
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ENTERTAINMENT
GAME
ALBUM
Game of Thrones, out now, £19.99, all platforms
Uptown Special – Mark Ronson, out now
When sitting yourself down to enjoy an episode of the emotionally taxing murder-fest that is Game of Thrones, do you ever find yourself wishing you could give some much-needed guidance and support to your favourite characters? Perhaps Margaery and Sansa would have assumed their rightful place as joint queens of Westeros by now if only they could hear you screaming through the screen to “not trust Littlefinger, for God’s sake!” Fear not, for Telltale’s latest release allows you to do exactly that. The power of the Iron Throne is in your hands, contrary to what Cersei or Tyrion would like to believe.
Who were we before Uptown Funk? Darkness filled our days without the presence of a tiny soulful singer preaching his message of self-appreciation and generally giving us all an excuse to have a bloody good time. The raw power of producer Mark Ronson’s ability to turn any song into a massive hit has been noticeably absent from our musical radar for a couple of years. Like a tuneful Mary Poppins he returns just when we need him most - with his latest album. Prepare your earholes for the soundtrack to your summer.
MOVIE
Chappie, released 6.3.15 Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. Of course they are. But if you don’t like comedy robots then you’re very wrong. From the producers of District 9 comes the tale of Chappie, a military police scout who is taken in and reprogrammed by a crew of misfits and ultimately taught how to feel. Meanwhile, everyone’s favourite sexy dad Hugh Jackman is angry and Australian, while Signourney Weaver is still scared of androids following her encounter on the Nostromo.
LORI PETRIE ISSUE 46 23
ENTERTAINMENT
fter 76 years as rival comic publishers, and with 29 cinema releases due for Marvel and DC films combined in the next 5 years, the two superhero genre giants are still very much at war for viewership. With Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy earning critical acclaim and Joss Whedon’s Avengers grossing $1.518 billion, making it the third-highest grossing film worldwide, the companies, once equivalent in fans, are diverging in values. DC, far from the camp days of Adam West’s Batman (not to mention the never-to-be mentioned Schumacher abortion), have veered into the dark realms of noir realism. With revisionist comic writerssuch as Frank Miller, Alan Moore and Grant Morrison revamping the Caped Crusader in the 90s, DC took a darker, more literary turn, reflected in the movies to follow. But with great subject matter comes great certification as Pete Travis’s 2012 Dredd, a million miles away from Stallone’s laughable 1995 failure, is ultra-violent and for mature viewers only. This, while suited to the comic’s subject matter and an adult audience, rules out younger demographics, and with them potential profit, something the publishers at DC do not share with their money-eyed rivals Marvel. With a nearly exclusive PG-13 rating for their films, Marvel appeals to a larger audience demographic,allowing a wider scope of fans and more profit from extended viewership. But this isn’t all 24 ISSUE 46
Marvel has in its favour. Riding on the ‘dark’ success of his Batman films, Nolan tried to take a similar approach with Superman in Man of Steel. The result was dull and uninspiring. Marvel, however, take a more fun-filledapproach. Take their latest summer blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy. With a retro, upbeat soundtrack and self-parody humour, the film definitely does not take itself too seriously – and that really works. It is colourful, exciting, action-packed, but still has heart. Yes Marvel are more mainstream, but they are more entertaining.
“DC, far from the campy days of Adam West’s Batman (not to mention the neverto-be mentioned Schumacher abortion), have veered into the dark realms of noir realism.” Nowadays superhero fans that were once spoilt for choice are being split down the middle in many a pub debate. Who are better: DC or Marvel? It’s not a fair choice anymore as both companies have branched out, exploring different modes of filmmaking, some for better and some for worse.
Kate McAuliffe
ENTERTAINMENT
2015 should be known as the year of the sequel, with at least 28 different cinema release followup films in the west. Many are highly anticipated and overdue franchise reboots like Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World and Mad Max: Fury Road. But there are countless others we can live without. Does the world really need a seventh Fast and Furious, a twenty-fourth Bond flick, or a fifth Mission Impossible? Don’t worry, at least Peter Jackson has ran out of convoluted Hobbit films to squeeze fromTolkien’s dead tears. But, that’s only one side of the coin in cinema’s latest lapse of originality. There’s an equally long list of adaptations, from Mark Miller’s Kingsman to Marvel’s already dreaded Ant-Man and the very mysterious Fantastic Four reboot (I smell an Avengers cameo).
praised for their ‘breath of fresh air’ originality, Pixar have saved the day again What’s more is the number of adaptation sequels. Yes there’s a list of them too. 2015 marks the release of the final Hunger Games film: Mockingjay: Part 2 (yes they managed to stretch that out as well, certainly not for
the additional profit, but because the 390-page book demanded over four hours of screen time). If young adult novel adaptations aren’t your thing, then this is not your year because we also have Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials and Divergent sequel Insurgent. You can thank Stephanie Meyer for that trend. But all is not lost. There is still hope, in the form of Pixar, Disney’s most talented and loved collaborator. We can eagerly look forward to not one, but two Pixar releases: Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur. Known and always praised for their ‘breath of fresh air’ originality, Pixar have saved the day again with the unusual narrative viewpoint of personified emotions living inside people’s minds in the former, and an alternative reality where dinosaurs were never wiped out in the latter. However, if colourful kid flicks don’t float your boat, Tarantino has another blood-soaked and adult only western up his sleeve in his rumoured final film The Hateful Eight. Like its critically acclaimed directorial predecessor Django Unchained, the film may take inspiration from Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns, but you can be safely assured of plentiful auteur Tarantino flair to see you through a year of bland remakes, redundant sequels and moneygrabbing silver-screen dramatizations.
Kate McAuliffe
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SCIENCE
G OT S C I E NC E? This Month’s Sci-Tech Groundbreakers
Mars One Getting Ready to Launch The first trips to Mars are planned for 2024, as the non-profit organization Mars One attempts to colonize the planet. The 660 semi-finalists that put their names forward have now been narrowed to 100 candidates, which will then finally be narrowed to 24 lucky places. The candidates are fully aware that this is a oneway journey, and their chances of surviving past a few months on the planet are slim, but yet, are willing to take the leap into the unknown to have their names go down in history. The future of the mission is looking rocky, as warnings have been issued by MIT that the technology to support life on the planet just isn’t there. Only time will tell if the mission will be successful.
DNA Data Storage When you think about it, our DNA is really just there to store A LOT of information. Why don’t we try and harness this and use it to hold other data, you ask? Well that’s what researchers at ETH Zurich have done! Storing data in DNA has many different benefits, mainly its extensive lifespan of potentially millions of years and the extremely high storage capacity. While the technology is nowhere near ready for daily use, it is still a pretty cool concept.
Telescopic Contact Lens Potentially the most creepy, yet cool item on this list is the telescopic contact lens that has been developed by researchers from The Swiss Institute of Technology. The contact lens has the ability to magnify objects by 2.8x normal vision, using simple winks to switch between normal and magnified view. While there are potentially several ethical issues that arise from a discrete vision magnifier, it is directed at those suffering from age-related macular degeneration. So don’t panic if you find yourself struggling to read this page, technology is coming to the rescue!
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SCIENCE
Spot, the Robot Dog Boston Dynamics, a Google-owned robotics company have unveiled its latest robot. Spot is a four-legged robotic dog, with the ability to climb stairs, walk over different terrain and even recover when kicked (as demonstrated in several viralvideos). Boston Dynamics has been churning out animal based robotics as of late, so we can look forward to their next creation in anticipation.
Robot Run Hotel, Japan Henn-na Hotel, a Japanese hotel located in Nagasaki is to be opened in July this year. While hotel openings don’t necessarily call for headline news, this one does. Why? It is to be manned almost entirely by robots. The owners claim they hope the robots will complete 90% of the hotel tasks including cleaning, carrying luggage and checking in. The hotel also boasts facial recognition and body heat recognition. With prices from £40 a night, who can say no to some robotic luxury?
Bionic Fuel-Creating Leaf Biologists from Harvard University have developed a leaf that can produce oxygen and hydrogen from solar energy. The hydrogen can then be run through a chamber containing an enzyme that will strip back the hydrogen into protons and electrons. In theory any carbon-based liquid fuel could be engineered with this method. Awesome!
Around the World on a Solar Plane Pilots Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg will attempt to fly the first solarpowered plane around the world, an approximate 22,000 mile journey beginning in March, after the plane’s successful maiden voyage in Switzerland. The plane is powered by 17,000 solar cells on wings spanning 72 metres that power four electric motors. The cells charge lithium batteries on board which will allow the plane to fly at night, allowing for virtually unlimited flying time.
Andrew Stewart ISSUE 46 27
SCIENCE
Life, it seems, whether clinical or clerical, often offers us more questions than answers. Both religion and science are manifold attempts to explain the unending riddle of the universe, so why are they always at odds? ‘Truth’ is fast becoming a catchall phrase and go-to defence of beliefs systems in the world. Short of arguing that, there is no valid meaning to life, what this boils down to is our human addiction for understanding. We love it. From (incorrect) political statistics fired out during election campaigns to daily pseudoscientific reports on the use/abuse of marijuana. Truth is the milk to our egotistical cookies, because theres nothing more we love than proving other people wrong. Yet, truth it seems, is a slippery slope. Many priests and physicists have been caught crying wolf and the arguments descend into feral cat fights. However, what happens when their bite is as big as their bark? 28 ISSUE 46
The historical context of religion and science, going paw for paw, lies in the Enlightenment. What both have attempted to do since their creation is explain the inexplicable. Whether it has been through ancient text or lab tests, science and religion aim to please the most human condition: Curiosity. In taking pot shots and sweeping blows at each other, these giants of intelligence have laid claim to vast sections of society, in the name of Truth or God. But where does the ‘buck’ end? When can these two leviathans come to terms?
When can these two leviathans come to terms? While patches of the fundamentally religious stand in opposition to scientific advances, this is exception, not the rule. Indeed, acceptance of dominant theories within science itself is always (and necessarily) has been disputed; it grows in its failures and learns from
SCIENCE
its achievements just as much from its mistakes. In fact, many of the earliest proponents of scientific advances, particularly with astronomy, were catholic priests. The entrenched warfare of the modern world, between science and so religiously devoted, however presents something darker. It is not fear of death which drives fundamentalism (of any flavour) but the fear of not being in control. Let us take a case in point, the medical advances in stem cell research, since the 1980’s, has posed one of greatest schisms between religion and science. How ethical is it to use embryonic stem cells to further the livelihood and life expectancy of those who are alive? This, and the fact that embryonic stem cells contain the ability to pupate into hundreds of different needed cell types in our bodies exponentially faster than adult stem cells,, has led to the claims of ‘murder’ and that science has gone to far. Catholicism has long held out that life begins at conception, other Christian dominations also point out the predetermined nature of life, which they state Science is subverting. ‘Prochoice’ similarly falls under this rubric. Science is accosted by religion for giving us too much choice, extending the working day, the shelf life of foods and the decision of when to make and take life. Today, in the West, we have more choices than ever before. We daily choose, decide, procrastinate and ponder issues our grandparents never could have imagined. In many ways, we are asked to compartmentalise our time, just so we have enough ‘time’ for ourselves. Lonely nights and silence are all too often ravaged by 24/7 city-scapes and we seem better off for it. What religion did for building values and communities of people, science has exponentially boosted. In the golden age of individuality, no longer are we just asked to account for our morality, but also the questions older codes of ethics never imagined in the first place.
No longer are we just asked to account for our morality, but also the questions older codes of ethics never imagined in the first place. While, science has opened new doors, there is some worthwhile prudence to be found within their ancient scripture. Higgs Bosons ‘God’ Particle is a perfect example. Recently observed in Large Hadron Collider, it can hold the answer to the creation of the universe. Compounding the theories of ‘Big Bang’, the Higgs Boson is the latest advance in humanities technological ability to look back at the history of our universe and make inferences. While this means we can paint a picture of what is here, is still doesn’t answer the bigger question of ‘Why?’. The divorce between religion and science has been long and arduous, both offering insights the other cannot yet both merely wanting the best for the children. Perhaps its time for a fresh start.
Dominic Younger
ISSUE 46 29
SOCIETIES
B
ottled water is a revealing sign of the times: modern countries pay for convenient packages of something they already have in abundance. For some, this represents the choice and freedom the capitalist market develops, but for others it demonstrates the excess and inequality of the modern world, whilst nearly a billion people do not have access to clean water. One Water aims to tackle thisproblem with ethical products. The concept is simple: 100% of Profits from One Water fund water projects in Africa. One Water Dundee is a student society that helps organise the stocking of One Water within Dundee, stocking a range of shops including DUSA Premier, Ninewells Kiosk, Dental Café and Tayside Forestry Café. Since formation in 2011, the society has sold over 7,000 bottles of One Water and built up from a £300 grant to near financial independence. The reason for this success is the volunteers. Being part of the One Water Dundee society sounds like it should be a lot of hard work: it is no easy task trying to tackle the conglomerates of the bottled water industry. The committee, however, runs on a ‘what-you-can-do’ basis, allowing everyone to muck in what and when they can. The best demonstration of this was the recent #HealthyStudyDundee campaign, fronted by the society. The Winter campaign, where a stall remained
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open 24 hours for the first week of the exam period, saw thousands of students getting free water, fruit, bubble wrap and advice. The campaign, in conjunction with the SRC (student representative council) and a number of other groups, was a great success and will hopefully be built upon in the coming years. Another huge campaign is already in the making for the spring exam season.
The concept is simple: 100% of Profits from One Water fund water projects in Africa. For more information, just follow the Hashtag. The next step is getting a good chunk of the market and as many volunteers as possible. With some extremely rewarding events and campaigns, One Water Dundee would love to welcome anyone interested to visit and join. You can always show your support by buying our water from any of our stockists, just look out for the bottles! One Water Dundee OneWaterDundee@gmail.com Facebook.com/OneWaterDundee JB Fyfe
SOCIETIES
Harvest Together Join Enactus’ Community Garden-Share Project
H
arvest Together is the name of a gardenshare project by the student society Enactus Dundee in cooperation with on-campus student enterprise DRIVE. The project aims to connect gardens that are not sufficiently used by their owners with individuals who are willing to work on the land in order to grow vegetables and fruit. Throughout the course of the programme Enactus is planning to economically empower a group of locals who are struggling financially by teaching them how to market, add value to, and eventually sell the fruits of their labour. This will generate an independent income for each individual in the group and provide them with transferable skills for further employment. The Enactus team will also deliver a series of workshops on various aspects of employability to the group
members, leading to a potential work placement with the InterContinental Hotels Group, which is one of many Enactus sponsors. So far, two groups have voiced interested in undertaking the programme, which is about to launch in the next couple of weeks. If you know someone in your community who might benefit from this project, or if you have a garden to share, please forward details to Enactus via enactusdundee@yahoo.co.uk. Enactus (ENtreprenerial ACtion US) Dundee, which is under new leadership since January, is also keen to recruit further proactive students, particularly those with an interest in gardening and entrepreneurial spirit. If this speaks to you, do not hesitate to come to one of Enactus’ meetings. The team meets every Wednesday at 1pm at DRIVE (next to Dalhousie).
Simone Kortung
ISSUE 46 31
SOCIETIES
TEDx Dundee: ‘Make a Difference’ What exactly is TEDx? That isn’t the easiest question to answer. Simply put, TEDx is a spin-off event of the big annual global TED conference yet TEDx differs every time, in both the aims and outcomes of each event.
According to the license we have received from TED, we are permitted to have only 100 people attending the event. So, if you are interested to attend, be alert for when we start selling, trust me when I say they will run out like hot cakes!
The underlying theme however, is to organise an intellectual day where everyday people would have a chance to get close to, and interact with, the development and debates within modern scientific research and academia. Every TEDx event contains several speeches on different topics. Speakers of a TEDx are world class scientists in their fields, students or regular individuals.
“Speakers of a TEDx are world class scientists in their fields, students or regular individuals.”
This year marks the first TEDxUniversityOf Dundee, as well as the first TEDx to be held in our city. The theme of our TEDx is ‘Make a Difference’. The project is a student-led initiative, backed by both DUSA and the University’s Enterprise Gym and will take place on Saturday the 23rd May in the Dalhousie Building. 32 ISSUE 46
At the moment, we are in the process of recruiting the speakers of TEDxUniversityofDundee. By the next issue of The Magdalen we will be able to tell you who are and what will be the topics of their presentations. In the meantime, if you have any questions for us, feel free to contact myself or the Project Coordinator at tedx@dundee.ac.uk and watch this space.
Stefan Tomov
SPORT
DU N DEE U NIVE RSI TY
HANDBALL n 2012, after what I would describe as a very unhealthy fi rst year at university, I thought it would be a good idea to join a sports club. I had played rugby for around six years but I thought I’d try something completely different! Walking round the sports fayre I started chatting to two Germans who had just helped set up a handball club at the university. I had absolutely no idea what it was and they gave me the line that I so often have come to use now; ‘Its like a cross between football, basketball and rugby… think of water polo, but without the water!’. The Handball Club is nearly three years old and, during this short time, the club has come on in leaps and bounds from being a virtually unknown sport at Dundee to becoming fi rmly established itself as a Sports Union Club. In our second year, the club doubled its matriculated members and the men and women both reached the British University Championship fi nals in London with the men winning the bronze medal play-off coming behind Oxford and Loughborough. As a result of these achievements, the Handball Club was awarded most progressive club by the Sports Union in 2014. This year we have reached more milestones. The men’s team entered the Scottish Division 2 and had their fi rst-ever competitive home match at the ISE
on the 8th of February. In addition the women’s team are currently top of their group in the British University Championships and look to go all the way. Handball is huge on the continent but is only just appearing on the map in the UK so naturally we have a huge mix of nationalities. I am graduating this year and will be sad to leave the club, however
‘
‘
I
Its like a cross between football, basketball and rugby… think of water polo, but without the water!
I have huge confidence for the future. One of the things which has pleased me most is that every year we have seen an increase in the amount of members coming to the team, as well as RGU and St. Andrews forming their own teams, which means a university league structure is defi nitely on the horizon. Handball has had a huge impact on my university life and I would strongly encourage people to try it out; I can promise you that it’s the best sport you’ve never tried! Dominic Marshall - Club Captain
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Scottish Dance Theatre presents
MIANN by Fleur Darkin live music by The One Ensemble
Broadway Baby Total Theatre Bachtrack
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Student just: tickets f the performance
o on the day
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe sell-out returns Dundee Rep Theatre Thu 19 March at 8pm dundeerep.co.uk / 01382 223530