THE ORBITAL NOVEMBER 2012
FREE!
www.theorbital.co.uk
THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE STUDENTS’ UNION ROYAL HOLLOWAY, UNIVERSITY OF LONDON
Man jailed for stashing gun and bullets in Englefield Green - Pistol and ammunition stored in Corby Drive - Defendant claims weapon to be used for future suicide attempt
- 52-year-old imprisoned for five years - Home secretary calls for tough laws to restrict supply of firearms
NEWS P3: Professor Frank UCU officer claims tribunal case was misreported by college management.
LIFESTYLE P17: Simon says Simon Rawlings waxes lyrical about Jack Wills and real fur. P19: Vintage fashion Rachel Ivens reviews fashion culture down the years from the 1920s onwards.
Bryony Bowie A JUDGE has sentenced a 52-year-old man, who stored a pistol and ammunition in Corby Drive, to five years in prison. David Riley, who has 30 previous convictions dating back to 1993, was arrested in June when a member of the public contacted police, after they spotted him concealing bullets and a single-barrelled pistol in a communal garden. Riley claimed that he had intended to use the weapon to commit suicide, and had
mistakenly brought it with him to Englefield Green, where he was carrying out decorating work. Judge Peter Moss called the defendant’s account to police a “very strange story”. Guilford Crown Court heard last month that Riley had been in illegal possession of the firearm for over a year – a charge to which he immediately pleaded guilty. His possession of the weapon was also in breach of an eighteen month community order given to him in September 2011. Riley’s defence for this and many previous crimes had been that of mental illness,
and though some psychiatric reports describe him as suffering from a borderline personality disorder, others are more sceptical and believe that no treatment is required. The Judge queried these contradictory results during the trial, asking Riley: “Why would you need three bullets to commit suicide?” In a debate in the House of Commons last week, Prime Minister David Cameron stated that: “It is generally recognised that the UK has comparatively low levels of gun crime, and some of the strictest gun laws continued page 3
IN NUMBERS
46
The number of goals scored by Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi in 2012.
22,829
The number of beneficiaries the Royal British Legion gave immediate need grants to in 2011.
COMMENT P11: Pornography Ameena Khanum examines the argument for banning sexual images. P12: A beautiful game? Young Kuk Nuh takes a look at a troubling start to the 2012/2013 football season.
FEATURES P13: Puzzles Try your hand at our sudokus and a US election-themed wordsearch.
ARTS P24: Skyfall We run the rule over the lastest 007 installment starring Daniel Craig.
SPORTS & SOCS P29: Match action Football club president reports as the 1st XI taken on Queen Mary’s.
$6bn
The projected cost of the US presidential and congressional elections (Center for Responsive Politics).
SERIES 26
ISSUE 4
o
The Orbital Nov 2012
o
The Board Julian Farmer Editor-in-Chief
editor@theorbital.co.uk
Alex Pegler Deputy Editor
deputyeditor@theorbital.co.uk
Ramona Saigol News Editor
news@theorbital.co.uk
Stephen Atkinson Comment Editor
comment@theorbital.co.uk
Simon Rawlings Lifestyle Editor
lifestyle@theorbital.co.uk
Vacant Features Editor
features@theorbital.co.uk
Rebecca Hilsdon Arts Editor arts@theorbital.co.uk
Shannon Mizzi Sports & Socs Editor
sportsandsocs@theorbital.co.uk
James Griffen Web Editor
web@theorbital.co.uk
Zosia Edwards Art Director art@theorbital.co.uk
The Orbital is the official publication of the Students’ Union, Royal Holloway, University of London, and is run entirely by an elected board of students. It is editorially independent of both Royal Holloway and the Students’ Union. If you have any questions or want to write for us, send an email to getinvolved@ theorbital.co.uk, or contact the relevant section editor directly. Design: Zosia Edwards and Julian Farmer theorbital.co.uk @theorbitalrhul facebook.com/ theorbital
Vacant Admin Director
admin@theorbital.co.uk
Jamie S Green Executive Editor (VPComCam) jamie@theorbital.co.uk
Julian Farmer Editor-in-Chief
I sit here with Alex and Zosia in the Students’ Union in the early hours of the morning half sleeping, half editing and half following the US presidential election (as I write this, they’re literally neck and neck). Oh, the glamorous life that is student media! I always whine about it, but really, it’s surprisingly enjoyable. You hold in your hands something that we’ve spent 30 hours or so in the office working on — it’s more work and more rewarding than most people realise. Remarkably little has actually happened in the last two weeks of my life; Bonfire Night
04
Students to vote in first police chief elections
09
General meetings: a hotbed of hypocrisy
13
Puzzles
19
Runway tales: part 2
24 Film reviews 27 2
From the Editors
Students In Free Enterprise
has come and gone (bloody fireworks), I’ve been catching up on assignments and chasing up on Orbital deadlines, and all the madness associated with Christmas is due to start every day now — time for me to play Scrooge. If you’re reading this and you’ve never contributed to us before, then why not? I say this every time, but the Orbital is written by you guys, and I’m going to keep whining at you until you get involved. On a side note, we’re currently looking for a features editor and an admin director, so if you’re interested drop me an email for more information. So, see you next time in our Christmas edition! (Bah, humbug.)
Alex Pegler Deputy Editor
I hope everyone had a cracking Halloween and bonfire night. Well, Obama was successfully re-elected! C o n g r at u l at i o n s to him on a landslide victory! Alternatively, Mitt, well done sir on a famous scalp. Ah, the perils of writing this on election night before the results come in! What is certain however is that whoever gets the keys to the White House for the next four years will certainly have a job on their hands. To coin a phrase used during the 1992 US election campaign by a Bill Clinton strategist: “It’s the economy, stupid.” Quite whether or not
o
President Obama or indeed Governor Romney could ever begin to successfully tackle the endemic problem of unemployment, in a nation as polarised as the United States, is unclear. Coupled with a crippling national debt and an Iran supposedly on the verge of a nuclear attack, the outlook for America’s next commander-inchief isn’t exactly rosy. Good luck to Barack, or errr… Mitt. On a side note, I’m soon to attempt to run the Luton Marathon without dying, or even worsegiving up. I’m told that with marathons“First you feel like death. Then you feel reborn.” Yeah, looking forward to that! See you next time.
Ex-Surhul president confronts Amnesty director over workers’ rights
05
Why we need to march on 21 November
11
The Sabbatical Files
16
Student survival guide
20
Interview with Kate Glover
26
The ultimate Movember
30
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
7-12
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
“College mislead students over reporting of Professor Frank case”: UCU officer Alex Pegler Deputy Editor
UNIVERSITY management misreported the facts of the Professor Frank employment tribunal case, a RHUL University and College Union (UCU) officer has claimed. Clare Bradley, professor of health psychology and UCU equality officer at Royal Holloway, believes College officials mislead staff and students with the statement it released on the results of the Jefferson Frank Reading Employment Tribunal case. Ms Bradley says the college failed to report that a settlement had been reached between the professor and the university before the case was dismissed. Last month, the Orbital reported that Professor Frank took legal action against the university because he felt College management treated him unfairly. The professor said he had not received a pay rise for over five years because he had previously attempted to sue the university for discrimination on
the grounds of sexual orientation and his membership of a trade union. On 20 September a university spokeswoman said: “This morning the Reading Employment Tribunal dismissed the case of Professor J Frank vs Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, upon withdrawal of the claims by the claimant, Professor Frank. “There was no financial settlement made.” Ms Bradley argues the statement was misleading and incorrectly gave the impression that the professor’s case was dismissed outright. She points to the official judgement issued by employment judge Gumbiti Zimuto. The statement reads: “Settlement having been agreed between the parties as to the claims made by the claimant on the terms set out in a memorandum of their own making the claims are dismissed upon withdrawal by the claimant.” The UCU equality officer believes the college
intended to falsely portray the case as a victory for the university against Professor Frank. Ms Bradley said: “It is misleading to tell everyone that the case was dismissed without a financial settlement without telling them why. In this case it was because the professor and college reached a non-financial settlement beforehand.” She continued: “The college have not made any attempt to avoid misleading people. Frankly, it’s worrying. I wish management would show a greater level of humility in cases such as this. When any employee feels the need to take the College to an employment tribunal, it’s a failure for the university, not a victory or a success.” A spokesman for the College confirmed that university officials had nothing further to say in addition to the statement released in September. He said: “We stand by the statement we released at the time, which was sent out to the national press, and have nothing further to add.”
Photo: UCU
Englefield gun discovery continued from page 1 in the world.” However, there are many who believe the level of regulation of firearms should be greater. Last month, Theresa May, the home secretary, promised tough sentences for those who supply firearms to offenders. She said: “We know there are middle men, who have firearms that they then rent out to criminals who then use them. “There isn’t at the moment an offence for someone to possess a firearm with the intent to supply it to someone else. “I think it is right that we introduce that offence, because those people who are supplying the firearms are as guilty as the people using them when it comes to the impact.” Since the shooting rampage of Raoul Moat in Northumbria in 2010, there has been an
increased level of public interest and concern relating to gun crime and firearm licences, reinforced by the Derrick Bird attacks in Cumbria in the same year. More recently, the death of Mark Duggan — sparking the London Riots in August 2011 — and those of PCs Ian Dibell, Fiona Bone, Nicola Hughes and Rod Gellatly have brought yet more outcry. Gun control campaigners have been urging the Government to implement new laws regarding firearms. When compared to the crime rate of the rest of the UK, Surrey’s is small. In October, the county’s police force revealed that “levels of crime in the area have been low” against the Surrey average. Riley’s conviction comes on the back of him being found not guilty of attempted murder on the grounds of insanity, having stabbed a housemate more than 30 times in 2010.
3
o Students to vote in first The Orbital Nov 2012
police chief elections
Alex Pegler Deputy Editor VOTERS will go to the polls on Thursday 15 November to elect Surrey’s first police and crime commissioner (PCC). Royal Holloway students will be given the chance to have their say in who they want to control the local constabulary’s budget. Six candidates will fight it out in an election that will see the victor given the power to control police spending, set local policing priorities and select the chief constable. Candidates in Surrey include a former MEP, an ex-publicorder commander with the Metropolitan Police and a magistrate. Current Runnymede and Weybridge Labour Party chairman Robert Evans is the first name on the ballot sheet. Mr Evans has pledged to resist funding cuts and “privatisation” plans and has said he would “reverse” cuts in support for domestic abuse victims and freeze further police station closures,
promising there would be no “soft touch” policing on his watch. Independent Kevin Hurley is also an option for Royal Holloway students. The former detective chief superintendent describes his police methods as “no nonsense”. Mr Hurley has said he wants police chiefs to be leaders, not bureaucratic managers, and that he is a strong believer in zerotolerance policing. Julie Iles is the Conservative candidate and is running on the back of 10 years experience as a magistrate. Mrs Iles has pledged to correct the disparity between Surrey’s low crime rate and poor detection rate, ensuring police are “visible” and available to the public, and to work with other agencies to target anti-social behaviour and alcohol-related crime. The Liberal Democrats are represented in Surrey’s PCC elections by Nick O’Shea. The former councillor says he is a director of a number of businesses and a chartered management accountant. He wants to put the focus
on victims and witnesses of crime - improving support to encourage more offences to be reported. Ex-Surrey police officer Robert Shatwell is the UKIP candidate. He said he understood the operations of Surrey Police and the problems it faced. This, he said, was because he was part of the force for 18 years. Independent Peter Williams completes the Surrey PCC line up. Mr Williams says he wants to build on the county’s recent reputation for high public satisfaction by continuing to consult residents on policing and stated his priorities would include tackling anti-social behaviour, collaboration with neighbouring forces and holding the chief constable to account. Runnymede Borough Council says the supplementary voting system has been chosen for the PCC elections as this is currently the system used to elect mayors, the closest existing role to PCCs. Polls are open from 7am-10pm on 15 November.
Photo: Surrey County Council
Council boss sets out Magna Carta vision
Photo: Anselor (Flickr)
4
Zosia Edwards Art Director SURREY County Council leader David Hodge has called for the return of the Magna Carta to Egham. Last week he announced plans to contribute £5 million towards a new Magna Carta visitor centre at Runnymede Meadow, but it is feared that the prohibitive cost of insuring the document while it is there will be impractical. 2015 marks the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta by King John, and the visitor centre will provide a focus for events taking place in the area, as well as providing a legacy of tourism. The council hopes that the centre could make an estimated £13.6m per
year. However, Councillor Hodge’s calls to return one of the four remaining copies of the document have been met with caution from members of the Magna Carta 800th Anniversary Committee. Paul Turrell, honorary treasurer of the trust and chief executive of Runnymede Borough Council, said that “the key issue is affordability” but that he thought bringing the document back to the place of its conception “would be a great thing to do.” Despite the fact that many copies of the Magna Carta were made, only four of the originals survive. Two of these are held by the British Library, one is at Salisbury Cathedral and the other is at
Lincoln Castle. The county council has asked members of the Commemorative Committee to approach these institutions about bringing the document back to Runnymede. The Magna Carta Trust calls the document “the cornerstone of liberty, individual freedom, and democracy here in the UK and across the world.” Three of its 63 clauses remain in law, including a clause establishing the right to trial by jury. There has been much historical debate about the extent of the democratic aims of those who drew up the document nearly 800 years ago, but it is generally agreed to have set this country on the path towards democracy.
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
College). Online voting is open until midday on Friday 9 November. Students can vote by accessing a secure internet poll. Royal Holloway Students have received email passwords and the voting booth details to their registered college email accounts. Results will be announced on Friday 9 November at 6pm.
UCL
Ex-Surhul president confronts Amnesty director over workers’ rights Alex Pegler Deputy Editor
FORMER Students’ Union president Daniel Cooper has blasted Amnesty International UK, accusing the human rights organisation of using an “unacceptable” rationale to justify sacking its workers. Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen was involved in a frank exchange of views with Mr Cooper in the Windsor Building Auditorium, at a talk arranged by the RHUL Amnesty Society on the Arab Spring. Cooper suggested that the Amnesty UK boss should consider resigning over recent worker strikes in response to planned redundancies. Ms Allen pledged to treat Amnesty employees with dignity and respect, stressing that the proposed job losses were necessary for the organisation to open offices in countries in the Southern Hemisphere. The conflict between Amnesty’s management and its British workers stems from a decision last year to reorganise the charity, expanding operations to
far-flung regions using local workers. Amnesty UK will reportedly have to provide 40% of its income to global operations, increased from 30% currently. The London management argues that in order to do this, cuts of over £2 million must be made. Speaking to the Orbital, Mr Cooper said: “Amnesty UK took away their staff ’s rights one day and then told a third of them they would be sacked immediately, without consultation. “The rationale for the changes are unacceptable. “How can Amnesty UK claim to be a credible human rights organisation when it doesn’t respect the rights of its own workers.” Amnesty UK Campaigns director Tim Hancock claims the cuts are necessary to ensure the organisation’s financial sustainability. He said: “Obviously we are disappointed staff feel the need to strike, but as you might expect from Amnesty International we entirely respect their right to do so. “The decision to restructure and move funds away from London was made democratically by the
13-16
17-21
THELONDON CONNECTION
ULU presidential elections ULU POLLING has opened for the position of ULU president. There are seven candidates running for the presidency. These are: William Hall (University College), Michael Chessum (University College), Gala Jackson-Coombs (Heythrop College), Benedict Maguire (University College), Jed Keenan (Birkbeck College) and Nathan Long (Birkbeck
7-12
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
compiled by Ramona Saigol
Tony Blair, John Reid and Michael Gove to speak at UCL UCL is set to host a plethora of political speakers later on this month. The college’s Institute for Security and Resilience Studies has invited former prime minister Tony Blair, ex-health secretary John Reid and current secretary of state for education Michael Gove to speak at a conference. The inaugural “Building an Ethos of Resilience: a New Manifesto for Business” conference will take place on 13 November 2012. KCL
Photo: Giuseppe Nicoloro
King’s protest against image of “controversial” figure KING’S College London students are petitioning for the removal of an image of Lord Carey from the Strand campus of the university. The protests arose after Lord Carey, a former Archbishop of Canterbury, made offensive comments regarding same-sex marriage at the recent
organisation’s i nt e r n at i o n a l committee in 2011, and is therefore not up for discussion, although management staff are to continue to talk to workers about a range of issues including how the cuts will be implemented. “Redundancies are likely but the UK office remains committed to activism and does not want to simply become the “cash cow” for the organisation. “The biggest risk to Amnesty is to do nothing at all. “If we continue to operate without making these cuts we would severely endanger this section’s financial health.” Hannah Russell, RHUL Amnesty Society president, said: “Daniel Cooper made some very good points, I’m glad he asked Kate Allen the questions about how the organisation treats its workers. “I felt she responded unsatisfactorily and just plied us with management spin.”
Conservative Party conference. Carey’s comments have been condemned by students. KCL Students’ Union said: “What we find unacceptable is that King’s has given clear and defined promotion within a College space to a man whose views are so unreflective of the values of King’s College and its students.”
Amnesty director Kate Allen. Photo: Peter Curbishley
5
SPONSORED PAGE
College update Fancy winning £1000? Give us your feedback! This week sees the launch of the Student Barometer survey, carried out independently on our behalf by iGrad. Unlike the National Student survey (NSS) which has a focus on academic experience and feeds into league tables, the iGrad survey covers all aspects of student life at Royal Holloway. It gives us the chance to compare our performance against
selected universities to help us identify what we are doing well and where there is room for improvement. At Royal Holloway, we are focused on giving you the best student experience possible, so help us achieve this by giving us your feedback at: bit.ly/Sb6vds Previous barometers have given us very useful feedback which has informed a number of
‘Draw Something’ for the library Are you a whizz at ‘Draw Something’? Is there a budding artist in you dying to get out? Well, if there is, why not put your creative side to good use by entering the Library’s Love to Learn competition. For the past two years, Royal Holloway has run a programme of events designed to celebrate knowledge and help students discover the full range of resources available to support their learning, including the libraries on campus, Senate House Library and further afield. This year, there will be a series of events throughout the spring which will train and support students in the best ways to study. There will also be a series of English language dropin sessions, as well as the opportunity to discover Royal Holloway’s archives
and the amazing collection held in the Picture Gallery. The Library needs your help to promote this! They are looking for someone to design artwork that can encompass learning across campus and include the concept of ‘celebration.’ 1st prize for the best piece of artwork will be an Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Wi-Fi (or equivalent value in Amazon vouchers, currently £109). Also, if your artwork is selected it will be used to promote the ‘Love to Learn’ term all over campus - a great addition to your CV! Feel free to be inspired by this theme or any other aspect of learning at Royal Holloway. More information and details on how to enter are at: www.rhul.ac.uk/library/ lovetolearncompetition/
changes we have made to make a real difference to the experience of our students. For example, we ran a more extensive range of welcome week activities this year, piloted the peer guide initiative, improved visa advice, and improved services on campus by including a new branch of Santander and the new bookshop, John Smiths. Don’t miss your chance to
tell us about your experience here at Royal Holloway – your learning, the support you receive and about your student life in general. Please answer all questions based on the course you are currently studying. Your feedback will be used to improve the student experience for you and others who follow in your footsteps – oh and you could also win a £1000 prize!
Support & Advisory: Catch it, kill it, bin it! During the autumn term many students and staff are affected by colds, sore throats and coughs so we thought it might be a useful time for a few tips for trying to keep as well as you can. The Health Centre team suggest it is typical for adults to suffer three to four colds in a year. Seasonal colds like this tend to be viral and do not respond to antibiotics, therefore you are recommended to take your preferred over the counter cold remedy, make sure you drink plenty of fluids and rest. Winter often also brings an outbreak of flu which is different from a cold and can spread quickly in a campus community like ours. The symptoms of flu are high fever, aches and pains in the joints, headache, loss of appetite and general weakness necessitating enforced bed rest. Antibiotics are of no value against viral upper respiratory tract infections or flu for people with otherwise good health and will generally only be prescribed to patients
who suffer from other conditions such as asthma or diabetes. In these cases a doctor’s appointment needs to be arranged so that an antibiotic can be prescribed if necessary. It is important everyone remembers to do everything they can to stop virus’ from spreading by following the ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’ advice i.e. sneezing and coughing into a tissue, disposing of it quickly into the bin and washing your hands and surfaces regularly to kill the virus. Try to have someone ready to be your ‘flu friend’ if you do become unwell as they will be able to help by picking up medicines or supplies for you. For further information pick up one of our Healthy Living Guides from Founder’s West, visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or call into the College Health Centre. Helen Groenendaal Community Liaison & Support Officer
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
7-12
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
Nightmares of eviction Imogen Tyreman
THE sun streaks in through the window of your bedroom, pulling you out of your slumber into a bright new day. You get up and wander over to draw the curtains, but the usual morning landscape is ruined by a monstrous machine. A bulldozer awaits you with a small army of obedient workers surrounding it, and police spread through the street. You run downstairs and out of the house where you are greeted with a formal warning that you have to vacate your property immediately or be demolished with it. Your family comes downstairs, still half asleep, trying to figure out what all the fuss is about, and all you can do is yell at them to grab the furniture and get them outside as quickly as you can. Up and down the street your neighbours do the same. Some of them try to convince you to stay and make a stand by forming a human chain — it must be illegal to suddenly destroy houses, after all. You want so badly to believe them and stop and protest, but you can’t for the sake of the people who love you and for the sake of your own life.
No one can be sure how far these people will go to ensure nothing gets in the way of their grand plans, and as you take a last look at your house before it gets torn down, you think of how sad it is that there is greed in the world, driving people to steal homes away from others in order to make more money Or perhaps you come home from a long day of labour and lying — for they would never employ you if they knew who you were — to a one-room house where your children sit on their mattress, which is also their dining table, desk, sofa and everything else. You wish you could have given them an education. On your way home you saw so many children their age getting picked up and taken to secure homes. You feel like you’ve let them down, but it is so hard to keep in the same place when your group is targeted by discrimination all across Europe. Even Italy, a country you expected to find a bit of hope in, has let you down; six months ago you stood and watched your home be destroyed by hungry machines. Since then all you have had is a mattress. You are still grateful for even that, though; others were forced into homes with no access
to safe water, sanitation and energy. It could be worse. These horrible stories are the reality for many people all over the world. Even here in the UK, human rights are being manipulated to evict residents from their homes. Last year the government spent around £8m evicting residents of Dale Farm, leaving them homeless. This did not only shatter people’s lives and send children into sickness through lack of sanitation, but was also a waste of government money. The incident increased prejudice towards this community; one woman claimed that when she went to return a faulty buggy to the shop, the shop assistants claimed they were not required to give “people like her” discount. The right to housing is a human right, but it is one that is abused even here in the UK, a place which tends to lead most other campaigns for human rights. In other countries such as Nigeria, Serbia and Romania, many communities struggle to keep a home with access to basic needs for a long time as they continue to be evicted and it is becoming increasingly pertinent that governments recognise their right to adequate housing. No one should have to live like this.
A forced eviction at Losheng Sanatorium, Taiwan. Photo: Minke33 (Flickr)
I don’t have sex with my girlfriend Anonymous I ASSUME, judging by the sounds emanating from various Founder’s rooms at night, that my title puts me and my girlfriend in the minority of people in intimate relationships at university. But we have been together for almost a year now and never turned back on our decision, and now I want to explain why. First of all, turn your mind away from any unhelpful religious stereotypes. Doctrinal literature doesn’t come into our mutual
agreement. We have made this decision as a reaction to various psychological and physical things that we consider imperative not to ignore. Have you had sex before? Or have you gone under the covers with someone before, touched their body and let them touch yours? Don’t you remember it? And doesn’t the memory come flooding back into your mind when you end up in bed with someone new, or even when you end up in bed on your own armed only with your laptop? Intimacy, and sex primarily, is a mysteriously powerful thing. It lodges itself in the
crannies of your mind, causing you to feel connected, both physically and mentally, to the person you did it with. What if I had sex with my girlfriend right now? The act would be fun, I’m sure; impressive, no doubt; but what would the repercussions be? Would I ever be able to forget it should we, God forbid, break up in the future? What if I get into bed on my marriage day with someone else and can’t kick the memory of my first time with that girl from uni? That, dear readers, illustrates our first reason for not having sex. But sex makes you feel close
to someone; it enhances your relationship, right? Without trying to sound like I have journeyed from the 1940s to tell you this, I genuinely find that I feel closest to my girlfriend when we exercise the beautiful, even divine, qualities of compassion, kindness, and selflessness. And when we turn our brains off and let our bodies run wild, end up in bed together with our tops off, I don’t feel closer to her at all. In fact, we’ve both said that we feel further apart. Instead of sharing in a selfish act of love, we are just there to take and satisfy some animalistic desire. The minute
the ‘pleasure is fulfilled’ we feel crap. And then there’s the pregnancy thing. That’s terrifying. So I have tried my best to outline a few of the reasons why we don’t have sex. I ultimately want it to be something I share with someone I am with for the rest of my life, and wait for it to be something that is truly loving, and not merely selfish. “What a poor, idiotic, ignorant couple”, you might be thinking. If so, please, respond by medium of this newspaper — if what I say is wrong I would love to hear from you what is right.
7
o
The Orbital Nov 2012
Debate:
The Poppy Appeal
It’s about the symbol, not the colour. Imogen Tyreman WEARING red poppies is a tradition we honour without question every year as we pay our respects to those who fought and are fighting in the war. The red poppy signifies the flowers that bloomed on the fields of Flanders following one of the bloodiest battles in World War I. Each year we buy a poppy in accordance with social convention; many would take offense if they saw someone without this red flower on their chest as they did with John Snow in 2006, who pointed out that just because he wasn’t wearing one did not mean he did not acknowledge the sacrifice made by soldiers. However, this year I discovered that red is not our only choice of colour when wearing poppies, and while
it is important to remember those who have died and keep in mind one of the biggest wars of all time, other colours may better signify what we wish to achieve as a whole. Purple poppies are worn to remember the animal victims of the war, and can be bought from most animal charity shops. These do not have much advertising, but also do not have much hate; it’s the white poppies one must be careful about. The white poppy was introduced in 1933 by the Co-operative Guild and was intended to remember casualties of war whilst also conveying a message of hope for peace. When I heard about this, I thought it was brilliant; respecting dead and stopping others dying all in one. Why was this not more popular? Nevertheless, when I searched to find out more about them,
I discovered the deeper ideological implications of our choice in colour. It appears that many people find offence in the wearing of white poppies, believing that they undermine the contribution of soldiers to the war effort. In the 1930s, some women lost their jobs for wearing them, and during Thatcher’s years as Prime Minister many tabloids targeted the manufacturers of these poppies. There is still a strong misunderstanding of what white poppies signify, and due to the treatment of those who make and sell them through the years, they have become heavily politicised when all they were meant to do was hold a stronger message of peace. Even today people are not comfortable with the White Poppy Appeal. Despite this, the Royal British Legion has
not shown any disdain for the White Poppies, stating they do not mind what colour poppy is worn; that is up to the individual, and poppies are for the benefit of the living. It is only the views of the general public that seem to be restraining the White Poppy Appeal. It is disappointing that the view of the white poppy has evolved in this way. The pacifist element leads people to believe that as it is a sign to end violence, criticising those that have chosen to give their life in a war that might protect or save others, and therefore anti-patriotic. But this assumption is wrong. The white poppy is a symbol for peace and mourning, and does not in anyway devalue the lives lost in warfare throughout the decades. The social convention of the red poppy has many
supporters, and for that reason white poppies are not popular enough for us to have easy access to. I believe it is always important to wear a poppy no matter what colour; we must take heed of the disasters of war. For this reason, I feel it is even more meaningful to wear a white poppy; people are still dying all around the world because of war, and by supporting this appeal we will not only show that we grievingly accept the sacrifice they have made, but we will also stand united for peace and to bring an end to suffering across the world. Whatever colour poppy I wear this year, I will be hoping that people gradually accept the white poppy as something to be worn and become aware of its real meaning.
Remember why we wear the red poppy. Kirsty Whitford EVERY year on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, we fall silent for two minutes to remember the sacrifice made by our service men and women in conflicts past and present. Since the first two minutes of silence in 1919, red poppies have been used to symbolise the respect we hold for those who sacrifice their lives for others. But recently that symbol has been doubted and debated. Should we wear the red poppy, a symbol of honour, respect and sacrifice? Yes, we should. Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae wrote the poem In Flanders Fields. It was written upon the discovery of a small red flower growing in the battlefields during the First World War. This small
8
flower, a red poppy, came to be synonymous with the remembrance of those whose blood was shed in conflict. The most important reason for us to wear the red poppy is that it allows us to acknowledge and tell their story. We wear it for our families, our friends, our citizens-in-arms. We wear it for our great grandparents who fought side by side in the trenches, for the doctors and nurses who lost their lives caring for the wounded, for the men and women serving on our front lines. Wear red to honour their memory. If the red poppy’s significance as a symbol for honouring the fallen and respecting those who serve is not enough, the Royal British Legion uses its Red Poppy Appeal to support the nation’s service men and women, and their families. The Legion spends nearly £1.7m a week supporting those in need.
The Red Poppy Appeal is their biggest fundraising campaign and the money raised goes on to support their welfare work. The 2010/2011 Appeal raised 36 million pounds. This year’s goal is £42m. Wear red to make that happen. However there is more than one poppy to choose from. The white poppy, produced by the Peace Pledge Union, was created as an anti-war statement. The organisation and its most avid supporters make the claim that the red poppy does not symbolise our sorrow and regret for all the victims of war but that it honours a chosen few. Yet one of the reasons the red poppy was originally devised and paired with events like Remembrance Day, was to remember the millions of people killed, injured and affected by the war.
Today, people can plant virtual poppies anywhere in the world and for anyone they want to remember. Wearing red is a choice to remember how and who you want to. Furthermore, the Peace Union claim that Remembrance and the red poppy are more akin to propaganda than passion and that by wearing the red poppy we are glorifying war and perpetuating a military culture. Yes, the Union’s call for peace is admirable, but our service men and women died because they believed in something, and people wear the poppy because they too believe in something. They believe in honouring the sacrifice of others. They don’t wear the red poppy because they think we should be marching into war at any given conflict, they wear red because once a year they
get to stop and think about the loss and the hurting. They wear red to show their solidarity. Remembrance comes with a flower, not a gun or a bomb. Acknowledging bloodshed is an act of peace, not one of war. Wear a red poppy because it pays for the welfare of our serving men and women, and those who depend on them. Wear a red poppy because you want to acknowledge and tell their stories. Remember that wearing a red poppy isn’t the same thing as putting yourself on the side of pro-war. The Peace Union may claim that we are forgetting what conflict costs, but we know what conflict costs. We wear the red poppy because it honours that cost, the sacrifice of life. No one could ever forget. It’s in the very words of Remembrance Day: we will remember them.
Photo courtesy of Ministry of Defence
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
General meetings: a hotbed of hypocrisy Anonymous THE fabled Surhul general meeting: a tri-weekly opportunity for the elected officers of the Students’ Union to mix it with us mere mortals of the wider student body. The gender neutral pronoun debate will be indelibly linked with a fair chunk of the discourse of the general meetings of the academic year 2011/12. Central to the argument in favour of banning the use of gender specific pronouns by the Union Chair was that the union should strive to make GMs a “safe space” for everyone to contribute without fear of ridicule. Some of the most vociferous proponents of the motion to ban the word “he” and “she” were elected officers or soon-to-be elected officers. You would have thought that such individuals would be the first to respectfully listen without guffawing at the
views expressed by others at GMs. Wrong. At the first general meeting of the term, a motion was debated surrounding Surhul’s support for the TUC demo on 20 October. When a section of the general meeting who, granted, were ever so slightly right of centre on the political spectrum dared to voice their opinions, they were branded liars and were mocked. In fact, many of the dissenters soon began the “my dad’s poorer than your dad and you’re an arrogant toff for disagreeing with me” routine and the meeting descended into a farce. It wasn’t a safe space for those who had the outrageous audacity to venture the suggestion that maybe Surhul shouldn’t support the demo. They were personally insulted by the people who purport to be in favour of a “safe space” for all. Shockingly, the general meeting’s minutes provide no evidence of any official warnings being dished out to
the offending parties by the Union Chair. At the most recent general meeting a motion to mandate Surhul to officially call for the abolition of student debt was passed without opposition. Someone who I spoke to aftewards said that they were simply too scared to reveal their views on the matter for fear that it would compromise their future chance of election to a position in a Students’ Union that appears to only fully accommodate those on the militant left wing. It was also noted that members of Surhul’s executive committee were stood at the back of the meeting with a perfect view of how individual members voted on each motion. This is clearly intimidating and prevents people from voting based on how they genuinely feel for fear it will damage their standing in the union. A safe space? You must be joking.
7-12
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
From the section editor:
Let’s start a dialogue Stephen Atkinson Comment Editor
HAVE you ever heard anyone say that they don’t like studying philosophy because it made them depressed? I have, many times. But whenever I hear it, I always roll my eyes. Surely a good philosopher, I muse, should not get depressed. Good philosophers know their goal: an enlightened concept of reality. They know not to let their feeble emotions taint their pursuit of truth. Surely those who let philosophy depress them are weak philosophers who could not handle the stakes, who reached a brick wall and could not muster the strength to hammer it down. All this I thought, until I started my philosophy module this year on Socrates, and suddenly I deeply empathise with the depression of that cruel contemplative crater. Socrates was annoying to executional levels; using numerous examples, he ripped to shreds the inconsistent principles held by the aristocrats of the time. So annoying was his method that they sentenced him to death. Rarely did he leave his interlocutors, and rarely does he leave the reader, able to trust in their own ability to know anything. Tragic. Often I find it easy to detract myself from the supposed significance of the Platonic dialogues. But recently their themes have been applicable to my day to day life in disturbing ways. Imagine for a moment a conversation between housemates Mary and Martin. Mary wants a cat and asks for permission. Martin complies, but later reveals he thinks keeping pets is perverse. Why did he not say no to Mary’s request,
I ask. Because he didn’t want to impose his beliefs on Mary. But surely, I inquired like a chisel chipping away at the callous exterior of an important philosophical principle, if Martin thought, or believed, or even knew that keeping pets was perverse, he would believe it was perverse not only for him but for Mary too. Martin’s response echoed the relativist’s viewpoint; why should his belief warrant any more authority than Mary’s contrary belief? Here is where the philosophy ceases to develop. Here is where we must pose some fundamental questions. If Martin is right in adopting this humble approach in thinking his resolve bears no more importance than Mary’s, why does he hold it at all? Is there any point in holding any specific opinions if we don’t believe they hold more significance than any other opinions? Can we know what thoughts are more right than others? Can we know anything? I am sick of asking these questions. As Leonard says at the end of Christopher Nolan’s Memento, I have to believe in a world outside my own mind. I have to believe that my opinions have some meaning, that there’s some point in bothering to think about what is right and wrong. I harbour the opinion that there is one truth, a goal of humanity’s life-long contemplation. We all get closer to that truth as we delve into big questions. So let me encourage you; develop opinions, then question them, then make them even stronger. Debate, investigate, examine. Let’s see them develop on the pages of this publication. Let’s start a dialogue.
9
o
The Orbital Nov 2012
The printing press
Michael Krayenhoff GONE are the days of a free education, and we are told we had better get used to it. These are the times of austerity, and everyone must feel the pinch. The latest lamentable excuse for a government has announced and implemented a rise in tuition fees. Whether or not you believe these to be right or wrong are for another day, another article. But you might as well face the facts; whether you pay for it now or pay for it later through taxes, you pay for it. That said, it is now the view that higher education is something of a luxury. If you want it, it is something that the current you, not the you twenty years down the line pays for. However, convention has it that the majority of us take the plunge and enter the world of academia. Should you be
10
unfortunate enough to contract a dose of academic obligation, then you will by definition, as a student, be living the student lifestyle. Sadly this means you will be destitute. Your parents, from whichever background and fiscal status, will inevitably have given up on you. Frankly, their financial obligation ended at the stroke of midnight on your eighteenth and anything further is a mere act of charity. Your student fees are tight enough, and the Lib Dems have let you down, landing you with an extortionate student debt. The base facts are that most students come out with considerably less money that the sum total of nought they started with. Over 77% of students leave university with debt, and around three in five owe more than £10,000. Half of students in a recent survey voiced their concern about the level of debt
they were taking on, and nearly half of those who had taken on paid work said they had done so just to make ends meet. How are these scholars supposed to afford the fundamentals besides the tuition fees themselves? How are these, the core of our nation’s future society, able to afford even the necessary after costs, like textbooks? Some students at Royal Holloway spend around £250 a year on text books; some spend close to that per term. However, even at this conservative estimate, a four year course would cost £1,000 in compulsory textbook purchases alone. These are the times of austerity, when students are looking for economical ways of surviving their course. There are options around this. Some rely on e-books. However, as many course textbooks include multiple diagrams and
illustrations, a simple e-reader doesn’t fit the bill, and more advanced tablet PCs cost little less than £400. So either we fork out even more money or do what schools have done for centuries and use second-hand textbooks. Forgive me for my neanderthal nostalgia and my philistine pragmatism, but I still believe that a text book offers what no digital or virtual copy can offer. Firstly, it’s yours. What most consumers still don’t realise is that according to the terms of use, an e-book buyer never actually owns the content they buy. But unlike an e-book, a paper book won’t be deleted, made obsolete with a new gadget or accidently wiped. The pages offer every conceivable opportunity for notes, highlighting or personal touches, and at the end of the day, it is yours to sell on. If the book is still in a good condition, you may end up
with the same money you paid for it in the first place. And this is the latest way to sell on your books. You may have heard of it. The brainchild of a former Royal Holloway student, BookTank.com offers university students an easy-touse forum to buy and sell their course books online with their fellow peers. The site offers a twist, an extra convenience for sellers and buyers. No time consumption and costly postage involved. You simply list your books, by writing the title or scanning the barcode with your phone, and state where you are, all for free. When buyers come along, simply hand over your textbook and receive your money back! 50 quid for a book which a hundred students bought just last year? The printing press has seen its day. Do a little less work and earn a little more back.
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
7-12
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
Should pornography be censored from the internet? Ameena Khanum THE simple answer for parents would be yes; pornography should be censored and banned from the internet. If you type “the effects of pornography” into Google, it has no redeeming qualities about it. Criticism ranges from giving an unrealistic expectation of relationship and gender roles to permanent damage to mental development in the young to objectification of men and women causing a loss in self-worth. However, what about those of us who are not in a relationship, who do not have children, or who just like to watch it? There are concerns about how censorship laws might work in practice. Many objections to censorship of pornography point to the costs and dangers, arguing that even if pornography does cause
some harm to others, the risk involved in censoring it is too great. There are difficulties involved in formulating a legal definition of “pornography” that will be sufficiently precise to minimise the danger of censorship laws on the internet. The same laws used for protection could intentionally or unintentionally be used to censor other unpopular material including valuable literary, artistic and political works. Censoring pornography may thus place us on a dangerous “slippery slope” to further censorship of other material and may have a general effect on expression, making people reluctant to say or publish things that might be construed as pornography and for which they could be prosecuted. These are serious dangers and they need to be carefully taken into account in weighing the costs and benefits of censorship as a solution to any
harm that pornography might cause. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that these dangers are inherent in many existing forms of legislation, and are not always taken to be unsolvable or to constitute a decisive reason against censorship in themselves. The argument of freedom of choice makes it difficult to sustain that pornography should be censored especially because it is possible to independently block it via filters for those of us who wish to, leaving the rest the freedom to enjoy what they want. Having said this, the government has made it illegal to use drugs, and does engage in non-coercive methods to encourage its citizens to make wise or better choices when it comes to smoking and alcohol. Where consideration of the common good is at play, it seems agreeable that measures to advise, instruct or persuade an individual to do something
are acceptable. Because there are significant reasons to think that pornography is not good for the individual who consumes it such as being less likely to be able to have successful loving or long-term relationships, public education campaigns to warn consumers of these dangers and restrictive measures on the internet with an “opt-in” policy for consenting adults, may be justified. It is not good enough to ban pornography because the majority or people in a society are against it. It would infringe on the moral independence of consenting adults, which goes against the ideas of a free state. Many of the issues are engulfed in an issue of choice. However, there are plenty of pop up images when surfing the internet. These pose a real problem for children and people who just do not want to look. Even if you are not looking for pornography, it
finds you. It has been shown that these off hand images also have a real impact on the people who see them accidentally. Considerations of offence provide some justification for restricting public displays of pornography so that nonconsenting adults and children are not involuntarily or unwittingly exposed to it. Freedom of choice is a valid argument for those who wish to engage in viewing pornography. Equally, the argument works for those of us who wish to not engage with it. If it does more harm than good, I would argue that it would be better to have an “opt-in” policy, which has real merit. It prevents censorship spreading to unpopular literature, art and political works, and allows a freedom of information and choice both ways so that those of us who wish not to be exposed are safe from it, and those wishing to opt in can do so without risk of persecution.
Why we need to march on 21 November Jamie S Green VP Communications & Campaigns I AM sure I am preaching to the choir when I tell you student living is getting harder than ever — fees have tripled, loans barely cover the cost of accommodation in most cases, departments up and down the country are closing and when you get your degree you will be in one of the most precarious job markets since world war two. Sadly the idea of education for education’s sake is dying and the only way to claim it back and empower students is to take a stand — 21 November could be the beginning of that. On 21 November tens of thousands of students from across the UK will march in protest to the coalition’s attacks on further and higher education in central London. Education is being mauled and even the smallest consolations of its reform are ticking time bombs. For example, the loan system
under £9,000 fees does not save the treasury any money and is unsustainable. At any time the repayment conditions on your loans can be changed and many specialists believe that in the future your debts could even be sold off to a private debt company. We were told in 2010 that £9,000 fees were part of the solution of fixing a deficit caused by a crisis that was created by the banks. This was false, as well an ideological attack on education — an attempt to make the economics of education different, so instead of one attaining a degree to enrich their mind, they invest in it like one might invest in a house or piece of machinery. Because in that frame of thinking, if it doesn’t return fiscal gains, it isn’t worth investing in. I dread to think of a society where we have an abundance of architects, technicians, mathematicians and doctors, but no one who understands the beauty of culture, history or art which are the things that
ultimately make us human beings. If you think we can’t make a difference, then you only have to look across to Canada or Egypt. In Quebec there was a wave of student activism last year which forced their government to reverse a hike in tuition fees — they made the argument, sustained pressure and won. In Egypt, normal people like us were able to overthrow one of the most calculated an violent dictators in modern history. Why then are we so stumped by a volatile coalition government? On 21 November we can lay down the gauntlet and set the agenda for defending education. If we band together we can send a message to all the parties that we won’t take any more attacks to education and that we want a system that offers us prosperity, not huge debts and small prospects. On November 21st, we can start to be the generation who took a stand and made a difference. I hope to see you there.
Photo: Julian Farmer
11
o
The Orbital Nov 2012
Football: the beautiful game with an ugly legacy? Young Kuk Noh THE football season is only a few games young, and yet there are two main topics that have overshadowed the game: racism and hooliganism. Many people have said that football hooliganism ended a while ago, but perhaps it is more correct to say that it was merely brushed under the carpet. Racism and hooliganism have been in the news a lot this season and last season. Most of the cases reported have been in the Barclays Premier League or nPower Championship. The consequences of this had led to a protest by some footballers who have refused to wear a shirt supporting the FA’s antiracism campaign, “Kick It Out”. Some of the players, fans and more recently, officials are turning a game dubbed as “beautiful” into something quite repulsive. I can see where they come from when they say that there is definitely a lack of action from the campaign. It would be wrong to say that players should get all the stick for this issue. Football
fans are equally at fault. The ugly, painted-over cracks in football were revealed on an international stage when the European Championships held in Poland and Ukraine were put under threat by the prospect of racial abuse and hooliganism from the fans. If you saw the footage released showing England U21s after they beat Serbia 1-0, you will have seen that there was racist chanting and brawls from the players and fans. In the Championship, a derby match between Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday was marred by the stupidity of one Leeds “fan” who assaulted the Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper after Leeds had equalised. If a club cannot control their own fans, what hope do they have of ensuring they’ll abide by the laws which are apparently dictated by the FA? In a sense, the fans are equally to blame for the decaying state of football in recent years. There have been two big incidents surrounding players that have sparked major controversy. The first incident was regarding Luis Suarez racially abusing Patrice Evra.
The second incident was between John Terry and Anton Ferdinand. In my opinion, the FA’s ruling in both these cases was far too lenient for my liking. Four and eight game bans respectively along with fines which in reality are mere pennies to some of these footballers should not exonerate them of what they did. I ask the question, will giving the player nothing more than a few weeks off and a fine change the attitude in football? The short answer is no. The FA should have a zerotolerance attitude towards racial discrimination and racial abuse. Not just from the players, but the fans and officials. The FA should impose more serious consequences if a player, fan or official is found guilty. Since the ruling in both cases and the upcoming case with referee, Mark Clattenberg, every game in my eyes has been and always will be about damage limitation till the FA decides to just say no to racism. Until then, a lot of people will be missing out on what matters the most to them - the football.
On Halloween Alan Ewens SO YET another Halloween “festival” has been and gone and yet again I have managed to avoid all the trick-or-treating madness and dressing up insanity (this time by sneaking off to the cinema to watch a non-scary movie). Not being a Pagan, I do not feel any need to celebrate Halloween. Quite apart from all the mock scariness and superstition, one of the worst things about it is its tendency to overshadow Bonfire Night. As far as I can tell, Halloween exists for three reasons: as a way for fancy dress shops to give that gorilla suit an airing, as a way for vegetable suppliers to shift an excess of pumpkins at the end of the growing season and to provide a conveniently marketable date on which to release scary films. Whereas “Shalloween” appears to have been kept going solely for the purpose of selling costumes and releasing horrors, Bonfire Night is a meaningful celebration that is unique to Britain. Admittedly I have been to some very hazardous firework displays, usually at the back of pubs, but in general I enjoy them much more than any Halloween party. Maybe it is the machismo of building a bonfire or setting off fireworks that appeal to me, or maybe I am just easily amused by the loud bangs and pretty colours, but whatever the reason I find it a much more wholesome,
civilised event. On the other hand, 31 October seems to be about making yourself look as weird as possible or playing tricks on each other. The fact that Bonfire Night is supposed to commemorate the failed assassination of the king of England 400 years ago is often overlooked, even when remembered it might be considered an odd thing to celebrate. However, it is a part of Britain’s cultural history that really should never be forgotten, unlike Halloween which has no historical basis To put a serious tone on this article for a minute, apparently the 31 October is one of the busiest nights of the year for calls about anti-social behaviour due to the number of young people dressed in their traditional Halloween outfits of tracksuit and trainers who think it is funny to vandalise their elderly neighbours’ house. In some places the sale of eggs is actually restricted in order to prevent them ending up splattered on the outside of someone’s bedroom window. Now admittedly they could easily do that at any time of year but Halloween gives them a good excuse and the cover of “trick-or-treating”. All this mock-scariness and dressing up is all very well in medieval times when superstition was rife but in the 21st century when religion is on the decline and the closest thing you get to a witch is David Blaine it all seems a little bit outdated.
Reponse to “Faith Healing Menace” Rozie Corbett I AM grateful to the author of the previous article for writing with respect towards those with religious views that contrast to his own. However, writing from a different perspective, as a committed Christian, I would like to respond to some aspects of his article. The author was fair in stating that “it appears that some religious leaders are neglecting their responsibility to their congregation by spreading misinformation about HIV and Aids”, as it indicates that it is not all religious leaders that do so.
12
It is a sad truth that the idea of faith healing has been misused by some Christian leaders, and this is something that certainly must be addressed and prevented in future. It does seem a trend in wider humanity that some in positions of power and influence can use it inappropriately, sometimes devastatingly. In secular terms, we only need to look so far as the current economic recession to see examples of this. It does, however, particularly sadden me that this also applies to a minority of Christian leaders, especially as believers are likely to have more trust in those that claim
to speak with divine authority. What was not, however, emphasised in the previous article was the vast number of Christian leaders who do not behave in such a way. Moreover, there are many Christian individuals and initiatives that work to ensure that all people have the opportunity to live in accordance with their human rights, including access to health care. Having personally volunteered with a Christian charity in Uganda that provides education, prayer and counselling to members of the local community suffering from HIV and Aids, I have witnessed first-hand how encouraging those who believe
in God to pray for healing can occur alongside teaching them to seek after, and maintain, medical treatment. Many believers recognise developments in medical treatment as a gift from the god they believe in. The previous author, although an atheist, also recognised that “prayer can be a source of comfort and strength to those suffering from this awful disease”, which I wholeheartedly agree with. If this idea is embraced in the right way, and not used to mislead or misinform vulnerable people, prayer can indeed be a comforting thing. It is also my personal opinion that if people pray and ask
for their god to fulfil their needs, the form in which the answer to that prayer takes should not be limited to one criterion; access to or developments in medical treatment could certainly be an answer to such a prayer. It is wrong that in some Christian communities vulnerable people have been misguided and encouraged to discard crucial medications. It now should be the hope, and indeed the prayer, of the majority of Christian leaders, who do recognise the dangers in such teaching and would never promote it, that more of such wisdom and sensitivity can be found wherever the gospel is preached.
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
US election wordsearch L X R T N A C I L B U P E R
P I O I T N O E T L L M L S
E E L H S O N D T L U A E W
A S E A H L U I I E G A P I
D B N O N U R E B D N R H N
G A G S P R O M N E Y L A G
R F O I S B A R E M T E N S
R C L S A C I K A O N
A Y O M P L A T P C O E T H T A
M O A M L C O N G R E S S T
T I O N E D I B A A R R O E
S O N D M D L T E T G N W L
I D T A U W Z T B R S E T H
7-12
H E R Y E O S P M H I A I E
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
Sudoku Fill in the grid so that the numbers 1 to 9 only appear once in 3x3 sector and only once on each line.
Easy
Hard
ROMNEY, OBAMA, RYAN, BIDEN, DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN, ELEPHANT, DONKEY, CONGRESS, SWINGSTATE
Simple crossword Across 1. Conjure up (memories) (5) 7. Fugitives (8) 8. Incarcerates (5) 10. Sky-jumped (10) 12. Brine (3,5) 14. Is the proprietor of (4) 16. Sacred vow (4) 17. Purple rock crystal (8) 20. Predominant (10) 23. Economised (5) 24. Piercing with dagger (8) 25. Talked (5)
Excruciating
Down 1. Savours (6) 2. Large seaweed variety (4) 3. Cougar (4) 4. Ultra manly (5) 5. Shipwrecked people (9) 6. Throwaway lines (6) 9. Lucifer (5) 11. Rancher (9) 13. Shady tree (3) 15. Astounds (5) 16. Woodwind musician (6) 18. Walk wearily (6) 19. Clutches (5) 21. Immerse (4) 22. Breathe sharply (4)
13
o
The Orbital Nov 2012
Stephen Wiggins
I HAD previously arranged to visit my friend at RHUL and the time had arrived to make the pilgrimage to the south. I began my journey in the land of milk and honey which is Runcorn passing through other joyous locations such as Crewe, Milton Keynes and Staines. Upon arrival I chatted awkwardly about southern things like err... cous cous (very nice with a lamb tagine I am told!). We made our way to the Englefield Green manor, (a dingy flat near Mango Chutney) where I was given a slap on the back and a can of Stella upon entry. Once I was fed and watered, we popped round to see his girlfriend where we had G&Ts and Pimms. As a northerner there is nothing stranger than seeing cucumber in a glass and not as part of a butty. Having outstayed our welcome, we then set to business, drinking horrendous amounts in a short space of time. This began in the Monkeys Forehead
14
where I discovered that as nice as my friend is, he was looking for a scrap. As I didn’t want to peel him off the tarmac we headed for our intended destination, the Students’ Union. The SU that night had arranged a paint party, which I must admit was a strange concept to me, but we went full of optimism and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, it was short lived as a couple had wandered on stage with their water guns full of paint. They proceeded to sprinkle it over everyone. As fun as this was for the first 10 minutes, the next three hours lost their novelty due to the amount of paint eaten by myself and the lack of WKD blue (I presume that’s what southern males drink) consumed, again by myself. To conclude, on my venture to the south I have learnt that if you have a wee with the door wide open you get shouted at, WKD blue is not like champagne when sprayed over you and don’t play ring of fire with out of date cider (not cidre).
Ask Auntie Hannah!
The Northern Invasion: a simpleton's account of a weekend in civilisation
Dear Auntie Hannah, I was meant to go on a second date with this girl from my course tonight but she’s just cancelled last minute because her parents have come over. I don’t mind her cancelling but she didn’t ask to reschedule. Does she not like me? Do you think it was just an excuse? Should I call her or just leave it and wait for her to call about it? What do I do? Darren x Well Darren, Some say ‘obsessive worrier,’ I say ‘guy who cares.’ You’re obviously a loving, sensitive fellow who does not deserve to be messed around by girls with parents. Stand up for yourself and delete her number, bin your phone and change course. Stay strong x
Dear Auntie Hannah, I’ve just started a relationship with an awesome girl but I’m a bit worried because she has a job that she’s really proud of and I’m unemployed. Do you think this makes me less attractive to her? Brian x Well Brian, Congrats on the girlfriend, I know it’s been a lot time coming. Now, when adults form relationships they find that it works best when they communicate with each other. Remember it’s your choice whether you want to look for a job whilst juggling university life, though many people manage it. Don’t worry too much though; if she already knows that you’re unemployed then she’s probably not a ‘gold digger.’ Peace out yo x
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
7-12
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
In your view... Julian Farmer took this bonfire night photo in Salisbury. He said: “This photograph was taken at the Rotary Spireworks at the Salisbury Livestock Market. “The fireworks came out really well, and the child watching them in the foreground really make this photo.” If you’ve taken a photo you’d like us to print, email us at features@theorbital.co.uk with “In Your View” in the subject line.
Got a burning question? Ask Auntie Hannah by sending an email to features@theorbital.co.uk with “Auntie Hannah” in the subject line. Dear Auntie Hannah, I’m sick with fresher’s flu and I’ve been throwing up loads. I’ve had a runny nose for ages and I accidentally coughed in a lecturer’s face. My new friends are telling me to man up but I just really miss my mum. Am I being a baby? Justine x
Dear Auntie Hannah, I’m 21 and I’ve been with my 22-year-old boyfriend for two years now. I’m ready to commit and get married, but I feel like he’s not there yet. How do I get him to commit with me? And if I can’t, do you think I should leave him? Tara x
Dear Auntie Hannah, My older sister is about to have a baby, and she and her husband have decided to find out the gender of the baby when it arrives. They’ve asked me to decorate the baby’s room for them while they visit my parents to avoid the stress but what colour do I paint it? Denise x
Well Justine, TMI much! Stop moaning! I think it’s perfectly normal to miss your mum when you’re ill but university is all about independence and you need to deal with it yourself. Everyone gets fresher’s flu and it’s a great way of weeding out the chilled out grown ups from the whiney babies. So suck it up! And buy aloe vera tissues- they are a godsend xx
Well Denise, Firstly, bear in mind that this is the Well Tara, room that they’re going to spend Chances are he thinks that being 22 many hours in raising their baby. and only having been together for It’s vital that you don’t screw this 2 years means that it’s too early to up. Maybe you should think about think about marriage. influencing said baby’s tastes as it Brain washing and hypnotism have develops: A yellow room may result been proven to work in these cases. in a sunny disposition, a grey room Mention my name for a discount job. may induce sulking, and a black room I hope you’ve got your white dress could lead to a life on the road with a ready! x heavy metal band. It’s science. x
Dear Auntie Hannah, My best friend recently started dating this weird guy I’m sure I saw on TV once. I’ve been breaking into his room and looking through his phone and emails when I can to find out what his deal is. I’ve stalked them around campus and had to stand watching them kiss for hours on end to protect my friend. What’s my next move? Olivia x Well Olivia, It sounds like this guy is really weird, good job so far on protecting your unsuspecting friend. However, the endless smooching is clearly making your friend happy for now. I think you should hold back until the weird guy shows his hand and then expose his terrible plans for your friend in front of her, getting rid of him for good. Good luck! x
15
o
The Orbital Nov 2012
The Sabbatical Files
Doug German President
16
IT’S November! Which means that at last I will stop being a Grinch about anything Christmassy. October is too soon, but November is acceptable in my eyes. But yes, the work. Since my last update we’ve elected some new officers to the Exec, who are already doing some fantastic work for students at Holloway. We’ve had the first meeting of the Scrutiny and Accountability SubCommittee who check that officers are doing what they promised to do, I’ve been in a number of Students’ Union meetings from SMT to Commerical Manager meetings, and a large number of meetings with the College. One of my favourites was the meeting of the Alumni Advisory Group, where we heard proposals from students who had
put in applications to the Alumni Fund and were then awarded funding. It was really fantastic to see different groups of students planning projects that would really improve students’ lives and experiences here. The sabbaticals attended the launch of the Surrey Poppy Appeal, which was quite different to both the Finance Committee which I attended the day before, and the NUS Zone Conferences which we attended last week. We’ve had a lot of the poppies lying around the office, which has been great! I attended the Union Development zone conference where we discussed the different ways in which Students’ Unions can improve their governance, the way they are perceived across different areas, and new ways of reaching out to their members. We also covered areas such as the National Demo and raising awareness beforehand, as well as keeping the momentum going on following the 21st.
Jamie S Green
VP Communications & Campaigns WITH the NUS National Demo but a mere few weeks away the period since my last update has all been about building for it! I managed to book some snazzy buses, designed the artwork for the campaign, developed a plan on how to promote it, and most importantly, consulted students on what they wanted to get from it. The demo is on November 21st and coach tickets are £5 and include a free t-shirt! Speaking of the NUS, I attended the Higher Education Zone conference which acts as a mechanism for SUs to design policy for the NUS National Conference which happens every April. We had great discussions on education as a public good as opposed to a good on the market, though I also learnt a lot about the cliquey internal politics of the NUS. This, along with
Kenny Aruwa VP Education & Welfare
Ian was off ill and couldn’t write his column, so here’s a picture of him looking awesome instead.
A LOT has happened over the past few weeks! We had our first blood drive of the academic year in which 89 pints of blood were donated. I have it on good authority that this could go on to help — or save the lives of — 267 people. Who says students don’t offer society anything? I went to ULU Senate on Doug’s behalf and discussed University of London issues with presidents from most of the constituent colleges, as well sitting on more than a couple of 3 hour meetings
some of the uninspiring speakers, made me leave a little disheartened, though I think some of the policy ideas that come from the conference were quite good. One World Week came and went, and I believe it went well. The One World Celebration was a particular success and attendance was in the hundreds. On the Thursday of that week we held a night of music at Medicine to launch Love Holloway, Hate Hatred, which is a campaign aimed in uniting people against all forms of intolerance. Look out for some more LHHH events including film nights and debates very soon! The student worker campaign continues to build, though the majority of the talks activities will come in January. However, I’ve been working with the careers service on writing a survey about students in part-time work to gain their experiences of casual labour. In addition, we agreed to begin working on a joint charter against unethical employment practices, which lays out which employers RHUL should be advertising.
— one with an agenda and documents totalling 293 pages! Ian and I also sat on a very positive meeting about the Chaplaincy and Faith Support. We really are a part of a progressively positive inter-faith community — very exciting! My first Community Liaison Forum (as chair) was difficult at times, but on the whole a success. The subsequent Community Tea Party that weekend was great, thanks to all who came. We had another open day, followed by me spending 3 days in Manchester at the NUS Zone Conferences: Society & Citizenship, and then Welfare. Also, as part of One World Week, I got to visit a Sikh Gurdwara which was awesome!
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
7-12
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
Simon says...
I’m no longer a Jack Wills virgin
Photo: Robert Czernkowski
Simon Rawlings Lifestyle Editor SITTING down to write this article between tutorials and lectures while my lunch cooks in the oven, I can’t help but feel immensely guilty. Guilty because as I tap out each and every word you’re reading, I’m partly being kept warm by... a Jack Wills gilet! Yes, the strain of approaching deadlines have not blurred your vision. You read that correctly: A Jack. Wills. Gilet. Some of you might be wondering what on earth I’m talking about, especially if you’re a first year. When I came Royal Holloway last year as an eager fresher, follower of Vivienne Westwood and *ahem *overall fashion icon, I swiftly began to write for this very section, my witty articles (if I don’t say so myself) addressed many fashion issues on campus. In my debut article “Please, not another gilet”, I spoke of how I had in just one month seen more gilets on campus than rats in the forests between Founder’s and Medicine (not
a very pleasant experience I assure you!) Yet here I am, not only writing about gilets again, but actually wearing one with the fierce aura of David Gandy... But please, let me explain myself. There’s a moral to the story, so to say. On a recent trip to Richmond I found myself curiously looking over to the Jack Wills store. Feeling a little adventurous, I headed over and felt, with slight butterflies in my stomach, that now was the time to lose my Jack Wills virginity. As I entered the store, I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of their clothing is made from good quality fibres such as wool and cotton, not acrylic and polyester as I had expected. The interior decor of the shop was quite appealing too, where I was pleased to find I didn’t need the assistance of my iPhone torch to make out what was on the rails as you might do in Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch. I did, however, raise my eyebrows at the sight of stuffed pheasants where, for a brief moment, I forgot I
was shopping for clothes and not props for the set of Miss Havisham’s house... As I unknowingly made my way around the store I stood still in my tracks as my eyes focused on a dark forest-green gilet. After trying it on (a perfect fit) I knew I had to buy it, regardless of the article I had written previously disgracing their very existence. However, I couldn’t help but speculate if we should make decisions in life regarding our clothes and much more based on opinions that we once held. Is it OK to change our minds, and furthermore does changing your mind leave you swimming in hypocrisy? Leaving the store gilet in hand, I caught the train home and thought briefly about returning it, not wanting to look like a consumer who had been sucked in by the stuffed pheasants, wooden decor and social pressure to become a member of the Jack Wills club (JWC) on campus. However I didn’t, which I suppose you’ve already guessed! So, I promised you a moral to the story and here it is: You should never feel for
any reason that if you love a piece of clothing or brand that you can’t wear it because at one point in your life you showed dislike, or in my case, journalistic hostility towards it. Don’t care too much for what others think regarding how you look. Feeling great about how you look is so crucial for many things, most importantly your confidence. As long as you’re doing as you’re saying and saying as you’re doing, you’ll avoid looking like a hypocrite! I’m sure you can all recall Avril Lavigne’s song Sk8ter Boy where the boy who wears the baggy clothes ends up turning out on top. *I would quickly like to remove all liability from myself if reading this article does not lead you to becoming a rock star.* An afterthought... For a second occasion in time my at the Orbital I am compelled to write about students on campus wearing real fur! What on earth (the title of my previous article on this
issue) possesses these people to walk around with the poor tail of a fox or other small animal stitched onto the hood of their coat? The most alarming factor surrounding these coats is that these fur trims don’t even keep their owners warm. A quick Google search (you can look up David Gandy at the same time too!) will show you how these poor animals are kept in horrific conditions all for the sake of vanity. You’ll find in life that your taste in music, food and fashion changes, but for me my sense of ethics will remain fairly constant. I might choose to begin wearing a brand such as Jack Wills, but choosing to fuel an industry that promotes cruelty to animals... no chance! Besides, all I can think about when I see these vile coats is my dog Princess Poppy (yes, that’s her title). We’re now approaching winter and it’s already November too, so please do remember to wrap up warm, avoiding real fur at all times. You never know, you might even find yourself wearing a Jack Wills gilet too...
17
Model of the month The model:
Fleur Todd, a second year music student at Royal Holloway is the second female to grace the pages of The Orbital as Model of the Month. Fleur, who is 19 and from London has a face that translates beautifully onto the page, her photogenic qualities have clearly paved the way for another photograph demonstrating that Royal Holloway is one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, both in terms of students and architecture.
Through the lens:
Reminiscent of a young Alexa Chung, Fleur has an astounding presence in front of the camera. Her playful and carefree nature shone effortlessly through her expressions so we kept the shoot fairly minimalistic, capturing the moments in-between rather than having her pose. We chose this picture as the final image as it captures her innocence perfectly and how her eyes narrate a story. Besides, you can also see how windy it was when we took the pictures! www.gyangurung.blogspot. com
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
Runway tales: part 2 “J P Prewitt” THE inspiration for this article only came to me a few days ago at a casting. I was thinking, since my last one was rather depressing what with all the suicides, that I would try and make this one slightly lighter. This time I’m going to talk about castings. They’re a major part of professional modelling, and it’s what you spend most of your time doing. But there is nothing more painful than being sent to the wrong one... When I say wrong I don’t mean that you’ve gone to a women’s casting by accident, although there are some male models that can do both, the most famous being Andrej Pejic. No, this is when you know you won’t get the job the second you walk in the
door; they are excruciating. It’s difficult to communicate how you know you are at the wrong casting. It takes a while before you can start recognising them. It’s hard to describe why, so I’ll try to do it with an approximate metaphor: A friend asks you to come to this concert with them. You don’t know who it’s for but you turn up anyway. You dress up, feel good about yourself because in your mind you’re going to fit right in with the crowd. Then you get inside and it all goes downhill. It turns out your friend brought you to a Kiss concert and the entire crowd is decked out head to toe in makeup, spandex and metal studs. With too many people dressed up as Starchild or The Demon. You in your t-shirt and jeans look so out of place that
it feels uncomfortable. I‘m talking eastbound and down uncomfortable. It just feels wrong for you to be there. That’s what it feels like to go to the wrong casting. You look around and can tell that you don’t fit in. Sometimes it could be that all the other models waiting look like a sticks with cheekbones so sharp you could cut cheese on them. Or maybe that you’ve walked into the pages of men’s health and can’t help but feel inadequate because you lack an eight-pack so ripped that you could do your laundry on it. When it comes to occasions like this, I find there is only one thing to do to make me feel better about myself: I pull out my emergency Mars Bar and feel smug in the fact that I don’t have to spend all day in the gym to look this good. Not to be big headed or anything.
7-12
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
Fashion through the decades Rachel Ivens VINTAGE fashion is a big thing. It’s been in the magazines for years, and if you take a look around campus you’ll be hard pressed not to find someone with either original or replica vintage clothing. Aside from it being a great way of reusing old clothes, there’s a certain nostalgia in wearing clothes that were loved before and have their own history. Just make sure that if you’re deciding to go vintage, you do it well. There’s a fine line between reviving a past era and strolling around in fancy dress. Work out what styles suit your body shape: if you’re statuesque and slim with a small chest then 20s fashions will suit you amazingly, but if you’ve got more of an hourglass figure, then 50s styles are better
suited. It’s often much easier to take key elements of a certain era and fit them into the wardrobe you have already, rather than search for an entire coordinating outfit. Although it would make me very happy to see the entirety of campus decked out in immaculately coordinated 50s and 60s fashions (see Tom Ford’s A Single Man for my dream world), it’s just unattainable. When rushing to a 9 o’clock lecture with five minutes to wash, dress and find that text you never did read, perfection isn’t exactly an option. There has to be some sort of middle ground, or at least a get out clause!). At the end of the day, it’s perfectly acceptable to have a down day and reach for those ever-so-comfy jeans — even Dita Von Teese isn’t in dresses and stockings 24/7!
19
o Student survival guide: The Orbital Nov 2012
Bread and butter pudding
Confessions of a bodybuilder:
How much do you bench?
Photo: Bryony Bowie
WINTER is coming. And so, therefore, is the time for puddings. Bread and butter pudding has always been one of my favourite things and this is my version of the classic – which also makes the most of our seasonal British fruit. Plus? You can do it in a microwave. Food-frustrated students of Reid, Founder’s and Kingswood, look no further!
Ingredients (serves 4-6): • Small loaf of white bread • 50g butter • 275ml milk • 60ml double cream • 60g demerara sugar
• 3 eggs • Grated zest ½ lemon • Tsp ground nutmeg • Tsp ground ginger • 2 - 3 conference pears • Handful blackberries
Instructions:
1. Begin by preheating the oven to 180°C. If you live in halls and only have a microwave, fear not! There’ll be instructions for you too. 2. Slice the bread, and then halve the slices (if you’ll be using a microwave then you also need to toast them). 3. Butter both sides of each piece, and in a large baking dish create a layer of bread which covers the bottom of the dish. 4. Peel, core and slice the pears lengthways, and layer on top of the bread. Scatter the blackberries over the top. 5. Sprinkle over a tablespoon of Demerara sugar as well as the ginger and nutmeg, and then add another layer of the buttered bread. 6. Mix together the milk, cream, eggs, lemon zest and the remaining sugar. Beat together well and then pour over the bread. 7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until the top is golden. No oven? Microwave uncovered on high (in a microwave-safe dish) for 8-10 minutes, and stand for 5 minutes before serving. This recipe works best if the bread is a couple of days old, as it absorbs more of the liquid. You can also adapt it easily and use any fruit you want to suit the time of year – or even go all out and use chocolate. The choice is yours. Cooking time: 40 minutes oven, 10 minutes microwave Approximate price per portion: 90p For more foody tips and thisisunifood.blogspot.com
20
ideas,
check
out
Bryony Bowie
Photo: Andrew Blight
James Corbyn ANYBODY who has been involved in physical culture (specifically weight training) for any length of time will have undoubtedly been posed this question by their fellow iron-pumpers. It is puzzling why the bench press — the movement of a barbell directly away from one’s body whilst lying on a bench using the chest, shoulders and arms — has accrued such a reputation as to be viewed by many as the measure by which the recreational or competitive athlete’s overall strength is to be measured. I am not denying that the bench press is a great compound movement (using more than one muscle group and initiating movement around more than one joint) which can be very taxing on the lifter when conducted with a full range of motion and at a sufficient intensity. There are however, other exercises which are far more deserving of the “glamour” which the bench press as obtained. Even if one was to have no knowledge of sports science or biomechanics, it is only logical that there are a number of other exercises which should replace the bench press in being regarded as the gauge of a trainer’s ability; one of these is the squat. This is a personal favourite of mine, and there is no better feeling in the gym than loading up a barbell, stepping underneath it, hoisting the almost crushing weight off the
rack, lowering the weight so you are sitting on your calves and then proceeding to drive through your heels with all your effort whilst maintaining strict form. The feeling which ensues after a lung bursting set of these squats is truly euphoric. Sadomasochism through squatting aside, the exercise is both technically and physically more demanding than the bench press. Whilst being primarily a lower body exercise, the squat engages almost every muscle group in your body as you are challenged to hold your upper body in a braced position throughout the movement. The bench press, on the other hand, engages only your chest, shoulders and triceps, with no significant demand placed on the muscles of the lower body or back. At its most basic, the squat requires you to effectively sit down on an invisible stool, travel past the point of this invisible stool and stand back up again whilst maintaining strict posture. This is hard enough for most people to do in a slow and controlled manner with their own bodyweight let alone a weighted barbell! An exercise of comparable physical and technical demand to the squat with an emphasis on the upper body would be the standing military press. The movement is started by either “cleaning” the weight up from the floor up to shoulder height or setting the hooks on a squat rack to shoulder height to negate the need for an initial usage of energy before
the press is conducted. From shoulder height, the bar is driven up above the individual’s head using the shoulders and triceps whilst the legs, core and back play a vital role in providing a stable platform from which the press can be safely carried out. A variant of this exercise is called the push press, through which one can perform a mini squat simultaneous to the press in order to generate more force and thus use more weight. This requires the larger muscle groups of the legs such as the glutes and quadriceps to work much harder whilst the push press also makes it harder to balance and drive the weight through a steady trajectory. The bench press and variants of it certainly have their place in the regimes of all recreational and competitive athletes, but it should not be held as the “benchmark” of an individual’s physical abilities. Whilst I have not even touched on movements such as the chin-up, the deadlift or the various types of Olympic lifts, all of which require tremendous levels of skill and strength in order to be carried out properly, I hope I have made clear to you the primacy of the squat and military press as measures of overall strength. Next time you are discussing your training regime with a friend within or outside of the gym, please refrain from grilling them on their bench pressing capabilities and instead pose the far more revealing question of: “how much do you squat?”
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
7-12
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
South Wales: more than sheep, valleys and hills Ruby Ellis SO, you’ve heard the stereotypes, and Gavin and Stacey and The Valleys probably didn’t help. However, contrary to popular opinion, Wales isn’t just about male voice choirs and mining. Easily reached from London by train or by bus (I’d recommend Megabus), why go abroad when you can go to the country next door and experience its tremendous natural beauty, its glorious beaches and its vibrant, proud traditions? If you like beaches… At just over 50 miles from Swansea, and easily reached by train and bus, Tenby (Dinbych-y-Pysgod in welsh, meaning little town of the fishes) has over 2 miles of sandy loveliness. As an old medieval town it still has its original boundary
walls, and the narrow cobbled streets lead you to the buried treasure of tiny tourist shops, packed bookshops and delicious restaurants. West Wales is famed for its beautiful beaches, and Tenby truly is one of the best of many, its long expanses of white sand and clear blue water winning various awards such as the blue flag. From tourist havens with ice cream trucks, to peacefully secluded bays, Tenby has it all! If you like city breaks… Cardiff (or Caerdydd) is a bustling capital city where old and new, chain stores and independent shops, and culture and nightlife marry in a unique mixture. Queen Street boasts all the usual shops you would expect to find in a British city, but when you take the plunge into the arcades that link Queen Street, St Mary’s street and The Hayes you discover
Photo: Victor Bayon
a myriad of curios that are unique to Cardiff. Right in the centre looms Versailles with a Welsh accent — Cardiff castle, a unique mixture of a Roman hill fort and a gothic style Victorian manor house, whose animal grotesques gaze down cheekily from the ramparts. With an outlandish sea of gold and painted frescos to rival any French chateau, the castle encompasses 2000 years of
history — well worth a visit! If you like books… Then maybe you should visit the town of books! Hay-On-Wye sits on the border with England in the picturesque Brecon Beacons National Park and contains many antique and secondhand book stores. It’s also home to the famous Hay-On-Wye literary festival, frequented by visitors such as
David Starkey, Martin Amis, Hilary Mantel, Julian Assange, Vanessa Redgrave, Phillip Pullman, the Duchess of Cornwall, Michael Morpurgo and Brian Cox. During this time in June the town is brought alive by visitors from all over the world. Although difficult to get to, it’s definitely worth the visit, even if just to see the perky peaks of the Brecon Beacons on your trip!
Diving through rails of vintage knitted jumpers is like brushing through into Narnia, each piece of handmade and retro jewellery tempting you with a beckoning finger. Second-hand dresses caress beautiful tweed jackets. Ebony handled mirrors shimmer the reflections of paper-thin china tea cups. Every piece of clothing and every ounce of furniture have a history. What’s more, every piece of clothing and every ounce of furniture will most likely last forever too. The market is also littered with craftspeople selling their hand-made goods. From Lego jewellery, to scrabble rings, to grotesque dolls heads paired with taxidermy brought together to make a creature that shouldn’t make sense, but is somehow comprehensible in the strange world of Spitalfields. Whatever you see is something exclusive
and made with love. Cuddling this pile of vintage heaven is a myriad of restaurants, from the well known (Nando’s, Las Iguanas and Gourmet Burger Kitchen) to the less well known but equally delicious Leon, Crepeaffaire and Square Pie. Just around the corner is the famous Brick Lane, home to many clothing emporiums and curio shops. Although generally rather more expensive, they are perfect for seeking out that coveted ball gown or that special velvet suit you’ve been craving for years. It’s worth a trip, whether you’re looking for something special, or just fancy a peruse. If you get yourself a travelcard from Egham station, you can’t go wrong as you’ll even have the rest of London to explore if you can manage to prise yourself away from Spitafields!
London: Spitafields Ruby Ellis
Photo: Aurelien Guichard
ACCESSIBLE from Liverpool Street station and loomed over by the Gherkin, Old Spitalfields Market is an Aladdin’s cave of vintage and handmade goodies. There’s been a market at this site since it was set up by Charles I in 1638, and it has evolved from being a meat market to being at the forefront of the recent fashion for all things with a history. Unfortunately, due to the uniqueness and rarity of these items, they often tend to be expensive; however in Spitalfields market, independent traders sell stunning chunks of history at a price suitable for a student budget. The advantage of this market is also the ability to talk directly to the seller — don’t hesitate to barter!
21
o Editor’s letter The Orbital Nov 2012
Rebecca Hilsdon Arts Editor
WELCOME to our November issue. I hope everyone had a suitably ghoulish Halloween and cracking Fireworks night! Whilst trying to remove the last remnants of fake blood from my clothes and mourning the decline of toffee apples in the shops, I received some great articles to include in this issue. We have a review of Tim Burton’s latest
offering Frankenweenie, and of Ellie Goulding’s new album Halcyon as well as the long-awaited Bond film Skyfall. Although November means the nights become darker and colder and the student loan is but a distant memory, all is not lost as there are many plays, books and films ready to give shelter from the wintery nights. For a reasonably priced evening at the theatre I’d recommend going to the
drama school showcases which happen throughout the year. Many don’t cost more than £10, and in the case of LAMDA, some are free, although you must book in advance as they sell out very quickly. My friend and I went to see the play Blue Stockings at RADA a few of weeks ago and both the writing and acting were some of the best we’d ever seen. Last month saw the launch of our Creative Corner which is a space
devoted to showcasing the writing talent of Royal Holloway students. To be in with a chance of seeing your poem, haiku, sonnet or any other piece of work published, send submissions to arts@theorbital.co.uk. In keeping with new writing, I interviewed playwright and actor Kate Glover who is currently touring with a new play called The Sound of Breaking Glass. The play centres on one family’s response to
the suicide of suffragette Emily Davison at the Epsom Derby. I thought this was a particularly interesting interview to include as Davison is an alumna of the college and next year will mark the centenary of her death. As always if you would like to contribute to the issue do email us, “like” our Facebook page “The Orbital Arts” or follow us on Twitter “arts_orbital”.
Rebecca
Arts News
Watershed changes proposed Lily Waddell
POPULAR broadcasters — such as Sky — want to change the regulations regarding the monitoring of watershed programs to increase their viewers and secure economic benefits without, what may appear, any regard of the watershed’s main function to “protect children from harm”. The Broadcasting Standards Commission enforced the watershed first in the Television Act of 1964 to ensure programs before 9pm were suitable for younger members of the family. Currently programs that have received either a 15 or 18 certificate cannot be shown before the watershed period without receiving any cuts to scenes depicting “inappropriate” or harmful behaviour such as sex, violence
22
or swearing. Although viewers who pay-perview for programs and pay for content on premium film subscription channels are permitted to access 15 and 18 certificate films and programs without any cuts through entering a private pin code. The Commercial Broadcasters’ Association (Coba), encompassing Sky, UKTV and MTV, have made a new proposal to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to make watershed programs and films — without any cuts — available all day to viewers, only protected through this pin code system. Coba believes this system “will provide more choice for audiences, while offering secure and established protection processes”. This will encourage more viewers and secure a financial
future for these channels as broadcasting is looking to emulate what many internet sites have to offer, through the vast amount of choice of programs and films to watch all day every day; thus they are able to compete with their chief competitor — the internet. The vast majority of audiences will be familiar with this pin code system as internet sites such as YouTube and 4oD have enforced a similar protection system to make sure that children are protected from harmful content that may be depicted in programs, films and even music videos. For instance, to watch Rihanna’s recent S&M music video on YouTube, which depicts explicit sexual content, the audience have to sign into their YouTube account where they have confirmed their age must be over
18. However, many problems have occurred with this system as underage children don’t have to provide proof for their age when making a YouTube account. Similarly, problems may arise regarding submitting the pin code as parents may think they are giving their child the pin code to watch a particular film or program that they are OK with them watching but not other programs and films that may have received the same certificate. Ofcom in their annual 2012 survey of consumer attitudes towards broadcasting questioned their audiences on how they felt about the regulation of programming due to the rise of new digital media. The report recorded that over seventy four per cent felt the current levels of TV regulations such as the watershed were
“about right”. Therefore this new proposal by Coba may threaten parents’ confidence in levels of regulation and in what is available to their underage children. However, the Coba executive director, Adam Minns, is confident that the “pin protection is well established in the UK” and has “proven to be effective technically and is something with which audiences are familiar with” as it “is used on a range of services.” He also argues that the “pin protection” system is “more effective than the watershed regime”, thus comforting potential parental fears surrounding this movement. Audiences should expect that such a movement within broadcasting code will need to be confirmed by Ofcom as they would need to re-examine and change their regulation code for broadcasting.
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
7-12
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
Music
Ellie Goulding: Halcyon
Titanic the Musical Simon Rawlings Lifestyle Editor IF YOUR calling in life is to be involved in the arts you’ll know that there’s nothing greater than that feeling of fulfilment you get when experiencing a taste of professional life in this magical sphere. During the summer I received, amongst many others, an email asking for instrumentalists to play for a production of Titanic the Musical. My laptop couldn’t keep up with the speed in which I replied to this email in August snapping up the chance to do a job I’ve dreamed about having since I first saw Chicago the Musical when I was 15: a pit musician. For the past week I have had the privilege of playing the violin in the pit of the Windsor Theatre Royal with the cast from the Slough, Windsor & Maidehead Theatre Company. Impressively, the musical direction for the show was under the the sound leadership of one of Royal
Holloway’s very own PhD students, Guy Bunce. If the enthusiasm from the talented cast, musicians, exquisite costumes and set design wasn’t enough, almost each show was a sell out. The production, which saw a huge cast of 60 decicated actors take to the stage, projected a whirlwind of emotions to the various audiences throughout the seven different shows. Nearing the end of the musical, a duet between the famous Mr and Mrs Strauss takes place and on many occasions left members of the audiences in tears. Being part of that powerful emotional tool musical theatre possesses was indescribable . I genuinely had the most gratifying week which simply affirmed how much I want the career that I have dreamed about having for these past five years. But how did it come about? We all know the pain of the emails we receive in our RHUL email account inboxes but in reality, one of
James Carrick ELLIE Goulding burst onto the scene with 2010’s Lights; though it was critically and commercially successful, with praise for her unique voice and the folktronica production, its fair to say that it left a lot to be imagined lyrically, with many filler tracks. However, Goulding has seen true artistic evolution with her second LP Halcyon. Halcyon is Goulding’s opus at only her second album. This is clear from the outset — ballsy opener Don’t Say A Word instantly feels more mature and introspective than anything on her first album.
This album is about the lyrics — declaring on this track that she “has chosen you, but don’t say a word”. Thematically, the album is about a relationship that she senses is nearing its end; lines such as “It’s gonna be better and “there’s trouble ahead and you knew it” present Goulding as someone ahead of her years. The result is somewhere between the driving forces of Florence and the Machine and the epically sublime Kate Bush. Behind the lyrics is fantastic production, both booming and understated at all the right moments, make Goulding sound much more in her comfort zone and equally less like a wet
blanket than she did on her first album. Standout tracks include the dazzling euphoria of Anything Could Happen, a miasma of joy and realisation of self (though the latter is present across the whole album), and in stark contrast, the emotional piano-driven sounds of I Know You Care, with every lyric dripping in the feeling of dread at the impending doom of relationship breakdown, ultimately creating an incredibly engaging experience via restraint and subdued voice. What Goulding has created is an incredibly moving sonic experience that any music fan needs to pay attention to.
them may just be a golden ticket for you to take part in something that, like me, you’ve been waiting to do for years. Make sure that you really do make the most out of the vast amount of opportunities we all get given whilst at Royal Holloway. It’s easier said than done, but if it means getting the opportunity to perform the job of your dreams (and get paid for the privilege of doing it!) then I say it’s worth the effort. Likewise, don’t be disheartened if it seems your golden ticket has been misplaced. If you’re working your socks off then I personally promise that the phrase “you reap what you sow” is not a myth. Keep going and when the time’s right, the opportunity you’ve been waiting for will come along. I’ll leave you with some wise words I was given by a cast member: “if you have true passion for something, it can only but radiate amongst those around you, and that, Simon, can never go unnoticed....”
23
o
The Orbital Nov 2012
Film
Image: MGM
Skyfall Carrie Mathieson BOND is back and from the very first shot, Sam Mendes commands you to sit up and pay attention. An immediate urgency and tension is established that never quite abates throughout the film. Don’t expect to be able to sit back and relax through Skyfall — you are about to experience one heck of a rollercoaster. Unlike Bond films of old, Skyfall is much more of a personal vendetta than an attempt to achieve global dominance. The plot is sophisticated, clever and far surpasses that of Quantum of Solace. The threat in the form of Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) is very real and all the more terrifying for it. Bardem creates an iconic Bond villain in Silva, and switches effortlessly between being witty and seemingly reasonable one minute to chillingly frightening the next. Mendes maintains an impressive level of tension throughout the film with no real time for the
24
audience to relax, however there are impressive moments of tension relief throughout the film. The film follows James Bond through the fallout of losing a hard drive of undercover agents on a mission with fellow spy Eve (Naomie Harris), leading him to Shanghai where he meets Sévérine (Bérénice Marlohe) as London and MI6 fall under attack from Silva. This all comes to a dramatic climax in an isolated part of Scotland in a spectacular action sequence. The glorious locations both close to home and further afield and a beautifully shot final showdown truly make this one of the best Bond films to date. Both MI6 and M take centre stage in Skyfall (about time too, Judi Dench is once again a marvel) and watching M step out from behind her desk and into Bond’s world is fantastic, and bound to leave a smile on your face. The Bond “Girls” of Skyfall have little to do as it becomes clear that the true Bond woman of this film is M. Ralph Fiennes’ Mallory makes
a bad first impression on the audience (your blood will boil with outrage) however fabulously redeems himself in the final hour of the film. The re-imagining of Q as a young technology-genius is inspired and lends itself well to the film. Daniel Craig gives his best performance yet in his third outing as our most iconic spy. Throughout the film there is an underlying tension between the old ways and the new, which creates a brilliant battle of wits in Q and 007’s first meeting. Ever since Casino Royale there has been a sense that producers are taking a new direction with Bond, whilst still honouring past Bond films (there is a clear reference to a past film which will make you laugh) and with Skyfall the new era of Bond is clearly set out– and it’s exciting. The film culminates in a heart-wrenching moment, yet you are guaranteed to leave the cinema with a smile on your face after the final scene. The new era of Bond looks incredible — how long now until Bond 24?
Taken 2
Natasha Kaleeq BRYAN Mills (Liam Neeson) is super-soldier turned bodyguard and dreaded enemy to anyone who tries to hurt his family. However the film is somewhat lacking and the large fan-base of the first film seems to have disintegrated after this repetitive sequel set in Istanbul. The blame is laid with director Olivier Megaton who has jam packed this film with lots of action but, unfortunately, a very confusing ending. I was continuously side-tracked by the bad editing of shaking cameras and strobecuts. Megaton has also toned down the action to make the
rating fall from a 15 to a 12A. Nevertheless there are some great scenes such as a car chase in which Mills also manages to teach his daughter how to drive! The film does boast an interesting plot as the “hunter become the hunted” when Mills actively pursues the relatives of the villains from last film. We also see role reversal when he and his ex-wife are “taken” and it is up to his daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) to rescue them. Although, is a good plot enough to cover up the lack of 15 rated action that was much loved in the first? My verdict: it’s better to watch on DVD or TV and save money to spend on something more useful; after all we are students.
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
7-12
13-16
Frankenweenie Lily Waddell THE well known and loved American film director Tim Burton has ironically brought back to life Frankenweenie this autumn, a remake of his 1984 short film. Frankenweenie 2012 shares the same playful title, lovable characters and heartwrenching narrative. Both Burton’s original and 2012 film were inspired by the 1931 black and white film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus (1818). Burton uses the same name for his young protagonist Victor
Frankenstein, a budding scientist, who is reminiscent of Shelley’s original character. Unfortunately young Victor in Frankenweenie witnesses the death of his best friend and loyal dog, Sparky. Determined not to let Sparky go, Victor resurrects the birth myth by bringing Sparky back from the dead. The film deals with the consequences of this advanced scientific technology and raises serious questions about life, death and the barrier between it. Burton consciously uses the birth myth first established by Shelley with the birth of the feared but loved creature in Frankenstein; a myth that
deeply embedded in literature and film since Frankenstein’s first publication in the early 19th Century. The comedy horror is animated entirely in black and white similarly to the 1931 adaptation of Frankenstein and Burton’s original Frankenweenie of 1984. This certainly highlights the gothic nature of the film and myth of the creature. It is also the first black and white feature film to be released in the Imax 3D. It has made moderate box office sales and met positive reviews – especially with the popular movie rating site Metacritic. It received 74 out of 100, which falls under the category
17-21
“generally favourable reviews”. It is a film that would be described as memorable, humorous and emotional as well as Burton’s best film since Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007). Any Burton fan would be captivated by this compelling film. Burton’s illustrated characters are even more undoubtedly beautiful, dark and comic than ever before with their quirky bulging big eyes and tiny pupils which certainly add to the enchanting atmosphere. What really made this film a success is Burton’s personal angle in Frankenweenie as Burton at a young age lost
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
his best friend and loyal dog, Pepe. Thus Burton revisits his own personal experience when Victor loses his dog and perhaps, explores his own wish to bring his dog, Pepe, back to life through Sparky; something which he could not do in the real world but something he could in the world of his quirky inventions. This film successfully depicts the emotive friendship of Victor and Sparky to inevitably make the audience cry, laugh and smile. It’s gothic, beautifully dark but also a touching film, released by Walt Disney Pictures on October 5th, just in time for this Halloween!
Creative Corner Impression: Man on the cliff The lighthouse lures dim boats afar To this vast land of Albion, I Am sitting counting coins, but sigh, Can never tell you what they are.
The opposite shore hides in the mist, Still half the world away from home, Yet blinded by the sand, the foam, In twilight, shimmer still and whist; Reminding me a nightmare new: In looking glass woods I turned wax, Ill-carved like works of Peter Max, O, Melting into candles dew.
Benjamin Wang
Do you have a poem or some creative writing which you would like to see published in the arts section? Image: Walt Disney Pictures
Email arts@theorbital.co.uk and you could see your piece published in the next issue!
25
o Theatre Historia Theatre Company: The Orbital Nov 2012
An interview with Kate Glover does just that in the play. Do you think feminism is still important in today’s society? Yes I do. I was never a fanatical feminist in the 70s but I was brought up by a father who had four brilliant older sisters and a very clever wife (my mother!) From my earliest years, I knew that my parents expected me to make the most of myself in today’s world. I was never told that I “need not worry about anything as some day I would marry.” I was lucky to have parents like that. I still see worrying attitudes of young women today who believe that men will find them less attractive if they come over as being too bright, so they “play dumb.” We constantly need to remind ourselves of the contribution that women can and will make to society. Photo: Clare Grogan
Rebecca Hilsdon Arts Editor
I CAUGHT up with playwright and actor Kate Glover whose company Historia Theatre Company are touring with their new play, The Sound of Breaking Glass. The play centres around the impact of the Suffragette movement on one family. This is a witty new play, by playwright Sally Sheringham, which tells the story of the Suffragette movement through the ups and downs of one family. The metamorphosis of Mrs Emma Marland
26
from docile wife to “hooliganess” and hunger striker, with its inevitable effects on her marriage gives way to a darker series of events. Emily Davison throws herself in front of the King’s Horse as the lights begin to go out all over Europe. We wonder how the Marland family will cope in this new world... What were the inspirations for the play? Sally tells me that she read about a lady who became a prominent Suffragette after she came across a
young woman chalking information about an upcoming Suffragette demonstration at Hyde Park. Time and time again, the information was scuffed out by police and bystanders. Yet time and time again, the young Suffragette continued to find new bits of pavement and carried on writing. The lady was so impressed by the courage and tenacity of the Suffragette that she went to the Rally at Hyde Park where the Pankhursts were speaking. She was inspired to become a Suffragette herself. Our heroine Emma Marland
You are a writer as well as an actor, which do you prefer and why? Impossible to say! When I am acting I prefer that. When I am writing, especially if it is going really well, I can’t wait to get back to it; I cannot imagine doing anything else. I read History at St Hugh’s College Oxford and did my degree there. I then became a history teacher in secondary schools and then branched into Teaching English as a Foreign Language when I was living in Paris. I did not go to Drama School until I was 36. I got my
Equity card by doing a piece about World War I based on the letters of a soldier in the trenches. Then I was encouraged to write a play about the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins for the centenary of his death in 1989. I was very lucky that Clive Swift agreed to direct it and I also realised that I loved writing. So, that was how the writing career started. We have a very strong network of student writers at the college, what advice would you give to them about taking up writing professionally? Perhaps join something like AWL (http:// actorsandwriters.org) or at least a writing group. Join the Writer’s Guild as an associate member first (this is for people who are not yet published). Then you can move on to become a full member. They are very supportive. At the Actors’ Centre, there are classes for people who want to write their own plays. It is very hard to get an agent and also very important but buy the Writers and Artists Year Book, It is full of wonderful advice. What is next for Historia Theatre Company after ‘The Sound of Breaking Glass?’ I am considering various possibilities — potentially a play about Queen Anne who died in 1714, 300 years ago. It will be a nice change from all the World War I dramas that will be written then!
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
7-12
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
In the spotlight...
Students in Free Enterprise Nadja Krawetz SIFE Marketing Director SIFE stands for Students in Free Enterprise and it is an international organization that aims to empower people in need and improve these people’s standards of living by using the positive power of business to create projects that are sustainable in the local and international communities. SIFE is the largest University based non-profit organization, with over 57,000 students involved at 1,600 universities all over the world. SIFE Royal Holloway is built up of various teams including the Fundraising team, the Social events team and the Media team. However, at the heart of SIFE lies our projects,
created actively since our foundation in 2008. Our projects range from empowering a group of women in a rural village in Chetnapalli, India by teaching them how to make incense sticks and giving them the business skills needed to run their own microfinance enterprise, to running a bracelet making project using recycled t-shirts in Englefield Green to help a local school find a sustainable way to finance new books for the children. Many people often mistake SIFE for a charitable organization, and while we take pride in helping people, in reality SIFE represents a different concept. Our aim is to directly impact the people we work with in a sustainable way. What can you say about your
experience at university (besides your academic experience of course, and all the new friends you’ve made)? Can you say that you’ve created a cooperative in rural India and that thanks to you 60 women now live above the poverty line? Can you say that you’ve improved students’ GCSE levels just by giving them the attention no one else had the time to? Or can you even say that you helped former victims of human trafficking gain a sustainable healthy income in Cambodia? Well as a SIFE member, yes you can. Annually, all SIFE teams come together and showcase their projects in a 25 minute presentation at the SIFE Regional and then National Competitions. These are showcased to and evaluated by judges and SIFE members. Last year we placed 8th in the country and received the most improved SIFE team award. Moreover, it is crucial to know that by judges, we are talking about top representatives of major incredible businesses like KPMG, Centrica, HSBC, Nivea, MARS and Heinz just to name a few. SIFE is proud to have over 100 sponsors that generously offer various grants and support, as well as numerous graduate career opportunities creating career paths for many SIFE alumni. As a result of
the National competition, one of the 55 SIFE teams has the opportunity of representing the UK at the Worldwide Competition, which is held in a different city each year. This year the competition took place in Washington DC with special guest Hilary Clinton in attendance. This annual competition acts as a “time frame” to give teams something to aim for over the academic year. Furthermore, SIFE worldwide has decided to rebrand. They believed that the name SIFE did not fully grasp what we are really all about. At the International Competition SIFE was therefore renamed Enactus which stands for Entrepreneurs in Action. Because we are not just students, we are academics, business advisors and students, forming a world of new social entrepreneurs that will make a difference today. “A head for Business. A heart for the World”
Get involved rhulsife@googlemail.com www.facebook.com/RHULSIFE @RHULSIFE on twitter
27
o
The Orbital Nov 2012
Blueprint Investment Fund
Crystal Ho
FOUNDED in 2004 by a group of high calibre Royal Holloway students, Blueprint Investment Fund is a society independently run by students to aid members to learn about spread betting, stock trading, analysing various markets and enhancing general financial knowledge. Blueprint Investment Fund is one of the biggest and most reputable societies on campus with many alumni
28
members succeeding in gaining careers with Times Top 100 Employers such as Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Bloomberg, ING, Barclays Capital, HSBC and GlaxoSmithKline. Blueprint Investment Fund uses a hands-on approach to train students in how to trade and invest in stocks. Blueprint offers two distinct services for students to gain further financial knowledge, the Blueprint Academy and Blueprint Trading. The Academy runs throughout the year and consists of teaching sessions from an experienced member. Topics include technical and fundamental analysis, market structures, the psychology of trading and more. Unlike previous years, Blueprint is also
planning to invite lecturers and the founders of Blueprint as guest speakers to teach at the Blueprint Academy. Blueprint Trading is one of the most exciting activities we provide. If you are interested in trading and understanding financial markets, then Blueprint trading is the perfect platform for gaining skills in these areas. Each member will be placed in a team with two team leaders and together you will be given a trading platform to trade virtual stocks. Throughout the year, your team will conduct research on various industries, markets and companies that will make successful trades. It’s a new year and we have a new committee so Blueprint Investment
Fund is introducing new initiatives such as launching our first Blueprint Trading Competition. Blueprint Investment Fund recognises the hard work of our team members and believes we should reward them with quality prizes. With the launch of the Blueprint Trading Competition, teams will be competing with each other to see who can make the most successful trade. Top prizes include VIP Club treatment, complementary dinner and more! Furthermore, Blueprint Investment Fund will be observing and rewarding the best individual trader. Lastly, every week Blueprint gives out amazing prizes such as bottles of wine, sweets and chocolates to members who actively participate in meetings!
If you’re interested in trading, finance or gaining a career in financial services, then Blueprint is the place for you. We meet every Thursday evening at 7pm, either in Founder’s Main Lecture Theatre or the Management Building Lecture Theatre. You can become a member of Blueprint Investment Fund via the SU website.
Get involved www.su.rhul.ac.uk/ societies/6509 www.blueprint-if.co.uk www.facebook.com/ blueprintif @blueprintif on twitter.
NEWS
COMMENT FEATURES LIFESTYLE ARTS 3-6
7-12
13-16
17-21
22-26
SPORTS & SOCS
27-31
Royal Holloway FC 1st XI 4-2 St Mary’s FC Ruari O’Shea Men’s Football President
ROYAL Holloway mens football 1st XI made a stellar start to the season, vanquishing the visitors from St Marys by a score of four goals to two. Holloway fell behind twice but supersub Jamie Newbury saved the day, bagging a brace to start the season in style. Holloway, in their dashing new ensemble, dominated early stages of possession, but could not convert the chances into goals. Christian Thomas went close after superb defensive work by vice-captain Lewis Morris, but appeared to have other things on his mind, his shot troubling club linesman Dean Moat more than the opposition goalkeeper. Minutes later Alex Torres’ acrobatic effort
sailed over, in what was to be a troubling day for the clumsy left winger. Against the run of play, St Mary’s broke the deadlock, counter-attacking before unleashing a wild shot, which debutant Christian Needham deflected over the despairing Bilal Khan in an effort to block the shot. Needham, a young scouser and life-long Everton fan, will not be happy after the dubious goals panel awarded him the infamous ‘oggie’. Holloway went into the break down but not out, and after a lambasting from captain Ian Anson, the side responded. It was Needham who went from zero to hero, finding acres of space in the opponents area and bringing his goal tally for the season back to a respectable 0.
Perhaps complacent after recent victories over Pulse Academy and UCL 1st XIs, Holloway lost their heads once more. A long free kick into the box, and what can only be described as unorthodox goalkeeping by custodian Bilal Khan, saw them back to a goal down. Aran KingKentz responded almost immediately for Holloway, rifling a low drive past the goalkeeper in what was a fine finish from the fresher to level the scores once more. They say cometh the man cometh the hour, and with time ticking, Holloway’s man was one James Michael Newbury. Newbury’s introduction changed the game for Holloway, beating the keeper at the near post after rounding his opposite number to give the black
Photo: SURHUL Men’s Football
and whites the lead. If Newbury’s first goal was average, his second was spectacular. Having sprayed the ball all over the shop in his cameo, one of Newbury’s long crossfield balls found fresher
Christian Thomas. Thomas reached the touchline and delivered, finding Newbury in the area who chested the ball over the unwitting St Mary’s defender before volleying, wrapping up the victory for Royal Holloway.
29
o
The Orbital Nov 2012
The ultimate Movember Ed Noon Ultimate frisbee president
SO IT’S that time of year again when gentlemen around the world partake in a wonderful thing: the growing of a moustache to raise awareness of male cancers such as testicular and prostate cancer. It’s the male equivalent of the Race For Life and gives guys the chance to become ‘Mo Bros’ and work together in raising money for male cancer charities. This year, Holloway Ultimate Frisbee is raising money for Prostate Cancer UK with a whole team effort – The Ultimate Movember. On the first of November every player’s face was as smooth as a baby’s bottom - but not for long. As the month goes on and the
team enters two competitive tournaments, the face pubes will begin to sprout and some very questionable facial hair will be on display. The girls will be getting involved too by drawing on crafty moustaches for training sessions and team socials. The big event though is this: We will be at the Beehive on Friday 30th November hosting The Ultimate Movember Completion Party. Everyone is welcome to attend as their favourite moustached person or TV character and take part in the 3-pint challenge (that’s right – a Frisbee holds 3 pints and teams of two race to finish by drinking as quickly as possible through straws), boat races and beer pong. There will also be nonalcoholic games includ-
ing some Frisbee throwing games, a raffle and a ‘Whose is that moustache?’ quiz. Each game costs just 50p or £1 to have a go at and it’s all for Prostate Cancer UK. There will be some free food available on arrival, 3
for 2 offers for 3-pint chalIf you would like to lenges and some ace raffle donate to the cause the prizes so what have you got team would really to lose? Tell all your friends appreciate your help. and bring them along. It’s going to be a really fun www.justgiving.com/ night and we can’t wait to theultimatemovember see you there.
Survey claims Paralympics provided massive boost for disability sport in the UK Alex Pegler Deputy Editor
A TOTAL of 81 per cent of British adults say the London 2012 Paralympics have had a positive impact on the way disabled people are viewed by the public, according to a survey conducted by charity United Response. The survey “Did the Paralympics affect public perceptions of disability?” shows that 80 per cent of people enjoyed seeing disabled presenters on screen as part of Channel 4’s record-breaking coverage of the event, while 85 per cent said the outstanding performances of the British athletes made them figures that people aspired to. In addition, half of the people said they found Paralympic athletes more inspirational than their Olympic counterparts. It comes as 40 British Paralympic athletes won gold in 34 events at London 2012,
30
with a total of 4,269 competitors at the Games from 164 countries. In addition, 2.7 million tickets were sold for the London 2012 Paralympics- a record for the Games. Lord Coe, chairman of the London 2012 Organising Committee reflected on the Paralympics. He said: ‘’We set a goal to create awareness, I really think we have done that in helping converting some of those extraordinary talents into household names. ‘’I really genuinely think we have had a seismic effect in shifting public attitudes. I don’t think people will ever see sport the same way again, I don’t think they will ever see disability in the same way again. One of the most powerful observations was made to me, by one of our volunteers, who talked about having lifted some of the clouds of limitation.’’ But despite their huge suc-
cess, campaigners say the survey suggests there is still a significant amount of work to be done to ensure true equality for disabled people in the United Kingdom. David Cameron hinted at the need to consider the impact of cuts on disability welfare funding. “There’s always more we can do,” he said. “I think we can be proud of
Photo: Ryan Marsh
our record. But, more than any funding can do, I think the Paralympics will really demonstrate to people some things about disability, some things about what these incredible people can achieve which can change their views and inspire a whole generation of people.” Neil Coyle, director of policy and campaigns at Disa-
bility Rights UK, said: “Once the Paralympic circus leaves town, things will go back to pretty much normal. “The same government with the same zeal towards reforming benefits will still be in power. Many of us will continue to live in relative poverty.”
The SU and societies guide All you need to know about the events put on by societies and the SU over the coming weeks...
11th-13th: 12th: 13th: 13th: 13th: 14th: 14th: 15th: 16th: 16th: 17th-20th: 19th: 19th: 20th:
Mikado
The Savoy Opera Society put on Gilbert and Sullivan’s play in Jane Holloway Hall.
Sports Council
6pm, Arts Building Lecture Theatre 1.
21st: 21st:
NUS National Demonstration
Tax the Rich for a Free Education! Coaches leave RHUL at 9am for central London.
Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation In the Modern World. PIR Society hosts a lecture by James Kearney from the United Nations Association UK.
Maths Society Elections
22nd: Debris and Pyroclastic Flows
General Meeting
22nd: Academic Affairs Senate
Richard III Launch Night
22nd:
Media Society Elections
24th-27th: 25th-1st: 25th: 26th: 26th: 27th: 29th: 30th: 30th-1st:
Help choose the new committee of the Maths Society.
6pm, SU main hall.
Shakespeare Society launches their autumn production in the Stumble Inn. Help choose the committee of the Media Society.
Societies Council
6pm, Arts Building Lecture Theatre 1.
Inclusion and Representation Senate Come and have your say at 6pm in Rialto.
What is the future of Higher Education?
Presented by Defend Education and featuring a talk from Paul Layzell, Principal of RHUL at 7pm, Founder’s MLT.
Ceilidh Dance
New Lyell Society’s semi formal evening of food, whiskey and Scottish Dancing in Founder’s Dining Hall.
Sweet Charity
Musical Theatre Society’s autumn production at the SU.
The Blitz Ball
History Society’s black tie, 1940s style event, featuring 1940s music and dancing in the Founder’s Dining Hall.
Banner Making Session
Making signs and banners for the NUS National Demonstration, 7pm, Stumble Inn.
Student Welfare Forum
Come and discuss welfare issues in Rialto at3pm.
New Lyell Society’s lecture and pizza night in the Queen’s Building Main Lecture Theatre.
Have your say on academic affairs, 6pm in Rialto.
Up Pompeii Launch Night
Classical Society launch their autumn production in Medicine.
A Clockwork Orange
Drama Society’s autumn production at the SU.
SHAG Week
SURHUL’s Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance week.
SHAG presents “Quiz on my Face”
SHAG week pub quiz, 9pm in the Stumble Inn.
“Defiance” Film Night
History Society presents this Daniel Craig film set in NaziOccupied Eastern Europe.
The Ideology and Rhetoric of Silence
PIR and Italian societies present talks from Dr Julia Bolton Holloway and Pier Andiolo Cetica of the University of Florence.
Dance Competition Opening Party
Come and celebrate with the Dance Society in Medicine.
Inclusion and Representation Senate Come and have your say at 6pm in Rialto.
Peak District Climbing Trip
Climbing in the Peak District with the Mountaineering and Climbing Society.
Christmas Concert
Gospel Choir and Absolute Harmony sing in the College Chapel
To see your society’s events featured here, email us at sportsandsocs@theorbital.co.uk.
Want to help run
?
We’re currently looking for a Features Editor and an Admin Director Email editor@theorbital for more information.