The Orbital September 2011 (Issue 2)

September 2011

ROYAL HOLLOWAY STUDENTS’ UNION MAGAZINE

FRES HERS ’ EDIT ION

The Big Story The end of Classics

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‘Orbitalk’ Your letters

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The science of..

Being drunk

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The ‘Lad’ Test Matthews Vs. Resek

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FEATURING:

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Beth Bridewell, Editor

Issue 2

Dan Kelly, Deputy Editor

It’s currently 4am in The Orbital office and we aren’t even sure if this magazine will reach all you Freshers in time! But we live in hope and are fueled by the complimentary effects of laughter and sugar. What a beautiful combination.

A massive welcome to Royal Holloway from all of us at The Orbital, and as warm a welcome to all those returning to campus. We are all excited so to start Freshers’ Week and get off to the perfect start of the new academic year. As will be mentioned throughout this issue, our Students’ Union has undergone a transformation, one which we intend to be a huge part of. So let’s get stuck in straight away and make it one to remember.

This is our second issue as an editorial board and its fair to say we are still learning. What will never change is our desire to create something special; something not just of student, but professional, quality. A publication with unique content, relevant to us students here at Royal Holloway.

What matters is this: what do you think? The more feedback we get, the more we develop as a team and our standards raise. All we can hope is The Orbital will just keep getting better and better.

We want to enlist as many talented students joining Royal Holloway and for this, we are very excited. We only hope that you will do us the honour of getting in touch and helping us out. Whether that be writing, taking photos, designing pages, sub-editing, drawing, choosing music for us to listen to in the office literally anything! So make sure you have an epic freshers’ week and get in touch!

The Orbital editorial team

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The Orbital is the Royal Holloway Students’ Union publication. The opinions published are not neccessarily that of the editorial board. If you would like to get in touch with us for any reason, or just to say hi, then contact one of the editors below: Editor Beth Bridewell editor@theorbital.co.uk Deputy Editor Dan Kelly deputyeditor@theorbital.co.uk News Emily Pressnell Comment Craig Gent Regulars Shannon Mizzi Lifestyle Elinor Gittens Reviews Rana Banna Online Julian Farmer Art Jack Smale Admin Clare Thomas Executive Editor Sarah Honeycombe

Contributors:

Saul Markcoons Louie Woodall Louise Quick Lauren Keen Kate Devine Dan Cooper Susuana Abana Phil John Dan Warrington Singh Christopher Hobbs Tom Watts Dan Costen Katie Blow Dan Cooper Jake Wells Chris Pull Danny Taylor Edward Noon Kate Haslett Dalia Fillipi Sapphire-Violet Rossdale Ced Yuen Imogen Nation Faisal Khan Mitra Manoochehri Alyssa Marie Puga Camilla Cullen Jonathan Scott Ed Resek Dom Matthews

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

In this issue...

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26 46 www.theorbital.co.uk

NEWS 04

News Holloway Ex-student Pied Murdoch

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The Big Story Classics - The beginning of the end?

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London Lowdown

COMMENT 10

Letter of the week Re-kindle your love for literature

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The Big Debate What should we learn from the riots?

REGULARS 16

Columns Sabbs, Graduate, Abroad

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Have you met?

Your new Sabbatical Officers

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The Science Of...

Getting Drunk

REVIEWS 31

Film The Inbetweeners

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Theatre The National Theatre

LIFESTYLE

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Fashion

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Food Tasty treats in the local area

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Listings Dates to put in your diary

SPORTS & SOCS 43

Sports & Socs list Decide what to join!

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Game on!

See who wins our ‘lad’ test!

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Editor: Emily Pressnell news@theorbital.co.uk

Photo: BBC News

Royal Holloway Ex-student responsible for pieing Murdoch.

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The Big Story As the Classics Department is phased out at Royal Holloway, what are the reasons behind the decision?

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“Celebrating victory” The presence of hall wardens is preserved at University of London intercollegiate halls.

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Got a tip off?

Drop us a line if you have any sort of hunch. We love a good story!

IN BRIEF 4

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4The Round-up 4The Big Story 4London Lowdown

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n ex-Royal Holloway Student will endure six weeks in jail for attacking Rupert Murdoch with a shaving foam pie.

Jonathan May-Bowles, 26, attacked the 80 year old chief executive and chairman of News Corporation as he gave evidence to MPs about the hacking scandal, calling him a ‘naughty billionaire’.

May-Bowles - also known as ‘Jonnie Marbles’- from Windsor, Berkshire, was charged and ordered to pay £250 at City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court.

The comedian and activist studied at Royal Holloway in 2005, studying Politics and International Relations. The university confirmed that he had attended the college from 2005 to 2007. However, he never graduated.

He was known to the university to be a political activist and even had his own column named ‘Out Of Loo Roll’ in The Orbital in 2007.

Mario Creatura was Editor of The Orbital from 2006-2007 and, under his leadership, was published on thinner paper to make the budget stretch for a fortnightly release. He explained how “the ‘Out of Loo Roll’

The proposed number of staff to be dedicated to solely teaching in the Classics department.

section was designed to play on the joke that the quality of paper was like loo roll.”

‘Jonnie Marbles’ was approached to write on a regular basis as he began to develop an interest in performing comedy.

Creatura, when asked

good time to throw a pie?

Photo: SURHUL Murdoch should be glad it wasn’t a shoe!”

Ex-Runnymede councillor and RHUL alumna, Daniel Hamilton, tweeted to express his surprise at the attack. Mr Hamilton, said: “He was often involved in

Known to the university as a political activist, ‘Jonnie Marbles’ even had his own column in The Orbital, 2007 called ‘Out of Loo Roll’. to describe May-Bowles, characterized him as “a funny, and articulate guy.

We disagreed in a friendly way during a lot of political discussions, but there was never any hint of aggression on his part. Just odd-ball and eccentric humour.”

The Orbital Editor of 20052006, Anita Engebretsen also commented: “Jonathan has always been a passionate politician in the name of the common person.”

“He once submitted a serious article all about penguins! There was a lot of controversy over the foam pie, but he’s done far greater stunts than this over the years. And when is it ever a

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stand-up comedy events at the college but, if I am being brutally honest with you, they weren’t very funny.”

“He also got involved with anti-war protests amongst others, but Royal Holloway is quite a conservative university, so I think he was probably quite frustrated that there were not many more people who shared his views.”

May-Bowles is one of the founders of UK Uncut, an anti-cuts protest group.

Whilst in court, supported by a group of friends, May-Bowles said he would appeal against the six week sentence.

SAUL MARKCOONS & BETH BRIDEWELL

The amount, in millions, spent on the reconfiguration of our Students’ Union.

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

The Big Round-Up

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SU reconfigeration provides a “fantastic new social space.”

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4 Royal Holloway Students’ Union summer reconfigeration deemed a great success.

tudents of Royal Holloway can now utilise and enjoy the new Students’ Union building, as its stunning £1.2million face-lift is completed bang on time.

The summer project hasn’t just brought a bright lick of paint across the entire site, but installed a whole array of new features that leave the ‘previously drab and cluttered past forgotten’. After numerous cases of negative student feedback, General Manager, Sean O’Donnell, decided a change had become ‘priority

activity.’

The cash injection from the university itself, and a further £200,000 from the Students’ Union, has funded a complete reconfiguration upstairs. Despite losing the renowned ‘Bake ‘n’ Bite’ area, we have gained ‘Rialto’, a modern new social space for us students equipped with trendy snack stop. The introduction of glass panels and indoor office windows allow not only for brighter surroundings, but also a newfound connection between students, elected students and

NEWS IN BRIEF

the staff of the Students’ Union.

No areas seem to have been left untouched: Tommy’s Bar has become more accessible and open; the dancefloor has been extended and kitted out with a built-in bar and fresh sound system; spotless toilets have been relocated and installed, complete with a genderneutral option! Having been completed by ‘a fantastic team’, as described by SU President, Dan Cooper, all we can say is – enjoy! The SU have provided us with a fresh start to the new academic year.

LOUIE WOODALL & DAN KELLY

Louise Quick talks us through more iconic changes to the SU

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Image: hdcqs.com

ith the SU’s makeover completed, the myriad of new features also announced a few more specific changes had been made to truly call for a ‘new start’ at Royal Holloway. The most significant of these, and potentially the most iconic, has been the introduction of a new logo to represent us for the duration of time at university.

The Union has also acquired status as a registered charity, highlighting its extremely busy and successful summer. The logo was then put up for renovation to try and replace its drab and dire predecessor. As it underwent its thorough re-designing, the result was something more vivid and playful: a much needed welcome into the building.

The final design was chosen via a survey on the SU website, carried out during the last summer term.

Speaking to The Orbital, the SU team expressed how they were “extremely

“Incorrect and insufficient” - Imperial College’s Students’ Union reflects on Summer Ball miscalculations, p8, London Lowdown news@theorbital.co.uk

excited to announce the new logo.”

Regarding the complications that arose with the results of the survey, the Sabbs explained how “after months of deliberation and voting from students, it was decided that we would remain ‘SURHUL’.

Three-quarters of students wanted us to move away from the old logo and, after taking logos for RHSU out of contention, the winner of the poll was ‘SURHUL’ with our dotted ‘U’.”

The logo is reflective of the Union’s new direction, one that will boost Royal Holloway’s reputation to a modern and cosmopolitan establishment.

“Contemporary and dynamic” - don’t miss the UniSmart presentation, p9 5

THE BIG STORY Lauren Keen reports

The end of Classics?

As Royal Holloway announces the phasing out of the Classics department, students and staff question the need and motive behind the decision and understand what can be done to save classics.

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n Wednesday, 29 June 2011, Royal Holloway College opened a 90-day consultation period in which to deliberate plans, proposed by Principal Paul Layzell, to make changes to several departments within the College.

The changes to the academic portfolio will affect the department of Computer Science, the School of Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures and, most notably, the Classics department.

The proposed changes to the Classics

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and Philosophy department include more than halving the intake of new students, decreasing the number from 82 to 40, and reducing the number of staff to five. Philosophy would be split from Classics with effect from 2012, and the remaining Classics staff would then be relocated within the History department by 2014.

Since the announcement, Royal Holloway staff and students have launched a campaign to oppose the plans. The Facebook group, Save Classics at Royal

Holloway, now with nearly 4,000 members, has provided a forum for discussion and comment throughout the summer months, with many fearing that these changes will mean the closure of the Classics department and the end of Classics at Royal Holloway.

Totalling approximately 3000 signatures, an online petition illustrates the opposition that the proposal has encountered. Amongst those angered by the plans are not only Royal Holloway staff THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

Commentary

Sarah Honeycombe VP Communications & Campaigns

4Our VPComCam expresses her dissapointment with the proposals I’ve studied in the Classics department and found it to be utterly outstanding. Throughout my studies, I always felt completely supported and think the experience really enhanced my degree.

Classics and studies of the ancient languages are so important and a really fascinating area.

The proposal of cutting places, therefore, implies

to me that we’re telling future students that the time period just isn’t important to study anymore at university - and that couldn’t be more untrue. From medicine to literature to philosophy, the modern world is so influenced and completely sturctured by everything that has come before it.

Classics has been a huge part of Royal Hol­ loway and Bedford New

College’s history, so plans to re-jig the depart­ ment came as quite a shock.

The staff in the depart­ ment are just amaz­ ing and unique and I have never heard a bad word spoken about them, as their teaching is superb. The subject is just so fantastic. It would be a tragedy for Royal Hol­loway to lose that..

The Classics department “does not believe that this is the right way to secure the long-term future of Classics.” the department, the College has been clear that it does not intend to close the department, but that it is trying to “save Classics.” A spokesperson from Royal Holloway’s Press Office stated that the college is “currently consulting with staff on a number of proposals designed to secure the long-term future of Classics at Royal Holloway.” The College’s official line is that the proposal to merge the department with History is designed to ensure the longevity of Classics at Royal THE FACTS Holloway because “alone, the department is not performing well enough.”

Speaking to The Orbital, Prof. Anne Photo: Samuel Lavoie Sheppard, Head of Classics and Philosophy, stated that the College’s proposals “would mean the loss of Departmental and students; letters in defence of Classics at identity.” Prof. Sheppard has made it Royal Holloway have been written by staff clear that, whilst reorganising the defrom UCL and Oxford, and the Save Claspartment does not mean the discontinusics campaign has even gained the support ation of all degrees in classical subjects, of actor and author, Stephen Fry, and Boris it will mean the loss of an independent Johnson, Mayor of London, both of whom department. Although the proposals have spoken of the importance of Classics. outline a strategy for reorganisation, Whilst many are concerned that the Coland not closure, the Classics department lege’s proposals will mean the closure of “does not believe that this is right way to secure the The Students’ Union has expressed the long-term future of Classics.” its concern that the students of What has emerged as a key concern amongst Classicists Royal Holloway are being viewed has also provoked concerns as ‘consumers’. about the role played by news@theorbital.co.uk

students at RHUL. In a letter to the Principal, the Students’ Union has expressed concern that the students of Royal Holloway are being viewed not as “active participants” in the shaping of the institution, but as “consumers.” The University has described the proposal as a ‘finely judged reconfiguration’ supported by department league tables, an assessment of research performance, and a summary of the department’s financial performance (according to financial reports, the Classics department had a budget deficit of £365,000 in 2010-11.) The Students’ Union, however, argues that disciplines “should not be subject to monetary and market-based strategies,” and fears that decisions are being made without consideration for the academic strength of the university.

As the consultation period comes to an end, questions about the priorities of the College will undoubtedly come to the fore.

To find out more about both sides of the story, you can read the University’s academic portfolio proposals online at www.rhul.ac.uk/restricted/contensis/ forstaff/strategy/portfolio/home.aspx, and visit the Classics department blog at www.supportclassicsatrhul.wordpress.com.

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NEWS Bursting the campus bubble with the best bits of news from colleges across the capital. We are part of the University of London, after all!

For the first time, The Orbital has teamed up with LSJSN, the London Journalist Support Network. LSJSN exists to provide support to student led publications and student journalists within the University of London.

By being a part of LSJSN, we are more integrated with knowledge of what’s happening with other University of London institutions.

This page serves to keep us in the know with London news.

IMPERIAL

Imperial Summer Ball makes £100,000 loss 4Summer Ball attracts less than half of expected attendees Imperial College Union’s Summer Ball suffered a loss of over £100,000 after a hugely disappointing turnout, reported Imperial’s newspaper, Felix.

A statement made by the Students’ Union admitted “we fully understand that the financial outcome of this year’s Summer Ball is wholly unacceptable and cannot be repeated.”

A sum of £85,000 was spent on acts including folk singer Laura Marling and Ian Brown (former lead singer of The Stone Roses), but also more well-known performers Nero and Chase & Status. The event hoped to attract 3,850 students but only 1,500 attended.

The weather was believed to have played a part in the underwhelming response, while a Union spokesperson confirmed that “the assumptions made and research carried out were both incorrect and insufficient.”

Unlike previous years, there was no black-tie dress code or evening dinner, factors which are believed to have contributed to the Union’s largest recorded losses in recent times.

UoL

UoL Hall Warden plans axed

4University of London have un-done decision to axe intercollegiate hall Wardens.

Students at London’s intercollegiate halls celebrated victory yesterday after the ViceChancellor’s Executive Group (VECG) shelved plans to make hall wardens redundant.

A statement from VECG announced the decision “to suspend the consultation and implementation process immediately and confirm the status quo for the coming year 2011/12.”

An online petition

was set up which gathered over 900 votes, after proposals were announced to get rid of hall wardens. The motives behind these decisions were in order to free up rooms for extra students. Duties would have been handed over to hall managers.

Options are now being discussed that allow them to “to ensure the availability of appropriate pastoral support for students

and to increase the availability of student rooms in the intercollegiate halls.”

Sean Rillo Raczka, incoming ULU VicePresident, expressed his delight that “the university has abandoned these rash proposals.” Raczka added that it was vital to ensure the plans were “dropped for good”, promising to facilitate a campaign at ULU to accomplish this.

Photo: Leo Reynolds

THE LONDON LOWDOWN 8

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

London Lowdown

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COLLEGE

Welcome from your Support & Advisory Services 4Don’t worry if you are overwhelmed by the prospect of starting university - help is at hand.

Welcoming a new set of students in September is one of the highlights of the academic year for everyone in Support & Advisory Services.

The buzz on campus during the first weekend and throughout Fresher’s Week is incredible and particularly welcome after a largely student-free campus during the summer.

However, we recognise that some of you may feel a little overwhelmed by everything that the new term may bring – it’s a big change for all students and, recognising this, we are always available to talk, support or advice new students if they have any worries or questions.

Our section covers a wide range of support services including Student Counselling, Financial Support, Residential Support and Non-Residential Support; details of which can be found in the booklet that you’ll receive in your departmental inductions. We’re all located in Founder’s

West on the first floor so feel free to come and see us at any time. You can also call us on 01784 443394 / 443955, or email SupportAndAdvisory@rhul.ac.uk. We’ll also be at Freshers’ Fayre on Thursday & Friday.

The team are involved in a huge number of events over the first week of inductions.

We’ll also be present at a range of social events in Halls of Residence, including quizzes, coffee and cake, and meet the RSA sessions. Students in halls will find all these details on their Fresher’s lanyards.

During Freshers’ Week the counselling team will be running coffee mornings in Imagine (The Hub) from Tuesday – Friday (10.30am – 12.30pm) where you can meet other students, find out about our services, and share tips on surviving Freshers Week over a cup of coffee.

Our big event of the week is the UniSmart presentation on Wednesday 21 September followed by a free BBQ and goodie bags. UniSmart is a contemporary,

dynamic presentation about university life which we encourage new students to attend. It begins at 5pm in the Windsor Auditorium and free tickets can be collected in advance from Founder’s West 170.

The most important message we want to get across to new students is not to panic if you’re finding the first few days difficult. There’s rarely a problem we can’t help you solve, so don’t let the panic build up - talk to us and take the help and support available, allowing you to enjoy a memorable start to university.

Wednesday 21 Sepember 2011 - 5pm - The Auditorium, Windsor Building. Collect your free ticket from Founder’s West 170, or email SupportandAdvistory@rhul.ac.uk

COLLEGE

Anti-Cuts Alliance disrupt Universities UK conference 4Royal Holloway Anti-Cuts Alliance say “Education not for $ale” to Vice-Chancellors.

Photo: Susuana Abena

On 7 September, activists from Royal Holloway Anti-Cuts Alliance (ACA) disrupted the Universities UK annual conference, being held in the Windsor building. Universities UK is the representative body of all the main HE institutions nationwide.

The conference, attended

by Cabinet minister Vince Cable MP, as well as almost every Vice-Chancellor in the country, discussed the effects of the HE white paper on universities. The ACA were protesting at the introduction of for-

profit providers in public universities. One activist said, “The white paper will make way for privatization and a market in higher education; it is an attack on the essence of the public university.”

The activists made their way into the building at 3.30pm with chants of “no ifs, no buts, no education cuts” and “defend education, fight privatization”.

They were met by Royal Holloway managers and the event organisers, who asked them to leave the private event. The campaigners

asserted the hypocrisy of the event being used to discuss the white paper away from students, given that the paper’s title is ‘Students at the Heart of the System’. “Here we have the Government’s education officials and vice-chancellors from across the country making crucial decisions without student involvement,” said one activist.

The Anti-Cuts Alliance left after one hour, after making a final address to the ViceChancellors via megaphone.

It’s always important to stay up to date with news from our very own Royal Holloway College. This page should keep you in the know with College events. news@theorbital.co.uk

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ReKindle your love for literature er K Lett L A T i k b wee or Editor: Craig Gent comment@theorbital.co.uk

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Societies View: Are we sufferering a fear of faith? pag

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Classics: Why it’s imperative for RHUL to retain Classics to maintain its respectability

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4 The Big Debate 4 Your Letters

The Big Debate: What should we learn from the riots?

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A library at your fingertips or a philistine attack on literature? Kate Devine talks e-readers...

his year I received an e-reader for my birthday. From the shock and disgust on my friends’ faces, you could be forgiven for thinking that I’d begun carrying round a loo roll inscribed with Shakespeare’s sonnets, or perhaps some kind of computer run solely on the ashes of incinerated first editions.

We’ve rotated around environmental implications, the dubious ethics of e-book pioneers like Amazon, and the fact that anyone who whips out a Kindle on the beach or train will, unavoidably, look like a bit of a knob; but the crux of contention is always phrased as follows: “but I like having books, having something to hold and real to read”.

It seems that no matter how deep the love of literature, the love of being seen to love literature is always exacting its influence in the shadows. Why else the overwhelming desire for ownership, for material possession? On the first visit to someone’s home, books provide an interesting snapshot of that person’s artistic tastes and you can lend books you’ve enjoyed to family

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Photo: kodomut, flickr

and friends, something e-literature has yet to replicate. This aside, the attachment to paper and ink appears to me almost wholly psychological rather than practical.

The last CD I bought was probably over a year ago, as I can find almost everything I want to listen to shared or sold online. The break away from purchasing a material symbol of music to consuming it in basic unpackaged form has been notably less controversial than in the case of literature, and I believe the reason for this to be firmly rooted in our obsession with appearance. Spotify, for example, allows us to use the internet so that friends (those ‘friends’ listed on your social networking site) can view the music you listen to, in turn enabling you to carefully construct the music library of the person you want to appear to be.

Digital books provide no such bragging outlet.

It would be remiss to say that all those in the ‘e-books are like wiping your arse with Hamlet’ camp are anti solely because of vanity, but

I think the inability to display your erudition like a trophy is certainly a factor.

The act of the e-book download is a quietly and modestly enriching thing. My e-book does not gloatingly recite the names of the last ten books I’ve read to every visitor when they enter the house, nor is there an online forum or social networking link that all my ‘friends’ can view to find out just have clever and well-read I’d like them to think I am. Instead, it somewhat ironically facilitates a back to basics attitude towards literature.

I certainly don’t desire a complete digital replacement programme; I too would miss the feel of a friendly paperback and would lament the transformation of the bookshop into some kind of download booth.

Having said this, I maintain that the renewed concentration on the true essence of literature, set apart from material fixation, is an interesting and in many ways, positive development.

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

Your letters

It’s time to reclaim your Union

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SU President, Daniel Cooper, calls on all students to make the Union a vehicle for action in the face of education cuts and reforms.

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here is a colossal year ahead for education and students.

The Government and university managers are arranging a transformation of education as we know it. What is going on? The Government have announced enormous spending cuts; up to 80% across the board for academic departments and an end to funding for arts and humanities subjects.

In practice, the spending cuts are resulting in courses being closed, lecturers being sacked - limiting what we can learn at university. This is seen here at Royal Holloway in the Computer Science, Modern Languages, Classics & Philosophy departments and the English Subject centre. On top of this, the Government got rid of the vital Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA), and is loading students with enormous debts at a time when there is a clear lack of decent, well-paid jobs.

These changes turn the clock back, keeping universities as places for the wealthy; working class and mature students are being priced out of education.

In June, 2011, the Government Let’s make no released a ‘white paper’ setting out the agenda for universities in Britain. mistake, this Ministers want education to be about is a market profit making, not about discovery revolution and and the enrichment of life. They are the Government beginning to allow large, for-profit, knows it. non-educative businesses to run and deliver education. McDonalds have

been among the first to show their interest.

Where delivery of education was previously within the realm of a lecturer’s academic autonomy, decisions will not be taken by students and lecturers but by old men with fat pay-packets.

Education is a common social good (just like the NHS and the fire service), not a source of profit. We want to be critical thinking, intellectual members of society, not cash cows for businesses to milk.

Let’s make no mistake, this is a market revolution and the Government knows it. The proposals will define a generation – the stakes are high. However, there is still a lot the Government has to do in order to enact its policies; most changes are being made at a local level, piece by piece. In turn, the Government desperately wants to avoid a confrontation with students like that of last year.

The Students’ Union is the place for you to have a collective voice; it is the organ for bringing change, for stopping the closure of your courses, the dismantling of your departments and helping to prevent your lecturers from being sacked. The Union’s role is to protect its members’ interests – your education.

This year, defending education is a key Union priority, so join the campaign and get involved!

SURHUL will launch its education campaign on 29 Sept with the event ‘Why Defend Education?’ in the Union building.

Turn over for...

THE BIG DEBATE Photo: Phil John comment@theorbital.co.uk

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BIG debate

What should we le

The riots indicate some home-truths which need facing up to Dan Warrington Geology Alumni

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here’s something that particularly struck me during the news coverage of the riots in August: just how quickly the talk turned to benefits. The fires hadn’t been extinguished before we were hearing “take away their benefits!” from various commentators and politicians. It’s the underlying assumption, and what can be drawn from it, that I find interesting. At the time it was too early to know how many of the rioters were benefit claimants – all we knew was that most of the arrested were pretty young. Yet the assumption was made (and largely accepted from what I could tell) almost immediately. I think this tells us something about our society. Why assume that benefit claimants are the most likely section of society to riot? Because we instinctively understand that those who have the least stake in a society are the most likely to react against it.

The riots show us that there are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people across the country who It’s easy to vilify and dehumanize are so angry with the society they live in they are willing “the Rioters”to attack it. People who have this approach sufficiently little to lose they are willing to risk it all for a means society looted TV and fleeting sense doesn’t have to of empowerment.

People change at all. who are so dislocated from What isn’t easy a sense of community, some is finding a can burn down their neighresolution to bours’ homes. This should be a wake-up call for us to really the underlying interrogate the way our sociproblems, so as to prevent a next ety is constructed.

It’s easy to vilify and dehutime. manize “the Rioters”. By call-

YOUR VIEWS 12

ing them scum, feral rats, chavs, gangsters, criminals, etc., we help convince ourselves that the riots were the result of character deficiencies of no-good individuals. We can lock them up, take away their families’ welfare and then ABOUT: On 6 August a protest forget about them until the next about the fatal shooting of father riot. Most conveniently, this ap- of four, Mark Duggan, in Tottenham escalated into four days of rioting, proach means society doesn’t have looting and arson across major English to change at all. What isn’t easy is cities. Police had been attempting finding a resolution to the underly- to arrest Duggan, 29, and had at first ing problems, so as to prevent a next claimed he had fired a handgun. It time. was later revealed that Duggan had Filling the prisons to bursting not shot at police. The initial peaceful point, taking away the welfare of protest descended into violence after those who are already on the brink police allegedly assaulted a 16 year and arming our police with more old girl, the resulting riot fanned by local tensions over accusations brutal ‘crowd control measures’ will of local police racism. The riots not address the problems. In fact, I spread across London and to other suspect that they will make the situ- cities, notably Bristol, Nottingham, ation even worse. What we need is Birmingham, Manchester and to find ways to restore a sense of Liverpool. The unprecedented scale unity to our fractured communities, and persistence of the riots led to and to fight for a society in which government and opposition leaders returning early from their holidays everyone has an equal stake. l to recall Parliament. Five people died as a result of violent acts, more than

I think it says something very serious about the state of our communities that people can harm their neighbours - Jack, 2nd Year History

I fucking love rioting - Dexter, 2nd Year Biology

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

earn from the riots?

We need confident policing to enforce the law Dan Kelly 3rd Year Geography Student

Photo: Chris Carson, flickr

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he future of youths across the country looks bleak, but while this remains something everyone can feel genuine empathy towards, even understand as an obvious catalyst, the initial 3,000 were arrested and over 1,000 lessons to learn from the recent have been charged in connection riots should not necessarily surwith rioting or looting. The riots round social conditions. Instead, have prompted widespread public what action should have been takdebate over issues such as material en to halt the rioting quickly? conditions of working class areas, The Police, through the police powers, benefit eligibility, fault of those issuing orders, political sentencing and the strength of the media in influencing public seemed to follow an approach opinion.

Government ministers that waited for the rioters to wear have been quick to condemn the themselves out, almost herding riots as “criminality pure and simple” them cautiously rather than arrestand the work of a “feral underclass”, ing the offenders and exercising while academics have emphasised the power of the State. The law has the need to consider the context to the riots in order to understand been constructed to deter wrongthem. Dr Nina Power, senior lecturer doers, but youths of today are not at Roehampton University, said in frightened. Many have ‘nothing to a Guardian article (8 August 2011) lose’ in most cases, as 75% of those that “decades of individualism, arrested already had criminal recompetition and state-encouraged cords. selfishness” have left us in a situation The Police are there to where social mobility is worse than enforce the law, but instead are lain any other developed country. belled as ‘inhumane’ when merely

I had to go home to make sure my family weren’t on fire.

They weren’t - Sheh, 3rd Year English & Creative Writing comment@theorbital.co.uk

protecting the public from violence. Some argued the army was available, but the fact that the State owns water cannons and rubber bullets would have sufficed in this situation. Yet this was discouraged as a result of an ever changing opinion within the public. The public and its media will call for the Police’s heads when the rioting is not stopped swiftly, and yet will become outraged if the force is deemed excessive. So not to displease the public eye: the official orders? ‘Stand and observe’. Instead of uncertainty, the Police should be allowed to do the job they were trained to do in violent protests or riots, and not just have to rely on CCTV. Then, we can take the time to address, understand and solve issues with social conditions when the innocent public is not in danger. Simple.

Various punishments have been discussed and, while we should avoid kneejerk responses, those on benefits and guilty of looting should have, at the very least, payments cut and assigned community service. Otherwise, biting the hand that feeds you becomes something you can Allow the Police get away with. Social condito do the job tions are something that can they were be dealt with through protesting, but this turned into trained to do, mindless rioting of opporthen tackle the tunists, destroying the livliissues with social hoods of those around them. conditions Aggravating another domino effect should be avoided, definitely. But we should stop dead violent protesting and punish where necassary, to avoid looking like a weak and lawless nation. l

O

Go to theorbital.co.uk to share your opinions and watch out for our forthcoming debate forum

It was horrible seeing the Reeves’ Furniture store burnt down...

I used to pass it everyday at home but now it’s just a burnt-out shell, really sad - Abier, 3rd Year Criminolgy & Sociology 13

orbiTALK!

Fear of Faith?

Are we too dismissive of faith perspectives in debate and our daily lives? Sikh Society President, Singh, tells us why faith should be considered if we are to keep our minds open.

A

s President of Sikh Society, I come across a variety of people, experiences and issues. Just one concern that many people refer to is what I call a ‘Fear of Faith’. The Fear of Faith is the reaction people have as soon as they hear that something being said to them or shown to them is in some way attached to organised religion.

More often than not, the response is to become disinterested and dismiss the information being given to them. This distancing from religion has been highlighted in studies, and is something I and other members of Sikh society committee have to overcome in order to get people involved with our events. We do it by attempting to change people’s perception of spiritual thinking: as a Sikh I choose to view Sikhism not as a religion but as a way of life, which itself involves things that most people do every day without even realising.

The recent overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi has

“The Fear of Faith is the reaction people have as soon as they hear that something being said or shown to them is in some way attached to organised religion”

brought forward questions about human rights in Libya, such as the expulsion of Jews and policies on religious diversity, and political questions about the road forward. But what do human rights and politics have to do with religion? This is one of the questions we have been asking ourselves in Sikh society. Sikhism is not a weekend hobby; it is a way of life that offers personal, societal and ethical guidance, therefore encompassing all aspects of human interaction.

Aside from the big questions in current affairs, the events we organise also attempt to look at everyday things from a Sikh perspective.

The Sikh Gurus strongly Ek onkar - one being encouraged things like physical activity (including sports like kabaddi and wrestling), healthy eating, finding good jobs, having a good social life, volunteering, charity work, things that most people try to do most of the time! It is my understanding that the form of worship the Sikh Gurus taught was a service to humanity and all living beings.

You do not have to be religious or even believe in a supreme entity to lead a good life, and that’s what we incorporate into our events, discussions and ideas. The Fear of Faith has hindered us from keeping an open mind and finding new solutions to universal problems.

For more than a faith society, be sure to watch out for Sikh Soc’s fresher’s fayre stall and forthcoming events.

Note from the section editor: This is the new societies comment section; giving one society each edition the chance to comment on an issue which has been a topic of discussion within the group. We give you the space, you choose the topic; whether a local, national or international issue, this is an opportunity for societies to give the rest of campus an idea of what their hot topics are and for students to get an insight into a new society every edition!

14

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

Your Letters

o

Don’t sever the ties with Classics Christopher Hobbs feels breaking up the Classics & Philosophy department will impact upon Royal Holloway’s reputation.

A tie seems to be quite a pointless garment. It neither set of scales: with profitable yet less academically respected keeps us warm nor does it hold up our trousers. They are departments on the one side and less profitable though a nuisance to tie and irritating to wear. Yet, if a politician more highly respected disciplines on the other. Both sides or a businessman wants to be taken seriously, he wears a tie. of the balance benefit each other. The former provides Obama wears a tie. Mickey Mouse does not. Likewise, any more money while the latter provides credibility. Put College that wants to be taken seriously, as research intensive, simply, without the credibility of Classics, the perceived value of degrees issued by the profitable departments must maintain a Classics department.

Royal Holloway must retain its Classics department. would fall and they would find it more difficult to attract Nationally it is ranked in the top ten, in the 2011 Guardian students. Soon they would become less profitable themselves. league table its value added score was the best in It is on these grounds that I defend Classics. the country; essentially this means its teaching Without the I am not a classicist, nor do I blindly oppose quality was best. Surely Classics should be budget cuts. Quite reasonably, the College is congratulated not annihilated? All top ten credibility of trying to find a solution to its loss of income. departments raise the overall reputation of the Classics, the College and, more selfishly, the standing of all of perceived value For the reasons outlined, however, closing Classics would be the wrong solution: a our degrees, ultimately helping us all to secure of degrees issued by the travesty in fact. good careers.

In this way, I ask that the College reconsider Classics has supposedly been targeted because profitable its changes to Classics. After all, it is the mark its finances are weak. This exposes a conflict departments on an educated mind to be able to entertain a between the relative merits of financial and would fall. thought without accepting it. academic performance. Holloway is a precarious

Are Students really at the ‘Heart of the System?’

Craig Gent explains the decision to disrupt the Universities UK annual conference.

The Government’s Higher Education white paper is titled, ‘Students at the Heart of the System’. While it ignores a whole wave of student protests and occupations against the raising of tuition fees and cuts to teaching grants, the ministers behind the paper still have enough pomp left over to claim they are upholding some degree of accountability to students while pushing through irreversible reforms to our higher education.

Likewise Vice-Chancellors and Principals across the country have been just as culpable in sacking staff and ignoring students by their failure to represent their students’ opposition to fees and cuts and engage students in the crucial decision making processes.

Universities UK is the representative body of all the UK’s universities. It provides advice and consultation to the Government on policy and legislation, and provides guidance to universities for adjusting to Government reforms. All of this is carried out without the consultation or involvement of students.

“It’s not our place,” critics may say, but let me ask you this: whose university is it? Students are the lifeblood of the university; we fund it, we achieve for it, yet we are comment@theorbital.co.uk

underepresented at every level. Vice-Chancellors tell us they don’t want the cuts either; then why aren’t they working with us rather than capitulating at every turn?

The HE white paper sets out a clear charter for privatization, meaning the introduction of forprofit providers; multinational businesses cashing in on education to line their pockets. The proposals outlined will see struggling universities either go to the wall or be bought out and run as profit ventures; this has just been seen at Leeds College of Music. These reforms attack the very notion of the public university and all it stands for, and worse still, they are irreversible. We simply cannot overstate the importance and gravity of the situation we are facing.

If students aren’t engaged directly in such crucial discussions and decisions, then we may as well be nothing but consumers, coming to university to buy a degree ‘offthe-shelf ’. It’s important for Vice-Chancellors to hear us and act accordingly on these matters, which is why I for one wouldn’t hesitate in disrupting a conference if it means they have to listen for an hour.

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o s r a l u g e

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18

22

page

page

Meet your Sabbs: Find out a bit more about the people representing you for the coming year!

33

page

Welcome to ‘Hollogay’!

What is it like to be gay or come out at Holloway?

26

The Science of being drunk: Chris Pull investigates what your nights out do to your body...

16

4Columns 4Have you met...4Literary 4Photo 4Science 4Bar Blog

page

Editor: Shannon Mizzi regulars@theorbital.co.uk

sabbcolumn 4VP ComCam, Sarah Honeycombe gives us the down-low.

KAPOW! Rule One: grab the reader’s attention.

Has it worked? No? Ah, well. Stick with me anyway - I promise it will be worth your while.

It’s an odd thing, starting something new. Be it a new column or a new year at Royal Holloway, it’s difficult to know where to start. I should know, this is the start of my fourth year at Holloway and brings me somewhere in the region of writing one hundred terrible introductions like the one above for articles published on this campus.

Now I have faked my way through the introduction to the Sabbatical column, I can properly get started.

4We follow Tom Watts in his life after Holloway...

H

ere it is then, my inaugural draft of the graduate column that I’ve somehow coerced from The Orbital. I’ll be keeping the readers (damn students) grounded by writing about the pitfalls of life outside of university – a world of bills, tax, jobs and Sauron.

First things first though, I should give you some background on myself: the man behind the curtain, the proverbial puppet ma*ster behind this column. Well, my name is Tom Watts, and yes my mail is delivered to Mr T. Watts. I graduated with a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing in July 2011 while also being heavily involved in both Insanity Radio and The Orbital during my time at Holloway. Now, while pursuing a career in the radio industry, the unfortunate Stockholm syndrome-esque affinity I have with the university is too strong to let me depart from Egham. The result: I’m stuck here another year.

Introductions aside (well, mine at least... I can’t possibly know who you are, but as long as you have a working pair of eyes we’ll get along just fine), the column is probably

My name is Sarah Honeycombe and I’m the Vice President (Communications and Campaigns) this year for the Students’ Union. I’m sticking around for a fourth year at Royal Holloway to run our campaigns, our environmental pursuits, our communications and our student media - including this very magazine.

Over the next year I’ll be using this column to keep you up-to-date with the goings-on at your Students’ Union - from Market Days to Blowout and from One World Week to Stressbusters, this will be your one-stop column for everything you need to know about your Students’ Union. Well. Perhaps not everything. The sheer amount of

Tom Watts

expected to degrade into some kind of self parody wherein I become an English Van Wilder as I record myself mentally collapsing.

However, I’ve promised myself I’ll avoid all that razzmatazz. Well, at first anyway (watch out for me in Fresher’s week...). Instead, I’ve been kept busy making a radio presenting show reel and now, after listening to 7 straight hours of my own voice, not only do I know how Schrodinger’s cat felt cooped up in that box, but I also have a solid 4-minute show reel to send off to radio stations. I’ll let you know how that turns out in the next issue’s column encouragingly entitled ‘How to Deal With Rejection’.

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

Student Abroad

o

Student Abroad 4Find out what Dan Costen’s getting up to in Germany...

excellent content that needs squeezing within these pages means I can only give you the edited highlights, but excellent highlights they will be.

Much like this column, your year at Holloway should be starting off with a BANG! The newly-revamped SU have got Freshers’ Week packed with hundreds of things to keep you busy, so head down to our new building or our new website (www.su.rhul.ac.uk) to find out where to head and when!

As a graduate, if I can offer you one piece of advice: play hard, work harder, but most of all, have fun. Much like the space allowance for this column, you’ll soon find your time at university is much too shor-....

Our website is back with a fresh new look.

Go to

M

y name is Dan Costen, and I study European Studies, which includes EU politics, History and German.

I hope this column will provide 1st and 2nd year language students, and particularly German students, with some idea of what it’s going to be like to spend a whole year abroad, and as a language assistant (for 6 months, at least).

In October I am heading to Cologne for training before I start my placement as an English teaching assistant in Mittweida near Chemnitz and Leipzig (in the former East Germany). I chose the British Council Assistantship primarily because I wanted a bit of time out from studying.

I also wanted to experience teaching, although I doubt it is something I will go into, and, finally, because of how well it’s paid and the opportunities available (working 12 hours a week leaves a lot of time to go travelling!).

The Schuldirektor has so far been very helpful and accommodating and answered my e mails promptly.

He has liaised with myself and a local estate agent to make sure I get the best deal for the time period I want at a good price.

The British Council have sent a wealth of information that I’ve been reading through - it’s very encouraging to know there’s so much to help guide us, but even more helpful is the fact that there are Facebook groups (of course!) for this year’s language assistants to ask questions and to offer each other advice. There are also former assistants who give very useful tips and suggestions of things to take, such as teaching material.

I look forward to being able to pass on more details of what exactly a language assistant does in the classroom in my next article!

Dan Costen

O

Check out theobital.co.uk for more updates!

theorbital.co.uk

to check it out!

Photo: Asmythie (Flickr) regulars@theorbital.co.uk

17

REGULARS

Have you met...

Your Sabbs Shannon Mizzi catches up with this year’s Sabbatical Officers...

4We interview the newly

elected Sabbatical Officers and ask them what their plans are for the year...

What upcoming campaign is most important to you?

JW: We have to pick one? Wow... That’s like picking a favourite child.

SH: I don’t have one favourite campaign, ‘cause it’s my job to run campaigns. I’m really looking forward to One World week because it’s our first week, so that’s the litmus test for all of them!

KB: I’m very much looking forward to SHAG Week, ‘cause we’ve got lots of really exciting new ideas for it, and One World week. I love the internationals!

JW: I’m most looking forward to our Mental Health campaign. I think it’s something very much undervalued and under-represented, plus it wasn’t given the due consideration before and this will be a really good first step in making that happen. That’s obviously not forgetting all the sports that we’re doing…

Read more of this interview online:

www.theorbital.co.uk 18

What are you looking to change throughout the course of this year?

SH: I want Insanity’s FM licence massively, having previously been one of the station managers, and I’m delighted that The Orbital is back on a regular publishing schedule! The fact I didn’t have to ask, as they managed to sort that themselves on the new board, was a lovely bit of news.

The other things I’d like to change are the proposals about the Classics Department, Computer Sciences Department, Modern Languages Department, among others.

Perceptions of mental health on campus…

There’s a fair few big things, but also a cash point at Kingswood. That issue’s been going on for almost 5 years.

KB: One of the big things I want to get changed is exam timetabling; so many people are forced to deal with mental stresses far exceeding their limit as a result of crammed exams. It’s not really fair is it?

And I want the college to be more aware of that. I’m also looking to change people’s perceptions about mental health and sexual health. I’m a big advocator for safe sex, so I really want to drum that into people.

JW: Well, sport at the university is mainly competition-based, so a recreational ‘Be Active’ programme is being developed. The idea is that you don’t have to be part of a team to play sports here at Holloway.

Why should incoming students get involved in the SU? SH: It made my degree, because it’s a totally different experience. There’s no other time in your life that you will be able to say, right: I’m presenting a radio show, I’m writing for a magazine, I’m on the lacrosse team, and I’m raising money for charity. You’ll never have the time or the resources to do that again. The opportunities are incredible for anyone who wants to take them, and the thing is, anyone can take them.

JW: The SU is the hub of student life on campus. You meet so many people, especially in sports & societies and media; you’ll make great friends and get all the help you’ll ever need through welfare.

KB: People need to realise the SU is a lot more than just a bar for nights out.

All clubs, societies and media are situated there and organised through the SU. JW: And everyone has a chance to have their voice heard in our General Meetings, which everyone should be attending! If there’s something you don’t like about the SU, you CAN change it.

SH: We’re here to protect students, so we campaign for them. People complain about the lack of a cash point at Kingswood: we’re the people who push for it to happen.

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

o

Have You Met...

M Onl ore ine!

Photo: Julian Farmer

Check out the Sabb officer blogs @ www.su.rhul.ac.uk.

KB: What’s that John Major quote? The three scariest things in Britain are…

SH: Traffic cones…

KB: …Benefit cheats and students’ unions.

SH: John Major thought that they [student’s unions] were really dangerous, and he’s right! We’re dangerous to people who don’t put their students first, and college should.

How do you plan to get more students involved in the Union?

For example, General Meeting attendance was low last year...

SH: Attendance was atrocious.

JW: The main thing we’re trying to do is make it more appealing; push the fact that this is the students’ chance to have a say in how their SU is run. Everything discussed in General Meetings is considered and taken back by us four (with President, Dan Cooper) before being given to sub-committees, or to the College.

Everything is acted upon. It’s just the case of making it a bit more fun. Some parts are bound to be slightly dry. That’s the regulars@theorbital.co.uk

From left to right: Jake Wells (Vice President Student Activities) - studied Politics with Philosophy; Sarah Honeycombe (Vice President Communications & Campaigns) - studied History; Dan Cooper (Students’ Union President) - studied Management with Politics; Katie Blow (Vice President Education and Welfare) - studied Psychology. nature of politics unfortunately and that’s what this is: student politics. But the bar is open so go grab a beer and even order some pizza in.

SH: We’re also looking to make it more relevant. I mean, there are things that we have to do, like update the Constitution.

I want to go through it, because there’s a few out of date sections: some of the positions don’t exist anymore, for example.

I have to put that through a General Meeting ... but there’s no reason why that should take half an hour. It should take five minutes. If that takes longer in the General Meeting, then we’re doing something wrong.

If you could be someone else from RHUL for the day, who would it be?

SH: I’d kill to be a History Fresher again. I had so much fun, and I think I would do exactly the same: sign-up to everything going, start presenting for Insanity, and start writing for The Orbital.

Nothing beats being a student, there’s nothing better.

KB: (Laughter) I would love to be Sarah

Tattem for the day. She’s in charge of halls and campus entertainment, so she does all the stuff with Residential Support Assistants, halls and Coffee and Cake free days in the Hub! JW: I’d love to be a Fresher again, but realise the opportunities in the SU earlier. I only got involved in my second and third year, so instead I’d make sure I grabbed the chances more. It’s the best time of your life, quite frankly.

Song of choice for the first SU night?

KB: At the moment, I’m absolutely loving Calvin Harris, Feel So Close.

JW: David Guetta, ‘Sweat.’

SH: ‘Mr. Brightside’ by The Killers...or a bit more modern would be ‘Little Bad Girl’ Taio Cruz & Ludacris, or ‘Changed the Way You Kiss Me’ from Example.

KB: Or an 80’s power ballad! (Sings) ‘Turn around bright eyes…’ [Bonnie Tyler’s ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’]. That would be so good!

19

REGULARS

You know you go to . .. n e h w y a w o ll o H l a Roy You resort to whoring yourself out to some Psychology student for experimentation, followed by blowing that hard-earned cash

Papa G’s becomes a second

on a £4.50 double vodka red bull at the SU.

father to you

Sapphire Rossdale

Faisal Kahn

Egham provides amusing verbal abuse from chavs that come up to your waist The Domino’s ‘Two for Tuesday’

Claire West

deal isn’t just for Tuesday Nikesh Rathod

Passing at least one Lamborghini or Ferrari Photo: Michael Clarke

a day is standard Billy Coker

You tell people the name of your university and they immediately think you’re in prison Lucy Allman

You live every day with fear of the Chamber of Secrets being re-opened Katie Blow

20

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

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ARD... ver den ILSON HE CONOR W the Ho i brary i L d r o f locaus ed “Bed a hot t t, he ju s u j sympa s i st thized t area n e l i s ion” s n with H e t l a xu itler” bed of se regulars@theorbital.co.uk

D GLAN VIR

21

REGULARS

Welcome

Photo: Cariad Eccleston

to

“Coming to RoHo was the perfect opportunity to come out and leave my straight identity behind me. You realise just how much more mature students at uni are, and everyone has been completely accepting.”

Ash, Third Year

‘Hollogay’

4Chris Pull writes about life at University for LGBT students...

F

or any student, going to University is a chance to start afresh.

This is especially true in the case of LGBT students, as university is the perfect environment to explore your sexuality and meet like-minded people. Many people choose to start their university life out and proud, myself included. Having only told a handful of friends previously, I felt it was time I shook off the shackles of secondary school stigmatism, and be known as gay from the word go. For others, it takes a while longer. There is no right or wrong way, and everyone’s

story is different. However, we want Freshers to know that Holloway is an extremely liberal-minded university, that it has a thriving LGBT community, and whether or not you’re tucked away in the closet, or an out and out Diva, the next three years are going to be the best of your life- and all the better for being who you truly are.

One of the major differences between school and university is that you are not alone.

Often, LGBT students come from small towns, or even countries where homosexuality is a crime, and so feel

they literally were the only gay in the village. Holloway, however, is known for being a particularly gay university. This is not actually true, but the uni’s small size and campus structure means bumping into another gay is much more likely. To make things even easier, there is a long-running LGBT society, which organises regular socials. These range from simple coffee meets and cinema nights, to nights out on London’s gay scene. The society offers a safe environment to be openly gay and provides support and advice on all LGBT issues.

Ph o

“I was quite scared to come out at uni, particularly as I am Muslim. However, I eventually came out at the end of my 1st year, and found that I had nothing to be scared of. Everyone was very supportive. I think coming out at uni was one of the biggest decisions of my life, but I don’t regret it.”

Maz, Alumni Student

to :

An d

“Holloway is a great place to be gay. Everyone’s finding their feet and forming new friendships, amongst a massive range of people. if there’s any idiot who has a problem, then you needn’t bother with them. As far as tips go, just be yourself, be confident and know that there’s always someone to go to.”

Doug, Third Year “I came out to my friends at the end of my first year at RHUL but was too afraid to join the society. At the beginning of second year a couple of members urged me to visit a social with them. Everyone was so accepting, and I finally felt like I belonged. After three years I made a lot of friends. Get ready for some of the best years of your life!”

Peter, Alumni Student

www.facebook.com/groups/rhullgbt Holloway’s LGBT Soc. FB group - don’t worry, it’s private!

22

www.rhul.ac.uk/forstudents/support/ counselling/ RHUL’s Student Support

www.su.rhul.ac.uk/support The SU’s Student Advice and Support Centre (ASC) THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

yC ha

pm

an

Bar Blog

o

Danny, the bars manager, writes about the recent refurbishments that have been going on at the Students’ Union...

Bar Blog

Photo: Julian Farmer

W

ell, well, well ... the refurbishment of the entire SU main building is well in hand. I was luckily enough to sneak in with my hard hat and high Vis for a cheeky peek during the summer and it looks great; everything has been improved. I could start telling you everything bit by bit, but I think you will need to see for yourselves….. so get down there now!

At the same time, Medicine and The Stumble Inn have not been stood still over the summer. Of course, if the SU have the money lavished on it akin to a ‘Manchester City’ then we are maybe a ‘Fulham’, but a few good buys nonetheless to steady the ship.

New for 2011 are Thirsty Thursdays, hopefully something to be seen as a little bit different! Watch out for the monthly LGF events, standing for Late, Great and Free! Also in October, Antidote is to celebrate its 4th Birthday and so will be spruced up with a bit more time and attention , ensuring your favorite Saturday night remains top quality. We have some great

promotions and giveaways lined up. I’m really looking forward to Movember!

Also coming to Medicine this year is food!

Glorious food! We will be selling hot food daily from the deli bar including pizzas, jacket potatoes and a great range of Pan-Asian cuisines. There will be a free taster session during Fresher’s week: who can turn down free food?! I can’t wait for the big football games, as we can all kick back to watch the match on our new HD projector while tucking into some hot and spicy wings, accompanied by a pint of Grolsch or even Tuborg, both new this year.

For the sophisticated ones amongst you, we are also breaking out a whole new cocktail menu: some classics, some modern introductions and a few shooters and bombs! Tasty! A professional mixologist is training our staff so definitely something fun to try out.

Add in a new dartboard, classic board games and a few other bits and pieces and, hopefully, you will find us an even more enjoyable place to spend your hard earned leisure time. Danny Taylor

WE AT INSANITY RADIO NEED YOU! PRESENTERS, PRODUCERS, TEAM MEMBERS AND AUDIO ENGINEERS : ALL ARE WELCOME AT ROYAL HOLLOWAY‘S OWN RADIO STATION . BE A PART OF SOMETHING BIG THIS YEAR.

WWW.INSANITYRADIO.COM 1287AM

regulars@theorbital.co.uk

23

IN YOUR

VI EW

“King of Cape Town” Edward Noon “I climbed Table Mountain early one morning at the end of August with a guy from Germany. The view of the city bowl, the bay and Robben Island from the top of the mountain was sublime: the perfect way to end a 7 week long adventure in South Africa.”

Please send in any photo submissions you have to regulars@theorbital.co.uk with the subject line as “In Your View”.

REGULARS

the science of...

BEING DRU Starting his quest to reveal the nitty gritty behind everyday activities, our resident scientist, Chris Pull, considers an average student’s Friday night...

A

lcohol is bad. You know it, I know it. Yet, I can guarantee that at some point this year you will drink so much alcohol that you’ll either vomit, get chucked out of Medicine or lose your shoes. If you drank as much as me when I finished exams last year, then perhaps you’ll do all three in the same night. As many of you reading will be Freshers, eager to hit the Students’ Union and sample the various poisons on offer, I thought it would be interesting to look at just what is going on inside you when you drink. Indeed, even the most experienced alcoholic, that can party on ‘til 4am, consume enough Jaeger Bombs to kill a horse and yet still make their 9am lecture (albeit, still coated in rave paint and shaking uncontrollably), will probably enjoy reading just what sort of damage they are doing to themselves.

Pre- Drinks

The Walk to the Union

You’re all dressed up and ready to go. You’ve got your Tesco Value Vodka, or if you’re really dirty, a 1.5l bottle of Lambrini. The first drink you have is quickly absorbed through the gut lining, taking about 90 seconds until it reaches the brain and gives you that first little buzz.

On your way there, it suddenly becomes a good idea to start singing the Lion King theme music, or to have a photo on top of a salt bin. The alcohol levels in your blood are above the weekly recommended limit, probably for the 3rd consecutive night. Your brain’s frontal lobe is concerned with controlling your inhibitions and decision making, also increases confidence, which is why you’ve now progressed to singing Tina Turner. Loudly. The frontal lobe will be saturated all night, resulting in many of the “Oh god, why did I do that?!” moments that are cringed over the next day.

A few drinks on, and the effects of the alcohol are noticeable. Your vision becomes foggy, and you become very chatty-happy. Alcohol first affects the central nervous system, which controls many things, such as your senses and movement. The information flow from your environment reaching your CNS and the resulting reaction is dramatically reduced in speed.

“... consume enough Jaeger Bombs to kill a horse ... yet still make their 9am lecture...”

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Inside the Union, buying another drink (as if you need it!)

Also affected is your cerebellum, which controls balance- hence why you’re spilling most of the alcohol you just spent 20 minutes queuing

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

Science

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Photo: Kevin Briody

UNK

Photo: Kevin Briody

for. Something that inevitably comes with drinking a lot, is a full bladder. If you’re female, this is a brilliant time to finally see what it is like in the boys’ loos (Thanks, frontal lobe!) and the queue is invariably shorter. If you’re male, then this is a good time to possibly urinate a bit on yourself (thanks, cerebellum!).

Alcohol is a diuretic, a chemical that stops the production of the vasopressin hormone that usually controls how much water the kidneys absorb back. Without it, liquids pass straight through into the bladder, making you need to go to the toilet a lot, and leading to dehydration.

Dancing your arse off to Ke$ha!

Your brain has no idea what it is doing anymore, and the limbric system is being messed with. This part of your noggin controls emotions and can result in you being very happy, or crying your eyes out because the person you fancy didn’t see you making terrifyingly un-sexy eyes at them.

“Hi mate, can I ordur, the begast pitza thats yoo got?!”

Drinking obscene amounts of alcohol whilst already dehydrated will increase insulin production, which breaks down regulars@theorbital.co.uk

the excess glucose in the bloodstream.

By the time you get home, low sugarlevels will leave you craving carbs, which equates, in student terms, to pizza. M&S is open 24 hours and is always busiest between 3-5am.

The next day...

Of course, there is the dreaded hangover. Your liver has been breaking down the alcohol in your system since you started drinking and is continuing to do so. It needs water to do this, but due to being dehydrated, it has to steal water from other organs, like the brain.

This shrinks your brain, causing it to tug on the membrane that secures it in your head, leading to a cracking headache. Dehydration affects the balance of ions in the blood, which causes dizziness, insatiable thirst, weakness and the shakes. In breaking down the alcohol, by-products, like acetaldehyde, are produced that are toxic to the liver, brain and stomach, causing the nausea and possible vomiting. Your body produces enzymes which will breakdown the by-products, but they can only work so fast, hence why you can be hung over for the entire day after drinking. You’ll also feel incredibly tired, despite having slept so well on the kitchen floor. This is due to

alcohol preventing the production of glutamine, an amino acid that acts as a stimulant- when you stop drinking and pass out, your body starts overproducing it make up for the deficit, and this stops you from falling into the necessary deep sleep.

Conclusion...

So there you have it. As I said at the beginning, alcohol is bad. Long term effects include liver disease, pancreatic cancer, premature ageing and a particularly heavy night could see you landed with alcohol poisoning and a trip to hospital. I am not one to be warning you off alcohol; In fact you might even catch me making vomcanoes in a bush on Egham Hill!

However, spare a thought for your poor organs and try not to go completely mental this Freshers’ week. Ensure you eat properly before you go out and drink plenty of water when you get in.

Avoid taking things like paracetamol the next day, if you can, as that creates more work for your liver. Pop on some Jeremy Kyle, eat the leftover pizza and try to remember the names of the people you shouldn’t have got with the night before, so you can stalk them on Facebook.

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REGULARS Photo: Exquisitor (Flickr)

RHUL RESEARCH It’s always nice to know what is happening within our very own campus walls. As a leading research institution, we feel it is only right to showcase a selection of the most recent research.

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icholas Allen, senior Politics lecturer at Royal Holloway, and Politics reader Sarah Birch from Essex University proposed, in a recent study based on opinion polls and focusgroup discussions, that ‘lack of trust in politicians’ was the leading factor behind the riots which took place in August, as well as ‘poverty and lax moral values.’

Though those on the left and right of the political spectrum blame each other for the riots, this new study claims that the public views politicians as ‘a class apart’, with their own set of rules. It also states that punishments like taking away benefits, mostly supported by the Tories, will only ‘further alienate some sections of society from the public realm’ and ‘serve to compound the problem of public disorder rather than addressing it.’

The study also apparently found that people earning under £10,000 a year were more willing than others to break the law.

Of all those studied, when asked if they should obey the law even if it goes against what they believe is right, 13% said ‘no’, 4% said ‘don’t know’ and 83% said ‘yes’.

Ms. Birch stated, “Though it would be an over-simplification to say that lack of confidence in the political system caused the riots, the evidence we’ve examined suggests that there is something about the function of the political system and the behaviour of politicians that makes a significant minority of people potentially available for participation in acts of mass illegality. If politicians want to provide moral leadership, they need to do so through their deeds as well as their words.”

The full report is available at: essex.ac.uk/government/ethicsandintegrity

Geography - ICT4D Three Geography graduates have just embarked on a 6-week stint in Kenya, researching ICTs for Development (ICT4D), a field in which Royal Holloway is among the world’s best.

Ben Parfitt, Olly Parsons and Jamie Gregory received funding from the ICT4D Collective which unites RHUL departments to empower marginalised communities in the developing world through the use of ICTs. The graduates were also kindly supported by the RGS (Royal Geographical Society) The project assessed the potential of community mapping in the small town of Ugunja, western Kenya. Team leader, Olly Parsons, explains: “we are working with a local team to raise the profile of mapping technologies in advocating the needs of the poor.”

“If a community can map their own space, then it opens up a whole world of possibilities. The ultimate aim is to make decision makers aware of local issues and to convince them this is a community worth investing in.” Ben Parfitt To see what the team got up to visit www.ugunja.wordpress.com

Photo: Ben Tilley

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Photo: Emily Devine

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

Union Watch

UNION WATCH:

SUMMER BLOW OUT

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Film

“Sun, sea, sex, sand, booze, sex, minge, fanny...

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Editor: Rana Banna reviews@theorbital.co.uk

Photo: heyuguys.co.uk

...and tits and booze and sex.”

µFilm Review The Inbetweeners Movie

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Theatre: A National Theatre production “not for the faint hearted.”

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Book Reviews: Get inspired this term with one of these must-read novels.

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Write for us: All you have to do is get in contact and pitch an idea, or even come along to one of our regular writers’ meetings

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4Film & TV 4Music 4Theatre & Arts 4Literary

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The incredible success seen with E4’s 2008 launch of The Inbetweeners came to its dreaded end this year. So, it seemed only fitting that Will, Simon, Jay and Neil could embark on one last adventure: a two-week lad’s holiday in Malia, for “sun, sea, sex, sand, booze, sex, minge, fanny, and tits and booze and sex.” So, cue the terrible hotels, drunken mishaps, ant’s nests and OAPs. Dubbed the British ‘American Pie’, writers Iain Morris and Damon Beesley were able to create a fresh storyline while still flowing from the TV series, feeling just like an extended episode.

As the boys perform their bizarre dance rituals to gain female attention, the path from small to silver screen was

not always predicted to be quite so impressive, as many have failed before. But our fears weren’t necessary, as it delivers the perfect summer movie and grand finale for all its fans.

While not sharing the emotional depth of other Brit comedies, such as the explosive ‘Four Lions’, it can’t be denied that the audience feels pure desperation for the boys to get what they want - after all, they’ve been through enough to deserve it! The touching ending bids a hilarious farewell to one of the greatest comedies of British TV in years.

Just make sure of one thing. Under no circumstances should you watch this film with your parents in the room. If you’re in that close a relationship, there may be something wrong. Sapphire-Violet Rossdale

µFilm Review Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 There is something special about the concept of a magical, hidden platform at King’s Cross – it can appeal to the child in all of us. Now, that was over 10 years ago and, since then, Harry Potter has transformed; this final chapter of the journey is worlds apart from the first and sends us on a much more emotional plotline.

As the characters grew, so too did the narrative. The novelty factor of a parallel world of wizards needed to mature. Much like the jump from childhood to adulthood, the plot thickened from innocent, wide-eyed wonder to epic, bitter struggles, as ‘Deathly Hallows, Part 2’ replaces

the charm of Harry’s earlier adventures with a sense of genuine peril. The result?

Hogwarts, once a place of wonder, now feels like a mausoleum. Dark and raw, this is a surprisingly mature and powerful film.

Despite transcending the series’ roots in children’s fiction, this is the perfect finale. Emotionally, there is a sense of resolution which the characters deserve, perfectly balanced between despair and hope. But where has this left the fans, particularly those who grew up to Harry Potter? Some will grieve its ending. Others will feel gratitude, thankful for the magic it provided to our generation’s childhood. Ced Yuen THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

Music

Lizzyspit: Up and coming Photo: Callum Saunders

If you haven’t heard of Lizzyspit yet, it’s only a matter of time before you do. The singer/song writer from Clapham has been hailed as “an enchanting singersongstress” and her music has been played

by Steve Lemacq on BBC Radio 2. Not bad for someone who recorded her first album with egg box trays in her bedroom eh?

With sultry vocals, soft melodies and quirky, catchy songs that will have you humming all day, Lizzyspit is undoubtedly one to watch.

Her latest EP, I’m alive you know, is causing quite a stir on the London music scene. Miss Spit has supported the Mystery Jets and performed at the Camden

Roundhouse and Proud Galleries.

Her latest EP was recorded at the iconic London venue, The Troubadour and features beautiful tracks such as ‘Only a Matter of Time’ and ‘Stars in the Water’ which both show off her haunting and refreshing sound.

The lady herself proclaims that her sound is a far cry from the commercially produced music that dominates the charts today.

Happy days!

So, it seems only fair that this local girl should get the support she deserves from us University of London lot. Put in your earphones, press play and appreciate the newfolk sounds of Lizzyspit. Imogen Nation

µAlbum Review Nero: Welcome Reality

Hans Zimmer, J.J Abrams, Nero?

It’s arrived…no, not that movie you just ordered, although you may be forgiven in mistaking its contents for that of a Hollywood blockbuster. In fact, it’s one of the most anticipated albums of the summer by far: Nero’s Welcome Reality.

Having set our 2011 Summer Ball alight, the electronic duo, AKA Daniel Stephens and Joe Ray, have finally unveiled their debut album under dubstep champions Chase reviews@theorbital.co.uk

and Status’ label ‘MTA Records’. U nfortunately, their influence seems little and the bold debut falls short of the dubsteppers delight many of us envisaged. What has been delivered can only be described as a collection of sophisticated, atmospheric and rather impressive movie soundtracks, allowing the heavy Daft Punk-esque undertones and brass fanfares to make for a far darker, foreboding and electronic sound.

Synthesiser ridden tracks ‘2080’, ‘In the Way’ and ‘My Eyes’ seem a far cry from the 2010 Beatport dubstep track of the year ‘Act Like You Know’. However, the album’s saving grace lies in the breath taking vocals of Alana Watson. Although not identified as a member of the act, she provides most of the vocals on the album, forming a sumptuous backdrop for the chart successes in ‘Guilt’, ‘Me and You’ and more significantly former number one ‘Promises’.

Very much a token of a successful dubstep assault on the charts, and an impressive electronic debut that will surely feature in many of this year’s SU nights. But, if you’re expecting an album brimming with regular doses of disgusting and deadly drops, you may be left craving more.

Faisal Khan

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Playlist #2 µSongs that will define your Fresher’s Week 2011 You Need Me, I Don’t Need You Ed Sheeran Delilah Go Masterchef Synesthesia Swede Mason Down With The Trumpets Rizzle Kicks Do You Really Like it?

DJ Pied Piper Countdown Beyonce Give me Everything Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nater Crush On You Nero Under The Influence Example Party All Night (Sleep All Day) Sean Kingston Who’s Laughing Now Jessie J Lick Ya Down Cover Drive Moves Like Jagger Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera Pumped Up Kicks Foster the People Cheers (Drink to That) Rihanna Cinema Benny Benassi feat. Gary Go Starin’ At The Rudebois Gallows feat Lethal Bizzle Don’t Wanna Go Home Jason Derulo Swagger Jagger Cher Lloyd Wet Nicole Scherzinger

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REVIEWS

Theatre

µReview Our Editor, Rana Banna, headed to the National Theatre to review Double Feature cal complications in being a ‘Tamil-Sri Lankan cricket player playing for england’ (as she calls herself) begin to devastate her conscience. Disgusted by any associations with the aggressive Tamil Tigers, angry with her seemingly dead father for never standing up to his corrupt Tamil Tiger brother, the monologue gathers increasing momentum, as it plunges into dark and violent ideas.

Impressive effects which prompt gasps from the audience, as her powerful batting knocks over pieces of framework around the theatre.

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he student-friendly National Theatre opens up its unconventional underground venue, The Paintframe, to feature two back to back pieces of theatre by four stimulating new writers.

Double Feature 2 consists of two politically challenging productions, the first of which was Nightwatchman written

by Prasanna Puwanarajah and directed

by Polly Findlay.

Nightwatchman is an hour long mon-

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ologue performed by the enduringly energetic Stephanie Street, boisterously presenting the character of eccentric Northern, foul-mouthed cricket player Abirami. Throughout the piece Abirami is relentlessly batting cricket balls, with impressive effects which prompted gasps from the audience, as her powerful batting knocks over pieces of frame work around the theatre.

Gradually, the monologue unravels and it becomes clear that the politi-

After a 20 minute interval the audience resume their benched seating into an entirely transformed performance space, for a production of ‘There is a War’ written

by Tom Basden (2007’s Edinburgh Fringe Best Comedy Newcomer) and directed by Lyndsey Turner. This sharp, swiftly paced production tastefully complimented Basden’s witty script full of the darkest satire.

The audience experience a journey of war between ‘the blues’ and ‘the greys’ from beginning to end. Throughout the play, a well-meaning wartime doctor for the blues, Anne, struggles to find a hospital and encounters sickening corruption in the most unexpected places. One particularly disturbing scene features two old friends of Anne’s, sorting body parts of those obliterated in war. During the unsettling scene they engage in light hearted conversation, even joking about the barrels for heads and hands being badly labelled.

Phoebe Fox’s performance of Anne is ideal as our outraged female protagonist; she grows in frustration and disbelief, almost appearing naive amongst a pool of more accepting focused and robotic characters.

The production features abstract props and dialogue rich with highly amusing, dark humour. Set alongside impressively real effects of helicopters whirling in the sky, packages falling from the ceiling and ear splitting gunshots, which led to audience members clasping hands over their

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

Literary

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µBook Reviews Start of term inspirational reads ears in shock. Overall, though the production or script is perhaps not for the faint hearted, it brings a progressive, adventurous modernism to the world of satire.

The Paintframe until now has been where the theatre sets for The National were painted, a workshop-like interior of scaffolding and the odd discarded frame of a chair. The new venue is not only affordable and accessible for students in our location, but provides a quirky atmosphere for innovative styles of theatre. Keep an eye out for future events!

Coming up at The National Theatre...

The Veil 24 September - 04 October The Pitmen Painters 05 October - 10 October Collaborators 25 October - 1 November

reviews@theorbital.co.uk

Little Gods Anna Richards

“Love makes little gods of us all. It awards the power to shatter the existence of someone who, by loving, has made themselves glass.”

Eugenia Clocker, referred to as Jean, is born without love. Her mother, Wisteria, born in an age where floral names hit an all-time high, was aptly named for a “tough, twining climber” among Roses, Lilies, and Violets.

The opening words themselves give an accurate feel on the theme of the novel, and the pain of Jean’s early life due to her mother: “When Jean was born for the first time, her mother said it split her like a rail, and was done on the topic. Some mothers do not love their children, but most at least forgive them.” As punishment for putting her mother through a hard birth - due to her unnaturally large body - Jean is put through a torturous childhood, filled with neglect, and the constant reiteration that she is unnatural; useless in a world where she must conform.

Although experiencing friendship for the first time at school in the form of petite, pretty Gloria, Jean struggles through her first nineteen years of life. She simply endures; uncertain of her purpose and place in this world. The novel is a touching tale of self-discovery and aspirations, and may neatly parallel your own journey through university.

For Gloria, the hopeless romantic, it means wishing only to be loved. For Wisteria, the tough climber, it is wishing to be better than she was. Jean, our protagonist, only wishes to be useful.

Though Little Gods is Anna Richards’ first novel, it is beautifully written. The adventure experienced with Jean is a brilliantly lyrical and entirely absorbing search for identity and meaning. Hilarious at times, poignant, utterly sad, wholly gripping and startlingly inventive.

A book filled with vividly written images, Little Gods is a must-read for all self-discovering students. Mitra Manoochehri

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest Stieg Larsson

This third and final instalment of the ‘Millennium Series’ provides another addictive crime novel, featuring our unlikely heroine, Lisbeth Salander. The plot flows beautifully from its renowned prequel, ‘The Girl Who Played With Fire’, and, while some may express their criticism for its overt attention to detail and long, complicated direction, the majority will accept this as the author’s unique and captivating writing style.

As her eccentric circle of friends help her fight for freedom, each character manages to come to life throughout a series of twists.

Having left an axe in her father’s head, Lisbeth lays in a hospital bed with gun wounds, a police guard and charges with attempted murder.

Meanwhile, the Blomkvist duo prepare to publish the mother of all exposés and represent her in court, unmasking the corrupt officials who locked Lisbeth up in a psychiatric institution, aged 12.

So, will this be the satisfactory climax fans want? Despite the various loose ends left, as a result of the author’s unfortunate and untimely death, the novel raises numerous morals for the reader to relate to throughout a well-researched and complex plot. Issues such as how society chooses to treat those it doesn’t understand are raised and researched wonderfully, as well as bringing women into the storyline at recognised positions, rather than glamorous sidekicks.

The story, ultimately, doesn’t just focus on spies and government agencies. It’s about violence against women, and the men who enable it. This moral purpose sets it aside from the rest of its genre, the perfect addition to any student’s collection, feminist or not. ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest is so much more than a quick fix and a car chase, as Lisbeth’s original and intricate character allows the ‘Millennium’ Trilogy to come to a satisfactory end and become an unquestionable publishing phenomenon across the world. Alyssa Marie Puga

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Editor: Elinor Gittins lifestyle@theorbital.co.uk

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Feature: Our summer and gap year guide for those graduating and returning

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Summer Listings: Three months of listings, on campus and off

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Meat or Veg? A culinary guide the capital

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4Fashion 4Make Up 4Travel4Listings 4Food

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Trenredport The

4From Kate Haslett

Photo: Cobalt123 (Flickr)

W

hen Coco Chanel said that fashion ‘…is a charming and ephemeral creation, not an everlasting work of art’, it seems that this was said with some degree of cynicism. As the new season approaches, the relationship between fashion and art has never been more powerful. After seeing all the strictness and sobriety that dominated the Autumn/Winter shows, three words loomed large in my mind: fetishism, discipline and innocence. However, this season isn’t all about vamping it up in leather, rubber or PVC. Yes, you see, glitter, sequins, fringing and embroidery, as well as prints, prints, prints!

When Lady Gaga – the ultimate fetish poster girl – took to the catwalk for Mulger, she introduced this season’s sexiest trend. Tantalising, seductive and stylishly seamy this look is certainly not for the faint-

hearted wearer (or spectator). Look to Louis Vuitton’s fetish themed collection for inspiration and snap up your own equivalent with the studded black clogs from Urban Outfitters. Or simply embrace the subtler side of this trend with black high-waisted spray on leggings or high shine patent stilettos.

Next in line are sequins. Here, it is Valentino who reigns supreme.

Classic effortlessness done to perfection and so easy to emulate. Find similar pieces for a fraction of the price at Whistles.

Equally and inevitably in the new season, bold prints will make their mark. Miu Miu and its mother line Prada lead the way with their tongue in cheek plethora of animal prints. Check out Topshop’s line in Staines for affordable pieces in all the right colours. Hello September, I’ve missed you.

Photo: Elinor Gittins THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

The Hippie Look

Make Up

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4Fashions fade but style is eternal

Photo: Brett Morrison

For this style, bold colours must be used. In this example, there’s an extreme contrast between warm blues and vibrant yellows.

1.

First, apply a primer to the eyelids for a longlasting, intense effect. Then pat on the yellow, apply a darker colour above in the crease and blend. We decided on a bright orange and, especially with this bright palette, blending the colours is key.

*

2.

Smudge a different colour underneath the bottom lashline and finish it off with a pencil. To tone down, use black mascara and eyeliner and create a wearable look or, to stand out, use a blue/purple as the picture shows.

3.

As the eyes are a framatic part of the face, this look should be balanced with simple lipgloss and blush.

Notice that the eyebrows must always be defined. This gives structure and will help to avoid the clown-look.

4Dalia Fillipi

Pitch an idea to lifestyle@theorbital.co.uk

OR... just get in touch with us to join the mailing list from which articles will be regularly commissioned. We also have regular writers’ meetings.

lifestyle@theorbital.co.uk

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A Walk to Remember a Eleanor Gittins decided to put

T

his summer, I walked the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage across northern Spain. I put aside 33 days to walk the 774km, bought my first pair of hiking boots and filled a small backpack with two changes of clothes.

Also, I printed out the route (just so that I knew where I was going)!

The endpoint was the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela which holds the remains of the apostle St. James, Santiago in Spanish. How the remains came to be there is one of Europe’s greatest legends, but the idea is to follow the scallop, the official symbol of St. James. The discovery of this tomb was a very significant moment in European history, providing an easier opportunity for Christians to receive eternal salvation. Although the

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twist on the ar... classic Spanish holiday this ye

rewards they reaped would be great, so were the dangers. At first, the route was undefined, there was ample shelter and ongoing skirmishes. Nowadays, the useful pilgrim refuges are a common sight in every village along the way and the main dangers are blisters and muscle aches. In the past few decades, the route has become extremely popular and has, therefore, granted new energy to some of Spain’s forgotten corners.

Despite the crazy nature of the trip, there was an abudance of reasons to make it. Personally, I wasn’t walking for spiritual reasons but, ever since I heard about it, I knew it was a challenge worth overcoming. In Paulo Coelho’s The Pilgrimage, it is the pleasure of searching and the pleasure of the adventure.”

Instead of the standard tanning holiday where we sleep off a daily hangover, the idea of regular sun, fresh air and exercise appealed more to me. The trip gave me a constantly motivating sense sense of purpose. And as well as that, I got to enjoy sampling the different tapas and visiting the architectural wonders in all the villages along the way.

I think it’s important for people to realise that they can still get somewhere without a car or an aeroplane nowadays.

We forget that we are capable of adapting to every situation we face without succumbing to the standard methods of transport. Besides, after walking 774km, the thought of sitting still in a lecture hall a few hours a week feels a lot more appealing now...

s u o i r o l G , Food Food!

If you are new to the neighborhood this year, it might be good to familiarise yourself with the local pubs and restaurants. When you finally grow tired of catered food or microwave meals, there are a few alternatives.

Food

W A N T T O

Pub Grub Head to a pub for a pint and a simple, hot dinner. Monkeys Forehead (Egham Hill) has a reasonably priced menu of typical pub food as well as some other interesting choices. Don’t arrive too late though, as it tends to fill up. You don’t want to show up late on a Sunday to find they’re out of roasts!

In Englefield Green you can visit smaller, typical pubs like Armstrong Gun (Victoria Street) and Happy Man (Harvest Road) for a taste of small town Britain.

Down in Egham you can find Foresters Arms (North Street) and the less known Almamata (Station Road). All pubs will have themed nights for a bit of mealtime entertainment. You can always rely on The Crown as a popular pub chain.

Restaurant Dining Englefield green is home to a few exotic options such as Mango Chutney (St Jude’s Road ) in Englefield Green and enjoy the colourful ambiance.

With its stereotypical Italian décor, complete with the tablecloths, the posters and the waiters, Soprano’s (St Jude’s Road) serves a whole variety of pizzas and pastas.

Or if you fancy spicing things up a little then how about head to the Red Rose or Monsoon Tandoori (High Street).

The neighbourhood also has it’s fair share of Italian restaurants. New in town, Prezzo (Egham Hill) is yet another chain to open in Egham so treat yourself to a fancy meal out.

For something a little different, Egham also has its own Loch Fyne (High Street) so prepare to indulge in a delicious variety of seafood.

Finally, Bar 163 (High Street) has a whole list of different dishes and an adorable set-up: the perfect setting for an evening in Egham.

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W R I T E F O R L I F E S T Y L E ?

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A meal worth the trip...

4Tibets. London

In central London, just off Regent street, is a small vegetarian restaurant well worth the trek from Egham. Next time you’ve spent a day shopping and are looking for a nice treat to finish your day, look no further.

The concept is a bit different - centred around their food boat with more than 40 healthy dishes to choose from, customers can decorate their own plates with a bit of everything and then take it to the bar to be weighed. You can keep track of how much you eat and how much you spend as food is priced per 100g.

Dig into a three course meal; start with salads, bread and hummus, go back for a hot plate of unique dishes and finally, treat yourself to small squares of various puddings. The choices change regularly, but imagine tasty tabouleh, falafel and a whole range of chutneys, all made with fresh, seasonal ingredients.

It’s a hip scene – the decor is chic and sets the perfect mood for a date or night out with friends, plus a few cocktails. The friendly staff is always available to explain the system and keep it running smoothly. Keep an eye out for their recipe books that include the history of the original Vegetarian restaurant, Hiltl. The first of its kind in England, Tibits is closely associated with this swiss chain, the leading vegetarian restaurant in Europe.

Elinor Gittins

Pitch an idea to lifestyle@theorbital.co.uk OR... just get in touch to join the mailing list from which articles will be regularly commissioned. We also have regular writers’ meetings. lifestyle@theorbital.co.uk

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LIFESTYLE

The London International Tattoo Convention

FREE! Unless you decide to get a tattoo...

Accompanied by exhibitions, live music and performances, 200 of the World’s leading tattoo artists are coming to Tobacco Dock (Wapping) – go get that tattoo you’ve been debating or just go and check out the artists at work!

Photo: Big Cif

highlights

September-October

SAT 1 - MON 31 OCTOBER

MON 6-THUR 9 JUNE

Week #1 London Fashion Weekend, 22nd September – 25th September, Somerset House Trust Following on from the prestigious London Fashion Week, this is a must for every dedicated follower of designer clothing.

Whether you shop for one-offs or go for the pure love of fashion, you’ll be treated to iconic and established labels on every corner.

FREE

becomes host this autumn for London’s only resident cabaret floorshow. With no competition across the entire city, Decades is a spectacular show and guaranteed to present a whirlwind journey through Burlesque from the 1920’s until now. £15

Peace One Day Celebration 2011, 21st September, O2 Arena Featuring the talent of Yusuf (Cat Stevens), Razorlight, Decades, 21st Newton Faulkner, September – 29th Eliza Doolittle and October, Proud many more, this Cabaret (Fenchurch globally broadcast Street) show is organised Proud Cabaret with hope to reduce

Week #2 global violence, on both domestic and international scales. £21 Eid Festival, 24th September, Trafalgar Square Organised by Boris Johnson and the Muslim Council of Britain, the Muslim festival of Eid will be celebrated with an array of performances, food stalls and cultural arts.

FREE

Clerkwell Vintage Fashion Fair Fashionistas and lovers of retro style can practise some retail therapy.

The fair’s motto is Heirlooms not Landfill, and will provide the chance to pick up some unique clothing. £4

Lee Evans Roadrunner Tour, 28th September – 2nd October, O2 Arena His most ambitious tour so far, this renowned stand-up

comedian will be touring the country for more than 50 nights. If you can handle the prices, it’ll be well worth every penny. £33 Raindance Film Festival 2011, 28th September – 9th October, Apollo Piccadilly Circus Bringing the very best of independant cinema to London, Europe’s leading international film festival will allow the audience to sit with the stars on film. £6 Natural History Museum After Hours: Science Uncovered, 23rd September, Natural

Photo: TPWP

3-week LISTINGS 38

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

Listings

o

MON 3 - MON17 OCTOBER

Photo: Mermaid99

4Oxjam Music Festival Various venues across the UK from large to small festival performances, all proceeds will go to Oxfam in what will consist of over 950 venues and around 6000 bands.

By attending and having a great time, you also manage to help those dedicated to fighting poverty. What better motive to go to a gig?! £Variable

London Restaurant Festival As a city known for its love of dining out, this is a perfect chance to enjoy the extreme range of food London has to offer. There’s something for every tastebud and every budget. £Variable

Photo: TwistyFoldy.net

History Museum An after-hours chance to see some of the work over 300 individual scientists tackle daily. Several never-seen-before specimens will be unveiled at the event, including the teeth of Boxgrove man, the oldest human remains found in Britain. £8 Brassroots Concert, 30th September, Southbank Centre Born on the streets of London, Brassroots are an explosive eight-piece jazz band. Set to be a great event in a fantastic setting.

FREE

Week #3 Ed Sheeran Gig,3rd October,O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empires The ginger ‘lovechild of Damien Rice and Jay Z’ will be playing one of his first big gigs after the new release of his hit album ‘+ (Plus)’. £27

and Rothco, this is certainly un-missable for those you appreciate art. £27

Real Food Market, 7-9th October, Southbank Centre Buy fresh, high quality, affordable food direct from over 40 carefully selected Ann Peerless: The Real Food producPhillips Gallery, 6th ers. Taste as you October, Radlett go around, sample Centre street food and go The Phillips collechome with unique tion, founded by ingredients. FREE Duncan Phillips in 1921, is situated nor- Rinse FM 17th mally in Washington Birthday, 8th Ocbut on tour through tober, O2 Academy this northern part Brixton of London. Housing Rinse FM celebrates works by Renoir, its 17th year of repreCourbet, El Greco, senting UK undervan Gogh, Matisse ground music with

a night of dubstep, grime, funky and everything in between at a renowned venue. £17 BFI London FIlm Festival, 12-22 October Cinemas accross London The BFI London Film Festival has been an annual event in London since 1956 and showcases the best new films from the around the world.

The BFI London Film Festival gives you the opportunity to watch an exciting film alongside the film’s actors, directors, and producers, and there are often Q&A sessions after the screenings.

Here we pick out the cultural highlights on and off campus, ensuring that there is something for everyone lifestyle@theorbital.co.uk

39

IT Services: Get Connected

@RHUL_ITservices

CampusNet

Campus Me

TLC @ Bedford

Free your laptop - network access is available in all social spaces, some halls and most teaching areas - look for the CampusNet wireless network.

The essential app for iPhones & Androids. Visit your app store or go to rhul.ombiel.co.uk on any web enabled device

Drop into Bedford Library room 207 during term time for laptop and mobile device support. Available daily from from 12 noon. See rhul.ac.uk/it for more info.

CampusAnywhere

Wireless Printing

Access the Royal Holloway network and your Y: drive from anywhere in the world.

Print wirelessly from anywhere using the MFDs.

To keep you safe, a free copy of Kaspersky Internet Security Suite is available from: rhul.ac.uk/it/avphishing.aspx.

For student software deals try sites like: software4students.co.uk

Visit rhul.ac.uk/it for details.

See rhul.ac.uk/it/printing for information on how to set this up.

Software

Information for new and returing students

o t r o Sp ocs &S

Editor: Vacant sportandsocs@theorbital.co.uk

43 RAG & Community Action Find out how you can get involved

pag

e

44

Sports & Socs List Decide what you want to join!

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Lads? We’re not sure.

Decide for yourself !

42

Royal Holloway wins first BUCS award

RAG Chair, Ben Parfitt, bags Royal Holloway’s first ever BUCS award for his involvement with official charity, Right To Play.

The award was presented at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) conference on Thursday 14 July at Leeds University.

England cricketer, Matthew Hoggard MBE presented the awards and delivered an amusing and anecdotal after dinner speech. Ben, who have done. But most of Right To Play is the graduated the following all it has just been a good world’s largest sport for day received the Right To bit of fun.

I’ve met some development organisaPlay, Red Ball award. good guys and taken part tion and enjoys a rich The Red Ball award is in some pretty special following from students presented to exceptional events.” througout the UK. The Student Ambassadors Through Ben’s work charity focuses on the that contribute to the official BUCS charity. Ben with the charity and the belief that sport and play wider Student Ambassa- can offer children and has been recognised for dor scheme, an estimated youth better physical, his support and involve20,000 children have social and emotional ment after being heavily been granted the right health. Royal Holloway involved in some of the to play. There are curhave previously supportcharity’s main activities ed the charity including running “At first it gave me things to in a number of ways. the Royal do, then it began to open doors RTP’s EducaParks half tion Partnermarathon, to things I never would have ships Manager, cycling from done.”

Leo Matlock, Brussels to co-ordinates the London and rently approximately 120 Ambassador scheme that writing about the charity Student Ambassadors in Ben was part of. Leo said: in London Student and 100 universities across “The Student AmbassaThe Orbital. the country and 50,000 dor programme gives you “I got involved with students directly engaged. a chance to represent and Right To Play on a bit of On winning the award, promote an international whim,” he said. “I liked Ben said: “It was such a charity at your universport and wanted to do surprise.

It didn’t feel like sity and over the last two something a bit different I’ d really done that much, years it has developed so signed up. Two years just because its all been a into one of the largest later, my life at Holloway good laugh. I’d urge eve- charity presences in the has been so much more ryone and anyone who university sector.” interesting for it.” likes sport and believes in To find out more or “At first it gave me its power to change lives, to get involved with the things to do, then it to get involved and give charity, see: www.stubegan to open doors to it a go!” dents4righttoplay.com things I would never Beth Bridewell

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

RAG

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The Year Ahead..

4RAG Chair, Zaynah Sheikh introduces you to RAG and gives you the heads up on this years activities.

As you may have wondered, RAG stands for Raise And Give. We’re made up of incredibly big-hearted students who give up their time to raise money for charity in as many ways as possible.

No matter how big or small your contribution, everyone is welcome and the more people that help out the better.

causes, including Street Invest and International Alert. This year, we intend to break that record again. By holding bigger and better fundraising activities, while getting even more people involved, this is definitely a realistic goal to chase. So if you are interested in raising money for any charity, or have any fundraising ideas, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and the team will Last year’s RAG team raised an support you 100% from incredible and record-breaking start to finish.

We have a whole £41,243,81. selection of activities you can take part in Just to give an idea of what we’re throughout the year, both on and off capable of, last year’s RAG team raised campus. From sky diving to Jailbreaks, an incredible and record-breaking or RAG Raids to Blind Dates, if you’re £41,243.81 for various worthwhile up to some competition and adventure

while doing something rewarding, GET INVOLVED! There’s something to suit everyone!

Every year, we also offer the chance to go abroad - 2012 will feature fundraising to climb Mount Everest, Nepal!

Anyone can take part and no previous hiking experience is necessary: just your own good will!

We also have the renowned RAG Week, running from 27th February – 2nd March. During the week, we’ll hold daily activities to boost our overall totals and host numerous meetings building up to the events!

We still have a number of positions available on the committee, so feel free to apply or get in contact!

For any further details or questions email me on: ragchair@su.rhul.ac.uk

4Community Action The College-run scheme to get you active in the community. So many opportunities....

Why not do something different this year and try volunteering? To register as a volunteer and find out about the hundreds of opportunities we have available, go to www.rhul.ac.uk/volunteering

sportandsocs@theorbital.co.uk

43

SPORT & SOCS 4The Orbital provide you with a list of all our clubs and societies. Don’t forget to check out the taster sessions!

Societies Charity and Community

Sexuality

Amnesty International UNICEF People and Planet

Feminist Society LGBT

Creative Societies

Anime and Manga Art Society Comedy Society Culturama Debating Society Drama Society Fashion Society Historical Re-enactment Institute for Impure Science Love to Make Noise Photography Society Shakespeare Society Writers Society Entertainment Socieites

Games Society Poker Society Juggling Society Faith Societies

Catholic Spirit Christians Together Jewish Society Sikh Society

Singing and Dance Societies

Absolute Harmony (Acapella Choir) Ballroom and Latin American Dance Dance Society Indian Dance Society Musical Theatre Society Revelation Rock Gospel Choir Rock Society Savoy Opera Society Voices of Holloway (Glee Club) Subject Societies

Biosciences Society Classical Society Criminology and Sociology Economics Society Geography Society History Society Law Society Mangament and Internship Medicine Society New Lyell (Geology) Politics and International Relations

Financial Societies

Students in Free Enterprise Entrepreneurs Investment National and Regional Societies

Afro Caribbean Azerbaijani Chinese French German Hellenic Indian Islamic Italian Japenese Kazakhstan Middle East Pakistani Russian Scandinavian Spanish

44

Sports

American Football Badminton Basketball Boat Cheerleading Cricket Cycling Fencing Football (Men’s) Football (Women’s) Golf Hockey Judo Karate Lacrosse Mixed Martial Arts Mountaineering and Climbing Netball Ninjutsu Polo Riding Rugby (Men’s) Rugby (Women’s) Sail and Board Ski and Board Squash Surf Swim Tennis Thai-Boxing Trampolining Ultimate Frisbee Volleyball Photo: Ben Hine

Don’t like anything you see on this list?

Make your own Sport and Society!

Contact vpsa@su.rhul.ac.uk for more information

Squash won RAG club of the year 2010/2011

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

Undergraduated

Cheerleaders have a well deserved holiday

An 11am lazy start, a quick dip in the pool, participation in an underwater pyramid, a boat trip around a stunning island, a casual 9pm dinner followed by pre-drinking, an amazing night out with the company of 30 other people... sound like the perfect holiday!?

Imagine that 7 days in a row and you are imagining something close to the RH Tom Cats annual cheer holiday 2011 to Zante.

The RH Tom Cats train hard all year round winning a multitude of trophies, appearing at London events and achieving Royal Holloway’s coveted Club of the Year award, that at the end of each academic year they let their hair down and head to a place in the sun to catch a fabulous tan and experience a wonderful week with some of their closest friends.

Zante had a lot to live up to after previous years away to Aiya Napa, Tenerife and Magaluf but with more Tom Cats than ever attending, the holiday was unrivaled with cheerleaders everywhere you looked, jumping off 30 ft boats, sliding down thrilling water park rides, creating carnage on the strip dressed as Red Indians and Egyiptians, putting up preps and pyramids in every possible spot (including the sea!) and taking over every restaurant they entered.

The Tom Cats’ tans are now wearing off they but are looking forward to topping them up again next year when we hope to take even more of our cheerleaders to our 2012 cheer holiday destination. Camilla Cullen

sportandsocs@theorbital.co.uk

o

Jazz at RHUL: Big Band

4If you’re interested in jazz, Undergraduated is the best place to start at RHUL, writes Jonathan Scott.

U

ndergraduated is Royal Holloway’s only big band. We rehearse every Tuesday night and regularly gig both on and off campus.

Each year, every place in the band is reauditioned with students from all years and courses welcome, so if you sing, or play sax, trumpet, trombone, piano, percussion, bass or guitar then you should consider auditioning for the most exciting ensemble on campus!

The auditions are relaxed and friendly and you will be asked to play one piece of your own choice and then either a short improvisation or sight reading exercise. Last year we performed at (among others) the Summer Ball, Staines Riverside Club and for the first time, the University of London Battle of the Big Bands at Kings University, where we came second.

As the band moves into its sixteenth year we take on some exciting new ventures including a gig in the Windsor Building on October 19th, providing dance music for Formal Hall Society

and a 24 hour charity jazzathon during which the band will explore its library of over 200 pieces and invite any and all jazz musicians to join in! We will also continue to perform each term at Kingswood Hall’s 8bar9 and at Battle of The Big Bands.

The Band has an strong following which makes for an exciting atmosphere at every gig, so if you’re passionate about jazz or want to explore one of the most fascinating genres of music to emerge from the past century then there can be no better way than to catch us at one of our gigs which are free for students.

Our first gig will be in the Windsor Building on the 19th October at 7.30pm. Auditions will be held all day on September 26th and 27th and the first rehearsal will take place in Wettons Annex at 7.30 on the 27th.

There will be a sign up sheet in the music department common room (Wettons Terrace), or alternatively email jonathan. scott.2009@live.rhul.ac.uk

Update us about your sport or society by emailing editor@theorbital.co.uk with a review, an article or just some pictures. We’d love to hear from you!

45

GAME ON! SPORT & SOCS

Where the lads and lasses of Royal Holloway battle it out. Get in contact to put a team-mate or society member forward. All entries to editor@theorbital.co.uk

Which sportsman will come out ahead in our ultimate ‘lad’ test? Will the Boat Club President, Ed Resek be in oar of Rugby Junior social secretary, Dom Matthews? Let’s find out.

V

DOM MATTHEWS How many nights are you planning to go out in freshers week?

Failed first year so I am technically a fresher again. I think it would be wrong not to go out every night...

What do you think initiation will be for this years freshers?

Same old, same old for the rugby but with a few new additions, all I will say is condoms and vaseline and balloons with razors.

No comment, but our Boat Club initiations have been known to include a naked run around Founder’s!

Your most embarrassing story from freshers week?

Managing to only pull one girl throughout the week and then being stalked by a girl who shall be referred to as Midge. Managed 0 to slyly steal most of her booze though.

Last year before freshers moved in, we distributed the SU welcome packs. My friend disappeared suddenly, found in disabled 1 loos at 2:45am!

About 110kg I think.

Three small children or a large suitcase full of Crunchie bars... your choice.

How much can you bench press?

1

.5

Between Medicine and the Union I’ll probably be DJing most nights. Any nights off will be automatic movie nights.

0

.5

1

0

Saturday morning after a night out. Stayed with my grandparents and rushed straight to the toilet after breakfast.

1

On a gyroscopic ride at a French funfair, I ended up stuck on it nonstop for twenty-five minutes as the ride-operator walked off.

1 Lunch made a return.

Did you go on a lads holiday and if so where?

No, been working at a cider factory all summer. Not quite the taster yet but that’s the goal. Rugby tour to Rimini I suppose can count, but what goes on tour stays on tour. 1

No, but I had a few mates come stay with me at my family home in the south of France for my birthday in August, with some brilliant alcohol-induced moments.

0

Which Inbetweener are you most like?

Simon, I spent two shameful years trying to 1 get over a girl!

When was the last time you chundered?

FINAL SCORE

46

ED RESEK

4.5

Your freshers’ story was rather unimpressive, but the fact you’ve been working at a cider factory redeems yourself a little. In the end, you came out trumps, but it wasn’t a pleasant victory!

Probably Will - I don’t get smashed but I don’t mind taking risks.

0

2.5

You were slightly let down by the lack of ancedotes involving you, but it was a close call. We sympathise for your funfair trama, but ask one thing - how do you get hold of a Crunchie-filled suitcase?

THE ORBITAL SEPTEMBER 2011

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