The Pulse: Winter 09

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CONTENTS

Cover Story p. 5

Interview p. 8

Features

An online horizon:

Alana Marmion-Warr and Clare Younger look at the progress of The Pulse since its inception in 1994, all the way through to the digital launch.

Interview :

The Coen Brothers: Cameron Tait talks business with Joel and Ethan Coen.

Sussex Says No:

p. 10

IIsraeli goods have now been banned on campus. Christopher Roche assesses the material and political ramifications.

Fashion and Lifestyle p. 12

Alice Butler looks back over the naughty noughties.

New Kids on the Block:

p. 13

Lilly Daniell takes us back in time to the 80s, but without the legwarmers, perms and dodgy musicals.

Cinderellas of the Soil:

p. 14 p. 15

Michaela Eells looks at the fashion of the Women’s Land Army.

Make Do and Mend:

Sally Devine shows you how to look the part without emptying your pockets.

A Worldwide Drift in Search of Thrift:

p. 16

Bored of Brighton? Sally Devine looks overseas for a little inspiration.

A Backpacker’s Life:

p. 17 p. 18

Tom Marcantio shares some of his travelling tales.

A Wonderful World of Grub:

Gemma Knight shows how you can eat your way through continents without leaving your favourite sunny, seaside town.

Politics p. 19

Zero to Hero:

IDENTITY: Class Dismissed:

Tutku Barbaros gives an account of class on campus and in the education system.

Do Your Genes Fit?:

p. 20

Ghofran Othoum discusses the mixture of science and society involved with the term ‘genes’.

p. 22

Lisbon, Europe and You: Together we stand (apart): With the Lisbon Treaty fully ratified, Mary-Rachel McCabe gives a first hand account of European Identity as a Sussex student living and studying in Spain.

Arts and Culture

Bards of Brighton

p. 24

Naomi Bevan and Emily Gorton look at Brighton’s rich history of authors, with a glance to the future.

The Orange Curtain:

Sussex’s student Dominic Beston has parodied ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’

by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in his own short story.

p. 25

Two Cities, Two Plays:

p. 26

Ellen Willis and Emily Gorton review plays in Brighton and London.

Bat For Lashes:

Nick Brown-Warr reassesses the form of the music review with a creatively written account of Bat For Lashes at the Roundhouse.

p. 28 p. 29

Editorial Choice:

The three Arts and Culture Editors give their recommendations for food, music, theatre and things to do in Brighton town.

What Have Drugs Got To Do With It?: Features

p. 30 p. 31

Talisa Dean explores the potent mixture of drugs and politics.

A helping hand in Hue:

Billy Warrener talks to Rebecca Thomas, funding co-ordinator for Hué Help, the student-run charity helping in schools and orphanages in Hué, Vietnam.

Beats Per Minute p. 33 p. 33 p. 34 p. 34 p. 35 p. 35

Brighton on a budget:

More information on saving money in Brighton for those dwindling bank balances.

Finding your feet:

Nicola Alexandrou talks about her university experience so far. So far so good.

What is it, is it love?:

A short poem from Frankie Mace about that thing called love.

Date of the month:

Original ideas for dates or days out, this months: greyhound racing!

I’ll be home for Christmas:

A nostalgic tale of what going home for Christmas means to

A Students Christmas list:

A hilarious Christmas List from ‘Joe Student’ AKA Hannah Guinness.

The Pulse is a free termly publication, written by studetns for students. Views expressed in The Pulse are not always the views of USSU, The Pulse, or the University of Sussex. Every effort has been made to contact the holders of copyright for any material used in this issue and to ensure the accuracy of this terms articles. Please contact the Commincations Officer if you are aware of any omissions or errors.

advertise in the pulse!

Please contact BAM AGENCY [Vicki Buffoni] VB@BAMUK.COM or phone 08451 300 667

winter 2009 COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Michael Holder commuications@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Editors-in-cheif Cameron Tait Adrienne Roussel pulse@ussu.sussex.ac.uk DESIGNERS Jemma Rigby Gabriele Barysaite pulse-design@ussu.sussex.ac.uk FEATURES EDITORS Alana Marmion-Warr Clare Younger pulse-features@ussu.sussex.ac.uk ARTS AND CULTURE EDITORS Felix Roscam-Abbing Alex Godbold Emma Davis pulse-artsculture@ussu.sussex.ac.uk POLITICS EDITORS Nick Murphy Ariel Cohen pulse-politics@ussu.sussex.ac.uk FASHION AND LIFESTYLE EDITORS Ellie Mauger Alice Butler pulse-fashionlifestyle@ussu.sussex.ac.uk BEATS PER MINUTE EDITORS Billy Picard Hayley Stubbs pulse-snippets@ussu.sussex.ac.uk PHTOTOGRAPHER Jaimee-Lee Wolfe Student Media Office Falmer House University of Sussex Brighton BN1 9QF Telephone: 01273 678875

Editorial W

elcome to our new home! The Pulse is now online and we’re really excited about all the extra possibilities this is going to create for the magazine (and at no printing cost!)

We took this opportunity to look back through all the back issues of The Pulse to create a cover story (in every sense of the phrase) that takes us from its inception in 1994 to its online debut fifteen years later. With The Pulse now available worldwide, it is no coincidence that this edition takes us all over the planet. From an interview with the sarcastic, Minnesotan Oscar winners, Joel and Ethan Coen, we travel through a story of backpacking in Laos, visit a Vietnam-based charity before embarking on a drift for thrift, well, pretty much everywhere.

But as we head back to Brighton, we’re looking at life post-boycott: does the low turnout to the referendum mean we’ve become less political? Our politics pages investigate… In addition, we take a look at Brighton writers and Brighton plays as well as providing information on how to eat, dress and enjoy yourself on a budget. With The Pulse changing identity, students give their say on genetic, European and class identities, but, needless to say, there’s so much more packed in this issue!

After all the long nights spent slaving away in the design office, we’d like to give a massive thank you to the man that designed the site you used to get here, Hesan Yousif, to the designers Gabby and Jemma, and to everyone that wrote, photographed, doodled and contributed their way into the magazine! Also, a great thank you to Luska and Tom from inQbate for giving us a space to host our launch party, Wednesday 2nd December from 2pm, everyone’s invited so please come along!

But as far as this one goes, its so far, so good! Thanks for clicking and enjoy the read!

Cover

The Pulse Through the Ages...

Written by Clare Younger and Alana Marmion-Warr

A

s The Pulse makes itself a new home out in the great wilderness of the world wide web, what better way to celebrate than by glancing back over its beguiling past...

Over the years, The Pulse has undergone many a facelift, shifting from simple black and white block prints to more zany and colourful designs. It has featured interviews with an array of famous personalities, has been awarded with prizes and acclaim from major national newspapers, and has always represented the diverse range of interests and opinions held by the students at the University of Sussex.

It all started in the summer of 1994 when student union officers from both Sussex and Brighton Universities joined forces in plans to create a magazine for all the students in Brighton. Their

vision incorporated features, music, fashion and photography pages, and the very first issue was published in October that year, with Editors-in-Chief Kirsty Sleight (from the University of Sussex SU) and Harvey Atkinson (of the University of Brighton SU) at its helm. However, with a very basic black and white design, and small quintet of section editors, it was clear that The Pulse still had a long way to go.

The first issue was a roaring success, resulting in a substantial expansion of the editorial team. With the November 1994 edition featuring an article on the female orgasm, it’s clear that The Pulse contributors have had a fearless attitude towards content right from the start.

Flicking through the back catalogue of Pulse issues, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that certain subject matters seem to be a constant source of

"Their vision incorporated features, music, fashion and photography pages”

THE PULSE Winter 2009 5

Cover Story

discussion.

Sussex University’s reputation for political activism has always been a hotly debated topic, as is proved by a feature in the January 1995 edition entitled, “Student Politics – from Radicalism to Realism?”

Complaining that students had fallen into a state of apathy, one cannot help but wonder what the writers would think of our student

“too sophisticated for its own good” population as it stands today. In a similar vein, final year students may find some comfort in evidence of ongoing concerns over graduate career prospects.

March 1995 saw an article from the Career Development Unit, debunking the myths surrounding an alleged lack of graduate jobs on the market.

Life for The Pulse just kept getting better, as the 1995-1996 editors triumphantly carried home the much coveted award for The Guardian/ NUS Student Magazine of the Year 1996. At this point the magazine was being circulated to an impressive twelve thousand students, with features such as ‘The Last Word’, a final page feature asking a handful of student questions such as ‘What song or movie title best describes your life?’, proving popular as it appeared as a recurrent instalment in each issue.

As if winning a Student Media Award wasn’t enough, in 1997 The Pulse received further praise from critics at The Guardian, who labelled the publication “too sophisticated for its own good!” The same academic year brought ex-Sussex student, Andrew Morton - author of the most controversial biography of the decade - back to his roots, as he appeared in a feature entitled, ‘Andrew: His True Story’.

With a second

THE PULSE Winter 2009 6

award for ‘Student Magazine of The Year’ in 1999, this time awarded by the NUS in conjunction with The Independent, The Pulse was thriving. Yet another redesign gave it an almost futuristic feel, with striking graphics and a digital style typeface. The emergence of Brighton as it stands today is well documented, as one article speaks of a “flash new shopping centre – Churchill Square” and an exposé on new sculptures on the Brighton seafront gives details of the famous Big Green Bagel, or Seasick Doughnut as it is more commonly dubbed.

The year 1999-2000 took The Pulse in a much more political direction, featuring interviews with outspoken characters such as Ian Hislop. However, editors were careful not to completely discard the fun and light-

“This year, we see the publicat world by going online. Student the alternative university publi unlimited pages and less restr hearted edge to The Pulse, throwing an interview with ex-Sussex student and Shipwrecked star, Ashna Khan, into the mix.

The new millennium brought with it yet another redesign for The Pulse. The 2001-2002 editors (despite budget cuts) decided to turn the once glossy format into a miniature style newspaper publication, while still managing to retain its creative edge. The front covers became more experimental, with the title ‘The Pulse’ taking different forms with each issue. Some classics include letters written in ketchup over chips, the word being shaved into the back of someone’s head, and it being carved into frost on the windscreen of a car.

Sex as an issue resurfaced, along with other concerns such as housing problems on campus and in Brighton, something students year on year are forced to tackle. A “Free Palestine” article featured in the May issue illustrates how salient these issues have always been

on how to cope on a non-existent budget, shopping on the cheap, and how to cut corners appeared.

Student participation in the magazine didn’t end with the poll either – a guinea pig style test was run on volunteering students looking into the effects of legal highs. They were followed on a night out in Brighton, and asked about their state of mind throughout the evening (one volunteer ended up crashed out in bed – was it necessary to have an on-scene observation to come to that conclusion?) Complete with colourful ties and wacky socks, channel 4’s Jon Snow makes an appearance in this issue too.

The 2007-2008 issues of The Pulse took an unusual direction in going to a newspaper format similar to The Badger – probably another result of budget cuts. But by the 2008-2009 editorship, it was back to its glossy self again. In these issues, sex proved a resilient issue with students, with a feature focusing on the dangers of unprotected sex and the taboos surrounding HIV. However, although there was a return to the traditional format of the magazine, it was not to be forever…

This year, we see the publication joining the ever increasing digital world by going online. Students for the first time will be able to access the alternative university publication on the net, and what’s more, with unlimited pages and less restrictions from the bursary, it has the potential to be the best year The Pulse has seen yet.

Cover Story

amongst students.

The theme of design change seemed to be reoccurring each year, with every new batch of editors putting their own stamp on the magazine, and the 20022003 team were no exception. With pictures and illustrations taking front stage, there seemed to be a conscious move to re-establish The Pulse’s role as the creative platform for Sussex University.

A student wide photography competition opened up (see picture), and fashion photo shoots took on a more professional look. The demonstration of student talent was clearly a priority.

The following team certainly had some good star access, as interviews with Jo Wiley (who incidentally is a former Sussex student), Cynthia Plaster Caster (a 1960s sculpture of men’s manhood’s and allegedly a former flame of Jimmy Hendrix), and the Scissor Sisters all featured across

tion joining the ever increasing digital s for the first time will be able to access ication on the net, and what's more, with rictions.” the editions. Interestingly, the Coca Cola issue on campus surfaced in the summer edition of 2005, where the ‘Killer Campaign’ culminated in the boycott of the company from campus. The article looked into the ‘myth’ of the Coca Cola brand, particularly the speculation over the ingredients of the drink.

In the Winter issue of 2006, The Pulse opened its doors to student opinion by conducting a poll – with a twist. “Do you fancy any of your Sussex lecturers?” were amongst the provoking questions, with students answering 30% yes, and a resounding 70% no. One student was generous enough to offer: ‘Gonzalo from economics, he’s so hot and young!’

Other issues included the reoccurring problem of students with no money; articles such as tips

THE PULSE Winter 2009 7

Serious Men:

Interview

the Coen Brothers talk business with Cameron tait

I

t’s a cold Tuesday morning and I’m heading into Soho to watch a screening of A Serious Man, the latest offering from an extraordinarily prolific line of films from Joel and Ethan Coen. Initially startlingly apprehensive, the hour and fourty five minutes of cinematic proficiency succeed in distracting me from what lies down the road at The Claridges Hotel; meeting the Oscar winners behind the movie. A bit of research began ominously the evening before as a Google search of ‘Coen Brothers Interview’ flashed up Stephen Dalton’s sub-heading, “elusive pimpernels of the anti-interview”.

Uh oh…

True to form, the brothers settled down anxiously, Joel looking particularly weathered having no doubt endured a day of press-related deviations from his day-job. “We consider ourselves film-makers. I wouldn’t put anything else down on my passport”. So no surprises then as the brothers fend their way through questions and assertions about their films, surely distracting them from their purpose, their raison d’être; film-making.

Joel takes the lead role, laughing off, vetting and occasionally answering the questions. Ethan, however, sits back and waits to engage in a bit of debate about say, the amount of time they commit to writing and film making; “maybe Joel will disagree but it feels to us like we’re fairly lazy and yet relative to other people we do seem to get a fair amount done”. Joel, however, insists the duo are forced into becoming increasingly

8 THE PULSE Winter 2009

“professionalised due to the pressures” of their families.

“When we did Blood Simple [their first film, released in 1984] we were in our twenties sharing an apartment, or living nearby, and now we’re old fogies with kids and families and we go home every night”. Whether accompanied by professionalism or laziness, the creative power of the Coen brothers is undeniable. A Serious Man is the brothers’ fourteenth feature film in twenty-five years, with seven of those films having been released since the turn of the century.

A Serious Man is set in 1967 in an unnamed Midwestern suburb in Minnesota and follows the trials and tribulations of the Gopniks, a Jewish family struggling for harmony. The Gopniks are: Danny, a pot-smoking thirteen year old, Sarah, his nose-job coveting sister, Larry, their lost and anxious father, and Judith, their wife and mother who is in love with another man; a serious man. “There are a lot of similarities to our own backgrounds” Joel quips, before being quick to extinguish ideas about this film being an autobiography; “the story is made up, the story is fiction”. The nature of this semi-autobiography is clear in the brothers’ reaction to the scene in which Danny bizarrely receives his bar mitzvah in a haze of marijuana-induced inebriation. “We both smoked pot, but we were a little older when we did it. We weren’t doing it at thirteen” Joel begins, before Ethan confirms “neither of us were stoned in our barmitzvahs” with a blunt and calculated charm.

Interview

Having collaborated with a canon of contemporary thespians including Nicolas Cage, Tom Hanks and Brad Pitt, the brothers are set to cast “Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Josh Brolin” in their next film, True Grit. It is thus very noticeable that A Serious Man contains no internationally renowned stars. Ethan explains, “in the everyday reality of this suburban jewish community of 1967, one doesn’t expect George Clooney [another regular Coen brothers employee] to show up”. The absence of household names certainly had no effect on the quality of the acting in the film, as the lesser known actors did not hesitate to take their opportunity on the big stage. Michael Stuhlbarg’s performance as protagonist Larry Gopnik left viewers in no doubt that the brothers need not cast big names to get big performances in big films.

over their films, they certainly relied on very little outside help to take them on their way.

Asked for advice about how a budding film-maker might become a big name, the brothers were not entirely forthcoming. “It’s been so long since we were budding, its hard to know if any of our experience is relevant” Joel began, as Ethan elaborated “everybody I know got into it [the movie business] through different ways. They all kind of stumbled into it.” After Ethan concluded that there was “no prescription” for finding the door into the film business, Joel finally parted with the advice; “its certainly easier if you can somehow manage to generate your own material as opposed to waiting for people to offer you the opportunity”. It seems a very concise assessment of the careers of the two brothers, with the huge amount of creative control they have always held

behind their discerning façade. This heady mixture of guarded sarcasm and insightful wit is so apparent in the relationship of the two brothers as Ethan’s ingenuous, contemplative style brings the best out of Joel’s dismissive sensibilities. Whether you see them as artists, auteurs, geniuses or stubborn, thankless curmudgeons, one thing is undeniable, incontrovertible, indubitable.

Joel and Ethan Coen are film-makers of the highest degree, serious men in action.

This final conversation between the two brothers seemed to astutely represent my feelings about their interview style. ‘Elusive pimpernels of the antiinterview’ they may be, but as with their scarlet predecessor, their true identity finally oozes out from

"neither of us were stoned in our bar mitzvahs”

A Serious Man is being shown at the Duke of Yorks, Brighton until 3rd December 2009.

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 9

Features

University of Sussex says NO to Israeli Goods Written by Chris Roche Photos by Tanay Sharma

T

his term has, as always, seen a great deal happen on campus. But one of the biggest stories for us, the students, is undoubtedly the controversial referendum on the boycott of Israeli goods. In terms of news for the students it stands out amongst others because of its explicit impact on us, and the choices we can make. At the basic level it affects what products we are eligible to buy on campus, but on a more universal level the referendum’s results represent what we, as a campus of students, and as the future rulers and voters of this world believe politically.

I admit that until recently I wasn’t entirely up to date with the issues at hand here, so for those of you who, like me, aren’t fully informed about the topic a brief explanation is in order.

A quick visit to the USSU website can give you a bounty of useful information.

The group of students standing up for the boycott claimed that Palestinians in Israel were being persecuted, and that our actions could help them. According to their statement on the website ‘[Palestinians] are used for cheap labour and have no worker’s rights’. They go on to explain that by withdrawing our economic support for Israeli goods we can peacefully fight against what they deem an ‘occupation’, and send a message to the Israeli government.

Those against claim that the boycott is detrimental to all involved, and apart from resolving

THE PULSE Winter 2009 10

very little in the long run will in fact cause more trouble for the Palestinians and Israelis alike; lowering their economic input will simply anger the people in power. Their argument, again put forward on the USSU website, says that ‘it will heighten the sense of victimization in Israel, without tangible benefits for Palestinian statehood’.

I managed to get a quick interview with Sol Schonfield, a student who has been very active in the push for the Boycott. He told me that ‘The aims of the boycott are for the Union to make clear that it does not support the actions of the State of Israel as long as it breaks international law (e.g. the building of settlements unlawfully). A boycott also ensures that the Union does not directly give money to companies (e.g. Carmel Agrexco) that are involved in supporting such actions’. I was keen to know whether he was, like myself, new to the issue, or if he had been involved with it for some time, and he quickly cleared it up for me: ‘I supported the boycott, starting last year with the Occupation of Arts A2.’ This controversial move was met with a lot of mixed views regarding the tactics in gaining support for the movement, but he continued by stating that, ‘I have since spoken to many students trying to explain the reasons why a boycott is a legitimate reaction to the situation at the moment’.

hassled, but there is no denying that a buzz surrounded the library that day. I asked Luke about the feelings going around, and he said that ‘the day was very intense. There was a lot of passion from both sides. If either of the sides engaged in debate together it usually broke out into very exciting, sometimes heated, conversation.’

At 5pm the voting closed, and the results were finally announced as 562 for a boycott, 450 against. Sussex had said NO to Israeli goods.

The intensity of the pro-boycott campaign had paid off. ‘We realised that they had campaigned harder, and so we knew that if enough people voted they would win,’ said Luke.

Following the vote the issue is still fresh across campus. Goods that are mainly exported from Israel include avocados, oranges, and olives, and it is these that will be missing from our campus.

However, campaigners are keen to point out that ‘all goods from Israel are boycotted under the new Policy.’

Since the decision came through, opinions regarding the issue are still varied. A recent Facebook group has been set up entitled: ‘Ban Everything from Sussex Campus’. Although the title has an obvious irony to it, there is certain ferocity behind it. One student on campus claims that, ‘The referendum banning Israeli goods had a 4.5% turnout. Personally, I don’t think with such a low turnout, it should have been allowed to be made a rule’.

It is comments like these that make us worry that a general apathy towards world politics is spreading across campus. Without a doubt, the boycott attracted attention, but some are questioning whether it was enough. We, the students, are the future of this world, and our interest in politics reflects our interests in the future. Whether the boycott was right or wrong is clearly something still open to debate, but what we need to decide is whether it attracted enough attention, enthusiasm, and interest from our campus to instill widespread confidence in the future. Sussex said NO to Israeli products, but I hope Sussex didn’t also say NO to politics.

Features

T

here were, however, some students who fundamentally did not agree with the boycott.

This mixture of opinions surrounding the issue was something that interested me greatly, and I decided it was important to hear from the other side as well.

Luke Holmes-Siedle, a student who once was an avid member of The Socialist Party, was quick to point out what was wrong with the boycott from the start. ‘The fundamental problem is a lack of unity between the two peoples. What is required in this situation is a unified mass workers movement, not to pit Palestine against Israel. Unfortunately this boycott will sever those ties.’ One point of particular controversy Luke pointed to was the aggression felt from the pro-boycott side. ‘I felt that a small minority of the pro-boycott members seemed so blindly proPalestine, and anti-Israel, that even if unintentional, it was starting to verge on Anti-Semitic. I think this put a lot of people off the boycott, and the issue at hand.’

After the issue begun to snowball, the demands made through the occupation gained around 1,500 signatures, and it was at this point that the Student Union Council decided to put the matter to a campus wide vote. After lengthy debates from both sides, the day of the vote (October 29th) arrived, and with it came a whirlwind of activity: protests, meetings, speeches, stalls, leaflets, flyers, and of course, the all important balloting.

Solomon told me that, ‘The referendum was widely publicised by the Occupation last year, through talks and at the Occupation itself.

This academic year, a debate where both sides were able to speak about the boycott was held in Arts A2 and people spoke at lectures as well as leafleting.’

On the day of the vote, each side of the debate gathered together in Library square, making speeches from megaphones and approaching any students walking past. Reportedly some students were unhappy with this, as they felt it invaded their personal right to walk without being

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 11

Fashion and Lifestyle

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‘

s this it’; first grunted by maciated, Indie poster boy Julian Casablancas in the pre 9/11 summer of 2001, the phrase remains just as poignant as we reach the end of the decade and our generational dandies come of age. For fashion in the noughties said an embittered ‘au revoir’ to the Sloane clones of the eighties and the ‘dressed up to the nines’ uniform of the nineties, as we got high on the high street. Pioneered by celeb-designer crossbreed, Stella McCartney, designer collections for high street retailers resonated with the style.com blogosphere.

The Noughties Pin Up was less Lady Di, more well Lady-Guy, as androgynous icons Agyness Deyn and Alexa Chung became the new society dahlings. As we beckon the dawn of spring 2010 and the global economy continues to battle the recession tide, the ephemeral nature of fashion shows no signs of abating. From the bling fling of the Y2K hysteria to bourgeois bohemia, our current epoch has relied on creativity

and eclecticism.

Every century has its watershed moment, when the earth shakes, rattles and rolls; when everything you had previously known is thrown into doubt and anxiety - the First World War for instance, or Marie Antoinette’s unfortunate meeting with the guillotine. There’s only one lady to thank for the style-genesis of the new millennium, and that’s Croydon darling Ms. Moss. (To quote awkward, faux-posh voice in Vodaphone advert) Really? Well yes. The noughties will be remembered through the lens of Kate bait; the grunge girl of (heroin-chic) yesteryear metamorphosed into Moss the rock chick (queue cocaine scandal) and a slew of denim and leather clad ensembles followed. As Henry Holland declared on his iconic t-shirts of the ‘celebtocracy’, ‘I’ll tell you who’s boss Kate Moss.’

The quintessential British style synonymous with the Mossé Possé, pervaded the mindset of a new Swinging London. Echoing the transatlantic thrift-chic-cheekiness of the Sex and the City cavalry, the mood was vintage.

True to form, Chaucer was WAY ahead of his time in exclaiming, ‘There’s never a new fashion, but it’s old.’ Old Geoffrey must have had a 21st century epiphany in penning his little ditty, The Miller’s Tale. For there could be only one muse for this - Sienna’s mid-decade blonde ambition tour. On the arm of I Only Went And Knocked Up the Nanny Jude Law, our favourite boarding school boho babe, Miller, flaunted an idiosyncratic mix of 70s floral and 60s Warholian antique chic. The masses took heed on their Topshop steed. Continuing on this equestrian metaphor, from Wag-Fag-Hag grooming – It bags, It shoes, It Hermes scarves (Once more, is this It?!) – to the designer collections of fashion scenesters, Giles Deacon and Christopher Kane, fashion got democratic. Obama would be proud.

For the first time, names such as these became as famous as the waifs staggering down the catwalk in a Diet Coke haze. Towards the latter of the naughty noughties, London became the epicentre of creative talent but without the two fingers up to commercialism (‘let’s, like, yah, have a pair of trousers with one leg, yah!’) that defined the Central Saint Martins kids of the Nineties era. As Bella Freud, notes, ‘People, especially now in the recession, are buying into creativity and talent, and the chance that the wacky designer on the London catwalks might be the head of Givenchy in a few years’ time. Talent is suddenly a commercial commodity’. In the sartorial game of poker, wearability trumped scareability. Kane pioneered a recycled take on 80s body-con glamour, in the mould of Azzedine Alaia and Herve Leger (in a twist of fashion synergy his fashion house has undergone a hugely successful revival). No skirt could be too short, no dress too tight. Kane’s neon bandage dresses (reminiscent of a Nu-Rave Egyptian mummy), sculpted leather ruffles and ethereal snakeskin prints are quintessentially eighties in their aesthetic but his futuristic details and melting pot of references is more than mimesis. Get on board and enjoy the end of the ride – 2009: A Space Oddity.

12 THE PULSE Winter 2009

Image sourced by http://baboonatops.wordpress.com/i-love-album-covers/

Written by Lilly Daniell

‘They didn’t sacrifice fashion for recession: why should we?’, asks Lilly Daniell.

I

‘

t was acceptable in eighties.” Whatever Calvin, the eighties have always been acceptable. Especially today: no other decade is more appropriated or appropriate, in terms of what to wear and how to be in the twenty-first century. Re-living the eighties reflects the values of society in-this-day-and-age.

In a time of stress and excess, the nostalgic charm of such eighties icons as the leather jacket, the legging and the tracksuit continue to resonate with our generation.

All hail the denim jacket; it’s everywhere, it’s unisex, and it’s so easy to pick up: charity shops have rails full of the best ones – the authentic 80s real deal.

Furthermore the beauty of denim is its durability; anything you amass this year will be just as good next year, a sigh of relief for ailing wallets. It’s just as Vivienne Westwood said on Jonathon Ross, we’ve all got to re-use and re-style our clothes. Fashion wasn’t as massmarket back then and there weren’t any ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ looks laid down by some bloke on Lorraine Kelly. Clothes had proper personality and a sense of ownership. Oh wouldn’t that be great again? A lot of what is on sale on the high-street wishes it still had the same impact of someone rocking an old washed up 80’s rock t-shirt or scuffed drainpipe jeans. I shun you Primark, you ain’t authentic. Or ethical.

American Apparel however - practically a shrine to the 80s – is sweatshop free and uses organic, environmentally sustainable cotton. The brand captures the high points of the 80s: tubular dresses, as many leotards and leggings as you

Fashion and lifestyle

The New Kids On The Block

like, oversized jumpers and lame jumpsuits.

Clichéd? Perhaps… but I feel Amaz Apaz is just a little misunderstood, (like the 80s can be: the decade’s been shot down in the past for perms and legwarmers and ‘Fame’). So far so good. However I went in store last week to find a SCRUNCHY on sale for a fiver (I’m sure Pat Butcher never paid that much), but if acid wash denim can happen again, then hey, I can be open-minded about a scrunchy. But right now, I got to go; Calvin says he’s got hugs for me (I was born in the 80s).

Photographs sourced by http://www.americanapparel.net/presscenter/ads/images/a6000/type3/6943_american-apparel-ad-TorontoNow-ScoopBackDress-

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 13

Fashion Fashionand andLifestyle Lifestyle

The Land Girls: Cinderellas of the Soil Written by Michaela Eells

Brighton Museum & Art Gallery 3rd October 2009 to 14th March 2010 Free admission ‘Land army socks and high-heeled shoes’ – J.H. Summers

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his long overdue, but lovingly choreographed, exhibition presents a charming portrait of the Women’s Land Army: in particular, our Sussex Land Girls. As part of a national wartime effort, young girls throughout Britain moved to the country with intentions of ‘doing their bit’. To this end, they managed to revive an exhausted agriculture and set a president for all manual labourers, female or otherwise. This, of course, was not done without a healthy dose of good grace and the heartening rural fashion that became synonymous with pastoral vitality. It is this, most specifically, that the exhibition sets out to celebrate: a proper fashion field day!

The land girl uniform consisted of work clothes merited on practicality; ranging from dungarees to corduroy

14 THE PULSE Winter 2009

breeches, green jumpers to knee length socks, and felt hats to laced brogue shoes. This uniform soon became the emblem of utilitarian, and surprisingly masculine, female fashion. Think 1940s femme fatale with a pitchfork instead of a cigarette holder. Indeed, the lasting effects of this shift in trends can still be recognised in the seams of today’s woman. A lovely example of this is highlighted in one of the land girl’s oral history interviews. Peggy Sayers, when talking about her uniform, mentions the ever-practical need for tying a scarf around her head or as she calls it, ‘a turban’. Despite the girls getting filthy whilst threshing, rat catching and all sorts, they still needed to keep up appearances.

On glamour’s behalf, Peggy says she ‘always wore a scarf’ to protect her made-up hair, ‘especially if you were milking because you had to

press your head against the cow’s flank near the milking end’. Funnily enough, though most of the girls we see today haven’t had to worry about the backside of lactating cattle, they are still wearing the trademark of a land girl’s expediency. Maybe, as bitter Brightonians we wear our head scarves as a response to sea gulls’ bad humour.

Lead by the voices of land girls, in the way of personal interviews, photographs and paintings, this is an intimate, but important, salute to an almost forgotten brigade. It is a touching, and unique interaction with Brighton’s local heritage or for anyone interested in stories of the war at home.

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ontrary to popular opinion, you don‘t have to spend a lot to look fabulous.

Whilst most of us are clutching tight to our purse strings, the current economic climate has created a heat wave for thrift store chic. Here at Sussex, now is the perfect time to hone your D.I.Y style. It’s all about creating a high-end look without blowing the student loan. So what exactly are the benefits of thrift store chic and how do we achieve it? It’s time to, ahem, make fashion amends…

Being chic does not require a bulging wallet, nor does it require a vast amount of resources. Style, historically, comes from the street; what is hip is effectively always about going against the grain. The joys of turning the financial climate towards a more frugal fashion are that allows you to become creative, fun and adventurous. Part of the fun of ‘thrifting’ for fashion is that it comes with an air of serendipity; taking inspiration from the resources around you. You only have to look at our current icons of subversive style, from Chloe Sevigny to Alexa Chung, to realize less expense is definitely more sartorial kudos.

Fashion, they say, is representative of the times. The economic blight of the 1970s encouraged punk; the Dickensian Hard Times invoked the desire to project their political manifesto. This counter culture was formed upon having to use a little to express a lot. It simply took a few safety pins, a couple of rips here and there, a bit of anarchy and voila; a revolutionary style was created out of utilising the old to create the new.

Fashion and lifestyle

Written by Sally Devine

So let’s take it back to the old school with a few tips on how to get your thrift on…

• Look around you - Take a look at items you no longer use; old brooches can make a beret look brand new. An old dress can be cut up to make a fabulous skirt, top, or bag. You may not realise it, but inspiration lurks in every corner.

• Learn to sew - A little alteration here, a little detail there; use your sewing techniques to spice up a hot new look. Local markets and fabric shops sell plenty of unusual fabrics, ribbons and sequins that can go a long way to completely changing any item of clothing.

• Rip it up and start again - Don’t be afraid to be creative. Clothes that you no longer wear don’t have to be old; think as a punk would do and use your imagination to dismantle a piece and change it.

• Head out of town - Local flea markets, charity shops in smaller areas offer cheaper bargains and because they aren’t in the heart of town and often have a more eclectic of items. For all you know, old great aunt Muriel could have been a diehard for Yves Saint Laurent.

Not only does it save the pennies, but in its eclecticism, thrift chic is sure to set you ahead of the curve. And with the abundance of charity and retro shops in Brighton, finding your niche won’t be too much of a snag, if you get my thrift.

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 15

Fashion and Lifestyle

New York New York, New York. Whilst it may not be the cheapest of destinations for those on a tight budget, the Big Apple is full of little secrets that are sure to please your purse strings. Head to the weekend Hell’s Kitchen flea market, on West 39th Street, and 7th Avenue, Mid Town, to experience a thrifter’s paradise, famous the world over. Items range from vintage designer goods to home ware, modern items and more, ahem, vintage. If that’s not up your street, head out to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where Bedford Avenue is the main hotspot for those looking to scour the bargain bin for tacky trash.

Hong Kong, China

Melbourne

Ding-Dong! Hong Kong! While still a Japanese garden of designer shops, the district of Kowloon is a bargain hunter’s paradise. All around the Nathan Road district are dozens of quirky boutiques, where you can sift through beautifully embroidered vintage pieces or for those handbag-aholics out there, pick up a fantastic Gucci replica at the famous Temple Street night market. And, for those who have to cash to splash, there are plenty of high end designer stores to choose from too.

The Fitzroy area of Melbourne is a youthful and edgy suburb offering an eclectic mix of vintage clothing cum furniture shops (think Brighton’s very own Snooper’s Paradise). Head to Brunswick Street to get the full experience of the underground edge that Melbourne has to offer. The city is also thriving with weekend fleas markets; my particular favourite is the Camberwell weekend market, made even more exciting by the street artists that this vintage haven.

A Worldwide Drift in Search of Thrift W Singapore

Written by Sally Devine

hereas most of us take part in adventure sports or excessive partying whilst away, there is always the universal love that ties us wherever we are; shopping, of course. Take my heed and follow my bargain trail around some of the best and unique destinations I’ve been shopping so far, from boutique bargains in Bangkok to surfing the exceptional flea markets in Australia. We’re to call it fashion fishin’.

Singapore has long been renowned as the epicentre for shopping in Asia. Each year, between May- July, it hosts the annual Great Singapore Sale. With 70% off everything throughout this period, it’s a real must for those looking for amazing discounts whilst living the tumbleweed existence. In 2010 the dates of the sale are 25th May until 25th July. Haji lane, located in the Arab Street district is full of dozens of independent boutiques, ranging from vintage to independent designers and traditional garb at pleasingly cheap prices. Whilst I was in Singapore I stumbled across a local car boot sale, where I picked up some fantastic bargains and got quite the local shopping experience! So keep your eyes peeled and you could be ‘singing’ when you’re winning!

16 THE PULSE Winter 2009

Bangkok, Thailand Bangkok is a shopping Mecca for those who love to browse and barter. Home to dozens of great night markets that offer boutique quality clothing at a price that suits the traveller’s wallet, the Thai capital is as style scrumptious as the food. And not to exacerbate your traveler envy but many of the market gems are being flogged in British highend boutiques for more than double the price.

Personally, I probably got some of my finest threads whilst travelling from browsing the markets of Bangkok. Head to the Koh San Road area for those traveller chic items or venture further afield to the Weekend Market (Chatuchuck) where anything from pet dogs to spandex leggings are up for grabs.

Image sourced by www.helmink.com

Written by Tom Marcantonio

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he backpacker trail in Southeast Asia isn’t a difficult one to follow. Any travel agent in the smoggy hub of Bangkok will happily whisk you off around the continent for a measly sum. Laos, the country sandwiched between Thailand and Vietnam, is an essential stop on the trustafarian circuit. Other than this obvious social plus, what’s Laos’ main draw? An unusual activity called tubing.

Bottoms plugged unflatteringly into rubber rings, the idea is to float down the Nam Song River, fuelled only by a few generous bottles of the local brew,

man kayaks. We launch off into the tea-brown river, we glide down the river in near silence, passing rice paddies and bathing children.

True to Hollywood form, the American couple sail along impressively. The two Korean kayaks, meanwhile, slalom down the river recklessly, all speed and no control. After watching them career into the riverbank for the fourth time, laughing at their own incompetence, I turn to my friend, perched in front of me in our waterlogged k a y a k .

“You know what, Tom?” I say after some time. “There’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be right now.” Tom turns around to face me. Rather than mocking me for such a sickeningly cheesy comment, he nods thoughtfully. He understands.

The Nam Song River is calm for the moment, and we take the opportunity to rest our tired arms. We’ve been travelling down the river for three hours already. I notice a line of blisters across my palm; products of the metal paddles. Tom and I are soaked through. We’ve only just clambered back aboard our kayak, having capsized in a moment of mayhem on the river’s playful rapids. We’re refreshed and energized from our unintentional bath, and we’re overcome by a feeling of immense satisfaction.

Soon we’ll reach the stretch of river where the tubing Brits are going wild. We’ll stop off at one of the riverside bars and have a beer with our fellow backpackers. For now though: peace.

Moments like these are what travelling is all about.

Fashion and Lifestyle

Va n V ieng, Laos

Fashion and lifestyle

e f i L s ' r e k a Ba c k p a c

"You know what, Tom?" I say

after some time. "There's nowhere else in the world I'd rather be right now.”

Beer Lao. Forget beer goggles, you need the real deal here kids, together with some most unflattering headgear.

Vang Vieng, the riverside town hidden deep in the mountains in the north, has made tubing its livelihood.

As I step from the coach, I’m relieved to find that my travelling companions are similarly disenchanted by the number of English gappers who swarm around us in a hedonistic frenzy. Travelling is all about meeting new people and experiencing different cultures; yet we find ourselves among the kind of louts who stagger down West Street on a Saturday night. We agree upon an alternative route down the river, and sign up for a full day kayaking trip. Joining us on the excursion are four excitable Koreans and an American couple, from Seattle. “Ah, Frasier!” I offer, rather pathetically. They nod and smile politely. Irony is inevitably lost in translation.

It isn’t long before we’re adorned with with bright purple life jackets and ushered into two-

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 17

Fashion Fashionand andLifestyle Lifestyle

A World of Wonderful Grub Written by Gemma Knight

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f ever there was a city full to the brim with delectable and diverse dining, Brighton is your place. Name any cuisine, from Thai to Turkish, Belgian to Brazilian, Malaysian to Mexican, and you’re sure to find numerous amount of options await you, tucked away amongst its cobbled alleys and bustling streets, guaranteed to suit every taste and budget.

Students soon learn that Brighton is home to many first-rate bargains and that, with the flash of an NUS card, gastronomic discounts and fabulous drinks deals soon follow. Better yet, with a branch of almost every large restaurant chain lurking somewhere nearby, Student Beans deals and restaurant vouchers are easy to take advantage of – including 2-for-1 burgers at GBK, 50% off your meal at La Tasca, Bella Italia and Zizzi, and 2-for-1 main meals at Pizza Express.

Nevertheless, if you can see past the masses of Italian restaurants on offer and don’t mind paying full price, there’s a world of untried and exciting independent eateries out there, patiently waiting to transport your taste buds to far, exotic lands and culinary heights of pleasure henceforth unknown.

Nia

Los Taquitos

Bubble Kitschen

Foodilic

Like Bill’s, but better – and cheaper. A gorgeous little boutique cafe-cumrestaurant that has a breakfast menu to die for, complete with lovely staff, scrumptious smoothies and a mish-mash of retro-meets-country-kitchen decor. Try their eggs Benedict and sweet corn fritters... and buttermilk pancakes with bacon, banana and maple syrup...and goat’s cheese strudel, and...Oh to hell with it, try everything.

87-88 Trafalgar St, Brighton (the road which goes up from St Peter’s Church to Brighton station) While on my year abroad in California last year, I became horribly, helplessly addicted to Mexican food. I quickly learned that it’s the place which says ‘total dive’ that gets the greasy, cheesy, floury balance just right, and this place is no exception. Don’t let the exterior put you off, if you want the real McCoy, look no further than their breakfast burritos – at a jammy £3.50 no less!

6 York Place, Brighton (opposite St Peter’s Church) There’s nothing better than a lazy breakfast on a sunny morning in the Brighton lanes, particularly when it’s in a quirky, brightly coloured little cafe that features home-made organic pancakes, cooked breakfasts, cakes and the world’s best muesli, honey, berry smoothie – not to mention a collection of inarguably bizarre, ebay-aquired miscellany that make for a banquet of intriguing distractions.

16 Kensington Gardens, Brighton (the tiny lane that’s also home to Snoopers’ Paradise) Ever tempted by the place on North Street which boasts a window of huge and generously heaped wooden dishes, filled to the brim with such wholesome buffet delights as cous cous, roasted vegetables, pinto beans, puy lentils and ribs? Obviously a good option for the veggies among us, with a wide array of foods suitable for vegans too and a truly mind-blowing selection of cakes (though, at £5.95 for all the heaped plates of buffet as you can manage, these delicious desserts’ll cost you extra).

60 North St, Brighton (near Burger King)

Photographs sourced by www.theargus.co.uk, www.farm3 static.licr.com, www.profile.ak.fbcdn.net.com, www.uniquebrighton.com/graphics, www.sxc.hu

18 THE PULSE Winter 2009

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Politics

IDENTITY

elcome to this terms Pulse Politics, bringing you the voice of the student body. This term we have tried to understand a little more about you. Who we are and how we think about ourselves has a big impact on our behaviour, and your Identity is the theme of this terms paper. We have asked a number of students from different disciplines to explore various issues regarding the contemporary concept of Identity, from genetics and class through the ramifications of the Lisbon Treaty. We hope this will stimulate the debate, if you have any comments or would like to contribute please write to pulse-politics@ussu.sussex.ac.uk. Enjoy!

Politics: Everyone's talking about it.

Name:

Name: Basan Age: 20

Duncan Macdonald Age: 21 Subject: Geography.

Subject: Law

What do you know about your genetic history?

Is class important any more?

My father is from Saudi Arabia and my mother is from Turkey, so I have a mixed genetic history, although I consider myself more Saudi than I do Turkish.

To people who are in one extreme or the other I feel it does. And these people perform practices to maintain this label. Those who are in between, e.g. uni students, they often perform practices to lose a class label – but within our subconscious.

-

Name: Sara Wiggan Age: 18 Subject: Law

What does the EU & Europe mean to you?

More and more, because of institutions like uni, Europe feels (emotionally) closer. And therefore, a part of the EU.

Do you think genetics affect our behaviours?

I think some people are genetically predispositioned to certain things and that they may have a bearing upon behaviour, however, I think it’s more about socialisation.

Name: Pauline Browne Ocupation: Runs

Dhaba Café. (over 15 years)

Do you feel there is an emerging European identity?

Yes. Over the years, working here, the university somed very British. Recently the pressence of multinational students at Sussex and in my Café has increased by 80%. I’ve noticed particularly Italian and Chinese students and have had a student from Bosnia work for me. (And by the way, contrary to reports, the Dhaba café will not be closing).

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 19

class dismissed Written by Tutku Barbaros

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Politics

hat is your name? Tutku.

Where are you from?

London. What halls are you in? Park Village. What course do you do? Drama with English.

These are, without a shred of doubt, the big money questions we all heard and continue to hear having started university, and yet what do they actually mean? Or more importantly what judgement (or misjudgement) do they lead to? What do the answers imply about my, or any ones’ social background and is this even important to a student body such as that populating Sussex?

The issue of class identity is perhaps the most historicised struggle of the individual, the term ‘working class hero’ and ‘bourgeois’ for example are seated firmly in our vocabulary, and yet, are the distinctions as obvious as they once were? The basic modes of judgement, the above questions for example, are outdated and not explorative enough; you might have ended up in Park Village because Swanborough was full. It may be suggested that the final question is the most integral to the judgements made; Law and Medicine students tend to be awarded intellectual authority over Arts subjects. Friends doing these degrees constantly make fun of ‘the drama lot’ for not doing ‘real degrees’. At face value this could be blanketed under that all encompassing veneer of ‘banter’. However, a certain academic prejudice is still implied, suggesting that instead of class hierarchy a modern day intelligentsia is forming.

For many students the process of reinventing oneself is made easier by university; this often seems to give rise to closet private school kids and ‘mockney’ accents. The reasons for such changes are hard to pinpoint.

For some students the affinity to a social class overrides what their background actually is, but for others the reinvention

20 THE PULSE Winter 2009

is more forced, and derives from the inability to cope with social stereotypes. For a liberal minded Uni such as Sussex, affluence often equates to an awkward social stigma, so how do you spot the social class? In a recent discussion with a friend, he proclaimed ‘everyone who went to private school is middle class’ , this is an inside joke as we both went to private schools and we both have deeply working class backgrounds. More important is the aftermath of these rude awakenings to social class. How do we appease our parent’s humble backgrounds in the middle class institution into which we were thrust, and do we actually need to? My own position in the class system highlights the possibility for mobility and assimilation. Statistically speaking I belong to middle class institutions of education - but schooling doesn’t own me or anyone. While class affiliation and belonging is important, our personal identities are made of much more than this. Our experiences and emotions for example are formed of far more than what social strata our parents, school and postcode adhere to.

Given the eclecticism of backgrounds and heritage found at university in general, surely the issue of identity is informed by far more than what school we went to and how much our parents earn?

In 2008 Professor McManus of UCL stated that “UK medical students tend to come from higher socioeconomic classes, perhaps not surprisingly as social class correlates with intellectual ability.” Surely though, this is not to do with intellectual ability but rather the enhanced opportunities available to children of privileged backgrounds. It’s not money and four acres of land which make these students smarter but instead the different quality of education they are likely to have received in comparison to their working class counterparts. The statement does beg the question: what about money makes us assume someone is smarter? And, if the middle classes are brighter why are so many students at Sussex hell-bent on claiming they have lower class origins than they actually do? In many ways this will always remain an unanswerable question. The fear of being oneself is a sad thing to be burdened with and hopefully, eventually, we will all acknowledge the ingenuity and creativity which has emerged from all the classes.

Instead of using library square as an opportunity to separate the left from the even more left we’ll unite these factions and create something productive without infringing on the individual.

Politics

D o yo u r genes fit ?

Written by Ghofran Othoum

T

he Human Genome project started in 1990 to identify and sequence all genes in the human DNA. Scientists involved in ‘The Human Genome’ discovered that human DNA has 3 billion base pairs of DNA letters (i.e. genetic code). After it was completed in 2003 it was verified that 99.9 percent of this genetic code was identical in all humans. So it is only the 0.1 % variance that make us different from each other. Differences in skin colour or the shape of eyes are all within this 0.1% variance.

With this finding the word race doesn’t mean anything anymore. Race, within humans, doesn’t refer to a completely different group independent or inferior to other human beings. Now, the famous saying “we are more alike than different” is not a mere cliché used to silence racists, it is a fact, proven and verified by many scientists.

Many scientists, if not most, are convinced that the majority of our behavior and actions are controlled by our genes. They prefer to view genes not as single bits of DNA but rather as ‘smart replicators’ that know exactly what they want and go for it, but not in a conscious sense. Richard Dawkins, a famous biological theorist and an enthusiastic evolutionist, went as far as considering genes ‘selfish controllers’.

To Dawkins, the only aim that genes strive for is their survival in offspring and relatives.

Although ‘selfish genes’ will sometimes make us do selfish deeds, they very often make us do the exact opposite. Dawkins points out that the most prominent example of altruistic behavior as a result of these ‘selfish genes’ is in parents’ care for their children. The parents’ genes realise in one way or the other that 50% of their copy will be passed to their offspring; so it is the priority of the parents’ genes to make sure that those carrying offspring live long enough to reproduce. The application of this concept to explain parents’ behavior is actually very limited in the human population.

This is because it doesn’t explain why so many parents care for their adopted children as their

own regardless of the differences in genetic make-up. Evidently, human consciousness wins over material genes.

A very important part of the human experience is to ask common fundamental questions like; why are we here? What is the point of our existence? There is an implied level of freedom just in asking these questions as commonly the answer will depend on your beliefs. Some scientists would argue that after the discoveries of molecular genetics, asking these questions is pointless. To them, we are not allowed to enjoy this feeling of freedom because we are ‘just machines controlled by our genes’. Surely, this is a very dismal view on human identity as many of our lives are usually driven and motivated by these self searching questions. However, many of these scientists neglect the fact that humans have a very strong and unique characteristic called ‘culture’.

Dawkins called inherited culture ‘little memes’ in harmony to our ‘little genes’.

Although these cultural factors have no genetic background, they can be as strong in evolution as our genes. The most obvious example is language. When I chat with my grandparents, although we speak the same language, the choice of words and accent I use has ‘evolved’ to such an extent that sometimes it is impossible for us to understand each other. Other examples of cultural evolution are numerous; from art and science to fashion and diet.

I feel we ought to adopt a middle ground concerning the integration of genetics in our identity. We should use the discoveries in genetics positively to aid all those in agony from genetic disorders; and perhaps one day we can delete the word racism from our dictionary. Nonetheless, we should do our best to conserve our human identity as conscious caring creatures lest we lose it in this big molecular world of genes.

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 21

Politics

Lisbon, Europe and You: Un O Written by Mary-Rachel McCabe

n 3rd November 2009, the Czech Republic became the last of the 27 member states of the European Union to ratify the Lisbon Treaty. Eight years after European leaders launched a process to make the EU “more democratic, more transparent and more efficient”, what the text actually means for the EU’s half a billion people is still not easy to determine.

Opponents of further European integration argue that the treaty transfers power in numerous ways - the surrender of vetoes, new powers for the European Court of Justice, and the creation of a new President of the European Council: A political figure who will hold office for thirty months, replacing the current system where countries take turns at being President for six months.

However, most supporters of the treaty concede that it transfers some power to the EU, the question is simply how much? Is the Treaty merely an attempt to streamline EU institutions to make the enlarged bloc of 27 states function better? Or is it part of a federalist agenda that threatens national sovereignty and aims to promote a new, unified “European Identity”? The Pulse investigates...

From a political point of view, the benefits of European integration are obvious: Good old-fashioned money and power. Unless Europeans manage to combine their collective weight in international affairs, they will find

22 THE PULSE Winter 2009

themselves increasingly marginalised in the new “post-American” world. Nick Witney, of the European Council on Foreign Relations argues that “the disjointed approaches of the different European member states to Washington are selling European interests short, and leaving the US frustrated and disappointed.”

Thus, with the Treaty offering hope of a more effective and coherent EU foreign policy, are we witnessing the birth of a new “European

"a new "European identity" has since the signing of this 'unam Spain, Germany is Germany an France. And each of them alwa super state”?

Alas, as fancy as it sounds, I do not believe that this is quite the reality for you, me, or any other average Joe, Juan or Jean-Pierre in the street. Brendan Donnelly of the Federal Trust (a supporter of European integration) argues that the Reform Treaty is somewhat “unambitious” and it is just one more step in the EU’s pursuit of “ever closer union”, and not a particularly dramatic one.

As a British citizen living in the heart of the continent this year (Seville) I can safely say that a new “European identity” has not crossed anyone’s mind since

Politics

nited we stand (apart). the signing of this “unambitious” Treaty.

Spain is Spain, Germany is Germany and France is still most definitely France. And each of them always will be. Yes, the idea of polling power and money in an attempt to level Europe with the United States in a political and economic sense is attractive for our leaders, but Europe “thrives on its diversity” and thus it shall remain for the rest of the “people in the street”, as one local Sevillian succinctly said.

s not crossed anyone's mind mbitious' Treaty. Spain is nd France is still most definitely ays will be.”

To bring it down to a very superficial level, all of the foreign students here in Seville are surprisingly vociferous in their selfclassification as Italian, French, Polish, or whatever they may be. Everyone has their turn at attempting to teach the basics in their language and their culture and, although there is no xenophobia in the automatic presumption that I am blonde-haired and therefore German, the Spanish do like to point out that I am “different”, which goes to show that individual identity in Europe is still paramount.

President Sarkozy

has recently been portraying the more extreme end of these small demonstrations of nationalism via his “Grand débat sur l’identité nationale”. “What makes us French?” he asks, in an attempt to defend traditional values of Frenchness and engender patriotism for his country. Indeed, no one in Europe wants merely to be known as “European”, though perhaps the French President goes a bit too far with his aim to ensure that all young French people will sing the national anthem at least once a year.

Some sort of balance between maintaining our individual national identities and collectively holding power as a united Europe is what we’re after, and this is quite possibly what we’ve got from the Lisbon Treaty. To quote Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen, before Ireland voted “yes” in the referendum for the treaty, “Only with a ‘yes’ will we ensure investor confidence in Ireland, protect our influence in vital economic decisions and reform Europe so that it is more dynamic and effective.”

And so the political ramifications of the Lisbon Treaty are re-iterated: money and power. But has it changed our identities from British, Spanish or French to “European”? The answer is “non”, Sarkozy will be pleased to hear.

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 23

Arts and Culture

Bards of Brig hton B Written by Naomi Bevan and Emily Gorton

righton is no stranger to celebrity. Katie Price is often sighted pottering around various local shops and Big Brother winner Pete Bennet can occasionally be found in East Slope bar on Sussex Campus. Simon Cowell even spent his childhood here. If we dig a little deeper however, an abundance of literary gems can also be discovered with connections to the seaside town – silently and anonymously living in our midst, adding their masterpieces to the fictional world.

Recently adapted into the hit TV series, Brightondweller Julie Burchill set ‘Sugar Rush’, her controversial novel about teenage lesbianism, in the free-spirited town. Another local, Raymond Briggs wrote and illustrated the much loved children’s picture book The Snowman, the animated version of which tugs the nation’s heartstrings every Christmas.

Brighton has not only produced successful writers of its own, but it has also been an inspiration to writers for years. Jane Austen used Brighton as the background for the youngest Bennett sister’s fall from grace, when she scandalously eloped with the rakish Mr Wickham. Since then Brighton has often been set as a den of iniquity; most famously in Graham Greene’s 1938 exploration of sin, Brighton Rock.

When writers weren’t using Brighton as the backdrop for scandals and sex scenes they were escaping to it to pen their masterpieces. Rudyard Kipling moved to neighbouring town Rottingdean, where he created some of his most famous works, including the Just So stories. Both Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray chose Brighton’s ‘Old Ship Hotel’ to create some of their greatest successes in.

Nick Cave, famous for his music and writing career, came all the way from Australia to settle in the city.

Sci-fi writer Jeff Noon, author of surrealist novels such as Vurt and Automated Alice also made the move in 2000 “in search of a creative muse”. It seems to have worked; since living here he has penned several new works, including ‘217 Babel Street’, an innovative short story collaboration with fellow

24 THE PULSE Winter 2009

Brighton writers Susanna Jones, Alison MacLeod and William Shaw. Readers interested can view the collection online at www.217babel.com.

Brighton has a lot to offer both aspiring and established writers; its close proximity to the sea and the South Downs provides much natural inspiration and its cross section of citizens means a varied rock-pool of life to draw ideas from. Brighton also provides writers with many platforms and opportunities to showcase their work with frequent open-mic nights at events, such as the monthly sell out tour ‘Floetics’ and Komedia’s poetry and short story slams.

One up and coming Brighton writer to keep an eye out for is poet Jasmine Ann Cooray. Fans of ‘Floetics’ will know her as its founder. Whilst returning to Brighton monthly to head the RedRoaster coffee house’s monthly event, she has now embarked on a new endeavour, WRITELondon, an innovative creative writing course. She also performs her poetry regularly, recently winning the Farrago Slam and Farrago Award for Best Feature Debut Performance, and has recently been published.

Cooray’s poetry is warm, witty, relevant and poignant. Readers interested in checking out her work can purchase her new collection online for £3 at www.tall-lighthouse.co.uk/p_jasmine. html or read it for free at www.myspace.com/ jasmineanncooray.

Gifted author Ian McEwan, now world renowned particularly for his recent novels Atonement and Enduring Love which have been made into awardwinning blockbuster hits, is even closer to home being a Sussex University Alumni. The creative spirit must linger on campus, as Katy Gardner, author of ‘Losing Gemma’ which was adapted for ITV in 2006 currently teaches Sussex students anthropology.

With the University taking an increasing interest in creative writing, the popular ‘Art of Short Fiction’ course having already printed two anthologies, maybe the next literary legend could be among us today. Watch this space…

OrangeThe Curtain Orange Curtain

Written by Dominic Beston

B

y noon the bottle was empty.

Jack Farley lay back on the bed and turned his gaze to the clear blue sky that lay beyond the curtains above him.

The alcohol that had invigorated him such a little time ago now lay heavily on his whole being. He sank into a strange depression and stared dreamily into the warm June sky above.

Arts and Culture

The

At first Jack had only come to the room for a break, somewhere to escape to from time to time. A place to sit and think, drink, and try to make sense of everything. But now he remained there day and night, with no real need for the world outside. He had his drink delivered, and his cigarettes and some food too, but his appetite had faded lately. It was a lonely and peculiar type of existence that Jack lived, but he had no need for society.

Things had not been easy lately. Martha had left, and work too had gone; friends were harder and harder to come by. Jack had kicked his habit nearly one year ago, and now only drank. It was too much to be in the City the whole time so he had taken this room by the seafront in the hope of finding some peace.

The room itself was simple: a bed under a window opposite the door, a little hard desk to one side and a television that had never been switched on. There was a bathroom too, just inside the door. Jack had all he needed here.

At first he would go out – he enjoyed walking on the seafront and breathing the fresh air, even stopping off somewhere for a pint or two. But this became less and less, and after a time he had given up even thinking about leaving the room. He had his little piece of sky that lay beyond the curtains, and that was enough for Jack.

Although the curtains, too, had caught his eye recently.

Each day, early in the afternoon, Jack drifted into that vague slumber that followed the first bottle. Always with his head back on the bed, his eyes would wander to the sky and he would drift into memory and numbness. The curtains that hung over the window were at first just a strange frame of the sky, but lately they had become more prominent and more important than even the sky itself. They were a peculiar design, a garish, sickly kind of orange in the background with plant like patterns that swirled and circled in the foreground. These patterns were orange too, but different shades and lighter than the background. Jack found the curtains repulsive at first, but soon came to accept and even like them. He would follow the patterns with his eyes until he slipped into daydreams...

By night, the room was lit by the moonlight. The curtains very gradually came into a life of their own. The patterns crept into a motion that captivated Jack, and he began to see a figure standing and sometimes flamboyantly dancing, in a style befitting of the curtains’ pattern. This often raised a smile on his lips – just for a brief moment.

He liked the dancing, but always wondered who the figure could be. At first Jack would only see the figure on occasional nights, but soon it came to be that the figure would appear in the curtain every night without fail. The dancing began to be more uninhibited and free in style.

Then one morning it came to him. Of course, of course... the curtain...

Jack pulled the curtain from the window and at once the room was filled by the silent blue sky. Why had he not had the idea before? He smiled keenly and set to work, cutting away at the material, carefully crafting himself a brand new suit from the curtain. When he was finished he held up his work and admired his creation. It was perfect! Trying it on for size, Jack admired his reflection in the window.

He thought how funny it was that things all fall into place in the end. He had been foolish to worry all this time; his problems had been no more than anybody else’s. The time spent in the room had cured his troubled mind and now everything was going to be just fine.

In a moment of genuine elation as he had not known for so long, Jack danced a little celebratory jig. He felt free and clear headed, and he loved his new suit!

For the first time in a long time, Jack headed for the door.

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 25

Arts and Culture

Naturalism and Epic Theatre are given

a new lease of life through the innovative mode of experimental theatre. We sent our reviewers to both London and Brighton to find out more…

Chekhov in Croydon

A

Written by Ellen Willis

fter receiving critical acclaim for their nonscripted interpretation of Hamlet, the infamous theatre company The Factory has taken their original, innovative technique and applied it to Chekhov’s naturalist script of The Seagull, with hilarious and unforgettable results.

Entering the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon, you are warmly greeted by the sight of what seems to be a social gathering – people talking, teasing, laughing; some earnestly engaged in conversation; some rushing to find an unnamed but essential item; some sat thinking, contemplating; and every single one of them preparing. Preparing for something that you are not yet aware of, but of which you immediately want to be a part. The bustle is electrifying – you might expect a sudden explosion of action, a blinding flash or the boom of a soundscape’s beginnings. Instead, you are shushed by an informally dressed man harnessing the words of an unrehearsed speech to welcome you to the production.

Boundaries are crossed and conventions are shattered as director Tim Carroll introduces his actors by name, discarding the typical illusions of character and instead making the audience explicitly aware that this is a performance, a play, a work of fiction. With this is mind, we are invited to experience a fully non-scripted interpretation of The Seagull, in which everyone knows their part, but not one person knows their lines.

The Seagull follows a group of artists – aspiring, successful and struggling – through the plethora of emotions and frustrations they feel in response to their country life. Away from the city, would-be performers and writers stage a play a hundred thousand years

26 THE PULSE Winter 2009

in the future, inspired by the nature around them and the nature that is to come. The established elite, the famous, published and recognised, are unmoved; new theatre is of no interest to them, and as the characters protest the credibility of their art, Chekhov provides a critique of artists, of artistic conventions and of the glamour of the celebrity lifestyle. It is from this viewpoint, through this magnifying glass held over conventional theatre, that The Factory theatre company approach their task.

Without a script, the actors rely on each other, each line bouncing and rallying like an ever-present beach ball. Every actor uses every line to create a new one as the audience, in morbid expectation, waits for the ball to hit the floor and deflate: it never does. This is theatre at its most alive, risky and certainly most exciting. As an audience member you cannot help but feel engaged and involved, as you wait with baited breath for every tiny fragment of action. The room is highly charged – this is a vastly theatrical production, and is yet so real and so natural. Engrossed in their work, the actors strive to deliver their contributions to each scene whilst skilfully allowing space for every other character to be showcased. They occasionally interrupt and underline each other, but nothing is lost. Instead this is a brand new realism, as close to the excitable, unforgiving speech of the everyday as it is possible to find on a stage.

In the script of The Seagull, aspiring playwright Constantine says: ‘What we need’s a new kind of theatre. New forms are what we need, and if we haven’t got them we’d be a sight better off with nothing at all.’ With their enchanting and dangerously improvisatory mode, The Factory truly innovate the theatre – no doubt Chekhov would have approved.

Written by Emily Gorton

T

he slightly poky theatre Upstairs at Three and Ten, just off St James’s street, was at its full capacity last night. A sparse stage with a cloth draped across one corner sporting the signs, ‘Mass Education’ and ‘Let there be light’, was what first met the eye. This, combined with live rag piano, set the mood of curiosity and expectation as we took our seats.

Rather than a post-modern Chekov, we were there to see some of poet, playwright and practitioner Bertolt Brecht’s lesser known work in a montage of political cabaret. With director Alex Brown at the helm, a former Sussex student, those of us there from the drama department were particularly anticipative.

For every drama student the world over, Brecht’s lifework and unique style of performance has been stamped repeatedly into the pages of our academic lives and I wondered whilst watching how different my experience would have been had this not been the case. In an attempt to escape from the naturalistic theatre which pervaded the stage of the early 20th century and created ‘narcotic’ illusion, Brecht wanted his audiences to think about what they saw, examine it and challenge it.

With the actors performing stylised caricatures, employing exaggerated gestures and ridiculous accents which distinctly emphasised class-status, Caberet Brecht was definitely true to the great man’s ideals.

Beginning with a rather shocking song about the filthiness and cruelty of the world sung by the entire ensemble, we then moved into a short play concerning a man who was making a profit from educating people about various STDs contracted by prostitution. Highly amusing with political undertones, a particular highlight was seventy invisible characters entering the ‘education tent’ which was very comic as we saw our protagonist tire of his gesturing them through the entrance and share an exasperated look with the

audience.

The song preceding this was more familiar to me, recognisable from The Threepenny Opera.

Although most people will know this musical by its opening song ‘Mac the Knife’, this one was slightly less

Arts and Culture

Brecht comes to Brighton

catchy, detailing a strange and rather sad relationship between a man and a prostitute.

It was delivered in a stilted and neutral style which emphasised the absurdity of the relationship and the baseness of ‘love’ when it becomes a commodity.

The following section was perhaps my favorite part of the performance. Set in a small town, a new and rather intimidating man comes onto the scene (played here by a young woman who was very successful at embodying the other gender) and systematically begins to kill the shopkeepers and take over their businesses. The first half is seen from the eyes of a simple pig-keeper, acted

by Benedict Shaw, a fellow drama student at Sussex. His ignorance of what was happening around him and his inability to act against it, coupled with his interaction with a ‘pig’ he was holding which made repeated high-pitched noises engineered

by Ben himself was very effective and highly comic.

It was not until the second half, where the date was shown on the back wall that I realised the play was an entire metaphor for the beginning of the Second World War. I should have probably guessed this as the characters names were country-based - ‘Mr Austria’ ‘Mrs Cezh’ ‘Mr Brit’- but I got there in the end.

Ending with some bleak words spoken by the ensemble about the war’s eternal effect on the makeup of Europe, I left with an active mind. With sentiments such as ‘you’ll die like every creature and nothing waits beyond’ to dwell on, I didn’t sleep particularly well, but the evening was overall a very enjoyable experience and may have for the first time made me actually understand what Bertolt Brecht meant.

‘you’ll die like every creature and nothing waits beyond’

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 27

Arts and Culture

Bats, Lashes and ‘harpsicord hooves’: Nick Brown-WarR muses on the music at the roundhouse 05/11/09

C

aught between sweaty suits and fondling middleaged couples, we wait for a generic gig venue to be transformed by the fairy-tale landscapes of Bat For Lashes. A projector scorches their name in fifties horror movie font onto the rear wall of the stage.

Enter the sequined young girls. Horse & I. We stomp our harpsichord hooves, braying and fighting for space and new perspectives on Natasha in her all-in-one and golden cape cavorting about the stage. She flashes into and out of view as the energy builds and there is something new in the room.

To see what it is more clearly we retreat to the back.

For the first time she emerges; complete, resplendent, from between all the heads, scarves and shoulders, a beauty draped and fluid conjuring each of her songs like an enchantress – one at a time. Each intimately unified in the words and worlds this music creates, yet distinct, individual chapters in the two narratives – Fur & Gold ,Two Suns – both intricately woven around one other.

From the riot of Trophy to the distilled heartache of Sad Eyes, Bat For Lashes sonically restructure the visual texture of the Roundhouse. Unlike their predecessors on this stage it is not a matter of pulling out highlights.

As astounding as those highlights might have been, energy builds, and a plot unfolds. The obnoxious suits and couples fade away and you can be alone with whomever you’ve chosen to experience this with.

28 THE PULSE Winter 2009

A thought generated in response to the sequined young girl; the horror movie font was intentional, but so much of the visual was predictable and unintentional – backlit, light-rig-lit. The dimensions of the room have been transformed but they have been transformed sonically. The rich imagery of the music lends itself to a visual imagination; a visual imagination would have enriched this gig beyond the boundaries of a typical gig. There are moments that come close. In the closing chapter, The Big Sleep is achieved, replacing Scott Walker with a television screen. The lighting is subtler and darker, altogether more theatrical. That’s the key. Bat for Lashes are not a “rockband” - skinny boys, transposing one generic guitar sound from track to track; the songs have substance and resonance. The records are stories, theatrical, ethereal soundscapes that demand Gordon Willis not the inhouse light rig guy. Everything’s in place, the story, unquestionably the star – it just needed staging, theatrical direction and this would have truly have been a phenomenal performance.

Charged we leave the amphitheatre for a final confrontation in the cloakroom. Our effects and apparel have been misplaced and imbued with the mysticism and unreality of Bat for Lashes. We showdown and ride off into the night.

ons

I

Arts and Culture

Alex's

ti menda m o c e r

Editorial choice

f I had to recommend just one thing this term it would be a visit to the magical little website that is www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/entrypass.

For seasoned theatre goers or curious newcomers, this is the place to take advantage of the National Theatre’s new £5 ticket initiative for eighteen and twenty-five year olds.

Whilst Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children comes with my own personally recommendation, there’s plenty of exciting stuff to choose from including gritty f you are play The Pitman Painters, the latest offering from Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall. bored of the With London only a cheap train ride away if you book in advance, this is standard the perfect opportunity to see something new Italian restaurants and without spending a fortune. Sign up for an want to try something a little s entry pass and your first play is even n bit different, I would recommend tio thrown in for free . Enthusiastic a Latin American-themed Las Iguanas. The d Drama students can book in for en menu offers enough selection to suit a variety m exclusive backstage tours om of tastes, with a c and those wishing re range of dishes from to flex their Tapas to traditional Brazilian journalistic curry. Although prices might be muscles a little bit higher than Pizza Express can even or Ask, you can get 20% off your food publish reviews on the bill with a voucher from Studentbeans. theatre website. There com (http://www.studentbeans.com/national/ aren’t many financial offers/eating-out/hot.html). The restautrant also perks of being a offers a 2 for 1 deal on cocktails and pitchers during student – don’t Happy Hour between 12-7pm. Located on Jubilee Street in the heart of the North miss out!

Lanes, it is within easy distance from the centre of Brighton and well worth checking out!

I

Em

m

s ' a

If you’re planning to stick around in Brighton over Christmas, you might like to take a look at the Brighton Christmas Market on 20th December at the Brighton Centre. Complete with Santa, ice-skating and Christmas shopping, it seems like the perfect place to get into the festive spirit! Entrance if completely FREE and you can find out more details at http://www.brightoncentre.co.uk.

Felix's

A

recommendations

s with any sushi-restaurant the emphasis of the quality of the food lies on the preparation and freshness.

Sushi Gardens, located a few minutes from Churchill Square by foot, manages to combine ambiance and quality in the culinary exploration through the realms of traditional Japanese food. The food, best if served with the traditional drink sake, shows signs of careful preparation and sur-place preparation. This does mean that unlike many sushi bars a where one can grab his food of a counter or something alike, one has to wait a significant amount of time.

On a totally different note, would I like to take this opportunity to raise awareness for the Brighton Dome and especially the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra. Despite being a local orchestra and not a Metropolitan, many performances reach a certain level. Attending these classical concerts inspires anyone and is perfect to introduce the marvels of classical music. Obviously not being able to compete with big names such as the London Symphonic Orchestra or the Wiener Philharmonic, the B.P.O. does however put on a decent performance.

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 29

What have Drugs got to do with it?

Features

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Written by Talisa Dean

hilst most Sussex students would argue would disagree with that the purpose of the Cannabis debate this view. In fact, considering that 90% of the is to look at the risks of using the drug, individuals asked around campus – including a with the current political conflict surrounding the dapper doctor or two – admit to having used the issue, I am left wondering about the extent to drug at least once in their lives, I am going to go which this holds true. With the recent dismissal ahead and change that ‘many’ to most. However, of Professor David Nutt as the government’s the truth is this difference in opinion proves primary drug advisor still fresh, it seems only right irrelevant in terms of my foremost point. Whether to go ahead and consider the extent to which this you believe in the long-term health effects of commonplace opinion proves correct. cannabis, have never smoked a spliff or smoke

Without a doubt cannabis has a number more times than you bother to brush your teeth, of negative effects. Proved by many and in the I urge you to ask yourself this: What is the real words of the notorious FRANK himself: ‘the more reason behind the discussion of cannabis? Genuine you mess with cannabis, the more it can mess concern for the possible effects on both the user with your mind’. Whilst argued by some to relax and society? Or, has the primary concern of our the single, working mother of four, help towards politicians actually moved passed the potential pain relief, not to mention aid the Buddhist monk risks and, in fact, become more about their in his ambition to cleanse himself of his sins, political appearance? long-term cannabis use has been scientifically

With David Blunkett’s endorsement of the proven to be harmful. Not only does it increase reclassification of cannabis from a Class B to a Class the risk of schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, and C drug in 2004, followed by the decision to reverse major depression, but it has also been said to act said change in 2009, and now this recent dismissal, as a gateway to stronger substances; the training the cannabis debate is very much alive and kicking. wheels to other harder drugs. It is unquestioned However, the critical question is, why? What are that cannabis is no second to the politicians’ biggest concerns? "the more you mess with heroin, nor flying high with crack With the recent marching orders cannabis, the more it can cocaine. However, that does not given to Professor Nutt - based on take away from its potential: the view that his latest analysis of mess with your mind” cannabis abuser James Howson the drug went beyond scientific snapping the back of his 16-month-old baby, facts and ventured into the realms of trying to Linconshire’s Marc Middlebrook’s decision to stab change government policy – one cannot help but his girlfriend fifteen times with three separate wonder why the cannabis debate remains at such knives. close range. With statistics showing that very little

Living nowadays, within a society in change comes out of revising the classification of which indulgence is praised as success, it seems a drug – not to mention, a survey around Sussex unsurprising that the effects of cannabis are revealing that very few people even knew what downplayed or shrugged off. In a society where class cannabis was in – one can’t help but wonder emphasis is placed on excess in intellect, in wealth, whether the change is merely a tool used by thinness and sexual extravagance, one can hardly politicians to increase popularity amongst the act shocked that people give little weight to a drug electorate. Are the health risks or even which is unable to kill you. However, this does not the effects on society – for example, make it right or any less risky. In fact, surely this the police force or the NHS – even social extravagance acts only as another reason what matters any more to the why the drug should be left in its present category? big boys on top? Or has the Why, in a culture of extremes, of binge drinking, cannabis debate become eating and smoking – to name only a few – not a mere pawn in the to mention, with the availability and potency of battleground of UK cannabis forever escalating, would one go about politics? downgrading a dangerous drug?

Image sourced by www.baltinoresun.com

Saying that, undoubtedly, many people

30 THE PULSE Winter 2009

Features

A Helping Hand in Hue Written by Billy Warrener

W

hen answering queries from my parent’s friends about what I devote my time to at Sussex when I’m not studying, my stock response has for a long time has been that ‘I really don’t have any time for many extra curricular activities’. In light of my attitude, an insight into the work of Hue Help has been truly humbling. A small charity, Hue Help was originally founded by American and British students and NGO professionals, and is now staffed predominantly by University of Sussex students. Whilst completing their degrees, they work to make a difference to the disadvantaged people of Hue City, Vietnam’s old imperial capital, familiar to most backpackers as the best place from which to organize a DMZ tour or to visit the illustrious tombs of Vietnam’s emperors. In a somewhat different contribution to the city’s development, the charity’s main program supports the city’s Home of Affection Orphanage, an institution threatened with closure until Hue Help signed to become its main sponsor in 2008. It is now home to 25 children and adolescents between the ages of 1 and 20. I asked Hue Help’s funding co-ordinator, Becca Thomas, herself a student at Sussex, to share some of her experiences of her last two summers spent at the orphanage.

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 31

Features

I

came into contact with Hue Help in my first as it is generous. The year through the University Raising and Giving volunteer work itself Society (RAG). Like most gap-year students, I’d consists of teaching caught the travel bug during my time away and as English in a variety of the academic year progressed I began to dream of centres including schools, Asia, and in particular the sights, smells and tastes orphanages and community centres, with each of Vietnam. I’d always wanted to do voluntary work individual given the option of choosing where and and while I was fundraising for how much they work. However, RAG I became fascinated by as Becca was keen to stress, that "welcoming a new boy is by no means the limit of what Hue Help. It’s difficult to put my finger on why exactly it’s to the orphanage was a the volunteers can give to Hueso important to me. I think it’s she recounted her involvement in special moment” partly because Sussex students, building a garden and painting an inspired orphanage. Moreover, with the to do something charitable students of Hue eager to learn more of Western alongside their degrees, culture, she found herself satisfying their desires by set it up. But mostly it is of teaching dance, art, music and drama. course the incredible charm For those interested in becoming part of Hue of Hue and the children of Help, there’s no time like the present. The majority the orphanage, who seem to of its voluntary staff now in their third year at win over every volunteer who Sussex, and Becca was at pains to express that ‘it graces their presence.’ would be great to keep a University of Sussex link Asked about any memorable for the oncoming years as Hue Help continues to events in particular, she replied expand.’ To be part of a volunteer program or help that ‘welcoming a new boy to with fundraisers you can visit the website at www. the orphanage was a special moment. Watching huehelp.org or email volunteer@huehelp.org. For him settle in, and the graciousness and care that further general information email info@huehelp. the other children showed towards him was org. A special mention has to go to RAG itself, particularly touching. I always find it difficult to which is supporting Hue Help this year. In the first hear the sad stories of the children as they bounce fortnight of this academic term Sussex RAG raised around the orphanage, but it serves to reinstate over five hundred pounds, thus paying for half of to me personally the importance of its continued the emergency relief program set up by Hue Help existence.’ in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Hue’s weather is infamously bad, and alongside Ketsana in October 2009. To get involved in RAG sponsoring the orphanage the charity runs a email rag@ussu.sussex.ac.uk . swimming training program, teaching children a To employ a cliché of the charity world, Hue Help’s life-saving skill in a flood-prone city. There is also work is an educative process of the most rewarding a mobile clinic that provides free health checks to manner for all concerned. Volunteers might those with little or no medical access. just find themselves The organisation’s website states that its projects with a more lasting are ‘designed to make realistic improvements in impression of the city communities and care institutions in ways that than that offered by allow people to retain their customs, culture and the Lonely Planet, beliefs’. With all its programs developed locally and with any luck by full-time Vietnamese staff, complete cultural you’ll still find time to compatibility is ensured. This is representative learn how to fall off a of a charity that is as intelligent in its operations motorbike.

THE PULSE Winter 2009 32

Written by Nicola Alexandrou

U

niversity: a word that evokes excitement, anticipation and fear in most freshers. Many questions fill the mind of a first year; will I make friends easily? What will my flatmates be like? Will my course be what I expected? I found that excitement soon engulfed the fear, as Freshers’ Week took off and the university experience really began.

Living on East Slope is fantastic as everyone is like one big community, it didn’t take long before the flat parties began and everybody was getting to know their neighbours. You soon discover what everyone told you before is true; we’re all in the same boat.

For many this will be the first time living away from their parents, meaning cooking and cleaning for themselves. Many students however don’t actually “cook” they merely heat food for consumption.

I soon found my feet at uni and although the work load seemed daunting, I quickly learnt to balance my social life with my work life, as I’m sure most freshers do. I’ve found, so far, that my university experience has been great and has turned out much better than I had expected.

Beats Per Minute

Finding your feet as a Fresher

S

Brighton on a Budget!

Written by Rose Brownlow

ummer’s easy living is officially over; the word overdraft is featuring an uncomfortable amount in our day-to-day lives and our pockets are painfully empty.

But fear not students, by no means does this indicate your social life is nearing its bitter end; the social calendar has only just begun, and pockets empty or full, we can and will continue to let the good times roll!

If you’re not already privy to the most beneficial student site on the internet, get yourselves involved in Money Saving Expert (www.moneysavingexpert. com), and start living the life of luxury at the budget of a beggar. Martin and his money tips are throwing deals at us left, right and centre, from two for one main meals at the fast moving, for the fast living student, Yo Sushi; or alternatively, offering discounts too tempting to resist, on cocktails at Las Iguanas in the lanes. If these offers are still too much for your bank balance to come to terms with, pack up a flask of hot chocolate, kit yourself out with a hat, gloves and scarf, gather together your mates and head down to Brighton beach to watch the world pass you by. Happy days!

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 33

Beats Per Minute

What is it, is it love?

Written by Frankie Mace

There are rules in this game like any other You are a character, love is a fiction Become an actor in a role made only for her Find body parts she hates and adore them Guess at the story she has written for you Sell yourself let her purchase your image Find clues in the way she responds to you Undress only the wounds she can manage Don’t ask what could make her shameful Lies are but compulsive fantasy Remember the beautiful never the painful Shy away from emotional reality Go to the dark room, the only room Lie with her there in the gloom

Date of the Month What: Greyhound Racing Who: Male, 22 and Female, 20.

Where: Brighton and Hove Greyhound Stadium When: Thursday (19.30 onwards) Pros: • Novel • Relaxed and good fun • You can win money!

Rating:

34 THE PULSE Winter 2009

Cons: • You can lose money!

• Overpriced food

Written by Emily Gorton

Despite querying the appearance of minced pies at the Co-Op as early as September and cursing the enthusiasm of every festive shopper mobbing Churchill Square, my heart skips a little higher this year at the thought of Christmas.

Maybe it’s because I’m sitting under every blanket in the

house with a regularly refilled hot-water bottle and I can still see my breath… (The heating dial has an invisible label on it reading ‘you can’t afford me.’)

Torn between food, heat and sleep deprivation, this over worked, over-tired third-year sees Christmas as the golden blip on a muddy horizon. I think of the 25th and I can smell pine, my mum’s bread sauce and the pages of new books that I’ll never read. I’ve regressed into that mitten-bearing child who used to compete with her brother as to how many layers she could wear on frosty mornings... only month where the for again London in home, be I’ll

Monopoly doesn’t get boring. For Oxford Street lights and walks on Hampstead Heath. For rushing the house decorations because my dad always gets the tree too late.

For the realisation that I miss home a lot more than I’ll ever admit.

Beats Per Minute

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Dear Father Christmas, Written by Hannah Guinness It’s here again and this time I would love: the vast mountain of dishes next to the sink to magically go away; it’s been there too long now and I’m afraid at what I’ll find if I try to make a start.

To never, ever have to eat curry flavoured super-noodles again.

To have some nice towels and not ones from Primark that leave dye on your skin.

Some kind of small pack animal which could carry all my books when I go to the library.

As many pairs of matching socks as I can get.

Really posh loo paper, not Smart Price (make it double quilted, sod the environment).

To have absolutely no mould growing in the house, or plants and mushrooms Photo by Jaimee-Lee Wolfe for that matter.

A miracle hangover cure; with the amount of Sherry you drink doing the rounds, you must have one!

Some kind of fruit or veg in my diet, seriously- anything.

Magical bins that helpfully take out their own rubbish.

A photographic memory.

For all of us to have loads of money, so my friend will stop reminding me I still owe him 52p.

I hope this isn’t too much to ask!

Lots of love, Joe Student.

Winter 2009 THE PULSE 35

Photo by Jaimee-Lee Wolfe

Merry Christmas from

We'll be back in the new year!