Issue 153

3 U N I V E R S I T Y

O F

E S S E X

S T U D E N T

N E W S PA P E R

NEWS

COMMENT MUSIC FILM TV BOOKS

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NEWS

ARTS SCIENCE LIFESTYLE

Campus Cat leaves

SPORTS THURSDAY 6TH MARCH | ISSUE 153

9

COMMENT

Are rivalries healthy or destructive?

9 BOOKS

18

Interview with Philip Terry

27 SPORTS

Winter Olympics

26

Students’ Union Election Winners Announced!

Full story on page 2

2

News

Naomi Jeffreys, Editor Jessica Houlihan, Deputy Editor Saga Eriksson, Head Designer

Roxy Mason, News Editor Andrew Smith, News Deputy Editor Nisa Khan, News Deputy Editor

STUDENT

Editorial So the 2014 Students’ Union Elections have been and gone, the new sabbatical officers will be elated at their new roles within their Students’ Union, at the challenge of running the establishment successfully and at making their mark within the University. Having been at the University for three years, I must confess, I have been more aware of the elections this year, of their importance within the Students’ Union and just how important our vote as students is, to us and to them.

The presence of students on squares, fighting for a vote, banners hung up outside the Canteen and refresh, talking to students about what they want to do in their role. Also, the new screens on the stairs have been utilised, and videos of the candidates either laughing, with placards or ‘goofing’ around is a wonderful new edition to the election process. So, good luck to the new sabbatical officers in their new role.

In this issue, you can expect to find: a nostalgic look back to the bygone era of television which once was and no longer is, a look in to why foreign film is just as important as the American blockbusters, an exclusive interview with Professor Phillip Terry, a debate in to Graphical Art and its role within an artist’s hemisphere and many more delights.

With new sabbatical officers and a new look Students’ Union, it seems change is on the horizon, it’s nearly the end of the second term and soon many of us will be graduating, moving on from our University life and starting anew, perhaps a little wiser than before. Change is good. Change needs to happen for us to develop and grow as human beings.

You can follow us on Twitter @TheRabbit2013 and on Facebook at The Rabbit Newspaper – 2013/2014 page.

Do you want to write for your student newspaper?

Then contact us at therabbitnewspaper@gmail. com, whether you want to write for the news section, or you want to review your favourite novel. You can contact us to find out how.

Your Editor, Naomi Jeffreys

Mikya Rozner (VP Services and Communications) is missing from this picture.

A Race to the Top As most students can’t help but have noticed, this February has been dominated by the Students’ Union elections.

community spirit, and this level of political engagement bodes well for our student democracy, now entering its fiftieth year.

Since the nomination deadline on Valentine’s Day, twenty-seven candidates have been contending just seven Sabbatical Officer roles, whilst nominees for the fifteen part-time jobs have been embroiled in similarly intense competition.

Voting ran online from Monday 10am to 4pm on Friday, leaving a short window to secure support from an electorate of almost eleven thousand students. As if campus wasn’t already consumed with election fever, nominations for Society Executives opened the same week, ready for polls in early March.

With ‘The Ultimate Student Job’ as the prize, the campaign was always going to be tough. For those standing, submitting a detailed manifesto was just the start; they have had to battle on the squares for our hearts and votes, and nobody has left campus this week without a pocketful of fliers.

Beyond their own canvassing and banner-making, candidates have been required to complete a ‘Minute Manifesto’ on the SU’s YouTube channel, with just sixty seconds to explain their vision for The University of Essex. On Tuesday and Thursday there has also been a ‘Speaker’s Corner’ on Square 3, where students could meet and question the contenders in person.

Finally, some students formed political parties, such as FightBack, to bolster each other’s chances of success. Even students who weren’t standing themselves pitched in to help their politician peers, handing out leaflets and campaigning by their side. It’s been an impressive show of Essex

After all this competition, the end must come as some relief to everyone involved. As is traditional, Sub Zero hosted the Election Results Party on the Friday, with the victors’ names announced live on stage as well as streamed online. It’s a tense moment, but afterwards the successful candidates have the whole evening to celebrate.

I offer congratulations to our new representatives, and consolations to those who missed out, but tonight both sides can enjoy a well-earned rest.

The rest of us should applaud those who stood, and look forward to promises put into practice when our chosen representatives take office. We can all return to our studies, our work, and our socials. Normal campus life, after a month on pause, can now resume.

Andrew Smith

THURSDAY 6TH MARCH | ISSUE 153

NEWS

3

STUDENT

Change has Arrived Your New Officers Students vote in record numbers for next years leaders of the SU. The night started off with the announcements of the part-time officers in front of an eager and supportive crowd gathered in Sub Zero, each candidate enjoying enormous support from their followers. The results were also streamed online for the very first time with one hundred and ninety people watching the proceedings from all over the world.

He said: “I’m ecstatic, really happy; to have won in such a way makes it so much sweeter when you win!”

Winners were announced along with the number of votes each candidate received. The nerves were rising at the revelation of the fourth NUS Delegate, which was ultimately decided by a coin toss after a tie between candidates Alex Georgiou and Jake Woodier, with Alex winning the position in the end.

The results lasted approximately two hours, building up the excitement nearer the end for the long awaited reveal of the new Sabbatical Officers.

Friends and supporters flocked to the eventual winners and losers after each position was revealed, verifying the importance of these elections for the clearly passionate candidates as emotions took over some of the less successful candidates.

Jess Blair retained her position as Chair of the Student Representative Forum for the second year in a row and said she was excited to start a new year and hopes that the number people attending the SRF wll expand and more students will want to get involved.

Once all of the winners had been revealed it was only fitting that they celebrated together on stage in front of their supporters and fellow students to the tune of “We Are The Champions” and blasts of confetti.

For the position of Women Students’ Officer, Charlie Edge was elected for her hopes to encourage students to have more of an interest in all gender issues on campus and create a more proactive representation of genders at the University.

She said: “I’m really pleased and grateful to everyone who voted because it’s great to know I have plenty of support. I wasn’t expecting to win… I will work my hardest to make Essex a safer and more comfortable place for everyone.”

Alex Georgiou was elected as Student Trustee as well as NUS Delegate (Conservative) the latter by winning a coin toss after drawing with Jake Woodier on about 116.16 votes.

Three other Student Trustee positions were also available and the winners were Marina Kuzmenko, James Rolfe and Evelina Semaskevic. The position of Southend Student Trustee was given to Farnaz Choudhury.

Matteo Paba won the position of Participation and Involvement Officer. There were four positions available for the NUS Conference Delegates and they were given to Emily McDonagh, George Venizelos, Alex Georgiou and Chantelle Whyborn.

Ruth Raymer was elected as the Mature Students’ Officer and she described her win as: “Overwhelming, the support I received was amazing with all the votes, the fact that there are so many mature students that want me in this position makes me very excited to start.”

The position for LGBT Officer went to James Adam Coll as Ogechukwu Onyia was elected Charity and Fundraising Officer.

When asked for the word that best described how she was feeling, new Equality & Diversity Officer Lora Aziz answered: “bobobeedobebadababoh!”

She explained that the feeling was “indescribable... from women’s liberation officer to equality and diversity officer, this is where I need to be making things happen. Watch this space!”

The remaining Part-Time positions of Campaigns Officer and Ethics & Environment were given to Adria Porta Caballe and Emily May Armstrong respectively. Commenting on his win Adria said it was not just a personal victory but a win for the student movement as a whole.

The Full-Time Sabbatical Officers that were elected

started with Stephen Brennan winning the position of VP Southend & Loughton. He said he was: “Feeling elated, although I was the only candidate, I’m still very, very happy. Luckily I beat RON! Big up East 15! Big up Southend!”

Luke Bowdery, who won VP Student Activities, told us that he was: “ecstatic, relieved, tired... I’m glad that it’s over, but I think I am the best candidate for the job. I have given a lot to sport at Essex, and look forward to giving more in the future” The new VP Welfare & Community is Cherina Darrell-Sutherland; her main aims are Unity, Health, Safety, Community Engagement, Awareness and YOU, the students.

Newly elected VP International Hristina Kamburova said, “I am extremely happy, all the hard work has finally paid off. I’ve had an amazing time the past couple weeks, it’s just indescribable.”

Mikya Rozner was unable to witness her being elected the new VP Services and Communications although she had enormous support from the audience.

The biggest cheer of the night went to Michael Spencer who was elected VP education by a clear majority of votes in the first round. He commented his victory saying “I am just delighted with this position, thank you to those who worked so hard campaigning for me.”

And finally, the position of President went to a clearly shell-shocked and emotional Chantel Le Carpentier and she said: “Thanks to everyone who voted, and thanks to everyone who has believed in me for over a year now. I’m just feeling unbelievable gratitude... I’m speechless! I’m not drunk, just drunk on the atmosphere!”

A total of 3250 students voted online breaking the previous record of 3088 votes.

Nisa Khan

4

Winner Profiles President Chantel Le Carpentier Current VP Welfare and Community Already done things like help with the re-brand and introduced Night Ninjas.

Has promised: More counsellors, longer courses of treatment and shorter waiting lists for students with mental health conditions.

Accessible pack of resources for students to help others who are struggling.

A no bullsh*it guide to careers, how to get experience and employability.

Alternative jobs fair working with local businesses and charities.

Accredited training courses for SU supervisors.

An accommodation rent freeze.

A credit union on campus for when things gets tight.

Vice-President Student Activities Luke Bowdery Has Promised: Free passport to sport.

Reduce Societies Guild fees.

Greater care for Alumni.

Greater volunteering opportunities.

Ensuring society and club member satisfaction.

Developing sport at Southend and Loughton.

Vice-President Education Michael Spencer Has promised: An improved SU Agenda on Employability.

Effective employability modules.

A truly representative Course Rep system.

Lecturers take their audiences into consideration when they teach.

Listen again is available for all students.

The Access to Learning Fund is protected.

University adopts popular integrated mobile app.

Free used books exchange site available and better book fairs.

The Freshers Groups gets amazing support.

Vice-President Welfare and Community Cherina Darrell-Sutherland Has Promised: Celebrate the diversity and cultural differences on campus.

Extend the days for sexual health screenings at the heath centre.

Extend the service time and frequency of the safety bus.

Broaden the university’s range of volunteering projects.

Spread awareness about societal issues.

Available to students whenever needed and always there to listen.

Vice-President Services and Communications

Vice-President International Hristina Kamburova Has Promised: Head start on the way to achieving a great degree.

Develop proofreading system run by the Students’ Union.

Support cultural groups celebrating cultural holidays and traditions on a bigger scale.

Will coordinate language classes offered by cultural groups.

Run buddy scheme that matches Exchange/Erasmus or first year international students with home students.

Introduce Postgraduate representative in the International Students Association committee.

Encourage cultural exchange and socialising with different groups.

Vice-President Southend & Loughton Stephen Brennan Has Promised: Look at and find best solution for accommodation problems.

Improve relationships between Southend and Loughton East 15 campuses.

Make sports more widely available for all courses.

Look at what has happened now there is no resource fee.

Hope to get a vending machine on both the 5th floor in the Gateway building as well as in Clifftown Studios.

Mikya Rozner Students deserve to know what their money is being spent on within the SU Has promised: Cut costs but not the quality of food.

Introduce a ‘to-go’ food menu filled with nutritious, cheap and quick to eat food.

Get Sabbs to produce a termly report outlining how their manifesto promises are developing.

Roxy Mason

DevCon1 is a technology talks day. There is something for all technology enthusiasts, from those interested in digital media to hard-core developers. DevCon1 is a valuable professional development, networking and learning opportunity.

DevCon1 Thursday 17 April 2014

Lecture Theatre Building Colchester Campus 9.00am to 4.30pm

Some of this year’s confirmed sessions ▪

Keynote address: Campus one initiative, delivering a framework that enables the creation of a sustainable user experience in today’s digital campus Chris Gabriel, Chief Technology Officer, Logicalis

▪

What does Making Electronic Feedback Effective (MEFE) entail? The project behind the changes to FASer from inception to future plans Alex O’Neill, University of Essex

▪

CloudZync, the future of payments and wallets, the innovative online payments system about to be adopted by your SU Andrew Smith, Co founder and CTO, CloudZync

▪

Developing scalable websites with Umbraco CMS Matthew Brumpton, UK Data Archive

Register or get more information

Tickets

DevCon1: www.essex.ac.uk/it/training/events/devcon1/ Eventbrite: www.eventbrite.co.uk/ (search for DevCon1)

Student tickets are £10 (which includes lunch). Student spaces are limited.

Students have a 50/50 chance of winning their ticket in our raffle.

uoe_ittraining #uoe_devcon1

6

Campus Cat Graduates It’s a heart-warming tale, but with a bittersweet conclusion for Essex students.

Many talented new scholars joined us on Colchester Campus for this academic year, but none has inspired the student body quite like Campus Cat, our first feline undergraduate.

A frequent visitor to the Teaching Centre, the dashing black-and-white tom was quick to make friends with fellow students: at the time of writing he has over two-thousand likes on Facebook, two hundred and fifty nine Twitter followers, and twenty-six subscribers on YouTube.

In his time between classes, Campus Cat offered his wisdom and emotional support to students all around the university. He seemed at home at Essex, and was even a fan of our newspaper!

Support member, this mystery has been solved.

Campus Cat’s microchip allowed him a tearful reunion with owner Heather Smith, who knows him as Pebbles, six months after going missing.

Mrs. Smith was reported to have said: “I was so amazed when I got the call from the vets to say Pebbles was found as I thought he was lost forever,” She explained; “He really does have a mind of his own and it is so lovely the students have been so kind to him. I am so grateful.”

If Pebbles decides to return for the postgraduate programme, however, he can be sure of a warm return.

“At least I know if he wanders back to the University he will be well looked after,” said Mrs. Smith.

Some, though, were left pondering his mysterious origins.

After a trip to the vets with a considerate Student

Andrew Smith

A Unparalleled Intellectual Experience: Professional Inaugural Lecture Series The University of Essex is ranked in the top ten research universities in the UK. Being such a research-focused institution allows us to provide students with, as well as to celebrate, global thinkers and their materials. Over the spring and summer terms, our newly appointed professors will be participating in the university’s Professional Inaugural Lecture Series. The lectures are to take place from Monday 3rd March; they will be primarily in leading research faculties such as law, politics, sociology and literature. As the university operates on a uniquely international platform, it is an unequalled advantage to have such illuminating professionals deliver lectures on specific subjects.

‘Reflections on Tapestry’ took place on Monday 3rd March, held by Professor Philip Terry, Creative Writing Director renowned within the Department of Literature, Theatre and Film Studies.

Known for his inspirational texts, his new publication ‘tapestry’ is based around the peripheral visuals of the Bayeux work of the same name, conveniently left out of history by leading academics. Re-working the story, Professor Terry narrates from the perspective of the English nuns responsible for the creation of the ancient Tapestry. A Catherine-wheel of Oulipian drama, magic and poignancy, tapestry novelises a well-known,

yet surprisingly neglected account of history.

On Monday 17th March, Professor Nick Allum asks ‘What People Know About Science, and Why It Matters’. Using his own research, the Sociology professor deliberates whether it is important that people are ‘scientifically literate’, and investigates the ‘love’ of science. He ponders this, keeping in mind a 1916 statement by John Dewey, suggesting that society would do well to “attitudes of open-mindedness, observation and interest in testing their own opinions...characteristic of the scientific attitude”, and gives an indication as to where the research is currently heading.

Department of Government Professor Tom Scotto speaks on the Monday 19th May, investigating the topic of ‘Public Opinion and Foreign Policy: Do British and American Citizens Know What They Want?’ Scotto conducts his lecture using research from surveys, and a model of problem solving; both of which have measured British and American public opinion on war and peace in an efficient and impressive way. Using findings that challenge the Almond-Lippmann consensus of public sentiment post-1950, he reveals how these have had implications across the study of international relations.

Monday 2nd June: Professor Pete Fussey, from the Department of Sociology lecture on the subject matter of ‘Surveillance, Security and The City’. Through cumulative methods of urban research, Professor Fussey looks closely at the growth, application and impact of technological surveillance in comparison to more recent, hightech methods of urban security. He examines the growing proliferation of surveillance regulation and its effect on modern life, and questions how both challenge the common reduction of surveillance to common Orwellian metaphors.

Lectures commence at 6pm, followed by a Q&A session and a drinks reception. The fortyfive minute sessions are held in the Lakeside Theatre. Admission is free, although booking is strongly advised. Email “mailto:events@essex.ac.uk”events@essex.ac.uk to book yourself a place, or contact 01206 873270. More information on the lecture series is available at “http:// www.essex.ac.uk/pil”www.essex.ac.uk/pil.

Emily Townsend

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8

Comment

Jake Stones, Comment Editor Philippa Dobson, Comment Deputy Editor

Editors Note: The views represented in this section are from those of the individuals and do not represent the editorial views as a whole.

For Fair Competition

Against Holding a Grudge

I find it amusing when people moan about rivalries and only see one side of the coin. Yes, like all things, there is a dark side, but there is a wonderful and beautiful side to rivalries also. Football rivalries are constantly scrutinised, so I’m going to use them to show the brighter side.

About twenty years ago some of my family moved from England to Scotland.

My cousin, who’s English, married a Scottish man. Now, every time I go to visit my Scottish family, my cousin’s husband never sees us, simply because he does not like the English (which is ironic because he married an English person). Maybe it’s due to the history between the two countries: Kings and Queens being murdered, invasions, breaking treaties, recognising independence and then opposing it with physical force. Whatever his reasons he is part of this ongoing rivalry between these two awesome countries. This rivalry has grown so much over time it has led to Scotland offering the public a vote for independence in 2014.

In 1958, Bill Shankly, (Liverpool legend), offered six of his firstteam, not fringe or reserve players, but first team players, to rivals Manchester United. A sin for any Liverpool manager to do, so why do it? It was the Munich air disaster; United lost six players and looked unlikely to fulfil their fixtures. Shanks believed in the rivalry and wanted to maintain it. No hate there, just love for football between two well respected teams.

RIVALRIES

In March 2011, Real Madrid wore shirts saying “Animo Abidal” in support of Barcelona left-back and fans’ favourite, Eric Abidal who was diagnosed with liver cancer. Political rivalry and a dark history were set aside for something more important, life.

Every season Brighton & Hove Albion, and Crystal Palace supporters play each other in the Robert Eaton Memorial Fund Challenge Match. Robert Eaton was a victim of the 9/11 disaster, and the match raises funds for football teams in under privileged areas of New York. No dark side, just something beautiful.

So the next time you go to a Derby Day or a match between rivals, just think back to all they have done together for the good, whether on or off the pitch.

Thomas Phillips

Rivalries cause problems: if Scotland gains independence then serious consequences will follow. Voters will be asked: ‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’

In order for Scotland to gain independence the vote has to be fifty percent plus one. This means that potentially half of an entire country could have their views ignored; opening up a whole can of problems in itself.

It’s all speculation on what will happen if Scotland becomes independent, however, areas such as oil, nuclear weapons, NHS, citizenship, currency and national debt will all have to be addressed. Amongst these areas of society there is no doubt that some major issues will arise. Regardless of the outcome, it is going to be a massive hassle in changing the status quo, as the result will be more negative than positive.

This call for independence stems from the historic rivalry between the two nations. This rivalry has caused, and will continue to cause, problems for the peoples of these nations. Rivalries are not good because someone will always end up losing, and usually at a big cost to the winner. Although, I suppose my cousin’s husband will be happy if Scotland vote yes, so it’s not all bad…

Shaun Quilter

THURSDAY 6TH MARCH | ISSUE 153

Things Worth Fighting For “I survived voting in the SU elections” but received serious injuries during ‘Milk It’ when late night canvassing, with huge cardboard signs, became dangerous on the dance floor!

The badges stating students “survived” the election is no joke! Voting for candidates in the Student Union election is of paramount importance, so that each student chooses who they think are most capable of running each area.

Those students who apply to get elected, or are supporters of those running, obviously believe the positions in the Student Union are worth fighting for, because of the several days of campaigning. The least anyone could do is vote… the Students’ Union shop poll is showing that very few had voted early on in the week, but there were still three days left to go.

Personal goals and positive change are worth fighting for, because it should improve your

happiness and the happiness of others.

Rivalry whilst trying to accomplish goals can psychologically boost performance; and healthy rivalry can be found in the form of sports, business and creative outlets. Derby Day is being held at Essex this year, and the competition between the two universities should be fun, if the battle doesn’t get too extreme!

The first time I visited the university was on Derby Day and the atmosphere on campus was intense, as both competitors and spectators were excited and eager for their university to win. I cannot wait to re-experience this exhilarating group atmosphere now that I am a student at the University of Essex. Of course, this atmosphere will only be created because we have rivals (UEA), so rivalry can be a good thing.

Philippa Dobson

Old vs Young It’s no mystery that the older and the younger of our society have a little grudge against one another. This is so much so that when I was on a bus in London, an older chap warned his wife to ‘Watch out, because they all have knives!’ as I walked past to get to my chosen seat. I didn’t think I looked like the sort to carry a knife? (How does one look like they carry a knife?)

Anyway, this little conflict of the ages has been irritating me for a while now, to the point where I fear I might have swapped sides by the time I’m done. However, because I’m a nerd, I study logic, and I have too much time on my hands: I’ve solved the problem.

In every war one side has to take the first steps to ending it, and this is no different. You would assume with the whole ‘respect for your elders’ thing, we’d be the ones to budge first. Afraid not. If we were to be nice to old people, and then they, as a result of our niceness, were nice back, we would indeed have peace. But not for

long! Sadly people die. And sadly people get old. So within about fifty or so years all the nice old people would be dead, and all the young people would be the new batch of old people… bear with me. Because these new cursed, knife carrying, young people wouldn’t know of the truce, war would break out again.

However we oldies, having lived through the war, know how to solve the problem: the young move first. But you know those stupid young people; they never have any respect and would be nasty to us still. So, how is this solved? Well, if the old are the first ones to be nice and end the war, then when we become old ourselves, we would replicate the pattern of behaviour, and all would be fine and dandy.

Sometimes it’s more than just a game Sports – in particular sporting rivalries – have often been a way of expressing non-sport related sentiments and emotion. It’s particularly noteworthy in the distinct fervour it generates in our modern, post-nationalist society. Whereas, an eighteenth century jingoist would look to succeed in the arts, science, or military as a source of national praise, many of these aspects have been rendered outdated or less significant by the globalising effects of our own modernity. Sport, the last bastion of unfiltered competition, remains perhaps the last avenue to prove a nation’s worth, and an opportunity to ‘beat’ a symbolic representative of a rival’s.

The best example of this is the ‘Blood in the Water’ match. December 6, 1956; Hungary faces the Soviet Union in the semi-final of Water Polo in the Melbourne Olympics. Only slightly over a month earlier, the Hungarian Revolution had been brutally suppressed by Moscow and the pro-Soviet puppet government reinstalled, not before an estimated three thousand Hungarians lost their lives.

Definitively, the match took on an embodiment of both nations. It was the Hungarian peoples versus the Soviets. Not surprisingly, in democratic Australia, the crowd were overwhelmingly in favour of the Hungarians. Sport had become a way of expressing a more wide-reaching passion. Sport taps into a country’s consciousness to almost absurd levels at times, with this match as perhaps the epitome of such.

It is without doubt that Hungary’s subsequent 4-0 victory, posthumously called ‘Blood in the Water’ due to Hungarian Erin Zádor’s battered and bloodied appearance after such an intense match, in some small way was seen as ‘revenge’ against the Soviets and lifted Hungary’s spirit, as much as any recreational activity could possibly do. Perhaps sport can be a longing for a more antiquated pride or primordial lust for competition, but in some cases it can be a welcome result of raw emotion that otherwise could not be expressed.

I shall accept my Noble Peace Prize whenever, I’m not too busy, as this article shows….

Ashley Armstrong Jake Stones

COMMENT

9

THURSDAY 6TH MARCH | ISSUE 153

Arts

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Jennifer Draper, Arts Editor Amy Bater, Arts Deputy Editor

The Realm of Graphical Art Is gaming an art form? The short answer: Yes, Of course it is! Throughout my years, gaming has invoke in me almost every emotion possible. Is this not the aim of art? To inspire people and to stimulate our thoughts? The artist, the graphics designers, the storywriters, the visual directors- they all present us with an idea, a story, and a concept. As the gamer, we then interpret their ideas into our gaming strategy and play with these to create our own outcomes.

Throughout each game, we are taken on a roller coaster ride of emotions and come out the other end with a satisfying sense of completion. The game becomes an experience, an artistic piece. To say that video gaming is not an art form is as absurd as saying literature isn’t art, or a theatrical piece isn’t art. Who would say the Bronte sisters are simply “words on a page” or Dahl is “only a book”? To me, it is as silly as saying The Legend of Zelda is “just a game”. Gaming developers and graphical engineers are the epitome of modern art and should warrant the same credit as classic authors and playwrights.

In reality, it is clear that you cannot possibly compare the work of the traditional and the technological in the world of art. How could you attempt to compare the two when they are so very different? It is easy to say that you prefer one to the other and there will inevitably be many reasons why, but I don’t think they can be weighed against each other. I love gaming and so graphical art strikes me, but I wouldn’t say it is better than traditional art, it just personally appeals to me more. Growing up I was a big gamer and so, of course, I see it as art. Take the Final Fantasy series as a prime example: they are visually beautiful, and not only that, each game tells a different story. You couldn’t take Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’ and liken it to Portal because they are worlds apart, but they are both amazing as individual pieces of art. The standard of graphical art is always on the rise due to the progressions of technology, so in my eyes it can only get better and I look forward to the future of the graphics of gaming that we are yet to set our eyes upon.

Lauren Betts

tomorrow. I just find that I appreciate the talents of modern day artists and their creations a great deal more. Milton Glaser for example, probably best known for his ‘I heart NY’ logo which is hugely popular and well-known across the globe. He also has a range of work which spans decades, including a poster of singer/ songwriter Bob Dylan, which I love. Not only because I love Bob Dylan, but because the poster itself helps me to forget that essay, transports me back to the 60’s and makes me dream of New York.

No matter whether you are an art lover or a gaming addict, it will always be a very close call as to which is more impressive in terms of skill and technique. In the world of gaming it is evident that year after year, as technology changes, the graphics in gaming become a much higher standard. Nevertheless, in my personal opinion, it is clear that the intricacy in artists work, such as that of Roy Lichtenstein, the graphics in gaming will never rise above. This to me is purely due to the fact that art such as this is so technical in how it has been put together; there is so much time and work put behind each masterpiece.

Although this is also true of the graphics in the world of gaming, the background to it is very different. Although I personally prefer the graphics in the art world, this does not mean that I do not find the graphics in the world of gaming spectacular, as no matter whether or not you like gaming, no one can deny how amazing the world of technology behind each game is. When you think of the fact that all of these graphics are held on one small disc, it is truly mind blowing.

Amy Bater

Jennifer Draper

Benjamin Wall

I may be biased as I am not a gamer (although let me say there’s a popular game in our house at the weekend which involves several rounds of Mario Kart, strict no drinking and driving rules and with severe consequences). However, apart from trying my hardest to not let Princess Peach win again, I do not lend myself to the hype of gaming. I know people that do, who can spend hours glued to the screen enjoying the thrills of the game with the lifelike graphics, and the way it can transport them away from the stress of that essay that is due

ART

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Music

Deborah Findlater, Music Editor Dragos Ion, Music Deputy Editor

Phoenix – O2 Academy Brixton On the first Wednesday of mud month, fifteen of the Live Music Societies finest pioneered into the big city to see Phoenix, an alternative rock band from France. The night started at 14:00pm and ended at 8.00am, and the events in between made for what can only be described as a legendary night.

Our run from campus to Liverpool Street went fairly smoothly and after several anxious head counts we made our way to the O2 Academy Brixton. Needless to say, a quick stop for fast food and Sangria was made.

Bipolar Sunshine, a band which played at last year’s Summer Ball, opened with a cal-

lous mix of genres; ska, hip-hop, indie rock and even reggae – and to put it simply, they got the crowd going – well, as much as an opening set can do. But the atmosphere was nothing compared to when Phoenix took to the stage. They were truly inspiring, offering us all the hits, bawdy crowd surfing and manic guitar solos. In summary, Bipolar Sunshine started us off and Phoenix finished us off.

However, the night had just begun - Moonlight Club, a cheap student bar in Soho lay loom. Thus, after several more increasingly anxious head counts and a few more drinks, the skanking got under way.

Our journey back to Colchester was met by zigzags, sleep, missing a train, a head count fail, tears, more tears and a massive headache. But hey, we made it back home at the truly productive hour of 08:00am – and after a mummy text and a lost key scenario, we were in bed asleep.

Joseph White

THURSDAY 6TH MARCH | ISSUE 153

Dividing The Element

With three sold-out UK tours, two charting singles and almost 45,000 Facebook fans amongst her many independent accomplishments, it’s difficult to believe that Bristol-born Lauren Aquilina has only just signed with a major label, UMG/Island Records. The dedicated, humble and incredibly talented pianist saved up wages from her Saturday job at a jewellers to fund a triptych of successful EPs, Fools, Sinners and Liars (due for release March 10th).

However this is clearly just the beginning for the 18 year old, whose hugely emotive voice and lyrical palette will surely earn her universal adoration.

Her next project, a debut album, is bound to be huge, watch out!

What’s that you say, Zimbabwean metal?

Correct. Welcomed into the international metal scene are Metalcore / Deathcore mob Dividing the Element. Formed in October 2012, the now three-piece are currently searching for a guitarist to fill the void left by Sherlic White. Moreover, they have also released an EP called Revolution Among Oppression which you can buy from the band directly. The EP itself has a hidden, yet easily relatable message. This band and the release of this EP constitutes a huge step forward for Sub-Saharan metal music and Dividing the Element are certainly flying the flag for the Zimbabwean metal scene.

Alex Driscoll

Rhys Stevenson

St. Vincent - St. Vincent HHHH This self-titled production is Annie Clark’s (aka.

St.Vincent) fourth album in which she uses the same formula as her previous LP, Strange Mercy. They both offer us a lyrical and instrumental experience of the irrational fears that come with success, alongside the combination of vulnerable guitar riffs and cryptic synthesizer ruptures. However, unlike Strange Mercy, the American’s latest work fully submerges us in the surreal, ethereal and highly-crafted world of a woman who is neither afraid to be highly referential nor musically experimental. Whilst ‘I prefer your love’ sounds like an 80s Madonna’s ballad, ‘Prince Johnny’ showcases a melodic prayer for social acceptance, which breaks in weeping noises. In a February interview to NME she spoke candidly about her parents, ‘‘you get to a point where you realize that you can lose them. Or you already have. And like...crossing some precipice - it’s so unsexy, but - adulthood.’

Though adulthood in St.Vincent’s world refuses to hide from pain, it still remains a highly fun, energetic and promising period.

Gisselle Giron

Gig Previews Colchester

Norwich

London

Fuse ODG

Haim

Raleigh Ritchie

The Silk Road, 8th March

U.E.A, 14th March

Oslo- Hackney, 20th March

It’s been impossible to escape his top ten hit ‘Antenna’ and now Silk Road welcomes MOBO award winner Fuse ODG to celebrate 57 years of Ghanaian independence. Resident DJ’s Swoosh, Naughity and Prince N.O.D are on warm up duty with the best in afrobeats, HipHop and more.

The L.A. sister trio come to Norwich for their rescheduled show, originally planned for December. Notorious for their energetic performances, and effortlessly hilarious betweensong chatter, expect to hear singles ‘Don’t Save Me,’ ‘The Wire’ and more from the band’s critically acclaimed debut album Days Are Gone.

Actor Jacob Anderson, best known for playing Grey Worm in Game of Thrones, is also a talented singer/songwriter going by the moniker Raleigh Ritchie. With two EP’s, The Middle Child and Black & Blue, under his belt, you can catch him for free at new Hackney venue Oslo.

Tickets- £7

Deborah Findlater

Tickets – Free

Tickets - £16

Deborah Findlater

13

Album Reviews

ONES TO WATCH: Lauren Aquilina

MUSIC

Deborah Findlater

Schoolboy Q – Oxymoron HHHH HHHH Two years after Habits & Contradictions Schoolboy Q returns with his much awaited major label debut, Oxymoron. Oxymoron sees the California rapper grow in confidence, smoothly switching from a menacing flow on ‘Hoover Street’ to the half-sung cadence of love song ‘Studio.’ The album peaks at ‘Prescription/ Oxymoron,’ a two part meditation on prescription drug addiction and drug selling. Sampling PortisheadUndenied and featuring his own daughter Joy, the 7 minute track sees Q humanising his struggles to great effect. The album also includes features from enfant terrible Tyler, The Creator, the legendary Raekwon and label mate SZA. As its title suggests, Oxymoron deals with contradicting themes and styles but what is certain is that it lives up to expectations.

Deborah Findlater

14 Charis Lynch, Film Editor Katie Clark, Film Deputy Editor

Film

Are we adventurous when it comes to film?

As a nation, we don’t rush to the front of the queue to learn a new language, and there are some of us that don’t even experiment with different foods from around the world. So do we also make this error in our choice of film? Some may run screaming from the idea of sitting through a subtitled film, but these people will be missing out on a world of culture and talent.

American blockbusters dominate cinema screenings; it’s just a simple fact. And British cinema is constantly evolving to become more powerful and compelling. With home grown talent such as Tom Hiddleston (Thor:The Dark World), Steve McQueen (director of Twelve Years a Slave) and Benedict Cumberbatch (The Fifth Estate) taking the world by storm, it’s easy to forget an array of stars from foreign films who are waiting for you to discover them.

World cinema is not awash with CGI and superheroes, but tends to tackle much more social issues. As a language student I accept that I may be bias, but World Cinema definitely has something to offer.

There are some more recent foreign films that have even reached cinemas in the UK, for example, the French film Populaire, proving that foreign cinema may be on the up. I have looked at films from around the world to give a short selection of ones not to be missed. If you know of any foreign films that you would recommend, be sure to head to our Facebook page and share your thoughts “http://www.facebook.com/ therabbitfilm1” www.facebook.com/therabbitfilm1

Charis Lynch

France - La Haine (1995)

Germany - Das Leben der Anderen (2006)

Sweden - Låt den Rätte Komma In (2008)

Directed by Mathieu Kassovitz and starring Vincent Cassel, La Haine tells the gritty tale of a Paris suburb and the story of three friends in the hours after a riot. With Vinz (Vincent Cassel) in possession of a policeman’s gun, violence ensues in a series of events leading to a dramatic end. This film is packed with suspense and highlights hostility and violence within French society.

English title; The Lives of Others . The Academy Awards winner for Best Foreign Language Film in 2006, tells the story of play write Georg Dreyman in monitored East Berlin.

The secret service agent who has him under surveillance becomes more and more fascinated by Georg and his partner. This high tension drama is a must see.

English title; Let the Right One In You have probably seen the version Let Me In starring Chloë Grace Moretz but the original is still reputed and worth a watch. Having received awards and praise from critics, this novel based film follows the friendship between a young boy and a vampire child.

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FILM

POLITICAL POWERS AND FILM The Student Elections have drawn to a close, and awareness is steadily rising on the upcoming 2015 elections. At this time of political awareness, it seems appropriate to reflect on two prominent political blockbusters.

The Queen (2006) Stephen Frears

The Iron Lady (2012) Phyllida Lloyd

It seems hard to believe that it has been almost ten years since Stephen Frears’ The Queen was brought to our screens.

In just under two hours it provides a moving insight of the relationship between the prime minister and the monarchy during the time of Princess Diana’s death. As we are all aware, the nation was completely distraught over losing their beloved Princess, and The Queen explores the motivations and actions of the then newly elected PM, Tony Blair, and the pressures he faced to support the people and lead the country out of emotional trauma.

The Iron Lady delivers another truly moving presentation of one of the most famous Prime Ministers of Great Britain.

Mrs. Thatcher. This former PM is the sole focus of this recent instalment, and Lloyd gives us an intimate look into the life of Britain’s first female prime minister. The film flits between fragmented images of Mrs. Thatcher’s history, showing both her powerful stand against the male-dominated political world, and tragic fall into a dementia ridden life. This fragmentation seems suitable, really driving the touching, emotional realisation that Thatcher was simply a lady whose ambition was to do right for her homeland.

What may be particularly prominent for students is the raised awareness during the film that Tony Blair was, like us students, new to his vocation. Frears really hones in on a more sympathetic representation towards Blair as a politician, speaking to his audiences about the relatable pressures of public work and making difficult decisions during immensely tough times.

The film also adds a personal touch; it shows how politicians are human like the rest of us, honing in on Thatcher the widow as well as Thatcher the politician.

Meryl Streep’s performance is flawless, and she won three major awards for Best Actress in her role for this film.

Thatcher’s leadership dove into incredibly controversial waters, and her methods are still highly debated among politicians and the public. However, it cannot be doubted that she provided an inspirational message to aspiring politicians and the ladies of this world: “Fight on and fight to win”.

Katie Clark

Katie Clark

DVD RELEASES

Taiwan - Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2002)

Brazil - Cidade de Deus (2002)

As the highest grossing foreign film at the time it was released, this film deserved a mention.

Directed by Ang Lee and starring Yun-Fat Chow, we follow the search for a stolen sword in this winner of Best Foreign Language Film in the 73rd Academy Awards.

English title; City of God . This crime drama is the only one on the list I haven’t seen, but after looking around I wanted to recommend it. Set in Rio de Janiero, this tale of gang violence is brought to light through the photographs of a guy trying to escape this world of violence. Critically acclaimed, it looks well worth a watch.

Thor: The Dark World

Gravity

Thor reunites with Earth and his love Jane Foster in this superhero sequel. However, the planet he has grown to love is at threat once again from an even greater adversary.

Although not as polished as previous Marvel instalments, it still delivers the fantastical action and humour to be expected from the genre.

Alfonso Cuarón’s visual masterpiece gravitates around the age old formula of experienced veteran guiding the debutant, but the execution is sublime. The stylistic vision of Cuarón and his ability to combine it with determined Hollywood structures can be criticised but this reviewer fell hook line and sinker.

DVD release 26th February 2014

DVD release 3rd March 2014

HHH

HHHH

Katie Clark

James Haseltine

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TV

Note from the Editor Hi all, and welcome to this week’s TV section! In this issue, we’re stepping back in time a few years, when there were no essays, deadlines or post-Fed hangovers, and the world seemed an all-round better place, including the wonderful world of television. We take a look back at some of the best TV shows from the past that bring back certain nostalgia to you all, including everyone’s favourite group of FRIENDS, some classic British comedy in the form of Only Fools and Horses and some other wonderfully retro shows.

Happy reminiscing!

Regards, Kirsten

Kirsten Alexander, TV Editor Roman A.J Wilson, TV Deputy Editor

F.R.I.E.N.D.S “So no-one told you life was gonna be this way... *clap clap clap clap*” Recognise that? Of course you do, it’s the famous theme tune for Friends! The adored show had a ten-year run, lasting until 2004. It has retained its status as one of the funniest sitcoms created ever since.

way the show made you feel like you were part of their friendship group. Admittedly I was only nine when the show ended, but when E4 ran reruns of the show I watched every single episode and loved it. Watching the show now brings back the nostalgia of watching the show after school every day. Friends is the best show I watched growing up, and will always remain a beloved show in the eyes of fans.

The concept of the show was simple: it revolved around six friends in their 20s living in New York. Ross was the whiny one; Rachel the pretty one; Phoebe the crazy one; Joey, the one who doesn’t share food; Monica the competitive one; and Chandler, the sarcastic one.

The show was so popular due to the actors’ amazing chemistry, the spontaneity of the show’s plots, the side-splitting jokes, and the

Fiolla Korenica

THURSDAY 6TH MARCH | ISSUE 153

Retro and Nostalgia Issue

TV

17

The Best of the 90’s Out of curiosity, I typed first “fresh” and then “saved” into YouTube and was happy to find that the top suggestions for each were the opening themes for Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Saved By The Bell. The two theme songs both have fairly permanent residence in my musical memory banks and I was pleased to find that, clearly, I’m not alone in my lingering affection for them, nor probably for the shows themselves.

: r e n r o C y d e m o C o s e Retr s r o H d n a s l o o F Only

The introductions to both of these early nineties sitcoms are perfect presentations for the shows and make amusing reminders of the culture we grew up in. The tunes were infectious and playful, as were the shows; the over the top laugh tracks, the wildly exaggerated fashion, the complete inability to grasp subtlety.

There were so many classic comedies to choose from to feature in this issue, but there’s only one which really, truly deserved the spot: Only Fools and Horses. It is the definition of classic comedy and one of Britain’s best-loved sitcoms, Fools was first broadcast in 1981 (before most of us were born) and followed the lives of Derek “Del-Boy” Trotter and his brother Rodney on their quest to become millionaires. Everything from the theme tune to the storylines to the late, great Roger Lloyd Pack is memorable and a real trip down memory lane. Luvvly jubbly.

The shows of the nineties weren’t concerned with making a point or seeming gritty (though they weren’t opposed to throwing the emotional heat up either, Google “Fresh Prince Will’s Dad” for a serious feelings check). They were light hearted, fun, silly and didn’t take themselves too seriously, and it’s what makes them so memorable. It’s why people look back on them so fondly, and it’s what makes those theme songs so damn catchy.

Kirsten Alexander

Roman A.J. Wilson

Gilmore Girls When I think nostalgia and retro, I invariably come up with American comedy drama Gilmore Girls. To me, this means Sunday nights cuddled up with my mother (and usually some apple pie) watching single mum Lorelai and her teenage daughter Rory navigate through life, love and the experience of growing up. The central roles are also filled by Lorelai’s estranged parents - who in exchange for Friday night dinners, accept to pay Rory’s tuition fees at the exclusive Chilton College. In addition to her parents, there’s Lorelai’s best friend and OCD chef, Sookie and gruff, yet lovable Luke who owns the local diner.

Now, my fragile sixteen year old mind loved this story. During the course of seven seasons, I easily convinced myself that: • Having a child at the age of sixteen would definitely not only give me an amazing child, but also a best friend • Coffee is to be consumed multiple times a day, preferably every two hours • Television is a way of life (and it’s usually completed by a large pizza) •bI could easily open and run my own inn • Daisies are acceptable engagement flowers, especially when there are exactly one thousand

• Books trump looks Today, seven years later, I still re-watch episodes of Gilmore Girls, it’s just that good. I don’t have a child, nor do I consume coffee multiple times a day, however, I do have a best friend who is indeed a chef, so that’s something, I guess!

Cristina Otelea

18

Books

Jasmine Crellin, Books Editor

Tapestry In my interview with Professor Philip Terry which took place prior to the festival, we discussed his first prose book to be published, Tapestry, a novel that tells of the making of the famous Bayeux Tapestry. On March 3rd, the university will be hosted an Essex Book Festival event where Terry discussed his novel, which was recently nominated for the Goldsmiths Prize 2013, and described in The Guardian as “full of stories and teasing banter […] a major achievement.”

Would you say that the Bayeux Tapestry was Norman propaganda?

So what’s the novel about? It retells the story of the Norman Conquest at the Battle of Hastings from the point of view of the English nuns who were made to sew the embroidery, dipping in and out of stories told by the nuns themselves, in traditional medieval frame-narrative. Whilst in general, attention is focused on the main action of the embroidery, which propagates the Norman version of events leading up to and surrounding the battle, Terry’s work hones in on the often- neglected outer figures that populate the margins of the tapestry.

The rightful king of England, that’s not the English story, that’s the Norman story. So it basically is, that story that the French are still telling today.

I saw these little things in the margins and I think that the people who made this, I imagined, and there is some historical evidence to back this up, that these were English women embroiderers, and they were given instructions to make something, which is how embroideries were done.

My idea was that they could have a certain amount of autonomy in stitching little things into the margins, and there are strange things in the margins in the Bayeux Tapestry which suggest stories which are not the propaganda story, pictures of people having to run away from burning houses and things like that. If you look at the history of embroidery and things like that, there are lots of examples of people doing things like this, putting their own signature, like you might scribble in the margin of a book.

What was it that drew you to the Bayeux Tapestry as a source of inspiration for a novel?

What’s the significance of the use of Aesopian fables in the margins of the Bayeux Tapestry?

When I was teaching in Normandy, many years ago, we used to go and see the Bayeux Tapestry quite a few times, and we just suddenly started noticing these things in the margins, these strange figures, houses being burned down, female centaur-like figures – quite a lot of weird, inexplicable things and I just thought: “what are these things? What are they doing there? Maybe they’re telling some other story, and I just went from there, feeling that there were other voices calling out, and this was at the time when novels like Michelle Robert’s The Book of Mrs Noah came out. I think the idea that there were women’s narratives at the edges of these stories about powerful kings, trying to get out, was partly influenced by that. There’s a picture here which is clearly a woman being raped by a soldier, which is the earliest visual representation of what we would today call war- rape. Normally, people reduce the margins to Aesop fables that link to the stories about kings, or as purely decorative. I would say that there is more to it than that.

Well Aesop fables tend to have a moral to them, usually “don’t do this” or “don’t listen to this”, sort of thing, and I think that the ones that are placed in the margins of the tapestry probably reflect the main story, in that sort of way.

In your book, you’re characters frequently slip into Anglo Saxon. Did you speak Anglo Saxon before you started writing Tapestry or did you have to learn it especially?

I did my degree in English at the University of Leeds, but there was some compulsory Anglo Saxon. I can’t say it was my favourite subject. One of the things you get in Anglo Saxon are things called “Kennings” which are two words stuck together, e.g. they call the sea “whale-road” and I picked up on that, and put lots of those in my book. I did variations, e.g. the “whale –road” became the “herring-track”.

ESS E FES X BOO INT TIVA K ERV L IEW How did you overcome the linguistic difficulty of conveying a medieval time period to modern readers?

Well, it’s written in modern English, but it is set in 1066, and people didn’t speak then how they speak now. You always get this problem with the historical novel, how do you represent accurately the language of the time?

Whilst still making it coherent to people who don’t speak Old English?

Exactly. We don’t even know what people spoke then, some of them spoke Latin, some of them spoke Anglo-Saxon, and some of them spoke Old Norse. If you wrote in the language people were speaking at that time, nobody would understand it today. So what I did was a king of sampling: Tapestry’s in modern English but its’ sampled certain words from that time. For example, one of the words that it samples is the contemporary word of that time for nose, which is “neb”, which is still used in some parts of Britain. I tried to pick up on the words that are still recognizable, or that you can word out from their content.

The nuns sewing the tapestry tell stories to each other: were you influenced at all by the medieval frame-story structure of works such as The Canterbury Tales, The Decameron and Arabian Nights?

Totally. One of the things that often happens with historical novels, which I don’t like, is that whatever period its set in, people use a fairly modern form to describe that period, usually that of the nineteenth- century novel. Because Tapestry is set in 1066, I didn’t want to use that form, so I decided on frame- narratives, as it was a popular medieval form, its’ there in Chaucer, Arabian Nights, The Decameron, and other places as well.

It was a very conscious decision to use a form that was appropriate to that time – I was doing the same with the form as I was with the language.

Jasmine Crellin

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BOOKS

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Essex Book Festival This Book Festival began in 1999 by Essex County Council; this March sees the fifteenth year of the festival. Essex Book Festival consists of talks, discussions, poetry events, which are held across Essex between February and April. In this issue, we turn our attention to one of the events that will be held at the university, featuring Professor Philip Terry’s newly published novel Tapestry, am insightful retelling of the Battle of Hastings drawn from the marginal outer figures in the famous embroidery.

Wyld about Evie – Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists to Visit West Mersea Library The Independent heralded Evie Wyld’s writing as “the beginning of great things”. Brought up on her parents Sugar Cane farm in New South Wales, Wyld left the comfort of her rural upbringing and attended Bath Spa University to study a BA in Creative Writing and then an MA at Goldsmiths in London. This month West Mersea Library will be hosting an Essex Book Festival event during which I will hold a question and answer session with Evie Wyld on her latest novel, All the Birds, Singing.

The novel is set on a nameless bleak island along the coast of Britain, Wyld’s novel shares many of its characteristics with Mersea Island, especially in the last few weeks during the bleak weather and continual grey downpour we have suffered in Essex.

Wyld’s heroine, Jake Whyte, is a tall Australian sheep farmer - a female - who lives alone on her farm and is concealing something dark from her hidden past.

Things are not as they seem on farm, and someone is killing off Jake’s sheep – the culprit in question is not identified at first, and we wonder whether it is someone from her unspeakable past or whether it is just coincidence that triggers her irrational paranoia.

The events on the sheep farm, and Jake’s encounter with the mysterious character Lloyd, her neighbour Don, and Samson, are fragmented by the piercing memories of her past in the Australian outback, a past that she is unable to forget that has left its mark on her person in the form of fading scars, the cause of which are unknown.

There is a visual dichotomy in Wyld’s use of place and space in her novel, and the dreary bleakness of England is contrasted with that of Australia’s sun beaten outback where Jake fears for her safety as she attempts to escape the clutches of her partner Otto.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Wyld’s novel is one of the most raw and true to life books I have read in a long time. Her work sparks fear and emotion into the heart and one is easily drawn into its steady rhythm and intense bursts of drama and suspense. It is only when the birds finally sing that Jake Whyte’s dark secret is fully revealed.

Jake Hearn Essex Book Festival Event Chair

00

THURSDAY 6TH MARCH | ISSUE 153

Science Can dogs understand us?

Many dog owners claim that their pets understand them. Indeed, a new study from the Comparative Ethology Research Group at the Hungarian Academy of Science suggests this may, in fact, be true. 11 dogs were placed within an MRI scanner in which their brains were scanned. It was found that the canine brain reacts to voices in the same way that the human brain does.

Dr Attila Andics said “We think dogs and humans have a very similar mechanism to process emotional information.” A lot of training was required before the study was carried out.

There were 12 sessions of preparatory training followed by 7 sessions in the MRI scanner room.

For comparison, the team looked at the brains of 22 human volunteers in the same MRI scanners. The scientists played 200 different sound clips to the people and the dogs, ranging from environmental noises, such as a car horn or whistles, to human emotional sounds, such as a laughing or crying. They also played dog vocalisations.

It was found that the same part of the brain, the temporal pole at the front of the temporal lobe, was activated when both the animals and people heard human voices. The response to the emotional sounds bore the strongest similarity between dogs and humans.

Dr Andics said this result was not surprising as “We know very well that dogs are very good at tuning into the feelings of their owners, and we know a good dog owner can detect emotional changes in his dog – but now we begin to understand why this can be.”

Even though the dogs did respond to the human voice, their reaction was stronger when it came to canine sounds. The dogs also seemed to exhibit a greater difficulty in distinguishing between environmental sounds and the vocal noise.

Ben Gregson

SCIENCE SCIENCE

21

Ben Gregson, Science Editor Emily Pearlman, Science Deputy Editor

The Nutcracker Imagine; you’re eating a peanut and, after ten or so minutes, your tongue begins to swell, you develop a rash, foam at the mouth and before long you cannot breathe. You have gone into anaphylactic shock. This is the most common food allergy in the UK and approximately, 1 in 100,000 people have a severe nut allergy. Recent studies have shown that there may now be a potential way to cure this.

Whilst this may be made available to other patients, there are significant costs in providing the treatment. This is due to the fact the treatment needs to be put forward to specialist centres and staff, as well as producing the peanut to a high enough standard. Although it may not be available at this very moment, once further tests have been carried out, this method could be used in hospitals as a form of therapy.

A large clinical trial has taken place in which 85 children participated. These children had to eat a peanut protein powder daily, beginning with small doses and then slowly and progressively the concentration was increased. The findings show that 84% of the children that are allergic were able to eat the equivalent of five peanuts a day after six months of the trial.

This is a huge step forward as currently the only option for nut allergy sufferers is for them to avoid nuts completely, meaning they have to take care and check everything that they eat.

Although this creates a lot of anxiety for current nut allergy sufferers, it is a relief to know that a cure could be in the very near future.

Gina Dedman

The Subconscious Choices We Make Humans have a remarkable ability to make excellent assumptions about environments and situations based on limited information. While incredibly useful in nature, it fails catastrophically when applied to people or social situations, resulting in psychological bias. Many of these are well documented in popular culture such as the “Cheerleader effect,” making unattractive individuals appear more pleasing in a group. Others however are almost automatic, such as the denomination effect, resulting in more money being spent in small denominations such as coins rather than in notes.

These biases are so strong they affect popular culture, with an entire mystic force known as luck based around the gamblers fallacy. This fallacy, a characteristic of gambling addiction, involves the illogical belief that future probabilities are influenced by past results. Using simple psychology multi-billion pound businesses have risen from people believing a roulette wheel landing 10 times on red ‘must’ land on black the next time.

Even the supposedly “blind” eye of the law is affected by psychological cues. Those deemed more stereotypically attractive are more likely to receive lenient sentences compared to their less attractive counterparts.

This is an example of the Halo effect, which results in physical attractiveness having an effect on a person’s perception of their personality.

STUDENT SCIENCE

Interestingly, if the crime uses physical attractiveness to embezzle money, the Reverse Halo effect applies. In this role reversal, the attractive confidence tricksters receive harsher sentences than their unattractive counterparts.

Personal safety is also at risk due to psychological bias via the Peltzman effect. Soldiers and other emergency personnel are noted to take much larger risks when the perceived degree of safety increases. In past years, the release of new body armour directly correlates in a relative increase in casualties. This is due to greater risks being taken, rather than the armour itself.

Dangerously, people also apply circular logic to justify negative world views. The “Just World hypothesis” results in people of relative comfort assigning negative connotations to the less fortunate, such as the homeless. Abstractly known as “Karma,” this can reduce charitable donations to worthy recipients due to the assumption poor living conditions are the result of poor decisions.

From all these examples, it is clear that truth resists simplification. By becoming more informed in our natural and cultural influences, our brains can be trained to make more educated perceptions of those around us. In short, imagining each other and situations complexly opens the gates to a brighter future.

Luke Coomber

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Lifestyle

Claudia Degli Alessandrini, Lifestyle Editor Luiza Sandru, Lifestyle Deputy Editor

Destinations for your Spring Break Ideas on where to travel for a fun spring break holiday Spring is here and it is time to welcome a last minute break before your summer exams revision. You know you need to revise, but before doing that a great relaxing holiday is deserved. The question is: where should you go? Of course, thinking you could do Australia in 2 weeks with your University home being thousands of miles away may not be wise, so let’s stick with the UK and four places to go.

The first thing you need to take into account is money. You are on a student budget and it is the end of the term. So, if you didn’t save up during the last months to pay for a costly vacation, don’t fret.

You can find something for every budget and have an amazing time. So where to go then? There are many choices out there depending on your preferences. If you’re a countryside sort of person, check out the many walks that the Ordnance Survey Organization have highlighted in maps available in shops. One such walk is along Hadrian’s Wall, which stretches from Newcastle to Carlisle (and a bit further each way). If you decide to go on this sort of

trip, make sure you are prepared to camp (and pack a hiking bag), or alternatively book hotels along the way as it takes about a week to do the whole route.

If you’re into theme parks, then there is no excuse not to get the train (or coach) down to Thorpe Park in Chertsey, Surrey. It boats some of the best rides in the UK, including the infamous Saw ride which is joint seventh as the steepest steel roller coaster worldwide (100°) and the first and purely horrorthemed roller coaster in the world. Of course if you’re squeamish, there are plenty of other rides to indulge in, from thrill-seeking ones like Stealth to the water-coolers like Loggers Leap. Just remember to pick up vouchers on the way out for other Merlin Entertainments attractions.

What about Portsmouth? Visit the Spinnaker Tower and its sail-like shape, which offers attendees glorious views across the Solent over towards the Isle of Wight on a clear day. You can also look over Portsmouth town and of course towards Fratton Park,

the home of Portsmouth F.C. Be sure to stop by the town centre too for the essentials. If you plan a longer visit, be sure to stop by the New Forest, one of the UK’s national parks and a splendid place to get close with nature and the local communities.

And what about right here in Essex? Well attractions to visit include Kelvedon’s secret nuclear bunker, Southend pier, Chelmsford’s Hyde Park, Colchester Zoo – there are numerous attractions in Essex, so many in fact that you need to plan where to go carefully. If you’re into shopping, head over to Braintree Freeport or Lakeside shopping centre. If you’re looking for something a little more spectacular, head over to Hanningfield Reservoir, go fishing and explore this beautiful landscape. Don’t forget to also drop by Downham church for excellent views across the South Essex lands and across to the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, connecting Essex to Kent.

Rhys Stevenson

Cosmetics – heaven or hell?

Watch out for skin damaging ingredients when buying cosmetic products When was the last time you checked the ingredients of your cosmetics before buying them? You may think using mascara or lipstick looks pretty but it can also do harm to your body. Working for a cosmetics company has made me aware of the good and bad ingredients that you can find in make-up products.

This is why I decided to talk about what you need to avoid if you want to look and feel good without the side effects.

“No Parabens!” – this is the message you should look for when buying any personal care products. Parabens are chemical substances used as preservatives, mainly in water-based products. They are probably the most used harmful ingredients, not only in cosmetics, but also shampoos, facial cleansers, lotions and even toothpaste. There are four main groups of parabens that you can find amongst the ingredients of a product and those are: butylparaben, ethylparaben, methylparaben, propylparaben. Basically look for any ingredient ending in –paraben and you will know you must give a second thought before buying that product.

Why are they harmful? Because they can be toxic for people with sensitive skin, pregnant women or babies. For example, studies have shown that, when applied on the skin, methylparaben can react to UVB leading to premature skin aging. For people with paraben allergies, these chemicals can cause skin irritation or dermatitis. An alternative to parabens may be products that use grapefruit seed extract. This is a natural preservative and will not be harmful to your skin.

sound tempting, but it usually covers dozens of unhealthy chemicals.

Phthalates are a class of chemicals used as plasticizers in a large number of products, including colour cosmetics, body and hair care products and nail polish. Pregnant and breast-feeding women are particularly susceptible to the effects of this chemical.

Phthalates are banned in cosmetics sold in the European Union, so that should tell you something about how harmful they can be. Phthalates are mainly associated with endocrine disruption. Phthalate, DEP and DBP are the ingredients that should draw your attention when reading a product’s label. Also, try to use products that are fragrance-free. Fragrance may

It might sound boring but it is crucial to check all the ingredients of your products. If you care about your skin, and especially if you know your skin is quite sensitive, you should really pay attention what is in the bottle and if it is worth the price your skin will have to pay. Cosmetics are there on the shelf and they are so tempting to buy, but it is up to you to decide what is going on your bedside table.

Last but not least, try to use cosmetics that are noncomedogenic. That means your personal care products do not block pores and thus allow your skin to breathe. Pimples or acne are a common problem and by using cosmetics that block pores you will only do harm to your skin. The best non-comedogenic oils are sunflower, almond, olive or peanut oil.

Dragos Ion

THURSDAY 6TH OF MARCH | ISSUE 153

Keep the procrastination away Follow these tips to make sure you are using your time effectively.

Let’s face it; procrastination is our best friend. It’s there for you when you need to do your readings, when you have an essay to write or when you need to get ready for your classes and decide to watch an extra episode of your favourite TV show. And no matter how relaxing and enjoyable you think it is, it’s not doing you any good, especially when you have a lot of work to catch up on. So I gathered some tips that, for me, turned out to be very effective when completing my work.

1. Set up some goals You need to break your work up and set some daily goals. For example, today, you are going to do 3 readings and write 500 words on your essay draft. Knowing exactly what you need to accomplish makes you push towards that goal. If you don’t have a goal in mind, you will just wander through a dozen of pages, reading very slowly and end after 2 hours because you feel like you’ve been studying a lot.

2. Give yourself some breaks My attention span is very limited. If you are like me, and simply cannot adjust to working for long periods of time, this is the ideal trick for you. Study for 45 minutes and rest for 15 minutes. Go to the kitchen and grab a snack, walk around the house and stretch yourself a little. Being in the same position for a long time is not good for your back. If you really cannot concentrate for 45 minutes, try studying for 20 and have a 10 minute break. When that habit gets into your system, push yourself to 45 minutes.

3. Create a habit out of it Try as much as you can to study daily. Even if some days it’s just reading a few pages and taking some notes for a couple of hours, it will help you in the long term. If your mind can get used to doing

this every single day, it will be much easier for you to actually start doing the heavier stuff.

4. Get a study buddy Choose a friend to study with. He/she doesn’t need to study the same subject as you do; you just need that person to be determined to work hard. This will push you to work as hard as your friend, or at least to feel guilty that you are procrastinating and so will end up studying anyway. Be careful to choose a friend that you know puts a lot of effort into their studies, as you don’t want to end up chatting for an hour about last night’s episode of House of Cards.

5. Discover your preferred working environment Some people prefer to study under their duvet, others on their friend’s floor, in a crowded cafe or in the quiet library. Find out what your study spot and go there. You need to be comfortable, relaxed and there needs to be a certain mood when you study. So go out there and see what works for you.

6. Install plug-ins on your laptop If you are one of those people that refresh their Facebook account or inbox every 5 minutes just to see if there is something new, you need to stop. If your will power is not strong enough, there are specially designed apps for your browsers that stop you from accessing certain websites. Just a simple click, and you have that installed!

Remember, procrastinating is not your friend. It may be very nice to spend 2 days without doing anything, but when your deadline is close, things will get stressful. It’s not good for your mental or physical health to get into that sort of situation. Prevention is the best way to go about it. No one says that you can’t enjoy your free time, but when you have other things to do as well, finding the right balance is the key.

Luiza Sandru

LIFESTYLE

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Marinated Chipotle Chicken and Chorizo Fajitas

Mushroom Stroganoff

Explore Mexican cuisine with this delicious and easy recipe

A simple, classic vegetarian dish that’s delicious, quick, easy and most importantly cheap to make!

At Essex, multiculturalism is a prominent theme in student life. You meet people from around the world; and have the opportunity to encounter, appreciate, and, more importantly taste other cultures. Mexican cuisine is a social experience - unlike much of the UK, for Mexicans, mealtimes are all about fine cooking, taste and culture. Fajitas are a historic favourite. Easy to make, these fiery little packages are renowned for their smoky, mouth-watering flavour. Drizzled with guacamole, sour cream and salsa, this student-friendly recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Invite your friends over for a Mexican night in, pour out the Sangria and set the night in motion for less than £3 each for four people – this lively recipe will soon become a staple in your student spread.

Cooking time: 25 minutes, plus marinating time Ingredients (Serves 4) Bare necessities • Tesco Chorizo Ring (225g), £2.50 • Everyday Value/Tesco Diced Chicken (410g), £2.94 • Wholemeal/Normal Tortilla Wraps (8 pack), 92p For the Marinade & Sauce • 2 tbsp. Tabasco Chipotle Sauce (60ml), £1.89 • 1 tbsp. Olive Oil, 50p • 1 Garlic Clove, crushed, 16p • 1 Everyday Value Chopped Tomato Tin, 34p • 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 12p • 1 small onion, 20p To complete the recipe • 1 Tesco Mini Tex Mex Dip Set (210g), £1.35 • 1 Mixed Salad Bag, 70p

Preparation

1

Prick the chicken with a fork and place into a non-metallic bowl, along with the chipotle sauce,

half of the crushed garlic, olive oil and lemon juice.

Season, toss together and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours.

2

Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium

heat. Cut up the onion, and place with the chopped tomatoes, the reserved crushed garlic, lemon juice and a splash of water into the pan. Cook for five minutes, stirring gently until the onion has softened.

Add the chorizo and another spritz of chipotle, and a splash of water. Cover and simmer over a gentle heat for 5 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Season to taste, cover and keep warm.

3

Preheat grill to medium-high. Grill chicken on both sides, five minutes each. Thread marinated

chicken onto skewers (wooden or metal) if you have

Chef’s Tip: Serve with Sangria, ice and lemon for a Mexican kick.

Emily Townsend

them, for a smokier flavour. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water first to prevent burns.

4 5

Remove the chicken from the skewers, and serve on the heated wraps with the sauce.

Drizzle with guacamole, salsa and soured cream to taste, serving with a seasoned mixed salad.

With quite a lot of our students following a vegetarian diet, I decided to share this vegetarian dish in this issue. Mushrooms are a staple for a vegetarian diet as they are high in protein, vitamins, mineral, amino acids and antioxidants! This is a very versatile recipe as well and it can be served with rice, pasta, and even on toast.

Enjoy!

Costs around £2 per portion, leftovers can be frozen Ingredients (serves 4) • 1tbsp olive oil • 600g mixed mushrooms, sliced. – Any kind, as exotic as you like! Closed cup and chestnut are the cheapest, around £1 for 300g • 2 Large onions, chopped • 4 cloves of garlic, minced • 2tsp smoked paprika • 250ml vegetable stock • 400g tinned condensed mushroom soup • Pinch of parsley • Salt and Pepper

Preparation

1 2 3 4 5 6

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and soften the onions for 5 minutes, on a

low heat.

Spice it up by adding garlic and paprika and leave it to cook for another minute.

Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add stock, mushroom soup and simmer for 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens.

Once thickened, remove from heat and stir in parsley.

Season to taste.

If you have a slow cooker: Add all the ingredients (except the parsley) and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Add the parsley when everything is cooked.

Charlene Pearman

THURSDAY 6TH OF MARCH | ISSUE 153

LIFESTYLE

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Sports A Note from the Editor: Hello and thank you for picking up another edition of The Rabbit! With Derby Day looming ever closer on the horizon, you would think that this issue of The Rabbit would be focusing on the successes and/or failures of some the Essex Sports teams. However, apparently the weather does not feel like complying with our wishes, with all the rain and wind we’ve had recently, precious few sports have managed to get anything organised, let alone played.

But, I think this has opened up an opportunity to take a look at the wider world of sport, and in particular some of the major sporting events taking place at the moment, in particular; the Sochi Winter Olympics. This issue will be looking at the successes of the participants from Great Britain in particular but also some of the more notable events of the game. For example the welcoming (read as: terrible) venue of these Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Thank you again and I hope you enjoy it!

“Stacy St. Clair @StacyStClair My hotel has no water. If restored, the front desk says, ‘do not use on your face because it contains something very dangerous.’ #Sochi2014”

“Stacy St. Clair @StacyStClair Also on the bright side: I just washed my face with Evian, like I’m a Kardashian or something.”

“Harry Reekie @HarryCNN Loads of construction work going on everywhere inside the @Sochi2014 Olympic Park. A lot still to do. #cnnsochi”

“Matt Gutman @mattgutmanABC In case there was any doubt about the provenance of this #Russian honey, they kept the bee inside”

Carl Graham, Editor

The Two Sides of the Winter Olympics This year’s Winter Olympics has been one of the most up and down sporting events in recent years.

The glory of the athletes and the inspiring support of fans from all nations for their home talent could have almost ended in disaster, and many critics still maintain that it has.

Sochi, a city close to the border of Georgia and East Coast of the Black Sea, was chosen to host the 2014 Winter Olympics all the way back in 2006. Russia has reportedly spent in excess of 50 billion US dollars (the equivalent of 30 billion pounds) and promised to be one of the most extravagant Winter Olympics to date. However, according to the world’s journalists who arrived early to the event, this boast fell far short of the reality of the games.

Many took to twitter to describe the scenes they had found themselves in, and some of the situations they’d been through. Although many are seen to be funny and tragic in equal merit, they also have a more dangerous element, with the very real possibility of being left stranded on the streets, where there was a high chance of and attacked by wild dogs, or even the citizens of Sochi.

So, all in all, it was looking like Sochi was going to be a disaster of huge proportions. Russian media claimed that the journalists were specifically only talking about the failures of the games rather than its successes. However, with the amount of reports from these journalists coming back negative, it’s safe to say it was probably with good reason.

Even more controversy arrived in the form of security threats, with a Russian head of security stating, “Of course, there will probably be attacks elsewhere, maybe even in Sochi. Who is to know?” Many of the teams and countries threatened to pull out of the games and, with their living conditions not much upgraded from the journalists we saw before, not many would’ve blamed them.

Despite all of these rising tensions, the games came and went with no terror threats or attacks of any sort, a relief for all involved. In the end, it was the host nation, Russia, who topped the table chart with 33 medals, an impressive haul even by their standards.

Norway took second place, narrowly edging out

Canada, gaining 26 and 25 medals respectively.

But it seems in this winter games were never too far away from the strange controversy that seems to hang around every corner. One of the more interesting of these bizarre stories is that of Bruno Banani. Now, to anyone German, the name Bruno Banani would be a familiar one, as they are a German manufacturer of men’s underwear. The similarity between names is no coincidence. Hailing from a small country named Tonga, Fuahea Semi (as was his original name) was contacted by the Bruno Banani company, with a deal that would see him come to Germany to learn luge; but he would also have to change his name to their brand. As crazy as this may seem, Bruno qualified and competed at Sochi, becaming the first ever Tongan representative to compete in the Winter Games.

It would be unpatriotic of me not to mention the exploits of our home-grown talent in these games, although we are notoriously under represented at them each time they come around. Great Britain ended the games in 19th place, with two bronze, one gold and one silver, equalling the best medal haul we’ve ever achieved in a Winter Olympics since they began in 1924. One bronze medal was won by Jenny Jones in the women’s snowboarding, the first Britain has ever won in a snow based event, so a massive congratulations to her. But the biggest story in terms of the British competetors goes to Lizzie Yarnold, who managed to win gold in the skeleton event, after only taking it up in 2010.

Lizzie Yarnold – taken from BBC To summarise: it was, in all honesty, a fiasco from start to finish. There were six times the number of drug cheats found this Winter Olympics than 4 years ago. As you can see from the pictures before, the quality of the residence for the athletes and journalists was far below what was expected and the reports of rabid dogs roaming the streets didn’t bring much solace. But the games went ahead, the athletes competed, showing unbelievable feats of skill, courage and athleticism, and there is no doubt that they’re still a special time for any athlete; young, old, or bought by a German underwear company.

Carl Graham

THURSDAY 6TH MARCH | ISSUE 153

Clubs: Cycling

Preparing for Derby Day – Riding the North Road Hardriders Time Trial As I’m sure we all know, “Derby Day is Coming” and as such most sporty people are limbering up in preparation. At Cycle Club we’re no exception, and as our event for Derby Day is a Time Trial, I thought I would get some practise in.

Now for those who are uninitiated, a time trial differs from a normal cycle race in that, rather than a group of riders sheltering each other from the wind riding along, each rider will ride individually over a set distance, against the clock to try and get the best time. Due to this individual effort, many people who ride time trials ride an adapted bike of some sort, with various components on it to make it more “aero”. But anyway, back onto the race report…

I signed up early this year to ride a “classic” event called the North Road Hardriders, so called because the weather is generally awful, the distance is terrible (twenty-five miles) and the terrain is up and down like a fiddler’s elbow (very hilly). It usually attracts a pretty good field of riders, both amateur and professional, with Chris Boardman being one of many famous cycling names to win this event.

I woke up on Sunday morning, 6am so I get to my 8:53am start on time.

Check out the window, it’s blowing the 21mph wind that was forecast last night. I proceed to eat my ‘breakfast of champions’ consisting of porridge and an omelette and I’m ready to go.

We pull up to the Head Quarters in the car, surrounded by men and women on various trainers and bikes warming up. To the newcomer, it can be quite daunting seeing all these bikes that probably cost around the same amount as a student’s yearly maintenance loan. But as my grandfather, a racer himself in years gone by says “they’ve still got to push it, and money can’t buy you good legs”.

I roll up to the start line, and join the back of the queue. We get set off at minute intervals. Number 51 gets set of. Number 52 gets set off. I roll forward, and zero my cycle speedometer. “Thirty seconds” calls out the time keeper, a marshall holds me upright as I clip into my pedals. “Ten seconds”. “Five, four, three, two, one… GO!” The first three to four miles of this course are hellish, with the hills hitting you like a brick wall. All the way through you try and stay on that knife edge line between going too hard and chucking your guts up, and having too easy a ride out. One hour, seven minutes and eighteen seconds later, I cross the start line, after an altercation with a pickup truck at a T-junction. That’s good for thirtieth place out of ninety-three starters. Not bad for the first race of the season.

Matthew Bond

SPORTS

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Sports

GB manager joins Essex as basketball coach The current team manager of the GB senior men’s basketball squad has joined the University of Essex to head up coaching provision for its basketball teams.

Our new Basketball Performance Coach Mark Lloyd Mark Lloyd, who helped the GB men’s wheelchair basketball team win a bronze at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens when he was their team manager, has been appointed as Basketball Performance Coach.

His appointment forms part of a growing investment by the University in performance sport, providing support to talented student athletes to ensure they reach their full academic and sporting potential. Students on sports scholarships receive unlimited access to the University’s sports facilities, sport science support through the Human Performance Unit and financial assistance.

Mark will split his time between the Colchester Institute, where he is a sports lecturer, and the University, where he will work with the Men’s and Women’s teams, including our three students on basketball scholarships.

Mark said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to maximise the performance aspect of the University teams. I can build on the solid base to put a performance programme in place to reap benefits in the next season and attract more good people.”

With only a few games left of the season, the men’s team is battling for promotion to League One.

Source : the University of Essex News Page

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