THE SPHINX
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University News
Societies roundup: Past and future
Rosie Butler This year societies of the University of Liverpool have been as active as ever. This term we have seen the Liverpool Foxes cheerleading team take more squads to the first national university competition than ever before. Entering teams in the main cheer, dance and group stunt divisions and winning an abundance of trophies. The debating society this semester has expanded its weekly training sessions to include both beginner and advanced groups allowing more students to engage with debating regardless of their experience. Ellipsis has recently gained an increase in funding for the Guild which has resulted in an expansion which will continue over the next few issues published by the creative writing magazine. Last term also saw the productions of Matilda Liar, Party, Accidental death of an Anarchist and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead by LUDS, all of which were successful. Additionally, the program sale profits were donated to charity. RAG society
has been currently nominated for the most successful fundraisers in 2011-12 raising a total to date of £3000 including a series of collections for Movember, a charity that raises awareness of prostate cancer. Each month has been dedicated to one of the Guild’s 5 key charities and has seen RAG members dressing up in a variety of outfits in aid of raising funds. Dancesport entered a one day competition on 3rd March, lead by President Gemma-Lee
Liverpool Academy demonstrating dissections to a class of year seven’s including sheep brains and pig’s kidneys. The Liverpool Rowing Club held a 24hour ‘rowathon’ in aid of the charity Help the Heroes. The fantastic achievement by the club, enduring cold conditions and long hours, was highly successful and rose over a £1000 for the cause. Last but not least, this semester has seen the 26 hour fundraiser held in the courtyard which rose over £1000 for the Guild’s 5 key charities. The event was covered by LSRadio which broadcasted for the duration of the challenge and raised money for their chosen local charity of Fairbridge Merseyside. There is even more to look forward to before the semester draws to a close. The Liverpool Foxes have a fun fair approaching as well as a collaboration with BandSoc. Plus a promise of more trophies to be brought back with two more competitions this year for the Foxes. Debating society has been working on a schools programme and consequently is working towards a school’s debating competition to be held next year. Similarly, debating
UOL Societies For information on how to join and participate in UOL Societies visit LGoS.org
Craige in Blackpool and the sports team were awarded first place in 3 different events. Dancesport also created their own version of a Christmas special Strictly Come Dancing in the Mountford Hall where they raised £500 for the charity Barnardo’s, dedicated to alleviating child poverty. The Anatomy and Human Biology society have been running a programme with North
Rosie Butler The panel of judges for the prestigious Man Booker Prize 2012 were published last December and the list included Dinah Birch, the Pro-Vice- Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange and a Professor of Literature at the University of Liverpool. The panel, lead by Times Literary Supplement editor Sir Peter Stothard, will consist of the historian, writer and broadcaster Amanda Foreman, actor Dan Stevens, and academic, writer and reviewer Bharat Tandon, alongside Birch. Each judge promises to bring a different viewpoint on the books included in the profoundly long list. A list of 12 to 13 titles will be published in July before these are whittled down to 6 titles that will be disclosed in September 2012.
2012
Simal Patel
four continents, before flying home to complete his degree. Harry won the award earlier this month, after convincing a panel, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor Howard Newby, that he possessed the skills and confidence to fly solo and
University professor joins panel for The Man Booker Prize
Man Booker Prize
Student wins prestigious sailing award
One lucky Liverpool student has won a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel around the world while undertaking scholarly research spanning across several continents. Harry Boulding, a second year Evolutionary Anthropology student, has come out top against tough competition and has become this y e a r ’s w i n n e r o f t h e h i g h l y prestigious Circumnavigator Foundation Award, securing a £9,000 grant. This summer, he will embark on a ten week trip visiting six countries across
society will continue to collaborate with many different societies to organise public debates for the upcoming semester. Issue 5 of Ellipsis magazine will be released after Easter, so keep your eyes peeled for copies around campus! LUDS promises two more fantastic productions of Woyzeck, directed by Bethany Sim and Doctor Faustus directed by Chris Worrall taking place after Easter. The English society takes to the road visiting Stratford Upon Avon for an RSC production of Twelfth Night on the 25th April. The first RAG week in 7 years kicks off on the 23rd April headed by Chair, Jane Bower. The fundraising week includes a talent show involving an array of societies, auctions, a showcase of talents and a courtyard carnival. The carnival is due to hold a variety of fairground games as well as a bake sale. Dancesport have added Rock and Roll, Salsa, Off Beat and Zumba to the plethora of dances available to be learnt within the sports team coached by Paul and Pauline Taylor. The Guild hopes next year a similar event to the 26 hour fundraiser will be held in aide of charities.
complete this challenging task successfully. Harry’s research will be focusing on understanding how different human societies are accepting and coping with climate change. He is hopeful that this will influence future
governments, enabling them to plan better solutions in response to climate-related problems. Harry said: “I'm absolutely thrilled to have won this award, especially considering how much fantastic competition there was for the grant. “I'm counting down the days until June 5th when I leave. The next few months will be very nerve wracking but it's absolutely the experience of a lifetime. “What I'm most looking forward to is being able to look at any globe and think 'I've been around that' for the rest of my life!” Last year’s winner Rob Simpson, also from the university, has commented: “Harry's proposal is a really interesting one, he too is heading to some incredible places and he is going to have the summer of his life. “I would love to be going and doing it again!” The Circumnavigators Foundation is an esteemed organisation based in New York, which aims to celebrate scholarly achievement and global collaboration.
Judges Sir Peter Stothard (Chair) Dianah Birch Amanda Forman Dan Steven Bharat Tandon Twitter @ManBookerPrize
Professor Birch commented: “It’s a great honour to have been asked to serve on this panel, and a real pleasure to have a legitimate reason to spend my spare time reading the most interesting novels of the year. “It’s a challenging responsibility, too – I hope that we can come up with the right long-list, and then the right short-list – and finally a winner that everyone will appreciate and enjoy.” Julian Barnes’ The Sense of Ending gained the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 2011. Barnes’ novel has to date sold over 100,000 copies, making it the fastest selling winner in the history of the prize. The winner of this year’s Man Booker Prize will be revealed at an awards ceremony in the London’s Guildhall on 16th October 2012.