News 1-4 Comment 5-7 Features 10-12 Lifestyle 14-15 Science & Technology 16-18 Culture, Music, Film, TV & Radio 21-29 Sport 31-32 Tuesday, March 10th 2015 www.studentnewspaper.org
By Gavin Dewar @gnadewar
F
of Edinburgh signed and delivered a letter to Principal Timothy O’Shea demanding
The letter preceded the penultimate meeting of the university’s Fossil Fuel Review Group. The University of Edinburgh has the third largest endowment fund in the UK, at £230 million. The letter criticised the university’s directing of these funds to oil companies like BP and Shell. This is the latest action directed towards the university as a part of the global Fossil Free movement, which was founded in 2012 and claims to movement in history.” Fossil Free celebrated victories when the University of Glasgow became the
Academics demand fossil fuel divestment which aspires ‘to make world-leading contributions to understanding and addressing global challenges’. We are calling on the University to take action fossil fuels and the arms trade.” endowment fund to support the fossil fuel industry, we bear responsibility for the environmental damage it. Similarly, by investing in arms
last October, followed in January by the University of Bedfordshire and the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. proud of being part of a University
poverty and human rights abuses.” VPS Boardman told The Student think the letter reiterates the message and the ask put forward by the student campaign and demonstrates that
there is also a wide range of academic interest calling for divestment. The letter was received positively by the Fossil Fuel Review Group as was the petition and the brief from People and Planet.” The Student questioned Boardman over whether fossil fuel divestment
important to note that the Review Group has assessed a wide range of risks throughout this process including academic freedom, education and research.
Ethical investment: What companies does Edinburgh fund?
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was taken and if that consequently led to a loss in returns it would be a decision taken by the University to take a principled stance because it aligns with the values of the University and the direction of travel the university wants to take.” One signatory of the letter, Reverend Ali Newell, an Associate Chaplain at signature was a personal decision and
range of investments and a heavy investment portfolio therefore
Science
Features
divesting from one asset means there is money to invest in another, therefore divesting from fossil fuels
Head transplants: Coming soon to a hospital near you?
position on fossil fuels.”
University [after divestment] needs to be seen alongside looking into the future taking on board the seriousness of the issues facing our planet regarding climate change.” Doctor Tom Webster, another to the letter in a written response to The Student in the press coverage were interesting. The more snide remarks suggested that the signatures came from the nothing to lose from the divestment.”
Continued on Page 3
EDINBURGH CHARITY FASHION SHOW
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Culture
Review: Possibilities of the Object Fruitmarket Gallery
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IMAGE: DANIEL HOHERD
divestment from fossil fuels” on Monday. Divestment campaigners People and Planet and EUSA Vice President Services (VPS) Tasha Boardman were present alongside representatives from the academic community as the letter was handed over to Senior Vice
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Revealed: side by side comparison of university senior pay By Ethan DeWitt @TheStudentPaper
Vice Chancellor Sir Timothy O’Shea
U
K university vice-chancellors have been rebuked by the University and College Union (UCU) for excessive salaries, wasteful expenditures and inadequate transparency of remuneration decisions. The criticism follows a study released by the UCU comparing numerous universities on expenses, salaries, and the institutional mechanisms controlling them. Using data obtained through freedom of information (FOI) requests sent to 150 universities, the report revealed the average vice-chancellor salary to be £260,000 in the 2013-2014 school year. In addition, raises were found to be commonplace among higher adminisadmitted to accepting pay increases greater than ten per cent. Vice-chancellors were paid an average of 6.4 times the amount of the lowest paid university worker. spend heavily on personal expenses, with hotel bills and airfare numbering in the tens of thousands of pounds. The study also shed light on remuneration practices within the University of Edinburgh. With a salary of £286,000, Sir Timothy O’Shea, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh ranked at a modest 48th place against other vice-chancellors. He was also one of the few senior salary had remained unchanged from the year before. O’Shea has notably refused pay increases for years. Yet the report also revealed that despite its constancy, O’Shea’s salary was almost £26,000 higher than the
Highest paid VC in UK (out of 149 respondents)
£286,000
Amount earned 2013/14 £25,710 above UK average
£22,358
Biggest spender on in UK (out of 128 respondents)
£12,652 above UK average
Biggest spender on hotel rooms in UK (out of 122 respondents)
Amount spent on hotels 2013/14 £5,017 above UK average
Biggest spender on personal expenses in UK (out of 125 respondents)*
Highest paid overall (out of 143 respondents)
£8,130
£7,842 Amount spent on PE 2013/14 £4,729 above UK average
1 £250-300k 43 16 2
117
£150-200k
£100-150k
£200250k
£300350k
University of Edinburgh records
national average. In addition, senior pay at the University was the seventh highest in the earning over £100,000. The data appeared to contradict previous statements made by O’Shea on senior pay. In February, asked by The Student “The situation in Scotland, certainly within this university, is that we have
moved to a position to pay less to institutions. And in some ways I led that by repeatedly refusing pay raises myself.” But the UCU study demonstrated that Edinburgh outranked most English universities on salaries, including many of those in the Russell Group. When asked about the high rates of senior pay, a University spokesperThe
Student they “should be viewed in the context of the University’s size and success.” The UCU also raised concerns about transparency of university pay in its report. When asked to provide minutes of remuneration committee meetings, only 50 per cent did so, half of whom would only provide heavily minutes with key information redacted. The University of Edinburgh was
one of the latter institutions. A copy of the minutes released to the UCU and seen by The Student had been redacted to obscure all payments agreed. details of the Committee’s internal discussions into the public domain ability to carry out its remit and would therefore prejudice substantially the
East Coast rail service re-privatised despite union objections By Bisi Adeyumo @TheStudentPaper
A
This is the third privatisation of the two companies did not succeed in
state control, the East Coast train line has been privatised for its third
time. This time, Virgin and Stagecoach have joined forces to take control of the East Coast service, which provides services on the mainline from London to Edinburgh. The East Coast trains have now been rebranded as Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC).
The last company, National Express, handed the rail services back to state control when revenues fell in late Since then, the publicly-owned East Coast Trains returned a little more than £1 billion to the taxpayer along with generating £40 million in calls from the unions and Labour to retain state ownership of the rail service.
The RMT union even staged protests at the stations along the route the day before the train services were transferred to private ownership. Mike Cash, the general secretary of the RMT union, claimed that the re-privatisation was “an act of industrial vandalism that will smash apart Britain’s most successful rail company for just one reason – it is publicly owned”. Cash continued by arguing that the public sector “had not only ‘rescued this vital rail link from total meltdown but turned around its performance.”
year History of Art student, Sophie Coleridge agreed with Cash’s
frequently and not usually delayed. The prices are quite reasonable as they are and really there are no The eight-year Virgin Stagecoach joint franchise
and went
Newcastle for London King’s Cross at Managing director of Virgin Trains East Coast, David Horne, has addressed the issue of re-privatisa-
tion, stating that he is “certain it is the right approach for passengers and the taxpayer.” Mr Horne has also promised extra services between Edinburgh and London, along with hot food delivered to passenger seats. From May 2019, the average Edinburgh-London train will be cut by 15 minutes and one of the two services per hour will take under four hours. Although the cost of ‘anytime’ fares is due to be cut by 10 per cent from the current Edinburgh to London prices of £156.40 single and £313 return, there are no promises yet of regarding the reduction of other fares.
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University “lost millions” through fossil fuel investment Continued from Front Page
W
e b s t e r continued: “Apart from a few political junkies within History, myself included, the good idea, thoroughly laudable, but than actually doing anything about it.” Webster then considered the possible results of the letter: “It is
drawn to the attention of the wider public. “[Unions] had been drawing their attention to the dubious practices of zero hours contracts, employment instability and under-estimating the hours of prep and feedback that [postgrad] tutors do; when it appeared in the papers they responded with a ‘shock/horror’ position of feigned ignorance and desire to set things to right. if such stances aren’t taken, they will
lost millions of pounds through its Edinburgh, Webster asked: “How far does [the money currently
is to analyse it properly by looking at and then coming up with an approach which makes sense to as large a
teaching aides like resources and the library, and how much of it goes to set up research institutes with no of education and more focus on the international reputation of the Outgoing Rector Peter McColl said :
gains from Glasgow being ahead of least.”
past nine months. That is likely to continue as it becomes clear fossil fuel
He then said: “We know that
usually responds after things get
“
They responded with a ‘shock/horror’ position of feigned ignorance“
possible. “So I think we are doing things completely appropriately and responsibly at Edinburgh.”
- Doctor Tom Webster
Speaking at Principal’s Question Time in February, Principal O’Shea was asked about fossil fuels and insisted that: “This is not a race of
The Student: “We are exploring the issue in depth. A report with options will be discussed at a meeting next month.”
Sturgeon targets “blight of inequality” with jobs plan decreasing corporation tax.
By Joshua Stein @josh_n_stein
N
icola Sturgeon has introduced measures to bring down the “blight of inequality” in
Scotland. Sturgeon, who will be standing as leader of the SNP in May’s general election, introduced a program of to that of her predecessor, Alex Salmond. Salmond had before pledged a decrease in corporation tax three per cent lower than the rate in the The Scotsman that the SNP now “targeted changes in tax allowances” and rejected the “blanket approach” of
“
[Former First Minister] Alex Salmond’s administration favoured [...] a difficult and seemingly contradictory agenda” - Professor Nicola McEwen, Associate Director of the ESRC Centre on Constitutional Change
medium sized companies throughout Scotland. She said that an increase in Scotland’s total output could lead to ten years. Speaking to The Student, Professor Nicola McEwen, Associate Director of the ESRC Centre on ConstituEdinburgh said that Nicola Sturgeon’s ambiguously social democratic”, with
“Alex As well as withdrawing the statement on corporation tax, Sturgeon promised the creation of
Salmond’s
administration
stress on tackling inequality and part of a strategy for economic growth Sturgeon said last month that inequality had made the UK £100 She said that Scotland had a “strong international reputation, great natural resources, and the most highly educated workforce in Europe”. The pledges by Sturgeon faced huge criticism by opposing political parties. Jackie Baillie, said that Sturgeon was right to focus on tackling inequality,
and seemingly contradictory agenda. Minister has been keen to place added
proposal for the reintroduction of the 50p top rate of tax”.
In the build-up to the general election, Sturgeon has been touted as a potential “kingmaker.” The Guardian, she said that a coalition with the they had just agreed to a further £30 billion in cuts. The SNP has presented a program of anti-austerity, which the Syriza, the far-left Greek party who recently came to power. She said these were damaging to infrastructure and skills, both of which She also rejected any idea of a compromise on the Trident nuclear weapons system, stating that the under any circumstances.
Universities condemn invasive SNP higher education bill In particular, principals are criticising the notion of including trade unionists on the committee.
By Sameen Hayat @sameenhayat
A
new
Scottish Their submission talked of the risk
concerted pressure from
Bill is proposing a number of changes
which becomes itself a serious threat to responsible autonomy and academic freedom.”
higher education institutions, was concerned with the undermining of the democratic nature of courts if wider membership was allowed. Their release stated that: “The proposal to designate places on -
been met well in higher education consultation
stage,
is
upon, it has been questioned by key actors whether there is really a need to legislate on matters that are currently dealt with adequately through cooperation and under-
Association (EUSA) submitted a response for consultation in which
responded: “At the
moment,
Scottish
same types of people, without real the huge disconnect between the
organisations. There are joint trade unions that organise to represent the our academic community. board acts independently as a board member in these meetings and does not represent the interests of any
coming
the academic community for its proposals such as open elections for
body.
membership. Briana Pegado, EUSA President, told The Student
since trade unions are stakeholders in the academic community they should be represented.” Speaking to The Student, Gordon Maloney, President of the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland,
democracy can do to our institutions. “The proposed legislation is a great opportunity to shake things up and make sure that the leaders of our interests of the whole community. “The only way to ensure this
democratic elections, not through a narrow and self-selecting process.”
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UKIP announces Scotland budget cut to pay for tax breaks
T
he United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) plan to take billions of pounds from Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish budgets to fund English tax breaks. The controversial proposal was announced the general elections in May. UKIP’s plan foresees the abolition of subsidies for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The measure would save up to £8bn a year and the savings would be used to fund tax relief for English citizens. Currently, subsidies are paid from Westminster to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland according to the used to distribute public money across the UK’s nations and regions. English MPs of the Conservative Party have advocated the abolition of the Barnett Formula, due to its perceived generosity towards Scotland. It is widely believed that this latest proposal represents a UKIP attempt to appeal to potential voters in England,
where they hope to gain a dozen or so seats in the upcoming Westminster general election.
“
If Scotland wants to spend more, then it needs to raise more. People have got to understand that they are getting a lot more money than folks in England” - David Coburn, UKIP MEP for Scotland
Nicola McEwen, Professor of Territorial Politics at the University of Edinburgh, told The Student: “This isn’t a serious policy but an attempt by UKIP to peddle the myth that English voters subsidise the Scots in a bid to curry favour among English voters. “There are many myths about the Barnett formula but territorial has historically fared quite well from the distribution of public funding […] but it could be reasonably argued that
Image: DomInIc PonsforD
By Lily Settari @TheStudentPaper
UKIP’s leader, Nigel Farage, has been a heavy critic of devolved funding to Scotland Scotland has also contributed more than its fair share to UK revenues, especially revenues from North Sea Oil. Wales, by contrast, fares rather poorly from the system, and there are strong demands for a better deal for Wales when money is transferred to the devolved governments.” The measure may serve to alienate support for UKIP from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. However, UKIP’s deputy chairman
Suzanne Evans is in charge of the plan and presented the measure as proof of her party’s integrity. She said it proved that UKIP are not “chasing votes”, but prepared to do “what is right”. David Coburn, UKIP’s only Scottish MEP, also defended the policy by suggesting that if “Scotland wants to spend more, then it needs to raise more. People have got to understand that they are getting a lot more money than folks in England”.
Edinburgh South Labour MP Ian Murray told The Student: “It is clear that UKIP don’t understand the pooling and sharing of resources across the UK. The Barnett formula redistributes to Scotland according to need and softens economic problems like a collapse in oil prices. The threat to Barnett by UKIP and the SNP (due to their campaigning
and the SNP must think again.”
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An intersectional International Women’s Day We must ensure we do not exclusively focus on those already privileged
gap in privilege between upper class women and those from less privileged backgrounds. There can be no doubt that the presence of women in academia is drastically disproportionate to their male colleagues. Gender inequality is perhaps nowhere more obvious than at the highest levels of achievement and those women who succeed in
entering into and advancing within a profession which she is equally as rageous. The issue is only complicated by the fact that women from less privileged socio-economic backgrounds face incomparable professional obstacles to the privileged academic who is often at the helm of initiatives to conquer gender inequality on the behalf of all women. University-run feminist initiatives and events like IWD are largely organised by privileged women who have not faced the challenges or lack of opportunity that women from the In a recent article published in The Guardian, Natalya Din-Kariuki justly argues that upper class wom-
aK RocKefelleR flicKR
W
e opened the week on March 8 with International Women’s Day. A holiday originally founded to support the goals of the international feminist movement towards gender equality, today IWD is largely considered a celebration of success and optimism. However for many, the observance of International Women’s Day in a university setting creates an opportunity to address the challenges that continue to face women in academia, most of whom come from the upper classes. Such discussions are in-
gaining employment at universities are frequently deprived of opportunity for advancement and feel they are held to a higher standard of performance than male academics. Those who deserve a place in academia are those who are best
image:
By Marissa Field @StudentComment
IWD is a chance to include all women, not focus only on the already privileged lower class’s oppression renders them they wanted to, correctly calling for an intersectional representation of gender inequality in academia. Any such response will require the increased participation of lower class women in academia in order to nation and deprivation that the lower ers we could ask for and the only ones we should accept. However, considering that our society does not currently provide adequate opportunities for students from lower classes to succeed at an equal level to their privileged peers and en-
to address the class-based variations of gender inequality do not have the foremost issue at hand. Academia’s response to this increase opportunities for students of lower socio-economic status to
The University of Edinburgh’s student population has historically included only a small percentage of students from working class families, with only 18.6 per cent in 2010 according to a survey by HESA. Those in charge of education policy must prepare and motivate lower class stu-
dents to enter universities like Edinburgh in order to bring more lower class women into academia. adequate coverage of course material in secondary schools, but also an emphasis on the critical-thinking and study skills necessary to manage university life, and a shift from within the lower class community itself to value more equally to career paths which are seen at the moment as more ‘realistic’ or ‘practical’ than academia, and which provide more reliable career prospects. In the campaign to end gender inequality, only an intersectional approach that empowers students will be
Appalling access to mental health support We need an urgent review of accessiblity to mental health support services By Zaic Holbrook @StudentComment
I
t’s nice to see that our conversations about mental
entered the political spotlight. We are constantly hearing about the scandalous funding situation for Mental Health Services in England, but some time for introspection in Scotland is well needed. The Scottish Government introduced a Mental Health minister, Scottish Lib Dems have it on their main platform, and just this past week Scottish Labour have been grilling the government over how shambolic our mental health targets are, especially for young people, and the cuts to council services forced by these governments’ funding cuts
underspent £444 million last year. By the SNP’s own admission, not enough is being done for the NHS to meet its new 18 week target. In fact, one than that. Some health boards here in Scotland still aren’t even meeting the wait! What’s more, over 200 people, the majority of them young people, have been waiting for over a year. This is not just a scandal, it’s a disgrace. It’s also true that we have seen an increase in people seeking mental health services, which shouldn’t be surprising. With greater campaigns to raise awareness and be more open about mental health, more than a quarter of the population is more willing to seek the help they need. But
the NHS is unable to cope. You’d think that with the government having an at least meet the increase in need.
“
It’s nice to see our conversations about mental health services have finally entered the political spotlight. We are constantly hearing about the scandalous funding situation for mental health services in England, but some time for introspection in Scotland is well needed”
For this introspection of Mental Health access we cannot just look toward the NHS and Holyrood, toward their failure to cope with demand for mental health services, but we also need to look at our universities. Our universities are seeing increased
demand for counselling and mental health services, while disability services across the UK are getting their funding cut or, as at Glasgow University, getting outsourced. The University of Edinburgh’s waiting list for their
care. Anything after that and you need services if you can’t wait for 18+ weeks. But if you have mental health issues, you’ll know waiting is something you’re all too familiar with: waiting to seek help, then waiting to receive help. A second problem for many university students then occurs when there is a need to apply for special circumstance. The wait for another appointment(s) to get the needed evidence and then wait to hear if it’s been accepted or how it’ll And then there is Authorised Interruption of Study, which for those who
necessary, but for so many students who need to interrupt studies or work, funding is postponed but you can’t seek to work, often defeating the whole purpose of the interruption. On top of that, Tier 4 international students have the added burden of worrying what will happen to their visa, a worry that for some will only deteriorate their mental health.
“
But if you have mental health issues, you’ll know waiting is something you’re all too familiar with: waiting to seek help, then waiting to receive help”
We desperately need to change how we treat persons with mental health issues. We need more funding, we need more support, we need these barriers to our accessibility eradicated.
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Comment
Claims of ‘anti-Israeli bias’ are unfounded
I
t may come as little surprise to hear US Secretary of State John Kerry defending the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, a feature which has become a mainstay in Kerry’s foreign policy. However, even for his aggressively Zionist stance, Kerry’s latest assertion, accusing the UN of holding an “anti-Israel bias”, is both nonsensical and abhorrent in equal measure. Not only is it indicative of a decidedly pro-Israel bias prevalent within the Western media and its institutions, it is also a reminder of Western double-standards concerning notions of ‘liberty’, revealing nothing but cold, ruthless political advantage at its core. John Kerry’s attack has been condemned by the Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Secretary as con-
tradicting the principles of the Human was made. We may congratulate the a degree of composure in countering the remarks, which rightfully infuriated many who heard Kerry’s obnoxious words. Israel, far from being the victim of years of stasis, inaction, and tragic complicity. Indeed, its status as a ternational law is irrefutable, and is widely-acknowledged as concrete fact.
Suppression and Punishment of the the notorious war crimes committed by Israel remain unpunished. The chimerical notion of an anti-Israeli bias feebly withers away in the face of its gross misconduct, particularly by
Young Shanahan
By Oliver Lemarchand Senior Comment Writer
the IDF, in the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Further, even momentarily disregarding the judicial illegality of Israel’s actions, its treatment of the Palestinian people violates the most fundamental laws of human rights. Whether enshrined in legislation or not, the mass killing of innocent civilians shatters any remaining common notion of morality. These
image:
John Kerry’s statement to the UN belies old political ties and economic interest
narily misleading in its connotations of mutual warfare and substantive resistance. Recently, the siege on Gaza
the process. On Sunday 20 July alone, 100 Palestinians were killed by the aggression of the Israeli Defence Force. Reducing Palestinian identity to little more than ever-shortening numerical lists, Israel’s continuous assault upon Palestine is the outright polarity of anything resembling justice, or liberty. Although the crimes committed by Israel have been acknowledged, indeed
The ongoing neglect of Palestinian rights, not ‘anti-Israeli bias’, is the problem legitimate claims for the interminable military assault upon Gaza, little has been done. More alarming still is western complicity in these atrocities. including the UK, abstained from a peace to Palestine within a year after Israeli bombardment, and to end Israeli occupation of Palestinian Australia chose to veto. That even one of progressive, egalitarian democracy is force-fed to the public by the
champions of neo-liberalism, chose not to vote in favour of the resolution, constitutes complete hypocrisy. At the core of the neglect of Palestinian rights within the international sphere evidently lies political interest. Old ties and economic partnerships prevent any attempts to alleviate the plight of Palestinians through the electoral structures of the United Nations. Above all, it is the precedence of political allegiance over a glaring moral duty to defend the diminishing status of the Palestinian which renders Israel’s escape act from international law a loathsome success.
We must stand against privatisation of railways Re-nationalisation is the key to solving British railways’ falling standards
E
ast Coast Rail, the only remaining railway under state control, was last week taken over by Stagecoach and Virgin Rail. The government has decided to hand this last chunk of Britain’s rail network over to a private company, despite
the network, which use far more government resources and contribute made by state owned railways can go straight back into improving services and keeping ticket prices low for travellers. This is obviously not the case with private companies. The contrast between the two systems only serves to highlight the fact that the Government’s free market ideology
depended on less public subsidies and has returned over £1bn to the move also goes against public opinion. A Yougov poll last year revealed that over two thirds of Britons support the re-nationalisation of the railways, and that’s not just ‘raging lefties’. The majority of Tory and UKIP voters also think that the network should be
terms of pleasing voters. franchise. Its success shows up the privately owned sections of
constant reminder to the people of Britain that publicly owned rail and made money for the taxpayer. Instead of accepting that their method is inferior and opting to have more railways under state ownership, the Government are choosing to try and brush this problem under the carpet could embarrass them. Labour’s response has been half hearted at best. Milliband has promised to begin legislation to allow public run companies to compete for these contracts within 100 days of being elected. This is an unsurpris-
image: Rob_enwiki
By Alice Carr @StudentComment
The privatisation of East Coast Rail disregards a lot of public opinion and the financial benefits of nationalisation blow. With the level of public support that re-nationalisation has, Milliband would come across as a much stronger leader and a more radical alternative to Tory privatisation if he made some assertions that public companies might get a look in on these contracts at some point in the future are not going to convince anyone of his conviction on this matter. The people of Britain need to stand up and make their opinions heard. With less than a quarter of the population supporting privately run
rail networks, it would be easy to put pressure on the government to begin retaking control of the railways. This government and the taxpayer to the people who use trains to travel every single day. Publicly owned franchises would mean cheaper fares, something to many commuters’ outgoings. British rail fares are some of the most if we pay for a particularly excellent service. In order to bring this kind of change about, people have to really
want it. It’s all very well voting in a Yougov poll, but so many people who support re-nationalisation in theory are unwilling to put any real support behind it. This is such an important issue for this country and the only way we can bring about change is by becoming less apathetic. Stop letting the decisions of politicians wash over us. If you believe in publicly owned rail franchises, stand up and make your voice heard. Find like-minded people and begin campaigning. Many want this change, but it won’t happen
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Comment
Demanding apologies risks alienating Muslims Communities should not take collective blame for individual’s actions @gabes2001 Kudos to the guy who’s playing Wham’s ‘wake me up before you go-go’ next to the people handing out bibles by the library #eduni
@sameenhayat This election can we talk about the DIRE need for more than 2 music channels at the gym that play ANYTHING but top 40 pop hits? #EUSA #EdUni @belouschris Overheard on campus: ‘All women have bad taste because all women love Benedict Cumberbatch.’ #eduni
@lisacairns_ EdiLifestyle you’ve missed out poached egg and I don’t think boiled, soft boiled and hard boiled can count as 3 different types #eduni
@jellyyyx Current mood. Roll on Monday. #deadlines #dying #history #eduni
By Amber Stevenson @StudentComment
K
ay Burley of Sky News has recently attracted controversy over an interview with a representative from Cage UK, an activist group that aims to help victims of the ‘War on Terror,’ after she dismissed some of his comments; her line of questioning eventually resulted in Cerie Bullivant abruptly leaving the interview. Burley’s line of questioning, which included her asking Bullivant how he felt about the beheadings, mirrors a trend seen within some parts of the British media, in the expectation that it is the duty of the international Muslim community to publicly denounce terrorist attacks carried out in the name of Islam by extremists, such as the beheading committed by ‘Jihadi John’ Mohammed Emwasi. This is inherently Islamophobic. It rests on the assumption that Muslims who do not do so therefore both share the views of the attackers, and support their actions as morally
@leafyfronds Whoever promises a purge on library desk-hoarders in the #eusa elections wins my full support. #eduni
of his article would suggest that he in fact believes quite the opposite. The title itself implies that Johnson does in fact believe that young British
extremism, Islamophobia, and mental health problems were explored and all used to justify his actions.
honourable, and the article as a whole patronises the entire British Muslim community, whose only connection to Emwazi is religion. He later calls on Cage UK to apologise to the families of the victims of Emwazi, reinforcing the tendency of expecting Muslims to accept guilt for actions committed by other Muslims. It should be noted that this trend is more concentrated within the more conservative elements of the British media, primarily The Telegraph. Sky News, under impartiality laws is legally required to remain neutral, although it has come under criticism in the past for its lack of neutrality, for example during the 2010 General Election. There certainly appears to be less demand for Muslim apologies within more central and left leaning news outlets, such as the BBC and The Guardian. However, this trend within any part of British journalism is concerning, as the British Muslim community is not, and should not be presented as being, accountable in any way for the actions of fellow Muslims.
“
The title itself implies that Johnson does not in fact believe that young British Muslims find the actions of Emwazi honourable”
“
On the other hand, in the analysis of Mohammed Emwazi and the Charlie Hebdo attackers, the primary motivating aspect of their actions is their adherence to Islam. Whilst this may be a valid conclusion, the dismissal of other external
The complete reverse has occurred in relation to instances of Islamic terrorism including ‘Jihadi John,’ where there seems to be an assumption that Muslims support their actions unless they explicitly express otherwise and justify their opinions. Neither the Christian population of Norway, nor the worldwide
when discussing Islamist extremism is something largely unseen when analysing extremism within other religions, namely Christianity. Boris Johnson, in his column for The Telegraph, recently published an article, “Young British Muslims should realise that extremists like Jihadi John are not honouring Islam.” Whilst he writes: “I believe - and I certainly want to believe - that this jihadi madness is rejected by the overwhelming majority of Muslims,” the title and general tone
them abhorrent.
It rests on the assumption that Muslims who do not [condemn] therfore both share the views of the attackers and support their actions as morally just”
Pakistan needs sensitivity in debating vaccination Compulsory vaccination might endanger parents and health workers By Laura Brook @StudentComment
@LydiaRyMu Syphilis, incest and euthanasia all in one play? This is going to be quite some essay #eduni
just. This trend did not appear, however, after the 2011 terrorist attacks in Norway carried out by Anders Breivik, killing seventy seven people. Breivik himself stated, “Well, I am a militant Christian; to prevent the de-Christianisation of Europe is very important.” Christians were not questioned by the media on their opinions of the killings; it was an inherent assumption that
Christian community, were expected to apologise or denounce the heinous actions of Breivik, and Christianity was not held accountable in any way.
P
akistan made headlines recently with its response to having a widely unvaccinated population. Public safety legislation is being used by the Pakistani authorities to arrest parents who do not vaccinate their children against polio. The parents are imprisoned until they sign with vaccination, a decision which removes any parental right of choice. CNN reports that so far there have been over 500 arrests. According to the World Health Organisation, Pakistan is one of three countries in the world where polio is considered endemic, accounting for 80% of the world’s polio cases, and many are of the opinion that a crackdown on those failing to vaccinate their children is long overdue.
However, this universal approach may instead have an extremely detrimental impact as it completely fails to address the motivations behind the anti-vaccination rhetoric. Many have been quick to draw a comparison between Pakistan and the United States, where those exercising their parental right to refuse to vaccinate their children may have led to a recent spike in measles cases across the country. According to the Centre for Disease Control, last year there were 644 cases across 27 states – a high number considering that the disease there in 2000. Many parents who do not vaccinate their children do so on paper published by a former surgeon, was a direct link between the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination and autism in children. But it’s all too easy to draw comparisons between the
US and the far more serious situation in Pakistan when the motivations for parents not vaccinating children in the One of the main motivators against vaccination in Pakistan is fear of the Taliban. According to a recent article in Vice, many of the recent cases of polio have occurred in Taliban-controlled areas of the country, where the Taliban have been preventing vaccines from entering the country. This is a result of a previous American-driven vaccination scheme for Hepatitis C, which the Taliban viewed as a spying attempt by the CIA. As a result, any new vaccination initiatives are viewed with much suspicion both by the Taliban and by parents. The Taliban also deliberately target aid workers who are helping to bring vaccinations to inaccessible regions of the country, further deterring parents from vaccination. By attempting to enforce vaccination in Taliban-occupied and surrounding areas, the Pakistani government’s intentions may be good but they risk endangering the safety of both health workers and parents who choose to vaccinate their
children. The term ‘rights of the parent’ is mentioned frequently in discussions about vaccination. But the situation in Pakistan goes far beyond this, punishing the parents of unvaccinated children for reasons outwith their control. Any trust in Western vaccination schemes appears to have been violated and, by using extreme methods to enforce vaccination, the Pakistani government is not helping to rebuild that trust. The rights of the parent are important, the rights of the child more so, but the obstacles which are deeply entrenched political and ideological problems which need to be addressed before any real progress can be made. The polio epidemic facing Pakistan is one which needs urgent attention, but by imposing such a broad and unfocused approach to mass medication and not considering the rights of parents, the government in Pakistan run the very real risk of alienating many from vaccination altogether and ultimately hurting the very people they are trying to help.
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The Persecution Paradox Discussing the persecution of the Christian community in India in light of the recent Delhi incidents
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n 1857 the subcontinent was rocked by the largest challenge to British dominance in India until the independence struggle began around 60 years later. The ‘mutiny’ (so labelled by of independence’ (so labelled by nationalist historians) began with a religious controversy. It was claimed
of the British East India Company were greased with the fat of cows and pigs.
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A religiously charged political landscape, increasing Hindu fundamentalism and recent physical attacks on churches ... [lend] credibility to the narrative of current Christian oppression in India”
This was considered sacrilege by Hindus and impure by Muslims, and neatly slotted into the religious was believed that the British were trying (either by trickery or coercion) to convert the people of India to Christianity. Generally, aside from the East India Company were far more interested in commercial enterprise
This narrative of religious oppression has been spurred on by the rise of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) to a massive majority in national politics. Mistrust of the BJP is deepened by their association with aggressive
Hindu Mahasabha. It has been reported that the leader of the latter sect, Swami Omji, recently threatened to kill the new chief minister of Delhi, Arvin Kejriwal, saying: “We killed Mahatma Gandhi … we will shoot down Kejriwal too”. Christians (as well as Muslims) have begun to fear for their faith. The most striking note in this narrative of oppression, however, is the recent phenomenon of Hindu ‘reconChristians were forcibly converted of the British and that it is therefore their duty to re-convert those who have lost their way. This was followed up by a claim last December that they would re-convert around 4,000 Christians and 1,000 Muslims on the 25th of December (quite a controversial date in the Christian calendar). The article in which I heard about this event had a charming comment below which reads: “BOTH HATE-FILLLED SEMETIC CULTS ISSSLAM AND
AND
ENLIGHTENED
pattern” to the incidents.
temples, 30 gurudwaras, 14 mosques and only three churches were targeted by thieves. Such crimes didn’t start in 2014 (when the BJP came to power); they happen every year in Delhi. Evidence from the past crime catalogue suggests that in fact, Christians have
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Communal groups need to enter into dialogue to resolve perceived hostilities before an attack that is actually motivated by religion takes place”
INDIAN
AND HATE FILLLED CULTS AND
reality, however, the Hindu and Muslim soldiers who believed this scandal rose up into a revolt which nearly dislodged the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the British Empire. incidents of crime have taken place at a number of churches across Delhi. These have varied in severity, from the theft of a DVD player to having a stone thrown through a window. These incidents have been decried by the Christian community in Delhi: “A clear pattern of orchestrated attacks”, were the words used by one priest, whilst
Image: j_may
By Patrick Arbuthnott @StudentFeatures
Such occurrences do seem to lend a certain credibility to the narrative of current Christian oppression in India. A religiously charged political landscape, increasing Hindu fundamentalism and recent physical attacks on churches all suggest as much. However on closer inspection of the reality underlying these situations, one comes away with In 2014, there were 253 incidents of theft reported at religious places: 206
When one looks at the individual instances it becomes clear that there is little evidence to show that they are part of an organised communal campaign. At the incident in Jasola, where a stone shattered one of the church’s windows, the ensuing investigation revealed that it was the work of a group of children playing outside the church. The other
It is claimed by Christian authorities in Delhi that these attacks are part of a systematic plan to make Christians in Delhi feel insecure. However, as of yet, they seem to be little evidence to suggest that this is all part of a BJP master plan to eradicate Christianity in India, as some would like to suggest. Likewise, the reconversion phenomenon has far more bark than bite. The mass conversion that was
supposed to take place on Christmas Christian community in Aligarh (the proposed sight of the conversion) happily went about their traditional Christmas customs of frying gujiyas and preparing the bajre ki tikiya. It has also been shown that the
people assured us that they will provide us better place to live, better food and schooling for my grandsons. I don’t mind change of religion, as religion doesn’t give us food to eat.” It is also claimed that they have been caste of their choice. This is unheard of in Hindu tradition and is a particularly Hindus orchestrating the events. What we can glean from these facts is that the Christian community in Delhi is not really being persecuted. The evidence available about the various ‘desecrations’ of churches shows that they are unconnected, and generally Likewise the ‘orchestrated attacks’ of Hindu fundamentalists have been blown out of proportion by the media However this doesn’t really matter at all. What matters is the fact that the Christian community feels persecuted. The claims that it has been throwing dent community. Being a minority group, this is understandable. What people need to realise is that religious
persecution often has as much to do with perception as with reality. Therefore, it is up to the current government to put the community church attacks were motivated by communal tension, there should be total denunciation of these attacks by the government. Communal groups need to enter into dialogue to resolve perceived hostilities before an attack that is actually motivated by religion takes place.
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One only has to look to 1857 to see the disastrous implications of failing to extend sympathy to those of different beliefs” Comparing the situation now with that of the past is very revealing. One only has to look to 1857 to see the disastrous implications of failing to beliefs. It is often said that history repeats itself. In future the word ‘irony’ should perhaps be added to this epithet. The case in India now shows a religion that has the feeling of being under threat by another politically dominant religion. Said religion is witnessing attempts to convert parts of its community and is being physically threatened. However, this time around, Christianity and Hinduism have swapped places.
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Investing in a sustainable future: We consider the ethical issues of the university’s investment portfolio
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he world’s future has not been looking good for a while, and now it is fully visible. According to a study published by NASA, in the next half of this century droughts in American south-west and central plains could last 30 to 40 years at a time. Similarly, a recent UN report outlines how, within a decade, 2.9 billion people in 48 nations will experience chronic water scarcity and shortage are already visible in Sao Paolo, Brazil, which is running the risk out of water. Add to this the increasing human population - estimated to peak at nine billion in 2100 - and it seems that in the future more humans will be living with less, on a hotter, drier planet. Once again we are reminded of the devastating impacts climate change will have. But why insist on talking about future consequences, when the impact can be measured right now?
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S e v e r a l companies on the list have been accused of having an insatiable appetite for profit, with little consideration going towards Earth’s long-term sustainability”
The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report makes it clear: the burning of fossil fuels is causing the planet to warm dramatically. Already 400,000 deaths have been attributed to climate change, as reduced food and water supply, more frequent extreme weather events and the spread of diseases begin to take their toll. If we exceed a four degree Celsius rise, which we are on track to do, we will face dramatic social, economic, and health consequences. Urgent reductions of global fossil fuel emissions would insure against the worst of these.
Already, divestment campaigns are working to mitigate the worst of global warming. Stanford University and the Australian National University have led successful divestment campaigns. The World Council of Churches, which represents half a billion Christians, has pledged to divest and last year the Norwegian Sovereign Fund, the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, removed 32 coal mining companies from its portfolio. Finally, Glasgow University has committed to divest from fossil fuels in October. Internationally speaking, assets worth $50 billion have already been divested, which, according to a study conducted by the University of Oxford, makes it the fastest growing divestment campaign ever.
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Divestment momentum is now lapping at the shores of the Clyde”
Image: LouIsIana gohsep
By John Brookes and Ross Devlin @Student Features
While the University of Edinburgh is one of the largest charities in the UK, it is not required to reinvest all Endowments, or donations given to the university by graduates, are often placed into an investment portfolio to ensure they continually earn a return. Endowments can be allocated to very bursaries, events, and infrastructure. In the case of Edinburgh, a committee that invests in fairly risk-free stocks and mutual funds handles it. The aim is to generate a steady return for the portfolio, which from 2012-13 earned a return of 21 per cent on £284 million. That means the portfolio earned £60 ventures. Edinburgh’s endowment fund is the third largest in the UK, after Oxford and Cambridge. The portfolio is split up between currency funds and a who’s-who list of Fortune 500 companies. Several companies on the list have been accused of having an consideration going towards Earth’s long-term sustainability. Divestment momentum is now lapping at the shores of the Clyde. On Monday of last week, The University of Edinburgh’s People and Planet submitted their brief to the university, a 30-page document outlining why the university should divest from fossil fuels. If the campaign is successful, it
have changed their university’s investment behaviour. After arguments were made about the university’s role as a major centre of medical research, the university accepted a proposal of disinvestment from the tobacco industry in 2004. Again, after ethical arguments were raised in 2013, the university moved £1.2m from a company engaged in the construction of US drones. The university’s social responsibility policy states that a particular company should be reviewed for divestment if, “on the basis of clear evidence… [the company is] so far removed from the University’s core values as to give grounds for serious concern”. This concern can only be raised by a representative body such as EUSA, or by “a recognised trade union.” Recently, in a piece published by The Guardian that was compiled by People and Planet, 50 academics voiced support for divestment from fossil fuels. 2014/15 is the year Edinburgh investment policy. But, in three out of four meetings, all that has been research and analysis.” When asked about how the university could develop a plan to divest from fossil fuels, Director of Social Responsibility Dave Gorman said the university is currently
leading “a review process that brings advisors to give the Court a clear set of options on how we could act on fossil fuels”. With continuing support on the student and academic front, this year might be a historic one for the University of Edinburgh.
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For a major international a c a d e m i c institution to reject the bloated returns earned by the world’s largest, least sustainable industries is a big statement” Indeed, the university has been called upon before to uphold its mission statement to “make a responsible contribution to Scotland, the UK and the world, promoting
health, economic growth and cultural wellbeing”. What of the world’s wellbeing? Why is divestment so important anyway? Ultimately, divesting from any company makes a statement, and for a major international academic institution to reject the bloated returns earned by the world’s largest, least sustainable industries is a big statement. Investments of over three million pounds each, such as in Edinburgh’s endowment portfolio, are what fund the expansion and continuing actions of companies like Shell, Monsanto, BHP, and Rio Tinto. These companies pose serious, direct risks to the environment. According to the Association of (ACCA), if we are to remain within safe temperature levels, around two-thirds of the current proven coal, oil and gas reserves must stay in the ground. Yet, as noted by ACCA, these reserves are currently recognised in the accounts of listed companies and contribute to their stock market valuations. Buying into a company’s stock, no matter how enticing the money seems, is ultimately buying them further access to fossil fuels, at the expense of a stable climate. In some cases, buying a share in these companies sells them someone else’s future.
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climate change and the university
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ow, let’s consider some of the companies the University of Edinburgh has invested in. We have focused on four companies to consider whether they may be targets for investigation, if not divestment, by the University of Edinburgh. The importance of divestment is illustrated perfectly by Assaad Razzouk, who is the CEO of Sindicatum, an award-winning alternative energy company. Razzouk opened his talk at the 2015 Edinburgh TEDx conference with a call to arms: to make a resounding impact on our relationship to the Earth, we need to change how we combat climate change. In order to do that, we need to divest from fossil fuels. Razzouk made it clear that committing to sustainability will be a fruitless venture if we continue to indirectly
About 1300 square kilometres were damaged in this way. However, until 2013, BHP Billiton escaped legal prosecution for environmental damages after legislation passed by the then-Papua New Guinean government provided BHP Billiton with legal immunity. This was only revised in 2013 by the incumbent Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea: “The government in 2001 made a very bad decision in granting immunity to a corporate giant, preventing its own people from exercising their right under law to sue for permanent damages done to their environment and their livelihood”, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill told parliament. This was a momentous achievement, though too late for the
at disclosing environmental concerns to their shareholders. A report undertaken by Ceres, a Boston “good”. A majority of 34 reports received “poor or no disclosure” ratings.
Royal Dutch Shell According to a Freedom of Information request in 2013, the University of Edinburgh has shares in Royal Dutch Shell worth £3,812,430. On paper, this may seem like a good
they revealed, as Shell’s top executive in Nigeria admitted, that Shell ministries of the Nigerian government and knew “everything that was being done in those ministries”. The same executive also stated that the Nigerian government had forgotten about the
come at an environmental and social cost. In Nigeria, Shell’s activities have led to serious environmental damage after pipelines owned by the company became old and corroded. The resulting oil spills have killed
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Nigerian activists have accused Shell of human rights violations, including summary execution”
Nigerian activists have accused Shell of human rights violations, including summary execution, crimes against humanity, torture, inhumane treatment and arbitrary arrest and detention. Although Shell has paid a US$15.5m legal settlement in 2009, the company has not accepted any liability over the allegations against it. However, documents released by WikiLeaks in 2009 demonstrate that Shell made regular payments to the Nigerian military in order to prevent protests. These documents were not used in the court case but
top of a mountain and upstream, these activities had a devastating societal and ecological impact. If you type “Mount Fubilan” into Google Earth, you can see the open-cut mine and its impacts, which carries downriver for miles.
“ Image: Lommer/Ian Dunster
and destroyed local economies. Shell has acknowledged its responsibility for maintaining the pipelines but denied any responsibility for environmental damage. Clashes between Shell, Niger-Delta communities and Amnesty International have claimed international attention since the 1990s, when a prominent environmental activist was executed by Niger’s then-military dictatorship.
mining company in the world, with ventures in Australia, Chile, Colombia, Algeria, Brazil, Canada, Guinea, Indonesia, the United Kingdom and the United States, to name a few. Its operations include the extraction of iron ore, copper, natural gas and gold. Until 2002, BHP Billiton also had projects in Papua New Guinea. Before
According to a Guardian article from 2010, a spokesman for the state-owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, said: “Shell does not control the government of Nigeria and has never controlled the government of Nigeria. This cable is the mere interpretation of one individual. It is absolutely untrue, an absolute falsehood and utterly misleading. It is an attempt to demean the government and we will not stand for that. I don’t think anybody will lose sleep over it.”
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Until 2013, BHP Billiton escaped legal prosecution for environmental damages” BHP
In 2013, the University had stocks of the multinational BHP Billiton worth £3,449,790. The Australian
BHP merged with Billiton in 2001, BHP had been engaged in a venture in Papua New Guinea since the 1980s, Tedi was opened in the 80s to extract copper and gold from the remote Fubilan mountain top near the borders between Papua New Guinea and East Timor. Before mining operations, Mount Fubilan was a copper mountain with a gold cap. By 2004, 8,896,577 tonnes of copper concentrate had been mined. In 1985-1990, 47,642 tonnes of gold bullion were produced. In 1999 BHP admitted that the project was the cause of “major environmental damage”. 80 million tonnes of contaminated tailings and overburden were annually discharged into the river system. As a result, chemicals from the which came to harm those animals and humans who survived. The dumping by the raised riverbed left a thick layer plain where the plantations of taro, bananas and sago palm grow – staples of the local diet.
Rio Tinto’s mines, much like BHP, can be viewed from Google Earth, since there are distinctive mudcoloured veins that leak from riverheads” Rio Tinto
Edinburgh also invested £3,213,023 in Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto delivers its shareholders, and is a successful mining company that operates in over 40 countries. Rep Risk, a group for their environmental and ethical performance, has listed Rio Tinto as one of its “10 most controversial companies” multiple times. Most of these criticisms stem from Rio Tinto’s is a company that has its headquarters in London, but hires labour in some of the most remote regions of the globe, and is often hit with accusations of human-rights violations along the way. Over the past 30 years, over 100,000 litres of uranium-contaminated water have leaked from their Ranger Uranium Mine into Aboriginal wetlands sanctioned by UNESCO. Rio
Tinto’s mines, much like BHP, can be viewed from Google Earth, since there are distinctive mud-coloured veins that leak from riverheads that the mines dump their waste in. These rivers can be directly contrasted with those nearby, which feature no discolouration as they travel down from the mountains. In community displacement to Rio Tinto, who drained scarce water sources and damaged ecosystems in their Escondida mine in Chile, which they operate in conjuction with BHP.
Monsanto Monsanto has been a magnet for controversy ever since it introduced Roundup to farmers in 1970. A Roundup contains glyphosate, which was invented by Monsanto, and has a low toxicity for animals and humans. To some it is the arch-nemesis of natural, organic plant growth. To US farmers, however, it ensures large, successful crop yields. Monsanto have also recently introduced genetically to herbicides. One environmental issue with Monsanto stems from the byproducts of developing genetically in Wales, a privately owned site of most contaminated place in Britain” by The Guardian, after Monsanto used it as a chemical dump for over a not grown anywhere in the UK or in Europe. The biggest concern with Monsanto, however, is not their direct environmental impact, which is not currently measurable, but their political impact. The company is a prominent amounts of money and energy to the UK and US governments to further its own agenda. As part of Obama’s second-term stimulus act, Monsanto worked directly with the government to introduce Section 735, which “strips federal courts of the authority to halt the sale and propagation of genetically about health risks arise during safety tests”. GM plants do not raise inherent health warnings, but denying the federal court the power to regulate a private company that directly interferes with our food is problematic. Interestingly enough, Monsanto is the only investment in the university’s portfolio This year, Monsanto’s earnings have fallen 34 per cent, with a net loss of 11 per cent against the S&P 500 index.
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The Rise of the Machines What implications will the development of Artificial Intelligence have for human job prospects?
@CailsOsborne
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echnology as a replacement for labour used to be something we could joke about. In 1968, Woody Allen joked that his father was made, “technologically unemployed by a tiny gadget this big that does everything he could, just does it much better. Depressing thing is, my mother ran out and bought one”.
Image: RIchaRd gReenhIll and hugo elIas/shadow Robot company
(AI) is getting smarter and more and more able. In fact, the world of AI is advancing in giant leaps, and we can see this at the University of Edinburgh’s Informatics Department, Europe’s largest and Britain’s top for research. It is a goldmine of AI equipment. Take for example Baxter (Rethink Robots). Baxter is a motion transfer robot that can imitate human motions. The department is also home to the Scottish national robot football team, which were programmed to compete in the robot world cup in Brazil last summer. Next, the Informatics team seek to buy the six-foot-two Valkyrie Humanoid Robot, developed by NASA to provide rescue functions in disaster zones with high levels of mobility and skill.
The robots are getting smarter and smarter and in light of these advances, impact on the future: how we behave, how we play, and most importantly, how we work. Technology is becoming more valuable at the expense of human labour. It is therefore important to consider what AI advances mean for the future job market. David Baker recently aired a show called When Robots Steal Your Jobs on BBC Radio 4 in which he discussed the developing threat of AI on white collar jobs, like lawyers and doctors, where analytical and precise information can be generated by robots much faster than by humans. More generally, though, there are worries all over the world that AI will displace more jobs than it creates. Not so long ago, the world-renowned theoretical physicist and cosmologist, Professor Stephen Hawking, warned the world that AI would be the greatest threat to mankind. This warning came in the midst of the development of Hawking’s new software to allow from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as ALS. Professor Hawking is anxious about sentient machines because, in his view, such machines inevitably “would
Image: Indolences/wIkIpedIa commons
By Cailean Osborne
rate”. Hawking goes on to argue that: “Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete.” Hawking does not stand alone in this opinion. Elon Musk, CEO of rocket-developer Space X and Tesla Motors, argued that there are short term and long term consequences of AI. Immediately, we should be concerned that intelligent machines are capable of performing jobs currently done by human beings, destroying millions of jobs. Look as far as your nearest supermarket, and note that the cashier’s skillset has been replaced by a touchscreen. Consider the simplicity of the self-serve checkout, now imagine what more intelligent robots will be able to do. In the longer term, Musk warns us that AI is “our biggest existential threat”. Ray Kurzweil, director of engineering at Google, is worried that it will be moral code to contain ever-developing software. However, PEW Research Center asked experts about the economic impact of AI by 2025 and a mixed picture emerged, showing some hope for the future job market. While 48 percent of experts predict intelligent machines to permeate both blue and white collar jobs, 52 per cent are more optimistic about the future job market. They expect AI not to displace more jobs than it creates, and their argument runs as follows: while some jobs currently performed by humans will certainly be taken over by robots, a boom in new jobs should be expected, motion since the Industrial Revolution. ways of earning ‘our bread’, creating new industries, and pushing mankind on.
One of these experts is a certain J.P. Rangaswami, chief scientist for Salesforce.com. Rangaswami argues that throughout history technology has been a job creator – not a destroyer.
necessarily directly remove a job, for instance a self-driving car will not
vary from nation to nation, based on investments in education, technology, and related infrastructure. While robots will be taking over some jobs as “poor labour substitutes”, Rangaswami predicts a growth in creative and curating activities by humans, as demand for their services grows quickly as social barriers to enter these
than previous waves of automation in factories and elsewhere”. PEW’s research goes further into expectations for the future job market in an AI-oriented world. On the one hand, experts from both camps agree that we should be concerned about our social structures, most importantly our schools and universities, which are not preparing people for jobs in the future job market. At present, coding, which will undeniably become the most important language in the world, lacks presence and importance in schools. Under this prediction, education reform regarding IT skills is long overdue. On the other hand, AI experts have also argued that the inevitable changes brought about by robots will create opportunities for people to “reassess our society’s relation to employment itself”, which can be translated into more leisure time, self-improvement, or a returning focus on artisanal modes of production. The chief economist for Google, Hal Varian, stresses increased leisure time in an AI-oriented world. How unhappy are you that your dishwasher washes your dishes, or that your hoover replaces cleaning by hand? So far we have been rather welcoming towards “job displacement” in this kind of work. Varian goes further to state: “The work week has fallen from 70 hours a week to about 37 hours now, and I expect that it will continue to fall. This is a good thing. Everyone wants more jobs and less work.” More advanced AI will decrease workloads, a process which has been happening since the start of technology booms about 300 years ago. So no reason to worry, Val Harian says.
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AI is predicted to bear a significant impact on the future: how we behave, how we play, and most importantly, how we work” Another expert, Vint Cerf, is also optimistic. Using his authority as vice president of Google, Cerf denounces hysterical claims, arguing: “Historically, technology has created more jobs than it destroys and there is no reason to think otherwise in this case.” After all, as Cerf says: “Someone has to make and service all these advanced devices.” Microsoft’s principal researcher, Jonathan Grudin, adds: “More jobs seem likely to be created… There is no shortage of things that need to be done and that will not change.” Perhaps the most optimistic expert is Michael Kende, organisation the Internet Society. “Every wave of automation and computerisation has increased productivity without depressing employment”, Kende argues. New waves of AI should therefore increase our personal or professional productivity, but not
Kende makes the case that, “while robots may displace some manual
14 10th March 2015 www.studentnewspaper.org
The Student looks at ECFS, Europe’s largest studentled charity fashion show
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EDINBURGH CHARITY FASHION SHOW
large audience. Alex Mostovoy, second year Physics student, has told The Student modelling. While forgivably nervous, Alex has a genuine interest in fashion and saw ECFS as an opportunity to get some modelling experience. Third year student, Stef Topa Otelli, was involved in 2013 and 2014. She is currently on exchange in China, but she is rooting for the team for afar. “I miss it sooooo much, I’m gutted I’m not there this year”, Stef said. The ECFS team has done several photo shoots in preparation for the
By Cailean Osborne @CailsOsborne
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IMAGE: ECFS
n Saturday, March 14 2015, the Usher Hall will be opening its doors to celebrate this year’s Edinburgh Charity Fashion Show (ECFS), reportedly the largest student-led charity fashion show in Europe. The grand, 100 year old concert hall will undoubtedly be a special venue for the night and a welcome delight to those who worried that ECFS could
House in the Scottish Highlands, plunging the “urban dwellers into a Scots baronial fantasy”. Galleries on their website exhibit the sheer professionalism that the ECFS enjoys. The models will be wearing outthe bold and expressive theme”, and
cy, bringing together their talents and working on one common aim, which is to support the Scottish Association of Mental Health (SAMH) and the Elephant Family. SAMH is Scotland’s leading mental health charity, focusing on raising awareness of mental health issues, whilst the Elephant Family devotes itself to saving elephants in Asia. Since establishing itself in 2002, the Elephant Family has invested around £6,000,000 in the protection of wild-
life habitat to save the elephant from extinction. Georgie FuTong and Louisa Dearlove’s theme this year is ‘Free the Elephant in the Room’. Their mission being, “to remove the social taboo surrounding mental health issues and promote the protection of the endangered Asian elephant”. In an interview with The Student, FuTong and Dearlove discussed what this year’s theme should suggest to guests. Working with the Elephant Family and SAMH, they hope “to break down the literal and the metaphorical darkroom that is ignorance and taboo by channelling the positive powers of fashion and art, and encouraging students to reject societal expectations and instead to be audacious and limitless.” So what should the guests expect? “An evening of bold and creative production, amazing music and entertainment, as well of course as some wonderful surprises that only those who attend the show will get to see.” Beyond the charities, this year the ECFS seeks to celebrate creativity in all its forms: from fashion to art to music. FuTong and Dearlove want to be clear that this campaign is not just about fashion; instead it’s about something accessible and fun to all. The ECFS seeks to increase its relevance to students - a population body that is known to undergo a number of mental health issues, in artistically dealing with the taboo, discomfort or perhaps embarrassment that hides at the substratum of mental health issues.
“We want to encourage students to talk about these and be able to express themselves”, the chairwomen added. the community through donation and popular appeal, FuTong and Dearlove admit that on a personal level, involvement with the ECFS since the very beginning of university has inspired them in many ways, one being towards their future careers. ECFS “covers all aspects of artistic, creative and business skills”, and therefore both FuTong and Dearlove sincerely encourage students to get involved. The models are all student volunteers, some with previous modelling experience and some without. To pearance on a catwalk in front of a
gether by recent ECA fashion graduates and big names like Charlotte Olympia, Simone Rocha and Ghost, Those Were The Days Vintage, Rail, L K Bennett, and Common People. All in all, of everyone involved, the project will culminate in one night of inevitable grandeur, humbling talent, and riveting performance. But what happens after the curtain closes? “There is a lot of wrapping up to do and of course the rewarding end two amazing charities.” Tickets have been selling quickly on their website; so act quick if you want to join what it is guaranteed to be an eventful night.
IMAGE: ECFS
production teams, bloggers and volunteers. The team is incredibly big, led at the helm by the chairwomen Georgie
FuTong and Louisa Dearlove. The team has been working all year on various projects. From model casting and model photo shoots to planning and production design: the team can admirably be described as a sym-
IMAGE: ECFS
shine last year’s show in the grand hall of the National Museum of Scotland. ECFS boasts a brilliant track record of raising money for charities in the UK. So far ECFS has donated just over £250,000 to UK charities. Last year, their campaign raised around £20,000 for Water Aid. This year, the ECFS has a new team: 70-strong behind the scenes and a further 30 models. The ensemble behind the scenes comprises amongst other roles a formidable web designer, enthusiastic creative and fashion directors, dedicated events and front of house
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Lifestyle
Interviews with the models T
L
he Student Newspaper met with two models who are involved with the ECFS this year. Tom Macfarlane, or Macca, is taking part for the third time in a row. We asked him a few questions and here is what he had to say.
the ECFS, 2nd year Physics student, and long-term Vogue fanatic.
you
in
the
ECFS,
is
nervous
or
excited?
I’m so excited! …and a tiiiny bit nervous — you never know when you’re going to suddenly forget how to walk in heels and faceplant into the audience. But I’m really pumped for the show, it’s going to be so much fun!
it?
Ha no it isn’t, I was fortunate enough wonderful show and someone said the other day that I was a Senior ECFS model...which just makes me feel old [...]
ideas that the ECFS Team have put together that I can’t say, but after last year they are going to have to bring out all the stops in order to beat that venue at the National Museum. However, having said this, the team this year are fantastic and exceptionally organised and I have every faith that
-
about two hours before the ECFS catwalk I was told that Chris McLellan and I were going to be auctioned
Image: eCFS
Because I’ve watched a few too many episodes of America’s Next Top Model in my lifetime and wanted to try it out for myself.
Rumour has it you were
I modelled in a couple of charity fashion shows back at school, and for my friends’ photography projects, but never in a professional capacity — this is about the closest I’ve gotten, actually.
-
Is there anything you’ve seen that you want to see again, and are you hoping to see anything new?
year I did the ECFS, I loved all the ambiguity of the whole modelling scene. Everything was very new to me then (...it still is now) and I didn’t know what to expect so at every photo shoot, walk and casting, I absolutely loved and embraced it, it would be
in front of everyone; I love being on stage! The whole day is going to be so much fun — hanging out with everyone backstage, getting my hair and makeup done, and, of course, taking backstage shots for my Instagram account (@itsalexandra_m, if anyone’s interested)!
up for me!” Anyhow I walked out on stage topless next to this Herculean man with a slight shake of my head thinking that no one would bid on us and then swiftly it began. bid in with ten pounds and to be honest all I wanted was someone to just outbid her other than my mother. To Chris’ and my astonishment, the bidding catapulted forward and quickly reached £100 and kept climbing until it was between 3 women (who looked like they were from the university) who were clearly bidding together and a pair on the right hand side of the nal bid rose up to £180 and was ‘won’ by the 3 girls directly in front of us.
Rather panicked I replied “Are you
Have
you
done
mod-
that yes, they were indeed serious. Now Chris is a very big guy. A man with a bear-like frame, with rippling muscles bursting through every part of his T-Shirt... and there was me, built with a slight frame which very much resembled the shape of a bean pole. Intimidated doesn’t even begin to describe how I felt especially as I was
ECFS that I did a lot more modelling outside of uni, which has been great. Weirdly enough I had no intention of going in to the ECFS team. I literally was walking towards George Square along George IV Bridge and it was raining so I was
I could not have been more nervous, to the point that I texted my sister who was in the crowd saying: “If no one bids please put your hand
who I remember having a brand new pair of really nice Nike Blazers (that I wanted), passed right next to me. As I walked on a few steps, I got a
No, I hadn’t; it was all new to me
tap on the back by the same guy with the blazers who would turn out to be Frank Derrington - a long time model for ECFS and an overall awesome guy. He told me “if I wasn’t doing anything” to go to the ECFS castings where I met Finlay, Adam, Alex and Caroline who all critiqued my awkward walking style and gave me a shot.
I love fashion! I’ve been interested in it since I was a little girl — I have every issue of Vogue since September 2009 in my room. I’m gutted to be missing London Fashion Week, but I reckon we’ll give them a run for their money! en’t seen them, but I heard we’ll be wearing Charlotte Olympia shoes, so I’d say the bar’s been set pretty high for the rest of the clothes!
What are you ing forward to the
lookmost?
The show itself! I’m so excited to step
-
I’ll let you in on a secret — my dream is to be a Victoria’s Secret Angel. But somehow, I feel like I’ve got a very long way to go before that can come true. For instance, I should probably start actually using my gym membership, and maybe cut back on the Domino’s… I’m just kidding, I could never say goodbye to pizza.
description-charged tence, express how
senyou
I will feel as though the gazes of a thousand people are searing into me like state, my soul ready to depart from my body as I complete my walk and ascend to a higher plane of existence. Or, most likely, I’ll be thinking: “Don’t fuck this up!”
Modelling for me is just for fun, like a hobby. I know quite a few people who do it professionally and it never seems to be a viable business in the long run. I study Product Design and I have always wanted to be an inventor, that is my real passion and my real drive. Modelling has been great because it has put me in touch with so many creatives who have been exceptionally interesting to talk and share ideas, with as well as making some great friends along the way.
sentence, express how you
one of the most adrenaline fuelled, nerve pumping and heart pounding moments I will ever have and dear God, let me not screw it up.
Image: eCFS
time
ifestyle also met Alex
16 10th March 2015
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Monumental victory for net neutrality under FCC ruling News: FCC votes to define the internet as a ‘utility’ under Title II of the Federal Communications Act
T
his is an important victory. On February 26, the American Federal Communications Commission voted to classify broadband as realised. American Internet service is now regulated under Title II of the Communications Act - the same legislation that landline phone companies in the United States must abide by. The legislation is a set of rules which dictate that an ISP cannot block, slow down, or speed up a website. The key is that a subtle separation is created between the data that travels on the internet, and the wires that make up the internet itself. While the ISPs own the wires, Title II dictates that they can’t ‘interfere’ with the data. Simply, American broadband companies like Comcast and Verizon must treat all data packets on the internet the same way. If this legislation had not been passed, vast power over the internet could have been granted to the ISPs.
The biggest proponents of net neutrality include Tumblr, Twitter and
small company can begin on the internet and become hugely successful based on the quality of their services alone. If paying an ISP gave your website an advantage, this dynamic of fairness and equal opportunity would have become broken. Furthermore, consumers could have had to pay extra for access to the likes of YouTube or Facebook. In the darkest visions, a private company being between you and the journalism of newspapers and the ideologies of political websites. The campaign for Net Neutrality therefore became passionately charged. There was the incredibly popular segment on the topic by John Oliver, a letter of support signed by musicians like Neutral Milk Hotel and Death Cab for Cutie, and so many people voiced their support to Net Neutrality on the FCC’s website that their servers crashed. Victory has since been greatly celebrated: a pro-Net Neutrality group created a banner with a picture of Grumpy Cat
IMAGE: HTTP://WWW.FCC.GOV/
By Christopher Lightfoot @propronouns
on it, and “Comcast: Don’t Mess with the Internet” is written on the image in all-caps Impact font. Elated, they sourced a plane, attached the banner,
FCC’s Net Neutrality vote is two days away. Hillary Clinton walks on to the stage for an interview at the female-focused technology conference Lead On. She sits opposite technology reporter Kara Swisher, and Clinton glistens with a distinctly electable charm. The former First Lady states that she supports Net Neutrality, but her tone seems lamenting. “They have to have a hook to hang it on and so they’re hanging it on Title II,” she explains. “It’s the only hook they’ve got. … If there were another hook, it would come out of a modern, twen-
quarters in Philadelphia. Yet, we must make no mistake: Title II does not mean that the Internet’s future is completely and forever secured. This is legislation that was originally written for landline phone companies in the 1930s, making it easily attackable, and there are sure to be countless legal challenges against it. It’s the 24th of February, and the
act - and we don’t have that, and we’re not likely to get it.” On stage at the conference, Clinton embodies many things: there needs to be greater focus amongst politicians on internet-related policy, and the nature of the conference highlights how there needs to be more women in the technology industry. Yet, Hillary Clinton’s appearance is also six days before she makes headlines in the New York Times as she had used her own private email account while being US Secretary of State. It isn’t quite clear what this means, or whether Clinton is in the wrong. The policies and practises concerning emails and transparency seem confusing and blurry. In the UK, we don’t have such strong debates about net neutrality. Instead, protesters are combatting concerns of censorship. We are still working out how the internet can maintain its current form while also the FCC vote is important, and the victory is monumental - but there have to be won.
First head transplant could be available by 2017 Feature: Claire Hutchison considers the delicate issue of the moral permissibility of head transplantation Italian fashion, the surgeon describes these spinal cords as being like “strands of spaghetti that can be reattached to each other once broken”.
By Claire Hutchison @TheStudentSci
that seems to belong in the pages of a horror novel, not an academic journal. However, it would seem that an Italian surgeon, Sergio Canavero is presenting himself as a modern day Dr. Frankenstein. He suggests that the operation could be carried out as soon as 2017, heralding his radical surgery as a procedure that could save thousands from degenerative and terminal diseases. If it were to go ahead, it would not had been attempted. In 1954, a Soviet surgeon named Vladimir Demikhov transplanted the head of a dog onto the body of another; resulting in the death of the dog six days later due to an immune rejection. In 1970 doctors in Ohio led by Robert White, carried out a similar procedure with monkeys.
“
If any patients were to go on to reproduce, the children would be biologically related to the deceased donor .“
IMAGE: MIGUEL MENDEZ
T
he idea of transplanting a human head onto
The resulting creations died nine days after the transplantation, again due to a rejection by the hosts immune system. Canavero’s ideas are even more ambitious than his predecessors. Not only does he intend to use humans in the operation but he also wishes to reattach the spinal cords of his patients. Though this has not been done before, he suggests that treatments have advanced far enough to make this part of
the procedure possible. The transplant would involve cooling the body of the donor and the recipients head in order to allow the cells to be able to survive in anoxic conditions. Both heads would then be removed and major blood vessels would be linked using miniscule tubes. After attaching the severed head to the body each end of the spinal cord would be fused together. In typical
This would involve the use of polyethylene glycol, a compound which promotes the fat in the cord membranes to fuse together and form a mesh. The patient would then be stitched up and placed into an induced coma for up to a month. While implanted electrodes provide a regular electrical stimulation to the spinal cord, in order to strengthen new nerve connections. Canavero speculates that once out of the coma, the patient would be able to talk in their original voice, feel their face and even move it. However, it could take up to a year for the person to walk again and require
extensive physiotherapy. Many experts have called Canavero’s proposal appear to be too optimistic; with some stating that there are massive technical hurdles to overcome and that there is a high likelihood that the head may be rejected by the immune system of the body, even with modern immunosuppressive drugs. Some have called the ethics of the procedure into question. If any patients were to go on to reproduce, the children would be biologically related to the deceased donor and not of the recipient. Others have also questioned whether the recipient would truly be the same person as several religious groups believe that one’s soul is contained within the body. While this groundbreaking idea could prove to be a major advancement in the world of medicine, the buzz it has created may be premature. cult question: is society ready for a real life version Frankenstein’s Monster?
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Science & Technology
How sitting down made our bones weaker
Feature Chloe Henderson explains why moving from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more sedentary, agricultural based one had a huge impact on our bones
N
ew research across thousands of years of human skeletal evolution has shown that
lighter than those of our early ancestors. In a series of papers published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences late last year, scientists have linked the relatively recent development of lighter joint bones to changes in physical activity. The study pinpoints the origin of these weaker bones to the beginning of the Holocene epoch, roughly 12,000 years ago, the era in which humans abandoned their traditional hunter gatherer lifestyles and turned towards agriculture. “Modern human skeletons have shifted quite recently towards lighter – more fragile – bodies. It started when we adopted agriculture. Our diets changed. Our levels of activity changed,” says study co-author Habiba Chirchir, an anthropologist in the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Programme.
In attributing joint bone weakness
on human joints.
“
Cases of osteoporosis are more common”
in ancient human societies, the study has great implications for modern human health and the link between physical activity and bone strength. “The lightly-built skeleton of modern humans has a direct and important impact on bone strength and on the study and anthropologist at Penn State University. “That’s because lightness can translate to weakness – more broken bones and a higher incidence of osteoporosis and age-related bone loss.”
“
Modern human skeletos have shifted quite recently towards lighter - more fragile bodies” The understanding that the modern human Skeleton is longer, thinner and all around weaker than that of its predecessors is not new information, but the cause of its ‘gracility,’ has, until
Image: adam carr
By Chloe Henderson @TheStudentSci
now, been pure speculation. Previous theories had suggested that walking upright put more pressure on joints to go long and lean. The most recent study focuses on the trabecular bone, a sponge-like material found at the end of bones to form joints. “Think of the end of a chicken bone: if you cut through it, then you see this meshwork of bone that’s interwoven,” Chirchir explains. Modern becular bone density than their ancestors. This was revealed through a series of tests involving the examination of
trabecular bone in archaeological specimens from four ancient human groups; two that practiced agriculture and two that retained the hunter gatherer lifestyle. The latter, they found, had thicker trabecular bone, higher volume and lower surface area in their hips than the farmers. The two one another, and both consumed a range of locally available foods meaning that their diets were not necesdiet itself is less important than the “biomechanical stress” walking long distances and hunting animals puts
Whilst factors including diet or disease can’t be ruled out, the study points towards physical activity as the driving factor behind changes to our skeletal build. Chirchir also notes that physical activity can change our skeletons within our own lifetimes. This is especially relevant for those of us living in industrialised environments, and those who spend a lot of time sitting at work or at home. Cases common in such environments, and in patients with osteoporosis, the trabecular bone has the highest risk of fracture. “Humans can have robust trabecular bone structure, similar to what is seen in living non-human primates, if they engage in appropriate levels of physical activity throughout life,” says liking early humans, we should be exercising like them.”
Flower Power Modern Women in STEM species have evolved to be picky about their pollinators By Joe Boyle Senior Science & Techology Writer
T
been shown to react
pollinators - only ‘turning on’ for some species. Heliconia tortuosa is a plant by hummingbirds and requires a long curved beak to access the nectar. When scientists tried to pollinate it by hand (a common horticultural technique) they were unsuccessful. After further research into which linators, the scientists concluded that the plant can tell which species is visiting by the way they feed. The especially long bills of two brilliantly-named species - violet sabrewings and green hermits caused H. tortuosa to ‘turn on’ and germinate its pollen, increasing pollination success rates with those birds. Other species could reach the
er hadn’t ‘turned on’ their pollen was less likely to fertilise anything. When the researchers tried pollinating by hand again, this time mimicking the successful bird species, it worked. Violet sabrewings and green hertheir wide ranges. Travelling greater distances means that the pollen in mixed in with a bigger, more varied gene pool: an advantage for rapid evolution, which requires diversity. It has been known for centuries with their pollinators - Charles Darwin famously predicted a longmouthed moth which wasn’t discovered until decades after he died - but
pollinators. The research raises further questions about the complex systems highly-derived vertebrate pollinators.
By Josiane Segar Science & Technology Editor
D
ty’s 421 years of age, it was only 135 years en women, among them Sophia Jex Blake, were admitted into Edinburgh University to study medicine. Four years later they were unceremoniously kicked out without degrees having lost a legal battle with the University for their right to stay here. Nowadays the majority of the undergraduates at Edinburgh are women, who are on average also more likely to earn 1st class or upper 2nd class degrees. On the face of it, it would seem sexism truly is a thing of the past and yet as many women out, modern sexism in the university is truly well and alive. The only difference being that it is now mostly attacks. Despite the reassuring lack of tolerance our university community appear to have for overt forms of sexism, it is these disguised manifes-
to detect, address and somehow all the more dangerous. A study conducted only two years ago at this university highlights how pervasive unconscious bias can be when responding to academics and cal, fake CVs were sent out to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) faculties at various universities in the UK, including Edinhalf the ‘candidates’ were given female and half were given male names. The results showed a resounding favouritism for the ‘male’ CVs, which were voted unanimously higher in competence, hireability and mentoring. The male candidates were even judged to be worth over £4,000 a year more in salary. Although the university’s rules are by and large gender neutral within STEM faculties, there is still scope for sexist application of said rules. This can be seen in how women who go on maternity leave are treated and the reduced likelihood of women getting promotions, partially due to a lack of
Image: SwaIn, wellcome truSt
News: Joe Boyle explains how only certain plant
informal mentoring between faculty members. The number of women in STEM positions decreases dramatically after undergraduate level, with only 9% of the top professor jobs being women. However these unhappy biases are slowly being fought. Consciousness training is now something that the university is beginning to implement in order to tackle some of these problems; these are opportunities to gender, where they can be examined and ideally reevaluated. Furthermore, campaigns for mainstreaming gender and feminism in undergraduate courses as well as for a gender studies department have sprung up around the university. They will hopefully prove to people that these are gender issues which are taken seriously, and are here to stay.
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Science & Technology
Intro To: Zebrafish with Prof. Catherina Becker By Alex Harston @alexharston
Ask The Expert:
We chat with Prof Becker about the future of zebrafish research axonal regeneration in these
M
as model organisms, with the number growing year on year. ing paralysis and spinal injuries in humans. They have the remarkable ability to regenerate their nervous system when damage occurs, even in cases where the nerve is completely severed.
CB: So, when you look at successful regeneration, there’s certainly not just one factor that you can switch on and cause mammals to magically regen-
developed organs in roughly 29 hours. This both saves researchers time, and allows them to track genetic alterations across multiple generations.
environment. For example if you have happens is that the glial progenitor cells that are in the spinal cord of the
so genetic changes can be introduced using nothing more than chemical mutagens. make neurons. higher levels of mutations can be introduced.
S
pinal injuries in humans ruin lives. Unlike other forms of injury, damage to the spine and neck is often irreparable and re-
look very similar structurally, they respond to a lesion, they proliferate and they make glia. These glia then go into the lesion site and contribute to the scar. So it makes loads of glia, which
-
placed to develop techniques to help the central nervous system regenerate after inresponsible for certain muscular dystrophy disorders, and to understand the formation of cerremarkably high degree of similarity with humans, and over 84 per cent of genes known to be associated with human dis-
surrounding environment, and they release all sorts of extracellular matrix factors that discourage axonal growth. that scar formation, axons w i l l g r o w better - even
The ethics of genetic testing FEATURE: Health predictions - blessing or burden? By Amelia Howarth @TheStudentSci
W
e are fortunate to live in a society where science and technology are advancing faster than ever. This holds true particularly in the world of genetics. Since the launch of The Human Genome Project in 1990, the accumulation of human genomic data has exploded and the cost of producing such data is dropping every day. The project took thirteen years, thousands of global scientists and 2.7 billion dollars to collect and analyse a single human genome. Today, the same can be done within hours, by one person, for as little as $1000. Whilst some of us are still reeling from this mind-blowing statement, the more resourceful amongst us have been riding the wave. One such person is Anne Wojcicki, who co-founded the ‘personalised DNA service’, 23andgenetic testing. A user orders the kit, provides a saliva sample and returns
it by post to the 23andMe labs for testing. Within four to six weeks, the expanse of their genome is then available, in raw genetic code. As most of us aren’t experts in deciphering raw genetic code, 23andMe also provides interpretation of this information. The user can log in to their 23andMe account and view their information in a number of ways. They can look at their ancestry and genetic lineage. They can see how their genetics might dictate how they respond to medication. They can see if they possess certain genes that make them atrisk for medical conditions or even for inherited conditions, such as Alzheimer’s Disease. 23andMe describe this service as enabling their customers to ‘take steps towards living a healthier life’, but it’s impossible not to address the related consequences of this. First of all, there’s the question of privacy. This data is available online to customers, and although 23andMe have a number of security measures in place to recent reports on hackers gaining ac-
cess to secret information, from govmake privacy a real concern. Privacy issues aside, there has been much debate on what these results mean to an individual. Medical professionals often specialise in one condition alone and use their experience and knowledge of this condition to was diagnosed with a condition and then sent on their way without guidance, advice or a true explanation of what their condition means in context – could this not be at least very confusing and, at most, devastating to this individual? Some would argue that this is exactly what 23andMe have allowed with production of self-diagnosis kits. Such worries spurred the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), to halt 23andMe’s sale of these kits in the US in 2013. This, however, was not well-received by everyone. Many voiced their concerns, demanding a right to biological knowledge of their own DNA. Should it really be left to the FDA to determine whether indi-
mammalian axons could grow better. The other factor is the axon itself - if a mammalian axon is faced with a glial scar or with the molecules that are deposited on a glial scar, the contact leads to growth cone collapse – basically a breakdown of the cytoskeleton in the cell, where the axon can no longer adinhibitory molecule, it does not lead to axon growth cone collapse, but leads to a rerouting of the axon, so that it grows around the inhibitory stimulus. And that could be due to, say, a minor phosons more robust. eral nervous system, their axons are very robust, and they want to grow. So people who make lesions in the peripheral nervous system in mice basically have to bend the cut nerve back on itself and then suture it against the skin if they want to prevent axons from regenerating, and even then some of the axons will still manage to grow. That’s the same sort of robustness
for growth - it wants to and will grow, even growing around obstacles like my-
myelin debris and will grow around it, spontaneously rerouting, whereas in
. So what further research apCB: Some of the approaches that are currently being developed in mammals are aiming to try and stabilise
molecule taxol - therapeutic doses basically mess up the cytoskeleton, but if you use taxol in sub-therapeutic doses, it gives the cytoskeleton just a little bit of strengthening, and that allows mammalian axons to grow over a little bit of the lesion site. Quite a few researchers are focusing on this.
Do you have a hunch as to what the key to regeneration may be, completely unsupport-
there is one, will be a small cytoskeleton-associated phosphoprotein mammals. That would be my guess.
viduals are able to handle their own als have the means to, aren’t they entitled to information present in their have the means, is it ethical that such information isn’t available to them. sparked a wealth of debate as pioneers into publicly available genetic testing. Since this ban, a step towards reconciliation between the FDA and 23andMe has been made. Last year, the FDA approved the use of 23andMe kits for the self-diagnosis of Bloom’s Disease – a more susceptible to a range of cancers and, if diagnosed early, can result in a number of preventative strategies to manage the condition. Not only this, but the full genetic health test has recently been made available for users in the UK and in Canada.
“
23andMe provides interpretation of this information” There are many angles and perspec-
it a powerful advancement in genetics, allowing customers to fully explore their health and risk? Or is it a danger-
ing to a future of too easily accessible personal data? To this end, Professor Graeme Laurie, expert in medical law and ethics and founder of the JK Sciences and the Law at the University of Edinburgh, lends his opinion: ‘Bodies like 23andme have marketed themselves as bringing democracy to personalised medicine and often talk about how their products will empower citizens. With this powerful rhetoric must come responsibility, and an appreciation that the mere generation of information from testing is not enough to achieve these goals. Quality of information is key, as is the availability of support to interpret results and to counsel people through expected and unexpected consequences consumerist approach that is not adequately supported by information about the limits and dangers of testing is more likely to lead to people feeling abandoned rather than empowered’ Whatever your opinion, 23andMe’s product has become a reality in our lives, and, as Professor Laurie so eloquently puts it, quality of information and how we are supported in dealing with it, is paramount to the success and future of personal genetic testing.
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Dual Crossword No. 80
by Picus CRYPTIC CLUES
AQUARIUS
LIBRA
Mercury is still in Aquarius, and by now, you’ve co-founded three new societies, created a campaign strategy for the EUSA elections, applied for a graduate job despite the fact that you’re still in third year, and started a successful new cooking blog. Let’s see what this week has in store.
Jupiter inspires you to take a little break from the uni library. You decide to study in Black Medicine instead, but the Internet is too slow to access MyEd. Embarrassed, you return to the
PISCES Feeling restless, you embark on a jourroutes. Just as you get to Portobello, it starts to rain and your iPhone battery is empty. You regret your decision to go on an adventure instantly, and take the bus back to Newington.
ARIES Uranus, Venus, and Mars are hanging out in Aries, which means that your life is taking strange and challenging turns at the moment. An old friend might reenter your life with unexpected news and a decision which has to be made; fear not, little Aries, you can do it.
TAURUS Be patient; things might not be going your way this instant, but the key is to wait it out. Success, love, and just the right amount of mystery are waiting around the corner for Taurus.
GEMINI Financially, things are getting a little tough this week, which forces you to tle while and resort to illegal streaming websites. Heartbroken, you force yourself to read a synoposis for every single episode of House of Cards.
ACROSS 1 Discover her aunt in disarray (7) 5 French writer nearly tongue-tied, 8 Madcap risks encountered in holiday isle? No, vice-versa (5) 9 East End girl accepts fate with time, making these stops (7) 10 Element of Chinese religion gives thanks to love (3)
CANCER Now is the time to take risks - be bold and brave; the academic gods are on your side.
LEO You start an anonymous EUSA blog, EUSAlashes, dedicated to the best eyelashes in the union.
VIRGO It’s all about the moon this week; in your every week, which is met with approval.
CONCISE CLUES (same answers) for next week’s John Locke theme, but remain optimistic.
SCORPIO Still really worried about the Ides of March, you overhear someone calling you an “absolute dork” when they thought you weren’t listening. Trust is-
SAGITTARIUS Hoping to make some serious bargains, you head over to Edinburgh Bargain
CAPRICORN Really excited about The Tab vs The Student on March 14, you buy a new football kit. Dream big, Capricorn - you will do great things this week.
ACROSS 1 Discover, dig up (7) 5 Alexander ..... French writer (5) 9 Laryngeal (7) 10 The way (Chinese religion) (3) 11 In the region of Oz or NZ (4, 5) 13 Break ranks (4, 3, 2, 4) 15 Small French restaurant (9) 17 To polish, apply friction to (3) 19 Golf course (Georgia, USA) (7) 21 Say hello, welcome (5) 22 Dog (pulling sledge) (5) 23 Jewish prayer of mourning (7)
DOWN 1 Not adulterated (e.g. cocaine) (5) 2 Investigate, reconnoitre (7) 3 Showers are made of them (9) 4 The peak, the very top (4-5, 4) 5 Couple, twosome (3) 6 Coupled (5) 7 Splash out (moneywise) (7) 12 Not ready to leave the nest (9) 13 Saturday or Sunday (religion) (7) 14 Inhabitant of Tel Aviv (7) 16 Scotsman : historic Scots County (5) 18 A group or set (5) 20 Crafty, cunning, underhand (3)
A BIT ABOUT CRYPTIC CLUES Last week we had a look at Connectors (aka Linkwords) which can occur within the subsidiary part of the clue or within
However, as we can see, when the compiler reversed the clue, he had to change the form of the Connector. SO:-
may also mark the “join” between the
X caused by Y… ) X supplied by Y … ) X from
X is the
X … causes Y X … provides Y X … for
Y is the
If we identify a Connector of this second sort, not only does it tell us where the “join” occurs - but, by looking at the form of the Connector, we can usually tell whether the
) )
And, if you remember our slogan from
answer if you don’t know what it means.
But the clue could easily be entirely reversed so that the format is :Connector Returning United supporters cause a chaotic situation SNAFU
5 Couple owed almost nothing (3) 6 Married friend’s daughter (5) 7 Top Scottish teams have yen to splash out (7) of gown, not ready to leave nest (9) combine for day of prayer (7) 14 One who may provoke Ali’s ire? (7) 16 Scotsman helps make boomerang user-friendly (5) 18 Chat freely after opening of ballet in a group (5) 20 Crafty Rambo star ultimately gains total mastery (3)
Canty and Couthie
Chaotic situation caused by returning United supporters SNAFU This clue from last week has the format Connector
articles from Europe (4, 5) 13 Break ranks, changing spiteful tone about old (4, 3, 2, 4) 15 French restaurant makes money beside lake (9) 17 Polish problem (3) 19 Take a month to open golf course (7) 21 Scots cry of welcome (5) 22 Dog and Horse - as they say (5) 23 King and a theologian lead one quiet prayer of mourning (7) DOWN 1 Such diamonds may be rough, but they’re not shunned (5) 2 Investigate former Pastor’s ancient wisdom (7) 3 What precipitation usually is - and how it happens? (9) 4 East Ham arkwright needs shaking
Many clues have no Connectors at all, Synonym clues usually don’t need them.
PIKE Northern gales battered some of our ancestors ANGLES
Choose the correct meaning Pickle or Puckle a) A pimple, blackhead b) A grain of corn c) A small quantity Mickle or Muckle a) A large quantity b) A barnyard c) A mistake Wheen a) A hazelnut b) A good many, a few c) A threshing tool
All answers on our website now www.studentnewspaper.org Comments requested. editors@studentnewspaper.org
20 10th March 2015 www.studentnewspaper.org
editors@studentnewspaper.org twitter.com/TheStudentPaper
EUSA’s surprisingly uncontroversial year in review By Thurston Smalley and Ilinca Barsan Editors in Chief
A
s we move towards spring and the Edinburgh University Students’ Association (EUSA) elections begin to heat up, we at The Student have been confronted with a bizarre new reality.
the association faced highly critical headlines in the national press after banning Robin Thicke’s song ‘Blurred
processes. This is true at the very least on a supositions - sabbatical posts, trustee
two rounds of disciplinary action and
The Student’s coverage of the debacle would lead EUSA to turn to the Court of Session in Edinburgh for an interdict, forcing this newspaper to withdraw an
100 per cent on last year’s totals. An counts. On an individual level, too, this
University is starting to feel the pressure. And President Briana Pegado has launched a new student arts festival,
But these concrete, visible achieve-
student interests. at the student association is that the organisation is too boring, too inaccesrarely translates into news coverage of our university’s student union; rather,
dent body is left wondering: ‘what on earth possessed us to elect them?’ EUSA President Hugh Murdoch had -
the student union’s legal fees, an event dal in its own right.) But a glance over this year’s record turns up no such scandal, unless, of course, you count the controversy over EUSA’s decision to crack down on “strawpedoing” at the Big Cheese club -
Strip.
-
proposed gender studies course and resource centre are set to be phased in dividually Created Courses (SLICCs) eties and Activities, has spearheaded ty, and led the chorus of disgust at the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity’s rape
nounced lack of intrigue, the students’ in to resolve a serious, long-running
partisan
stances,
positions
cellorship of Princess Anne. While
News: Stuart McFarlane, Ethan DeWitt & Gavin Dewar Comment: Emma Lawson, Simon Fern, Chris Belous & Patrick Garratt Features: Sibylla Archdale Kalid & Tasha Kleeman Lifestyle: Nolwenn Davies & Marie Pan Science & Technology: Patrick Arant, Nick Hawkes & Josie Segar Culture: Kat Moir, Chloe Henderson & Figgy Guvyer Film: Eloise Hendy & Lydia Siani Music: Laura Cain & Lydia Rylance Murdoch TV & Radio: Frances Roe Sport: Gurjot Thind & Conor Matchett Crossword: Dr John Wakely Head Copy Editor: Sophie Beardsworth Photo Editor: Georgia Forsyth Sijpestijn President: Callum Mason | Secretary: Sarah Manavis | Treasurer: Greg Lane | Social Secretaries: Callum Mckenna & Olivia Morgan | Head of Advertising: Cailean Osborne | Heads of Marketing: Charlotte Hamilton-Wright & Cassandra Lord Head of Distribution: Sam Ireland
Rather, candidates should focus exclusively on what they can bring to on one another. We want to believe that EUSA’s relative success this year The Student will play its part to ensure that unfair personal attacks do not go unchallenged. It is far too easy in student politics the recent action against “strawpedo-
for concern over the Princess’s unelected position within the University, this stance fueled a pervasive dissatisfaction with the union’s priorities, and -
serious initiatives, and the scale of this controversy is nowhere near that of past issues. -
students’ tuition fees. There are several ways in which EU-
University’s student association; all of the pieces are in place. The candidates can play their part by focusing
serious challenge to previous crops of
Editors: Ilinca Barsan and Thurston Smalley Production Editor: Lynsay Campbell Web Editor: Dimple Gulrajani Head of Illustration: Tess Glen
which
the candidates contesting their posier challenge this year to play on the electorate’s dissatisfaction with the
vote.
History: The Student was launched by Scottish novelist and poet Robert Louis Stevenson in 1887 as an independent voice for Edinburgh’s literati. It is Britain’s oldest student newspaper and is an independent publication, reaching more than 30,000 University of Edinburgh students every week. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Kitchener, David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill are a few famous people who have been associated with the paper. In the early 1970s, Gordon Brown worked as a news editor and diary columnist, working alongside Robin Cook who, at the time, was responsible for film and concert reviews. Disclaimer: The Student welcomes letters for publication. The editors do, however, reserve the right to edit or modify letters for clarity. Anonymous letters will not be printed but names will be witheld on request. The letters printed are the opinions of individuals outwith The Student and do not represent the views of the editors or the paper as a whole. Comment articles reflect the opinion of individual writers and do not represent the opinions of The Student as an organisation nor as a university society. Contact us: editors@studentnewspaper.org @TheStudentPaper Student Newspaper, 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ. Tel: 0131 650 9189. The Student lists links to third party websites but does not endorse them or guarantee their authenticity or accuracy. © The Student Newspaper Society. All rights reserved. No section in whole or part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electonic, mechanical photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior permission of the publisher. The Student is published by the Student Newspaper Society, 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ. Distributed by RJM Courisers, 3 John Muir Place, Dunbar, EH42 1GD. Tel: 01368 860 115. Printed by Print and Digital Associates, 01332 896525. Registered as a newspaper at the Post Office.
10th March 2015 21 www.studentnewspaper.org
culture.thestudent@gmail.com twitter.com/culture_student
Theatre The Student previews Beating McEnroe at the Traverse By Beth Blakemore @culture_student
F
or most young people nowadays, the names Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe will not be of
him commentating during Wimbledon, few will realise who the champion McEnroe was during the late
Federer’s Whites
Venus’ Grunt
“Come on Tim!”
“You canNOT be serious”
play, Beating McEnroe.
an exhausting undertaking. The play’s material, memories that are deeply
tle’s allusion to tennis, fear not; really this play is nothing to do with tennis. experience that takes the audience back in time, as Wood asks himself why Borg’s defeat to McEnroe at Wim-
Although there is no distinct message that Wood wishes the audience to take away after watching Beating McEnroe, what he is determined to do is create a piece of theatre that is not boring. Rather than being pretentious and self-referential, Wood hopes that
him as a child, and still today. The play also puts today’s culture under the microscope, as he questions our “obses-
of Beating McEnroe to be not just peculiar and unique in its own way, but exciting. The show already has a posi-
so seriously. As surreal and philosophical as that may sound, that does not mean this play is an hour of dense and Image: Traverse TheaTre
Nadal’s Wedgie
to become part of Wood’s journey, as he states that within the production
six-year-old Jamie Wood and his famtwo world-renowned players. It was the obsession his family possessed
he is there to make a fool of himself, along with introducing the audience to excite (what that weird shit may be
one another that had an inexplicably Looking back at this period when he was six years old, during a game where he saw his idol Borg beaten, appeared the idea that led to his award-winning
Literature
Beating McEnroe has brought about new challenges for Jamie Wood, as he assumes the role of director, actor and writer.
I hoped that this would be a refresh-
Trying NotToTry
Edward Slingerland Canongate (2015) By Beth Blakemore @culture_student
W
ith copious amounts of work to do and the exam period rapidly approaching, there is one ques-
introduction suggests potential, as uals, such as sport personalities, the main goal.
“
[Slingerland] uses the terminology too freely, and [...] readers can end up feeling lost”
it, and they somehow get a better mark than you. This, unarguably, is incredibly frustrating. So, what if it is possible to try without trying? Where is this answer that is the key to success?
“
rather than giving any real insight [...] Slingerhand gives his readers a history lesson” Unfortunately, the answer is not in Edward Slingerland’s Trying Not to Try. Going into reading this book,
designer, Dominic Kennedy, played an important role in many of the choices made. This is a show that has been too freely, and so when he begins to ideas, readers can end up feeling lost and confused about what principles are being discussed. Once more, it is towards the end of the book that he implies the whole theory is a paradox, suggesting that wu-wei is something that cannot be taught, much to the reader’s dismay.
“ -
one another: is it possible to do well without really trying? Of course, we all say the night before it’s due, while you
way; his co-directors Wendy Hubbard ing and encouraging him since the
history lesson in the ideas of Confucius, a famous Chinese philosopher. The whole book is a discussion of Confucius and similar philosophers’
applying these concepts being to discuss how they are emphasised in difrelaxation and genuine intention are realised to be important factors, they alone are not the answer. Slingerland looks at philosophy, psychology and ancient history to apply the concepts of wu-wei and de, the radiates from someone who embodies the practice of wu-wei. The issue is,
the suggestion that this book can be read as a sort of self-help book is misleading [...] he gives more analysis and discussion rather than useful approaches””
no denying that the philosophy Slingerland discusses is intriguing, as he makes links between the ancient philosophical beliefs and contemporary er, the suggestion that this book can be read as a sort of self-help book is misleading. The ‘strategies’ that he sion rather than useful approaches. If you’re looking for a book that compreof Confucius’ key beliefs, then this is the book for you. As for how to pass all your exams without doing any work, unfortunately the answer is yet to be
single idea and leading to studious research and experimentation with audiences. The real struggle that Wood has faced in doing this project is the sheer magnitude of the task. Being the sole actor, he understands the responaudience, which understandably is
Art
Design in Motion V&A Dundee Until 13th March
critics and audience members. While some think it is hilarious, others also of childhood and how easily we are shaped by the ideas and beliefs of our family and those around us. audience, it is clear that this show few laughs. Without a doubt, Beating McEnroe promises to be a unique other, and it is one that you certainly don’t want to miss. ware, fashion, jewellery, textiles, products, games and architecture “in ble before our technological age. Anarkik3D Ltd’s 3D modelling tool,
By Gemma Batchelor @culture_student
senses on the screen the feel of an
L
is from Sophia George, the V&A’s ast week the Travelling Gallery found its way into Edinburgh: you might
Grassmarket or on George Street. The idea of a rather monstrous looking, white bus acting as a gallery was unthe Scottish Arts Council has ensured the entirety of Scotland has access to contemporary art, especially important for areas that are not as culturally fortunate as Edinburgh. Each exhibition also sees the commissioning of an
ing beside the wheels: a display perfect for the Design in Motion exhibition. The exhibition is part of the V&A Dundee pre-opening program, displaying technology-infused creations small exhibits are examples of soft-
George has used William Morris wallpaper again to create family computer games, escaping from the typical nologically created jewellery and Maclachlan and Holly Fulton, the tacky nature: they may be practical but few people would choose comhandmade. Despite this, each of the
limited in the space it has for exhibitions: each display is contained to one or two examples. The exhibits are inmally strictly forbidden in a gallery. Continue to follow the bus around Edinburgh this coming week if technological design takes your fancy.
22 10th March 2015 www.studentnewspaper.org
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Culture
Choose your own adventure; Gamebook to game console Literature
ROYGBIV This week’s cultural spectrum: Signs of Spring
The evolution of choosing your own adventure; from cult literature to video games
By The Culture Editors
storm that blew through Edinburgh on
By Nico Marrone @ThatNicoMarrone
Image: www.comIcvIne.com
I
n 1941 an Argentinian author named Jorge Luis Borges published Examen de la obra de Herbert Quain. Borges’
whose novel (a three-part story) contained two points where the narrative
nine possible endings. Despite being that would become actuality in the late 1950s and reach great popularity in the 1970s.
“
...By the 1970’s the format had evolved [...] with writers for many different genres, particularly fantasy, science fiction and horror, buying into the demand.”
itially developed as educational tools ple-choice answers and then being prompted to proceed to another page swer.
the demand. The popularity was so -
choices at certain points in the narramine how the story plays out. Such
and while they are still published to
-
others. 1. It would be a crime not to start with en’t yet delivered on these yellow symthrough Wordsworth’s poetry. Or you
“
The transference of the Gamebook format from a literary medium into the newly developing video game one is helping to establish the latter as an acceptable art form in wider culture.”
-
-
-
their own personal decisions.
tionable best-sellers. Bella and Ana-
the newly developing video game one is helping to establish the latter as The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us
ed bun in the oven in these poor atvariety. 3. As we all eagerly await Edin-
er the ability to choose how the games mat. While video games may never be
Your Own Adventure series being aging young readers to develop their
the choices presented in video games seem to address greater questions ever did in the past. Does the player want to protect the
4. Easter eggs might be beginning eo game narratives to the point where they may one day hold a greater level -
tric blue glow cast an eerie and unnerving shadow over the room.
Theatre
-
Equus Bedlam Theatre Run Ended
Director Emily Aboud and her cast
atrist rallying against his provincial
-
-
-
By Isabella Blakey @culture_student
A
-
Doctor Who and Indiana Jones in the central role. -
ployed once again as educational
have been targeted towards more
them to protect the galaxy as a whole?
air (and your step) we’ve put together a
maze of Jungian the-
nerability. Lighting
guish and upset real and heart-rending. The relationship between doctor
cultural beacon. There are many great things about The Student but the best thing has been the opportunity to
passion. and
sound
delicately
propriate to mention that change is coming to the culture section as well.
highly disturbed yet vulnerable Alan
madness as Strang’s religious adoraEquus
great readers. So to leave you all with gone to bed and so must I” – I don’t do well with late nights…
-
-
Equus is a haunting success.
10th March 2015 23 www.studentnewspaper.org
culture.thestudent@gmail.com twitter.com/culture_student
Culture Art Peeling a Glass Onion
concrete sculptures, more ambiguous perhaps than the paintings, are blandly understated. However, they are redeemed by their physical proximity to their sister series, Literary, a monotype print suite. The stark prints feature images of the sculptures, paired with loaded words such as ‘desire’.
Dovecot Studio Until 25th April
“
By Zoe Miller @culture_student
Peeling a Glass Onion, like the Fab Four’s music, is complexly layered”
Furuholmen’s palette, largely permeated with oranges, blues, purples and blacks, adds a density and depth to the fanciful collection”
after the John Lennon song, and the paintings – most of which take their titles from Beatles tunes – feature
Art Possibilities of the Object
scrappy block letters that loom over solid, dual-toned, or gradient backgrounds. Echoing the tapestry’s name, case and lowercase permutations, contributing a cohesiveness to the body of works. The woven piece itself bares these letters, its o, white with a black core, resembling both the titular succulent and an omnipresent, Emersonian eyeball. Further, Furuholmen’s palette, largely permeated with oranges, blues, purples, and blacks, adds a density and depth to the fanciful collection. But it
Fruitmarket Gallery Until 25th May
The exhibition itself is comprised of two large rooms of abstract installation, curated by art history lecturer Paulo Venancio Filho of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. The pieces exhibited mostly belong to the movement of Neo-Concretism that emerged in the 1960s.
By Geir Darge @culture_student
“
I
n the latter half of the 20th century, Brazilian art has turbulently transformed from being persecuted to being fas-
brought about by World War Two, there rose a new global art community, one that looked further than the rigid European art tradition for inspiration. nomic disruption, 1950s Brazil was giving birth to a new generation of artists who focused on the objectivity rather than subjectivity of art. Unlike surrealist movements, Brazilian artploring art outside of the canvas and deconstructing artistic norms of colour and form.
they are, that give sophistication to the pieces. Paintings such as ‘Norwegian wood (remix)’ are embedded with bits of Beatles lyrics such as ‘this bird name and seemingly denote Great
Beatles songs and the abstruse nature of Furuholmen’s own art. The pieces in Peeling a Glass Onion also possess a political dimension, as Furuholmen was working on the tapestry during the recent independence debate. Hence, the word ‘peeling’ could be parsed vis-à-vis unpacking
suggesting the mishmash of elements that comprise a person’s – or a country’s – character. Though less visually-stimulating than the paintings, the tubular structures, cheekily called ‘Literary Constructs’, are emblazoned with more clearly’) and lexical lists (‘Caus-
The portraits on display, primarily black and white, grapple with the ways in which artists attempt to delineate their identity on canvas. Consider, for instance, ‘Myself as a failed painting’. les-inspired works, but their diagonal placement, in conjunction with illegible words and spots that appear to have been smudged or erased, convey the messy frustration of being unable to articulate oneself. Peeling a Glass Onion, like the Fab miss Furuholmen’s works as esoteric. However, when viewing his pieces in relation to one another, and in relation to the tapestry around which the exhibit is organized, the wisdom he ensconces in brushstrokes and concrete is put into relief, more poetically in some cases than in others.
This collection is about detachment and isolation and how these artworks counteract these two forces” What is immediately clear upon entering is the gallery’s connection with installations, typical of New Concrete, are perfectly complimented and counteracted by the Fruitmarket Gallery’s sparse, minimalist décor. The main room that the exhibition occupies is large enough to accommodate at least triple the amount of art on display. distance between the artworks creating a thematic disconnect. Howevexhibition is irrelevant to what Paulo Venancio Filho was trying to achieve. This collection is about detachment and isolation and how these artworks
Image: www.tate.org.uk
“
Image: norwegIanarts.org.uk/
N
orwegian artist and musician Magne Furuholmen’s exhibition Peeling a Glass Onion – on display at Dovecot Gallery and centred on a tapestry Furuholmen created in collaboration with weavers from Dovecot’s tapestry studio – is a dichotomous alphabet soup of spirited oil paintings, intricate in their layered construction, ceramic objects that resemble rumpled cigarette butts, and subversive, abstracted self-portraits.
counteract these two forces. The oppression that attempted to censor and marginalise Brazil’s evolving culture was the inspiration for most of this art. They were not created to be observed in a gallery but were rather made to be experienced; ‘you are a not a viewer in this context, you are a participant’, stated Professor Briony Fer of UCL, ‘the artwork was created by and for collaborative experience’. Paradoxically, the inclusive manner
in which the art is to be experienced is in opposition to what the art is trying to say. Born out of an oppressive military coup, much of the art (particularly the older pieces) represent the unavailability of information in Brazil in the 70s. This theme is embodied in pieces such Barrio’s stockings, this piece, the obscurity of the object within represents the lack of information that was available in Brazil in the
70s. Furthermore, the cubic form that many of the pieces take is suggestive of enclosure and imprisonment, perhaps not necessarily of people but of movement and expression. The exhibition brings Edinburgh a fragment of an artistic rebellion to an authoritarian regime, which has plores the way in which abstract art can act as a polemical art form, aiming itself at an audience beyond Brazil.
10th March 2015 24 www.studentnewspaper.org
music@studentnewspaper.org twitter.com/EdStudentMusic
Kanye West’s ego
Morrissey’s ego
Gallagher ego
Madonna’s ego
Freud’s ego
Interview with Australian duo The Veronicas
“It’s just challenging ourselves and getting to do things that we otherwise hadn’t sort of done before.” Throughout the conversation, the
Nightvision: Shy FX La Belle Angèle, 27/02/15 By Rebecca Rezvany @EdStudentMusic
B
ig up Edinburgh! Big up Scotland!” The sharp barks from Stamina MC, Shy FX’s hip-hop compere, sharply wake us up. Towards the back of the stage, someone starts running on the spot. We’re ready.
“
Stamina MC does well to please the crowd, mainly through his random booty-shaking and rapping.”
It’s been just over two decades since Shy FX shot to fame with his Ragga-Jungle anthem “Original Nut-
It becomes clear that she is all about the music. “We hear a lot of people say that records are dead, that it’s just single after single after single. But, for Jess and I, it’s important for it to be a sonic journey for the listener. And, thematically, this record represents the message of revolution and rebirth for us. Personally, that’s what we were going through.” For anyone who’s listened to the record, it’s nigh impossible to disagree with this. The sounds on each track are eclectic, seemingly random. However, as she explains, there was a the pieces on the album. “The record
image:media.wmg-is.com
E
ight years since their last album, which gave us their global breakthrough classic, “Untouched”, two-piece pop-rock act The Veronicas return to the UK this month to bring us a tour ahead of their new album, which will be released on March 18. Displaying a cheery and thoughtful, yet decidedly determined, attitude, one half of the duo, Lisa Origliasso, spoke to The Student about the new album, their tour, and gingers. When talking to an artist whose sound was so quintessential to an era, it’s often hard to visualise them coming back with such force, especially after a long time away from the scene. However, The Veronicas are back with a vengeance, and Origliasso makes it clear that they’re using their time away much to their advantage. She explains: “There was no real time constraint on it. We did have the creative freedom to just do whatever we wanted and really be able to challenge ourselves and take the time to make a dream list of producers, writers and artists that we wanted to work
Australian singer does seem to have a genuine fondness towards the United Kingdom: “I remember the last time we toured here, we always cite it as the most fun tour we’ve ever done. We’ve been excited to just reconnect with all our fans out here.” Origliasso seems free of any pretence, sounding natural, responding
Origliasso makes no excuses for the erratic nature of the album’s genres. The amount of time since their
and then goes into a track called ‘Did ent sound from what people are used to hearing from us. It ends on a song called ‘You and Me’, which is very stripped back. It’s just an acoustic guitar and our two voices harmonising
and she addresses the juxtaposition between their famous punk-rock feel on some tracks and the contemporary ers: “Its been a natural progression, I
tah”, which established him as a leading contributor to the jungle/drum and bass scene. He has since expanded into pop music; most of us will have heard of his re-edit of DJ Fresh’s “Gold Dust” which gained widespread popularity in 2012. This is just one example of how the DJ-producer has achieved success in combining music styles. In “Gold Dust”, we witness his characteristic reggae and drum and
at the sound of UK Apache’s reggae scatting and their chest-down-thrustup gets faster and faster until the beat kicks in. Stamina MC also does well to please the crowd, mainly through his random booty-shaking and rapping, which, if we are lucky, happens at the same time.
a well-known pop hook. Such achievements have helped further the popularisation of drum and bass as a mainstream music genre, and fortunately, this versatility was by no means lacking in his set. The crowd’s anticipation is swapped for adrenalin when “Feelings” opens the night and the “uh uh uhs and yeah yeah yeahs” spark people into life. Their energy only continues as he plays the two favourites mentioned above: the pendulum movement of people’s bodies pick up pace
with being comfortable, so going in and making the same record over and over again is never going to be an option.”
“
The pendulum movement of people’s bodies pick up pace at the sound of UK Apache’s reggae scatting and their chest-down-thrust up gets faster and faster.” Shy FX’s recent remix of “Hold Yuh” sadly did not feature in this set, but that was the least of our worries. His version of Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” was the main point of concern. It created a dip in the otherwise seamless progression of music and elation. The emotional lyrics and gospel choir
She goes on to discuss what to expect at the Veronicas show in Glasgow: “It’s about reconnecting with all of our fans and it’s an electric, crazy rock show. I’d say just expect the unexpected, it’s going to be a loud, crazy night and a lot of fun.” When it comes to Scotland, The Veronicas have a clear idea of what to expect: “Everyone’s just out to have a good time, very passionate, hot accents.” This would be hard for anyone to deny. “Jess has a thing for red-heads, so
I’m sure she’s just going to be in heaven.” When it’s brought to Origliasso’s attention that Scotland is around 15 per cent ginger, she replies, laughing, “That’s just a very exciting statistic for us: we’re all about it.” The attitude and passion and optimism that Lisa puts across makes clear that their number one commitment is to fans and fun. One phrase she uses sums their future up nicely: “The future is wide open, as Tom Petty would say.”
accompaniment of the original, with which we are all acquainted, clashed completely with the feel-good theme of the night. Smith’s song should not be used to get people dancing, rather, it should be enjoyed over a sob or, at least, an awkward memory. This being said, owing greatly to the conglomerate of intoxicated University of Edinburgh students, people were on their feet. Yet this reward is nothing compared to the credibility undermined in producing such a song. Like Shy FX’s previous adaptation of Plan B’s “She Said”, this remix should have been portrayed with a slow-burning intensity that clearly it borrows. Instead, it took the song’s chorus and added an upbeat dance track to it. Perhaps this represents a bigger issue concerning dance music, which sometimes swaps musical integrity for recognition. “Big up Shy FX” - but maybe have a think about your next edit.
image: nightvision official
By Rob Anderson @EdStudentMusic
10th March 2015 25 www.studentnewspaper.org
music@studentnewspaper.org twitter.com/EdStudentMusic
Music
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
-
Chasing Yesterday By Dan Carmichael @dancarmichael92
T
-
ment of disbelief that you get listening to Chasing Yesterday arrives less
-
What lets Chasing Yesterday down -
-
image: www.thatericalper.com
-
Chasing Yesterday is
Yesterday
Chasing -
Ghostpoet
-
Shedding Skin
PBB&MJ
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Shedding Skin
By Ross Devlin @ EdStudentMusic
H
-
“
Ejimiwe has embraced the fiery live energy that won Young Fathers their Mercury Prize”
-
With Shedding Skin
“
Ghostpoet has crafted one of the most exciting rap LPs of the year”
Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam nevermind - to do so would be rather Shedding Skin -
-
“
Incredibly honest, deadpan and examine[s] the stresses of life and love”
stands out as the most blatantly heart-
-
-
Shedding Skin an en-
-
-
Aero Flynn
-
Aero Flynn
eventually turn into an album of any
I
ly talented man shuts himself -
“
The album is simply one of the best pieces of music to come out of America in years”
-
-
and For Emma, Forever Ago really must be something in the water
image: static.stereogum.com
By Conor Matchett @ EdStudentMusic
26 10th March 2015 www.studentnewspaper.org
film@studentnewspaper.org twitter.com/TheStudentFilm
A corpse
Leaning Tower of Pisa
After the release of Still Alice we take a look at some of the best films to explore the theme of memory
Image: http://Img.allw.mn/content/www/2011/08/John-
W
Jim Carrey
-
By Jade Jenkinson @TheStudentFilm ith
A Teething Toddler
Jelly
Julianne Still Alice
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-
-
-
-
-
-
Memento
-
-
“
This means that film can serve as a time capsule displaying a certain period and place and its beliefs and culture’’
-
Vertigo
-
-
“
Disguised behind a commonplace ‘who done it’ narrative, it poses questions about the subjectivity and the disabling effect of memory’’
-
-
she is.
Wash Westmoreland, Richard Glatzer
-
“
till Alice begins before -
The film is straightforward and unsentimental from the onset in portraying the unrelenting effects of the disease, and its tragic inevitability makes the film brutally simple and moving”
-
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By Toby Heaton @StudentFilm
-
-
-
-
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Still Alice -
-
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http://medIa3.popsugar-assets.com/
Still Alice
S
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
10th March 2015 27 www.studentnewspaper.org
film@studentnewspaper.org twitter.com/TheStudentFilm
Film Unfinished Business
-
By Toby Henniker-Heaton @TheStudentFilm
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Ken Scott
Dodge-
ball and Wedding Crasher Four Christmases in Anchorman -
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“
The movie’s main problem is that it’s not much more than a re-hash of all Vaughan’s previous work; nothing new or intriguing is brought to the table”
cer-
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Image: c dn.IndIewIre.com
V
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ince Vaughan’s acting
rue Detec-
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tive Return to Paradise
Chappie
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Neill Blomkamp
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By Nico Marrone @TheStudentFilm
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Chappie -
eil Blomkamp has established that he is most at home when di-
na,
Ex Machi-
District 9 Blom-
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Elysium,
Chappie Boyhood,
With Chappie
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What to look out for this week...
Together, Filmhouse, Wednesday 11, 18.00
Summer, Filmhouse, Tuesday 10, 18.10 -
RSC Encore: Love’s Labour’s Won, Cameo, Tuesday 10, 12.00
NT Encore: Behind The Beautiful Forevers, Cameo, Thursday 12, 19.00
, Filmhouse, Thursday 12, 20.45
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whilst his teenage brother march-
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28 10th March 2015 www.studentnewspaper.org
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Ambridge
Ferrets
David Archer
Floods
Divine Retribution for Ambridge: The Archers Washed Away
often neglected in the collective mind of the nation. The River Am breaking its banks has drowned lambs, a very disturbing thought (am I right Clarice?), and destroyed agricultural equipment and homes. Whilst seemingly sensational, this plot has actually just articulated reality for many. The week’s episodes have been very well produced, ending consistently on ing fantastic, fate-tempting lines such
By Frances Roe TV &Radio Editor
seven million pounds to pack up the farm and move away in order to make way for a new road. He and his family were set to do so, until a ghostly Shakespearean visitation from his deceased father, who tells him to stay.
Podcast Pick By Sarah Manavis Senior TV&Radio Writer
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hen it comes to podcasts, there is usually a basic formula to be a winner. A loveable host, a few stories and interviews, and an interesting theme to go with each episode. Each podcast will have its own spin; whether it’s about American lives, politics or the Internet, they will all still have the same basic structure. However, a new podcast has been released which may put a new spin on the podcasting those typically on the iTunes Store. The show is Burnt Toast from the popular food website Food52. Although so far only released as an intro podcast and a description explaining what’s in store for its burgeoning audience, it has already managed to entice the masses with its unique style. For context, Food52 is a popular cooking and food site that has been hugely popular amongst millennials and seasoned cooks alike. They have articles ranging from food facts such as
Image:
www.geograph.org.uk
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his week there has been a dark, rain-laden cloud hanging over Ambridge. Judgement has been reckoned on David Archer and the residents of Borsetshire. Regular listeners to The Archers (BBC Radio 4) - who I realise are not generally students, are in a confused fury over the goings-on of this once sleepy ’shire. The new editor of the show, Sean O’Connor, has previously been involved in such ridiculously over-dramatic television shows as Hollyoaks and Eastenders, and replaces Vanessa Whitburn - who was involved in the show for the last 22 years. The Archers has been in need of a shake-up in pace, and O’Connor is ensuring that this happens. The current storyline is that of David Archer - the name hints at the centrality of his family to the
Drowned Sheep
This gripping plot has been over-
tives from #thearchers this week. Lots
that has hit Ambridge. Since O’Connor introduced this biblical punishment setshire, dedicated Archers followers have gone into twitter outrage. Regular listeners are used to the humdrum happenings of the pastoral vista. Such a dramatic story has created a torrent of hilarious ‘#TheArchers’ tweets, such
neither drowned nor missing” (Anne Liddon). Despite the backlash to the new, sensational storylines, there is also praise. People are actually talking about it, which is good for any show, especially radio. And people are involved in the plot much more than previously possible when it consisted of drama surrounding the Flower and Produce Show and the Christmas panto. Whilst it may have lost a few
of thousands of disappointed Archers fans” (archerslistener), and “Nega“Everything You Need To Know About Doughnuts”, to how to cook large meals, to cooking a cheap meal for one. Their writers and editors are required to have in-depth culinary experience as well as the ability to write copy that gained a dedicated following, devoted and always craving more. Burnt Toast seems to be providing just that. In the description they say the show will not just be a discussion of recipes and cooking techniques, but also a “rotating cast of smart, salty guests, for controversial cooking topics, food culture, and occasional good-spirited debate”. This is an interesting twist on the typical podcast frame and gives the just being a podcast about food (which I doubt will garner many complaints). Despite the fact that they have yet to release their inaugural episode, Burnt Toast is already promising, especially for a student audience. Whether you want to listen in on how to cook some of the most basic, student-friendly recipes, or are already a seasoned chef looking for a challenge, Burnt Toast appears to have the potential to please the audible appetites of any food lover.
Arthur and George ITV
By Zoë Jorro @EdStudentTV
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ome might see this ITV adaptation, starring Martin Clunes, of Julian Barne’s novel about Arthur Conan
name, as an attempt to cash in on Sherlock Holmes’s popularity. Viewers will likely be drawn to to the show by Arthur (Clunes), but it is who is the incentive to tune in again for parts two and three: an all too rare indian in Edwardian Britain, modelled on a real person. Commendably, Arthur and George not to pretend that stainless Doyle and his amiable “man” Woodie (Edward James) were the only forward-think-
pronunciation of his surname). Diverting, to an extent, but unfortunately the most pressing mystery is the wax and wane of Doyle’s accent.
older listeners used to the agricultural mundanity, it has gained some younger listeners, intrigued by the daily 15 minutes of social drama. O’Connor has kicked up a storm in the village politics of Ambridge through the raga community and why these values are so important, the plot is taken from the real story of Oliver Surman whose writers have highlighted the destruchomes and livelihoods alike, a fact that
Mom ITV
By Carrie Dillon @EdStudentTV
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huck Lorre produces his new sitcom Mom, by creating comedy out of addiction - again. Instead of Lorre’s Two and a Half Men, which originally surrounded a wealthy man struggling with alcoholism, Lorre offers Mom, which surrounds a working class woman struggling with, yes, alcoholism. The sitcom consistently oscillates between deeply serious tones of teen pregnancy, homelessness and addiction, to comic relief, as per usual. Speaking of the comedy, the show is largely composed of slap-stick humour with occasional moments of good writing, which, in all fairness, do prompt a few laughs. In general, Mom is a bit messy and lacks the distinct focal point tered. A surprising twist to this fairly unnitely recognisable cast. Anna Farris
point staring at the river, Pip”. This to a new era of gripping drama. The social media for The Archers is very good considering the popular view of Radio 4 as the realm of the middle-aged middle-class. The website has a host of fake weather warnings and pictures of The Borsetshire Echo with the headline: “Ambridge Or-gone-ics? It’s pak choi or pack up for troubled village veg shop owners”. As well as this, it has a lively twitter account itself, one that is not afraid to make fun of The Archers’ stereotype. Personally, I agree with those praising the new, water-logged path of The Archers. Yes, the stories may be dramatic and never-before-seen in Ambridge, but at least it is exciting; suremissing and Rob, the villain, is still hanging forebodingly about, thus the Sunday omnibus will be the most riveting ever heard in the history of radio. is the leading lady. Sure, Farris is consistently a lovable character, but it is unclear if her endearing ditziness translates just as smoothly when functioning as the protagonist. Allison Janney, who plays the mother of Anna to this edible sitcom. Her character can be best compared to Charlie Sheen’s in Two and a Half Men. Her cynical, easy-going personality allows Mom to come out of the shadows and avoid the fate of many sitcoms: becoming stale. Whatever the undertaking, Janney consistently displays the talent to ening Mom endless sitcoms on television. I must admit, this review is only with contrary to how it sounds, I am honestly a Chuck Lorre fan. With all the hours spent watching The Big Bang Theory and Two and a Half Men, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t. Undoubtedly, Lorre has displayed a distinct knack for producing sitcoms which allow people to sit-back, relax and spend a few hours watching chitchat. For this reason and for Janney’s participation, Mom may be worth a few more episodes.
10th March 2015 29 www.studentnewspaper.org
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TV and Radio Comic Relief Bake Off
that, outside of a closely edited YouTube tutorial, even Zoella’s dainty
By Kerry Gilsenan Senior TV&Radio Writer
over ears, we empathise. We ought to laugh, otherwise we might cry when custard burns and piping bursts. In the inspirational words of Michael Sheen:
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Sarah Brown, Jameela Jamil, Lulu And of course, we thoroughly enjoyed watching Jonathan Ross take a whisk. Panic-stricken bakers united over the inevitable question: “What’s going on there?” Unprecedented burning smells, welded tins, and collapsing construc-
CitizenFour Channel Four By Poppy-Anna Waterman @EdStudentTV
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he controversy surrounding Edward Snowden and his whistleblowing activities is arguably one of the most important events legal wiretapping practices of the US National Security Agency (NSA) and other intelligence agencies, Snowden showed the true nature of modern government. Which then led to having himself declared an enemy of the States, hiding out in Russia as well as Hong Kong. The documentary CitizenFour focuses on this enigmatic individual. In January 2013, Laura Poitras received an encrypted e-mail from a stranger who called himself Citizen Four, offering her inside information. Poitras had already been working for severprograms in the US, programs which were a result of the September 11 attacks. In June 2013, accompanied
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The crème de la crème of the Comic Relief cast included, “what have I done” Joanna Lumley, “je ne sais quoi” Jennifer Saunders, “uh oh” Zoella, the screeching Abbey Clancey, and the practically perfect Gok Wan. A dash of David Mitchell, a generous portion of Dame Edna Everage, the oozingly competitive Michael Sheen, and Chris
Zoe Jorro
his time, four more celebrities try to create masterpieces” - try being the operative word in this instance. 16 fairly equally hopeless stars took to the tent to bake for Comic Relief, and we were relieved by the comic failure of their talents. Their haphazard en disasters, proving a welcome break from the shame of making a Hummingbird Bakery recipe look like a dead swallow. But not to worry, it’s nothing
tions kept the heat high in the kitchen as the celebs chased glory. Yes And no, Jonathan, dubbing your style misunderstood “avant-garde” baking will not save you here. But it ultimately nar”, or “if it were a horse, you’d shoot it”, because baking should be about the trials and tribulations - especially when it’s for a good cause. have taught a thing or two, addressing the important issues of the day, such as: to drizzle or not to drizzle? When is a cake not a cake? And how on earth by investigative journalists Glenn Greenwald and Ewen Askhill, she went to Hong Kong with her camera. What follows are several meetings; the recordings gained from the meetAs a subject, Poitas is almost as enigmatic as Snowden. She is a mysterious character in her own movie, heard more than she is seen. She has many of the NSA secrets, from Iraq to Guantánamo. Since the camera is all under the direction of Poitas, CitizenFour is less about the disclosures from Snowden, but more how they fold out for Poitas. However, this documentary does uncover some of the tacked or admired. In CitizenFour he comes across as sincere and calm in the eye of the storm, yet also becoming emotional when acknowledging his family and girlfriend. Given how controversial these issues have been, CitizenFour is surprisingly quiet, and simply spells cient way, yet with a undercurrent of sinister nervousness. Although the subject is dramatic, the soundtrack stays away from the gimmicks of ac‘Social Network-esque’ simmer.
do you cut a mango? We’ll continue to brush over the most pressing question end, then why on earth did everyone, including Gok Wan, have just the one Sadly, in this series, the Sue and Mel duo have been rationed as they, along with Jo Brand and Ed Byrne, presented solo episodes. Nevertheless, ‘Mez Bez’ lebrities into producing some noble, yet often futile creations. We have to agree, Chris, it does look like it was baked in the dark - but it looks better than the one I tried last week. Nevertheless, we
The History of Debt BBC Radio Four By Sarah Manavis Senior TV&Radio Writer
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BC Radio 4’s latest series Promises, Promises: A History of Debt is an interesting, although not entirely grabbing concept for an indepth analysis of what most people cope with at some point in their lives. at a topic that initially seems incredibly dry, adding a much more human factor episode, the listener hears from anthro-
of morality. They make debt less of a osophical and almost sentient. It makes ple and allows the listener to not only be educated, but also to engage. For anyone who does not understand economics and debt, and wants to dive into the topic with ease and interest, this series will keep you entertained and learning simultaneously. Delving how debt is a transaction we make in almost all facets of our lives.
can forever now call our most shameful Fortunately, to stop us feeling too threatened by the more seasoned hands, karma appeared to squash the culinary hopes of the cocky. The relentlessly conceited Kayvan Novak learned the hard way that you can’t just blame a bad bake on your mother’s jam. It was the surprisingly skilled who whipped up a fuss among the judges, with everything to play for across the signature challenges, technicals, and showhad even Mary boiling over. It was nothing but refreshing to see
House of Cards By Ashleigh Jackson @EdStudentTV
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he Underwoods are back, and they’re in the White House. House of Cards with the masterpiece that is Season Chapter 27, opens with Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) acting as Machiavellian as ever: “You have to be a little human when you’re the president”, he says just before he pisses on his father’s grave. The Underwoods take ‘power couple’ ing Frank’s rise to power, while Claire (Robin Wright) also has her sights set The episode follows on a number of After the impeachment of the previous president, cunningly choreographed by Frank, we saw the accession of the vice president to the role of the
President Underwood, as he struggles to get his measures through Congress and battles against his cabinet. The sub-plot to the opening episode,
bake again.” The bake sale is a familiar ingredient ence, from our rice crispy cake school days to the remarkable treats that occasionally await us outside the library. reinforced the accessibility of baking, howEd Byrne reminded us of the importance of the money raised by this simple tradition, considering the impact of Comic Relief across Africa and the UK. Feigning Star Baker status at your local fundraiser is not only a much-needed those in need, and have some fun along the way. Star Bakers Jennifer Saunders, ria Wood proved that you can muddle your way to the top. If Abbey can get marbling through her chocolate rod, imagine what you are capable of. And while one hour 50 minutes seems like a bit too much of an ordeal for a humble crumpet, baking for Comic Relief makes for a good bake indeed. and the rest of the series, focuses on Rachel. Where is Rachel? Remember last series when Doug (Michael Kelly) was attacked in the woods by Rachel (Rachel Brosnahan) when she thought he was trying to kill her? Well, he was just trying to relocate her as she sought you can never be too careful when it Anyhow, Doug makes it – just about. But the series is going to be a struggle for him: physically, as he tries to get back on his feet, and also politically as he strives to get back into work but is repeatedly turned away by Frank. Controversy unfolds when Claire gains an increaing amount of power in the government within her own role. As a result, her marriage to Frank is this are diplomatic tensions with RusClaire and the Russian president Petrov (Lars Mikkelsen) – watch out for the President of the United States too, the cheek! The Underwoods are thrown into a jungle of scandal, lies and manipulation as they reach the shiny echelons of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Are they strong enough to make it through the White House? – and better yet, will they survive the election?
10th March 2015 31 www.studentnewspaper.org
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Sport
Associate Nations face being bowled out of World Cup by ICC beamer
By James Gutteridge @HawaytheJames
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he ICC’s plans to downsize the Cricket World Cup in 2019 to ten teams from the current quota of 14 have been met with widespread outrage and general condemnation from all corners of the cricketing world. Both representatives of the associate nations who face exclusion and experienced commentators have decried the ICC’s plan as short-sighted and liable to lead to stagnation in the growth of cricket in associate countries. of their objections. Recent years have seen exponential growth in the levels of interest in cricket in countries outside of the true powerhouses of world cricket alongside a steady increase in the quality of cricket being played by
the various associate nations. As the generally accepted wisdom goes, by playing against the best that cricket has become real contenders in the global game. We need look no further than the progression Ireland have made since their astonishing run chase against England in the 2011 iteration of the Cricket World Cup to see just how much impact World Cup participation can have for associate nations. Following Kevin O’Brien’s record-breaking hundred and the giant-killing it inspired, the level of interest in cricket across Ireland has skyrocketed and in turn this has led to some phenomenal results for the Irish team, including a stunning victory against the West Indies in this year’s tournament. When faced with this evidence of just how much value top-level cricketing
experience can have for the associate nations, it seems madness that the ICC, supposedly the body tasked with developing and improving the game of cricket throughout the world, are genuinely considering removing the opportunity for four less powerful cricketing nations to test themselves and gain vital experience against the big names in world cricket. Even if we choose to ignore the development value participation holds for the associates, it would be a great loss for fans of cricket were the associate nations to be removed from the World Cup. Throughout this and previous tournaments, the associate nations have provided some of the most thrilling and memorable games the World Cup has witnessed. No true cricket fan could deny the thrill of watching Ireland overcome England in Bangalore, however painful
Image: www.crIcketcounty.com
Given the incredible performances of a number of associate teams in recent years, the ICC’s plans to reduce the number of World Cup teams to ten will surely only damage the sport
Kevin O’Brien made history in 2011 whilst playing for Ireland
a memory it might be for those of the English persuasion. Who could claim that Scotland’s last gasp defeat at the hands of Afghanistan was anything other than utterly compelling? It is undoubtedly games like these which truly light up the World Cup. The minnows defying the odds to overcome one of the titans of the game, the evenly matched clashes which over, the thrill of watching a virtual bowling attacks to all corners of the ground. These are the moments that
truly make the World Cup the spectacle that it is and to remove them would be nothing short of negligence on the part of the ICC. If we learn just one thing from this year’s World Cup, it should be that the associate nations have earned their place at the tournament and deserve their chance to mix it with the biggest and best in cricket. If the ICC chooses to downsize the World Cup after the show the associates have put on this year, then it will be perhaps the greatest mistake they have made in recent history.
Mayweather and Pacquiao will finally contest ‘Fight of the Century’ With sky-high ticket prices, it seems that lucrative financial deals have turned boxing into a totally exclusive sport
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hen, on F e b r u a r y 20, it was
Mayweather, Jr. the sporting world had a minor breakdown. Rooms for the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where out within three minutes of the announcement as fans desperately tried to book their places at what is set to be a piece of boxing history. coming. Arguably two of the greatest boxers of their generation, talks of a contest between Pacquiao and Mayweather have been circulating since 2009. However, continued disputes between the two camps have seen delays, empty promises and ultimately disappointment; that is until now. Regularly ranked as the number one pound-for-pound boxer in the world,
the enigmatic, occasionally cocky, always over-the-top Mayweather boasts a perfect record of forty-seven wins and zero defeats. In a career that has spanned nearly twenty years, the American has racked up ten divisions, helping cement his place in
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As Pacquiao’s impeccable attack squares up against Mayweather’s impenetrable defence, the boxing world will be waiting with bated breathe to find out which champion will go on to define a generation” the pantheon of the greats. With nicknames including “Money” and “Pretty Boy” however, the American is in total contrast to the more humble Pacquiao. A modest man away from the ring, the Filipino was elected to the Philippine House of Representatives and coaches his own basketball team. Not bad for a man who can put his
name to ten world titles and claim to be the only man to ever win titles Despite this, Pacquiao has tasted whilst also giving away two years to his younger opponent. On the other hand, he has been highly motivated to claim the biggest scalp of his career to date. Whatever way you look at it, there is very little to separate the two. Mayweather deservedly goes into have seen Pacquiao’s aura damaged somewhat and there remains a question of whether Mayweather only agreed to the match now when his rival was further from his prime. Understandably then, the match is already being billed as the ‘Fight of the Century’ and that tagline is fully With tickets starting at roughly $3,500 and reaching upwards of $250,000, Mayweather vs Pacquiao is set to break all commercial records for a bout, but is that really what
Image: roger_alcantara
By Charles Nurick @charlesnurick
vs Pacquiao will undoubtedly be the Not too long ago, boxing was a sport for everyone. It dominated the back pages of papers and was the only topic on the lips of colleagues the next day. But with an increased move to pay-per-view subscriptions for the biggest bouts, boxing has turned into a highly exclusive sport. To view Pacquiao take on Mayweather live on television is expected to cost roughly £60; all this for an event that could well be over in a matter of minutes. It’s a real commitment and one that many will make, but also one that many will not. Mayweather, Jr.
most it will have to be read about the next day and that is a sucker punch if ever I heard one. One only hopes that the same fate doesn’t befall football, or other sports, where large cash injections have been welcomed with open arms. On May 2 the sporting world will hold its breath when the ‘Fight of the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have a lot of hype to live up to, but these are two men who are more than capable of delivering a knockout.
32 10th March 2015 www.studentnewspaper.org
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Trigger Warning: Rape - Lessons of Evans conviction ignored following Johnson arrest
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everal months have passed since many were forced to grapple with the nature of consent following convicted rapist Ched Evans’ release from prison. Many hoped that the media furore surrounding Evans’ case would open up a nationwide discussion that ultimately left the population more educated and with increased awareness of the nuances of the issues surrounding rape and sexual assault. Given the overwhelming desire of many in this country to leave undiscussed what is for many people a highly uncomfortable subject, such a process would have been hugely The sad truth is that approximately 80% of sexual violence goes unreported every year in the UK. Even more heartbreakingly, much of the trauma will remain totally unvoiced, with almost 30% of victims telling nobody about their ordeal. Some simply do not feel comfortable expressing their experiences for fear of being held responsible, reproached, or even having their experience dismissed altogether. As a result, issues are internalised, help is not sought and many victims
Once more, the world of football has been plunged into disgrace following the allegation that 27-year-old Adam Johnson, capped by England and currently suspended by Sunderland AFC, had engaged in sexual activities with a 15-year-old schoolgirl.
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Arguing that a 15-yearold, a minor in the eyes of the law, is old enough to consent flagrantly ignores the fact that the law is made to protect the vulnerable unable to do so”
Yet it seems the British public is far from learning the lessons of the Evans case. While the away stand rang with inevitable “there’s only one Adam Johnson” chants during Sunderland’s 1-1 draw with Hull the day after the arrest, Johnson’s girlfriend was being decision to remain in a relationship with the father of her two-month-old child. Both those supporting Johnson and those rebuking him jump to conclusions based purely on here-say and void of any evidential proof beyond accusation and rebuttal. The questioning of the validity of a decision made by an independent jury following the Evans judgement made a mockery of the legal system that underpins the running of the British
Image: classIc105
By Johanna Doe @thestudentsport
state. Diminishing the fundamental importance of the alleged victim’s age and circumstance is equally damaging to British society. Suggesting that she may not be a victim because she allegedly saw herself as in a relationship with him is naive. As the recent cases in Rotherham illustrate, many victims of abuse do not see themselves as being manipulated at all. This does not mean that the individual grooming them is innocent, simply that the near unavoidable power imbalance that
the law is made in order to protect the vulnerable unable to do so. If it is proved that Johnson engaged in sexual behaviour with the schoolgirl he will have committed statutory rape. Of course, Adam Johnson is innocent until proven guilty. Rightly so. However, the alleged victim is just as deserving of the platform to prove his guilt as Johnson is his innocence. Despite the fact any complainant in a rape or sexual assault case is guaranteed the right to lifelong anonymity, several members of the public have illegally circulated pictures
has impacted upon their perspective. Arguing that a 15-year-old, a minor in the eyes of the law, is old enough to
There is mounting concern that the anonymity of the alleged victim will be breached. The same fate experienced
by Ched Evans’ victim may await her if she is exposed to the vicious online abuse already circulating the internet about her. The case of Ched Evans illustrated how quickly people resort to victim blaming. Somewhat unsurprisingly, people have reacted in the same impetuous way to news of the accusations facing Adam Johnson. of the endemic failure of British society to moderate the reaction to sexual violence. Society owes it to all victims of rape and sexual assault to rationalise their behaviour judgements on those around them, for they may be more impactful than
Whelan’s recent controversies overshadow his achievements
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ave Whelan’s decision to resign as chairman of Wigan Athletic last week is perhaps not the greatest surprise. No one could bemoan a man who at 78-years-old wanted to take a step back from the demands of operating a professional football club. Whelan is someone who was well respected within the game for
in late 2014. The time therefore was right for him to go. Whether the cloud that has hung over Whelan played a part in his decision to step down is anyone’s guess, but there is no hiding from the fact it has tarnished his reputation within the game. An interview in which he openly used derogatory language, whether intentional or not, sent out a dangerous precedent to others that behaviour and attitudes like that are acceptable. Whelan himself defended his use of words, as nothing more than an
cut an ever increasingly controversial and with good reason. Not only did Wigan appoint Malky Mackay, a man who is in the midst of an FA investigation into allegations that racist, sexist, homophobic and anti-Semitic text messages were exchanged with Iain Moody while the himself was embroiled in a racism row
the Chinese and nostalgia for a society that no longer exists. The simple fact remains, whether irrelevant. It has no place in society, let alone football. Had that incident not taken place, we would be talking about a man that was revered and praised in equal measure. After all, this is a man who, in
two decades as Wigan owner, laid the foundations for three promotions, an eight year stay in the Premier League, a maiden FA Cup triumph with a shock 1-0 victory over Manchester City in 2013, and a Europa League group stage appearance. That makes for even more impressive reading when you consider that Wigan were on the verge of dropping out of the Football League in 1995. Whelan’s funds not only saw them turn dreams into reality, he also current home, the DW Stadium, in 1999. However, pretending the controversy of the last few months didn’t happen isn’t going to help anyone. Using his footballing achievements to gloss over his comments is, again, in danger of sending out the wrong message. Football, and indeed society, has no place for those comments. With racism hot on the agenda in light of
a minority of Chelsea supporters who shamed the club with their actions and caused greater concern within wider society of the persistence of racism in the 21st century, we could
others to make similar comments and act in such a disgraceful fashion. Whelan has arguably done an awful lot for the game. He may have spent vast amounts of money over the last twenty years to aid Wigan’s progress, but for the majority of their time in the Premier League, the Latics relied on a small group of players to perform their seemingly annual great escape from relegation. It’s not been an easy road since for Whelan or Wigan as relegation from the Premier League followed
appearance last season, the club are hanging precariously in 22nd place in the Championship, and relegation to
League One is a real possibility. overseen the birth and growth of football in a passionate rugby league town. But his actions in the last six months have, rightly so, overshadowed his position. Whelan’s actions, coupled with the appointment of Mackay, arguably brought the club into disrepute. Ultimately then, Whelan must come to terms with the fact his successes will always be uttered in the same sentence as that now infamous interview.
Image: Dan FarrlmonD
By Matt Ford, Senior Sports Writer @Matt_Journalist