The Student 18/109/2012

Tuesday September 18 2012 | Week 1

S I N C E 1887

T H E U K ' S O LD E S T S T U D EN T N EW S PA P ER

Alistair Grant FOREIGN STUDENTS have been targeted by muggers in two separate attacks in the Old Town area of Edinburgh.

The attacks happened on Friday 7 September and have prompted police to issue a security warning amidst fears that the two incidents might be linked.

The first attack occurred on Blair Street in Cowgate at 4.35pm, where a 25-year-old male student from the Philippines was assaulted by two women as they jumped on him from behind and unsuccessfully tried to steal his bag.

The second incident, only 20 minutes apart from the first, occurred on Drummond Street, a mere five minute walk from the scene of the first confrontation. This time a 22-year-old female Chinese student was targeted by a man and two women, and received some minor injuries after being punched in the face and having her phone stolen.

The police are appealing for witnesses who may have been in the area when the attacks took place. The sus-

pects are described as being in their late teens to early 20s, with one woman wearing a pink hooded sweatshirt and the other a blue top. The male suspect was of slight build and was wearing a brown leather jacket.

A third attack bearing similarities to the first two was reported by a 30year-old woman at 5.35pm, after two women and a man attempted to steal her handbag on Duncan Place. Police are investigating whether this crime may be linked to the two earlier incidents.

A police spokesman indicated that local enquiries were now underway to identify the suspects. He added, “Anyone who can assist with our investigations is asked to contact police immediately.

“Members of the public are encouraged to add tracking software to the mobile telephones and portable electronic devices, which can help police trace their goods if stolen.”

The attacks have occurred after a two-month campaign by Lothian and Borders Police to target street robberies in Edinburgh, dubbed Operation Arable, saw almost 100 people arrested over the summer and the number of

muggings reduced.

With Freshers' Week seeing the arrival of many students who may be new to the city, the incidents have also sparked worry among some in the University area.

A spokesperson for The Advice Place, the advice service run by the Edinburgh University Students’ Association, told The Student, “The Advice Place works closely with the police, and we have recently started working with a new University Policing team to encourage students to report crimes.

“In addition we are a Remote Reporting site, which means that if students are not happy to talk to the police they can report a crime to us and we can pass this on to the police.

“We would always advise students that Edinburgh is typically a very safe place but that they need to exercise the same amount of caution they would use in any medium sized city. No one should tolerate being the victim of a crime or any sort of harassment and we would always encourage students to report it as soon as possible.

“We are happy to talk to students about this and we give out free personal safety alarms all year.”

AIGARS MAHINOVS

Street criminals target foreign students

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The Student Newspaper | 60 Pleasance, Edinburgh, EH8 9TJ Email: editors@studentnewspaper.org

Edinburgh University drops to 21st in world ranking

NEWS »p1-7

WELL HOY ABOUT THAT p 6

Sam Bradley reports on Chris Hoy’s victory parade through Edinburgh

COMMENT »p8-10

Yasmin Morgan-Griffiths discusses freedom of the press in the Near East

FEATURES »p12-14

IAN RANKIN INTERVIEW p12

Nina Bicket talks books and university accomodation with the Edinburgh author

LIFESTYLE »p16-17

BETTER TOGETHER? p16

Alasdair Drennan and Daniel Swain review Potterrow’s new club night

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT » p20-21

SOMETHING FISHY GOING ON? p20

Nina Seale investigates the environmental impact of tuna fishing

MUSIC »p26-27 FESTIVAL SEASON p27

Josh Angrave shares his experiences at Bestival

FILM »p26-27 IT'S ALL HAPPENING IN CANADA p28 Dan Scott Lintott reports from the Toronto Film Festival

SPORT »p31-32

BEYOND THE SUMMER OF SPORT p32

Piers Barber interviews the chief executive of Scottish Disability Sport

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH: Now 21st according to the 2012 QS World University Rankings

Thurston Smalley THE UNIVERSITY of Edinburgh has moved down one position in the prestigious QS World University Rankings to take 21st place.

In a strong showing, the University of Edinburgh took seventh place for linguistics in the QS subject rankings. Overall, the University of Edinburgh’s top-performing department was its School of Arts and Humanities, which took 18th place worldwide.

UK universities dominate the top six places, with the University of Cambridge taking second, University College London taking fourth, the University of Oxford taking fifth, and Imperial College London taking sixth. The other six universities in the top ten are located in the United

States, with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) taking first and Harvard University taking third.

Ben Sowter, Head of Research at QS, said that MIT’s rise to the top reflected a “global shift in emphasis towards science and technology.”

“MIT perfects a blueprint that is now being followed by a new wave of cutting-edge tech-focused institutions, especially in Asia,” he said.

The QS World University Rankings are published annually, having been started in 2004 in partnership with Times Higher Education. The rankings are published internationally in popular media such as US News and World Report in the United States and Chosun Ilbo in South Korea.

Established in response to a 2003 study by HM Treasury that highlight-

DAILY.SWARTHMORE.EDU

UNREPORTED p 9

ed the need for the UK’s universities to be ranked against their foreign competitors, QS World University Rankings calculates an institution’s score based on five criteria: academic peer review, recruiter review, faculty student ratio, citations per faculty and international orientation.

While some government officials in various countries have praised QS’s methodology, others say it is flawed in its comparatively high emphasis of peer review, which critics claim is monetarily incentivised by QS, and in its emphasis of faculty citations, which disproportionately derive from scientific disciplines and undervalue excellence in social sciences.

Others have taken aim at QS’s subject rankings, alleging that QS’s algorithms in some cases return vastly different standings than other trusted rankings.

New University comparison site launched

Alistair Grant

THE NATIONAL Union of Students (NUS) has launched a new university website in collaboration with product-testing charity and consumer organisation Which? designed to help prospective students choose their course and institution.

The website, launched on Tuesday 11 September, is free to use and will provide independent information and high quality advice to future students and those seeking an insight into university life.

Information provided on the website will include advice on organising finances, finding suitable employment while at university, and reviews and articles on local nightlife.

Data on local sports teams and facilities, political scenes and arts events will also be featured.

A personalised search option is available to help users access the information and advice they need, with easy to use categories and informative previews provided for each listed

university.

The site currently features the details of almost 30,000 courses and 262 universities and colleges, and includes data from Ucas, the Higher Education Statistics Agency, National Student Survey and Destination of Leavers of Higher Education survey.

“

We are very pleased to be supporting Which? University to provide [...] high quality advice for all" Liam Burns, NUS president Using official sources in combination with input from students and students’ unions, the website promises to help future students decide ‘what to study, where to go and how

to get there.’

The website was launched at Westminster City School by NUS president Liam Burns, with the event attended by David Willetts MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science.

Commenting on the new site Liam Burns said, “What sets this new portal apart from crude league tables is its use of contextual information tailored to individuals’ needs.

“As universities are increasingly competing with each other in a market, they cannot provide the impartial resources prospective applicants need, and as the government will not do so, we are very pleased to be supporting Which? University to provide comprehensive and high quality advice for all.

“It would be a scandal if only those with access to the social capital derived from parents who went to university were able to navigate a higher education playing field that the government has made increasingly uneven.”

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Confusion over what’s next for Max Crema

Alasdair Drennan

THE EDINBURGH University Students’ Association (EUSA) has been without a vice president services since early July following Max Crema’s suspension.

Following only weeks in the post, Crema was suspended after other EUSA staff raised a series of grievances against him.

Sources close to EUSA have suggested the main complaint related to a series of ageist tweets.

Crema has not been fulfilling his usual roles within EUSA but has been attending demos and meetings in an unofficial capacity.

Crema came under further fierce criticism from his EUSA colleagues following the publication of a post on the blog he created for the VPS position.

The post entitled, “This is why we spit in your drinks” was written anonymously and didn’t directly reference EUSA but it has been widely understood that the post was aimed at the students’ association.

The post claimed that senior members of bar staff failed to support junior staff when faced with abusive or harassing customers. It claimed that the policy was to, “shut up and don’t complain” when faced with a sexually abusive customer.

Both EUSA and a number of staff that worked for the association during the festival have rebuked this claim.

It is believed that this post led to an angry backlash in which over 100 EUSA staff complained about

Crema’s conduct. A number of EUSA staff that have asked not to be named have told The Student that they disagree with the message in the blog post and supported EUSA management’s handling of abusive customers.

A statement released by EUSA’s board of trustees said, “EUSA have a number of processes in place to protect its democratic culture and to ensure that all employees, elected or otherwise, are treated properly and fairly. These processes must be followed properly and legally so that all those involved can be confident in their fairness.”

Sources close to EUSA have suggested that there is some conflict between employment law and the old EUSA constitution, which is still in place.

If Crema were to be dismissed as a EUSA employee, he would retain his sabbatical position and be responsible for the duties associated with it which would arguably entitle him to a salary.

It is also believed that the legality of Crema’s initial suspension has also been questioned.

The Student understands legal hurdles have caused a delay in a decision on Crema’s future with the organisation.

As EUSA has still not fully transferred to its new constitution, a vote at a general meeting would be required to recall Crema from office, if EUSA’s trustees deem this necessary.

For decisions taken at a General Meeting to be binding, a turnout of at least 300 students would be required.

Further information is expected from the board of Trustees this week.

Crema declined the opportunity to speak to The Student saying, “my trade union representative has advised me not to speak to anyone.”

MAX CREMA: Suspended vice president services was present at a protest last Friday

ELIZABETH DOUCETTE

Future unclear for EUSA vice president services

Nina Seale

THE SCOTTISH National Party (SNP) is launching a fresh attempt to ban lap dancing clubs in Scotland.

Currently, bars such as those in Edinburgh’s infamous ‘pubic triangle’ are permitted under the public entertainment license. The proposed motion would mean such facilities would have to apply for an adult entertainment license from the council to stay in business, giving the council the chance to review all adult entertainment establishments under its jurisdiction.

Depending on how many clubs and bars are classed as acceptable by the council, this could mean that all the current lap dancing bars and strip clubs are closed down.

This is a move that Sandra White MSP, who holds the SNP seat of Glasgow Kelvin, had previously attempted when the SNP was still a minority party in the Scottish Parliament. Now that the SNP has an overall majority the plans have been given the go ahead, with Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill meeting

with White to discuss her proposals and give them his blessing.

White is pushing these changes in

“

I don't think people come to Edinburgh specifically for this kind of 'entertainment'" Ian Murray, Labour MP for Edinburgh South light of the approachi ng Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014, commenting, “There has been a proliferation of these around Scotland and people don’t want them.

“And when you think about us coming up to the Commonwealth Games, the fact is that Glasgow has changed so much in the last 10 years. I feel so strongly about this and that is why I am going down this route. It would give councillors the choice to say if one lap

dancing club is too many. It would not be mandatory and the decision would lie with each local authority.”

Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South, discussed the debate with The Student, “This is an incredibly difficult debate because there has to be a balance between allowing such activities and the risk of driving them underground.

“Similar arguments have been running for years with regards to prostitution and could the safety of women be better secured through legalisation.

The issue has to be the appropriateness.

I think the nature of the premises in Edinburgh are inappropriate in terms of their look and location.

“The experience of people who have contacted me in the past, particularly females, say the marketing and door staff are often aggressive and I don’t think they do enough about their customer’s behaviour.

“I don’t think people come to Edinburgh specifically for this kind of ‘entertainment’ and I would be confident there would be no detriment to the local economy if they did not exist.”

HOT AND BOTHERED: Strip clubs could have their licenses revoked

STEVEN DE POLO

Lap dancing clubs face ban in Scotland

IC

AC

ADEM

WELFARE

EXTERNAL

RUN IN THE EUSA ELECTIONS AND STAND FOR THE ISSUES YOU CARE ABOUT. NominationsÊopen:Ê17thÊSeptember NominationsÊclose:Ê27thÊSeptemberÊ(12Ênoon)

Find out how to get involved at:

eusa.ed.ac.uk/elections

GE INVOL T VED!

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THRETHERRAS NEWS

Clearing process “chaotic” say uni chiefs

HAPPILY QUALIFIED: Students collect their certificates on A-level results day 2012

THIS YEAR’S university admissions cycle has been described as unstable, unclear and ‘chaotic’ by higher education bosses, in the wake of changes that saw UK institutions permitted to accept as many applicants with AAB grades as they could fit.

Numerous universities, old and new, have added their voices to the outcry over inaccurate estimates of applicant numbers and their predicted grades, saying that where there should

have been an increase in applicants with grades of AAB or greater there was actually a considerable decrease.

An update on student numbers released by UCAS the week after Alevel results day showed total accepted applicants down by 30,000 on the same time last year. This has led to widespread, serious recruitment deficits with many universities being forced to lower their required grades in order to fill empty seats during clearing.

The new recruitment rules came into effect at the same time as the first round of £9,000 tuition fees-paying

Local band nominated for Mercury award

Alistair Grant

AN EDINBURGHBASED band that formed after its members studied at the Edinburgh College of Art has been nominated for the prestigious Barclaycard Mercury Prize.

The local psychedelic four-piece, Django Django, have had their selftitled debut album entered into the running for the £20,000 prize along with 12 other acts, including big names such as The Maccabees and Plan B. The album, which was released in January, peaked at number 33 in the UK music charts and received rave reviews from critics, with The Guardian predicting the debut would not be topped in 2012.

The band are the only Scottish group nominated for the award this year, and would be the first Scottish winners since Franz Ferdinand grabbed the top spot in 2004 with their hugely successful self-titled debut album.

They are currently tipped as second favourites for first place, behind Cambridge-based quartet Alt-J. Speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News, synth player Tommy Grace said, “When we got the news we were completely floored. We heard a few days in advance from our manager but we weren’t allowed to tell anyone.

“I felt that we’d jinx it if we let it slip and someone would come round and take away the nomination.

“I remember being young and scanning through the Mercury prize list so this is a huge milestone for us.”

The Barclaycard Mercury Prize, formerly known as the Mercury Music Prize, was established in 1992 as an alternative to the Brit Awards.

The nominations are drawn up by a panel of prominent music industry figures in the UK and Ireland and often include less well-known musicians alongside popular chart favourites.

students applied to university. Pam Tatlow, chief executive of universities group million+, told The Guardian that introducing two new recruitment policies simultaneously had unnecessarily added an extra variable that universities would now have to contend with.

She said, “We warned the BIS select committee that the first year of higher fees would be challenging for everyone, and that ministers should pause their ambitions to incentivise the market in student numbers.

“MPs agreed with us, but by ignor-

ing their advice, the government added an extra layer of unpredictability to the difficulties which already exist in making admissions stack up into a sensible equation.”

University officials have also blamed vacant places on inaccurate predicted grades, saying that a perfect storm of various conditions contributed to teachers over-predicting student marks.

These conditions included changes to examination marking and teachers’ knowledge that under the new recruitment rules students with predicted A-

WHY SO SHY? Django Django are up for the Mercury Prize

level grades of AAB or above would be much more likely to secure offers from universities.

The deficit of AAB students has created such a vacuum that some younger universities have had to drop their required grades to two Ds in order to fill their seats.

And even at universities which have mostly avoided the scrum over applicant deficits, less popular subject areas have suffered considerably, leading some officials to consider whether they can afford to continue financing such courses.

DJANGO DJANGO

Thurston Smalley

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Sam Bradley

EDINBURGH PLAYED host to an open top bus Olympic Victory parade on Sunday, with tens of thousands of people lining the streets in celebration of the successful athletes’ homecoming.

The parading stars of the London 2012 Games included Britain’s most successful Olympian, cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, as well as runner Lynsey Sharp, canoeist David Florence, boxer Josh Taylor, and Paralympians Jim Anderson and Kate Murray who competed in swimming and archery events respectively.

Hoy said, “It’s been a day to remember and I just want to thank everyone for turning out.

“It’s overwhelming the support the team has been getting, you can’t help but be taken away by the whole occasion and all the athletes are saying the same thing.”

Afterwards he said he was looking forward to the Edinburgh parade as it would be “personal and emotional”.

The parade began at the City Chambers at 2.15pm before making its way up the Royal Mile and then crossing over to Princes Street and George Street, finally drawing to a close at the Assembly rooms, where Sir Chris Hoy received the Freedom of the City.

Following the procession was a Civic Reception, hosted by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Donald Wilson. The 500 guests were entertained by the Big Project Choir, Edinburgh Schools Jazz Band and George Watson’s College Chamber Choir.

The Lord Provost said, “This is our chance to welcome home our Olympic and Paralympic heroes and to celebrate their outstanding achievements at their respective Games. I’m quite sure that the people of Edinburgh will turn out in their thousands to show their appreciation.

“It was very much Sir Chris’ wish that this day be about celebrating with his team mates and I am delighted that many of his fellow sportsmen and women will be joining him on the parade.”

CHRIS HOY: The champion returns to Scotland for a well-earned victory parade

Edinburgh meeting environmental targets CHUCK IT: Edinburgh residents take out the trash

STEVEN LARGOUET

Thurston Smalley

THE CITY of Edinburgh Council this week announced that Edinburgh residents are on schedule to recycle half of all rubbish by the year 2014, putting the city’s recycling programme in line with national targets.

However, the current rate of recycling is below the rate envisioned in the Council’s original Waste and Recycling Strategy approved by the Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Committee in November 2010.

The city currently recycles a third of its waste, below the strategy’s original target for this year of 42 per cent, but the City of Edinburgh Council hopes recycling will increase to 40 per cent through newly-introduced changes in bin collections. The council expects that resident “changes in behaviour” and waste initiatives over the next two years will contribute the final ten per cent increase.

The expectation of changes in resident behaviour is consistent with historical trends. Eight years ago, under 17 per cent of Edinburgh’s waste was recycled, half the rate of today.

In the same eight years, total waste has also fallen by 16 per cent from 265,201 tonnes to 222,028 tonnes.

Deputy Leader for the Environment, Counsellor Jim Orr, said, “This

is good news and shows that residents are taking recycling seriously, having put in a huge effort over the last few years to make recycling work, but we still have a way to go.

“Moving to our new system of managed weekly collections, coupled with the continued commitment by Edinburgh residents to reuse and recycle wherever possible, will help

“

This is good news and shows that residents are taking recycling seriously, having put in a huge effort over the last few years to make recycling work, but we still have a way to go" Counsellor Jim Orr, Deputy Leader for the Environment draw us even closer to our target and, ultimately, to a cleaner and greener city.”

It currently costs £100 to send one tonne of waste to landfill, with the cost set to rise by £8 next year. With no increase in recycling, this would bring the Council’s spend on landfill from £13.3 million this

year to £15.4 million next year.

Fueling the planned increase in recycling will be new rules and regulations set to be introduced over the next few years by the Scottish government as components of its Zero Waste Plan.

For example, beginning in 2013 the City of Edinburgh Council will collect paper and card, plastic, glass and metals from residences and businesses separately from landfill waste.

Also in 2013, businesses will be required to separate their waste by type with small businesses given a partial extension to 2015.

The City of Edinburgh Council Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Committee’s recently-published report on waste and recycling strategy says that new trends and even some government initiatives have actually had the effect of decreasing recycling.

For instance, the report says that as UK industry has adopted lighter packaging, the mass of such packaging being recycled has decreased. In addition, as the print media has declined, the amount of paper recycled has fallen.

However, the report also credits a delay in the reduction of kerbside landfill waste collection as an important factor in the Council’s failure to bring recycling to 42 per cent of total waste disposal this year.

CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL

Thousands line Edinburgh streets for Scottish Olympians and Paralympians

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Alasdair Drennan

OVER 5,000 new undergraduates and thousands more postgraduates have been welcomed to Edinburgh with a Freshers’ Week that has been hailed a great success.

There were over 700 official Freshers’ Week events and countless more across the city.

The societies fair, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday last week, saw more than 250 clubs and societies recruiting new members.

EUSA’s societies development coordinator Lizzie Brough told The Student, “We may be hoarse, shattered and able to recite our recruitment spiel in our sleep but we’ve had an absolutely brilliant couple of days.

“The stalls looked fabulous from Retrospect’s hanging letters and fairy lights to Dirty Weekenders’ wellie boots around the table legs.

“The rooms were rammed with freshers eager to discover what our 270 societies have to offer.

“Never a quiet moment, we were entertained by Modern Dance doing a turn, Drumming Soc giving it a bash and Medieval Re-enactment on courtyard patrol with chainmail and swords at the ready.”

The sports fair also saw a record turnout with over 8,000 visitors passing through the doors in the first day.

Freshers’ Week also saw the launch of Club Together, a new club night that will take place every Wednesday, that allows societies and sports teams to earn money back through the soc card system.

The night was headlined by dubstep maestro Jakwob and attended by over 1,000 students.

Magnus Monahan, a third year ecology student and Fresh Air DJ said, “Club Together is shaping up to be an amazing Edinburgh club night. Jakwob was insane!”

Other famous names to have appeared throughout the week include Radio 1 DJ Vernon Kay; X Factor winner Leon Jackson and comedian Patrick Monahan.

QUEUE JUMPING: Freshers' Week events drew impressive crowds

International students in Bristo protest

EUSA

Freshers’ Week welcomes new students

EDINBURGH STUDENTS opposing rising tuition fees for international students staged a protest in Bristo square last Friday, with Mary Bownes, the University’s vice principal for external engagement, in attendance to receive a petition.

The petition called for the University of Edinburgh to implement fixed tuition fees for international students following recent annual increases of up to 5 per cent, while many of the students present also criticised University officials for not taking a stronger stance regarding the recent student visa crisis at London Metropolitan University.

Aurora Adams, EUSA International Representative for Campaigns and Accountability, explained her reasons for supporting the protest to The Student, highlighting in particular the stress that unexpected increases in fees can cause international students on a tight budget.

She said, “Currently [international student fees] go up by four to six hundred pounds every year, which can be really distressing.

“Whatever the situation is […] when the amount becomes larger that’s really stressful for students.”

EUSA President James McAsh similarly slammed the “extremely unfair” treatment of international students by the University and called on the Scottish Government to force universities to provide a comprehensive summary of the fees they will be expected to pay.

The protesters’ criticism of the University also extended to its handling of the current situation at London Metropolitan University, where an alleged failure to adequately keep track of international students has led to them losing their license to recruit

LIZ DOUCETTE

Leo Michelmore

READ IN: Students protest in Bristo Square against unexpected tuition fee increases students from outside the EU, leading to uncertainty over the futures of the thousands of international students already studying there.

Former Immigration Minister Damian Green defended the actions of the UK Border Agency, claiming that a “significant proportion” of London Metropolitan’s international students had failed to attain the required fluency in English to study in the UK. He also criticised the London uni-

versity’s methods of monitoring international students’ lecture attendance.

However, student leaders throughout the UK have come out in support of London Metropolitan’s international students, including several EUSA officials.

Adams told The Student, “We really want the University to publically condemn what’s happening at London Metropolitan University.

“There, the university has lost its

highly trusted sponsorship status, which means that 2,600 students are at risk of deportation and the only way they can stay in the country is to get a transfer [which] will cost students around £4,000” This sentiment was echoed by Briana Pegado, EUSA’s International Student Action Group Convener, who told The Student, “We would like the University to publically condemn the actions of the UK border agency, but

also more importantly we would like to bring awareness to the student body.

“It seems like there’s been overwhelming support, not only from international students but from home students as well.

“I think because our student union is so influential in the UK it’s important that we take a stance and also encourage other students across the UK to take a stand.”

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Still all style, no substance

Jon Vrushi finds David Miliband’s suggestions of a Democrat-style campaign for Labour lacking ON 8 September, following the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Charlotte, the former Foreign Secretary and runner-up of the Labour leadership contest, David Miliband, and the Shadow Foreign Secretary, Douglas Alexander, wrote an analysis of how the British Labour can party learn from the Democrats’ tactics and regain the keys to Number 10. They suggest a five point reflection inspired from attending the DNC and following the Obama Campaign this autumn.

The analysis, published on The Guardian, was a lukewarm combination of stating obvious points and blatantly urging the incumbent Labour leader not to disavow New Labour and not to push the party to the left. “Labour’s route to government requires us to learn from around the world. Obama is trying to move the Democrats on from the Clinton years, without making Gore’s error of disavowing his own legacy in government.”

Granted that the New Labour government had its achievements, we must still recognize that part of the legacy is the hijacking of the political system via the empowerment of the new breed of spads (special advisers) and the shift to the right of the public opinion since 1997. In a

study John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde University, states that one of the key trends in public opinion following the advent of Blair’s New Labour has been a marked drift in attitudes towards the ‘right’. His study, ‘A tale of two crises: banks, MPs’ expenses and public opinion’ argues that the proportion of people who believe the government should redistribute from the better-off to the less well-off has fallen significantly over the past 13 years. Faced with this legacy, Ed Miliband would be rather courageous not to disassociate himself from certain aspects of the New Labour.

The analysis goes on to suggest that the Labour party should represent the interests of all people. Presumably, Labour should follow the Democrats’ example, who are, “embracing the rising classes and groups in society such as Latinos and middle-income women.” They go on to say that “It helps that the Republicans are so aggressively wrong on issues of gay rights, women’s rights and minority rights.” This parallelism is impertinent, while conveying an obvious and slightly redundant message. The Labour party already represents minorities, people from disadvantaged backgrounds as well as SMEs. Indeed Ed Milband won the

leadership contest by promising to also look after ‘middle England’. I don’t know how any national party can individually appeal to, in the words of Miliband and Alexander, “the small businesswoman in Ipswich, the GP in Fleetwood, the personal trainer in Gloucester.”

Both men however make a good point when they argue that money politics, as exerted in the states, is dangerous and unhealthy for democracy. “America shows that money can still buy votes – and the right have got a lot of it.” They suggest that the Labour party needs to drive big money out of politics. “In Britain there is a structural imperative for Labour to take down the influence of money in politics – not just as a high- minded recognition of voter concern but out of sheer self-interest.”

However, they do use this opportunity to very subtly criticise Labour for relying on Trade Union money, by saying, “Party funding reform is going nowhere.” Trade unions are among the most important affiliates to the Labour party and they were crucial in the popularisation of Labour, turning it into a national, natural government power; simply because there are more people who need union support and cover than there are people who need

inheritance tax breaks. They do not suggest an alternative to the present funding arrangement. Perhaps they have black-tie dinner party fundraisers in mind, till Labour and the Lib-Dem drive ‘big money’ out of the British political system.

The political system needs both left and right, because the essence of democracy lies in the fact that the electorate can choose from different options and visions represented by different political forces.

Labour is traditionally a left wing party, and it has the duty to offer the British voter the left alternative.

Ultimately, Miliband and Alexander’s piece in The Guardian is a ruthless lecture on ‘how to win elections while hijacking democracy and politics 101’. It was exactly this ruthlessness that disenchanted the British voters with the New Labour. The ruthlessness of sofa politics, spads ordering around civil servants − who represent among the few checks and balances in the British political system − and ultimately abandoning Labour values and replacing them with whatever-keeps-us-in-power policies. If this is where David Miliband and Douglas Alexander want the Labour Party to go, one can only hope that Ed Miliband will not heed their words.

Duchess Catherine bares all This week the royal tits hit the fan when Princess Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge (a university she couldn’t even be bothered to attend) bared all for a small French magazine called Closer, allegedly named after the 2004 movie starring the power team of Jude Law, Julia Robert, Natalie Portman and Clive Owen. No one seems to have picked up on the fact that both Closer and Chi, an Italian magazine who seem intent on printing the world’s most controversial breasts, are both owned by Silvio Berlusconi.

This is clearly an effort by Berlusconi to attempt to continue to be relevant and controversial. No longer in power in Italy, he’s had to stoop to truly dastardly, pantomime-villain level tactics.

Although with the Irish Daily Star running the pictures this past Saturday in a bid to renew the stern rivalry between Britain and Ireland, Berlusconi has lost his precious monopoly on controversy involving both tits and a princess.

The press coverage of the whole scandal has been a bit much. The British press have mainly been cheerleading on the Royal counterattack, The Times’ headline of ‘Royal Patience Snaps’ sums up this attitude. The British print media seem to be feeling awful smug about not printing the now famous breasts.

The editors of the various publications put all sorts of messages out about how it’d be a terrible decision to print it and that no one should touch it with a barge pole. That particular nugget of wisdom came from The Sun. To be fair, if The Sun is choosing not to touch it then you should probably leave well alone, they aren’t the most wary of publications.

Kate Middleton has however, earned a personal victory amongst this media shit-storm. She has successfully replicated Paris Hilton’s career out of order. Being born without the natural advantage of being an heiress, she had to earn it. On the route she has become famous, and then has been naked all over the internet. One can only hope some inane television shows about her life will follow soon. I wanna compete to be Kate’s best friend.

Daniel Swain

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Comment 9 #EdUni

Tyranny goes unreported

M. M

the chaos in Syria, analysts say, with 700 people have been killed in renewed clashes since the parliamentary elections in June last year.

In reality, this has little to do with the words of truth-seekers and less to do with Ankara’s reluctance to enter into dialogue which could bring about a diplomatic solution. Soner Cagaptay from the Washington Institute for Near East Policy stated that “whenever there is a spike in violence, Turkey’s willingness to consider a political solution becomes weaker.” The two sides have come to blows over mother-language education in schools, anti-discrimination laws and decentralisation, with Turkey unwilling to acquiesce to Kurdish demands and the PKK further

polarising the situation by stirring up violent sentiments induced by intense disappointment with government policy.

When Turkish journalists questioned the government’s approach to the Kurdish question as a matter of security rather than politics, an Islamist national daily slandered them as “PKK propagandists” and a “despicable enemy of the Turks,” In this country, it is deemed an offense for Kurds merely to address the court in their native tongue, which led to the consequent delaying of the trial. The relentless scapegoating of journalists is encapsulated in a statement from the interior minister who stated that “no difference between the bullets fired in [the Kurdish south-east]

and the articles written in Ankara”.

It is all too often journalists who are caught in the cross-fire and are directly blamed for exacerbating problems which are truly caused by the tendency of governments to deny the reality of these situations and adapt their policies accordingly. Danny O’Brien, the San Francisco-based internet advocacy coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists has likened reportage to “pretending to be a spy”. This is truer than ever before in places like Turkey, where journalists are dragged directly into conflicts and treated as an integral part of political strife. They are viewed as militant enemies of the state, which severely impedes the process of finding a real solution to the Kurdish question.

IMPRISONED: Journalists in Turkey have been imprisoned for challenging the government on their Kurdish policies

A union of every aspect

EGYPTIAN DAILY NEWS

AS DICTATORS everywhere are being nudged off their perches and revolutions continue to blaze unchecked across countries rent by sectarian violence, the masses of activists and journalists who fan the flames are being persecuted. While freedom of press has taken root and burgeoned quickly in post-revolution Tunisia and in Niger thanks to a successful political transition, other countries are plummeting rapidly down the press freedom ratings.

One of the most notable and topical examples is Turkey, which has dropped ten places in the annual Reporters Without Borders press freedom index this year. It’s not too difficult to see why; last week, 44 journalists were put on trial, 36 of which have been in pretrial detention since November last year for being alleged supporters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK by its Turkish acronym). More than 100 journalists are currently jailed in Turkey charged with such acts of “terrorism”, a journalist arrest rate even higher than that of Iran or China, two of the world’s most intolerant nations. Journalists are paying dearly for reporting on these incidents, including commenting on the number of casualties inflicted upon Kurdish forces by the Turkish military, and an incident where a journalist was accused of “denigrating the state” reported on the sexual harassment at Turkish Airlines.

Considering the Kurdish uprising has been raging since 1984, why is it now, in 2012, that we are witnessing the biggest trial of pro-Kurd journalists in Turkish history? The issue is closely linked with the alarmingly increasing rate of violence linked to

Thomas P G Colson argues that in the face of chaos the Eurozone must unite totally or not at all SEVERAL HUNDRED European bureaucrats breathed a collective sigh of relief on Wednesday. The constitutionality of Germany’s permanent bailout mechanism had been challenged, but overturned by the country’s constitutional court. Bolstered as Europe surely is by Germany’s newly-confirmed position as creditor for the debt-laden countries of Europe, many are hoping that Wednesday’s decision will prove to be a turning point in the Eurozone’s battle for survival.

Yet the question of whether the single currency survives is surely only as interesting as the question it immediately demands: if the EU and its currency were to survive, what form must it take?

The past five years have amply demonstrated that change of one kind or another is necessary. The idea of operating a central bank within a monetary union whilst allowing the full fiscal independence of individual countries was, of

course, flawed from its conception: we need not look further than Greece for an unsightly and violent demonstration of the truth in this.

But the future of the European project is about more than the single currency: it is also about the sense of equality and decency between individual countries on the continent. Any sense of these principles, upon which the project was founded, has disappeared.

Out of the crisis have emerged two very distinct European camps: creditors and debtors. Germany, having emerged reluctantly as the largest creditor of Europe’s teetering economies under Angela Merkel’s stewardship, is in a position to dictate terms to any country which requires financial assistance.

Indeed, along with Mr Sarkozy, it has already used that position to install unelected technocrats as leaders both in Greece and Italy. Debtor countries have so far been able to do little other than to watch on feebly and helplessly.

Clearly this is not a desirable position for anyone, least of all Germany, whose rigid economy is under threat from the burden of the bailout mechanism. This week Angela Merkel’s response to the position has been to call for further European integration and the leader of the European commission agreed, calling for a ‘federation of nation states’. In practical terms, this would mean a common European economic, budgetary and fiscal policy.

In current circumstances, debtor countries would quite simply refuse to hand over a greater portion of national sovereignty to the EU directive: the cost of borrowing money to service their enormous deficits is increasingly punitive, and the austerity measures largely imposed by Germany and France are hugely unpopular with electorates. For as long as independent countries retain most of their democratic mandate in the shadow of the EU, they can reject the EU commissioner’s federal dream.

Assuming Germany will not leave the Eurozone, a prospect which cannot realistically be entertained, they must find a way of winning the argument for ‘more Europe’. This is surely achievable, as much of the continent is already predisposed to the idea of a united Europe, but it will require a gesture of solidarity and commitment on the part of creditor countries. If, and only if, Germany and other creditor countries show they are prepared to take on a greater share of the Eurozone’s debt burden and renegotiate a relationship based more closely on trust and respect towards debtor countries does further European integration seem possible or plausible.

David Cameron made headlines this summer after calling for the Eurozone to ‘make up or break up’, one of his more awful PR soundbites, but the sentiment underneath is commendable.

Sooner or later, the question must be answered.

DANIEL SWAIN

Yasmin Morgan-Griffiths explores the conflict between freedom of press and state control in the Near East

his week was a very hectic one for T the Market household. The week started a bit rough, and by Tuesday it

looked like I might have to dip down to two pints of Stella instead on three with lunch. But then, following a late week rally that reminded me of Van Persie everything ended up fine.

The news that helped me feel a lot better was the announcement by Ben Bernanke, chairman of the US Federal Reserve, who stated that the Fed would be pumping $40bn into the United States money supply each month until economic conditions improve. That’s a lot of Stella.

The big winners on this side of the pond, in the FTSE, were all large natural resources companies. Evraz, the steel firm that had a strong last week joined in the stock price growth enjoyed by Kazakhmys, Vedanta Resources, Freshnillo and the Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation; with all but Freshnillo, enjoying double digit growth.

So after a good week in the city, you should definitely remember: If I lost you money this week, whoopsy!

#EdUni Tweets

The Top 3 Tweets of the Week

#EdUni Just spotted SIX people wearing Christmas jumpers around George Sq...

It's still September, yes? #EdUni - @zblah1 Love freshers already! #eduni #eusa - @nicolenorris8 Sitting in forrest rd starbs.

Still feels like I should be heading to classes or rehearsals. #Edinburgh #EdUni - @hrchalmers Get tweeting to #EdUni!

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A man dead, a country indifferent Daniel Swain argues that the death of the US ambassador for Libya will not ruin Obama's chances for re-election.

THE MURDER of US Ambassador Chris Stevens in Libya was exactly what Barack Obama was not looking for. Despite the obvious tragic loss of a human being who had served the United States Foreign Service well, and had been brave enough to take a potentially dangerous and difficult posting in a country that had just experienced war, the death of Ambassador Stevens poses possible electoral problems for President Obama.

“

The right's pestering of Barack Obama and the Democrats at large with regards to foreign policy is totally unjustified."

An incident abroad that makes the United States seem weak or open to attack will obviously not sit well with

the American electorate. But any serious criticisms of President Obama regarding the murder of Chris Stevens should be nullified by the existence of something called the truth, something the portion of the electorate that is paying attention to these issues will probably be sensitive to.

President Obama, as a Democratic president, has been vulnerable to attack on the foreign policy front by his more right-wing, sabre-rattling counterparts. Sarah Palin accused Obama of talking softly to foes of the US this week. Furthermore, in a tasteless display of politicisation, Mitt Romney called Obama’s response to the embassy killings ‘disgraceful’, before preceding to utter a lot of mindless rhetoric about American might and power which is typical of all politicians, but more so of those on the right.

The right’s pestering of Barack Obama and the Democrats at large with regards to foreign policy is totally unjustified. Barack Obama is a president who has overseen the killing of Osama Bin Laden and a successful

military intervention in Libya. In addition, he has not shied away from the US’s responsibilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. The tradition of the Democrats being considered weak on foreign policy stems from the late Cold War, where successive Democratic leaders pursued more meaningful discussion with the Soviet Union, compared to the more aggressive pursuits of Nixon and Reagan, who practiced diplomatic encirclement and then all-out confrontational discussion respectively.

This traditional consideration is as outdated as Mitt Romney’s recent claim that Russia is the USA’s number-one geopolitical foe. Under Bill Clinton, the USA pursued an incredibly aggressive anti-terrorist policy; it was this legacy, in conjunction with America’s interaction with the Middle East, that fostered the resentment that has placed us in this present war on terror - not the humble foreign platform that George W. Bush was elected on.

Further, President Obama is significantly hamstrung diplomatically with regards to a response to this inci-

dent in Libya. He has already deployed marines, drones and an allegedly significant security force to help catch the culprits. But given the position of the new Libyan government and the prominence of lawlessness in the certain parts of the country, President Obama faces a very sensitive diplomatic situation.

“

The electorate of the United States should not listen to the senseless bull-baiting of the Republican party."

The electorate of the United States should not listen to the senseless bullbaiting of the Republican Party. Fortunately on this issue, they probably won’t.

The murder of Ambassador Stevens is an incident quite distant to

many Americans, and whilst outrage will obviously be expressed, the ultimate blame can only be laid upon the perpetrators. Libya would be equally unstable without the US’s assistance, if not more so. The US would certainly have an ambassador in Libya regardless of its foreign policy outlook. This was not the result of any one identifiable policy, but a long line of decisions that the US is long past questioning.

Most Americans who are going to pay attention to this realise this and realise the aforementioned sensitivity in dealing with Libya. Those that don’t were probably looking for faults to pin on the Barack Obama donkey, already fed up of his ultra-liberal, Jesus-hating ways. I don’t even think he wants those people voting for him.

Plenty of factors are going to determine whether or not Barack Obama gets his much-deserved second term.

This incident is probably not one of the major ones, if it’s one at all. IsraelIran, the economy and the weather are likely to be more pivotal.

Tuesday September 18 2012

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Editorial 11

Editorial The Student discusses making Edinburgh home.

THIS WEEK, Scotland’s Olympians and Paralympians returned home to a hero’s welcome. Friday saw a parade through the streets of Glasgow in front of a crowd of thousands and on Sunday Olympic cycling hero Chris Hoy was bestowed the Freedom of Edinburgh while Andy Murray made an emotional return to his hometown of Dunblane following his US Open victory last week.

All these athletes won international acclaim for their sporting achievements this summer but still decided to return to their respective homes to celebrate their success.

Home is important.

Last week, thousands of students moved to Edinburgh from across the globe, joining the tens of thousands that already live here. Moving to a new city can be a daunting prospect and many of Edinburgh’s new students will spend the coming weeks and months figuring out how to make it feel like home for the next four years.

In Freshers’ Week this largely consists of spending vast and unnecessary amounts of money on posters to try to make your walls look less bare cityscapes, Trainspotting quotes, bands (Flight of the Conchords are still cool, right?). Maybe even something about hearting vodka.

As you progress through university this gradually becomes trips to IKEA and Homebase, the focus shifts to flat-

packed bedside tables and plants that you think you probably don’t have to water too much to keep alive.

But for all the well-worn Fresher's Week rituals, and everything that follows, some students inevitably end up thinking of Edinburgh as home to a greater extent than others. By the end of fourth year, some students have fallen in love with the city and have spent their time here dragging parents and friends up to visit, while others have gone home at every possible opportunity.

After the same period of time, some graduates scour the job market for ways to extend their stay here while others walk out of their final exam, head straight to the train station/airport/car and leave the city, wondering whether it’s really that important for them to come back for graduation.

So why does this difference exist?

Do some students just invest more in making Edinburgh their home? In more posters, more bedside tables, more plants, more trips home, more invitations to come and stay?

A quick survey of The Student office revealed a mix of attitudes - one of the more popular of which was that the answer is to do with how close to Edinburgh you live or how quickly you make friends here.

The idea here is that there is a direct connection between the amount of time you spend here and whether or not you

develop some kind of connection with the city.

There’s definitely some truth in this - as you spend more time in Edinburgh gathering more positive memories and experiences you undoubtedly feel more at home, but we don't think it’s that simple.

More important is the attitude you bring to Edinburgh and to university life - constantly having one eye on where you grew up and on the friends you made there makes it infinitely more difficult to really settle here.

Now we’re not saying you have to disown your pre-university life, of course not, staying in touch with old friends is just as important as making new ones.

However, we are saying that there has to be a balance, that you have to be willing to see Edinburgh as home without worrying about somehow letting down the people you went to school with.

It’s also important to bear in mind that there’s not necessarily a need to choose between where you grew up and where you go to university, it's completely possible to feel at home in both and your university experience will be all the richer for it.

Alasdair and Leo

Some practical advice on how to make Edinburgh feel more like home:

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A quick history lesson...

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 10,000 University of Edinburgh students every week.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Lord Kitchener, David Lloyd George and Winston Churchill are a few of the 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 in charge of film and concert reviews.

Disclaimer Try to vacuum your room more than once a semester Turn any dreary flat into any home in the UK by taking a trip to John Lewis and buying some overpriced union flag scatter cushions

Find a flatmate that reminds you of a sibling or pet

The Student welcomes letters for publication. The editors, 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.

Editors Alasdair Drennan & Leo Michelmore

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Hire a nanny to look after you from time to time

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Characterising Edinburgh

Nina Bicket talks to Ian Rankin about the Edinburgh of his novels and his love for the city AN AUTHOR who has become almost synonymous with Edinburgh, Ian Rankin is one of the nation’s most celebrated crime writers. His best-known character, Detective Inspector John Rebus, inhabits an Edinburgh that while technically fictional is so vivid and true to life that tourists and Rankin fans visit the city in droves – to patronise the hugely popular Rebus Tours, or just to explore for themselves the literary landmarks set out in a map on Rankin’s own website.

“

The first Rebus novel was published in 1987. The world has changed and so has Edinburgh" That Edinburgh is such a vivid presence in his novels is indicative of Rankin’s desire to use his novels as a way of capturing, but also exploring and investigating modern Scotland. As to the extent to which the setting of Edinburgh drives the story, Rankin says, “I began writing stories and novels about Edinburgh to try to make sense of the place. I was born and raised across the Firth of Forth and only started to get to know the city when I was a student. Edinburgh remains the central character in most of my novels.”

What draws him to the city? “Edinburgh has all the amenities of a city while retaining the feel of a town (or sometimes even a village). It’s relatively easy to navigate, has great bars and restaurants, and a great sense of history.” However, when asked how writing about and researching Edinburgh has shaped the way he now views it, he replied, “The problem I have is that I write crime fiction, and therefore tend to focus on the darker side of life in Edinburgh. It is sometimes hard for me to tell the world what a great city Edinburgh is, because my main characters wouldn’t see it that way.”

So, what drives the author to accurately reflect Edinburgh in such detail?

His novels feature many real places and occasionally people, sometimes slightly fictionalised (his own former band, the Dancing Pigs, is depicted as an international sensation in Black and Blue), and sometimes as a direct reflection of reality (Rebus and the rest of the CID move from St. Leonard’s police station after the real life CID were moved, and the aforementioned Rebus Tours of Edinburgh take attendees to a host of real Edinburgh places which also

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Ian Rankin

IAN RANKIN: "Edinburgh remains the central character in most of my novels." feature in the novels). “I like using real places and events in my books because it helps blur the line between fiction and reality and readers will be persuaded to become more involved in the story,” Rankin says. “On the other hand, I need to get the details right, because it will be very obvious to people who know Edinburgh if I get something wrong!”

Although now known internationally as a respected crime writer, Rankin did not set out to write in this genre.

His first few novels were ‘unintentional’ crime novels, written while he was a postgraduate student and linked to what he was studying at the time. At what point, we asked, did he realise that other people were reading them as something different?

“

I was lucky to go to university at a time when there were no tuition fees" Ian Rankin “I didn’t read crime novels until after I’d started writing them. But I soon came to realise that the detective is a great character if you are interested in

exploring different layers of contemporary society – because the detective has access to all the different strata. Originally I thought of myself as updating Scottish Gothic – that is, taking the themes evident in books such as Jekyll and Hyde or Confessions of a Justified Sinner and using them in the present day.”

His novels, by dint of their subject matter, offer an unforgiving look at Scotland and its criminal underbelly.

Does the fact that professionally he focuses on the seedy and immoral side of the country ever creep into his personal life, making him unintentionally dwell on these traits rather than all of the positive ones?

“Writing crime fiction is a cathartic experience – almost like being in a therapy session,” he replies. “I can channel all my inner demons on to the page. That might explain why most crime writers are actually happy-golucky, well-adjusted people in real life. I don’t go creeping around the night-time streets looking for the grim, the ghoulish and the perverse. I use my imagination instead.”

With his most famous character having achieved such literary fame, it is only natural to wonder how closely Rankin identifies with the hardboiled

cop. Is he his own character, or does the author occasionally project aspects of himself onto Rebus?

“

Writing crime fiction is a cathartic experience – almost like being in a therapy session" Ian Rankin “Inspector Rebus is like me in some ways, unlike me in others. We were born in the same town, but he left school at 15 while I went on to university. He smokes and I never have. He’s older than me, divorced etc. But we drink in the same pub (The Oxford Bar) and like the same music (60s and 70s rock). But he’s more of a loner, more cynical about life in general, and I have the feeling he wouldn’t like me if he met me.”

Despite the impressive achievements he has racked up through his novel writing (Inspector Rebus books account for ten per cent of all crime fiction sold in the UK), Rankin has also recently branched out into other areas of literature, in 2009 publishing a graphic novel. How did he find writing

a graphic novel, and how did the writing process differ to that for a normal novel?

“I wrote a graphic novel (Dark Entries) because I grew up reading almost nothing but comics. I did find it hard work though. Writing the script, I was acting as director, editor, casting director, etc, giving details to the artist about how each frame should look. Writing a novel is much more straightforward, in that you allow the reader to imagine what situations and characters look like.”

As well as writing about Edinburgh and living here, however, Rankin was a student at the University. The author had plenty to say when we asked him what the best part of being a student in Edinburgh was.

“I was lucky to go to university (1978-82) at a time when there were no tuition fees and students were actually paid to attend! I think we got £300 per ten week term. In those days, that was plenty. Edinburgh Uni could not offer me accommodation – they said I should travel from home (30 miles away).

Instead, I found a shared room in a motel on the outskirts of town. After which, I found a room in a flat. Some of the flats were ropey, but we had fun in them. Spent many evenings in Potterrow bar, or attending films put on by the brilliant Film Society (roughly five or six films a week, presented at George Square Theatre). I was in a band in first year and also writing my own poetry and stories, as a result of which I struggled with coursework. I just scraped into the MA course after second year. Yet I have very happy memories from that time. I did a lot of growing up and met my wife as an undergraduate. Unlike Rebus, I’m still married.”

Did he prefer his experience of the city then, or now as an adult resident?

“Of course, now that I’ve made it as a writer and can afford a big house and such like, I’m relieved it all worked out – I never had any career path other than being a writer… and that was not the route to overnight success!”

The author left us with this thought on the evolution of Edinburgh over the course of his long relationship with it and the change in the issues which he addresses in his novels.

“The first Rebus novel was published in 1987. The world has changed and so has Edinburgh (at least outwardly).

With the arrival of the Scottish Parliament my books became more overtly political. And of course these are interesting times for writers and other creative artists: is independence on the horizon? What will it mean to us if it comes?

Everything is potential material.”

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Features 13

Killing in the name of

WHILST INNOCENCE of Muslims is not a film likely to be seen at the local multiplex any time soon, the outrage caused by its content has reverberated globally. Depicting the Prophet Muhammad and his early followers, the film is blasphemous for Muslims and deeply offensive. Since being picked up

by Egyptian TV last week, the Muslim world as been unreservedly voicing its profound displeasure.

The 14 minute trailer is cut from a film that is rumoured to be an hour long. It was shown in its entirety earlier this year in Los Angeles under the title ‘The Innocence of Bin Laden.’

The assertions of the film include: - That the Koran is not the word of god, instead created by Muhammad’s followers as a mixture of versions of the Torah and the New Testament; - That Muhammad and his early followers killed and pillaged; - That Muhammad allowed his followers to rape children; - That quotes from the Koran permit rape; - That Muhammad married an unnamed child at the age of 53, inferring he was a paedophile; - That Muhammad was gay; - That Muhammad was “a murderous thug” and that Allah is an ‘“oppressor” and “unfair”.

The last scene of the film is Muhammad covered in blood after a battle, pronouncing that, “Every nonMuslim is an infidel. Their lands, their women, their children are our spoils.”

Without requiring any subjective stance to be taken, it is fair to say that the film is not a sophisticated affair.

Content aside, it has been clearly made on a small budget, the acting is amateurish, the costumes crass and stereotypical, the editing sloppy.

The ‘facts’ have no grounding, the situations are entirely fabricated, the crude references to rape and paedophilia are so obvious that this film can

have been created purely to offend.

The people behind it (and who they really are remains somewhat in doubt) are responsible for the viciously antiIslamic agenda that runs through the film.

The strong messages in the film are backed with strong comments on the YouTube video, which has had four million views in four days. Siding with the film makers, MrCHINAPOWER 88 says that, “MUSLIM ARE STINKY GOATS F*CKER.KILL THEM ALL REMOVE THEM FROM EARTH.”

“

The actors in the film claim that they were misled and that the most offensive comments were later dubbed over the dialogue they spoke on set."

Fistoffury9000 says that it “will be a wonderful time when we can stop using middle eastern oil, then we can watch their societies collapse into a mass orgy of murder from afar, will be a happy time for me.”

Nomian5 adds that, “All the people involved in making this are sick people.. Freedom of speech?? How Is it freedom of speech to insult and make lies of something you have no knowledge of.??”

The YouTube account that the video has been posted by is in the name of ‘sambacile’ and was linked to a fictitious person. American authorities now claim that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, an Egyptian-born Christian living in California, is behind the film.

The actors in the film claim that they were misled and that the most offensive comments were later dubbed over the dialogue they spoke on set.

Steve Klein, an American right wing extremist, has admitted responsibility for the distribution of the film, but has claimed he does not know who is behind the making of it.

The Danish cartoon controversy in 2005 was another instance where the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds clashed. Although the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published the cartoons with a different rationale, rather than just to directly antagonise Muslims as Innocence of Muslims seems to do, the publication of images depicting the Prophet Muhammad led to wide scale protests and violence.

The Danish flag was burned on the streets around the world, the Danish embassy in Pakistan bombed, many more embassies set on fire and over 100 people reported dead in clashes between police and protesters around the world.

The conflict over Innocence of Muslims claimed its first victims last week when the US Ambassador in Benghazi, Libya, Chris Stevens, was killed along with three other staff in a deliberate rocket attack.

The pictures in Jyllands-Posten accompanied a piece concerning the debate about Islamic censorship and criticism of Islam. Though the outrage over the accompanying cartoons overshadowed the article itself, it is important to remember that the article was trying to address an issue about the Muslim minority in Denmark, not just cause sensationalist offence.

This most recent film, it seems, exists purely to create offence. As even the act of depicting Muhammad is seen as blasphemous to Muslims, the reaction to a 14 minute film where he confirms he is a paedophile, homosexual, and a rapist has been unprecedented.

The difference between the Danish cartoons and the film is the medium they have been produced in. Whether it was wise to publish the cartoons or not, they appeared after going through the usual editorial checks and scrutiny at a legitimate newspaper in a country with a free press. What is notable about Innocence of Muslims is the shift away from the print media to the internet.

Whilst the press can be regulated, the internet simply cannot, and anyone with an anti-Islamic agenda can take to the internet to vent their hate.

That the film is so easily found on YouTube has led to some questioning whether it should be on their site at all.

The sites guidelines state that: “We encourage free speech and defend everyone’s right to express unpopular points of view. But we don’t permit hate speech (speech which attacks or demeans a group based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity).”

It is a moot point because even if YouTube had taken it down, the makers could have found hundreds, if not thousands, of free video hosting sites

to host the film. The advent of the internet has meant that everyone can have a platform, but how this interacts with free speech is an increasingly grey area.

Protests, violence, and outrage do nothing to fan the flames of the yo-yoing discord between Islamic states and the west. The Arab Spring, for all the good it did, has left a power vacuum in some countries accustomed to dictatorial rule, but with scant law enforcement resources to police the country.

Even in countries the west aided in their plight to liberate themselves, anti-west sentiment remains and Innocence of Muslims seems to have lit the touch paper.

“

For a film made on a shoestring budget by a small group of unknowns, it has reached a huge global audience" Similar to the outrage over the cartoons in 2005, the film is being used by politicians and Islamic groups across the Muslim world to rally public support for themselves by decrying the west for this perceived insult to Islam.

People have taken to the streets in Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, Somalia, Pakistan and Turkey to voice their displeasure. For a film made on a shoestring budget by a small group of unknowns, it has reached a huge global audience.

The anti-western sentiment from the Islamic world further fosters antiIslamic sentiment in the west. As shown by some of the bigoted YouTube comments, the misconception is that Islam is atypical in taking offence and this reinforces stereotypes.

Those same YouTube commenters fail to remember the furore over Monty Python’s The Life of Brian, and are similarly close-minded if they think a similar depiction of Jesus, Abraham, Buddha or Vishnu would not lead to a similar outcry.

Just as the debate underlying the Danish cartoons was overshadowed by the pictures themselves, so too is the debate thats comes from Innocence of Muslims. By couching extreme views in a film rather than in a speech or writing, free speech laws face a tough challenge. If the makers of this film wrote their sentiments on placards and picketed mosques, they would surely be arrested for inciting racial hatred, but hidden behind a film, they have a global audience and no repercussions?

There is no doubt that free speech is a vitally important right, though its boundaries have always been hard to define. The internet has led to such global amalgamation that countries’ laws are transcended. New laws to deal with inciting racial hatred are effective against the extremist preaching in the street for one group to kill another, but goading a billion people with deliberately inflammatory material that has led to deaths goes unpunished.

Whilst it may have been unwise to publish the Danish cartoons seven years ago, at least the press can be regulated and journalistic standards upheld. The internet can be seen as the epitome of free speech, but an ethereal global community may need a sheriff more and more if free speech continues to be pushed to breaking point.

Whilst Innocence of Muslims continues to incite riots and violence, the temptation is to look on those people burning American flags as the wrongdoers, instead of those that seek to abuse free speech to create offence that only serves to heighten tensions between Islam and the western world.

. . . whilst the US government hopes vital diplomatic relatons are maintained

FLIKR: CRISTIAN_RH7

OUTRAGE: The film has provoked widespread anger in the Islamic world . . .

HTTP://TIMSCOGITORIUM.COM

Cameron Taylor looks at how one YouTube video has led to global protests and violence

Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

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14 Features

Balancing act

WITH THE start of the new academic year and in the wake of the financial damage inflicted by summer travels and Freshers’ Week festivities, many students will now be beginning the search for that all too elusive part-time job.

According to statistics from the University of Manchester, approximately 50 per cent of students work alongside their studies during term time, in positions as varied as clerical work, hospitality, retail and childcare, to name only the most common.

“

It is hard not to prioritise work as it's a much quicker reward system – instant money – compared to studying" Kirsty, 4th year student For the financially pressed, career savvy or hopelessly restless amongst us, the advantages of part time work may seem obvious. Money – especially the sort which appears in a bank account without the promise of seemingly endless debt – is a clear incentive, and many students have expressed that they simply would struggle to get by without the income they receive from part time work.

The maths is quite simple – a 21 year-

old student working the recommended weekly maximum of fifteen hours would earn in excess of £90.00 per week even on minimum wage. In addition to this, a demonstration of the ability to both hold down and balance a job while studying is a valuable addition to any student’s CV, one which may well increase their employability prospects in the future.

However, many students are rightly concerned by the disadvantages of working whilst at university, most particularly the possibility of it having a detrimental effect on their studies – which, after all, are the reason for coming to university in the first place. The balance between work life and student life can be difficult to achieve. Kirsty, an Edinburgh fourth year who works several shifts each week as a waitress, regularly experiences the challenges of balancing a job and a degree.

She explained that while it helps her to be more disciplined with her time, “it is hard not to prioritise work as it’s a much quicker reward system – instant money – compared to studying”.

She continued, “I just have to try to be sensible – I know that if my grades start to slip or I have no time for a social life then I need to work less.”

Another fourth year student describes how she failed to achieve this balance in her second year, working several long shifts in a retail environment every week. “I was just permanently tired,” she explains. “I desperately needed the

QUINN DOMBROWSKI

Francesca Mitchell advises on the perks and pitfalls of the work-study balance

THE FINE LINE: Students can find juggling work and academia a challenge money, so I couldn’t afford not to work at all, but I definitely took too much on, and I drove myself into the ground. I’m working again this year but on a more flexible basis, as I really don’t want my degree to suffer for it.”

“

Approximately 50 per cent of students work alongside their studies during term time"

It is for this reason, and to prevent students from reaching a state of absolute burnout, that the Careers Service recommends that students work no more than fifteen hours per week during semester time.

In terms of searching for work, especially as a student, it is advisable to look for well-reputed employers, or those previously approved by the Careers Service, for example on SAGE, in order to avoid scams from employers or dodgy hiring practices. Where possible, written contracts should be obtained. It is also worth being aware of minimum

wage (£6.05 per hour for over 21s, and £4.98 for over 18s) and tax laws, since students are not automatically exempt from tax.

That said, one of the most important factors in a student job hunt is most definitely perseverance. Having deliberated over whether to brave the work-study balance, you may find yourself faced with the task of littering Edinburgh with dozens of CVs before you land an interview, but – as many a fellow broke student will agree – it all seems worth it when the extra pennies start rolling in.

Would you like to consolidate all of your existing student media interests into one bitesize package?

Then boy, have we got a deal for you!

Membership of both The Student and FreshAir is only £20 - buy online on the EUSA Website or from any EUSA box office today.

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Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

Dubstep success at Potterrow

EUSA

JACKWOB: Mixing away on the decks.

PITCHFORK

Alasdair Drennan and Daniel Swain discuss the newest and hippest club night in the Edinburgh student unions IN THE past, there have been a series of attempts to launch a midweek club night at Potterrow but none have been particularly successful. Edinburgh already offers a packed schedule of events at clubs across the city every night of the week. Club Together, the latest attempt to open the doors of EUSA’s 1,000 capacity venue during the week seems to have broken the cycle of failed attempts to launch a club night that isn’t the Big Cheese.

Launched last Wednesday, the attraction of Club Together brought more than just freshers to Potterrow – open to everyone, Club Together drew a varied and vibrant crowd.

The night created a Potterrow never seen before. Guests were excited for new vibrant music, there was no ironic dancing to cheesy pop they only enjoyed out of nostalgia. The dance music was absolutely incredible and the crowd were captivated. The night was made even better by the incredibly cheap booze and even cheaper door entry, at a fantastic £0.00.

The night was headlined by Dubstep maestro Jakwob who arrived to much rapture from the crowd and played a

fantastic set which got everyone excited.

Fresh Air DJs then unleashed a flurry of alternative dance hits which kept the party going on until 3 AM. Potterrow was a great space for the event and the only negative point of the evening was that they didn’t have any Malibu.

Club Together is about more than just the club night, it has a redistributive element towards student societies and clubs at the University of Edinburgh. When they send their members to Club Together student organisations receive a significant kickback, EUSA have £15,000 to give away in semester one alone.

The momentum isn't going to peter out any time soon either, though Fresher's week had Jakwob, Week Two of term boasts mash up artists The Cut Up Boys and in November DJ Kisssy Sell Out will be hitting the big stage in Potterrow.

EUSA's huge logistical and financial investment into Club Together absolutely paid off, with the first night being a rip-roaring success. Here's hoping the club night can ride this success into the new academic year.

Are you interested in The Student? Want to have an informal chat with the staff over a drink and see what you could get out of the newspaper?

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JOANNA LISIOVEC

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Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

Lifestyle 17

Brazil in a box

Health and WellBeing

James Lin indulges in a gluten-free twist on the classic crepe

TUPINIQUIM

LAST SPRING, before going on my year abroad, my curiosity was sparked by the Brazilian crepe booth at the top of Middle Meadow Walk, on Forrest Road. While I could hardly associate ‘crepes’ with Brazilian food, it had always appealed as a festival snack – indeed, it is a French delight one usually gets at Edinburgh's German Market during Christmas time.

Soon after, my friend treated me to a savoury crepe from the tiny, green booth and it instantly won my heart, pushing me to pay the place a visit myself.

That little, green police box is called Tupiniquim and is easily camouflaged amongst the lush greenery along the path leading down to the Meadows. Yet, it catches one’s eye instantly with hampers of brightly coloured fresh fruits like bananas and oranges, hanging on the outside.

What else would you expect from a Brazilian place, after all?

As I came up to order the same savoury crepe I had eaten the other day – wonderfully named Marguerita…tata – I was surprised at how easily I could see inside the box, and what a lovely little world it was! There were more interestingly arranged fruits and vegetables, some neatly stringed, others nicely arranged in the cupboard. All the equipment like the sink and blenders are very well maintained, which reassure customers of their good hygiene standards.

Their menu is artistically drawn and displayed on wooden panels. They offer sweet and savoury crepes (a much larger variety than the Nutella and banana I was used to) as well as classic and original smoothie combinatons and freshly pressed juice.

Most items are eccentrically named,

Post-Summer Blues

FERNANDO: Owner and chef of Tupiniquim from Release the Chicken, Juliette & Romeo, Healthy and Funky, Monkey Delight for the crepes; and Nothing Else Matters, Go Mango and Brain Forest for juice.

The Marguerita…tata bursts with generous portions of sun-dried tomatoes, rocket and basil, goat’s cheese, Brazilian nuts and jalapenos.

Fernando, the owner, spreads all the ingredients with grace and care, across a large round crepe base, fold-

ing it, so that it fits perfectly into a curled paper plate. Succulent and rich, the crepe is a refreshing assortment of flavours, without being greasy like most hearty dishes.

Fernando's sunny personality and enthusiasm for talking with customers while preparing their orders is always refreshing. And he is such a musical character that, within the stall, he has hidden a variety of musical instruments. Occasionally, he

entertains his customers with improvised tunes, born from his seemingly innate sense of rhythm. In its own way, Tupiniquim uses simple ingredients to create its own beauty within food.

Edinburgh’s weather always leaves a lot to be desired – so here’s a piece of advice: when you are seeking some warmth in the cruelty of winter, do drop by Tupiniquim. Everything’s going to be alright.

Piquing your Pinterest Anna Brand revamps her flat with the help of some inspiration from the internet

WHETHER OR not you are on the move for the new academic year, a bit of fixing in the old or new flat (an obligatory trip to IKEA is always involved for me), goes hand in hand with buying new pens and promising yourself that you’ll actually finish your English books this term.

If you’re moving, most of the experience is mediocre; packing is boring, cleaning the old flat is disgusting, and the actual move can only be described as sweaty. However, the fun begins when all your things are safely stowed in your new room, and what you lamented as useless crap just a day earlier, now seems to have endless possibilities.

Yet with financial constraints and strict student contracts getting in the way, the possibilities in a student flat are not in fact, endless. But by adopting a similar attitude as Neil from Art Attack - with a little creativity

and PVA glue, pretty good results are possible.

I have recently been introduced to the wonders of Pinterest, a veritable treasure trove of ideas. It is essentially a virtual corkboard, but instead of bookmarking things you find on the internet, you can “pin” them to boards of different categories, displaying them in a visually interesting way. As such, it is a great way of keeping track of and organising everything from recipes, to vacation ideas and, incidentally inspiring decorating tips.

The best part of Pinterest is its feed function. Signing up for Pinterest, you are automatically connected with your Facebook friends, as well as a selection of people who share your interests. Your feed allows you to view the “pins” of these Pinterest connections.

Through the feed, I have stumbled across several DIY projects you can

easily make yourself for relatively little money. For instance, whoever thought of putting fairy lights in a glass jar? It makes your standard lava lamp look pretty boring.

“

Through the feed I have stumbled across several DIY projects you can easily make yourself for relatively little money."

Since signing up for a Pinterest account, I have never known so many things that you could do with toilet paper rolls (mobiles and wall installations among other things, who knew?). I also now know how to make birthday cards that don’t

look like a primary school project, bowls out of Hama beads, a rug out of rags and t-shirts, and space-saving organisational solutions for tiny student flats.

Besides the numerous flat tips, the website is also great for anyone on a tight budget – with ideas for repurposed clothes, furniture, and food recipes with fewer than five ingredients. While some of the projects demand quite a few supplies (also a frustration while watching Art Attack, if I remember correctly), there are many ideas that simply require things you would likely have at home.

All in all, Pinterest is excellent; its only downfall being that it is yet another source of procrastination, but at least it’s productive procrastination.

COMING BACK to university can be a wave of emotions. I had the amazing opportunity of spending my summer in Uganda, and whilst I was sad to leave, it was great to come home to a city full of familiar faces and hopeful prospects for the coming year.

For freshers who have to face the challenge of leaving home and begin a new chapter of their lives, the adjustment can be daunting. For those returning to university the adjustment back to student life is different. There are old friends to catch up with, new flats to move into as well as the plain old excitement of coming back to university.

For me, returning to Edinburgh has felt like returning home and I cannot wait to get started. Yet, a little part of me has a niggling feeling of sadness, which I like to call the post-summer blues. I love Edinburgh, but I haven’t missed the blustery weather and the grey skies. I constantly have to keep reminding myself that I require some sort of warm clothing before I even think of stepping outside, instead of my recent ensemble of leggings, flip-flops, a baggy Tshirt and no make-up. Are there any flights left to Africa?!

I know I can’t possibly be the only one feeling like this, but what can we do about it?

I’ll share a secret with you on this: resolutions are not just for January. Start this year with a significant change or a goal. It can be anything from choosing to run the Meadows Marathon or as simple as making it to your 9 o’clock lecture and actually absorbing what you are being told. For me personally, I want to improve my fitness and join more societies. You don’t have to be a fresher to go to the Freshers' Fair, so, I was there, elbowing my way through the throng to the sign up sheets.

By giving yourself even just one goal to focus on, you will soon forget that you even had the post-summer blues. Instead, you will be able to focus on all that you have achieved over the past few months, such as your impressive gym record or the fact that you haven’t missed a single lecture that semester.

If that doesn’t work, and you have the most severe case of the post-summer blues, then I am afraid there is only one thing to remember… only 98 days until Christmas.

Victoria McCormick

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Tuesday September 18 studentnewspaper.org

Thrifty Flyts of Loathing Alasdair MacLeod steps back into the deeply confusing shoes of Citizen Abel since the engine was designed. When cranked up to full resolution, with all the bells and whistles of anisotropic filtering and antialiasing, it could almost pass for something made in the Source engine.

“

I came away less than impressed..."

I WAS delighted this week to see the release of a follow-up to Blendo Games’ utterly lovely 2008 snoop’em-up, Gravity Bone, in the shape of the interestingly titled Thirty Flights of Loving. The press reaction so far has been incredibly enthusiastic, and so natually, I was expecting great things. Sadly, I came away somewhat less than impressed.

One of the most obviously interesting things about Thirty Flights, like its predecessor, is just how great it looks, despite being run on the decade-and-a-half-old code of the Quake II engine. A quick glance at the graphical setting page makes it clear just how much has been tinkered with, added and replaced

The presentation is immensely appealing, both visually and acoustically, with Chung’s trademark kitschy, 60s, Latin-American aesthetic. The scenery is crisp and well presented, and the characters are expressive, rendered in a blocky, cuboid manner, reminiscent of papercraft models.

As a package, Thirty Flights resembles an unusually elaborate art project, and storywise, it has it all.

Sex! Intrigue! Betrayal! Mystery!

Unfortunately, this does not culminate in an exciting game. Typical of Chung’s close-to-the-chest style, almost nothing is explored in any more than the most superficial of detail.

'Show, don’t tell’ is a worthy mantra to follow, but one has to wonder if it’s being taken too far here.

Sadly, the gameplay does nothing to dispel the overall feeling of an art project. While it has no trouble

standing out from the crowd superficially, Thirty Flights' biggest problem as a game is that it isn't really one.

The only thing that sets it apart from the highly stylised, cell-shaded animation it resembles is that you spend most of the experience with your finger on the ‘w’ key. The constant cuts and non-linear narrative may make for an interesting exercise in storytelling, but there is next to nothing in terms of actual gameplay.

The atmosphere is undeniably fantastic, as usual, but there is no challenge to make it seem worth your time. There is no way to fail that is not a part of the story, and equally no way to avoid the failure that is.

Maybe I just don’t get it, but you’d be hard pressed to say I was approaching Thirty Flights from a position of ignorance. I loved Gravity Bone. I played Flotilla rabidly. I raised my eyebrows questioningly at Atom Zombie Smasher, but gave it the benefit of the doubt.

Perhaps my big mistake was in remembering these predecessors, and approaching this new offering as though it was just another game.

Whether it is worth more or less than its forerunners is largely relative.

The fact that Thirty Flights has been bundled as a double-bill with Gravity Bone adds some additional

Destination: Unknown value to the package, but given that Gravity Bone has been available as a free download for years makes this a questionable improvement at best.

Although patently an art game, your decision eventually has to come down to mathematics. Thirty Flights is priced at £3.99. The average playtime is below fifteen minutes. There is no variation between playthroughs, and thus little fun when it comes to replayability.

As a game, as a piece of entertainment, I can in no way recommend Thirty Flights at this price. As a piece of pseudo-intellectual chin-rubbing

or a meta-textual commentary on the nature of games, it becomes slightly more appealing.

Ultimately, the only real reason I can think of to invest in Thirty Flights of Loving is to invest in Blendo Games itself. Even after this speed bump, I’m still dying to see what Chung comes up with next.

next to no forethought. A quick rub of the brush up and down each string, followed by a similar slide with the provided cloth and you’re ready for business. And the difference is apparent immediately.

wavering in tune.

While I’ll admit I was initially sceptical about buying what looked to be snake-oil, I now struggle to imagine a musical life without it. Give me the holy book of your choice, and I will happily swear as to its efficacy.

At £6.99, this is a fairly expensive product, considering what you get. Essentially, FastFret consists of a brush dipped in mineral oil and a cloth in a fancy little tin. However, the expense is worth it for the results it delivers.

If you play music regularly, if you’re bothered about how often you’re having to replace your strings, or if you just want to improve their tone, you owe it to yourself to give this a try.

Dirty strings? Don’t fret!

Alasdair MacLeod gives his banjo a polish

THE MUSICIANS among you will know the feeling. You’ve just bought a pack of brand new strings. Outwith the old, in with the new, and for a few blessed days everything is grand. All is fresh again, and you feel you have a whole new instrument in your hands.

However, slowly, gradually, barely perceptibly, things start to go wrong

again. The sound begins to go, the strings won’t keep tune and you find yourself clutching your wallet and reluctantly planning another trip to the music shop.

When it comes to the of keeping an instrument in perfect playing trim, regular string replacement is certainly one option. Of course, this is also an option that quickly becomes uneconomical when you take into account the price of strings (especially if you’re picky about brand or play an unusual instrument) and their average lifetime.

However, it doesn’t have to be this way. GHS’s Fast Fret offers up a solution.

Fast Fret’s premise is an attractive alternative - simply to take better care of the strings you already have.

And by God, it works!

For less than the price of a single restringing, Fast Fret promises to increase the longevity of many future sets, and even improve their tone on

a day to day basis.

I play my banjo pretty near every day. I also eat, sleep, work, write and perform any number of other daily activities that leave my hands less than pristine. Any dirt on my hands will eventually rub off on something else and, more often than not, my banjo is a prime recipient.

Dirt finds its way onto the fretboard, increasing friction and making fingerwork trickier. It works its way into the grooves of the strings, dampening tone and generally making your instrument less pleasant than it could, and should be.

Traditional solutions would usually revolve around the application of a polish or spray. Polishes spill, and can easily make more mess than they resolve, while sprays are anything but precise. Other than its most obvious acoustic benefits, Fast Fret’s chief virtue is how easy it is to use.

Residing in a neat little tin, it can be applied in a matter of seconds with

“

The difference is apparent immediately.

From the second the cloth is removed, the strings sound brighter, louder, clearer..."

From the second the cloth is removed, the strings sound brighter, louder, clearer. They even keep pitch better. I often used to spend minutes fiddling with the machineheads, watching as my tuner’s needle swung dismayingly from sharp to flat to sharp again. Now it sits neatly, un-

Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

19 Paid for by the Edinburgh University Students’Association

A message from the EUSA president James McAsh discusses the upcoming student elections Election season is upon us. It feels like no time at all since I was putting up posters, making lecture announcements and knocking on doors – but already we’re here again. By this point I know some people will already be screaming at the page: “our beautiful campus will be sullied by these ugly posters”, “our lectures are going to be interrupted by aspiring politicians talking about their half-baked ideas” and “for two weeks I won’t be able to get away from it all!”

But I’m dead excited. For the first time in three years I won’t be running but I’m still really looking forward to it.

This is because elections are the one time when absolutely everyone is reminded of the beating democratic heart that fills the campus with visions of progress and fairness.

All too often elections can be shallow popularity contests where the winner is the person with the most posters, most Facebook friends, or the most attractive photo. But in my time at Edinburgh I have seen our elections move much further towards being genuine debates between different ideas. And I should

know because I have often been on the losing side. In one election campaign I said that we need a Post Office on campus (we don’t), in another I claimed that as your National Union of Students delegate I could make your drinks cheaper (I couldn’t), and in a third I claimed that a student television station would be of huge help to societies (it wouldn’t). Needless to say, I didn’t do very well in any of those elections.

But when I said that student unions should be democratic and political, and that they should stand up to the government to defend, extend and promote the rights of students, it clearly chimed with a few people. And when I said that education should be free, that the university needs to become less corporate and commercial, and that students should be part of decision-making at all levels, then quite a few people must have agreed because I was duly elected President.

Of course, these debates shouldn’t be confined to election time alone, but it is important that you know who will be speaking for you. In these elections we will decide who represents us to the National Union of Students, so who we

end up with will have a big effect in shaping the national direction of the student movement. We’ll also elect our Trading Committee – the body with democratic oversight of our commercial services: bars, catering, entertainments and shops.

And we’ll vote for a whole host of representatives for our three Councils: Academic, Welfare and External Affairs.

These include a postgraduate place for each school, undergraduate reps for the schools which didn’t fill their places in March, and a reserved place for first years on each of the Councils.

You don’t have to be an elected representative to effect change in the university, community, or wider world. Over Freshers’ Week we launched a campaign to defend international students across the UK, and to demand a fairer deal for international students in Edinburgh.

Amazingly, in just three days we managed to collect over 1,000 signatures on our petition. This was only possible though elected reps and non-elected students working together, and going out and speaking to everyone who would listen.

So if you want to make changes you can get involved in EUSA’s democratic struc-

tures without running in an election first, but if you want a bit more responsibility then the elections are an option too.

Across Europe and the rest of the world there is a worrying decline in democratic accountability. Italy is being run by a government of unelected technocrats, Greece is facing devastating austerity measures despite its people consistently voting against them, and in the USA the explosion of corporate money in campaign finance through the rise of Super PACS is undermining their proud democratic tradition. EUSA’s democracy obviously isn’t on the same scale as these examples but the central question is the same: “Who makes decisions on our behalf, and do we choose them?”.

At EUSA we do choose our representatives, and wherever possible students are directly involved in decision-making, acting on their own behalf. This is an amazing thing. So if you’re interested in effecting change then do get involved.

And if you’re not interested then next time you see a crap-looking poster with a rubbish policy stamped over it, be grateful that there’s an election standing in their way to power.

James McAsh can be found at @eusapres, www.facebook.com/eusapresident and president@eusa.ed.ac.uk Information about EUSA democracy and the upcoming elections can be found at www.eusa.ed.ac.uk/elections

Find us in Potterrow

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LISA LANGE AND REBECCA CHAN

Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

They should be our prime mates

Felix Wiesner describes the beautiful new species of monkey discovered deep in the forests of the Lomami Basin subjected to hunting by their main natural predator, the crowned eagle. The hair on the limbs and the long slender tail is black while the colour on the back ranges from grey to yellow. The facial hair has a blondish colour and it’s this distinct colour pattern that sets them apart from their closest relative, the Hamlyn’s monkey.

“

The male scrotum and buttocks are coloured in what is described as a bright, brilliant and unique blue” The male scrotum and buttocks are coloured in what is described as a bright, brilliant and unique blue, but the most striking feature about this monkey must be the big round yellow eyes that are said to resemble human eyes, and it is these big orbs that lead one to feel an intimate connection with them. Obviously these guenon monkeys are further away from our family tree than chimpanzees or gorillas but nonetheless it is astonishing and encouraging to find this distant relative of ourselves and see it making headlines all over the world.

Finding its way into global awareness, this monkey species also immediately finds

REMBRANDT EYES: This elusive monkey observes its beholder with a hauntingly human gaze itself on the list for endangered species as it is hunted for bush meat and due to its limited habitat range, intensified hunting can have a devastating impact on the entire population in a short time.

In a world where most places seem to have been charted and mapped out, and where the internet holds all the answers readily available at our fingertips, the fact that major discoveries such as this can still

Tuna survival on the line!

THERESE HART

MEET THE Lesula or Cercopithecus lomamiensis if you insist on formal etiquette. It has an adorable, strangely familiar face and a bright blue bottom, so it might come as a surprise that this new monkey species has evaded discovery till now. This hauntingly hominid primate was first discovered by scientists in 2007 but has just recently been classified as a species of its own.

The findings on the Lesula discovery were published in the scientific journal PLoS One last week by John Hart and his colleagues from the Lukuru Wildlife Research Foundation and other various research organisations.

The Lesula’s habitat lies in a remote forest river basin in the Democratic Republic Congo near the Lomami River which is reflected in its scientific name. It is only the second new monkey species to be discovered in Africa for 28 years. They have been known to the locals of the Lomami basin in the Democratic Republic of Congo for quite some time but have only just found their way into scientific classification. The first specimen to be discovered by scientific explorers was kept as a pet by a local school teacher. The discovery subsequently lead to further inquiries about a possible distinct species.

Males range between four and seven kilograms while females are slightly smaller (three to four kilograms). They feed on fruits and plants and can be found on the ground and in the trees where they are

be made should be considered exciting news. It shows that while we are eagerly following the Mars Rover’s search for extraterrestrial life, there is still much to discover and understand on our planet.

Nina Seale explains why students should think twice before restocking their cupboards with cans of John West tuna

NOW THAT everyone has left the comfortable cocoon of their mother’s cooking and a fridge stocked full of groceries again, it is time for freshers and returning students alike to once again start foraging for themselves. I’m not a vegetarian myself, and this is not going to be an article preaching for you to clear your fridge of all meat products, but I would just like to make you consider that buying tuna is the ecological equivalent of putting a can of panda in your Tesco shopping basket.

“

Buying tuna is the ecological equivalent of putting a can of panda in your Tesco shopping basket” Conservation charities such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Greenpeace catch the public’s attention by using the faces of fluffy mammals with big eyes to mournfully stare down the camera and capture the hearts of animal lovers, which is important for persuad-

ing people to choose environmental causes over all the other worthy charities out there, but it skims over many of the other beautiful faces in the animal kingdom which also need a voice.

Tuna? Beautiful? Most people may never have actually seen tuna in any other form than the pink fringes peeking out of paninis and buried in pasta sauces, but actually there is a raw beauty to be seen in fish, as anyone who has ever been diving or snorkelling will be able to attest to. Just because the underwater world is so different from our own, people find the grace and majesty of its underwater inhabitants difficult to identify with and stories of overfishing and plummeting fish populations have much less emotional impact than the lone polar bear perched on a tenuous, melting iceberg.

But tuna actually have a fascinating biological background that easily competes with the adorable faces of Tian Tian and Yang Guang (Edinburgh’s celebrity pandas). Like all members of the tuna family, bluefin tuna are actually warm-blooded. This is more welldeveloped in bluefin than in any other fish, allowing them to hunt in the deep, cold waters of the Arctic. Not only this,

but bluefin tuna are incredible predators that rival great whites in their decimation of the smaller fish populations- a vital role in the ocean ecosystem, especially as their great migrations take them across the Atlantic ocean, affecting fish populations all over the globe.

“

Their hunting strategies add to the dark majesty of these aquatic apex predators” Their hunting strategies add to the dark majesty of these aquatic apex predators, as they work together with dolphins and shearwater seabirds to attack huge swarms of smaller fish. Their prey, fish such as mackerel, unite together to form a whirlpool mass of shimmering silver to defend themselves, a formation scientists have called ‘baitballs’.

The predators that stalk these shadowy swarms join forces to hunt their preydolphins releasing cascades of bubbles to create an elemental net of air around the

mackerel. The bluefin slice through the baitball like knives, splitting their prey into skittish shoals that all the predators can feast on. As they are driven up to the surface, shearwater seabirds chase the baitball from above, breaking the surface to fly through the water and scoop up their share.

Unfortunately, this collaboration between mammal and fish means that one of the most serious consequences of tuna overfishing is bycatches. Even if you disagree with my view on the majesty of these sea kings, you may consider reducing your tuna consumption for the effect it may have on leatherback turtles, sharks, albatrosses and their partners-incrime, dolphins. Tuna have been fished sustainably for thousands of years, but in the last century there has been a 90 per cent decline in tuna populations, causing the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to grant them Endangered Species conservation status alongside tigers, blue whales, snow leopards and giant pandas.

Due to the demand, which is especially high in the Japanese sushi markets, and the lack of awareness, this problem is only getting worse. Professor Barbara Block from Stanford University, a ma-

rine biologist who has spent the greater part of her career researching this species and working for their conservation, said in a TedTalk to spread awareness, “Bluefin are pursued wherever they go. There is a gold rush on Earth and this is a gold rush for tuna. There are traps that fished sustainably up until recently. And yet the type of fishing going on today with pens, with enormous stakes, is really wiping bluefin ecologically off the planet.”

“

There is a gold rush on Earth and this is a gold rush for tuna” Professor Barbara Block

So think of this next time you think of reaching for a can of John West: bluefin tuna can grow up to four metres (about the length of a Land Rover), can live up to twenty years, spend all their lives crossing oceans in epic odysseys, have a vital role in underwater eco-systems and should be treated with the same conservation status as chimpanzees, African penguins and gorillas.

Amazed by atoms? Follow us on twitter @TheStudentPaper or on Facebook at facebook.com/TheStudentNewspaper science@studentnewspaper.org

Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

Science & Environment 21

Is Freshers’ Flu unavoidable for some?

Katerina Gospodinova looks into new research that suggests some people are more likely to succumb to flu viruses than others

“

The combination of sleepless nights, litres of alcohol, junk food, stress and viruses... makes freshers' flu an integral and unavoidable part of most students' first week at university”

But are some people more likely to catch the flu than others? Scientists from the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh and the Welcome Trust Sanger Institute have suggested that a specific gene, called IFITM3, is responsible for some people being more susceptible to the same flu viruses than others. The IFITM3 gene plays an important role in kicking off the immune system defence mechanisms against

patients in Scottish Intensive Care Units scientists found that the proportion of the studied patients with a mutant form of the IFITM3 gene is considerably greater than the previously estimated for the general public. The study findings, combined with parallel conducted research on mice have indicated a strong relationship between the differences in the studied gene and patients’ susceptibility to suffer a

ACHOO! Sam knew pulling three girls in Hive was a mistake many viruses such as the Swine Flu. It produces a special protein that protects cells against viral infections. When the protein is present in sufficient quantities it hinders the spread of the infection in the lungs. However, people with a variant form of the gene produce less or even no protein thus becoming more vulnerable to develop severe diseases. This genetic discovery answers one of the fundamental questions connected to viruses- why some of us are more susceptible to flu and other viral infections than others.

The study of the IFITM3, called the Genetics of Influenza Susceptibility, started in 2009 with the outburst of the swine flu pandemic in Scotland. Dr Kenneth Baillie, a genetic expert of the Roslin Institute at The University of Edinburgh, describes the patients that caught their attention, “During the pandemic it was very unusual for a healthy person to become desperately sick with flu but it did

WILLIAM BRAWLEY

TIREDNESS, HEADACHE, fever, sore throat, coughing - does it sound familiar? These are the symptoms you are statistically still suffering unless you didn’t leave your room during the Freshers’ Week. The combination of sleepless nights, litres of alcohol, junk food, stress and viruses coming from every corner of the globe makes freshers’ flu an integral and unavoidable part of most students’ first week at university. Of course you could try to avoid this unpleasant experience by eating more fruits and vegetables, controlling your drinking or going to bed before midnight. Unfortunately, as students, these steps prove to be impossible, making the flu as inevitable as the Hive.

“

This is the first observation that a particular gene leads to susceptibility to flu”

SCIENCE IMAGES OF THE WEEK

IBM RESEARCHERS have used atomic force microscopy to produce images that show individual bonds between atoms.

Dr Kenneth Baillie

more severe bout of viral infection.

As Abraham Brass, a doctor at Mashappen to some people. It was a mystery sachusetts General Hospital in Boston why it affected those people so severely and a participant in the study, has pointed when most people were hardly affected out the findings can be used in several at all. ways. First, the “strongly suggested” role of the IFITM3 gene in flu susceptibility A specific gene, can be of a great importance for medicine as it allows patients to be screened called IFITM3, is and the most susceptible among them to be flagged for priority vaccination and responsible for some preventative treatment during future flu people being more epidemics. Second, it can play a crucial in the development of new vaccines susceptible to the same role and medicines. “Our research is imporflu viruses than others.” tant for people who have this variant as we predict their immune defences could be weakened to some virus infections.

Ultimately as we learn more about the "This research explains a fraction of genetics of susceptibility to viruses, then why those individuals were so susceptible. people can take informed precautions, Infectious diseases are themselves genetic. such as vaccination to prevent infection.”, This is the first observation that a particusaid Paul Kellam, a study leader in the lar gene leads to susceptibility to flu.”

Sanger Institute, Cambridge.

By analysing DNA samples from 60

“

NASA’s Opportunity rover has brought images of rocky outcrops scientists are calling ‘Martian blueberries’.

Decoding the debris in DNA

EVER SINCE Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA in 1959, scientists around the world have probed deep into helices of this molecule to evaluate its significance and functions.

After years of research, we now know it to be much more than a string of nucleic acids – it is a code, which dictates the manufacture of other molecules in our body, like proteins.

So how does DNA code for proteins?

A DNA strand is made up of an alphabet of four letters that stand for nucleotide bases – A, C, T and G – arranged in groups of three called codons. Each triplet codon stands for one of the twenty amino acids in the human body, and these are translated to make a chain of amino acids that bond together to create the 3D structure of a protein.

A decade ago, prevailing wisdom attested that of the three billion nucleotide base pair human genome, only about three per cent of the DNA sequences actually coded for functional proteins, while the remaining 97 per cent had no apparent purpose, and might as well be called ‘junk DNA’.

Recently, thirty one research papers published by the ENCODE (Encyclopedia of DNA Elements) project have confirmed that 2.94 per cent of the human genome is indeed protein-coding DNA; however, the remaining 97.06 per cent is not as futile as it was once thought to be.

Roughly 78 per cent of this ‘junk DNA’ in fact serves an important function – regulating how the remaining coding regions are turned on, turned off, expressed, repressed, processed and modified to yield the protein products that sustain life.

In cells, DNA is transcribed into an intermediate message, RNA, which is then translated to yield a protein. The findings suggest that 62 per cent of one’s DNA can be transcribed to RNA at some point, while only 1.8 per cent of these RNA transcripts are further translated to proteins. As per the ENCODE hypothesis, a majority of the remaining un-transcribed DNA sequences and un-translated RNAs act as facilitators/inhibitors to regulate the process of creating proteins, like switches.

The implications of this discovery are

numerous and varied. For one thing, it changes the way biologists perceive the human genome. We are more akin to a computer programme than we could have imagined, because we conform to the standard formula: 3 per cent of actual input/output, and 80% of logic.

“

2.94 per cent of the human genome is indeed protein-coding DNA; however, the remaining 97.06 per cent is not as futile as it was once thought to be" For another, it sheds considerable light on the origins of malfunctions within the system (which leads to disease). According to Stanford University biologist Michael Snyder, “Most of the changes that affect disease don’t lie in

the [coding] genes themselves; they lie in the switches.” For instance, a number of DNA sequences that are relevant to Crohn’s disease – an inflammation of the digestive tract – are not associated with any particular protein-making gene, but with the genetic switches surrounding the gene.

Impressive as the scope of the ENCODE project is, our cartographic quest is far from complete. Only 6 of the 147 cell types looked at the project were studied in the magnitude of detail that today’s technology allows, while the remaining await closer inspection. Further, the project has focussed on cells from a single individual. It will be interesting to see how liver cells of one individual differ from those of another (particularly when one individual is healthy and the other is not).

Moreover, what will be more fascinating still is how the liver cells of a human differ from, say, the liver cells of a chimpanzee.

Perhaps we will make headway on one of the enigmas that has confounded the greatest scholars for centuries – what is it that makes us humans so different from all other species?

These floating drops are being suspended in mid-air by an acoustic levitator that aligns sound waves to cancel out gravity on light objects such as water droplets.

IMAGES: IBM, NASA, DAN HARRIS/COURTESY ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY

Is there such a thing as 'junk' DNA? Maithili Mehta investigates the purpose of non-coding DNA

Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

editors@studentnewspaper.org

22 Crossword & Horoscopes

Jungle Jeremy is a

H

CRYPTIC CLUES

Oliver ninnis

C

OS R O

S

E OP

Dual Crossword No. 15 BY PICUS

ACROSS 5 Heavy boot and mallet suppress ex pression of doubt (6-7) 8 Grand Universal Master’s no flower - you can swear by it (3) 9 Wolf-spider in centre of gulag track- ing sailor and soldier (9) 10 Popular tipple (at first) has half of Rome opening bars (5) 11 Gangsters come to agreement about disastrous raid (7) 14 Scramble modification of CERN’s “unknown variable” exercise (7) 16 Brood on a raga’s opening, with this as accompaniment ? (5) 18 Money drives scruffy master away from the bank (9) 20 Wee Benjamin - one of the Munros?

(3) 21 Colourful characters put in time for important occasions (3-6, 4)

seasoned ostrich rider, pictured here upon his reliable avian steed, Clarence. Throughout the mid nineties, their work in the world of fortune-telling was largely unnoticed. But in 1999, the pair got their big break, touring many of the smaller community halls in the East Midlands before being ostracized to the basement of Pleasance Theatre.

Don’t put your head in the sand when you hear this pair’s predictions.

Aries

Saturn will smile at you this week and possibly even give you a cheeky wink.

You will know he is smiling because he will send his earthy messengers (the SnapFax men) to shout ‘SnapFax, get your SnapFax’ in your face, tempting you to pay good money for magnetically bound adverts. Oh Saturn, what are you like?

Taurus

This week, Antony Worrall Thompson will force himself into your house and try and sell you his version of the George Foreman grill. George will be seriously angry. As he is both lean and mean, fat beardy Thompson’s grilling machine just won’t stand a chance.

(The non-stick plates of the George Foreman are in a different league to those of the AWT Breville Health Grill).

Gemini

Mars is angry and that means one thing: Absolutely nothing.

Cancer

Libra

Still buzzing from the ‘Summer of Sport,’ you decide to take up underwater basket weaving. You head to the pool only to find the submarine cross stitch crew have beaten you to it.

Nothing angers you more than aquatic counted-thread embroidery. Standing by the pool you taunt: ‘your evenweave aida cloth is no match for my unspun vegetable fibre!’ So catchy is the chant, that the lane swimmers join in hounding the cross stitchers out of the pool.

Bed shortages in Pollock lead to you sharing a bunk bed with 48 other freshers in a local Travelodge. That’ll be £9,000 a year please.

Sagittarius

This week as EUSA president you announce a U-turn in your policy and decide that what the union needs is LESS student involvement. Those pesky students keep getting up in you moosh.

Capricorn

In preparation for the upcoming Edinburgh winter, you invest heavily in the duvet market. A sharp fall in Egyptian cotton leaves you blanketed in debt - both figuratively and literally, with a cumulative total of 1300 tog.

Leo

Aquarius

Virgo

A cloudy week lies ahead for Virgo.

Unfortunately, we ran out of furniture polish to clean our crystal ball so it may just be dust.

ACROSS 5 Heavy boot (6-7) 8 Glue (3) 9 Large spider (9) 10 Opening section of song (5) 11 Jamaican gangsters (7) 14 To set in cipher (7) 16 Indian stringed instrument (5) 18 In the centre of the river (9) 20 Scottish mountain (3) 21 Important dates (3-6, 4)

Scorpio

This week you return to university to find that photos of your largely topless holiday festoon the front page of The Journal. You are understandably outraged. You’d hoped for The Student.

This week you find the Higgs boson in your wooly hat.

CONCISE CLUES (same answers)

Things have got a bit dull since Barry left. You tried defecating in your friend’s sink to liven things up, but they just got quite angry. Give Barry a call.

Pisces

In another exciting horoscope for Pisces this week... (to be continued)

DOWN 1 Anchorite (6) 2 The fifth deadly sin (8) 3 Rotate (4) 4 Field, region (4) 5 Slinky West Indian dance (7) 6 Where bankrupts end up (5, 6) 7 Maiden of Paradise (5) 12 Herb (of remembrance) (8) 13 Diminishes (7) 15 Already set in cipher (5) 17 Indian percussion instruments (6) 18 Evangelist (4) 19 River of N E England (4)

Solutions to Dual Crossword No. 14 ACROSS 1 BACCHANALIA “ Back an al- ien” less final n 7 SPECTRAL [ clear sp(o) t ]* 8 TYPO Pyot (r)* 9 LISP is in LP 10 NITROGEN Gen (eral) after intro* 12 SMITES S + Times* 13 NAPKIN kin after nap 15 OFF AND ON 2 definitions 17 SLOB Bols (hoi) (rev) 18 LIMB contained Well I’m blowed 19 RIPCORDS rip + cords (trousers) 20 EUROFIGHTER fighter after Euro

DOWN 1 BAPTISM OF FIRE baptism + Off. + ire 2 COCKPIT cock (of hay) + pit 3 HARDNOSED nose in [ hard D (deus) ] 4 NIL lin(e) (rev) 5 LOTTO Lot + t + o (Genesis Ch11) 6 APPLE PIE ORDER (Leo ripped pear)* 11 TUNING PEG [nut (rev) + Peg] round gin* 14 PASS OUT ass in pout 16 AMBER bream* 19 RAF far (rev)

Last week we said that Crossword clues come in 2 varieties, Definition and Cryptic, and that Cryptic clues, as well as giving a definition of the answer word, provide you with “extra information”.

Today we’ll look at why that extra material was felt to be necessary and (in general terms only) what it’s there for.

We had a Definition clue. BIG (5) : possible answer LARGE. However it could just as easily be GREAT (or JUMBO : my dictionary has 16 five-letter synonyms for “big”). So you can’t be sure about LARGE until you solve an interlocking clue that confirms one of its

letters - and two interlocking clues would be better.

This is the big drawback of Definition crosswords. You often can’t put anything in the grid until you’ve solved several clues that interlock. In fact you can’t be really certain until you get the last answer and it fits.

So quite soon, mainly in England, people started to look for ways round this problem and (often by using tricks that already existed in earlier word-games such as Charades and Crambo) they gradually developed a range of ways to provide clues which contained a defini-

A bit about cryptic clues

DOWN 1 Henry’s first mitre breaks - he’s no joiner! (6) 2 Blair supports excess. It’s a sin (8) 3 Start the act (4) 4 Region about to attempt sobri- ety? (4) 5 Describe Guinevere! “Not quite a nun” is just part of it (7) 6 English stray on Crete is rehoused.

Millionaire’s Row it ain’t! (5, 6) 7 Heavenly maiden, one Horus endlessly hassled (5) 12 Herb calls for a girl (or two) (8) 13 Trick cyclist sitting on pole, gets smaller (7) 15 Edward hides under fish in dis guise (5) 17 Indian drums made of rabbit’s tail and split balsa (6) 18 A target to take note of (4) 19 Provocative girl overheard in the river (4)

The Chambers Dictionary (2008) is recommended.

Comments, questions, complaints etc can reach the compiler via the editors.

* = anagram of the preceding material (rev) = reverse the preceding material tion but also had some extra material as a cross-check.

This was crucial, because it enabled the solver to reach the same answer by a different route, thus providing internal confirmation of the answer without the need to solve any of the interlocking clues.

This becomes clearer after looking at a few examples. But that will have to wait till next week - when we’ll also make a start on how that “extra material” is used to make different types of Cryptic clue.

rEVIEWs COMMISSION #2: EMMA Platais

Congratulations to Emma Platais for winning our Freshers’ Week Photography Competition Competition was fierce but Emma’s great photo taken looking down Bruntsfield Place towards Edinburgh Castle stood out as the best of the entrants.

Thanks to everyone who entered, if you’re interested in taking more photos for The Student then email: photos@studentnewspaper.org

Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

HOLLY JAMESON

Follow us on twitter @TheStudentPaper or on Facebook at facebook.com/TheStudentNewspaper culture@studentnewspaper.org

Nothing remains to be seen Troy Holmes wonders whether Carolee Schneemann is losing her touch at her exhibition Remains To Be Seen Summerhall 'til 27 Sept

 powerful and well known artist, Carolee Schneemann has been challenging gender, art and sexual norms since before most of us were born. An incredible influence on feminist performance art since the 1960s, Schneemann has explored female sexuality, sexism, the body and visual taboos in her 50 year career as an artist.

Unfortunately, if you were not aware of her significant past works, it is unlikely that you would see much of her artistic prowess from the selection of works offered at Summerhall. The exhibition is tucked away in a separate building, which in itself is an insult to such an artist. Perhaps the intention was to move away from previous work and start afresh, but the exhibition doesn’t feel new enough to achieve that goal.

The viewer is introduced to the works with an installation in an ordinary looking room, full of light. Torn images of naked women in sexual poses, canoodling snakes, are scattered on the floor. These pieces of paper are piled in an angry and spontaneous mess in a way that is both immature and boring.

TRILOGY OF HORRORS Bedlam Theatre Run Ended



I

often find my attention wandering during monologues, so my expectations for Bedlam’s production ‘Trilogy of Horrors’ - comprising of three of them - were not particularly high.

I confess myself pleasantly surprised.

Three excellent choices of speeches: Edgar Allen Poe’s "The Tell Tale Heart", Charles Dickens’ "The Signal Man" and Mary Shelley’s "The Mortal Immortal", adapted by John Rushton, Robin Hellier, and Robbie Birchall, explore the Victorian fascination with industrial progression, mortality and science.

Joe McArdle gave a good performance as William in "The Tell Tale Heart", the lodger who kills his landlord and buries his dismembered corpse under the floorboards.

McArdle was vocally excellent, with his shift from faltering tenant to calculating killer three-quarters of the way through being particularly

MAKING A MESS OF IT: Carolee Schneemann creates new art from old at her Summerhall exhibition

CAROLEE SCHNEEMANN AT SUMMERHALL

A

This doesn’t feel like anything different or particularly challenging.

The exhibition moves into another room where images of the artist nude with humorous accessories and poses

are framed and neatly lined up. This is an obvious contrast with the chaos of the previous piece. The last three pieces are separate video installations, the first of which, "Devour", explores sexuality,

consumption and sound. There is some great experimentation with slowed down and sped up sound but otherwise the film is too fragmented to keep the attention of the viewer.

compelling. At times, however, his gestures seemed a little rigid, which detracted from his otherwise strong portrayal.

created a well-rounded piece which was a pleasure to watch.

The strongest aspect of all three performances was the use of direct address. The actors worked hard to engage their audience, creating an evening of ghostly Victorian storytelling.

The first thing you notice is the thoroughness with which Roth goes about his diary-keeping. Not only has he systematically preserved every thought that has popped into his head for thirty years, he has also gathered all of these in hand-bound copybooks.

This obsessive need for documentation is taken to a new level with the installation "Flat Waste", in which Roth systematically collected a year’s worth of his rubbish in 623 ring binders.

“

The balance of humour, horror and the preoccupation with mortality created a well-rounded piece which was a pleasure to watch."

The second monologue opened beautifully, smoke pouring on to the stage obscuring all but the face of the narrator, Imogen Brabant, illuminated by her lamp. Brabant seemed to suit the role perfectly; her timid, almost breathless delivery created the ghostly atmosphere her story portrayed.

"The Mortal Immortal", starring Connor Jones, tells the story of an alchemist cursed with eternal life from drinking his teacher’s elixir.

Jones plays a convincing 179 yearold, a feat very few are capable of.

The balance of humour, horror and the preoccupation with mortality

Keara Cornell

DIETER ROTH DIARIES Fruitmarket Gallery 'til 14 Oct



O

ver several decades, Dieter Roth produced a vast body of work including text, drawings, sculptures, installations and films. The Fruitmarket Gallery’s current exhibition grants a rare opportunity to see an otherwise unexplored area of his work.

The exhibition consists of Roth’s diaries, his hand-produced copybooks and two large-scale installations, "Flat Waste" and "Solo Scenes". By using a diary format, the distinction between art and life is erased and the viewer is left with an unpretentious and honest description of the life of the artist.

OTHERS

“

"Solo Scenes" shows Roth during the last year of his life and is fantastically honest, depicting Roth going about the action of everyday life."

However, the real treat is saved for last. "Solo Scenes", a massive installation made out of 128 monitors, shows images Roth filmed of himself during the last year of his life. It is fantastically honest, depicting Roth going about the actions of everyday life: getting out of bed, eating, working, sitting on the toilet. This is the last

"Infinity Kisses" is a slide photo sequence depicting the sensual relationship between the artist and her cat; this is accompanied by the sound of slow and deep purrs. Each image shows a moment where the artist kisses her cat, drawing comparisons between feline and female sexuality.

"Precarious" is the piece that saves the exhibition. This newer offering doesn’t rely so heavily on knowledge of Schneemann’s past work and takes her ideas in a new direction. This installation consists of a sensory experience, with several projected videos moving around the walls of the room. Included in the mess of dark colour and movement are silhouettes of heads and bodies. Your own silhouette from the back projection blends seamlessly into the piece, binding you to the obscured narrative of movement and sound.

Unfortunately, although "Precarious" fixes some of the damage from the previous pieces, it cannot erase the memory of what can only be described as a desperate attempt to shock the viewer. Those days are over for contemporary art and hopefully Schneemann will move onto greener pastures that grow out of her famous works rather than simply recycling them.

Troy Holmes

project that Roth completed before he died and in a somewhat morbid way it is interesting to see how his condition deteriorates as the year passes. This video diary rather brutally portrays the reality of old age which shows a sharp yet interesting contrast to the modern phenomenon of video blogging.

“

This video diary rather brutally portrays the reality of old age which shows a sharp yet interesting contrast to the modern phenomenon of video blogging" This is an exhibition which requires that you take your time and fully dedicate yourself to the many details that Roth presents you with.

By doing so you will in turn gain an insight into the skill and dedication of this brave and successful artist.

Lene Korseberg

Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

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Culture 25

STAR RATING Send in the clowns Big top marks Pie harder A bit of a joke

Honking

We be body moving

ROYGBIV

This week's cultural spectrum

Maria Kheyfets admires the elevated human form at Figure Studies and Slow Dancing Summerhall 'til 27th September

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I LIKE THE WAY YOU MOVE: Michalek's figures contorting

A LABOUR OF LOVE AND SHAME Bedlam Theatre Run Ended

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A

s the cast of four cavort across the stage, speaking only in grunts and squeaks and wearing the obligatory red noses, I wonder why I am supposed to find this amusing. Admittedly, it does have a certain charm and the food fight with the audience made us crack a smile (but then again food fights are always funny). However, a lot of it is targeted to appeal only to the under fives. Certain

DAVID MICHALEK

M

segments, like eating Coco Pops with a knife and fork, go on for too long and while there’s pleasure in watching the devil-may-care mess that is created, it felt too hammed up.

“

The show comes across as a combination of sketches and ongoing plot."

The show comes across as a combination of sketches and ongoing plot.

Alongside the references to old-school clowning (even including tripping over

ichalek’s hypnotising creation Figure Studies and Slow Dancing consists of a triptych of large, incredibly high resolution video panels projected simultaneously in a pitch black room. Each panel depicts naked models that vary in every physical aspect apart from the luminous quality of their skin and the exceptionally elaborate nature of their movements captured through Michalek’s use of a high-speed camera to slow down motion, stretching five seconds into nearly ten minutes.

Michalek’s new models noticeably differ from the exclusively professional dancers shown in last year’s exhibition, Slow Dancing. This year’s installation features more variety including a joyfully dancing couple, a concentrated athlete balancing himself on a rope and a highly tattooed amputee performing minimalistic movements expressing her feelings of loss and misplacement.

My personal favourite was a segment featuring a woman pouring buckets of water over her head while standing in a small metal bathtub. In infinitely slow motion and extraordinarily high detail, the thousands of water droplets seemed to momentarily freeze in the air, resembling a starry sky against a black banana skins), there is a sweet love story being performed.

“

The ongoing situation comedy helps A Labour of Love and Shame to escape its predictability."

The wittiest moments appeared here, including a scene in which a potential suitor turns up at a girl’s house and pretends to be a succession of household objects so that she won’t notice him.

Key to these sections is the performers’ ability to convey their emotions through

background before their gradual descent back into the tub, their sparkling

“

The exhibition still features graceful ballerinas performing elaborate sequences, which are particularly effective in slow motion." movement just like shooting stars.

The exhibition still features graceful ballerinas performing elaborate sequences which are particularly effective in slow motion because it allows us to observe each contracting muscle and nuance of movement. Michalek truly seems to focus on demonstrating the diversity of human form. It therefore seems very appropriate that he gathered his models in New York City, a melting pot of every imaginable ethnicity.

Another new feature of this project is that Michalek’s figures appear unclothed. Nudity is made to appear natural and the human body is glorified. Michalek counterbalances the fragile beauty of his models with the grandiose intensity of their movements demonstrating a powerfully inspirational vision of humankind. their malleable faces. The ongoing situation comedy helps A Labour of Love and Shame to escape its predictability; unfortunately knowing the punchline before you hear the joke takes away the fun.

The ending does, however, have a comic twist: the actors leap into the audience and pretend to be part of it, applauding wildly and then leaving loudly dismissing the production. This is particularly striking as it is the first time we have heard their voices. In spite of its entertaining moments, A Labour of Love and Shame doesn’t add up to an entertaining whole.

Amelia Sanders

THE POETRY DOCTOR with Isabella Flanders This week: honours woes, getting down to business and conquering procrastination

When I was a girl, one of the most exciting parts of going back to school was my new, pristine pencil case. That pencil case embodied all of my hopes and ambitions for the new year. But very soon it would become tatty, worn and full of pencil sharpenings, just like my work ethic. No matter how much you glorify the idea of working now, it probably won’t last.

It is far better to focus on de-glorifying procrastination, that demon which

takes over from good intentions. Procrastination is much worse than working in the end. A great example of the sheer “mind chewing/ brain burping” banality of doing nothing is Lemn Sissay’s poem “Going Places”. His point is that after procrastinating all night, you become convinced that you are not in fact going places. (Sissay’s solution to this, while maybe not popular with his landlord, is, I think, very imaginative.) The depression which results from procrastination is more painful than just doing the assignment.

Yet the power of poetry is that it can help you recapture lost inspiration. When you do manage to keep your attention on it for long enough, studying actually does make you feel like you’re going places, whether it be

new heights of intellectual ecstasy, or simply keeping unemployment at bay.

You just need a nice inspiring poem to read every time you sit down at your desk: “Say Not the Struggle Nought Availeth” by Arthur Clough. He emphasises that, in battle, the initial hope can be replaced by uncertainty and frustration. Yet persevere! For persistence and small advances will bring eventual triumph: “In front, the sun climbs slow, how slowly,/ But westward, look, the land is bright.”

Got a problem? We can cure you! All problems will be treated confidentially.

And ever so seriously. Email us at poetrydoctor@studentnewspaper.org.

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Look oot for...

The Last Tram, presenting paintings based on Edinburgh's ill-fated tram network, is running at the Doubtfire Gallery in New Town.

The Phantom of The Opera begins its run at the Playhouse on the 20th. As the official touring production, this will bring a slice of the West End to Edinburgh theatre.

CARA HOLSGROVE

Dear Poetry Doctor, I’m going into my honours year and I really want to work this time. I know I always say that, but this time I actually mean it. Do you have any advice that will help me to keep my nose to the grindstone?

No More Noise ast Friday, The Guardian’s weekly round up of the theatre blogosphere, Noises Off, breathed its last and disappeared. Five years ago the paper started up the weekly summary to stretch out a peace offering to the reams of emerging online theatre coverage; until that point the two might well have been separated by an electric fence made of rabid dogs.

Bloggers were figures isolated from experience, knowledge or other people. Indeed these elements still exist after all, I’m a blogger and most of the communicating I do with others is through the written word. Meanwhile mainstream media are comparatively elitist in their coverage, focusing on stage news that is current rather than interesting.

Noises Off, however, did something special; it trudged through the blogger mire and the theatre sites to find the gems churned out by the web.

After five years of surfing, The Guardian is hanging up its keyboard.

It’s a sad moment: the number of brilliant websites it propelled into the mainstream, the number of excellent things that were discussed that might not have touched national coverage and the amount of stuff I learnt from it are enough to cement its legacy.

However, there is a silver lining to this rather drab cloud. The reason for Noises Off ending is not the usual fare: the money hasn’t dried up; the writers haven’t left; The Guardian hasn’t decided that the internet contains too much idiocy. Quite the opposite in fact: the column is ending because there is simply too much stuff happening in the theatre blogosphere for one article a week to do it justice. Online media are covering more and more; brilliant stories and interviews that never would have taken place otherwise appear on Exeunt Magazine and stunning, far reaching writing appears on Andrew Haydon’s Postcards From The Gods. In five years, online theatre coverage has changed for the better, with more groups of people editing and publishing to the web and brilliant bloggers breaking new ground every day; it’s just a shame that one of the best weekly posts has to go as a result: such is the price of progress.

Goodbye Noises Off, your voice will be missed.

Thom Louis

Edinburgh Uni's Cry Baby Comedy are putting on an interactive film screening of Airplane! at the Cameo cinema on the 22nd.

Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

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A tale of two festivals

THE405, FLIKR

Kate Walker travels the length and breadth of the country seeking festival perfection.

READING FESTIVAL: Headbangers of the world unite for Reading Festival secret that no matter where Istudyt’syou’renoor hang from or where you live, around, there is always a music festival dominating the summer months somewhere close by. This summer, leaving Newcastle’s preteen dominated Evolution Festival, I travelled to the opposite ends of the UK, returning first to Reading Festival and then experiencing the highlands of Scotland for the first time at picturesque RockNess.

Yet even within the secluded bubble that is a festival, there is a true paradox between the north and south - the north is truly isolated so that it feels like living another way of life for a few days, while the south immerses a whole city with ease.

THE KILLERS RUNAWAY ISLAND

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unaways is the first single to be taken from The Killers’ fourth album Battle Born, which is due to be released on 18th September. This, their first release in 4 years, is a return to familiar territory for the band. Written during the Day & Age tour in 2009, the song didn’t fit with their sound at that time as it sees The Killers look back to their peak and incorporate elements of their incredibly successful debut, Hot Fuss and follow up, Sam’s Town.

“Runaways” is a big and bold tribute to American rock, with the most obvious elements being the Springsteen-

Even in June, the weekend of RockNess proved to be a cold one. Despite several layers and several drinks, you still find yourself fighting to the front of the main stage just to find the warmth of the crowd. Still the festival draws a decidedly friendlier crowd than Reading, with a real family-orientated feel, as the entire population of Inverness and nearby towns appeared to attend.

This is a clear reflection of the strict policy of a one-time only alcohol entry.

As far as festivals go, RockNess proves itself more than a beginner.

Artists of epic proportions such as Biffy Clyro, Ed Sheeran and Mumford & Sons pound the main stages launching sound waves that travel though esque lyrics of the chorus and the story itself. Brandon Flowers’ vocals are spot on, perfectly conveying the story of the two young lovers. The only thing missing from the track is rawness, as the track has been polished and sugar coated but honestly, that’s just their sound.

“

A big and bold tribute to American rock."

Going by experience, they’ve chosen another anthem as the lead single to introduce their upcoming album. Definitely a treat for fans of The Killers in their heyday.

Rebecca O'Doherty

the highlands for miles. In the valley of Loch Ness, RockNess certainly has the originality factor over the south of England, with the main feature of Reading being a canal in the form of the River Thames.

However, the fabulously delusional world of the ‘booze-cruise’ that is Reading Festival can only be outshone by the sheer energy of the crowds which continues far beyond when the music is playing and into the neverending campsites of the south. With rock Gods and possibly the moment of the summer coming from The Foo Fighters and Green Day’s not-so-secret performance on the Saturday and Sunday, Reading’s more international and youthful aura creates an atmo-

THE XX COEXIST YOUNG TURKS

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he second album from The XX offers immediate yet captivating songs that are somehow able to surround the listener while using so little.

In short, it is what The XX does best.

The opening track “Angels” is immediately recognisable as classic XX. A solo from singer Romy Madley Croft, her voice is drenched in heartache yet remains light as a feather. Her sighs of “Love, love, love” indicate a theme throughout the album of devotion in the face of losing a lover. Each track hears emotion sear through Croft’s delicate voice as it duels with fellow vocalist Oliver Sim’s while the basic

sphere above and beyond the field you find yourself stood in.

Indeed, only at Reading could a Geordie Linguist begin speaking with that certain Southern twang. With just about everyone sounding the same to my ears in a linguistic-overload, that conversation between tents that was not actually with your campmates but in fact with the camp next door can only happen at Reading Festival. You find yourself camping with strangers you’ve only met once or twice but acting like a family, whereas in the north, they kept themselves to themselves.

However, if toilets and hygiene were anything to go by, RockNess would win with ease. Having experienced the horror of what can only be described melodies reverberate and hold the listener in the atmosphere they create.

Simple as their melodies are, The XX have a magic ability to never sound sparse, instead allowing the breaks in their compositions to poignantly draw attention to the silence which haunts just as much as the music.

While this second helping of their trademark simplistic-yet-atmospheric style still works like a charm, this adherence to their sound shows a reluctance to take anything more than a baby-step forward. There is evidence of progress on Coexist, but only in the form of one or two extra melodic layers, or upping the melodic complexity by a millimetre, which does not break the band out of their box. It remains to be seen just how much further The XX can go before they work their ideas to the bone, and minimalism becomes

as ‘troughs’ for toilets, RockNess’s far from luxury portable loos comparatively seemed an oasis.

Despite being as uncivilised as they come, Reading’s dedication to music at its finest and its legendary status has the edge over the north, with historic memories made year upon year. Attending Reading almost feels like a rite of passage; raving into the small hours in the silent disco three nights in a row, running with a crowd of thousands on a Saturday morning to see Green Day after three nights of drinking - still drunk but oddly hung-over - are once in a lifetime experiences and Reading is full of them. Discounting Leeds Festival, there is truly nothing like it in the UK. plain boring.

It takes a keen ear to spot the advances the band has made from their debut masterpiece XX. Listen closely, and you can hear a new electro influence in those extra layers, in particular the opening riff in “Try” and the chord progression in “Chained.” The band has also upped the complexity of their drumbeats, creating a tighter, more driven sound. For the moment, this is enough to satisfy a fan and enchant someone just discovering this pioneering band. At less than 40 minutes long, Coexist will certainly leave listeners begging for more, but it will take another album to discover if The XX have more than one trick up their sleeve.

Lisa Gilroy

Follow us on twitter @EdStudentMusic or on Facebook at facebook.com/TheStudentNewspaper music.studentnewspaper@gmail.com

Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

Music 27

STAR RATING Bestival  Good-ival Average-ival Bad-ival Romford County Fair

BESTIVAL ISLE OF WIGHT 6th - 9th SEPTEMBER

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of Notting hill to the Isle of Wight.

Bearing up with the hardships of camping couldn’t be made easier by the decadent spread of eateries that simply triumphs over most home-cooking and your average dining experience. Sampling freshly caught lobster and crab on chips has to be a highlight on par with some of the music. You could even listen to Friendly Fires DJ whilst you queued for a Chicken Katsu curry at the Wagamama Lounge. Then there’s the staple Bestival performance from the one and only Mr. Motivator, lifting the spirits for the early risers the morning after the night before.

Getting away from the blasting tents and truly embracing the wild was no fantasy with the wonderful Ambient Forest. There you could lose yourself for hours in the weaving paths and giant web like hammocks strewn across the woodland. The Amphitheatre venue nestled into the heights of the forest provided something different in poetry and film, with the Nomad Cinema’s open air projector. However, despite the setting, the screening of Drive, and The Chemical Brothers’ Don’t Think didn’t stop people going absolutely berserk against the subdued backdrop.

Choice can be a tricky thing though when there’s a never-ending possibility

of things to do and see. Where in the world might you see 2manydjs, Jamie XX and Maya Jane Coles all playing in the same hour? Then there was the Annie Mac Presents stage, The Numbers Showcase and the Dirty Birds Showcase, all in the space of two days, leaving the Bollywood tent dripping from the rafters and fully acclimatised to East Asia. However, the best bits between all of that might very well have been the spontaneous madness; entering the grid as you battle it out in neon lights in Ping Tron table tennis, strapping on skates for the roller disco to Bruce Springsteen and Scissor Sisters’ records, and dancing to Julio Bashmore’s ‘mysteriously swashbuckling house music’ against the setting sun.

This is a festival that ticks all the boxes, from budding hacienda ravers to bourgeois glampers, Mr and Mrs Rob da Bank pull out all the stops to guarantee non-stop excitement from the word go, right up until the final fireworks crackle in the Sunday night sky. Let it be known, this is no money spinner, only pure euphoric fun.

GALLOWS

GALLOWS VENN RECORDS

 allows’ third album marks someG thing of a triumphant comeback for the English punk quintet, after be-

ing infamously dropped from their previous label and the departure of vocalist Frank Carter due to the age old line of ‘creative differences’. With new vocalist Wade MacNeil Gallows sound stronger than ever; indeed opening track “Victim Culture”, with its menacing intro and chorus refrain of “in us, we trust” is a declaration of defiance.

Musically the album is much what fans have come to expect from Gallows, with raw power and riffs aplenty.

The simple and effective production of Sears and Mitchener allows ever beat of the drum, rumble from the bass and crunch from the guitars sound crystal clear without coming across as squeaky clean. This is hardcore after all.

The biggest departure comes from the change in vocalist. While some fans may prefer or miss Carter’s trademark snarl, MacNeil’s guttural vocals blend perfectly with the rest of the band’s style, which is some feat considering he’s only been with the band since August 2011. This is particularly evident on lead single “Last June”, with Wade’s ranting growl in the first verse giving way to gang-style chanting during the chorus.

In fact this gang vocal provides one of the many highlights of Gallows, giving most of the tracks a sing-along quality, which elevates tracks such as the Black Flag-esque “Vapid Adolescent Blues” from purely hardcore punk songs to an almost anthemic status. If truth be told some of the choruses on this album are so huge that it’s easy to imagine them reverberating around stadia nationwide, as distinctly ‘unpunk’ as that would be.

Gallows is a truly sublime punk album and should go down as one of the greatest hard rock, if not simply greatest, releases of 2012.

Kieran Johnson

Joshua Angrave

BESTIVAL PR

t’s difficult to know where to begin when discussing one’s reasons for going to Bestival. Sure, the calibre of its line-up speaks volumes, but that isn’t even half of the magic that goes into the experience and memories taken from Mr and Mrs Rob da Bank’s curated masterpiece. It’s no secret either that in putting on such an insane annual event, the Banks admit they rarely break even in the process. Such is their determination to create a sublime hedonistic journey for all that will stick in the memory long after those post summer blues.

The weekend’s scorching sunshine ensured that summer isn’t over until Bestival says so. There were bear hugs for everyone on the opening night with Raf Daddy and Joe Goddard in their 2 Bears outfit. Raf singing over their productions made a strong start to the bill, helped also by their set’s dropping of “The Bomb” by The Bucketheads. The Big Top tent didn’t stop bouncing from then on, with live performances in the early hours from Hot Chip, and then

the fantastic Inner City, before Detroit Techno originator Kevin Saunderson took to the decks.

If anything, the biggest hurdle to face was time keeping, with such a wealth of artistic talent continuously on show each and every hour of the day from 11pm-5am. The choice was nigh on limitless, with must see acts on the main stage ranging from Sigur Ros to The XX, who, enveloped in darkness and billows of smoke sent shivers to their audience through the night. Once in a lifetime performances by living legend Stevie Wonder and the outstanding New Order, who together, unlike some of the old codgers wheeled out at the Olympics, were still utterly breath-taking twenty plus years on.

Festival firsts surround the Bestival brand, none more so probably than the weekend’s thematic orientation, in which this year saw Bestival 2012 enter the wilderness. All manner of earthly life sprung out as thousands took to fancy dress on the Saturday, from Japanese Kigus to meticulously handmade creations, including a shoal of jellyfish, a quasi-Transformer robo-reptile, and several Gold Pandas. A Noah’s Ark carnival parade even descended into the arena, complete with a police rave unit and riot van, bringing a refreshing twist

AMELIA LILY

YOU BRING ME JOY SONY MUSIC

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BUBBLY FOXES: Festival-goers return to their youth with fancy dress and bubbles

BESTIVAL PR

melia Lily would like to be Lady A Gaga. Amelia Lily is not Lady Gaga. Amelia Lily is a blonde teenager

who finished third on The X Factor: she is Lady WhoWho. Her debut single ‘You Bring Me Joy’ takes familiar Gagaisms; bad-girl beat, middle eight vocal gymnastics and faux-epic lyrics “Baby, we were built to break/and this lifes a little more than we can take” in a brazen bid to bolster her claim as the British equivlaent of the “Little Monsters” overlord.

Unfortunately, in her tedious pastiche of the pop world’s current matriach, Lily neglects honesty for needless melodrama, delivering a moribund melody of meaningless fistpump, that sounds as authentic as a PoundShop whoopee cushion and deflates with as much gusto: parping into thin air before shrivelling to a pathetic conclusion and leaving the embarassing smell of nothingness behind.

Jack Murray

ROCK ROCK

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Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

Film 29 PARANORMAN DIRECTED BY CHRIS BUTLER AND SAM FELL 

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irected by Chris Butler and Sam Fell, ParaNorman is a beautiful stop-motion animated comedy about a boy who talks to the dead (and undead) and tries to save his town from a vengeful curse.

Visually, ParaNorman looks fantastic. From the very beginning, the film-makers' attention to detail fills the audience with the sense of reassurance that one associates with the likes of Pixar; you know you’re in good hands.

The characters, voiced by stars such as Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Anna Kendrick and Bernard Hill, have a familiarity about them, aided by excellent dialogue that at times sounds almost improvised. It’s hard not to feel for Norman, bullied and humiliated for his conversing with the dead.

One scene, near the beginning of the film, features Norman chatting to the talkative ghosts on his street. This is handled in such a fantastically vibrant and exciting way it’s hard not to become engrossed. In fact, the first fifteen minutes of the film are near perfect.

ParaNorman doesn’t feel like it is aimed directly at children, but nor does it throw cheeky winks of innuendo to the parents either. With some slightly

daring lines, it doesn’t have that executive-board-meeting whiff that so many animated films struggle with these days. It feels like it’s been made for its own purposes and with all of the care and enthusiasm that it deserves.

“

It's hard not to feel for Norman, bullied and humiliated for his conversing with the dead" Furthermore, the film is not afraid to dabble in the creepy and macabre. It handles the themes of death, revenge and fear in a way that will captivate young audiences without scaring them off – or boring them for that matter.

Commendable for a children's movie, it doesn’t treat its target audience as though they are stupid.

The 3D, however, added nothing extraordinary. The film is strong enough on its own and is probably just as fun in 2D. Unfortunately, the film does lag in the middle and the story swerves about a bit towards the end. For the very young, ParaNorman is probably too long and a bit too scary, but older children and adults alike will enjoy it as a sweet and well-crafted family film.

Sarah Rundell

TO ROME WITH LOVE DIRECTED BY WOODY ALLEN 

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ometimes it is very difficult to be a Woody Allen fan. After enchanting us with remarkable films throughout the 1970s and 80s, the most recent phase of Allen’s career has disappointed fans far more than it has thrilled them. However, just when we are about resign ourselves to the idea that the bespectacled maestro’s magic is truly gone, Allen presents us with a gem like last year’s Midnight in Paris and we find ourselves falling hopelessly in love again. How sad it is to find that this rekindled love is not to last, for the sloppy To Rome With Love quickly kills any dreams one might have of a late career renaissance for Allen.

Allen’s film features four unconnected stories set in Rome. We have the story of two young honeymooners; the surreal tale of an average Joe who wakes up to find that he is a celebrity, and the tale of a retired opera-director (played

by Allen himself ) who discovers that his future in-law has a talent for opera singing.

Finally, the most effective story is that of architect Jack ( Jesse Eisenberg) who embarks on an ill-conceived affair with the conceited Monica (Ellen Page). Throughout this affair Jack is

presented with advice from John (Alec Baldwin) who materialises in scenes to act as Jack’s conscious.

The film’s main flaw is its lack of structure - there are far too many threads to follow. The odd mix of tones, from the farcical nature of the honeymooners tale to the more pensive feel of Jack and Monica’s story, leaves the film feeling terribly uneven.

The success of Midnight in Paris came down to the fact that Allen had one strong concept that he carried confidently throughout the film. In To Rome With Love, however, Allen hasn’t been brave enough to fully develop any one idea or plot, and we therefore find ourselves unable to invest emotionally in any of the stories or characters.

A further problem with the film is its setting. When Allen films his native New York he does so with aplomb and creativity, allowing the audience to really understand the city. In contrast, Allen looks at Rome with a tourist’s eye. This leaves the film feeling rather superficial, as though we are simply looking through someone’s holiday snaps.

The tale of Jack and Monica stops the film from being a complete flop.

Alec Baldwin is very funny as Jack’s conscious and he is gifted with some classic lines which remind us that Allen's wit still exists - even if it is rather well hidden throughout this particular picture.

Sally Pugh

HOPE SPRINGS DIRECTED BY DAVID FRANKEL 

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t first glance, Hope Springs has all the trappings of a cringe-enducing romantic comedy that is slightly past its sell-by date: indeed, what Hollywood year is complete without a little bit of middle-aged, middleclass marital discomfort. However, when you have heavyweights like Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones starring, it’s difficult not to be a little tempted.

“

Vanessa Taylor’s plot is not extraordinary. That said, what the cast and crew have made of it is something quite beautiful; it’s moving and sarcastic at the same time, entirely humorous without being officious. What’s more, there is a real emotional connection that develops between the characters and the audience - so much so that at points, one cannot help but become entangled in their relationship too.

Streep never lets an audience down, and Jones is a veritable film titan. However, on this occasion, it is Steve Carell that is most impressive.

The sometime patron of tom-foolery and goofy comedy, Carell slips expertly into the role of the silent third party; orchestrator of the plot,

BARRY WETCHER, COLUMBIA PICTURES-SONY

There is a real emotional connection that develops between the characters and the audience" AWKWARD: Tommy Lee and Meryl wonder who stole their duvet his narrative influence is both unforgettable and undemanding. Just as the unobtrusive Dr. Feld is practical and almost prop-like in this script, Kay (Streep) and Arnold ( Jones) are dynamic. The contrast is sensational - our attention is absorbed totally by the ordinary couple in the throes of marital discontent, and a level of pathos with the characters is achieved.

The cinematography does everything to enhance the subtle brilliance of the acting. Screen shots such as the two protagonists having just awoken evoke a sense of subtle wonder that the two have lost in their

marriage. These shots are climactic, always building on that which comes before. The soundtrack also provides

“

The soundtrack provides inoffensive interludes of musical emotion, transporting us to bliss and back again" inoffensive interludes of musical emotion, adding to the blissful atmosphere. of the film's setting.

Hope Springs is what it says on the tin – a romantic comedy that confronts you with the real facts about hope. Challenging and nail-biting, it’s a superb film for a winter's afternoon.

Alexandra Gushurst-Moore

ALL FILMS WERE REVIEWED AT CINEWORLD

The Cult Column

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ost films we like because they are good. It may seem like an inane statement but whatever the genre, whatever the content, whatever kind of fan you are, you hope that there is something positive in the films you watch, right? However, there are certain films that are so terrible, so absolutely putrid in every way, that they have to go do down as cult classics. These films are so bad they can make you cry with laughter, so awkward they make you squirm in your seat and so terribly made that you can’t help but sit there stunned - and boy are they fun to watch.

The most famous of these is of course The Room: the magnum opus of one Tommy Wiseau.

This trainwreck, which Wiseau directed, starred in, wrote and produced, is an absolute howler.

Set in San Francisco, as the film keeps reminding us with its endless establishing shots, we meet Johnny - an everyman seeking a promotion and failing to keep his girlfriend Lisa, who eventually tears him apart, happy. I can assure you whatever you have seen in the past, this is worse - watching rocks is better than watching The Room. However, if you can make it to a midnight showing, this is an electric experience: people interact with the characters, throw spoons at the screen and even attempt to strangle each other to get involved in the action.

Similar things can be said of Birdemic: Shock and Terror. This broken Hitchcockian nightmare directed, produced and written by James Nguyen is an absolute treat.

Using sprites to make birds that spit acid and explode appear on screen was probably not the best idea. Combine this with some of the most wooden dialogue ever written and pretty loose morals with regard to global warming and you have one of the worst films ever made.

Last but not least, a special mention must go to Lou Ferrigno in Hercules. This film isn’t so much of a spin on the Greek myth as a total destruction of it. Hercules (we’re good so far) battles Minos (okay...) the wizard (what?) who controls space robots(...). There is also a brilliant moment when Herc throws a bear into space it’s probably worth watching just for that.

So why watch these films?

They’re utterly terrible and they’ll take away two hours of your life.

However, I can assure you there isn’t a comedy film on Earth that can beat these in terms of drunken entertainment value. You can sit back, laugh and enjoy the fact that somebody paid to make these disasters. I am always on the lookout for the next terrible cult classic: I hear excellent things about this month’s Branded.

Thom Louis

Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

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STAR RATING

 Watch immediately Pretty good It'll do Passable Complete rubbish

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ectures are often a wheeze and a drag; multi-syllabic torrents of clever clogs babble that quash spirit and kill creativity, condemning a crowd of listeners to a numbed ennui. Soak, soak, soak. We are the sponge people.

Last week, the Annual Television Lecture (in association with BAFTA) was delivered by writer, producer, director and comedy mogul Armando Ianucci (The Thick Of It, I’m Alan Partridge). In majestic style, Ianucci went some way to reversing the idea of the lecture as that dragging rant of selfsatisfaction with a spirited talk that took in the British television landscape and revealed it to be as healthy and wholesome as ever: as long as we fight for it.

The reason that this lecture mattered and didn’t dribble out as an overlong acceptance speech, as so many celebrity ‘talks’ do, was because Ianucci approached it as an invitation to the audience, as an opportunity to establish the ground rules of television and then offer up the challenge to listeners to, in his words, “Make Good Programmes.”

Touching on the inherent intimacy of television, its familial qualities and whilst also encouraging Britain to be as arrogant and aggressive as possible when selling its bold content in an international market, Ianucci revealed a passionate and perhaps not surprising political motive. Television must be daring and challenging, it should hold political decisions to account, break taboo, be crude and dangerous, and try to broadly consider both the failings and triumphs of this beguiling, modern era.

That much is obvious. But, he argues, it can only happen properly if the appropriate amount of pressure is placed on politicians, television executives and members of the press to allow the fervent creative spirit of British writers and directors to flourish.

Ianucci’s idealistic view of British television’s potential predicts and promotes a healthy and competitive industry in which our TV would become a badge of honour and a cultural marker and not just a background noise. It would, if fully realised, mean that as more people download, stream and watch The Killing on trains, or Boardwalk Empire in bed, that British TV would demand a similar position in the upper-echelons of a global television market.

The wheels are already in motion.

Downton Abbey is an international success; Doctor Who adored in America but only with a concerted effort here at home will the promise of Ianucci be achieved. Writers must be fearless, executives ballsy and us square-eyed viewers must champion the vigour and vibrancy of a nation who cherish an electric box and it’s bulging possibility, in the same way the French do for fashion or the Italian’s food.

Let’s make Britain the home of television.

Jack Murray

There is a lot more still to come

As summer comes to an end, Hannah Clapham-Clark guides you through what’s on this autumn

HBO

MAKE GOOD PROGRAMMES

LENA DUNHAM: The new face of happy relationships

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he summer of dancing horses and Mobots may have come to an end but do not fear, television is back to its brilliant best this autumn with shows that might even make you forget your new found passion for the shot put. So, as the leaves turn to brown, and we all start having mini-breakdowns with deadlines looming, at least we can run to the little screen for an hour of escapism.

Sky is set to continue its run of dominance this autumn with a selection of interesting dramas and a collection of

well known faces. In particular, Playhouse Presents ...A Young Doctor’s Notebook is greatly anticipated for its two leads. The ever dashing Jon Hamm plays an older doctor engaging in comical exchanges with his younger self, Daniel Radcliffe in a four-part adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s short stories set in the Russian revolution.

Not as recognisable, yet, is writer and actor Lena Dunham whose engagement with young love and the troubled of being independent is set to skyrocket

DEAD GOOD JOB

yet strict service which often works with a Mafia-esque efficiency - four hours after expiration being their personal best.

Between this customary haste and the public mosque multi-funerals that send them off, individuality and celebration are not priorities for grieving Muslims. Everyone is buried, every corpse wears the same white sheet, every grave is identical.

Unfortunately, the emphasis on speed and anonymity leaves very little room to get to know the participants, leaving the viewer feeling very detached from the Islamic process and, therefore, very familiar with the Anglican one which allows the viewer to get to know the ones left behind.

The show also points towards our ever growing secular society which leaves a bit of wiggle room to step back, criticise and edit the traditional blueprint to something more fitting for an individual. Enter Paul Sinclair, a former church minister who specialises in biker funerals, where the coffin rides in a sidecar at the head of an uber-manly procession of hairy, beleathered mourners.

Aesthetically, Paul is the meeting of a pitbull and a pudding, but philosophically he is far more inspirational.

For him, a funeral has to be meaningful and unique. If you can achieve that, then it’s a good funeral, he chirps, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. And it sort of is.

So, because of Paul, I’ve decided to become a funeral director. Now all I need is a niche. How about eulogies written in the style of Charlie Brooker?

No, that sounds awful...

Angus Sharpe

BBC2 Wednesdays, 9pm

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W

e fourth year students are a slightly terrified bunch, bound together by the common fear of one thing: employment, or lack thereof. For us, a brief encounter with any industry draws the same superficial musing from our far too open minds: I wonder if I could do that?

Now obviously because I’m here, writing this particular page, I’m desperate to be A.A. Gill or Charlie Brooker.

That being said, I’m very happy to explore other options. Nowhere near the front of the queue, however, is funeral directing. I mean, no right-minded 22 year old wants to be a funeral director, surely?

Wrong. Meet Simon Lillywhite, current Managing Director of the Lillywhite Funeral Service dynasty who, in his heart of hearts, has always known that funeral directing was for him. Weird, right? Admittedly, he does polish his work shoes at least twice a day, but he, and his team, deliver a conventional Anglican funeral service with relentless care and professionalism.

To be fair, so does everyone featured in Dead Good Job, BBC’s new threepart documentary which pokes around the world of British funerals. In an industry where everyone seems so utterly likable, the real battle is fought between tradition and novelty.

The show’s particularly fascinating insights are found in observing businesses such as Haji Taslim Funerals in East London, who provide a chaotic

her past the likes of Tina Fey and Kristen Wiig. In October we finally get to see her show Girls. Set in New York, it follows the lives of four refreshingly ordinary twenty-somethings trying to cling on to some dignity. Beware, Sex and the City this is not. It is a frighteningly intelligent, realistic and brace look at the awkwardness of relationships, the sadness of friendships that go awry, and pursuing the guy you know might not be good for you.

It is a testament to Benedict Cumberbatch’s craggy charisma that he has become one of televisions most loved Sherlocks. But, America has tried to do one better with our very own Johnny Lee Miller taking the lead. This October you can catch Elementary, another modern interpretation but this time set in New York with Lucy Liu (yes, a woman!) as the trusty Watson. Can it work?

One show that is sticking to its tried and tested formula is Red Dwarf, making its return on Dave later this year. Creating a distinct impression in the 90s, this weird (and for some, wonderful) science fiction juggernaut is back, but whether it can recreate its trademark quirkiness is

LILYHAMMER BBC4 Tuesday, 10pm



F

rank “The Fixer” Tagliano (Steven Van Zandt) is a thoroughly New Yoik mobster. There is a shooting in his bar. He snitches information to the FBI, and in return is granted a new identity, a new life and a fresh start in ...

Norway, Lillehammer to be precise.

He swaps big time shoot outs and a life of power for a seemingly serene and obscure existence in a town that hasn’t seen excitement since 1994.

Remembering it looked nice on TV when they had the Olympics, Frank now has to negotiate the tricky terrain, swapping sartorial swagger for a pair of Moon Boots and donning a permanently bemused face when faced with the unfamiliar language.

It’s an odd match to say the least, and one which acts as a catalyst for situations and characters that we haven’t seen before - a truly original culture clash that provides laughs with an unusual charm.

He’s certainly not in Kansas any more. With the move comes a shift in his enemies, transforming from the Mafia to that bloody annoying wolf that is roaming the town and the totalitarian manager at the local Job Centre.

All sounds tame in the land of snow but even in such foreign lands, old habits rear their head. Some light bribery, the occasional use of blackmail, and an ever present ‘you scratch my back’ mentality keeps him firmly rooted in his East Coast ways.

another question.

Next up is the BBC which is attempting to maintain its run of steady dramas with Ripper Street. Crammed with familiar faces, including Matthew Macfadyen and Jerome Flynn, it follows the aftermath of the Ripper murders in 19th Century East End London. This looks to be a truly dark and chilling interpretation with a bit chunk of epic thrown in for good measure.

Finally, it’s the big one, the show that left us confused, bewildered and begging for more. Homeland is back. A show that could have been annoyingly unrealistic or stupidly implausible, instead grabbed its audience by the throat and caused us all to think intelligently about what we were watching. It sets to test our capacity for our anxiety even further this time around with Brody hitting the podium and tackling the political sphere. Where does his loyalty lie? Will Carrie be heard?

Who do we trust?

If none of that tickles your televisionary tastebuds then yes, there is always I’m a Celebrity...

He is the new ‘cool guy’ in town, the man everyone wants to hang around with, and he quickly garners the attention of the town’s unemployed who want to be a part of his effortless cool and American allure. He couldn’t care less if he shoots a wolf in the head and

“

He's certainly not in Kansas anymore.

With the move comes a shift in his enemies, transforming them from the Mafia to that bloody annoying wolf that is roaming the town." why would he? We assume he has done much worse.

Making his mark most notably as Tony Soprano’s right hand man in The Sopranos, Van Zandt is in familiar territory here, with his characteristic nonchalant demeanor, and wise guy remarks that made him a stand out character in the show still proving effective here.

Becoming the protagonist definitely suits him, as he makes a subtle and dignified performance look all too easy. The twitch of his eye or a shrug of his shoulders can say far more than his words. As a result, the show has its own identity. It is a genuine pleasure to watch a character with such potential find his feet in this very odd, and very different, adventure.

Hannah Clapham-Clark

Sport fan? Write for us! sport@studentnewspaper.org

Tuesday September 18 2012 studentnewspaper.org

Sport 31

Hillsborough’s long legacy

Injury Time

“THE POLICE see us as a mass entity, fuelled by drink and a single-minded resolve to wreak havoc by destroying property and attacking one another with murderous intent.The implication is that ‘normal’ people need to be protected from the football fan. But we are normal people.”

So reads the editorial written in the immediate aftermath of the Hillsborough disaster in the football magazine When Saturday Comes. At long last, this week saw the release of all documents relating to the horrifying scenes of April 15th 1989 when 96 football fans descended on Hillsborough, hoping to experience the magic of the FA Cup, but never made it home again. The report finally exonerates all the fans from any blame, and sheds light on one of the worst cover-ups in British history.

Rightly, the campaign now turns from the search for the truth to the search for justice, as the magnificent Hillsborough Support Group and all those who supported its aim to bring the members of the South Yorkshire Police who so catastrophically failed their citizens to account.

As the remarkable WSC editorial alludes to, however, it is imperative to ensure that the net is cast far, far wider than the South Yorkshire Police. Their actions were despicable, but only possible due to a venomous culture that demonised all working class fans as hooligans and thugs. It was this environment that fuelled a fire of lies, from the Sun’s ghastly ‘The Truth’ article to the apparent Prime Minister-in-waiting Boris Johnson blaming drunken-

TRUTH: The report that sheds light on the Hillsborough disaster ness for the disaster as recent as 2003.

It has been a perennial source of shock and discomfort that of the 96 who died, only 14 ever made it to hospital.

Questions have consistently surfaced about why ambulances never made it onto the pitch, and now they have been answered. The police claimed this was because the Liverpool fans, facing unspeakable panic in the Leppings Lane end, were rioting. We now know most were trying to save lives. One man was attempting to resuscitate his daughter, sucking the vomit from her throat as life slipped from her. He would later say that the taste would not leave him for six months.

The next day, The Sun ran a story, fed by the police and a prominent conservative MP (now a Knight of the realm) that fans were stealing from the dead

FLICKR: URBANSOUP

Phil Smith argues it is time to eradicate negative stereotypes of football fans

and beating up the brave policeman trying to help. Clearly, the difference between their ‘truth’ and the real truth could not be starker.

One of the most important questions that arises from this scandal is why it has taken so long to come to light. MP’s gasped during the PM’s report that 116 witness statements were doctored, and that children as young as 10 had blood tests taken and criminal checks carried out to try and sully their deceased names.

Yet, it is really quite easy to see why people believed the rubbish they were fed by the authorities. Put simply, they wanted to believe it. Football fans of the 1980’s were loathed, and no one had any hesitation in placing the blame at the feet of the fans. Kelvin Mackenzie, then editor of The Sun, made no

attempt to ascertain the accuracy of the false stories relating to fan behaviour passed to him. Hillsborough was indeed a national disgrace on every level: health and safety, mass police failings, but above all else, society’s refusal to examine the detail and search for the truth.

There was, undoubtedly, a wave of unsavoury scenes in football grounds across the country in the game’s darkest decade. On the whole, however, the majority suffered due to the actions of a minority. The police present that fateful day were drilled by society to battle the “enemy within” the Leppings Lane End, as the supposedly blameless Margaret Thatcher labelled working class football fans. The problem was that many of these ‘enemies’ were teenagers, children, and parents who had come to watch their heroes play football. Across the country, they were penned in behind steel fences, treated like criminals at best and cattle at worst.

Hillsborough should have been the moment when their side of the story was heard, when false perceptions were smashed and the working class football fans reclaimed their beautiful game from the authorities determined to take it away. Yet these perceptions last to this very day, seen in the continuous slurs relating to Hillsborough from establishment figures. It is time for the negative stereotype of the football fan to end. As the WSC editorial says, “We are normal people.” For too long, the 96 and their beloved walked alone, now we must all make sure we stand with them.

And he’s only gone and done it!

Britain's first Grand Slam winner in 76 years can expect much future success, says Chris Waugh to go on and win his maiden Grand Slam title after winning Olympic gold at London 2012, getting revenge on Roger Federer for his Wimbledon final defeat. The confidence Murray took from beating Federer so comfortably on the same surface on which he had been so cruelly dispatched just weeks before, was crucial to his success in New York. Victory over the two players who had previously beaten him in his four major final losses told him that he could win against them on the big occasion. Crucially, they proved he had nothing to fear.

“

Both Murray and Lendl know that the Scot's victory at the U.S. Open is not the end of the road, but merely the beginning" This change in mentality has largely been credited to his coach, former Grand Slam winner Ivan Lendl. Since Lendl began his work with Murray at the beginning of the year, the Scotsman has had a magnificent run in the major championships. A narrow defeat in an epic five-setter in the semi-final of the Australian Open was followed by the Wimbledon final and winning an

TALK OF THE TOWN: Murray gets used to life as a champion Olympic Gold. Now he adds an elusive Grand Slam title to his substantial list of achievements.

Lendl’s influence here is undoubted.

During his career he competed in an astonishing 19 Grand Slam singles finals, winning eight of them, and his will to win has clearly filtered through to his protégé.

Many comparisons have been made between player and coach, and the similarities between the two are clear to see.

Both appear brooding, making them reluctant heroes in the public’s eyes, but this must surely be put down to their unerring desire to win. Both achieved their first Grand Slam victory at the

NEWSWHIP

THE SUMMER of 2012 will forever be remembered in Britain as the most glorious three months in this island’s sporting history.

The Olympics and Paralympics on home soil looked destined to prevent any other sport from claiming a space on the front and back pages of the newspapers this summer. However, the breaking of two of the longest hoodoos to have cursed British sport has meant that was not the case. A British winner of the Tour de France, cycling’s most demanding and prestigious race, was found in Bradley Wiggins, who became our first winner of the tournament in its 99 year history. And now, following a heroic five hour match at Flushing Meadows in New York, Andy Murray has become our first post-war Grand Slam tennis champion.

The Scot’s triumph over Novak Djokovic at the US Open last week concluded a summer that had began with heartache for the British number one, after he battled his way into the men’s singles final at Wimbledon, the first time a British man had reached this stage at SW19 since the great Fred Perry in 1936, only to be beaten by the majestic Roger Federer. It was fitting, then, that the summer ended with the Scotsman winning this nation’s first grand slam title since Perry’s US Open of 76 years ago.

Murray gained the confidence

fifth attempt, losing the previous four finals. But perhaps most importantly, both men know that Murray’s victory at the US Open final is not the end of the road, but merely the beginning.

Andy Murray is now finally a Grand Slam champion, yet he longs to be remembered as a multiple Grand Slam champion and as the world number one – something he could achieve by the turn of the year. After finally getting over the finish line at a major tournament, he can now play free of the burden of doubt that he perhaps is not quite good enough.

All that remains to be seen now is how many more titles will follow.

TAKES A WRY LOOK AT THE WORLD OF SPORT

Guest Blog: Andrew F lintoff

GETTING PROPER excited about this boxing lark.

First had the idea when I beat Vaughany and Straussy on one of them punch-bag machines in Yates’s in 2006. Yeah I know Vaughany’s just a big Yorkshire poof and Straussy’s more brain than brawn (he reads books and stuff ). Beat Belly, Monty, Swanny, Cooky and Jimmy as well.

Really started to think about it seriously though when I went back with Beefy for a few pints the night before the game and almost beat him as well.

So when I finished the cricket I thought “don’t mind if I dingdang-do”. Some 40-odd-yearold Kazakh is still world champion so should be a piece of piss.

Anyway you get loads of them Paralympians changing sports and that, like swimmers becoming cyclists or whatever, so can’t be that hard.

Dunno who my first fight’s gonna be against yet. Promoter Barry McGuigan says it won’t be anyone dead good straight away though. Audley someone I think he said, just to break me in gently like.

Papers and that are already laughing away, bringing up all the ‘bad’ stuff like when I were hungover at net-practise when captaining England and being rescued by a coastguard when drunk in charge of a pedalo.

Never were big on the training when I were playing cricket so think this suits me better. Already heavy enough for the top division so should be a doddle.

TV cameras are coming in to film the whole thing so fingers crossed it’ ll keep my media career going even if it doesn’t go so well. Strictly? Coronation Street? That Kazakh bloke’s even running for parliament. Winner winner chicken dinner.

Cause for a celebration I reckon – vindaloo-eating competition and pints all round.

Andrew Flintoff ’s heavyweight boxing debut is set to take place at the MEN Arena in Manchester on November 30th, subject to the British Boxing Board of Control granting a license. His opponent is yet to be conf irmed. Likely contenders are James Cordon, Ann Widdecombe or the King of Tonga.

Davie Heaton

Sport

Tuesday September 18 2012

studentnewspaper.org

The truth is hard to swallow

Phil Smith dissects the shocking findings of the Hillsborough Independent Panel report 31

Riding on the crest of a wave

GOLD RUSH: David Smith (left) won gold for Scotland and GB

CHAMPION: Neil Fachie

LOTTIE VOKLER

THESE ARE heady days for the pioneers of disability sport. The impact of the London 2012 Paralympic Games this summer has undoubtedly been far greater than even the most optimistic organiser could have hoped for. Previously viewed as something of an afterthought to the main event, this summer has seen radical shifts take place in terms of how Paralympic sport is accepted, celebrated and marketed.

It has been a particularly exhilarating summer for the staff at Scottish Disability Sport (S.D.S.), the Edinburgh-based organisation that aims to increase participation and improve the performance levels of athletes with physical, sensory or learning disabilities based north of the border.

“It was all just absolutely brilliant” the organisation’s Chief Executive Officer Gavin MacLeod tells The Student. “The public reception towards the Games has

BILLY DRAPER

Piers Barber catches up with the Chief Executive of Scottish Disability Sport to discuss an exhilarating year

been unbelievable. Seeing that stadium filled with 80,000 people for every session is something totally unprecedented for a Paralympic Games.”

MacLeod feels multiple factors came together to make London such a success.

“There was definitely an overflow of enthusiasm and patriotism from the main Games earlier in the year, which were fantastically organised. We were also lucky with things like the weather, which played a big role in getting people down to the venues. The facilities were clearly fantastic as well.”

Most important, however, was the gradual realisation of the viewing public that they were witnessing incredible athletes performing at the highest level: “I felt we really took a step away from the ‘Oh, look how well those guys are doing,’ pat-on-the-back kind of attitude and saw people begin to think, ‘Wow, these are extremely talented athletes we’re getting the chance to watch here.’”

It is undoubtedly a proud time for all those involved: “We have been watching and guiding many of these guys from a very early age, so to watch them achieve what they have has been incredible. They are all great characters – take James Clegg from Musselburgh, he was a last minute addition to the team and he managed to come away with a brilliant bronze in the pool.”

Scottish athletes played an important role in success of the Great British team, which, despite slipping to third position following the second place finish secured at the 2008 Beijing games, comfortably outdid its original medal target of 103. Scottish competitors won 11 of Great Britain’s 120 medals, equating to nine per cent of the team’s total haul. They won three golds: David Smith in the mixed adaptive coxed fours; Craig MacLean in the cycling pilot individual B sprint; and Neil Fachie in the 1km cycling time trial.

“We have seen standards soar,” Ma-

cLeod says about the Games, where more than 250 world records and 420 Paralympic records were broken. “We sent 27 athletes to London this summer, compared to the 16 that were in Beijing. Four of our guys were on the GB 7-a-side football team.

We really have seen remarkable levels of development.”

Perceptions are undoubtedly changing, and the psychological impact on the disabled is expected to be significant: “Hopefully the games will have removed some of the stigma previously attached to disability sport and will make more guys feel okay about getting involved.”

“We have already recruited several new members to our clubs across the country.

Although we are not expecting the same growth in participation levels that is sure to occur in London, we are definitiely expecting to see significant progress.”

Claire Morrison, a coach for the GB Boccia team, was blown away by the levels of interest displayed by the British public: “It’s all been quite overwhelming, really.

Boccia is quite an unknown sport that involves the most severely disabled athletes, so it has been great to hear a lot of people saying, ‘Yeah, this is a very interesting and different game, how do I get involved?’

We’ve already seen some increase in interest in participation.”

Although the achievements of Paralympics GB will rest long in the memories of its organisers and promoters, much hard but exciting work must now be done to ensure that the benefits of the 2012 Games are fully capitalised upon: “We always experience a peak in interest following each Paralympics,” says MacLeod. “This time round that peak is has reached a much higher level than we’ve ever seen before, but it is our job to make sure that it does not drop back to pre-London levels in the next few months.”

“

This summer has seen radical shifts take place in how Paralympic sport is accepted, celebrated and marketed."

S.D.S. are working to a strategic plan, named ‘Inspiring Through Inclusion,’ to ensure that disability sport continues to develop over the next five years. Lower level development is an overriding priority: “Some of our top level athletes will certainly benefit from the success of the Games. A lot have agents who will be working to get them sponsorship deals and media exposure. Our priority, though, is to work with

local organisations to provide opportunities at grassroots levels.This means assisting the creation of more regional teams, clubs and competitions.

“We have a comprehensive and growing network of local and regional offices attempting to encourage participation and looking after development. We work in partnership with local authorities, leisure trusts and the Active Schools network to deliver the highest quality programs possible.”

“

Hopefully the games will have removed some of the stigma previously attached to disability sport."

Gavin MacLeod, S.D.S Chief Executive Officer

Coach Morrison agrees that the immediate priority should be the development of disability sport at the lowest levels: “Our goal has got to be to try to get more people involved for the first time. Our job is to make sure people understand the advantages of participation, of which there are many - from getting the opportunity to travel the world, to health benefits, to the increasing competitive profile of our sports.”

“Education is key,” MacLeod points out, “for everyone from primary school kids to coaches, officials and staff. Getting successes recognised, celebrated and publicised must also be a priority, although we have already seen big jumps in media interest levels.”

There is much to look forward to. “Disability sport in Scotland is in a pretty fortunate position, seeing as we still have the Glasgow Commonwealth Games to look forward to in 2014. Whilst London is currently having to come to terms with the end of their big event, we still very much have ours to aim towards.”

The Glasgow games will see disabled athletes assume a more predominant role than ever at a Commonwealth event: “Glasgow will feature a higher quota of events for the disabled than ever before.

Disability sport is relatively undeveloped at a Commonwealth level, but we will do all we can to make sure Scotland plays an important role in its continuing growth.”

It is clear that London 2012 has spread awareness and converted talented disabled athletes into adored national heroes. However, as those who competed so heroically in London so capably demonstrated, there is now no room for complacency.

Scottish Premier League 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th

Motherwell Hibernian St Mirren Dundee Utd Celtic Ross County Aberdeen Kilmarnock Hearts St Johnstone Inverness Dundee

Pl 6 6 6 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

Pts 12 11 9 8 8 8 7 6 6 5 4 4

Sat 15th September Results Hibernian 2-1 Kilmarnock St Mirren 2-0 Hearts Sat 22nd September Fixtures Dundee Utd vs Hearts (15.00) Hibernian vs Inverness (15.00) RaboDirect Pro 12 1st Scarlets 2nd Ulster 3rd Edinburgh 3 10 4th Munster 5th Cardiff 6th Leinster 7th Glasgow 8th Newport-Gwent 9th Connacht 10th Treviso 11th Ospreys 12th Zebre

3 14 3 12 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Fri 14th September Result Edinburgh 41-10 Zebre Sat 22nd September Fixture Leinster vs Edinburgh (18.15) BUCs Fixtures Sat 22nd September Edinburgh 1st vs Stirling 1st (Women's Netball) Wed 26th September Ed Napier 1st vs Edinburgh 3rd (Men's Hockey Edinburgh 1st vs Glasgow 1st (Men's Tennis) Strathclyde 2nd vs Edinburgh 3rd (Men's Tennis) Heriot-Watt 1st vs Edinburgh 2nd (Men's Hockey) Dundee 1st vs Edinburgh 2nd (Men's Tennis) Edinburgh 2nd vs Glasgow Cale 1st (Men's Football) St Andrews 1st vs Edinburgh 3rd (Men's Football) Edinburgh 2nd vs Stirling 1st (Women's Lacrosse) Stirling 4th vs Edinburgh 4th (Men's Football)

9 9 9 5 5 5 5 2 0