Newspaper

Regent’s College London: The student newspaper

Spring 2012 / regents.ac.uk

In commemoration: Andrew Ropek

Question Time comes to Regent’s College London On 9 February 2012, the BBC came to Regent’s College to film Question Time, a popular TV show whose panel features politicians, business leaders, commentators and other personalities.

This edition featured Alastair Campbell, former Head of Communications for the Labour government, Defence Secretary Philip Hammond, Ann Leslie, a Daily Mail journalist, Comedian and actor Steve Coogan and Shirley Williams, former leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords.

Before the show was broadcast, a group of students from Regent’s were given the opportunity to go behind the scenes and get a first-hand account of how Question Time is produced from its director.

We were given a lecture on everything, logistics, camera setup, lighting, sound checking and transmission, the final stage as the show goes on air.

A tour of the BBC trailers was included in our ‘Behind the Scenes’ tour. They were more like “mini TV studios on wheels” than trailers, complete with computer terminals, work stations and a live feed linked to the refectory where Question Time was to be filmed.

Additionally there was a satellite feed

that linked the show live to the BBC offices in Glasgow.

Without warning, the BBC film crew asked us to take centre stage and do a mock show, filming us as a demonstration of how they film the programme. Analis, Bjork, Mark and I were picked at random to go on the panel as a socialite, Commission for Racial Equality Official, youth worker and Coalition Member of Parliament respectively.

The allocated topics for discussion were: higher education, racial tension in Britain and free speech.

Students Pierre Papin, Abdi Ali, Anastasia Victorova, Sandra Nitrovic, Alexander Gretton, Marcus Scorchner, Midori Miyashita and Christopher Lewis were our audience members who asked questions about the issues on the “table” and offered their opinion on the various topics.

We all played our part and the mock show went without a hitch. The audience asked tough questions and the panel answering according to their political or job affiliation.

Regent’s College held the commemoration of Andrew Ropek on Friday, 23 April. Family members, friends and colleagues gathered for the memorial tree planting ceremony. The tree planting ceremony took place in the Tuke Gardens where the tree and plaque were placed in remembrance of Andrew. The ceremony started with colleagues remembering Andrew and talking about both him and the planting. Family and friends placed flowers and a hat under the plaque.

The attendees then carried on to the reception where everyone mingled with each other and fondly recalled their former colleague. The ceremony and reception was a tribute to Andrew, a loving family member, friend and colleague.

Mark, the youth worker was asked to be anti-coalition government, accusing them of closing libraries and youth centres because of austerity cuts.

I had the tricky role of defending the government and attempting to convince everyone that whatever the Government was doing including raising tuition fees was, ultimately, for the good of the country.

Analis had the unenviable task of telling the audience that they should not “expect the government to do everything for them”, instead they should do things for themselves.

Bjork was the moderate on the panel.

He walked the difficult line between Government and the people who felt they had been let down by the Government. The audience did not make it easy as they kept us on the back foot with tough questioning to which they wanted clear answers. After what felt like an hour, the mock show ended.

The BBC film crew applauded us and said that whenever they film at universities, they hold a mock show but ours had been the most interesting they had held. This experience was invaluable.

Richard Byarugaba

© Nissa Husain 

Reprint Article ‘9/11: Ten Years On’ is reprinted from Inner Circle, the magazine for alumni and friends of Regent’s College London.

Students have their say: Student Union Annual General Meeting To many students at Regent’s College, the Student Union exists mostly to put on parties and hand out candy at tables in main reception. However, it is a studentled democratic organisation which ensures that students are represented through the College and that their affairs run smoothly and satisfactorily.

On Tuesday 6 March at 19:00 the Student Union held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Tuke Common Room. The purpose was to address changes to the constitution, report on financial standings and hold a forum for issues and complaints. Kristine Bakk, President of the Student Union, welcomed everyone to the meeting and proceeded to lead a gathering of many students through the changes that will be coming to the College.

Perhaps most importantly, the constitution now contains detailed information about the regulation of societies. According to Society Officer, Martin Caspersen, the college has gone from one society to 15, and “no schedule existed before” in the constitution. In essence, societies must apply to the Student Union and have compatible aims and objectives with the College. Each society must have at least six student members, a constitution of their own, and an AGM wherein they elect officers. After that meeting they will report to the Society Officer. Caspersen also notes that these processes are mostly the same as before, but now they are officially written down. The goal is to ensure that all societies have the same rights and that they conform to policies of the College.

In fact, the position of Society Officer is new. The Executive Committee has also recently appointed an Events Officer and a Communications Officer. They feel that it is beneficial to the Student Union that the right people are brought on board to deal with special issues.

No objections were raised to the changes, and a new constitution was voted in.

Next Treasurer Matei Paraschiv presented graphs and charts of the Student Union’s finances. They are given a budget of £50,000, of which they spent about £21,000 in the fall. About 45% of the budget is spent on parties, but Paraschiv comments that the two Boat Parties at the beginning of term account for 42% on their own. Parties also generate about £4,300 income. 11% of the budget goes toward societies, and 17% goes to the Regent’s College Conference Centre, which pays for catered food and drinks.

One attendee questioned the £2,195 being spent on transport, but Paraschiv explained that after a series of threatening encounters in the past on people out late on Student Union or College business, those involved can be reimbursed for their transport.

After that suggestions were offered for new aims and objectives in the coming year, which the forthcoming new Executive Council must adhere to.

The objectives are:  To close the gap between BaM and HASS and encourage College unity  To increase involvement in societies and other Student Union activities  Better communication between the Union and students – awareness, feedback, social media, openness  Seek inter-college relationships, with a focus on smaller, private institutions like Regent’s  More formal, business networking across schools  A focus on academic vigilance At the end the Executive Committee responded to questions from the audience. It was agreed that there needs to be a stronger emphasis on academics.

Bakk said that she feels members of the councils need more training on how to handle problems related to classes, marks and tutors. There were also many complaints about IT, particularly the email system and a lack of good relationships between students and technicians. Bakk said that she would arrange a meeting with the head of IT to discuss it. She acknowledged that this has been a continual problem but that there was little Student Union could do about it.

After the meeting students mingled over wine and snacks. Bakk and her fellow Student Union members strongly urged all students to get involved. If you want to be a representative, find the president of your school’s council and volunteer. If you have something to say about the activities the Student Union plans, email any of the executive members.We are fortunate to have this democratic process for the student voice at Regent’s College, yet it seems that sadly not enough of us take the time to make the most this. Let’s turn this around. Amanda Chase

join a society Feel like getting involved in a society or starting a society? Contact the Student Union for more information. studentunion@regents.ac.uk.

What was hot? Well, London Fashion Week of course The time came where celebrities and fashion bloggers both in the UK and outside flock to the city centre to witness the latest trends for the Fall/ Winter Collection 2012. Somerset House, seated between the Strand and the River Thames, was once again turned into a fashion haven. The Vodafone London Fashion Week was held from 1722 February followed by London Fashion Weekend from 23-26 February.

February’s collections proudly revealed new collections from designers such as Mulberry, Nicole Farhi, Vivienne Westwood Red Label, Anya Hindmarch and so on. The runway shows also featured BFW NEWGEN designers such as Holly Fulton sponsored by Topshop and Central Saint Martins MA Fashion.

Besides the runway shows, a spectrum of show spaces bursting with the latest collections of ready to wear clothes, handbags, shoes and accessories from over 100 designers offered the glamorous guests, both women and men an experience they will keep coming back for.

Missed it? Don’t worry. London Fashion Week/Weekend runs bi-annually in February and September. So get ready for the upcoming Spring/Summer 2013 Collection in September.

Munji Athirah

But as the celebrities and bloggers swept their fancy dresses off the floors of London Fashion Week, Somerset House opened its doors for fashionistas and shopaholics alike to come and join the shopping frenzy.

The London Fashion Weekend runway also presented Zoe Hardman as host with guest appearance by the X-tra factor’s Caroline Flack.

From vintage to lingerie, makeovers, and hair styling, there was something for everyone. There was even something for the boys! There was certainly no sense of a fashion that couldn’t be catered for.

Love Theatre?

Find discounted theatre tickets, exclusively for Regent’s College, here: regents.eolts.co.uk.

Regent’s College Student Union does fashion for charity For the first time ever, the Student Union is organising a Charity Fashion Show, UNION, which will take place from the 23-27 April 2012. UNION is aiming to raise funds to benefit St. John’s Hospice; the only independent hospice in Central London and provides much needed care for patients suffering from serious illnesses free of cost.

The week will consist of four events: The UNION on Campus Taster, UNION Launch Party, UNION Cocktail reception and The UNION Charity Fashion Show.

UNION is managed exclusively by

students and governed by the Student Union Executive.The Fashion Week gives the students an opportunity to be involved in the planning and execution of the event, which will showcase the talents and skills embodied within the College.

For those who want to be involved, volunteer sheets have been put up in front of the Student Union. So, grab a pen, sign your name and be part of this amazing event.

Ticket information and sales for all of the events will be out soon. We look forward to seeing you there.

Munji Athirah

Hitting the high street: Alexander McQueen Since the House of Alexander McQueen announced the opening of McQ’s new flagship at the fashion capital following a catwalk debut at the London Fashion Week, excitement has rushed through the capital eager for February to come.

McQ was established in 2006 creating a market for the younger McQueen fans at affordable prices. McQ uses the signature designs from the main label adding twists and turns to appeal to the fashion savvy and attract the next generation. The line consists of clothing accessories for both men and women.

The line was brought back in house under the supervision of Creative Director Sarah Burton famously known as the designer of Kate Middleton’s royal

wedding dress. In an interview with British Vogue, Sarah Burton explains that: "We have to define what it is and who she is. McQ should be about the things that are very connected to the roots of early McQueen, incorporating those house signatures that come from the street, but it has to be delivered in great fabrics, and great cuts."

The London Fashion Week catwalk flaunted the Autumn Winter 12/13 collection.

Shoppers can’t wait to get their hands on what’s in store at the opening of the fourstory flagship in the heart of London’s West End, at Dover Street, Mayfair.

Who’s ready to have the first scoop on what’s in store for the McQ line?

Munji Athirah

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© Andrew Wong 

© Ayla Gudelsky  © Andrew Wong 

© Ayla Gudelsky 

Charming Cambridge A group of enthusiastic students from Regent’s College took time off on Saturday 28 January for a trip organised by Student Services, to explore the famous city of Cambridge.

It was an idyllic morning with Regent’s Park bathed in golden sunshine as we left on a comfortable double-decker bus at 09:00. The 2 hour journey to Cambridge was quiet and uneventful, as students got the opportunity to catch up on some much needed sleep after an eventful Friday night.

Imagine our shock, when we got to one of Cambridge’s many colleges to freezing temperatures, it had to be the coldest day of 2012 so far. We ended up dancing in the cold to keep warm, and must have made a strange sight to onlookers!

We were split into three groups as our tour guides whisked us around Cambridge’s many delights. The first sight to take our breath away was the world-famous King’s College. It is always interesting to find out about the traditions of different cities and our tour guide, Dawn, continually exhorted us to ‘not step on the grass lawns!’ These are off limits to all visitors except Fellows of the College and their guests.

© Rizan Ormun 

If the exteriors of the college buildings were majestic and grand, the interior of King’s College Chapel seemed to be lifted out of a magical movie. We explored the choir section and soaked up the atmosphere of this rich building, looking at the windows and the chapel’s unique architectural delights. King’s College Chapel is one of the oldest buildings in the country, constructed by Henry IV. Walking along the streets of Cambridge, it seemed as if we had gone back in time, in complete contrast to London’s rushed and sometimes overwhelming scene. In this crazy world that we live in, it’s great to see that some things remain the same, giving us a glance into a rich past. Other sights we visited included Trinity College, getting an insight into the life of Cambridge students, the Old Cavendish Laboratory, where scientific discoveries such as DNA changed the world, and a scary modern invention called the Grasshopper Clock, standing out as a record of the passage of time.

Throughout our explorations we got an insight into the deep-rooted rivalry between Cambridge and the ‘other place’ (Psst…Oxford!!). We also discovered that Cambridge students do not fit into the stereotype of studious, boring individuals, but that some students did adventurous things that many of us were in envy of such as driving a car up a building! One of the city’s most memorable landmarks, however, was the Eagle’s Pub, a place where RAF and American soldiers got together to meet

© Ayla Gudelsky 

© Andrew Wong 

© Ayla Gudelsky 

Photojournalism Brief

Student Life

Captured moments of student life by students.

© Ayla Gudelsky 

© Rizan Ormun 

and exchange stories, before going into battle during the Second World War. But enough of the depressing and weighty stuff! The fun part of the trip was about to begin, as we got into boats for an hour of ‘punting’, seeing more of the city’s ancient buildings from the River Cam. This was a relaxing change of pace as our enthusiastic ‘punter’ told us humorous stories about Cambridge’s heritage while we made ourselves comfortable in blankets. Passing through a multitude of bridges with their own identity, history and architecture was the main attraction of this excursion, especially the distinctive Mathematical Bridge.

All good things must come to an end, and as much as we enjoyed Cambridge, we were grateful to return to the warmth of the double-decker bus and head off to a nearby village, Grantham, where we sampled some delicious scones with English cream tea, not to be missed. This deviation served to show us the adventurous side of student trips. We got to realise that the café was too small to host over 50 students, and so we got to work, passing out scones, jam and cups and organising ourselves to have tea in the wild gardens!

Exhausted after an eventful day, some of us in the group still found the energy to chuckle at Oscar winning film ‘The King’s Speech’. As we returned from history to the modern world, it was an appropriate film to end a day where we were briefly taken to ancient times. Aravind Krishnan

Nevada, which can be seen from space.

The question must be, what was the point of this sort of advertising campaign, if usual customers will not ever see it or even know about it? Maybe KFC wanted to have custom among aliens? Such a campaign is not likely to increase the amount of custom among people who don’t fly into space every day!

In contrast to KFC, McDonald’s seem to work hard for their customers. Over the years, McDonald’s has added tiny details to the logo to communicate with different social classes and nationalities.

Return of the International Student Bureau This semester, the International Student Bureau returns. Students within the organisation are aiming to improve the association while still keeping the original concept intact. Students Kelsey Ryan, Victoria Linbak and Bianca Wimmer are currently running the association while new members are being recruited.

Anyone interested in joining the association can contact either Kelsey or Victoria with their Regent’s email.

The key aim of this association is to provide the exchange/international students with events and activities to help integrate them into Regent’s society and to get to know their fellow visiting students. Though the association is primarily aimed at visiting students, all students of Regent’s are encouraged to participate in the events to come.

The buddy scheme within the organisation is an opportunity for each visiting student to have a buddy, who will usually study their language, to help them with any problems or questions that they have during their stay at our College.

There is also talk of introducing “The Tandem Programme.” This is a programme that facilitates students to talk in a chosen language they wish to improve. It involves two students who each speak a language desired by the other person. The pairs can then meet in any environment they choose, and help each other.

There is also an open forum for exchange students on Facebook to discuss housing, activities and parties with students.

There are many events to come, and the association aims to have at least one event per week. They look forward to meeting you at their next event! Contact the International Student Bureau at isb@regents.ac.uk for further information.

Kelsey Ryan

The variant of the ‘M’ where edges are sharper focuses on a more solid, business-like, corporate character.

When the arches are wider and have the brighter yellow colour, the imitation of drawing expresses all the elements that contribute to the attempted youngspirited vision. Also, the wider arches used when advertising McDonald’s on the road as a street or road sign, are used so drivers can see it easily.

It is not advertising, but logos that help to recognise fast food chains.

Kentucky Fried Chicken was established

by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952. It is his face you see on the logo; it’s been this way for 50 years.

There were five changes to KFC’s logo during the last half decade. The logo that appeared in 2006 was voted the best among the previous four: Sanders looks even friendlier and younger. His white suit was changed for a red cook’s apron, the colours are bolder and the background is red and matches the apron.

The logo has its own symbolism: the “home-style culinary heritage” of the brand, reminding customers that KFC chicken is prepared by hand, just like Colonel Sanders prepared it 50 years ago.

Graham Allan, president of Yum’s international restaurant division, said many people don’t realise that Sanders existed and started the company on his own. Considering that now Sanders is in an apron, Gregg Dedrick, president of KFC’s US division says: “This change gives us a chance not only to make sure we stay relevant but also communicates to customers the realness of Colonel Sanders and that he was a chef.”

It is a well-known fact that the main colour of the KFC logo is red – it appears on both the font of the logo, and on the Sanders' apron. The red colour evokes hunger that is one of the main

reasons why one chooses KFC as the place to satisfy hunger.

As for McDonald’s, their current logo wasn’t the first one that appeared when the restaurant established in 1937, Southern California, then it didn’t have any connection with the well-known arches.

It was more like KFC’s logo – there was a chef character named “Speedy” portrayed on it. And only in the year 1953 the arches were introduced. Since then not many changes have appeared on the Mcdonald’s logo presenting two yellow arches with red font for more than fifty years.

In 2007 after a number of years at the sharp end of negative press, the fast food chain struck back with a series of environmental and social initiatives designed to prove that it cares and highlight its human and green credentials Many people did not like this change saying that now even though McDonald's looks better, the food is still junk. Despite this, McDonald’s went greener and sales in Europe and US rose dramatically.

KFC positioned itself as fastfood for everyone, friendly for businesspeople and for the younger generations. In 2006 KFC launched Global Reimage, an 87,500 Square-Foot KFC logo in Area 51,

The yellow colour also "pays attention" to the audience because it symbolises warmth and happiness.

McDonald’s tries to please customers from different countries.The ‘M’ has a Maple leaf in the middle, and the slogan “I’m lovin’ it” is translated in Canadian French. In the German variant, the arches are sharper.

Since its establishment, every restaurant has attempted to adapt to particularities and cultural differences across the world.

Now, following society and market trends the logo is refigured with green font.

“Historic values” can’t be the main values in market business. McDonald’s works for target audience and market trends, whereas, KFC is more passionate about the history, or to be more precise, the ‘father’ of the chain, to the extent that they show Colonel Sanders even from space. This strategy will never raise their sales.

In-turn, McDonald's is the world's first fast-food and beverage brand in more than 120 countries around the world and more than 30,000 branches worldwide. According to the annual report of the year 2010, the average number of customers served every day at McDonald's is 64 million, double the amount served at KFC If KFC thinks more about their target audience and pays less attention to keeping ‘historic values’ it could be more successful. Alexandra Muravyeva

Introducing Model United Nations The Model United Nations course at Regent’s aims to educate students on the workings of both Global Politics and of the United Nations. While the opportunity to visit the UN Headquarters in New York City was a great incentive, it soon became clear that the course and conference involves a much larger concept than any of us originally imagined, and that it is definitely not for the faint hearted.

The course runs over two terms and involves writing, researching, public speaking, conducting simulations, fundraising and charity work. If you are prepared and dedicated, then you will find it to be perhaps one of the most rewarding experiences of your time at Regent’s College.

Within the first two months of the course commencing, the group is assigned a country to represent at the National

Model United Nations Conference, and this is when the fun starts.We were given the country assignment of Cape Verde, a small island nation about 400 miles off the coast of West Africa. From the outset we immersed ourselves fully into our position as representative diplomats, whether as a delegate to the General Assembly or as someone discussing Sustainable Development in Rio+20.We discussed in detail a wide variety of topics, ranging from Small Arms and Light Weapons to Fresh Water Management.

The aim at the conference is really to experience what its like to be in the United Nations. Contrary to popular belief, the National Model United Nations is not a competition.

It is more a gathering of the leaders of tomorrow, with the aim of honing one another’s diplomatic skills. It is best to hit the ground running, participating in discussions and debates, as well as

forming connections and friendships throughout the entire process.

It was truly impressive to see the high level of preparation possessed by such a large majority of the conference attendees.

The top tiers of students from a range of backgrounds globally are convened at one place, and it is for this reason that our preparation was key to representing our country to the best of our ability.

Mental preparation is another thing that needs to be addressed. At the conference, we were surrounded day and night by people with extraordinary knowledge and thirst for Model United Nations, which can be incredibly overwhelming but also incredibly motivating and exciting.

We were lucky on the team of ’12 that the entire team was a close-knit bunch.

We were successful in building a positive atmosphere and a willingness to learn and adapt; in the group of sixteen, we had members from over eleven different nationalities and cultures, which was like a small introduction to the multiculturalism present at the conference.

We all stand by the fact that the time spent in New York as part of the Regent’s College Model United Nations Team will stay with us forever. Friendships were made and experiences shared, all with the aim of furthering our knowledge and doing something we enjoy, and that is engaging in International Relations.

Taking the Model United Nations

Talent on show

The Middle East Society at Regent's College presented the outstanding ' Talent Show'. Taking place in the Sports' Lounge there was a plethora of talent on display, with acts from stand up comedy through to traditional folk music on the bill.

The event was a wild success and may have been the first glimpse of our future entertainers.

Photograpy © Hassan Al Amin

class leaves you with so much food for thought that it is up there with the best of them.

We really do hope that any and all of you taking this course in the future will find it as joyful an experience as we did, and we look forward to meeting you and guiding you on the way.

Head Delegate, Constance Trower said ‘It has been an honour to serve as this year’s Head Delegate of Regent’s College Model United Nations. The team was absolutely delightful, diligent and determined over the course of the school year. Their strong attributes were vivid through their performance at the National Model United Nations 2012 Conference in New York.’

Our in-class simulations, papers, presentations and research thoroughly paid off as we immersed ourselves in the roles of Diplomats representing Cape Verde at the NMUN Conference. We actively engaged in discussions with other delegations, assisted in writing resolutions and reports, made motions and speeches and learned a great deal about the inner workings of the United Nations.’

The Model United Nations programme at Regent’s College has been one of the most memorable and rewarding experiences of my graduate career. I encourage future students to actively seek participation in the group in order to better understand the ways of international diplomacy. Vid Iv Ivaniševi

Does Russia After sensational political protests that were provoked by the establishment during Russia’s Duma election, the Russian people waited anxiously for the Russian presidential elections on 4 March.

Following the line of slogans that were chanted repeatedly on Bolotnaya square, the web blogs were full of comments such as: “Putin, go away!”, “Russia without Putin” with many others against Putin’s candidacy.

The political system that during Putin’s previous presidency showed signs of corruption and excess consumption. Such a regime is one that few could possibly be a fan of.

However, there was another facet to the Putin presidency. When Putin began to perform his Presidential duties he started the process of stabilising Russia. At the time of his election Russia was in a very poor condition economically, politically and on the global stage.

Changes and perspectives

After the disintegration of the USSR a new government for the Russian Federation had to be put together. Few are aware of what this “new Russia” has brought to the people of Russia.

The country needed a strong political will and got it in the form of Vladimir Putin. Most Russians did not want to admit that it was Putin who managed to turn Russia around. Many things were done to fulfil this difficult task, primarily the rescuing of the Russian economy to allow for a more stable country.

First of all, the companies which were active in the development of natural resources were placed under the control of government which marked the beginning of a change to the country’s poor condition. GAZPROM, now a leading Russian company in the production and distribution of gas, turned into the peculiar engine of public economics. GAZPROM deposited more than 107 billion rubbles in the period from 2001 to 2010, due to driven gas tracks, enabling provision of gas to tens of thousands of people.

This improvement added to a new quality of life. Moreover, GAZPROM’s investment in social life made it possible to build hundreds of health complexes in provinces that people would not have even dreamed of.

Need Putin?

The country needed a strong political will and got it in the form of Vladimir Putin.

Another Russian achievement of this period was that Sochi, a city in Krasnodar krai, was chosen as the venue for Olympic and Paralympic Games in the year 2014. This great event means a lot for the Russian Federation. Earlier in the beginning of Post-Perestroika period Sochi was a dull city with dark streets, dirty beaches and the old sanatoriums of Soviet times. Now when all the Olympic projects are put into operation, Sochi will become a super-modern resort.

Many Russian people are now convinced that when some citizen’s don’t have money for living, there is no need for such colossal expenses (such as the Olympics), that it would be better to spend this money on pay and into better pensions. Such opinion is widespread, but that doesn’t mean that it is right.

Nobody seems to think that by organising an event like this of the government essentially “deposited” into the future, into infrastructure and so on, which then makes it possible for not only the local residents, but for Russia as a whole to draw in income.

What’s more, the Russian Federation has taken its place in the world again, the one that was lost after USSR’s fall, when everyone believed that the country would never rise again.

The situation with transport has also improved a lot: the West and the Far East were linked by the newly built roads, tunnels and bridges. Road development is always an enticement for further infrastructure growth. Add to this express railways plans between major Russian cities are currently being planned for development. Therefore, there is much to be positive about in terms of Russian transport infrastructure.

Figures show the great improvements: for the last 11 years the Russian RTS index has risen from 127 points to 2087 (nearly 1000%). Just for comparison, China RTS index improvement shows 100%, India – 260%, other European stock markets haven’t undergone any special changes. Since 2000 to 2011 real income of Russians has increased more than twice, wages three times and pensions 3.5 times. In 2010 the birthrate has increased by 40% in contrast to 2000. Natural population has fallen 4 times for the last ten years. All these figures show that the quality of life in Russia has advanced enormously. On the whole, during these 10 years, life in Russia has become more stable, more predictable, poverty has decreased and the system has become more efficient.

This though is only a small part of all changes within this evolving country.

The Next President

All figures and events mentioned took place when Mr Putin was in the President and then Prime Minister’s role. In the pre-election period, many people, especially those who were on Bolotnaja square, probably thought more about the personality of the future Russian president, but not about what a new leader would do, or what he has already done (in case of Putin) for development of Russian Federation that was in so poor condition only 10 years ago.

Still the interesting fact is that, while “Bolotniki” were thinking that their protests against Mr Putin would decrease his popularity, however, the reverse has happened: for the first two weeks of the New Year 2012 his rate rose from 48% to 52%. Vitaly Ivanov, Vice-President Russian Centre of Political situation, believes that the mobilisation of opposition has provoked the consolidation of Putin’s supporters. “This fact is reproduced in the rate [polls],” said Mr Ivanov.

According to him, Mironov’s, Javlinsky’s and Prohorov’s (other candidates for the President’s post) poll ratings are none other than the political microbiology.

“They’ve never had any rate and as I think, won’t ever have unless they take from the fire little girls, their rate won’t rise”.

Nevertheless, speaking about the elections on the whole, abstracting from all the protests, media and other opinions, there is a clear picture: there are people that do not want any change, they are used to Putin’s regime, to the stability of the country, they know what to expect from the person who became the Russian President for the third time.

There is an idea, a hope that Putin will remove all evident disadvantages in the country and continue to improve the stability of it. He is in mind of many the most prepared, strategic and experienced. Mr Putin has promised much in his articles but will he deliver?

In an article that was published in the Russian newspaper ‘Kommersant’ on February 6th Putin paid attention to the solution of one of the main problems of Russia – corruption. He said that the real, systematic solutions would be made to allow reorganisation of public institutions with much more effect. There are plans to introduce new principles to personnel policy concerning the officials’ selection system, their rotation and their remuneration. Mr Putin believes that the financial, material risks and the danger of losing reputation would make corruption unprofitable.

But still this is only a plan, people can’t be sure that such solutions will be made at all. So does Russia really need the iron man Putin? Probably.

Alexandra Muravyeva

are going hang with this and control ourselves, ‘because we don't want something unpredictable’.

If conflict returns to Tunisia, the ICC would deal with it, as an international institution capable of saying ‘If you commit any crime, we will make sure that the prosecutor seizes your assets’ and so on. That is not a miracle solution but it does add a layer of human rights protection to any potential conflict.

Demonstrations started in Benghazi, Libya, on 15 February 2011. The Security Council on 26 February adopted its first resolution dealing with the situation in Libya. It was only later when the resolution authorising military intervention was adopted, this resolution addressed the evolving demonstrations.

Libya and the International Criminal Court The founding of the International Criminal Court (ICC) was a long time coming and even now after its birth it fails to work in an effective way. When considering the unfinished trials at the ICC, this must contribute towards a heavy challenge when dealing with the difficult situation in Libya. The question now is how will everything end for the Libyan regime and the reputation of the ICC. The ICC was set up about ten years ago; it was an idea that had been nurtured for many decades. The first call for an International Criminal Court, at least since The United Nations was founded in 1945, was in connection to the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide, a form of genocide prevention.

When the adoption of the genocide convention took place in December 1948, there was a resolution by the UN General Assembly that called for the creation of International Criminal Court, negotiations started in 1949 and only a few years later became unworkable.

The Cold War made progress on this idea too difficult because both sides believed the other side would use the International Criminal Court to advance

their interests and to attack the other.

So the idea remained dormant until the beginning of 1990s when it was then revived, this was at the end of the Cold War, the first week of November 1989.

Finally the ICC was established in 2002 and today it has thousands of employees, a budget of around 100 billion Euros per annum and many pieces of work going on in different countries, mostly in Africa.

There is a lot of satisfaction with the court simply because it exists and is operating, it is indeed a great step forward, but at the same time, it's had many problems. When one compares it with existing institutions, it has a pretty poor record. It's been operating now for a decade and it hasn't yet finished its first trial, the court is expecting the judgment of this first

trial to be in the next month or two, but that's not very productive.

The court has had limited global support. It does however have strong support in Europe, with the exception of Belarus and the US will not support it as they feel they don’t have adequate control over the body. There was an important decision taken by Tunisia to join the board in 2011. It was a very symbolic move for Tunisia to show the international community the changes that have happened in the country.

Further, Tunisia declared it was abolishing the death penalty, an evolution in the matter of international law. It is a challenge for a country in transition to say ‘we're going to give up the control over the justice issues related to transition’, it may be better for the state to say we

The protests on 26 February were essentially peaceful protests against Gadaffi and his regime; however, there were reports of crime against humanity later on. Pro-democracy demonstrators and the UN Security Council said: "We assign the ICC to deal with these cases". There was still a lot of confidence in the ICC and so they agreed.

The prosecutor acted very promptly in comparison to his performance in the past. By June 2012 an arrest warrant was issued by the ICC against Gadaffi and his son. The one against Gadaffi issued at the end of November was cancelled because no trial can proceed once a person is dead. However the other arrest warrants that are pending against Saif al-Islam and Abdullah al-Senoussii, a former Lybian spymaster, still stand.

The prosecutor went to Libya in December and made a statement saying that he is going to respect the basic principle behind the ICC, which is that it encourages national justice systems to do the job, and it only steps in when they do not approve that decisions made have been adequate.

"We also suspended those prosecutions because we are waiting to see what will happen with justice prosecutions inside Libya. This is a tough test for the ICC, hoovering up the opportunities of other countries, instead of the country and insisting “It's better if you do it than us".

This is a challenge for the new Libyan regime as it can be difficult for a state

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in transition to deliver justice and a fair trial. Hopefully, the Libyans would be able to rise to the occasion.

The prosecutor of ICC is required to report to the Security Council every six months on what's happening with the Libyan situation. One of the interesting features of the statue of the ICC is that the prosecutor is supposed to be neutral in a sense; article 54 of the Roman Statue says that the prosecutor is supposed to investigate cases both for and against.

They say that the prosecutor takes both sides equally, but actually they are taking sides. Nobody knows now, how the prosecutor and Libyans will deal with this difficult situation, but there is hope that the right decisions will take place.

Alexandra Muravyeva

With Thanks The Regent Team this issue; Hassan Al Amin, Vivien Ruben, Nissa Husain, Rizan Ormun, Kelsey Ryan, Ayla Gudelsky, Andrew Wong, Daniel Beuthner, Munji Athirah, Jade Baker, Alexandra Muravyeva, Aravind Krishnan, Amanda Chase, Rich Byarugaba, Jason Pittock, Valerie Kaneko-Lucas and Renee Fontaine

Interested in sport?

If you have an interest in sports then please contact Renee Fontaine about how you can get involved fontainer@regents.ac.uk

Cultural lessons at the first Regent’s Business Forum event Recently, two executive members of the International Business Conflux (IBC) spoke to a group of students at a Regent’s Business Forum networking meeting. Neil Payne, Managing Director of Kwintessential (UK based start-up business offering translation services to businesses), gave an enriching presentation about ‘Language and Culture in Global Business’. This was an evening that would not be forgotten.

When Mr Payne started the evening he spoke about his father and grandfather in a monotone voice, we looked lost and an audible sigh could be heard across the room. Neil asked: ‘Who thought that was a good introduction?’ Turns out even presentation structures and introductions differ between countries. From personal experience in the UK any presentation must start with telling your audience about what the presentation entails.

However, in certain Middle Eastern and Asian countries, it is not uncommon for presenters to give their audience a full background in order to gain respect.

Culture is the way we engage and communicate with the world around us.

Mr Payne implored us to think of culture as one big bowl of spaghetti, intertwined and mixed up in complexity. The fundamental message of the presentation

was to be fully prepared when moving to different cultures, as the rulebook on behaviours and attitudes is likely to be completely different.

What do we do in a society where 1 + 1 does not equal 2?

We were given a range of examples, from business, to everyday life, to sports (Suarez-Evra racial row) - understanding the foreign culture is vital to adapt to a new country. Mr Payne outlined a number of interesting insights; Sharwood introduced a curry sauce called ‘Bundh’ which means ‘backside’ in Punjabi.

The Costa Concordia ship tragedy was worsened by the fact that when emergency evacuation messages were broadcast in different languages English was left till last (the common language amongst the diverse makeup of the passengers). When some peoples (Africans, Indians) answer ‘yes’, they may really mean ‘no’, but they say yes out of politeness, or to protect their honour (Middle Eastern countries).

Neil seemed to truly enjoy interacting with us, the chief highlight being the audience drawing shapes in the air. We found that the more complex shapes became, the more chaotic our drawings were. This exercise highlighted the challenges of adapting to the complex aspects of a foreign culture.

As members of the IBC, the contents of

the presentation was music to our ears.

At the IBC we aim to enhance student awareness of cultural differences across borders and insights into how they can be tackled through our members’ experiences and guest speakers’ insights.

From a student’s point of view, the most important lesson involves respecting, understanding and accommodating the way people from different cultures view time and deadlines. The next time your colleague from another country turns up late for a meeting or frustrates you as he/she does not treat a group project seriously, perhaps part of the answer may lie not in the outlook of the person, but rather the person’s cultural roots.

Given the increasingly diverse make-up of the College and external presenters (Neil Payne is of British/Iranian nationality), cultural features will become more significant in our daily lives, and in doing business outside, or even within the UK. The authors would particularly like to thank Mrs Kaye Foskett for facilitating their participation in this event.

Aravind Krishnan and Daniel Beuthner The stories in this publication are written by the students of Regent’s College London and are the opinions of the individual. The Sport section and articles ‘Theatre without theatres’ and ‘9/11: ten years on’ have been written by Regent’s College London staff.

Student Union presidential elections 2012 Last week we experienced a storm!

The Student Union Presidential elections were one of the most hectic ones that we have seen.

The three competitors Ena Vukovic, Masha Fransishku, and Martha Gausdal have been campaigning all week for the title through posters, funky t-shirts, and very loyal friends. As a conclusion, after all the hard work done by the three RACL girls, Martha Gausdal won the election and will start her term next semester.

Although many people take Student Union elections for granted, it’s always

good to see those that are loyal, and care about their university environment.

In the future, it would be great to see more and more people who care about the well-being of the student body and would want to participate and be part of the Student Union family.

through my senior year I was in the graduation committee. I was lucky to be a part of the School Student Union of Norway as the Leader of Rights in my county for two years, as well as being part of different political bodies throughout my teenage years.

What inspired you to run for the Student Union President position?

If you are not planning to work to change what you consider is wrong, you are not eligible to complain. I learned at a very young age that if you want things to get better, you need to work for it and not rely on others to fix it for you. I also love challenges and change of environment, and I think this would be the perfect position for me to gain experiences and grow as a person.

What are your goals during your term of presidency? I wish to make students more involved, and get people to understand the importance of having an opinion and with this proving the power of unity. I also see continuous work in an organisation as a necessity, so I want to continue working on important cases started by last years’ Student Union to avoid any earlier struggles to be in vain.There are also a lot of points on my manifesto I would like to work on, like engaging students in panel debates and conferences, organise social gatherings as well as continue working for charity and hopefully I will get tons of good impulses and ideas from students. There are a lot of small changes that can be made within

What experience do you have in this field? I was elected Student Councillor President my first year in High School and stayed in the same position through all three years, and

Regent’s College to make things run more efficiently and make the overall College experience for the student body better, so simply put: I aim to identify these and work on it.

What are your hobbies? Singing, international issues and politics, photography, travelling, cooking and socialising If you were to sum yourself up in 3 words, what would they be? Open minded, passionate, straight forward.

Vivien Ruben interviews Martha Gausdal

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The African war criminal, the viral video and questions about a not for profit organisation: The story of Kony 2012 Uganda has had the misfortune of being in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. After Dictator Idi Amin in the 1970s a new man, Joseph Kony, has now appeared on the international scene as if out of nowhere.

A brutal and merciless war lord has become an internet sensation over the past few weeks, after a thirty minute “awareness” video made by Invisible Children, a not for profit organisation, went viral.

of the country like a storm. Claiming to be a prophetess with direct orders from God, she used propaganda to manipulate and hoodwink both her own fighters and the Government troops she was fighting against.

The “KONY2012” video spread online like wildfire and was viewed by more than 70 million people worldwide nine days after its upload. After peaking at around 100 million viewers it drew much support, controversy and outrage.

Showering her fighters with “holy water” and “magic powder”, she promised them immunity from bullets or death while warning that whoever fired at her soldiers would be killed by their own bullet. It was claimed the bullet would simply revert back to the shooter just like a boomerang!

Joseph Kony, a previously unknown war lord to most people in the West, ran a cult like army that has been responsible for deaths of hundreds of thousands mostly in Northern Uganda.

Kony, a former altar boy had ambitions of becoming a priest, formed his army in 1987 to fight against the Ugandan Government.

He branded his army the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and claimed to have direct orders from God. Other claims of his included fighting for “the restoration of the biblical ten commandments” and to overthrow an “oppressive militant regime.”

He bathed his soldiers in “holy water” and “magic powder” which he claimed would repel the bullets fired by their enemies and guarantee protection against death or injury while on the battle front.

By coincidence, Joseph Kony's cousin ran a military movement against the Government in the 80s with the same cult like ideology. Alice Lakwena ran a short lived military campaign against the Government that swept across parts

Blind faith and propaganda can achieve much. Words of a goddess with direct access to God and fighters immune to bullets quickly reached the front lines where Government troops were waiting, most dropped their weapons and ran. Ms Lakwena warriors fought with stones and catapults, they took Jinja, the second biggest city in Uganda at the time and helped themselves to weapons at the armoury at Gadaffi Barracks, which had long been deserted by soldiers fleeing her movement.

Few of her soldiers knew how to fire rifles, so they marched on to the capital Kampala with stones and catapults.

As Alice Lakwena and her fighters approached the capital, her movement hit a bump.

One military commander had completely refused to listen to the wild stories of a goddess and her supernatural powers and ordered his reluctant soldiers to fire. Alice Lakwena retreated with heavy losses and causalities. Her dream of overthrowing the Government was over. Joseph Kony, her cousin, took over from there. (It is unknown whether

the two had fought alongside each other in Lakwena's movement). Joseph Kony and his army started off by displaying his wanton bloodshed and brutality amongst the very people he claimed to fight for.

Growing up in Uganda, whenever I heard the name Joseph Kony on radio, or saw his picture in the papers, I knew there was tragedy. His name simply became a metaphor for death, brutality and wanton bloodshed.

For over 20 years, his army killed and maimed hundreds of thousands (statistics vary widely), they torched people's property, school children were abducted and forcefully conscripted into his army, teenage girls were taken as sex slaves for Kony and his lieutenants.

He had over 13 “wives” and many children from different women and sex slaves. To Ugandans, he became the worst nightmare that would not go away.

His guerilla style fighting meant he could

slip into Uganda, kill, destroy, abduct children and then slip out of the country into neighbouring Sudan or Congo. His brutality became known all over Uganda and the neighbouring countries. (The Hollywood film, Machine Gun Preacher is based on Kony and the LRA).

Then around 2006, after a strong military campaign against him, his army was left depleted, he was run out of town. He fled to the dense jungles of Congo and has not been heard from ever since.

Even after he fled he remained infamous in Uganda and the neighbouring countries for his atrocities.

So when a video by Invisible Children, a charity aiming to make Joseph Kony “famous” surfaced over the past few weeks, it could have taken a number of people by surprise.

Though in the “KONY2012” a narrator briefly mentions that Kony is no longer active in Uganda, to casual viewers, and most are, it insinuates, perhaps deliberately that Kony is currently creating mayhem and havoc in Uganda.

The “make Kony famous” description too raises eyebrows.

Invisible Children “aims to make Kony famous by encouraging supporters to plaster US cities with his posters in order to ensure fight against LRA became an issue of interest in Washington.”

9/11: Ten years on

Amongst other things, Invisible Children maintain the video “will ensure funding for the 100 US military advisers sent to train African armies how to capture Kony.”

Yossi Mekelberg, Progamme Director, International Relations & Social Sciences, speaks to Hagai M. Segal, an award-winning academic, consultant and analyst, specialising in the Middle East and Asia, about how the world has changed.

Do you remember where you were on 9/11?

I was in a computer room at the London School of Economics.The person at the desk next to me thought it was funny when it first happened, believing it was a small airplane that had gone off course.When the second one hit the mood changed and everyone got up and left; there was an instinct to just get out of there, an instinct that said ‘I’m not sure I want to be in central London right now’. I think people realised very quickly the human consequences.

They do not explain further how the video would be linked to funding of the US military personnel. The charity will accept donations starting from $10 upwards. They are selling KONY bracelets for $10, KONY action kits for $30 and KONY t-shirts and other merchandise.

Joseph Kony has indeed become a “household” name and more as the charity intended, he has become both a business and a brand.

The video first raised eyebrows among its intended Western audience. “Look into the organisation's history, then tell me it's not a scam. The cause is good but the practices of the charity are flawed,” commented one US viewer on YouTube. “Invisible children has been condemned time and again.

As a registered not for profit charity, its finances are public. Last year, the organisation earned $8,676,614. Only 32 per cent went to direct services, with much of the rest going to staff salaries, travel and film production.

This is far from ideal and charity navigator rates their accountability 2 out of 4 stars because they haven't had their finances audited. It goes way deeper than that,” wrote another US YouTube viewer.

Meanwhile, the controversy reached Uganda. Government spokesman, Mr Fred Opolot thought the KONY2012 video was inaccurate. “It's totally misleading to suggest that the war is still in Uganda,” he said, in reference of the awareness video.

Grant Oyston, a graduate student in Nova Scotia, Canada joined the criticism.

After studying the charity's accounts and finances, he wrote on his blog visible children: “Invisible Children's accounts show it's a cash rich operation which more than tripled its income to $9 million in 2011, mainly from personal donations. Of this, nearly 25 per cent was spent on travel and film making. Most of the money raised was spent in the US. Accounts show $1.7 million went to US employee salaries,

$850,000 in film production costs, $244,000 in “professional services”- thought to be lobbyists. Nearly $400,000 was spent on offices in San Diego.”

It isn't surprising that Invisible Children has raised a storm of criticism. With the millions they have generated over the years, it shows that people really care about charitable causes and are willing to make donations. But at the same time, they want the money they donate to make a difference in the world, not to fund globe-trotting jet setters with fancy filming equipment, posh offices and Grand Jeep Cherokees.

Of course even people working for charity are entitled to earn a living but the financial model of Invisible Children is flawed. And it is not alone. There are a number of charities and not for profit organisations with the same financial model. It would be unfair if people lost trust in charities just because of a few questionable organisations.

The KONY2012 video has opened Pandora’s Box. After Invisible Children, other charities too will be scrutinised.

People will want to know how the money they donate is used.

Note: While there are charities across the world that spend irresponsibly and have a flawed code of practice, it is worth bearing in mind that there are many reputable charities with workers risking their lives daily to work in the most dangerous environments in the world and making a difference in other people's lives. Such people and charities should be applauded. A clear distinction should be made so they are not tarred with same brush. richbyarugaba

Invisible Children “aims to make Kony famous by encouraging supporters to plaster US cities with his posters in order to make the fight against LRA an issue of interest in Washington.”

Could you imagine at that time how the world would change?

The question today is whether the way in which they (the terrorists) have changed the game, we have managed, in the international community, to ensure that the change is for our benefit and not theirs. I think we come out pretty positively but of course there are areas where I think there is cause for concern and a lot of soul searching still needs to be done.

What are the main changes that you have seen?

One of the things Al-Qaeda forced us to do, by trying to take it away from us, was to close our own freedoms. And this I think is the essential paradigm that the West has struggled with. In order to stop them from doing what they want we have to do to it ourselves.We are forced to be less free, to be more vigilant, in a manner that we didn’t have to beforehand. Some would argue that it’s not necessarily a bad thing, that for societies to take responsibility, individuals need to play a role.The question is whether we have ended up compromising too much of who and what we are in order to achieve that aim and objective. I think that we also made the mistake of allowing our media to become a broadcast mechanism for Al-Qaeda.The reality is that their ability to hit us has decreased profoundly. If you look at casualties over the past few years by Al-Qaeda, if you exclude Afghanistan and Iraq, their capacity to actually kill people around the world, certainly in their key western targets, has diminished profoundly. And yet they continue to make the front pages, to be a constant part of our awareness and unconsciousness.

If you had to change some of these policies, what would you change?

The nature of the modern world and the nature of the societies which we seek to create; the more free they are, the more open they are to terrorist activities. If you never have security, then people can carry that axe. If you have very high security then they can’t, but that comes with consequences.The art is finding the balance. I think we made the mistake, first of all, in falling into Al-Qaeda’s game of saying it’s a culture clash of civilisations. It was all too readily accepted in many quarters that somehow they represented an entire constituency and that that constituency was fundamentally opposed to our systems and values. And that’s exactly what Al-Qaeda wanted.They wanted an ability to turn to Muslims in Britain and say you can’t be British and Muslim.You have to pick one or the other. Okay, your government has responded, you are either with us or against us.We finally recognised that and turned that around. If you look at the strategy in the UK as well as policy elsewhere, it took a long time, and it’s hardly perfect, but there has been more of a movement to recognition, ensuring that we have cohesive societies and that people within it feel a part of it.

How do you feel about the assassination of Bin Laden?

I think that the killing of Bin Laden is far more important for the West and America than it is for Al-Qaeda.The actual operational impact is not necessarily that significant. But psychologically, particularly as it came just before the tenth anniversary of 9/11, it was hugely important for the American psyche.The irony is actually that the biggest success of the operation from a counter-terrorism perspective is not the killing of Bin Laden but the treasure trove of intelligence that was captured in the compound. I don’t think it’s any coincidence (though it hasn’t yet been confirmed) that we have seen a significant number of killings and captures of Al Qaeda leaders since. I think it’s very obvious already that – in the short term – their leadership are staying very low, totally uncertain as to what the Americans found, what America knows and where America will next look. So actually the operation has had a huge impact, on America in particular, but also generally Western counter-terrorism operations.

We are preparing for the 2012 Olympics. Do you think we’re ready for it?

When it comes to good old-fashioned organised counter-terrorism we’re actually superb in this country. I think the riots have demonstrated that there’s actually less traditional threats and concerns out there that we’re less able to deal with.

As horrible as those events were, it gave us a real shock and a good ten months’ notice to address those issues, not only to recognise how they occurred and how they should be stopped but also to address the fundamental, underlying concerns that brought those people out. If this had happened two or three weeks before the Olympics it may have been a very embarrassing time for Britain. I think it’s been a shock, but one that will only benefit the operations and the general mood and attempt to create a celebration when this amazing event arrives in our city.

Theatre without theatres?

‘Welcome to the End of the World Rave!’ shouts the M.C. The atmosphere of a club: music blaring, packed to the gills and as the heat rises, tempers flare. The audience is witness to – and also participants in - the scene. Welcome to the world of site-based theatre. Welcome to Insight on Sites: “The Masque of the Red Death,” created this Spring by LSFMP’s BA Acting and Global Theatre students.

My first New Year’s Eve in London I have long been told that one thing you cannot miss when in London is the New Year’s Eve fireworks. I did not believe it until the night of 31 December, I was one of tens of thousands by the Thames River, for the 11-minute firework display to light up the London skyline.

To get a great view of the fireworks could mean several hours of waiting.

In my case, my friends and I arrived at about five o’clock in the afternoon, only to find that hundreds of “early birds” had already occupied the best locations.

I was pretty amused to find that some revelers brought food, drinks, chairs and even blankets. A New Year picnic!

By the time Big Ben stroke 9 o’clock, there was already tens of thousands of people around. Many came with their families and friends, singing and dancing to the music played by the BBC DJs. There were several helicopters flying around overhead, taking aerial photos. Whenever one of them came close, there was a burst of cheering and screaming from the excited crowds.

It was thirty seconds away from 2012. A huge electronic countdown appeared on the wall of the building beside the London Eye. “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1” people recorded the stunning fireworks with their cameras while shouting and greeting one another with “Happy New Year” The chimes of Big Ben at the stroke of midnight marked the coming of the New Year.

The fireworks display was among the best I had ever seen in my life.

Launched with the shape and colors of the Olympic Rings, it marked the start of a spectacular Olympic year.

I was amazed to find some fireworks were shot out of the capsules of the London Eye and Big Ben itself!

After the fireworks display, I called my family and friends in China. I greeted them with a ‘Happy NewYear’ and told them about the spectacular fireworks.We talked about our NewYear resolutions. For me, I have so much to do in 2012 – I would like to go on exploring London, to travel around Europe and to read tons of books.

At 1 o’clock in the morning. I followed the crowds to the underground. Along the way I saw people singing and dancing, sharing with each other the hope and joy 2012 had brought.

In Beijing, a new day had just begun.

So it was goodnight London and good morning, Beijing! Licong Liu

So what is site-based (sometimes called site-specific) performance – and why is it a rising phenomenon on the theatre scene? At a basic level, site-based performance is created for a specific place not normally used as a theatre. It draws upon the architecture, qualities and meanings found at/on a given site, be that a landscape, a city, a building or a room. It creates particular images, stories, and events inspired by this physical environment.

These can be the histories, memories and stories associated with the site.

Corridor’s Deep End (2005) was set in the Marshall Street Baths, just off Regent Street in London’s West End. Director Geraldine Page researched the histories of the public baths and swimming pools from its 1931 opening to the baths’ closure in 1993. She interviewed people who, as children, had revealed in the pools and, later, were clients at the mother and baby clinic. In this case, site-based performance articulates the voices of a community for a wider audience.

Cultural critics refer to productions reflecting these deep-rooted concerns as site-specific, insofar as they respond to that particular locale and can only be performed in that site.

The associations with the site may be less firmly interlinked – in which case, it is more accurate to call such performances site-based, since the performance could be repeated in other, similar locations. The Offstage Theatre Company staged Amphibians (2011) in the Bridewell Theatre, unearthing the empty swimming pool beneath the theatre’s floor. The play, by Steve Waters, looked at the training and pressures affecting young swimmers preparing for the Olympics; but this

play could, conceivably, be staged at other venues with an available pool.

But what makes site-based performance so popular? In two words: immersion and interaction: the audience can participate in the overall theatrical experience, shaping the way in which we experience the performance and create meaning. Such was the case with Insight on Sites: “The Masque of the Red Death,” created for Regent’s College 2012 ArtSpace Festival. BA Acting and Global Theatre Year 1 students took the short story by Edgar Allen Poe, American master of Gothic horror, as the starting point for their piece. Using the Acland Lounge as their site, they transformed the space into evocative sensory environments, where the audience is invited to enter rooms, roam, and take part in the action.

Environments ranged from ballerinas in jewel boxes to a steamy nightclub to the lairs of the ‘Deadly Sins,’, where gluttony, pride, lust, and wrath held court, and closed with a grand masquerade ball where Death stalked unsuspecting revellers.

Here at the London School of Film, Media & Performance, we train our theatre students to become theatremakers. Students Gemma Carter and Hannah Harvey commented “What was really good was we were able to take our own ideas and put them into action.” Andrew McDermott remarked “We had the space to experiment what worked and what didn’t; it was a real learning experience.” Site-based performance encourages student designers to create an imagined world combining the art of the designer with the actor’s craft, and to create work, which engages the senses, as well as touch the heart. Dr.Valerie Kaneko-Lucas

Hip, hip, hooray! Regent’s Lions crowned 2012 double national polo champions for a third year running!

Regent’s Lions Polo Team have been crowned Indoors National Champions for the third year in a row at The Schools and University Polo Association (SUPA) in both the Beginners 1a and Novice 2 section which took place between the 9-12 February 2012 at The Rugby Polo in Rugby. The SUPA Nationals is a four-day tournament

with a knock out system meaning you have to win each match to go through to the next one, and so on to reach the final. Representing the Regent’s Lions in Beginner 1a was Ali Fattahi, Sabaya Verger and team captain Sara Hernmarck. For the novice team it was team captain Eline Berg Braathen, Hubert Van Berkel and Renee Fontaine.

Thursday The Beginners team faced some drama only two days before leaving for Nationals when one of the team members had to cancel and pull out of the competition

altogether. After a 6-0 win in their first chukka, no one could have guessed this was their first match together! Team trainer Phil Meadows, from Cool Hooves Polo was overwhelmed with the result.

Friday After some advice from Phil on how to step up their game, the team continued on a winning streak through both quarter and semi finals. Finals here we go!

Sunday – Final Day Both teams made it through to finals in their sections, first out was the

Regent’s Lions Regent’s Lions secure second in the mixed volleyball London Challenge Polo tournament team Go Mammoth League reach dizzy heights of second place but ...

2nd place is only half the story!

With a dedicated group of students who just wanted to play volleyball and have fun we were able to make huge strides in the Go Mammoth League.

However, we are irked by finishing second in the league given our form and the praise we were receiving from David Bevin, League Administrator from the Go Mammoth League, ‘By far the best mixed volleyball team in the Go Mammoth League’.

From left: André Heggli (ULU), Sara Hernmarck (RACL), Ali Fattahi (WGSL)

The end of the Webster term saw a number of key players leave the team in mid-October as they were on the Webster global programme and were required at the next scheduled Webster Campus. Plus an intense coursework and exam schedule meant players could not commit to the final 3 matches of the season, which dealt the team a serious blow. However, our final position was a reasonable reward and we look forward to a glorious future in mixed volleyball.

The successful national champions team fought their way through very tough competition to secure a second place in the Cool Hooves London Challenge, on the 24 March 2012. Sara and Ali teamed up with one of the University of London players André to form a team for this tournament.

Yet again this was the new trio’s first outing together. First chukka was won by 3-1, the second two chukkas ended in a draw of 2-2. This time the Lion’s were beaten by Royal Holloway University.

On Wednesday before the tournament the team went to the Gaucho Polo in the O2 to show their support for the

British Forces. And of course, enjoy some polo and get inspiration for the London Challenge.

All teams will be playing at the Summer National Championships the 2-5 June.

Save the date and come and support our teams. Stay tuned for more information closer to the date.

The Regent’s College Polo Club is always open to new members, even those who’ve never played or even been on a horse before. Drop an email to Renée fontainer@regents.ac.uk or Sara on s.hernmarck@gmail.com or catch any of the players for more info!

Lions Netball Team secure ‘Go Mammoth League’ 8th place The Lions Netball team started brightly with enthusiasm and talented individuals, but lacked squad numbers and had just enough players every week for match participation. The team

took a few games to acclimatise to the competitive level and needed the introduction of some senior Regent’s Netball players who have been playing competitive Netball for many years

to raise levels and spirits in the team.

Even though we didn’t win the league, we looked forward to the social drinks and food after each match at the trendy Chelsea bar.

Beginners team v Harper Adam University. The team really had to fight this chukka, the Harper Adams team was very skilful, a big rough and quick on the ball. That didn’t stop the Regent’s Lions from winning 2-0.

The Lions would like to thank Phil Meadows and coaching staff from Cool Hooves Polo at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club for all their fantastic support and for supplying superb ponies, as they are a central part of The Regent’s Lions Polo Clubs success.

Basketball success reaches new heights in Go Mammoth League. 1st place.

Playoffs – runners up

A successful season was had by the Regent’s Lion Men’s Basketball Team whose hard work in weekly training had paid off. Everyone feared playing against this team, even though the majority were no taller than 5’ 11’.

The combination of excellent gameplay and talent coupled with great team organisation from coach Kevin Badu meant the basketball team were a force to be reckoned with.

The basketball court always had a team of leaders when playing and when things went against the team there was always someone to raise their game and the teams.

The MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the team goes to Jesse Gibb, who was a great leader and team player.

However, for all the teams tenacity in their style of play they would be undone in the race for championship by the lack of height. In the final of the playoffs, the opposition had one player who was probably 7 foot tall and this proved decisive in the outcome The opposition had one tactic and that was to give it to the big guy up top. Despite struggling to defend against this tactic the team gave a great account of themselves in their first competitive league run and can be assured they will return ready to be even more competitive.

EuroMilan Futsal tournament.

Lion’s in for the Italian job but fail to ‘blow the bloody doors off’ This year The Regent’s Lions took part in the EuroMilan Futsal tournament, held in Italy. The event had students from all over Europe competing. and offered an exciting challenge for the men’s team.

Despite playing exceptionally well throughout the group matches, winning all five games, the team would succumb to the eventual tournament winners Bratislava in the first knockout stage.

The 2012 SESSA CUP Squad Abdulrahman Al-Hashemi, Preben S. Rasmussen, Yasin Akkanat, Fernando Jorge, Pablo Linares, Mishel Saidi, Mark Cargill Troell, Mikkel Sandvold, Ahmed Sabri Boudermine, Mathias Goemaere, Marouane Boudour, Michael Sammer, Michel Pirog, Omar Taher, Reza Vagharfard, Baida El Hoocine Thali, Gonzalo De La Rica, Rafael Fuentes Saez Coach Renee Fontaine Presentation of the SESSA 2012 Cup

Regent’s Lions rrrooaring to more silverware SESSA 2012 Cup Final It is said, “men lie, women lie and numbers don’t”. In relation to Regent’s Lions Men’s Football Team, this is very true.The team made it their 4th consecutive SESSA Cup Final in 4 years and collected a second winners trophy at the end of it.

Taking place at the Ford Sports Ground, Essex on March 28 the Lions met their opposition, Crossways College who were narrowly beaten by The Lions earlier in the SESSA League season at home 3-2 and were looking for revenge.

In addition to the men’s team, we had the female Lions competing. This was the first international female Regent’s team to compete abroad. Their competing in such a prestigious event is testimony to the progression made by the Regent’s Sports teams in recent years.

The final was as tight and tense affair as the previous league encounter.The Regent’s Lions though narrowly won when a well struck volley from Michel Pirog (EBSL) from the edge of the box hit the back of the net.The Lions dominated much of the match but lacked the killer instinct to finish off Crossways College.

All of the hard work done on the training field paid off in their first game, running out as 3-1 winners, but unfortunately they lost the remaining games and failed beyond the group stage.

Many positives were taken from the tournament and we will return next year, looking to improve on an excellent performance. We will also be returning to compete in the volleyball and basketball competitions that take place at the same event, even more opportunity for sporting achievement With all this football going on though you might think there was time for little else! Thankfully we did a little sightseeing finishing off at the San Siro, home to Inter Milan where we saw the mighty Italians playing on home turf.

Pictures from the EuroMilan Futsal tournament

The Leiden Webster European Football With the stunning win from the SESSA Cup Final only 72 hours earlier there was an urgency for momentum and consistency to be carried over into the Webster London team travelling to the Netherlands for the Leiden Webster European Football Tournament.

Comprised of Regent’s Lions Football players they were keen to add more bling to their already impressive haul.

After winning the Webster European Trophy, Geneva 2008, in style, the Webster London teams have always been feared and in 2012 this was no different.

Fear was in evidence as the Webster Leiden campus attempted to sabotage our tournament. Their first attempt was to deduct 3 points pre-tournament.

Their second attempt was more conventional as they fixed the group stages so that we met all best teams first!

When this failed to impact on our play they stated that the tournament would be played on astroturf when in reality the playing surface was grass, meaning that the whole team needed to be fitted with new football boots on the morning of the tournament. However, with the tenacious pitch-side support of Bill Lynch (Webster

London Director), all drama was put behind us and we were able to get on with the serious business of football.

The Webster London team were defeated just once. The reverse came in a match against a strong Geneva team who caught London cold in their first game.

Geneva were eventually knocked out by a very strategic Leiden team who joined London in the final.

The final enjoyed the drama of a fightback as London went behind 1-0 but fought back to a stunning 3-1 win and the prestigious trophy returned to Webster London.

In addition to the main prize London took home trophies for Best Offence as well as MVP of the tournament which was awarded to Mark Cargill Troell, instrumental to the team’s success.

Webster London Team Michael Levy,Benjamin Backstrom, Ahmed Sabri Boudermine, Baida Ahmed-Ali Baida, Marouane Boudour, Sultan AlSaud, Renee Rens Fontaine