Issue 4 (February 2015)

WessexScene.co.uk

University of Southampton’s Student Magazine

FEBRUARY 2015

4

The final trigger Gun crime in the USA PAGE 28

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COALITION COMBINATIONS 12 Who will run the country in 2015?

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF SPACEFLIGHT 16 How far we’ve gone and what the future holds

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BEYOND THE CLICHÉS 35 Valentine’s Day done properly

Welcome

TAHLIE COOPER Editor

editor@soton.ac.uk FRONT COVER BY SAMMIE BURSTOW

WESSEX SCENE TEAM Want to write for us?

Get in touch with a section editor.

Editor Tahlie Cooper editor@soton.ac.uk

Deputy Editor Kerry Sclater

deputy-editor@wessexscene.co.uk

Head of Design Sam Bailey

design@wessexscene.co.uk

Image Editor Jess Cox

image@wessexscene.co.uk

Features Shaun Harvey & Hebe Neate-Clegg features@wessexscene.co.uk

Science and Environment Jennifer Allerton science@wessexscene.co.uk

Politics Bridie Pearson-Jones

politics@wessexscene.co.uk

Winchester Kalisto Bancroft

winchester@wessexscene.co.uk

Opinion Isabella Hunter-Fajardo opinion@wessexscene.co.uk

Travel Anna Jenkins

travel@wessexscene.co.uk

Lifestyle Laura Cox

lifestyle@wessexscene.co.uk

International ROSY HOWELL

hAPPY BELATED 2015!

This is our first issue of 2015 and we’re excited to carry on sharing our content and experiences with our readers.

Firstly, I shall begin with some fantastic news for the Wessex Scene, The Edge and the whole of the university. We are very pleased to announce that we will be hosting the Student Publication Association National Conference 2015, also known as, pun intended, SPANC 15!

To give you an idea of what this suggestive abbreviation may mean, we are hosting a national conference that brings together student publications from across the country. We as a national body, will be having high profile guest speakers and workshops to help us expand out journalistic horizons – along with a fancy awards night on the Saturday just for good measure.

This has already brought a fantastic start to the year for us, and we hope to prolong the excitement for as long as possible.

Next week marks our first collaborative issue, in which the Wessex Scene, The Edge and SUSU LGBT Society and the SUSU Equality & Diversity Committee have come together to produce a special magazine for LGBT History Month. Out next week, this issue will cover a variety of topics surrounding LGBT life, including a film review of The Imitation Game, an exploration of being LGBT in a boarding school and personal stories told

by Southampton students.

Now, back to this issue! We’ve kicked this year off with a mixed bag of content to treat everyone. Our newest features exec, Tom Morgan, sums up Semester 1 for us nicely, meanwhile our science section gives us a brief history of spaceflight and a sneak peak at Oxytocin, the body’s very own love potion in celebration of Valentine’s Day. And so I shall leave you to read through what the team have been working hard to put together for you this month. Sit back, relax, and enjoy.

Editor out!

international@wessexscene.co.uk

Sport Ross Wilson & Jack Pethick sports@wessexscene.co.uk

News Emma Cheshire & Chloe Fabregas news@wessexscene.co.uk

Pause Aidan Pittman

pause@wessexscene.co.uk

MARKETING Corinne Dugdale

publicity@wessexscene.co.uk

Editor-in-Chief Megan Downing vpdci@susu.org 02

WELCOME

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT 16 A Brief History of Spaceflight - Jennifer Allerton. Image by Alexander Mavronicholas

ISSUE 4 FEBRUARY 2015

FEATURES

FIVE THINGS I LEARNT FROM SEMESTER 1

LIFESTYLE

06

OPINION

SINGING FOR THE SAKE OF IT

THE DOS AND DON’TS OF SPRING BEAUTY

ALTERNATIVE VALENTINE’S DAY DATES 22 08

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & PARSNIP SOUP

THE REAL INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS 10

WINCHESTER

POLITICS

LEGENDARY WINCHESTER: KING ARTHUR’S ROUND TABLE

WHO WILL RUN THE COUNTRY IN 2015? 12 NEW YEAR, NEW POLITICS?

20

14

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

OXYTOCIN, YOUR BODY’S OWN LOVE POTION

15

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SPACEFLIGHT

16

TRAVEL

TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GO ON 18 THE NEXT UNI SKI TRIP

24 26

INTERNATIONAL

THE FINAL TRIGGER: GUN CRIME IN THE USA

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WILL THE US AND CUBA EVER SEE EYE TO EYE?

30

SPORT

CAN SOUTHAMPTON STILL MAKE THE TOP FOUR

32

SPAIN IN CRISIS

34

PAUSE

VALENTINE’S DAY DONE PROPERLY

35

wessexscene.co.uk @wessexscene fb.com/wscene WELCOME

03

K TH I N CAN U O Y BETTERS DO AN TH I TH GU Y ?

Feeling Creative?

A Budding Poet?

The Wessex Scene haS a challenge for you!

First Years Tell us about Freshers! Did you make the full fourteen nights of Freshers?

Second Years Still making it to every Jesters Monday? With complicated bills to pay and no cleaner, are you pining for Halls again?

Third Years How are you coping with the stress of graduation?

Can’t we just stay at university forever?!

The best entries will be published in next month’s magazine but all entries will make it online. Top prizes will include vouchers for SUSU eateries. As for T&Cs, namedropping could offend, so please change names in entries.

.uk Send entries to publicity@wessexscene.co Show off your writing talent or to just simply relive some of your best university moments. So what are you waiting for? Get writing!

LGBT HISTORY MONTH 2015

WHAT’S GOING ON? LGBT HISTORY MONTH LAUNCH PARTY Wednesday 11th February - 8pm, The Bridge

Join us in The Bridge for the launch of our LGBT History Month magazine, musical performances and a free drink for the first 60 people to arrive.

FREE SCREENING OF PRIDE Sunday 15th February - 5pm, Union Films

The critically acclaimed film inspired by the true story of lesbian and gay activists in London raising money for families affected by the miners’ strikes.

JOIN THE RAINBOW! Tuesday 17th February - SUSU Concourse Come and add your handprint to our LGBT rainbow!

OTHER EVENTS

FILM SCREENING - BEAUTIFUL THING Sunday 1st February - 7pm, 58/1007 FILM SCREENING - ROMEOS Thursday 5th February - 7pm, 58/1007 SOUTHAMPTON STONEWALL LECTURE Wednesday 11th February - 6pm, Avenue Campus L/T A FILM SCREENING - ANATOMY OF A LOVE SEEN Thursday 19th February - 7pm, 58/1007 FILM SCREENING - FRIDA Thursday 26th February - 7pm, 58/1007

Pick up your free copy of the special LGBT History Month magazine from around SUSU or at one of the events! #SUSULGBT

FIVE THINGS I LEARNT FROM SEMESTER ONE Tom Morgan

I

IMAGES BY BETH FROST

’ve seen the future - and the future is intensive study. Or at least, that’s what the third years tell me.

Skulking behind the bookshelves between Freud and insentience, there’s always an older student telling you to ‘enjoy first year because dissertations are the devil’s work’. Although that warning is probably worth heeding, the transition from a glorious summer to cold, unrelenting independence can sometimes obscure the definition of ‘enjoyment’. In a world where moderation is considered a rarity, are there guidelines for first years to work, eat and prosper without breaking down and subscribing to Netflix?

In the words of Duke Dumont, I got u. Or at least, I know which mistakes I made. Here are the five top things I learned in my first semester.

1

1st year actually matters

Let’s get the logical thinking out of the way first. First year IS important. It’s the stuff of folklore I know, but it may not be for the reasons you think. Freshers have a lot more free time than we realise; one of my closest friends has begun referring to her contact hours as ‘days on’ because her course has about six a month. Use this time wisely. Networking is a vastly underrated concept and it’s always worth going out and making an effort. Contacts are the currency of business (so my economically gifted friends tell me) so think about making some calls, sending some emails and trying to give yourself a foot up for the internship hunt. What about that CV you wrote in 2009? The game has changed a little bit since then.

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2

Pints aren’t a prerequisite

I’ll just come out and say it – you don’t need to drink to have fun at university. Although the drunken discovery of a new underground nightclub is to be applauded, boozy ‘big ones’ aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. It is very easy to forget that. For most people, university is a little bit different from their life at home; hurling abuse at someone for ‘not going hard enough’ is just not cool. Removing alcohol from the agenda may stop you from setting foot in Jesters (not a bad thing if you want my opinion) but there is a lot to be appreciated from a sober perspective. A relaxing dinner, a pilgrimage to Sprinkles or a spontaneous trip to the theatre are all pretty good alternatives.

FEATURES

Features

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Battle the body clock

The most obvious change for many students is the tangential shift in our body clocks. All of a sudden, 10pm is fine dining time while 2am is the comedown period after cracking what amounted to 150 words of an introduction. There’s very little we can do to resist this; exercising will help to tire you out but I’ve found that this doesn’t necessarily equate to an earlier bedtime. It is best to just try and embrace the change because clubbing, studying, eating or whatever it is you find yourself doing in the early hours of a Tuesday morning will likely throw you off your body clock reset.

5

Lad culture really is pointless

You’re probably reading this article and placing bets on whether or not I’ve actually ever seen a girl before. I’ve never really been what you’d describe as a ‘lad’ and pretty much everyone I know would stand tribute to that – some more vehemently than others. Before I came to university, the rise of this sub-culture had me more than a little concerned; indecent sexism and a plain lack of respect for anything more sophisticated than Stella Artois wasn’t something I expected to find in an academic arena. From my perspective, the movement is fading fast amidst increased media scrutiny and that is something that we should all be thankful for.

4

Routines are remedies

Thankfully, there are ways to adjust. In order to avoid staring blankly into space for any length of time, a routine is, and will continue to be, one of the great repellents for idleness. Like any good councillor will tell you, having something to look forward to will help deal with the trials and tribulations of everyday life. It’s remarkable how attractive that Asda readymeal can become if you know it is part of the bigger picture – or, in less dramatic terms, a routine.

FEATURES

At the end of the day, my experience falls within the parameters of my own vision. The first semester of university is a challenging but rewarding one, while the search for second year housing is an appropriate way to mark the advent of the second semester. Enjoy 2015, drink in moderation, eat to excess and watch your bank balance because you can be sure it won’t be watching you.

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08

B

ut why, throughout the rest of the year, do we have such an aversion to communal singing and why do we treat the songs that connect us with our past with such suspicion?

Whatever the reasons, it’s time to start singing together again, in tune or otherwise.

In the UK (particularly in England), there is a big problem with our attitude towards singing. Far too often kids are told that they cannot sing, usually by parents and guardians who have grown tired of off key renditions of ‘Hit me baby one more time’. Some go even further and tell said child to stop singing or they will indeed be hit one more time: by their ‘baby’ or otherwise. The problem with this is that it unfortunately ingrains in children, at a very early age, that the idea of singing is only a worthwhile pursuit if Simon Cowell doesn’t tell you to ‘Piss off!’

Now I totally disagree with this notion, not only because singing in young children can encourage their imaginations and confidence to grow (shown by both anecdotal and empirical evidence), but also because I find the idea of being told to ‘Piss off!’ by Simon Cowell an immensely enjoyable one.

IMAGE BY PAIGE NICHOLAS

Christmas has long been and gone (sorry to break this news to anyone) and with it, so has the sound of people singing carols together simply for enjoyment. By Aidan Pittman

A LOST TRADITION?

SINGING FOR THE SAKE OF IT

Opinion

Of course anyone within a good 5 mile radius of Jesters on a Friday night may safely conclude that we haven’t lost our love of singing for the sake of it, even if it does require alcohol lubrication to prise it out of us. However, it does seem that our enthusiasm to sing with other people could be well spent elsewhere. This is not a snobbish judgement on music choice (I will belt out ‘Let it Go’ as much as the next slightly inebriated person) but I do find that communal recitals of gems such as “These girls ain’t loyal” and “Rack rack city bitch”, leave much to be emotionally desired.

I happen to be an unabashed lover and advocate of folk music and yep… there goes the sound of people hurriedly flicking to a different page, anything to escape this article. No it’s fine, I’ll wait… panic over?

Yes, it seems just the mere use of words such as ‘folk’ or ‘traditional music’ creates immediate wariness and even disdain amongst a large proportion of people. If it ever comes up in conversation, which does occasionally happen (although I must stress I OPINION

Opinion

don’t make it my opening gambit. I usually just comment on the weather or foreign policy, like a normal person), then I’m often treated to a tirade of scepticism of how ‘traditional’ just means ‘stuck in the past’, ‘boring’ and ‘unimaginative’. This is of course, I would rebuff, complete rubbish. The beautiful thing about the folk music tradition is its very nature of not being stuck, instead it constantly evolves. Each song adapts, as it is passed from person to person, gaining verses, modernising and even being sung to a different tune. As for ‘boring’ and ‘unimaginative’; almost every great modern work of literature from Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter, The Narnia books to A Clockwork Orange are indebted to folklore and folk songs from a host of different cultures, and thereby become part of the evolution process themselves. In fact, at their best, folk songs are essentially a series of mini-episodes of Game of Thrones, with enough blood, sex and murder to accuse George R.R. Martin of being guilty of copyright infringement.

But since folk music is still at heart a word of mouth tradition, our reluctance towards non-nightclub based communal singing means that these songs are starting to disappear, these songs that are wonderful melting pots of different cultures and hold our history and identity. After all, without these songs, there would be no Robin Hood who is first referred to in ballad form (which I guess would also mean no Kevin Costner Robin Hood either, so swings and roundabouts I suppose). But if these songs are left unsung and do eventually OPINION

disappear, what will we be left with? Rule Bloody Britannia, that’s what, which just gets more sickeningly jingoistic from note to note and I can’t think of anything worse than that to represent our past and identity.

Therefore, the worst thing to do to these songs is not sing them. Just ask Jake Bugg, Frank Turner and Bellowhead, who take some of these songs, put their own spin on them and then introduce them to a wider audience, to great acclaim. There is no intellectual property attached to the songs themselves, no multimillion pound record deals or lawyers treating songs as goldmines. Instead, they are songs of the people (after all that’s what ‘folk’ means) and if we lose these songs, we not only lose part of our identity and culture but we cave in to the bland, the corporate and the one dimensional and then, in the words of Chumbawamba, “The Boy Bands have won.”

So yes Christmas may be over but why should it be the only time when communal singing is socially acceptable? Many of you may have found yourself carolling in the streets, churches and pubs around the country and if you happened to find the experience an enjoyable one, you might find yourself thinking… “Yeah, that was fun!”… “Why don’t we do it more often?”… “I’ve heard the other songs replace Jesus with tonnes of sex and blood!”

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THE REAL INTERNATIONAL TERRORISTS On the 9th of December, the US Senate released a report into the interrogation techniques practiced by the CIA in the aftermath of 9/11 and through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. By Chris Wright IMAGE BY CHARLOTTE SCARROW

P

articular attention in the $40 million investigation was lavished on the secretive COBALT detention centre. The ‘techniques’ employed here range from unnecessary rectal feeding of detainees, leading to one sustaining ‘anal fissures’, to being forced to sit naked in cold concrete cells, with at least one confirmed death from hypothermia.

I will spare you any further details of the physical and mental torture that detainees of the COBALT prison – and others – were put through. It makes for grim reading. Bear in mind, of course, that these people were suspects. Not one had been convicted of any crime, and many (the CIA puts a ‘conservative estimate’ at 22%) weren’t even supposed to have been there according to the CIA’s own guidelines. Yes – the guidelines of an organisation which sees waterboarding, enforced sleep deprivation and threats to kill detainees’ wives and children as legitimate interrogation tactics. When even this lot think imprisoning someone is a step too far, but it happens anyway, we need to be very, very worried.

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Discussion about the futility and the dangers of Bush and Blair’s ‘War on Terror’ abounds – I’ve written on the subject myself. But these new revelations go beyond anything else we’ve seen. This report is set against the backdrop of the continued Western military presence in Middle Eastern and North African countries, the leviathan surveillance state and the still-extant Guantanamo Bay detention centre. We must open our eyes to the true lengths that the US and UK governments are willing to go to in their zealous crusade against the ‘terror’ they themselves created.

And yes, I say US and UK governments. The Senate report also shows quite clearly that – along with a number of other supposedly ‘liberal‘ democracies – the UK has been fully cooperating with and assisting in the mass torture and systematic human rights abuses perpetrated by the CIA. Other culprits include Germany, Italy, Poland, Australia, Denmark… the list goes on. The CIA have now come clean – when will MI6 follow?

Returning to the Americans, the CIA misled US government officials, lied to the White House and fed misinformation to the press. To date, not one CIA employee has been prosecuted or even reprimanded so far as we can tell.

The brutal irony of the situation is this: if another country were perpetrating human rights abuses on this scale, the USA would probably use them as grounds to justify an invasion.

The thing is, they’d have a better case against themselves than they ever did against Iraq.

OPINION

ADVERT

Politics

WHO WILL RUN THE COUNTRY IN 2015?

T

he latest polls are showing a swing in favour of Labour, and given their slight advantage in the first past the post system, maybe we won’t have a hung parliament after all.

Judging by the latest polls, 18-24 year olds are likely to vote in favour of Labour (32%), closely followed by Greens (26%).

Conservatives come in third place (21%), followed by UKIP (15%), SNP and Plaid Cymru (3% combined) and the Lib Dems at only 3%.

The national polls are slightly different, according to the latest YouGov Data.

Labour – 34 Conservative – 31 UKIP – 14

Green – 8 Lib Dem – 7 SNP/Plaid Cymru – 5

Given current figures – the only two party coalitions which could form a majority would be Tory/Labour (65%), and it’s pretty likely pigs will fly before those two team up.

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In a few months Britain will head to the Ballots to decide the next five years of British government. If the polls are anything to go by, there will probably be a hung parliament. This could mean a minority government – but more likely than not, another coalition.

By Bridie Pearson-Jones IMAGE BY BETHANY WESTALL

So does this mean a minority government? A multi-party coalition?

Let’s not forget Britain’s first-past-the-post system. Given the electoral swing in Labour’s favour, Electoral Calculus predicts 340 seats to Labour, 256 to the Tories and 19 to Lib Dem, giving Labour a narrow majority of 15. So maybe not a hung parliament after all. Despite this, most pollsters are calling for UKIP, Green, SNP and Plaid Cymru to have more seats.

Of course, at this point in time it is just speculation, and various pollsters are offering different approval figures. These figures could change dramatically in the next few months, especially after the leaders’ debates – here are the Wessex Scene’s predictions on all the possible coalition combinations.

TORY + LIB DEM It’s pretty unlikely this will happen, as together they may not form a majority.

POLITICS

Politics If they do get enough votes, it’s more than plausible. It seems the current coalition’s senior politicians get on pretty well and wouldn’t be against entering a similar arrangement until 2020.

Of current Tory supporters, 31% would prefer a coalition with Lib Dems to any other party, if there were to be a hung parliament in 2015.

LABOUR + LIB DEM Ideologically these two parties aren’t too far apart, and most people believe Clegg is sneaky enough to switch sides. Of all the parties, they probably have the most similar policies.

On tax reform, they both want tax cuts for lower earners.

They both proposed raising a personal tax allowance and to re-introduce the 10p tax rate. Clegg has denounced the Tories’ marriage break and Ed Balls has also vowed to cut the tax. Lib Dem party president, Tim Farron, has been pretty vocal about reforming bedroom tax, and Miliband has announced that he would like to scrap it entirely.

Of the minority of voters Lib Dem have left, 36% have said they would prefer a coalition with the Tories to Labour, and 26% have said they would prefer Labour. Surprisingly, 13% stated they shouldn’t go into government at all, and should join the opposition.

Of all parties, Lib Dem are the favoured party of coalition from Labour voters, 32% stating they’d favour a partnership with Clegg and Co. to any other party. Despite this, there have been whispers in the senior levels of the Labour party that the PR of getting into bed with Clegg would look too bad, and thus never happen.

TORY + UKIP It’s unlikely, but by no means impossible that the two of these will form a majority. Cameron’s guaranteed an EU referendum, and UKIP are popular with the very right-wing Euro-sceptic end of Cameron’s party. Nearly a third of Conservative voters would prefer their party to form a coalition with Nigel Farage’s party rather than any other.

TORY + UKIP + DUP Nigel Dodds, the leader of the current eight DUP MPs was recently described as ‘the most popular man in Westminster’.

Reports have suggested both Cameron and Miliband have been trying to get into Dodd’s good books, but in terms of policy – the Tories would be a better fit.

POLITICS

LABOUR + LIB DEM + GREEN The Green party is growing massively in popularity and it’s pretty likely Caroline Lucas won’t be alone in parliament anymore. A lot of the Green parties policies aren’t far from Labour’s: a much higher minimum wage (£8 for Labour, £10 for Green), and an Energy price freeze notably. However, Labour would need to review their policy on Trident before any agreements were made.

LABOUR + GREEN + SNP + PLAID CYMRU Greens, SNP and Plaid Cymru recently held a joint press conference, announcing they would prop up a Labour minority government – on the condition they scrap trident.

The SNP are perhaps the biggest threat to Labour, with the potential to take up to 41 seats. The party have said they’d be willing to reach an agreement with Labour on the conditions of more devolved power to Scotland. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said: “The SNP would never prop up formally, informally or otherwise another Conservative government.”

Leanne Wood – the leader of Plaid Cymru, has also stated she would not work with the Conservative party, but are willing to strike up a deal with Labour under the right conditions.

Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Green Party stated that all three parties want to “get rid of this Tory Government” and the “disastrous inhumane policy of austerity”.

The minor left wing parties are not to be dismissed, their popularity is growing due to the growing disillusion with the main political parties – they could be seriously powerful as a combined force.

TORY + UKIP + LIB DEM While the Lib Dems and UKIP have very different views on Europe, a number of their policies – notably education – aren’t miles apart, and this combination is plausible. However, only 24% of UKIP supporters would want to enter a coalition with the Tories and only 8% would want to form government with the Lib Dems – compared to 13% who’d prefer Labour. 39% said they wouldn’t like to go into government at all.

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Politics

A

s the New Year firework smoke settled, for the majority of the population it signified the beginning of the end of a night of embarrassing alcohol fuelled antics coupled with ridiculous sentiments about this year being “your year” , with a #NewYearNewMe tweet to match.

But for the politicians of Britain, the start of 2015 marks the beginning of the build-up to the General Election.

2014 was undoubtedly a dynamic year for politics. Predictably, the economy continues to remain at the forefront of political discussion but was joined by other issues such as the rise in popularity of UKIP, and the questions of national identity and devolution being brought to fore by the Scottish independence referendum. All of these have made British politics an interesting arena in the period leading up to the next election.

As 2014 has disappeared into the past, so did too, the penultimate year for the Cameron premiership. It is at this point that the government is forced by the age-old cross-party

agreement into a period of purdah, whereby legislative action is wound down to allow an easier transition beyond the 7th of May. From this point on the parties stop doing and begin telling, as the campaigning season picks up pace.

It seems counter intuitive in a democratic nation such as our own that the population has few real opportunities to express their will. The greatest opportunity for the population to do this is in a general election. The ability to alter the country’s future lies solely at the hands of the electorate.

All of the key issues of the last five years: the European Union, English devolution, reform of the electoral system, student loans, austerity, new runways, the NHS, repeated failure of the inquiry into historic sex abuse and the mansion tax will all be addressed by the decision of the people on the 7th of May. 2014 may have been a dynamic year of ideas in British politics but 2015 is likely to become a pivotal and necessary year of action following the outcome of the 2015 general election.

New Year, New Politics?

A year of change for UK politics Samuel Williams IMAGE BY SAMMIE BURSTOW 14

POLITICS

Science and Environment is not swayed by her partner respectably sticking a bottle up his nose moments before intercourse.

But is oxytocin an actual cause of love and affection, or does this love only stretch as far as humans loving the opportunity to jump on the band wagon of a hormone hype?

Shelley Taylor of the University of California, Los Angeles states: “It’s never a good idea to map a psychological profile onto a hormone; they don’t have psychological profiles.”

Although oxytocin is not completely understood, it has many proven health benefits. It is thought to be able to reduce anxiety, drug addictions, mental illness and promote deeper sleep as well as improving and solidifying relationships. It also just makes you feel good. Happiness is an important ingredient to health that doctors often forget to mention.

OXYTOCIN YOUR BODY’S OWN LOVE POTION TRINA DAVIES

IMAGE BY HOLLY LAWSON

‘L

ove is just a chemical’ is not just a cynical statement preached by soulless non-believers against anything mushy. Feelings of love have scientifically been shown to be related to the combined effect of many increased hormones (which then float your brain on a pink fluffy cloud of sickly gifts and expensive restaurant bills).

Among these chemicals is the hormone oxytocin, which has earned itself a hearty reputation in popular science. Oxytocin is a hormone released by the pituitary gland, which acts as a powerful neurotransmitter in the brain.

Its love inducing effect has been so widely celebrated that oxytocin nasal sprays are available which according to research cause men to be more emotionally aroused, suggesting also that male sexual performance and libido increase after using the spray. The nasal spray has even been said to control nervous system activity during arguments in relationships, indicating conflicts can be subdued by the good old fashioned hippy notions of peace and love. This is all good news for couples and divorce statistics, provided the participating females own libido SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

So how do you try it for yourself and get all drugged up on this infamous love hormone? Oxytocin has been shown to increase in levels from the slightest positive contact with another human, even just from shaking hands or looking and thinking about someone. If you are without love this Valentines day do not fear, as research shows oxytocin is by no means restricted to romantic relationships. Oxytocin levels have been shown to increase by 47% just from watching an emotionally compelling film so even the unloved and alone can get their fix. Even singing karaoke is shown to increase levels of the hormone.

Paul Zak, an expert in the relatively recent field of neuroeconomics, also known as ‘Dr Love’, states the molecule can be released by hugging and has held mass hugging events in New York where strangers are encouraged to hug each other.

He claims oxytocin stems from an evolutionary mission to help people work together as a society, and that it can even be good for business.

Scientists used to identify oxytocin predominantly as a means of mother and child bonding, with increased levels shown during breast feeding and the actual child birth itself. Perhaps when you hear screams from the labour ward, they are in fact from an overwhelming feeling of love, not the pain of producing a human.

So see if you can boost up your oxytocin levels this Valentines day. Overcome your English instincts to not touch or look at anyone and give love a chance.

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IMAGE BY ALEXANDER MAVRONICHOLAS

2014 was an exciting year for space travel.

We look at the story of spaceflight so far, and where it’s going next…

Jennifer Allerton

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SPACEFLIGHT

Science and Environment

I

t was the beginning of the 20th century when Soviet scientist Konstantin Tsiolkovsky wrote his book The Exploration of Cosmic Space by means of Reaction Devices, but it wasn’t until the 1920s that “rocket science” – in the interplanetary sense – became a serious school of engineering, when his follower, American Robert Goddard, published a paper demonstrating a method of fuelling rockets that would provide enough power for reaching space to become a real possibility. It was in 1944, with the German V-2 rocket, that the first man-made craft reached space, at 108.5 miles.

Though this is an unfortunate place for our beginnings to have been carved, space exploration and science has led to widespread international collaboration. After World War 2 came the Cold War, and the Space Race. In 1975, whilst tensions were lulled somewhat, Soviet cosmonauts and American astronauts worked together in history’s first international manned spaceflight. An Apollo spacecraft and a Russian Soyuz met in low Earth orbit and docked, while the crews spent two days performing experiments.

The Russians took the early lead in the space race. In 1957, the USSR successfully launched the first man made satellite into orbit around the Earth. Sputnik 1 broadcast radio pulses from its antennae, which could be detected from the Earth. It may not seem like much, but scientists were able to obtain valuable data on the upper atmosphere and beyond from the drag on the satellite, and the propagation of the radio waves. They also claimed victory with the first person ever to go to space, cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, in 1961. The Vostok 1 craft made one complete Earth orbit, and the flight lasted 108 minutes. On landing, Gagarin was ejected from his reentry craft and landed softly by parachute.

We were also curious about the other worlds around us, and naturally also explored them, starting with our closest neighbour and Earth’s natural satellite, the Moon. Again it was Russia who made the first contact, in September 1959, when the Luna 2 probe made impact on the Moon’s surface. It was followed less than a month later by Luna 3, which went to the far side of the moon and sent back pictures which are still iconic today. These missions, of course, were followed by many more, including rovers and the missions carrying the 12 Apollo astronauts who walked on the moon.

In the 1970s we got around to visiting our farther-off neighbours, the gas giants. Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, launched in September and August 1977 respectively, made use of a SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

rare planetary alignment and used Jupiter’s large gravity to assist their flights. Voyager 2 took a slower path and visited all four of the outer planets, while Voyager 1 performed flybys of Jupiter (in 1979) and Saturn (in 1980) then went on to travel out of the Solar System and into interstellar space. One of the most memorable features of the Voyagers are the gold discs they each have attached, holding information about Earth and its inhabitants, a collection of sounds and music, and a depiction of where we are in the galaxy. We have since sent orbiter missions to both Jupiter and Saturn: Galileo launched in 1989 and reached Jupiter in 1995, giving us extensive data on Jupiter’s atmosphere, magnetic field, and inner moons, and Cassini-Huygens launched in 1997, arriving at its destination in 2004 and having so far put in ten good years on the clock, including discovering evidence for underground liquid water on Saturn’s moon Enceladus. To date, Voyager 2 is the only craft to have visited Uranus or Neptune.

Recent excitement over the Rosetta Philae lander on Comet 67P created a bigger ripple among the public and general media than many astronomers and scientists expected. Some of the big space news to look out for in the future includes: 2015: Rosetta, Dawn, Hubble Rosetta hasn’t finished its mission yet; it will continue to stick with the comet through its closest approach to the sun, monitor the way it changes as it approaches. Dawn is the NASA craft that has been exploring the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and in March is headed to the dwarf planet Ceres, the largest object in the asteroid belt, containing about 1/3 of the mass. And of course, the Hubble telescope turns 25 in April! Happy Birthday Hubble!

2016: Juno The Juno spacecraft launched on August 5th 2011 and is expected to reach Jupiter in July 2016, when it will set itself in orbit, and then complete 33 orbits of Jupiter over the course of about a year before deorbiting and crashing into the planet. It will measure properties of Jupiter’s atmosphere, hopefully confirming or denying current planet formation theories, and map its magnetic and gravitational fields, to discover the deep structure of Jupiter.

2018: ExoMars A new Mars rover from the European Space Agency, this is very much a home-grown project, with EADS Astrium leading the engineering. ExoMars stands for Exobiology on Mars, and unsurprisingly it will be continuing our desperate search for signs that there might ever have been life on the red planet.

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TEN REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GO ON THE NEXT UNI SKI TRIP ANNA JENKINS

IMAGES BY CHESTER FRAMPTON & JORDAN STEWART

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The party starts on the bus

Picture a coach full of onesie-clad, sleep-deprived students singing along to various ABBA and S-Club hits while stuffing their faces with endless amounts of Haribo and mini cheddars and you’ve got the first party of the trip!

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Meeting new people

If you opt for lessons you will be thrown into a group of like-minded students and you might even be staying in accommodation with new people too. A ski trip is the perfect chance to meet a whole host of fun new people, and watching them face plant into a huge pile of snow is the perfect ice breaker!

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3

The parties

What could be better after an exhilarating run than downing a pint of beer? Join hundreds of others for music and booze at the bottom of the slopes. A quick change of outfit (cavegirl or penguin suit, it’s your choice) and you’re ready for the evenings shenanigans!

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Food, glorious food

French food is great at the best of times, but in vast quantities with a view like no other, it’s like heaven! Try a huge plate of gnocci or a steaming bowl of chilli to fill you up. And because you’re constantly exercising (even walking to the lift in skis is effort) you simply can’t feel guilty about inhaling such a gargantuan amount.

TRAVEL

Travel

5

Incredible vistas

The ski lift gives you a chance to get above it all and have a look at the magnificent views which really will take your breath away. Snow-capped peaks, icy rivers, blue skies and mountain towns make for picture-perfect panoramas.

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The skiing

More than just the ultimate hangover cure, getting out on the slopes is so much fun. The buzz you get from skiing is like nothing else!

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84mm x 50mm Skiing/party/food

It’s cheap!

It may not seem it on a meagre student budget, but you’ll never get a ski trip this cheap again. A summer job or an early Christmas present is all it could take to earn enough to make the trip feasible, and making packed lunches, buying drinks from supermarkets and booking your kit in advance can cut down your prices even more!

8

You will get better!

Because you are skiing the whole time, you will really see a change by the end of the trip. Even if you are a seasoned skier, you’ll feel an improvement, and it will leave you with a great sense of achievement.

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Lots to do!

From sledging and tubing to exploring the town and going to a spa, there’s so much more to do than skiing. What could be better than sitting in a jacuzzi, enjoying the view and relaxing after a few days of hard skiing? So if you fancy a day off the slopes, research other activities at your chosen destination.

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84mm x 68mm Skiing/party/food

TRAVEL

The memories!

As cheesy as it sounds, you are never going to forget this kind of trip. Not just because of those Go-Pro slope selfies, but also those moments that didn’t get captured on camera; the time you saw someone throw up into their own cowboy hat or when you did that accidental (and incredibly awesome) ski jump, but no one saw. These moments, whether you’re proud of them or not, will leave you with stories to tell for the rest of your life!

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Lifestyle

THE DOS AND DON’TS OF SPRING BEAUTY It may still be cold and grey outside but spring IS on it’s way! It’s the perfect time to update your beauty look and try out some of the High Street’s best beauty products.

LAURA COX

IMAGE BY SOPHIE EDGERLEY

DO: SCRUB AWAY!

As we already know, winter weather can play havoc with your skin. Both central heating and icy weather can leave your complexion looking dull. Try an exfoliating scrub, like this one from Superdrug. Infused with Vitamin E, it helps to shift dead skin cells to reveal smoother, soft skin. It’s also priced at a student friendly £2.99

DON’T: FORGET THE SPF!

Look out for a moisturiser which contains SPF to shield your skin from all kinds of weather related damaged. It’s important to wear SPF everyday (yes, even when it’s grey outside!) but even more so when the sun finally emerges. This moisturiser from Simple is great for all skin types, including sensitive skin, and protects skin from UVA and UVB rays. It’s got all the credentials of popular high end products but can be purchased at Boots for only £3.99. Your skin will thank you!

DO: PRIME YOUR SKIN.

Maybelline has launched its own pore-refining primer. Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser works to smooth the skin and reduce the visibility of pores. It helps to keep your make-up in place all day and has a lightweight feel, perfect for sunny spring days!

DON’T: BE AFRAID TO TRY A NEW LOOK THIS SEASON!

If you’ve always played it safe with your look it’s time to try something new. You don’t have to go overboard and spend a lot on new products – the High Street brands have everything you need. Try out a subtle take on the classic smokey eye for the daytime using an MUA palette.

They’re similar to the best selling Urban Decay Naked palettes but cost a fraction of the price at just £4!

The key to keeping your look daytimeappropriate? The colours you pick!

While shades of grey and black are best for a night out, stick to subtle cream and bronze shades for a fresh take on your everyday makeup.

Following in the footsteps of brands such as Benefit and Smashbox,

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LIFESTYLE

ADVERT

ALTERNATIVE VALENTINE’S DAY DATES

If you’d rather try something new than go to a restaurant crowded with couples for Valentine’s Day this year, then we’re here to help! And no, you don’t have to be in a relationship for these to work – show your love for your friends and head for a day out together! By Laura Cox IMAGE BY OWEN WEBB

1 THE NEW FOREST

Here in Southampton, we’re very lucky to be situated in the midst of (or a short train ride from) the beautiful Hampshire countryside. If a walk on the Common doesn’t quite cut it for you this Valentine’s Day, head to the station and catch a train to Brockenhurst instead.

You’ll be greeted by New Forest ponies and the beautiful forest itself. If you’re tired out after a woodland walk, head to one of the many tea rooms in the area for a break. Cute ponies along with tea and cake is always a good combination.

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2 THE BEACH AT BOURNEMOUTH

If the thought of a stroll through the forest doesn’t appeal to you, then why not head to Bournemouth Beach?

Stretching over seven miles, it’s one of the most popular beaches in the UK and is only a 30 minute train ride from Southampton. Keep things simple with fish and chips on the pier (weather permitting of course). In addition to the beach, Bournemouth is also home to many popular High Street shops and attractions including award winning parks and gardens.

3 DRY SLOPE SKIING

Located only a short distance from the university in Bassett is the Alpine Snowsports Centre. It’s guaranteed to be much more fun (and healthy) than a trip to the cinema. The centre offers dry slope skiing, donutting and snowboarding. It’s probably advisable to inform (or warn) your date about the nature of what you’ll be doing in advance of the big day as sensible clothes are required! The Alpine Snowsports centre can be found at Thornhill Road and will be open from 9am-6pm on Saturday the 14th of February.

LIFESTYLE

4 EXPLORE A NEW CITY

Get together with your date or friends and decide to visit somewhere none of you have ever been before. This is potentially risky if you know absolutely nothing about where you’re heading to, so pick a place that you’ve always wanted to visit but just haven’t got round to yet. CrossCountry Trains offer a useful guide to popular locations such as Bristol and Bournemouth, which can be accessed on its routes from Southampton Central. As cheesy as it may sound, you’ll get to know a place together and will create shared memories of your time there. Aww.

5 EXPLORE YOUR OWN CITY

This activity takes place in our very own Southampton with no need for a train! The city is steeped in history which, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, can sometimes be overlooked. Southampton is home to a vast number of listed buildings and ancient monuments which can be seen if you follow the Discover Southampton walk trail. You’ll pass the Tudor House, the Medieval Merchant’s House and the medieval Bargate building. Even if you’re not particularly interested in history, walking the walls is a great way to learn more about the heritage of the city and get to know the local area.

LIFESTYLE

6 DINING IN THE DARK

Although I’ve previously mentioned choosing an alternative to a restaurant date, this certainly isn’t your average dining experience! If you’ve seen 2013’s popular rom-com About Time (and if you haven’t, I would recommend that you do) then you’ll know that it features a restaurant in which diners are guaranteed a very unique experience. Dans Le Noir restaurant, located in Clerkenwell, London, is a restaurant in which guests eat in total darkness. Mobile phones must be stored in lockers and diners are aided by staff. The meal itself will be a surprise – instead of choosing a specific dish, guests are offered colour coded menus which correspond to a choice of meat, fish, vegetarian or ‘surprise’ dishes. The restaurant’s many positive reviews suggest that the removal of other distractions allows you to focus on your food (and your conversation with your guest). It’s a little pricey, although a student discount is offered, and the experience itself may not be for everyone, but it’s certain to be a meal you won’t forget!

WHICHEVER OPTION YOU DECIDE TO PICK, HAVE A HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

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Lifestyle

Butternut squash & parsnip soup The perfect winter warmer

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oup always used to be one of those things I’d never make from scratch, as it seemed time consuming, and not really worth it when you can get it so cheaply at the shops. But as soon as I started making soups I realised how easy it is. Although I really enjoy good food, I’m also an incredibly lazy cook, so this super easy recipe is perfect. You can watch an episode on Netflix whilst the veg roasts, and the actual preparation and cooking only takes about 15 minutes!

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HANNAH MYLREA IMAGE BY SOPHIE FELL

With parsnips and squash in season over the winter months, this is the perfect winter warmer as it gets colder and assignment deadlines loom closer.

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 6) 1 medium butternut squash 2 medium parsnips 1 onion (or 2 shallots) 600ml of vegetable stock 100ml of cream (or more!)

Olive oil 6tsp peach jam 1 large or 2 small peaches TO SEASON Salt, pepper and sage to taste

1. Peal and dice the butternut squash, onion and parsnips and drizzle with olive oil in a roasting dish.

2. Roast the vegetables for 40 minutes (or until the squash and parsnip are soft).

3. Put the vegetables in a large pan and add stock over a low heat. The squash and parsnip should be mushy and mix with the stock.

4. Use a hand blender to blend the rest of the mixture until smooth, but be careful of the hot mixture splashing back.

5. Simmer for 10 minutes, and then add salt, pepper and sage to taste.

Either eat it all on the day, or you can freeze it and it’s just as good once defrosted!

LIFESTYLE

ADVERT

Legendary Winchester: King Arthur’s Round Table

Winchester

The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is arguably one of the most popular in English history, and the truth behind the myths only makes the story more intriguing. By Naomi-Jane Andrews IMAGE BY ZOE COLLINS

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ales of the fifth-sixth century King are thought to have been developed in the Middle Ages by writers and poets, attracted by the romance of the almost undocumented Dark ages. They include both elements of fantasy and plausibility; brave knights, wizards, family issues (well worthy of Jeremy Kyle), the unbreakable sword Excalibur and the quest for the Holy Grail. Although none of these things can be proved, there is one remarkable object that excites the imagination and highlights the impact of the legend on Ancient England: The Round Table.

This is located in Winchester’s Great Hall, the only remaining part of Winchester Castle, built between 1222 and 1235 by Henry III. Although legend says that the table was that used

by Arthur and his knights, it has been dated back to around 1290, probably commissioned by Edward I to celebrate his daughter’s betrothal.

Despite the unlikelihood that King Arthur really did use this table, it still holds a feeling of intrigue and mystique. Although it is roughly 725 years old, it is incredibly solid at 5.5m across, 7.5cm thick and weighing in at 1.2 tonnes (1200kg) – about the same as a Honda Civic or an adult black rhino.

It is made from English Oak, and in the 16th Century Henry VIII had it painted with the Tudor rose, a portrait of himself as King Arthur, and 24 spaces for each of the Knights of the Round Table, so whatever its origins it is steeped in English history. It is thought to have been hung on the wall in the Great Hall since at least 1540, possibly since 1348, but prior to that it needed twelve legs and a central support to hold it up.

There are other sites associated with the legendary King Arthur across the South of England. Tintagel in Cornwall is said to have been Arthur’s birthplace, and Camelot Castle was supposedly sited near to Glastonbury in Somerset. Indeed, a WINCHESTER

1960’s archaeological investigation revealed that during the sixth century, over Arthur’s alleged reign, an old Iron Age camp was refortified with extensive wood and earth defences, alongside which the foundations of a large timber hall were discovered, close to Glastonbury Tor. According to legend, St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall marks the place where Arthur battled a giant and Stonehenge is said to have been moved

by Merlin from Ireland to its current position near Salisbury, at the request of Arthur’s father Uther Pendragon. Arthur is supposedly buried in Glastonbury Abbey.

King Arthur is not to be confused with King Alfred the Great, who ruled the kingdom of Wessex (“West Saxons”) and chose Winchester as his capital in 871AD, as well as famously burning the cakes. The King Alfred statue stands proudly at the very bottom of the high street, dressed in battle gear with sword held high.

Ultimately, the legend of the Knights of the Round Table continues to capture our imaginations. To think that, according to the tales, the likes of King Arthur, Merlin, Sir Lancelot and Galahad, may have congregated around such a table is mystifying, and to feel transported back to the time of castles, knights and quests still incites a child-like wonder in many. I recommend reading the tales of King Arthur and the Round Table to learn more about our area’s local mythology and to enjoy the sense of escapism that comes with a good story.

If you would like to see the Round Table the Great Hall is open to the public and it houses the table, a small but interesting exhibition on Winchester Castle, a medieval style garden and a gift shop. Entry is free but donations are welcome, and check on the website if you are planning a visit because it occasionally closes for functions and events. It is situated at the very top of the high street, roughly a ten minute walk from the train station.

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International

GUN CRIM

BY ALICE CRICHTON

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ith the American Presidential elections occurring in just over a year, budding politicians will have to devise revolutionary manifestos to win over the enormity that is North America.

Taking into consideration the country’s recent gun crimes that have baffled millions around the world, will anyone speculate on pulling the trigger on the current laws?

Recent studies have shown that 88.8 of every 100 American citizens own a gun and this is accepted by the law. Yemen follows with 54.8 out of every 100 owning firearms. In America, as long as you qualify with the criminal and mental health checks and you’re over the age of 18, a gun is all yours.

This societal acceptance and ease in which a person can access a gun has caused a horrifying multitude of problems, including the terrifying school shootings that are broadcasted to the world. Reports of school shootings go back as far as the 18th century but, as they are becoming so increasingly prevalent, only the worst now make it to global news.

The Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting, which took the lives of 20 children and 6 adults in December 2012, can only be

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INTERNATIONAL

International

ME IN THE USA THE FINAL TRIGGER

described as a massacre and provoked people to question Obama’s acceptance of guns in America. Elliot Rodger’s murderous rampage in May 2014 was attributed to his mental health but, what if he had no gun? What about the shootings that don’t make it to breaking news? In the autumn of 2014 alone, there were 11 school shootings in America but had little global recognition, due to these shootings becoming “the norm”.

The simplicity in which an individual can pull a trigger has caused other grave situations that America should evaluate with sincerity: in September 2014, a nine-year-old girl accidentally shot her instructor dead. There were 8855 US homicides in 2012 that were carried out by guns. Out of the 509 homicides in 2012 in Illinois, 86.25% involved firearms.

We must consider what these numbers would be if guns weren’t legal: it’s nonsensical.

People around the globe are questioning why guns are still legal, accepted and even promoted in some states. It remains the sad truth that firearms, in the opinion of some, do bring positives, culture and economic value to America. Some civilians see gun-culture as a part of the family structure and INTERNATIONAL

deem firearm ownership necessary for safety; ‘more guns = less crime’.

Equally, there is an estimated revenue of $6 billion generated by the gun and ammunition industry. If Obama, or the future president, was to ban firearm ownership, it would undoubtedly have a knock-on effect on the economy.

However, what price do you put on the lives of innocent people?

Undoubtedly, there are patriotism-fuelled arguments conflicting with the concern for safety in the US regarding the ownership of firearms. Whilst the background checks seem to justify allowing the “every man” to pull a trigger, the future of the American civilian safety lies in the hands of the law that currently welcomes this weaponry. It will take a courageous politician to suggest the abolishment of firearms but, with daily gun crime occurring, what will be the final shot

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International

Will the US and Cuba ever see eye to eye?

What does the decision to normalise diplomatic relations mean for the island?

Cameron Ridgway 30

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he US has recently announced that it will move towards normalising diplomatic relations with Cuba, meaning that US embassy in Havana will be reopened and normal communication will be restored.

But why were relations broken off in the first place and what does this decision mean for the island?

The US originally broke off diplomatic relations with Cuba in the aftermath of the Cuban Revolution of 1959, when the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista was overthrown by the revolutionary government of Fidel Castro. Castro perceived the US as acting as imperialist and as a result purged any US influence from Cuba, expropriating US owned land and businesses. Due to Cuba’s close association with the Soviet Union the US saw Castro as a Bulwark of communism in its own back yard, spreading the ideology and influence of the USSR across Latin America in the Cold War era.

There are hopes that the normalisation of diplomatic ties could lead to a more positive and beneficial relationship between the two countries rather than the tense stand-off INTERNATIONAL

International

IMAGE BY JOSHUA SAMWAYS that appears to have existed since the 1950s. US President Barack Obama said recently that it was clear that 50 years of isolation had simply not worked, and that it was time for a new approach based on engagement.

A key issue that will be discussed by both countries will be the potential removal of the trade embargo imposed on Cuba by the US after the Castro government came to power, which has remained in force for over 50 years. The terms of the embargo prevent any US companies from doing business in Cuba or exporting to the island – it is estimated that this costs the US economy around $1.2 billion a year. Although the terms of the embargo were loosened in 2009, it has been continually condemned by the United Nations. Some have blamed the embargo for increased disease and poverty in Cuba.

Travel restrictions on the Island that were implemented by the US, preventing the majority of its citizens from travelling INTERNATIONAL

to Cuba, could also be relaxed. Currently travel is only allowed to Cuba This could produce a ‘tourism boom’ for Cuba as Americans come and enjoy the attractions of a country that has been closed to them for many years. Tourism is already a major part of the Cuban economy, contributing $8.3 billion to Cuba’s GDP in 2014. It already brings many people from other parts of the world on to the island and serves as a catalyst for foreign investment.

Cuba is also likely to become more informed and open as a result of normalisation. The deal that was made between Cuba and the US includes provision for “The commercial export of certain items that will contribute to the ability of the Cuban people to communicate with people in the United States and the rest of the world”. This includes devices which will enable access to the internet, a luxury currently only enjoyed by 15.8%. This could have a dramatic impact on the attitudes of the Cuban people and could cause major political change.

31

Sport

Can Southampton still make the top four?

Can Southampton FC maintain their challenge for a top four spot in what remains of this Barclays Premier League Season? By Jack Pethick IMAGE BY JORDAN STEWART 32

SPORT

Sport

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hat was expected to be a miserable Christmas for many Southampton fans turned out to be a reasonably successful one, which I’m sure many a Southampton fan will be happy with as the new year begins.

In a Christmas fixture list that included the likes of Everton, Chelsea and Arsenal, Southampton gained 10 points from a possible 12; a remarkable return when many questioned whether or not they could compete with the bigger teams this season. Yet despite proving many critics wrong over the festive period, many pundits still feel that Southampton will not be in and around the top four when the season closes in May. The big question that remains then, is why? Why are many critics still not backing Southampton despite them not really putting a foot wrong this season? They have beaten the smaller teams quite comfortably this season, with the 8-0 victory at home to Sunderland serving as a great case in point.

However, more importantly, they have also shown that they can compete with and even beat the bigger teams this season, with examples of this including a 3-0 win against Everton and a New Years Day 2-0 win against Arsenal.

I think that the fundamental reason for these doubts over Southampton is their squad size. Compared to the likes of Tottenham and Arsenal who are also competing for that top four spot at this moment in time, Southampton do not have the numbers. For example, take all three clubs’ recent fixtures. Arsenal’s substitute bench for the 2-1 victory against West Ham on the 27th December consisted of the likes of Kieran Gibbs, Lukas Podolski, David Ospina, Theo Walcott, Callum Chambers, Joel Campbell and Chuba Akpom. A large majority of these players are seasoned internationals who have proven their quality. Likewise, Tottenham’s bench against Manchester United on the same date, consisted of players such as Kyle Walker, Roberto Soldado, Michelle Vorm, Eric Lamela, Paulinho and Eric Dier. Again these are seasoned internationals, who if there are injuries to the first team, can be equal replacements to those lost through injury.

playing for a top flight club or have only recently broken into the first team via the academy. Therefore, if Southampton were to receive any significant injuries to their usual starting eleven players, they may not have the experience to bring in to compete with the likes of Arsenal and Spurs.

But if this is the only potential glitch in Southampton’s challenge to the top four then manager Ronal Koeman certainly has the funds, time and incentives in order to attract top players to Southampton to rectify the potential problem.

Koeman has barely spent any of the near £80 million that Southampton received in transfer fees last summer from the sales of the likes of Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Dejan Lovren. Koeman, being an experienced manager, may even have already established potential players he would like to bring in to the club. Koeman has already added Eljero Elia to the squad on loan from Weder Bremen and I’m sure he will look to add one or two more over the coming January transfer window in order to add much needed backup. The likes of Bruno Martins Indi and Juan Quintero have been linked with the club in recent weeks and if signed they could add this much needed depth and experience as well as quality to Koeman’s squad.

If additions like this can be made to Southampton, then I don’t see why Southampton can’t challenge for the top four this season. There will certainly no longer be any excuses, and Southampton will not play a team currently in the top six until March, so if they continue their form they will almost certainly still be in the mix come the race to the finish in April.

Regardless of whether or not Southampton achieve a top four spot- what would be a monumental success- Southampton fans I’m sure will already be happy with their season, considering that many had the team as a favourite to go down in May. They have punched well and truly above their weight with their squad size, perhaps testament to the manger that Ronald Koeman will become or rather already is.

Wessex Scene sport is sponsored by

Southampton in contrast, do not have this backup. Their bench against Chelsea- again on the same date- consisted of Kelvin Davis, Florin Gardos, Shane Long, James WardProwse, Lloyd Isgrove, Harrison Reed and Jason McCarthy.

In contrast to the more experienced benches of Arsenal and Tottenham, many of these players have little experience SPORT

33

Spain in Crisis

Sport Editor Ross Wilson analyses the issues facing Spanish football and whether or not La Liga is on the brink.

IMAGE BY JOSH WOOLFORD

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pain has produced an array of things to enjoy, tapas, reggaeton (another debate) and a style of football that at its height, was simply beautiful. Barcelona versus Real Madrid is arguably the largest and fiercest derby match in the world. Two of the world’s best players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, both represent Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. Yet Spanish football, essentially La Liga, could be slipping into a realm of obscurity and uncertainty.

English football ultras are on the whole a dying breed.

Hooliganism still exists of course. Violence amongst sections of crowds throughout La Liga has increasingly boiled to the surface. The difference in Spain is that there are far more political tensions amongst supporters than there are in England, if there are really any at all. Fans of Atletico Madrid and Deportivo La Coruna recently clashed in the streets of Madrid, resulting in the arrest of 32 people as a Deportivo fan Jimmy Romero was found murdered in a river. Members of the far right Frente Atletico were involved.

The presence of various club’s ultras appears strong. The difficulty is many clubs rely on their ultras, they are in a sense needed. Financially they are a big plus, even for clubs like Real Madrid. Atletico supporters have tried to distance themselves from the far right group, but the Frente merely responded to this by quite audible chants that they shouldn’t sing their songs, as if they controlled the club. Racist chanting has frequently taken place, a number of high profile players have complained. So why is this suddenly making such a dismal impact?

Spain has a reputation to protect, the clubs don’t want negative publicity. However the problem has occurred of every fan amongst many of the clubs being treated with disdain by authorities, both inside and outside of grounds. More are turning off going to the football than ever before. Atmosphere

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is lacking in grounds, the game between fierce rivals Sociedad and Bilbao was described as soulless. The game reflected the lack of excitement around it, a drab 1-1 that Spanish media condemned.

In 2012 Jose Maria Gay de Liebana, an economics expert, said Spanish football must change drastically or it would ‘kill itself ’. The inescapable fact is that La Liga clubs are increasing revenues, but not rapidly enough to cover costs. Issues currently stem from the league’s TV rights deals, whereby more money needs to be raised and essentially shared more equally. Barcelona and Madrid claiming a monopoly is not aiding future progress. The formation of an Iberian league has been muted, but is unlikely to happen anytime soon. The remote possibility of a Catalan league would inevitably only make matters worse.

Personally the state outside of the football pitch saddens me, I have always been an advocate of La Liga as being technically superior to the Premier League. That is beginning to change I feel. It is becoming less and less competitive, last season being an anomaly more than anything, an enjoyable one but seemingly futile in the long run. The increasing talent drain is leaving clubs in a position to fight fires instead of pushing on, even in 2013 eight out of ten sides who trailed the top two had to sell their ‘best’ players. Clubs like Betis and Sevilla are falling into a hole of restricted signings, it speaks volumes when Sevilla signed then 19 year old winger Jairo Samperio as a straight replacement for Jesus Navas.

90 minutes in Spain is beginning to feel more painful than previous years, and it remains to be seen whether extra time will be of any use.

SPORT

VALENTINE’S DAY

DONE PROPERLY

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AIDAN PITTMAN IMAGE BY KATHRYN SMITH

o you think that clichéd romance has ruined Valentine’s Day? Of course you do! Because you’re the sort of person who buys your date a bag of self-raising instead of a bunch of flowers as an ‘ironic statement on commercialism’; you’re a character, the one your friends call ‘The life of the party’ to your face and ‘Who?’ behind your back and you are certainly not going to settle for predictable. So here you go, this is for you lot, some alternative Valentine’s Day ideas that you and your love will never forget…

So you’ve done the hard part; you’ve found a willing participant (based on your aforementioned personality, this is quite an achievement) and now all you need is a wonderfully romantic date idea. Well here are two suggestions, a luxury option and a budget one. If money’s not a problem, then why not make your date feel extra special by dressing up as a member of the Paparazzi, complete with telephoto lens camera and a nice hat with a ‘press’ ticket stuck in it, and then follow them around everywhere to make them feel like a superstar. After a fun day of photo-shoots around town, go home and publish a magazine with loads of articles judging your date’s weight and clothing choice, with close ups on their human imperfections and send it to everyone they know.

Then top it all off by hacking into their voicemail and delete some of the messages left by their missing best friend… and the budget option? Exactly the same but without the hat. It’s a shame, because you looked great in that hat.

Then there’s the question of gifts. What do you get for your sweetheart that’s both romantic and original? Look no further than those passionate zombies, who often express their love for each other with the gift of a real human heart. What could PAUSE

be better than that? A gesture so romantic that puts the ‘eww’ back in ‘I love eww’ and the ‘gross’ in ‘there was an increase of 32% gross profit in my love for you last quarter.’ But why should this loving sentiment only be exhibited by the undead?!

It’s time to take back this proof of undying love, from those cold, dead, messed up zombie hands. I’m not saying ripping out your heart is essential to a good relationship, but you’ve really got to ask yourself… ‘Would I rather, make my partner happy… or have adequate oxygen supplied to cells around my body, allowing them to respire sufficiently to meet energy demands? If your answer is the latter, then maybe they’re not ‘The One’.

Last but not least… Fancy spicing it up in the bedroom with a spot of role-play? Well then, forget handcuffs and studded collars, nothing says I love you more than a bit of 1920s gangster warfare. But you’d best be quick; St. Valentine’s Day massacre costumes are selling out fast so grab your Al Capone trilbies and tommy guns from Anne Summers before they’re gone!

Whatever you’re doing this February 14th make sure it’s with the one you love (or hate, if the whole day has been an elaborate plan to string them along, wait until the right moment, and then break their heart). And spare a thought for St. Valentine, who is up there somewhere, his body, tortured, beaten and headless (his executioners really needed some more love in their life) and remember… he’s watching you, he’s watching everything you do with his gouged out saintly eyes, all of the time… whether it’s sensual fun at sex o’clock or half past crying yourself to sleep with loneliness… he’ll be watching.

Happy Valentine’s Day! 35