Newspaper of the students of the University of Surrey

Issue 49 Tuesday 16th October 2012

Check out our Freshers Fayre photo spread in Societies, pg. 37

NEWS Registration rules have changed, check youre up to date... Page 3 OPINION & ANAlYSIS Find out about the invisible women... Page 8

Here come the girls! Enter our competition on pg. 15 to win a 50 voucher for Boux Avenue!

FEATURES Is your love life dry? Find out why.... Page 10

SCIENCE & TECH Are your testicles killing you? Find out.... Page 17

FIlm Candice Ritchie reviews Taken 2... Page 33

DANCE & THEATRE Science meets Theatre in The Ethics of Progress... Page 22

MIND MAINTENANCE WEEK

By Alexandra Wilks, Editor

SPORT Adam lodowskis first basketball match... Page 38

ind Maintenance Week is a new initiative brought to you by your Vice President Welfare, Bakita Kasadha and her team of Welfare Warriors. From 22nd October to the 26th October Surrey, for the first time, will be running a mental wellbeing awareness project. The aims of Mind Maintenance Week are to make the student body aware of

mental illnesses, whilst also combating the stigma surrounding them through encouraging students to talk about their experiences. Bakita says, Mind Maintenance Week is a chance for students to learn more about mental health, and the aim of the project is to encourage people to talk about their mind, as these are issues that can affect anyone. 25% of people are likely to have a mental health problem in one year. However, statistics

from British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy revealed that young people are much more likely to suffer from depression. Talking about mental health can help remove the stigma surrounding it. Time to Change, a charity dedicated to challenging the stereotypes around mental illness, reported that four out of five people with mental health problems experience discrimination

Continued on page 3...

EDITORIAl

The Stag |

16th October 2012

editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Editor | Alexandra Wilks editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk Editor-in-Chief | Abbie Stone ussu.editor@surrey.ac.uk Deputy Editor (Design) | Hannah Roberts-Owen design@thestagsurrey.co.uk Design Team | Paul Richmond, Ankur Banerjee, Tina Morman Deputy Editor (marketing) | Becky Richmond marketing@thestagsurrey.co.uk Marketing Team | Emily Gill, Natasha Cruz-Millheim and Georgie Wood News Editor | Jyoti Rambhai news@thestagsurrey.co.uk News Team | Jack White, Melissa Raske, Chris Sibthorpe, Kathryn Braid, Hattie Elkins, Brth Goss, Hannah Craig, Denise Juvane Opinion & Analysis Editor | Justine Crossan Opinion & Analysis Team | Alex Wilks, Jack White, Ian Kugler, Joseph Lopez Features Editor | Ellis Taylor features@thestagsurrey.co.uk Features Team | Sophie Vickery, Pippa Tollow, Lasika Jayamaha, Katy Sawyer, Veronica Hastings, Thomas Greenaway, Science and Technology Editor | Alex Smith sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk Science and Technology Team | Siobhan H Societies Editor | Shalini Thondrayen societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk Dance and Theatre Editor | Tiffany Stoneman dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk Dance and Theatre Team | Film Editor | Candice Ritchie film@thestagsurrey.co.uk Film Team | music Editor | Becky Worley music@thestagsurrey.co.uk Music Team | literature Editor | Emily Smart literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk Literature Team | Sport Editor | Anna Giles sport@thestagsurrey.co.uk Sport Team | Copy Editors | Sophie Vickery, Emma Fleming, Hannah Wann, Tina Morman, Tessa Morgan copyteam@thestagsurrey.co.uk Webmaster | Andrew Smith webmaster@thestagsurrey.co.uk Webeditor | Samantha Murray webeditor@thestagsurrey.co.uk Photo Editor | Tessa Morgan photos@thestagsurrey.co.uk Campus marketing | Charlie Taylor

Former student jailed for Millennium House stabbing

By Hattie Elkins, News Team

n ex-Surrey student has been jailed for 18 months after an on-campus fight resulted in a stabbing. Belarus-born Aliaksndr Mazalkou, 19, was sentenced in Guildford Crown Court on September 27 after pleading guilty to unlawfully wounding another student, Meriton Rexha, 21. Mazalkou claimed he acted in self-defence after the fight outside Millennium House escalated, resulting in Mazalkou inflicting multiple wounds to the face and arms of Rexha. The victim was taken to the Royal Surrey County Hospital and it is thought that he will be left with permanent

scarring. Mazalkous defence claimed he had recently come off prescribed antidepressants due to recent improvement in his behaviour and that he retrieved the knives in the hope of getting other students to leave the scene. The attack commenced when they tried to disarm him, resulting in the injury of Rexha. When sentencing Mazalkou, Judge Christopher Critchlow stated that whilst he acknowledged that the act was out of character, there was no excuse for getting the knives. Mazalkou has been credited for his guilty plea and is expected to serve approximately half of his 18 month sentence.

Surrey student wins a Sports Guildford Award

By Denise Juvane, News Team

he Sports Guildford Awards are an opportunity to recognise local talent and commemorate outstanding achievements by local clubs and athletes. On 27th September at Christs College, Guildford, the 2012 awards applauded Surreys extraordinary coaches and volunteers involved in the London 2012 Olympic games and acknowledged Surrey students and their sporting achievements. The University of Surrey had

shortlisted interests in three of the award categories: Phil Hall (one of Surrey Sports Parks Squash coaches) for the Senior Coach category; Surrey Spartans Hockey Club (a student/alumni hockey club based at the SSP) for the Community Award category; and Lowell Lewis (University of Surreys student and chair of the Spartans Hockey Club) in the Senior Volunteer Category. Phil Hall won the award for his category and Surrey Spartans Hockey Club just missed the top spot in the category, beaten by

Guildford Park Run. Lowell Lewis, a student at the University, picked up an award for his commitment to developing hockey in Guildford and engaging hundreds of young people and adults throughout the past 12 months. Following the triumphant outcome of Phil Hall and Lowell Lewis, they are now up for consideration for the wider Surrey Sports Awards which are due to take place later on in the year.

letter from the Editor

Alexandra Wilks Editor editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk

ou might be wondering why your Stag is blue. Its not a printing error or indeed just one of my many mistakes. Your Stag is blue to promote Mind Maintenance Week, a new initiative brought to you by your VP Welfare, Bakita Kasadha. As you may have noticed Ive written extensively about this on the front page. As I said last issue, Im no stranger to mental illness and thats why I am 120% behind this campaign. Hopefully by focusing on mental wellbeing here at Surrey, we can start to remove the stigma that surrounds it. Mental illness can make you feel like you cant

The Stag is a newspaper editorially dependent on and published by the University of Surrey Students Union. The views expressed in the paper are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the educational team, the whole Students Union or the University of Surrey. Trinity Mirror (South) 8 Tessa Road, Reading RG1 8NS The Stag reserves the right to edit all submissions and the right to decide which articles are published.

achieve anything or that youre endlessly being judged. But thats simply not true. At some point in life theres always going to be someone who tells you that you cant do this, or that, or cant be the person you want to be. It would be easy for me to say just dont listen to them, but its those comments that we carry around with us and that ultimately come back to haunt us. For years I was told I was stupid, that I would never amount to much. A teacher once told me Id be working on the checkout for the rest of my life. It may not seem like a massive deal that Im at University and doing this here paper, but to me its beyond incredible. I cant put a price on chasing my dream, which is to become a journalist, and the sense of pride I feel when I see my name at the top of this column. Sorry to make you cringe, but I really am that happy. And you can be too.

Kyorita

News Editor: Rachael Thomason | Copy Editor: Tina mormon

The Stag |

16th October 2012

NEWS

Continued from page 1... and over half of those said it happened every day, every week or every month. Most shocking of all, 35% of respondents said stigma had made them give up on their ambitions, hopes and dreams. Throughout the week Bakita and her team will be running a variety of events to raise awareness surrounding mental disorders. The slogan for the campaign is Open Your Mind: Talk,

Rethink, Understand. Monday and Tuesday of the week will focus on understanding and rethinking mental health problems, The Centre for Welbeing will be running a forum in which people can have any questions they may have about mental health addressed. Watch out for exact times and place on the Union Facebook. From Wednesday onwards the focus of the week will shift to finding solutions, such as joining a society, talking to your personal tutor or attending a

sports club. After Mind Maintenance Week a series of testimonials from Surrey students will be run. These testimonials will take the form of a video and aim to provide solace and encouragement to students in similar positions. Bakita says, Its really important that students know the Union is there to help them with any mental wellbeing problems they may have.

Comment...

By Kathryn Braid, News Team

What is your reaction to the university starting to record lecture attendance?

I think its really patronising because if youre not going to turn up, youre not going to turn up and having a register shouldnt be the reason that you do turn up. - Isabella Williams, Sociology, Culture and media

We are aware that our grades depend on our attendance and the work we do, so it should be our decision to turn up or not. - Natasha Ward, Psychology I dont care. But I dont think they should take your attendance in lectures because it should be your own business by now. - Agne markeviciute, Sociology, Culture and media

If you are interested in taking part in a testimonial video, please contact Bakita at ussu.welfare@surrey.ac.uk
strong relationship with our student community. As a result of this progress, we are attracting more highly talented applicants than ever before and since 2006 we have seen a significant increase in our undergraduate entrance standards. Our average A-Level grades on entry in 2011/12 were AAB, meeting the governments new threshold for unlimited recruitment. In spite of the challenge of the new fees environment and unlike many other leading universities, we met our recruitment targets this year with a further increase in average entrance standards; a testament to the calibre of what Surrey has to offer. Surrey is now positioned above the majority of the Russell Group in many national league tables and we can all be proud of our growing reputation. To help us to continue to provide you with the best possible facilities and learning environment, I encourage you to take an active role in all aspects of your course and life here at the University. And we do listen to your requests. Last year, for example, you suggested that we could further improve the popular library facilities and you will see that we have started a major refurbishment of the George Edwards building. You will also find that we have launched the new web-based virtual learning environment, SurreyLearn, which incorporates ideas that many of you provided in 2011/12. A new restaurant and reception building has been built on Manor Park in response to earlier requests, which opened this summer. Providing access to worldclass sporting facilities is another example of how we are meeting your needs and

Welcome from the Vice-Chancellor

Professor Sir Christopher Snowden, President and Vice-Chancellor

e hope you had a relaxing and enjoyable summer break and are feeling refreshed for the new academic year ahead. For those of you who have been away on placements, we hope you found these to be a valuable experience. From 22nd September a new cohort of students arrived on Surreys campus in what is one of the busiest and most exciting weeks of our academic calendar. To those of you who are new to Surrey, Id like to offer a very warm welcome and to congratulate you on achieving your place in higher education. This year, we have witnessed a summer of incredible triumphs as Britain hosted the London 2012 Olympics, and before the new term gets properly underway, it seems an excellent opportunity to look back on the Universitys successes over the past year.

Like the Team GB athletes, Surrey has put in a strong performance resulting in a number of record achievements and awards. Our meteoric rise up the League Tables, especially in the Guardian where we now rank 12th in the UK, is one of the years major success stories and acknowledges the continuing improvements to the student experience and our academic offering. We take your input and feedback very seriously and the results of the 2011/12 National Student Survey (NSS), where we climbed an impressive 32 places, and our short listing to third place in the Sunday Times University of the Year Award 2011, further reflects our exceptional progress in delivering the best possible university experience, focusing on what is most important to you. We have built on this in 2012 with an impressive further leap of 17 places to 15th in the NSS thanks to the dedication of our staff and enthusiasm and

this summer our students had the exciting opportunity to train alongside Olympic athletes. Surrey Sports Park hosted over 250 Olympians and their coaching teams including the US triathletes, Chinese synchronised swimmers, and the Team GB basketball team as they made their final preparations for the London 2012 games. Much like the Olympic promise, here at Surrey we are inspiring a generation through our groundbreaking research which is addressing this centurys most pressing challenges and receiving international recognition. We were honoured to be awarded the prestigious Queens Anniversary Prize for Higher Education for our research into safe water and sanitation which is helping to safeguard many lives and communities worldwide. This is the third time Surrey has received this accolade putting us in a select group of only 12 universities to share this distinction. The effects of the Governments reforms to university funding and student number controls have continued to dominate the Higher Education headlines. Surrey, along with all UK universities, will be entering a very different and much more competitive environment this academic year. In this critical period we will not be complacent. Taking a leaf from Team GBs training book, we have set very clear goals to maximise our success and ensure we prosper as a thriving university of excellence. With the continuing and much appreciated support of our student community, I am confident of even greater achievements in the academic year ahead.

University to take attendance registers

By Jack White, News Team

ontroversially, the University is to start taking registers of students attendance. The new regime, which will begin this week, will see students attendance recorded at one core subject lecture per week. Those failing to attend three consecutive registered lectures per half-semester will be summoned to account for themselves. Initially targeted students will be seen by student support staff with a view to helping them with any personal problems that may be causing them to miss lectures. The University declined to comment further, but a source at the Union said that offenders could ultimately be removed from their course. This extreme measure has however always been an option for the University. Hitherto the University has been keen to imbue students with a high degree of personal responsibility and autonomy. The decision to start the registers contradicts this prevailing attitude. The move to registration follows the UK Border Agencys (UKBA) removal in July of London Metropolitan Universitys ability to sponsor immigration visas to students from outside the EU. London Met was unable to prove that international students were attending (a condition for being able to sponsor visas). As a result, many universities are now clamping down on the attendance of international students, fearing that their trusted status with UKBA will be confiscated. Other universities are taking a hard line on the issue. Coventry University has made the decision to register non-EU students in person every weekday, even when a student has no classes. A source at NUS told The Stag that UKBA guidelines do not require such strong action. UKBA set out a soft guideline of 10 possible points of contact with international students. If none of the points of contact are made, that is considered a cause for concern. However these points include many non-academic contacts, such as going to see a campus doctor. Following the difficulty at London Met, the NUS source believes that universities are overreacting, wary of having their lucrative international student incomes removed. It is thought that Surrey Vice Chancellor Sir Christopher Snowden stepped into the debate, saying that it would be unfair to target just international students as every student is here to study and get their degree.

NEWS

The Stag |

16th October 2012

news@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Reptile students
By Melissa Raske, News Team

reshers Week 2012 continued with a Monday night performance by the grime artist Wiley, but many students were disappointed after his performance was less than expected. The events timetable for Freshers Week posted on the University of Surrey Students Union website gave a glowing review of Wileys musical career and encouraged students to attend the event stating: The Godfather of Grime has shot back into the UK Charts and is currently sitting at #1 for the second week running (at time of print). After the event, which cost 10

per ticket, many students felt that the performance wasnt worth that sum. Prior to arriving at Rubix, Wiley had been stopped by the police, he then turned up late. The artist was hired to perform a 20 minute set but he was only on stage for about 15 minutes, although he claimed otherwise. The performance was considered unprofessional and of a low quality causing the crowd to chant Wiley, youre sh*t! He responded with a stream of tweets after the performance calling those at the university reptile students and claiming that the university had too many internet gangsters, vowing never

to return. He also blamed the poor performance on the university sound system, microphone and the monitors. Lily Cheetham, second year student, commented: I didnt think he was great, what with being late, barely engaging with the audience and not really rapping. Its a shame because I used to like Wiley beforehand, but after that Im not so keen! Wiley was due to perform at Warwick Student Union on the 11th October, however he cancelled last minute. He has since cancelled all University Students Union gigs claiming on Twitter that he is Dun [sic] with the unis.

Wiley has been openly mocked by Surrey students since his poor performance

Freshers Fayre 2012

By Chris Sibthorpe, News Team

reshers Fayre 2012 finished off a very successful Freshers week for Surrey students, as clubs and societies from across the university gathered together on the PATS field in search of new members. With Surrey being well known for having a large variety of clubs and societies to join, more than 13,000 returning students and 2,500 freshers were given the chance to look around to see what theyd like to sign up to for this year. Clubs and societies ranging from the Law Society to The Stag were present and companies including Lucozade and Dominos handed out free offers and

goodies. Stag TV treated visitors to broadcasts from the centre of the tent, whilst the Students Union team were available to answer questions. Hannah Carpenter, studying adult nursing, said: Ive signed up to the Nursing Society and rugby. Im very busy but properly excited. The Active Freshers Fayre was also a success as over 1,000 students took part in taster sessions to try out sports at Surrey Sports Park, including lacrosse and fencing. Kandarp Amin, an aerospace engineering student, praised the Fayre: The variety of sports and the turnout was amazing.

Surrey jumps by 17 places in National Student Survey

By Jack White, News Team

he 2012 National Student Survey (NSS) has seen the University of Surrey rising 17 places from 32nd to 15th. Results are announced by course. This years big winner was Psychology, which rose by a staggering 62 places to 6th, however other courses also did well, with Accounting up 37 to 19th, Law up 35 to 40th and Electronic Engineering eradicating last years fall to make

8th place. Politics, Aerospace Engineering and Music all polled 1st on student satisfaction across the country. The news was not all good, with several courses coming in the bottom quartile nationally in some areas. Drama did particularly badly, failing in assessment, academic support, course management and availability of learning resources. The course only dropped three places however, indicating nationwide dissatisfaction with

much university drama. The NSS is organised by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the National Union of Students (NUS) and the market research firm Ipsos Mori. The survey has repeatedly come under attack from some commentators, since they perceive that it is in a students best interests to make sure their university is as highly rated as possible.

Spectrum revamp planned after hygiene complaints

By Hannah Craig, News Team

Union staff pose for a photo by their centralised stand at Freshers Fayre, giving away all sorts of free stuff

100,000 revamp has been planned for the Guildford Spectrum swimming pool, run by Freedom Leisure. Frequent users of the Spectrum made a stand via the social network site Facebook. These were comments posted on the Guildford Borough Council Facebook page complaining of the lack of cleanliness. Penny Roling, regular visitor to Spectrum, told GetSurrey that she is now taking her children to swimming classes at Surrey Sports Park. Although she praised the

staff, she felt the changing areas were in too much of a poor state to continue going there. Toby Jenkins posted one of many critical comments on the Councils Facebook page with please clean the spectrum. Its a disgrace. Photos which confirm such issues were posted on Facebook. Complaints included the smell of urine in changing areas and drains being blocked with hair and flies. There were also vast amounts of dust on the ceiling which accumulated on the floor. Freedom Leisure took over the Guildford Spectrum last November

from the council, stating that they would bring an improvement in service and value for money. The Guildford area manager for Freedom Leisure, Steve May, assured the concerns are being taken extremely seriously. The refurbishment plan will be executed within the next few months and the improvements will start with an immediate deep clean of the venue taking place every night. There will be further recruitment of extra housekeeping staff as well as an improvement in the drainage system, new flooring and lights.

USSU

Ryan Burke

News Editor: Rachael Thomason | Copy Editor: Tina mormon

The Stag |

16th October 2012

NEWS

Union calls referendum on membership of NUS

Union to hold open forum on the issue TONIGHT NUS President, Liam Burns will address students
By Jack White, News Team

Shadow Minister joins students demanding a Living Wage for staff

By Alex Wilks, News Team

niversity of Surrey Students Union has called a referendum on its membership of the National Union of Students (NUS) in which all students are eligible to vote. Voting will take place online on Thursday 18th and Friday 19th October. An open student forum on the issue will be held tonight (Tuesday 16th) at 6pm in Lecture Theatre E and will feature NUS President Liam Burns speaking on why USSU should remain a member of NUS. USSU President Dave Halls said, This isnt a push in either direction, but by my reckoning its been four years since the last referendum. Thats an entire generation of students who havent been given the choice. Mr Halls reported during a recent Union Executive meeting that the Union would be significantly worse off financially if the students vote to withdraw from NUS. NUS has come under pressure in recent years over its high membership fees (42,000 for USSU last year), and for a perceived lack of engagement with both member unions and ordinary students. Proponents of NUS have drawn attention to its lobbying power and recent successes. The November 2010 demonstration in London raised student finance into public attention, and following the recent debacle over international students at London Met,

NUS has stepped in and helped secure freedom for their international students to continue study until the end of the year. The closeness of the referendum, which was announced on 3rd October, has left little time for students to become acquainted with the issues. The open forum itself was only called on the 8th October. Mr Halls said, The reason is that Liam Burns only just confirmed.

NUS President Liam Burns

ozens of staff and students joined the Surrey Labour Students society on Friday 28th September as they re-launched their campaign for the university to become an accredited Living Wage employer. Shadow Minister for Higher Education Shabana Mahmood MP spoke to the assembled crowd about the importance of paying staff at the university- who live in one of the most expensive areas outside of London- enough to cover the basic costs of living (currently 7.20 per hour). She went on to congratulate the students on their work so far in gaining support from over 600 staff and students on campus and emphasised the importance of student-led social action. The event was also attended by Donald Hirsch, director of the group which formulates the Living Wage, who shared the history and process behind the movement. University Director James Newby assured the assembled crowd that the university has

been paying a Living Wage to all its employees for nearly a year; but with the rate expected to rise before Christmas, the campaigners are keen to see the university become accredited and ensure that wages increase as well. A testimony from one of the cleaners at the university emphasised the problem that, even at the current pay rates, many lowpaid staff have to juggle two or more jobs to feed their families. After half an hour of action, the crowd took the campaign to Freshers Fayre, singing a rousingly cheesy rendition of Satisfaction across campus and onto PATS field where they staged a short protest with mops, buckets and brooms. With similar campaigns having already gained success at universities across the country such as Manchester, Kent and LSE, supporters have made it clear that the university has little reason not to apply for accreditation and set a precedent for other establishments to follow whilst giving its own employees a firm commitment on fair pay for the future.

HEAR changes degree classification

By James Brown, News Team

raduates could soon have more than a simple 2:1 degree classification on their university records. With the final details of the Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) being unveiled last week, this new classification of degree will demonstrate a much broader view of students achievements. This new system has been led by Professor Sir Robert Burgess, vice-chancellor of the University of Leicester, for Universities UK and Guild HE. For four years he has chaired the Burgess Implementation Steering Group for the HEAR to push this more sophisticated approach towards gaining a degree. It will provide information ranging from involvement in student societies, to a record of volunteering. Provided in an electronic format, it is hoped that the HEAR report card will allow more informed choices for employers than a traditional academic transcript. It is designed in such a way that students will also be able to see their HEAR not only after graduating but during their academic time at university. It will act as a useful summary of their on-going progress. Detailed breakdowns of module marks will also be cited allowing greater clarification of the end degree mark. This is to be shown as a grade point average of a students degree. A number of universities have started to implement the scheme already and the aim is that students starting university from this year, will leave with the HEAR, in addition to a degree certificate.

The Leicestershire Magazine

Surrey Labour society are joined by staff and students to campaign for the university to become a Living Wage employer

Long delays around SSP

By Rachel Thomason, News Editor

Professor Sir Robert Burgess, chair of the Burgess Implementation Steering Group for the HEAR Caroline Johnson, Academic Registrar for the University of Surrey has commented: The University is working on the HEAR and is planning to launch it as a retrospective record of students achievement in 2012/13 next summer. The university is currently undergoing a process to clarify this with ULTC (University Learning and Teaching Committee) and Senate.

oadworks around Surrey Sports Park and Royal Surrey Hospital are causing severe traffic delays. The 4.5million scheme is to install traffic lights and a new roundabout at Egerton Road and Gill Avenue. The improvements are being funded by Surrey County Council and the University of Surrey to help

ease the flow of traffic through this area which is an important point of access onto the A3. Steve wrote on Twitter about the traffic on 8th October: Stuck in the office. Traffic jam from hell outside the window. Those needing to get to an appointment at the hospital have been urged to leave early and allow plenty of time to travel.

NEWS

The Stag |

16th October 2012

news@thestagsurrey.co.uk

American politics gains momentum as Election Day rapidly approaches

By Sophie Vickery, News Team

he election campaign in America is becoming increasingly heated as Americans prepare to visit polling stations on the 6th November. Democrat, Barack Obama, is battling to defend his position in The White House against Republican Mitt Romney who is 15 years his elder. Obama has been accused of failing America with issues such as the gloomy economic progress, unemployment remaining above 8% and the international tension with Afghanistan, Israel and Iran. The situation became even bleaker when rockets fired by Islamist militants killed

Christopher Stevens; the USAs ambassador, and three other A m e r i c a n embassy staff. However, many Americans s t r u g g l e d to relate to Romney, often regarding him as a pampered and dull elitist. Nevertheless, with the imminent election, the pairs campaigns continue to gain momentum with live televised debates. The first of these was held on Wednesday 3rd October and Romney displayed a surprisingly energetic challenge, gaining him a clear victory over Obama. He stressed that he would restore vitality to get America working again and criticised Obama for proposing larger expenditure and higher taxes.

Obama responded with support of the middle class and highlighted the danger that Romneys leadership would give the highest earners tax breaks. A CNN poll found that Romneys increased enthusiasm was favoured by 67% of registered voters. The second debate was held on 16th October and also aired on live television. It delivered challenges to domestic and foreign policy, significant topics in the minds of American voters. Nevertheless, Americas future presidency remains uncertain; there are several swing states including Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, whose decision could affect the overall outcome.

By Beth Goss, News Team

Wave of taxi thefts

range of thefts starting on the 24th September has seen thousands of pounds worth of damage and loss of goods from several taxi cars in the Guildford area. The first reported case was of a white people carrier on Monday 24th September that was broken into sometime between 0.01am and 7am in the Park Barn area. One thousand pounds worth of damage was caused to the vehicle and saw the perpetrator(s) escape with 100 in cash, two mobile phones and a sat nav.

On the 26th a black cab was targeted in the same area at around 5.30am. This time a cash box containing 130 was stolen and 100 worth of damage was caused during the raid. Thefts also have taken place in Bellfields, with taxis being targeted on both the 25th and 26th September. Detective Inspector Mark Parry investigating the thefts said: It is never a good idea for anything to be left on show when cars are parked up overnight and as these vehicles seem to have been specifically targeted, drivers should be on the alert.

Union Contact: ussu.information@surrey.ac.uk

The Stag |

16th October 2012

UNION

Yes or No to NUS? Have your say!

Dave Halls
Union President

Sabbaticals Say...
either outcome. Understandably, holding a referendum could be seen as contentious. Why even bother voting on membership, when maintaining the status quo is by far the easier option? The last referendum on NUS membership held at Surrey was in 2008; that means that an entire generation of Surrey students could have passed through without ever getting the right to decide whether or not we are members of the NUS. Yes, chances are nothing will change, but the essence of a democratic organisation is that members have that right to scrutinise and decide the direction of those that represent them. Of course, there are implications of either outcome. There are debates to be held about the value recieved from NUS membership and the true representative element of the organisation receieved in exchange for our annual affiliation fee. Similarly, were we to leave, we would also be forced to leave the NUSs trading arm, which enables us to purchase supplies for Rubix/Chancellors/Youngs at exceptionally-low rates. This isnt to say we couldnt strike deals with other suppliers, or indeed that the cost saving in not forking out on affiliation wouldnt cover this difference. Another implication for individual students would be the loss of availability of NUS Extra cards and the discounts they bring with them; but in Guildford especially, retailers accept student cards and not NUS cards as proof of student status. There are pros and cons of both outcomes; so its now down to you, the Surrey students, to decide what you feel is best for your Union, University, and your fellow students. More information can be found on the Union website (www. ussu.co.uk), to enable you to make an informed decision. To vote, go to vote.ussu.co.uk, using your Surrey login details to access the vote.

No more hunting for a free computer

I
hope you have settled into your studies this year! I just want to tell you about a couple of exciting Sam Ratzer innovations that have come into Union VP Education place for this academic year. SurreyLearn (previously SurreyLearn, and telling them ULearn) is the new Virtual the sort of content that should be Learning Environment (VLE) appearing. Additionally, a website has for the University, it has been developed to help better the come become active that lets you student experience of technology know the availability of open in teaching, the improved access computers in the Library reliability of the system will or Austin Pearce building. Much make it a less frustrating like a car park screen in town experience for everyone. The centres, signalling which car newly-formed department of parks have spaces, the site which Technology Enhanced Learning is also accessible from smart (TEL) will be working over phones, is designed to limit the the forthcoming years to look frustration of heading to places how SurreyLearn can further short on space. Search for Open develop, incorporating the latest Access PC Availability in Google advances in technology. Students or view the screens on the first will invited to contribute to the floor of the LRC. I hope to bring you some more process, but in the meantime start encouraging your lecturers exciting developments over the to increase their presence on course of the year.

his week, from the 17th-19th October, Surrey students will have the chance to vote on whether the University of Surrey Students Union (your students union) should continue to be affiliated to the National Union of Students. In short, a referendum is a decision that elected representatives feel they cannot make without giving fair consideration to those they represent. In this instance, it is felt that a decision on continued membership of the NUS cannot be fairly made without giving all Surrey students the right to choose. This is because of both the financial and democratic implications of

To vote in the Referendum please visit vote.ussu.co.uk and use your Surrey log-in details to cast your vote. Voting is very important as this decision directly affects you and your University experience.

Bakita Kasadha
Union VP Welfare

onday 22nd to Friday 26th October is Mind Maintenance Week. The week is all about the promoting the importance of mental wellbeing, achieving it and maintaining it. So look out for the workshops, tea and coffee talks and top tips to look after your mental wellbeing. There have been some signs around campus encouraging

students to find housemates for next year, which have not been endorsed by the University or the Students Union. Remember that the Universitys Housing Awareness Week is in February, so dont feel that you have to look or worry about finding a house or housemates before then. Study now, make friends now, find a house later.

Make friends now, find housemates later W

The next Welfare Walk-in will be taking place on Wednesday 31st October. This months theme is alcohol and well be holding a cheeky competition. So if you think you know your alcohol, head to Chancellors between 3:30 and 5pm to see if you can win the competition for two free tickets to the Halloween Rubix night.

Societies grading and photos

Em Bollon
Union VP Societies & Individual Development

hat an amazing week its been for societies! With hundreds upon thousands signing up for societies at Freshers Fayre last Friday, this year is looking to be a thriving success. For all of those who may have missed out on Freshers Fayre, its not too late! Youre able to join societies throughout the year. Do look out for Re-Freshers Fayre in February a second chance at all the fun.

This year, societies are going to be having their own annual photos, as well as each society being graded and awarded with a working towards accreditation, bronze, silver or gold. Look out for joint events this year. Our first is the Arts Show being held by all the arts societies, including Musical Theatre and Gospel Choir. Ive been working on lots so far, and will very soon be launching some exciting, multimedia projects, so watch this space.

OPINION & ANAlYSIS

The Stag |

16th October 2012

opinion@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Outside the West: The emergence of invisible women One Nation Labour? I
Ian Kugler

Opinion & Analysis

season closely so that they can get a better understanding of what each partys ideas are for the country over the future years. Ed Miliband will have done no wrong in his key note address to the party by the way he showed he can lead after all. He seems to have now fallen into place at last, as a true contender to be Prime Minister at the General Election. The speech itself was full of personal remarks, beliefs and a fair share of humour. Which all played its part in putting the message across that he is not just a leader for the fortunate, but a leader for the nation. It was not just a conference which got everyone talking about Eds speech, but a conference which highlighted some ambitious plans from the shadow cabinet. Practically every point raised was presented as an alternative to the governments policies which have already been called into question on numerous occasions. Overall, the Labour conference was a raving success. If Labour can carry through as much enthusiasm to the General Election campaign, then it is safe to say that they will make a substantial number of gains and have a realistic potential to hurt the Conservatives where it hurts. As for the Liberals, it seems hardly worth contemplating their chances of maintaining 57MPs.

ow that the Labour conference 2012 from Manchester is over, what can we derive from it that could shape future elections? Well it is clear to see that the Labour Party is attempting to show its uniqueness in contrast to the government of the day. One thing which will appease Labour voters is the sight of some clear policies ideas to contend with those of the current governments. Many voters will also be watching conference

Love Hearts, not Love Heart sweets

Joseph Lopez

oday (5th of October) cuts were announced by the new NHS board to replace the 28 cancer networks and 28 combined heart and stroke networks with only 12 of each. The 700 staff working hard to save lives will have to work harder since they shall be cut down to a mere 100. Bit of statistics now; in England and Wales 158,084 people die in 2010 from heart and stroke related conditions. Cancer killed a further 141,446. In total that was about 60% of the 493,242 people who died that year. It is important to remember that not everyone who had these diseases died; some people were saved from dying, whilst many others were made much more comfortable in their lengthened final moments,

all due to the specialist care from these NHS networks. The board has said that more patients would benefit because the new bodies would focus on a greater number of conditions, but it is clear that these severe cuts will obviously impact a massive proportion of people affected. Now I completely understand that it is not an easy task making the necessary cuts; I would fare much worse, spending all the money on better hospital food. An extreme NHS cut would be to simply let people die; thus reducing costs of treating those pesky ill people. Strangely enough people draw the line at such a concept; but cutting such vital front line services seems to be doing a tiny bit of that. Maybe we should replace all the drugs we prescribe with wet sugar pills and other placebos and see how well that does. Oh wait, the health minister Jeremy Hunt (MP of South West Surrey) is a known outspoken supporter of homeopathy; after all he raised a bill to build Homeopathic

Hospitals (also known as sweet shops). We currently spend over 4 million pounds on homeopathic specific nonsense, with plans for more. Despite all the advice of the scientific community and zero evidence to support it, the Hunt is still in favour of it. This is the same Hunting Hunt that was in charge of the BskyB take over bid in an impartial manner. The guy who lied to parliament about having personal contact with the News Corp lobbyist. This is the guy we are going to have oversee the partial privatisation of the NHS. Oh and avoided 100,000 in taxes; but thats all in the past. Jeremy Hunt; tax dodging, NHS cutting, under-the-table dealing, expenses abusing, attempt to exclude scenes celebrating the work of NHS nurses in the olympics ceremony -ing, net neutrality hating, sugar pill popping, and last but not least, politician. This guy is in charge of your health. In my opinion, its funny that his name rhymes with a certain obscenity.

sometimes feel like being a woman who doesnt care that my thighs touch together at top is a political statement. I sometimes dont shave my arm pits and wear a tank top and I feel, in my anglophone world, I am some sort of revolutionary. Except, women in Saudi Arabia arent allowed to vote. Or drive a car. Feminism is brilliant, but so often, we look at feminism in a European or American context, ignoring all our sisters across the world. What about the forgotten girls? The IoS (Independent on Sunday) recently published statistics suggesting that by 2020 there will be 50 million child brides. Child brides are girls under the age of 15 who are forced into marriage. These girls are invisible in our euro-centric view of feminism. Being married at 15 (or even as young as 9) effectively means the end of education. Daily Mailesque columnists claim that women have never had it so good, yet child marriage is on the rise. Across the developing world around one third of girls get married before 18, according to Unicef. Around 10 per cent are married before theyre even 15. Married children are often isolated, separated from their friends and family. Often they are abused. Bangladesh has one of the worlds highest rates of child marriage- with nearly one in three girls married before they turn 15. Shockingly, in 2010, more than 700 girls under the age of 10 were married. This trend is on the increase. Young marriage often leads to giving birth very young.

Alexandra Wilks
Pregnancy is the biggest killer of teenage girls in the developing world. It is estimated that pregnancy causes 50,000 deaths in the 15-19 age group each year. Although more than 100 countries have established 18 as the minimum age for girls to marry without consent, long term and good education is the one of the best ways to keep children from becoming child brides. Freida Pinto, actress and face of Plan Internationals Because I am a Girl campaign, says, I want people to feel empowered enough to stand up for themselves. This is all very well, but it is going to take more than just educating young girls, who are often powerless in their own life. A girl may want to stay in school but if she voices these concerns she may be beaten and then forced into a marriage. Education needs to start with young men and young women. We need to educate everyone that child marriage is completely unacceptable. I feel lucky to be a woman whose primary concern is my body image. I feel lucky that I have not been forced into a loveless marriage at an age where I need a Mother, not to be a Mother. As Western feminists, we need to reach out to the invisible girls in the developing world, and not ignore their plight.

NUS EXTRA PICK UP AT RUBIX CLOAKROOM (till end of October) Monday 11.30am - 2.00pm Tuesday 11.30am - 1.30pm Wednesday 1.30pm - 3.30pm Thursday 11.00am - 2.00pm Friday 11.00am - 2.00pm

Opinion & Analysis Editor: Justine Crossan | Copy Editor: Emma Fleming

The Stag |

16th October 2012

OPINION & ANAlYSIS

The first proper US Registers are brilliant election for decades we all need more buy-in
I
f youre not following the U.S. Election, now is probably the most interesting time to do so. Why? Simples, this is the first time in the States that the two parties have visibly separated on policy matters. Leaders are not simply exchanging witty and clever remarks about their opponents, or producing cornfields of Iowa styled speeches in expectance of them producing masses amounts of votes. In recent elections there have certainly been debated on policy, most notably the various wars in the Middle East and the economic crisis. However, the speeches and campaigns have been very colourful and emotional videos that realistically havent had that much policy analysis in them. This could be due to the fact that in the recent elections, not a lot of policy difference has been found. Al Gore and George Bush can possible lay claim to the biggest policy divide of recent times on the decisions faced on the environment. This kind of political display leads to similar policies designed to attract the middle (largest) share of votes. This in turn leads to political apathy as the attitude of they are all the same comes into play again. However, now in the Presidential election there is real policy difference on pretty much everything. The only similarity the candidates have seems to be on security where they both still portray the post 9/11 attitude that will dominate American politics for at least the foreseeable future. Despite this, on everything else domestic there is real political debate occurring and it seems to be that Americans will actually have to judge the election based on what policies they are describing as opposed to the colour tie they are wearing. For example, Mitt Romney in his old school Republican way has described his desire to make Medicare and Medicaid a completely state-led procedure. Federalism is a very old principle of the American political system and here Romney is advocating it on quite

H
Joseph Lopez
a far reaching level. He claims that states know how to take care of their own residents and that he will maintain the same level of funding (I call Bulls**t). Obama would however prefer to keep central government in control of the medical procedures, after all any reduce in bureaucracy works well for the principle of medical care, as then youre not getting differences in policy that would only work to confuse the recipients of healthcare and provide even more statewide divisions. Similar differences can be seen in their approach to the management of the economy. In the debate, Obama was singing the praises of the Clinton-Gore administration in bringing about economic growth and jobs into the American world. In a similar fashion, Romney is completely discrediting this approach citing evidence from Obamas last 4 years in power, and saying that the Bush-Cheney period is what is needed to kick start the economy and to produce jobs. Is this what is needed to give some credibility back into American politics? Despite the complete and utter farce that is Mitt Romney, perhaps the complete policy divide is what is needed to bring about a higher political participation in American politics. Recently American politics has been too focused on image. For now the American election seems to be focused on policy, this man says yes the other man says no. Simple. While we dont seem to care much in the UK (despite the effect it will have on us) it is a very interesting time to be involved in American politics.

opefully all readers will now be aware of the incoming registers that the University is taking of undergraduate attendance. If you havent been sent the Registrars letter yet, you can certainly read my article in the News section And in my minds ear I can hear the hundreds of groans of all those students who regularly fail to attend lectures this most basic of academic tasks. But fear not! This is an opportunity for all Surreys students an opportunity to cease sitting on a sofa, playing computer games, smoking blunts and getting up at 5pm. Dont even start weighing up the consequences of not attending these registered lectures. The point is that these registers are giving you buy-in. By forcing you to do something that is actually small and simple, the University is giving you the kick up the backside that might just get you interested in your subject again. Back in the first year of my own degree, I was studying at Queen Mary, University of London. My Maths lecturer there created the same buy-in by giving everyone a bit of coursework every single week. It followed the same format each time, with a couple of multiple-choice questions, then the rest of the side of

Jack White
paper densely filled with increasingly difficult long questions. Sometimes that coursework was as onerous as it sounds, but you kept on doing it week-in, week-out because you had to. Each one was worth about 1% of your grade, but if that was the 1% that took you from a 1st to a 2:1, youd top yourself with remorse and self-loathing at the end. The key point was that after you had done the first three sheets, the rest werent so difficult because you were in the habit of doing your work. Anyone can be a lazy bum, and that same anyone can also be a hard-working super-achiever its all about the culture you live in. The University is really doing every undergraduate an enormous favour by actually requiring you to live up to your end of the bargain. Be thankful!

What price, Freedom of Speech?

Alex Wilks

London Metropolitan is ruining it for all of us

n the 3rd October the Times Higher Education released the 2012 world university rankings with a headline news story proclaiming Asia's high-flyers challenge Western supremacy. China, according to the article is committed to spending 4% of GDP on education and as we all know 4% of a huge amount is lots. So compare this with the reputation of UK universities, are we still world class? Yes of course! The country that gave the world the laws of gravity, the computer and DNA is still producing the goods. This weeks announcement that 5G will be developed here at Surrey is testament to that. The problem to an international student however, is one news story that hangs over us like a shroud study in the UK and you might be sent

back home for no apparent reason. You can blame the government or the border agency however this is yet one more example of London Met incompetence, which this time has affected all others in the sector. In 2009 London Met produced inaccurate data about active students which resulted in an overpayment of 36m pounds from the funding council. In February of this year they were fined a record 5.9m for overrecruiting students, and as their coup de grace they had their trusted sponsor status removed this year. Even when the institution was the North London Polytechnic there was still trouble. One of the only pieces of case law relating to Student Unions comes from the government taking the NLP Union to court over them passing money directly to the National Union of Mineworkers. London Metropolitan University has had a short and underwhelming history, it is time someone took this problem in hand.

he freedom of thought, speech and expression is considered a tent-pole of our modern democracy. And yet as proficient as we are in proudly waving the flag of verbal freedom against the supposed censorships of China and North Korea, Britain seems to have found its own palate for persecuting those who express thoughts incompatible with our national sensibilities. It has almost become a weekly ritual to read of someone being sentenced for making grossly offensive communications through Facebook or the like. Just in the past few days, Matthew Jones and Azhar Ahmed have both been found guilty of trespassing on the sensitivity of the British public who, apparently, feel that banning these men from using a website as a forum for their myopic musings does not go far enough. Judge Jane Goodwin stated that with freedom of speech comes responsibility, forgetting the simple fact that there is no freedom of speech when

you remove peoples right to practice it. As grim as it is to defend the rights of people who joke about dead children or quip about the sanctity of our soldiers, it is a far grosser abuse of our power to deem these views too offensive to ever be expressed. We seem to have become accustomed to letting these stories slip under the radar because antagonists are viewed as more of a public nuisance than an opposition for debate, but how far are we now from imprisoning Holocaust deniers, banning Rushdies books or prohibiting the criticism of religion? Rather than serve as a threat, abnormal ideas can in fact function as a utility to question and strengthen our own arguments; Thomas Jefferson perhaps put it most succinctly in his 1801 inaugural address when he professed that Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it, so maybe its time our skin grew thicker and we remembered how to win over dissenters with logic, not threat.

10 FEATURES

The Stag |

16th October 2012

features@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Surrey: the learnings good, Beware of the abyss but what about your sex life?
By Pippa Tollow, Features Team low. Looking down the table, subjects include environmental sciences, theology, earth sciences, education and IT, with averages below 3. Yet it seems students across various universities are closely tied with sexual statistics. 12% have had a threesome, 35% use handcuffs and 26% have used a housemates bed to have sex! Despite 23% of 18-24 year olds believing that they would be ridiculed for drinking a non-alcoholic drink on a night out, it seems Surrey University has a lower dependence and concentration on alcohol, coming 53rd out of 68 universities included in the Student Drinking League Table. While Leeds takes first position with an average of 26.7 units consumed by each student per week, Surrey students consume an average of just 14.3. The universitys staff and students should certainly be admired for their fervent contribution to advancing the universitys position with their hard work, dedication and financial input. While these aspects will continue to receive attention as the university looks to advance even further, it seems other factors, such as alcohol and sex consumption, can also play a role in aiding university success.

Features

By Sophie Vickery, Features Team

he University of Surrey has impressively advanced to 12th place in The Guardians league table, with 14 of 22 subjects listed in the top 20. Meanwhile, Surrey has seven subjects boasting a top ten place in the Times Good University Guide 2013. Professor Sir Christopher Snowden, ViceChancellor of the University of Surrey, acknowledged the universitys dedication to meet students needs and deliver an outstanding student experience. But, while the prominent focus on education and student welfare certainly deserve credit for the universitys recent success, a study of other university leagues

offers additional explanation for its advancements. 101 universities are listed in the 2012 University Sex League, measuring the average number of sexual partners since starting university. Surrey comes 92nd with a low average of 2.29 partners, while Bangor University tops the tables with 8.31. The study, constructed by studentbeans. com, even explores which subjects have the most sex. Economics have the highest average of 4.88 partners, closely followed by Social work, Marketing, Leisure and Hospitality, agriculture and electrical engineering. The university of Surrey has many students studying these subjects, yet the sexual average remains

was sitting in a tutorial in my first year of university, when I heard the single best bit of advice I would be given in my university career. My tutor said to the class Be aware of the Abyss. The Abyss, she explained, is a point in your first year at university where many factors collide at once, with potentially disastrous consequences. The point will come when all the clothes you own are dirty, you cant find a clean pair of pants anywhere, and you didnt know it was possible to sleep as little as you have recently and still function (if barely!). It is a time when you have hangovers on top of hangovers, no food in your cupboards, and suddenly you have five bits of coursework due and no idea how to start them. You find yourself spiralling into depression and reaching for the phone to call your parents begging them to come collect you youve made a mistake, university isnt for you. BUT WAIT! Could this be The Abyss? Everyone will experience this at some point, my tutor told us; it could be in your first week (mine hit me with the force of a tsunami on the Tuesday of freshers week), it could be a few weeks into your first term, or it might take until the second term when youve been lulled into a false sense of security.

If you manage to escape The Abyss then youre lucky, but rare. Fortunately, theres an antidote to this demon awareness! Now you know about the Abyss you can fight it. You knew it was coming and you know that it will pass. You know that everyone around you will go through the same thing, and if theyre aware of it too then you only need to say four simple words for them to understand what youre going through Im in The Abyss. Of course if you want further support, there are various Student Services on campus that can help you. The Centre of Wellbeing is located opposite Millennium House on the main campus, or if youre in university accommodation then your Court Life Mentor is there to listen and should be able to signpost you to appropriate services. There is also a plethora of tutors and academic staff around who have been students themselves and in my experience are always willing to listen and advise you on the people who can help you. So, just as this advice was passed onto me, I wish to pass it onto you. Spread the word about The Abyss, remove the stigma, and let everyone know that theyre in the same boat. This could be a small hiccup in an otherwise fantastic year of university, so take this knowledge and defeat The Abyss.

An Olympic experience
By Lasika Jayamaha, Features Team

shimelleflickr

hree, two, one, go! And I ran into position, it was the night of the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony and I was on the stadium together with 1400 other volunteers to perform Thanks Tim. The months of rehearsals and preparation came down to this one performance. The music started and we all had the time of our lives, performing our routine to the 60s tunes. Volunteering for the games was a most rewarding experience. Auditions and rehearsals were the best part with lots of eating, making friends and walking

through the Olympic park 14 times! Rehearsing in sun or rain with professional dancers and director Danny Boyle was an unforgettable experience. The organisation and the workforce involved were incredible and most of them were volunteers from all walks of life. Despite media efforts to get details of the show, we managed to keep the important sections of the ceremony a secret. Our commitment and enthusiasm as one big family was infectious and this contributed to the success of one of the biggest shows on earth. During the games I also got the opportunity to volunteer as a London Ambassador, engineered

ambernambroseflickr

by the Mayor of London. Helping the many visitors both local and foreign at Liverpool Street station was quite rewarding and was made even special when we met quite a few athletes looking for the shop giving away free beats headphones! The biggest excitement came when I learnt that we were given two passes for the final dress rehearsal. It was a once in a life time experience for my family in Sri Lanka to make a special trip to see me and they loved it. Let the spirit of the London 2012 games continue to inspire a generation.

Features Editor: Ellis Taylor | Copy Editor: Tessa morgan

The Stag |

16th October 2012

FEATURES

11

By John Watkins, Director of Careers Service

CAREERS

Are there truths in urban myths?

By Katy Sawyer, Features Team

50 students completed the Careers Service employability questionnaire at Freshers Fayre which was based on the CBI definition. The detailed results show a fair level of self-confidence amongst Surrey students and time will tell how well placed it is! The highest scoring category proved to be positive attitude whilst the lowest was business and customer awareness, which comes as no surprise to me as a former employer of graduates. It should be reassuring to know that the Careers Service is offering a number of employer led workshops in this area and that the weekly Join John sessions will be laden with advice and insight on this key topic. And dont think that these offerings are only for those who recognise that their employability skills are in need of development. It is, of course, easy to claim to be good at things and believe that you are in good shape. The challenge

is to prove it. Interviews and assessment centres are very adept at finding the real level of strength by putting people under pressure in an unfamiliar environment. It is better that your relative shortcomings are exposed (and developed) in this safe university environment than discovering that you have a great deal more to learn as you embark on the start of your career. And if your positive assessment does indeed prove to be well founded, at least other people can learn from your excellence! For a full list of events please go to the Whats On page of the Careers website which will take you to the calendar and online booking. The Careers Service can be found in the Philip marchant Building and at: www.surrey.ac.uk/careers www.uniofsurreycareers. wordpress.com www.facebook.com/ surreycareers

Last issue, we printed this lovely picture of our elegant Editor, Alexandra, and asked you to submit your captions to us. You did, and they were fab, so fab that we have three winners! Well done to: Wait... this isnt the bathroom?! - Deb Aitken The new student media newsroom was a bit of a disapointment - Ian Lipp The BBC needs to replace the cameras at Alexandra Palace- Paul A Richmond What will Alexandra be up to next time?!

Yknow what reallly grinds my gears..? ...That friend

be shared with them and none of your secrets are any of their concern. Honestly, both you and they grind my gears. I understand the purpose of networking, getting a better job because of associates and all that, but if that one friend is more of a detriment and youre still keeping them around... But for why?! Dont complain about them if you know theyre a shockingly sorrowful excuse for a friend. Friend 2: Likewise, have you ever found yourself talking about your problems/concerns/personal issues and that one friend finds a way of pointing out that theyve gone through the same thing but on a greater and more traumatic scale? They then become the subject of the conversation with their past experience, and your current issue is never talked through. Now, to understand a situation, I can appreciate that empathy is sometimes required, but please do not constantly monopolise the conversation with your own experiences, dear friend. Heres what to do: make sure that you can identify them, that friend, if you cant identify them then said self-absorbed friend may infact be you. Fix up please. Why cant we just banish this type of friend to a secret island so that they can have a friend just like them? I swear Im not a moany mare all the time; its just that friend just really grinds my gears!

By Bakita Kasadha

any have that one person who calls themselves your friend who is actually a frenemy (learnt that word from the film Mean Girls), or theyre a mere acquaintance but have found a way of stealing the more nobel title of friend. Friend 1: You may even call her/him your friend but you know full well that some of your personal issues shouldnt

Being VP Welfare and moaning about people is probably harming my welfare image so its time to pass on the column to find out what really grinds your gears.

HarlanHflickr

Our Editor is a Tit!

n apple a day may keep the doctor away with many health benefits but unfortunately not the dentist. It seems that there are so many of these sayings, but is there really any truth behind them? Knuckle Cracking Since I was little, whenever I crack my knuckles (bad habit, I know) my Mum always says to me: if you carry on doing that youll get arthritis. After much research it is clear that cracking your knuckles will not cause arthritis, (I never believed my Mum anyway.) While it may be true that it can reduce the strength of your grip and cause swelling it does not lead to arthritis. Can carrots help you see in the dark? After investigating this myth (this would be so helpful when walking home after a night out!) I can confirm that it is false. It seems that this tale first developed during World War II due to allied propaganda; there were rumours that the British air force had amazing night vision due to eating carrots. This was to hide the use of radar. Although carrots contain vitamin A which

contributes to healthy eyes, it is unlikely that your vision would actually improve. Do sandwich crusts give you curly hair? No matter how many sandwich crusts I have eaten in my life they have not given me curly hair! Curly hair grows from curly follicles, and straight hair from straight follicles. However crusts do have melanoidins and these produce good bacteria needed for healthy guts. It is also thought that melanoidins can protect against cancer. Will the TV make your eyes go square? When I was younger I was constantly told off for sitting too close to the television. I was told that my eye sight would decline as a result, despite having glasses television hasnt damaged my

eyes at all and they are definitely not square! Does the wind actually freeze your face?! Finally, as mentioned in the title, a well-known wives tale most commonly used by mothers or grandmothers is: if the wind changes, you will stay like that. This probably originated from bygone times when humans were closer to nature. Adults have always despised children pulling funny faces and the threat that the alteration would become permanent was a good deterrent! These superstitious wives tales I can definitely confirm to be false. Being a non-believer after walking over 3 drains in a row; breaking many mirrors and walking under ladders I should have very bad luck by now!

If you think you can write a GMGs better than me then send an original* GMGs to features@thestagsurrey.co.uk and well get Surrey students to

vote on the two best GMGs T&C: No more than 400 words (no 10% margin); start with Yknow what really grinds my gears... and enjoy whinging.

12 FEATURES

The Stag |

16th October 2012

features@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Are you part of the hidden army?

By Veronica Hastings, Features Team

eah, I know, the headline is a bit vague, but I needed to catch your attention. This is important. So listen up. You will have probably heard about carers on the news recently. But have you ever thought am I a carer? No? Well you might be surprised. Lets just be clear, Im not talking about people who are paid to carry out care work, Im talking about the UKs hidden army of carers. Who is this Hidden Army? Carers are people who care for someone else, unpaid, on a regular basis. They could be looking after a family member, partner or close friend who might need care because of a disability, on-going physical illness, mental health problems or addiction. The care they provide could be physical help, emotional support or both, and they often dont realise that they are a carer, seeing it as their duty to help loved ones when they are sick and that its a normal thing to do. Obviously, it is important to support those that we love, but sometimes, when that care is longterm, we need support ourselves, we need something or someone to lean on. In Surrey there are estimated to be approximately 12,000 young

carers, Surrey Young Carers aims to reach as many of these young people as possible, and they have been very successful so far. It is often professionals at school or work who notice that someone is a carer, questions raised by these professionals can prompt a referral to a carers organisation. But when you are at uni it is easy for people

to think that the stress you are feeling is attributed solely to your workload, or that a missed lecture is bound to be down to too many drinks in Rubix! I wont say that these are not justifiable reasons for

a lot of students, but maybe they are not the only reasons. Be aware that you can get support so that your caring role is less tiring and so, if you want to, have your lecturers alerted to the fact that things are hard at home, with a guarantee that they will be understanding as you have the backing of professionals willing to fight your corner. Maybe you have caring responsibilities back at home which affect you while you are here, or perhaps you live at home nearby so that you can carry out your caring role while you study. The pressures of having someone back home can make uni life quite tough, especially as a fresher having other challenges of settling in to a new environment. If you live at home with someone who is dependant on you on a regular basis, this can have obvious implications and effects on your studies, as well as your social life. Whatever it is, whatever the combination, the severity, or the impact on your life, if you have some regular duty of care for someone other than yourself (and its not your paid job to carry out this care) then Action for Carers Surrey (ACS) can help. ACS is an independent charity led by carers aiming to raise awareness of carers needs and concerns on a local and national

level. Working in partnership with other organisations and GP practices, they offer free impartial advice and support to the carers themselves. Their Surrey Young Carers service helps to minimise the impact of their caring role on their lives, providing workshops, forums, activities and youth groups to give the young people timeout from their caring role. As well as this they offer training to health, social care and educational professionals. Remember that you are not alone and that your studies, job, relationships, and your own health can all be things which suffer if you are a young adult carer. I urge you, if you are caring for someone, to seek advice from ACS. Its free, and we all know that students love a freebie.

Here are those important contact details:

If you are under 18 and need advice then contact Action For Carers- Surrey Young Carers directly on 01483568269, email them at
syc@actionforcarers.org.uk www.surrey-youngcarers. org.uk

or visit

ACS@actionforcarers.org.uk www.actionforcarers.org.uk.

If you are 18 or over then contact Action For Carers on 01483 302748, email or find out more at

No longer a Rubix virgin

By Thomas Greenaway, Features Team

he booming sound of hits from yesteryear, scantily clad females, pre-drinking to an unacceptable level of intoxication, it can only be one thing, my initiation to the SU bar. The green lighting caught me particularly off guard and gave me an almost nauseous feeling (nothing to do with the booze I can assure you). So I walk in expecting a pretty standard night out, good not great, and I turn to my left and what do I see, a girl wetting herself, yes you read that correctly, a girl wetting herself. Now most of you would think how disgusting but in my twisted logic I thought its 11:30pm and this girl has just wet herself, Im in for a good night! Seeing all these freshers drink to hide their nerves at not really knowing anyone and losing all airs and graces, makes for great people watching, especially with the large sofas overlooking the main dance floor. As the night wares on my memory becomes

increasingly patchier but one thing I do remember is the rambunctious and almost aggressive nature of the lads in the boys toilets. Constantly shouting, swearing, knocking stuff everywhere, just generally trying to assert their masculinity and hide their sexual frustration (Surrey was ranked 58th out of 61 on sexually active university students); but theyre harmless really and I just chuckle a little to

myself. Overall the experience was a pleasant one, with the newbies keeping me entertained along with the crowd I went with; because lets be honest, its all about the crowd you go with. The recipe for a successful night out has two main ingredients, the crowd of people and cheap drinks. The SU bar had both of these things in abundance so it was bound to be a success.

USSUfacebookpage

Features Editor: Ellis Taylor | Copy Editor: Tessa morgan

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16th October 2012

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13

he man who raped me was nice. He was good looking. He said I had a nice dress on. He was a good kisser. He was doing a degree, like me. He was funny. He was a rapist. Lots of people probably love him and think hes a good guy. I liked him. He kissed me at a party and then we went into a bedroom. I didnt want to have sex with him. He hit me across the face, pinned me down on the bed and pulled my up nice dress. And then he raped me. I said no, I shouted, I tried to push him off. I did all the things youre told youre supposed to do, and it didnt work. He just put his hand over my mouth and carried on. He then left the party and I lay in the bed trying to sleep. I wasnt going to sleep much for the next few months, but I didnt know it then. I went home and ran the hottest bath I could and sat in it sobbing. I never went to the police because I refused to accept what happened to me. I carried on with my life, but I withdrew completely.

What happened to me does not define me

I stopped seeing my friends and I started wearing the ugliest baggiest clothes. I tried my hardest to fade away. I began to suffer from panic attacks. One day I took as many painkillers as I could find in my bedroom, put the radio on, and lay down on my bed. minutes later I realised I was making a mistake. I stuck my fingers down my throat and threw up until I cried. I then called an ambulance. Ive never spoken about this publicly. Only my closest friends know. Ive suffered from anxiety and depression related problems ever since. But recently my life has got a lot brighter. Im no longer scared to leave my house or wear revealing clothes. I dont hate myself anymore. Ive realised that what one person did can only define me as much as I let it. I was raped, yes, but I am not the girl who was raped. I am so much more than that.

Lessons from failure

hen I was younger I was excruciatingly shy and withdrawn. It was nearly impossible for me to make friends and the bravado that young teenagers show with their close friends was totally alien to me. For most of my time in school I felt totally alone and I would fake illness to my parents because being alone in my room was easier to manage than being alone in the classroom. When I left school and first went to university, that situation changed quite literally overnight. My stifled social need suddenly found space for expression among a host of complete strangers. That might sound ideal, but the sudden change let out very destructive aspects of my personality. My slide into depression happened so slowly that while things were getting worse, I didnt even realise that they were. I had spent so long in a tightly-locked shell and the new friends I encountered at university suddenly became the total focus of my life. Within a few months I had all but stopped attending university, spending my time instead with my friends smoking weed. As my second year drew to a close, I began to get very black feelings. I knew that I was failing in my work. I didnt bother to turn up to five of my six exams and instead I spent my days getting stoned alone in my room for 16 hours straight, again and again. My third year of university was my final and incomplete year. I became very paranoid that my friends hated me and almost completely stopped leaving my room; I wouldnt wash for days on end; I would sometimes spend several days in bed, getting up just to make coffee or to change video. In March of that year I finally realised what had happened to me. That was the most crushing single event through the whole saga. There was so much detail that gets lost in an article like this, but my introspective tendencies were overloaded with my failures. I was totally unable to cope with basic day-today tasks and I was negative about everything. My remaining presence of mind was used to inform the university that was leaving and my parents that I needed to come home. That was in 2004 and looking back on the years since, it is only in the last 18 months that I can really be certain that I have put that period behind me. It was the year after I left my first university when I actually reached my lowest point and gave serious thought to killing myself. When I initially admitted to myself that I had a problem, I had no way of dealing with it and the struggle upwards sometimes seemed so futile. After spending nine months at home I moved back to my university town to try and prove that I was up to it. But depression doesnt just disappear, and I struggled to maintain a job without bursting into a rage at my manager. I was in poverty for two full years, eating nothing but bread and cheese. I had no cooker and no washing machine and these things in themselves stopped me from keeping up with my more stable friends. When you hit rock bottom, getting up again is a slow and painful process, but it manifestly can be done. Looking back, I was such an insular individual and failure to look after my basic needs was too much for me to cope with. But admitting my own weaknesses and failures has left me with the most solid of foundations for rebuilding myself. I still occasionally see my insecurities emerging from whatever hole they now live in, but another part of me is in command now and I am a stronger person than ever I thought I could be. I have learned to keep my darker feelings at bay, to recognise them as soon as they emerge and most importantly to take immediate and concrete action to change my situation when they do. There is no room when recovering from depression to be picky about those actions, or to do things the way you think they ought to be done. You must do what is necessary and worry about extracting yourself from lesser difficulties later on. You must change the way you think about yourself and other people too. If this is you too, get started today, and dont ever, ever give up.

Nothing prepares you

T
his summer I received the phone call that everyone dreads. The one where you are told someone you love and care for deeply has suddenly died. My Mum was crying down the phone and I could barely understand what she was saying. Then my heart sank. My younger brother had been found dead at home, with no apparent cause. He had only just turned 20. Bereavement or grief is not something that we often talk about. Death is a sensitive issue to talk about anyway, let alone the emotions that accompany dealing with loss. Admittedly I have struggled with many emotions over the last couple of months, but the thing that affects me most is exhaustion. It is a struggle to get up in the morning as a student any way, let alone when you feel like you have been hit by a bus. Those that are close to the family also have been quite emotional, and I have found myself supporting their emotions as well as my own (which doesnt help the exhaustion). Alongside exhaustion I have found myself bursting into tears at inappropriate times and at the smallest of things. (Although I found that crying in the queue at the bank gets you seen to a lot quicker!) There are still all the first times to face; the first Christmas without them, their first birthday after their death, the first year anniversary of their death. The prospect of all these fill me with anxiety. On top of all this, two months on we still do not know the cause of death for my brother. We have been told it could be up to four more months before we get any answers. The lack of closure means that I am preparing myself to feel this way for a while. Like other mental health issues, grief is not always obvious to the observer. I have been putting on a brave face since coming back to University, but below the surface I am hurting a lot and struggling with the most simple of things. All I can hope is that I can become stronger and start living my life for the both of us, because his was cut so short.

14 FEATURES

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Second year sourness

By Laura Colledge, Features Team

f you, like me, are reading this wearing three jumpers and two pairs of socks, nursing feet that have reluctantly had to walk further than 100 metres to lectures, and wondering if youll experience the luxury of hot water again before Christmas, you may have just made the surreal return to university as a second year. Feel the full wrath of my bitterness if you are in fact a fresher! Now that the novelty of moving into our own house has well and truly worn off and the realisation that we cant answer the question You going out tonight? with a simple Why not? First year doesnt even count! anymore, the presence of a sofa (even though a little tatty, its pure comfort) in our lives doesnt quite seem to make up for not being able to afford heating and having to

remember which day to put our bins out. Whilst the majority of first years will be fighting off the dreaded Freshers Flu (by the way, adding more alcohol to the mix doesnt actually help), many second years are experiencing what Im calling post-freshers blues. Somehow consuming large amounts of caffeine because you have been on the phone all day to your landlord/ internet provider/British Gas isnt quite as exhilarating as when you did such things in order to survive going out on last nights hangover. Nights out even lose some of their fun when you have to keep the volume down for your 90-yearold neighbours and embrace the sobering, and seemingly endless, trek to Rubix. In spite of all my moaning, there are certain aspects of living

in halls we can celebrate leaving behind. We no longer have put up with filthy dishes piling up in the food blocked sinks; the mould that we found growing on my flatmates spoon is now an amusing anecdote, rather than the cause of flat fallouts! As for sleep, things have never been better. Trying to sleep through our flatmates parties/ other unidentifiable noises is no longer the biggest problem in our lives (instead we actually have work to worry about). So although we are grieving the gradual disappearance of Citrus Wednesdays from our lives, at least we arent standing in our pyjamas in the cold every other night because our fire alarm has been set off at three in the morning. It could be worse, were not final years yet, right?

An accurate representation of a second year, no matter the weather outside

Street Style - Out and about on Campus

By Lily Pearson, Features Team BEN GRADWELL: Ben has engaged with the inky and sober blues popularised by Paul Smith this season. His Zara shoes enliven the muted pallette of his outfit, the subtle buckle an ontrend footwear fixture right now.

Get your coat, its time to shop

By Ellis Taylor, Features Editor

AMY MCGIVERN: Mesh panels add a little heat to Amys wintery knit, while her Urban Outfitters shoes are a perfect (and not to mention affordable) homage to Charlotte Olympias much sought-after cat flats. Her mish-mashed accessories perfect this seasonal day-time look.

BUMMIE: Bold is best, as Bummies pillar box red skinny jeans only add to the extravagance of her patent Russell & Bromley loafers. The perfect faux fur is a staple to any lover of fashions wardrobe. Like Bummie, scrutinise charity shop rails for your ideal number!

ay! Its getting chilly! Why is this so exciting? Because we can wear coats, therefore go coat shopping, and shopping is always good (unless its for food, cereal is way overpriced). But coat shopping is no easy task my friends, its like a battle ground out there, and this dramatically changing weather does not help the situation. Honestly, I cannot deal with this whole jumper in the morning, t-shirt in the afternoon business. But back to coats, here is a mini-guide to the best styles of outerwear. And if one thing comes out of this article, our editor Alexandra will finally know the difference between a pea coat and a trench coat! The Pea Coat for when its pretty nippy This coat is an absolute classic that will never go out of style and is super easy to wear. Falling at the hips, or sometimes slightly below, the cut is simple with two columns of buttons keeping it from being plain. Pea coats are generally made of more snug materials such as wool, so theyre best for particularly cold days. The Trench Coat for when theres a drizzle and you want to swish The simplest definition of this coat is simply Audrey Hepburns

coat in Breakfast at Tiffanys. A belt at the waist gives this coat a great (and flattering) shape, whilst a longer length gives opportunity for swishing about. This coat is most commonly found in a beige/cream colour, but dont be scared to try something bolder! I saw a girl on campus (gosh, this sounds creepy) who had a black trench with sheer sleeves and it was wonderful whoever you are, well done. The Parker for icky rain Straight down, longer length and typically a khaki colour. Great for pulling off the military look, and it goes with most outfits. My favourites are the ones with the fluffy bit around the hood, not only is it cosy, but it also doubles up as a tool to pretend that you are a lion. The Duffle Coat for when its super nippy The name of this alone is brilliant. Duffle. Just say it to yourself a few times and enjoy it. This coat has it all; warmth, toggles and style. Its quite similar to the pea coat, with a similar length and materialbut this has a hood! How practical. Plus, wooden toggles add some fab detail, even if they do take a while to do up. So there you go, a basic guide to four of the most popular style coats that will never betray your wardrobe, or let you freeze.

Features Editor: Ellis Taylor | Copy Editor: Tessa morgan

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16th October 2012

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Do you want to win a 50 giftcard for Boux Avenue?

Send Becky (marketing@thestagsurrey. co.uk) the reason why you deserve to win the giftcard! Keep it to 100 words, make it funny, make it printable! No swearing please. Make sure you send your entry by 31st October 2012.

WIN A 50 GIFTCARD FOR BOUX AVENUE!

16 FEATURES

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16th October 2012

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Answers in the next edition of The Stag. Send correct answers to letters@thestagsurrey.co.uk to get a mention in the paper.

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Sci/Tech Editor: Alex Smith | Copy Editor: Sophie Vickery

The Stag | 16th October 2012

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

17

Physics ongoing gender divide

Credit: Pheonix College STEM

Science & Technology

Prehistoric earth fossils reveal vampire dinosaur
By Siobhan Harris, Science & Tech Team

Women still have an integral role to play - despite the lack of female physics students By Alex Smith, Science & Tech Editor enjoyment in the subject, its very easy to fall into the stereotypes and stick with what you know. Ultimately the problem is not about ability as both the sexes perform equally well at GCSE level. Instead, the IOP found that the strongest influences of student attitude towards physics were their experience of the subject at school, how the student sees themselves in relation to physics and how supportive the teacher is. The report goes on to give recommendations to parents, teachers and governments to reduce the stereotypical limitation for girls looking to pursue study in physics, such as encouraging schools to address participation issues before they can receive outstanding status from Ofsted. Actively challenging gender stereotyping in and out of the classroom has quite rightly been highlighted as something which all head-teachers need to look at. It is also something which the government needs to enforce, especially when there is a shortage of people trained in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The integration of women would be a successful milestone for science and technology, yet it demands a new mindset for such a breakthrough to be achieved. A society which restricts half of the available minds by discouraging women to take up physics is a very backwards and archaic one, and one which needs to change its ways if it truly wants to embrace science and technology.

hat could possibly be better than a cross between a bird, porcupine and (wait for it) a vampire? Thats how Palaeontologist, Professor Paul Sereno, described the animal in his research paper. The peculiar creature was about 2 feet long, weighed less than a house cat (15 pounds) and only able to stand a foot off the ground. In true dinosaur style, the creature is said to have walked on its hind legs, though not quite towering over prey due to its tiny size. Instead, it probably would have scampered among the toes of giants like T-Rex (Tyrannosaurus) and the terrifying Allosaurus. Discovered by scientists working on fossils in South Africa, this new find is a type of

heterodontosaur which they have called Pegomastax Africanus, meaning thick jaw from Africa. This is because it had a protruding jaw, shaped like a parrots beak, containing two canine teeth (fangs, if you like) at the front and tall teeth tucked behind; hence Vampire. Although its vicious teeth were for slicing plants, Sereno believes they were more likely to be used in self-defence and competitive sparring. Weirder yet are the bristles covering its body; almost like a porcupines spiky quills. Although harmless, they would have warned off potential predators. The species are thought to be around 200 million years old and would have lived when the ancient super-continent of Pangaea was dividing into two land masses, meaning this particular type of

heterodontosaur evolved at the dawn of the last age of dinosaurs. The significance of this fossil find is not to be undermined; it is a great discovery in the field of palaeontology as the study has revealed that Pegomastax Africanus sophisticated jaw structure was ahead of its time. These structures were only seen again in mammals that had evolved millions of years later. To think such a creature did NOT fly, sink its teeth into animal flesh or use its spikes as a weapon is perplexing. The fact that it actually used its fang-like teeth to slice plants and chew them is even more remarkable. Really, we are talking about a harmless prehistoric creature and perhaps, as Sereno said: It would be a nice pet; if you could train it not to nip you.

t some point in their lives, every physics student will have noticed the lack of women in the classroom, and perhaps even taken a moment to watch an episode or two of The Big Bang Theory and realised that actually this universal stereotype isnt far from the truth. Sadly, this observation is in fact a reality. The Institute of Physics (IOP) found that 46% of UK secondary schools had no girls studying A-level physics in 2011. They also found that a female student from an all-girls school was 2.5 times more likely to study A-level physics than one from a mixed institution. For the last 20 years the number of girls taking physics at A-level has stagnated around the 20% mark; a figure specific to physics while the other sciences have higher percentages of female students. As a physicist, I too found that there were no girls in my A-level physics class and here at university the boy/girl ratio is still incredibly unbalanced. President of the physics society (PhySoc), Sarah Lonsdale, revealed that she has also noticed the gender gap. She said, my experiences pretty much follow what theyve discovered; that girls who are in single sex education are more likely to study physics at a higher level, than those from mixed schools. She acknowledged her own struggle as she went from high school to a mixed college, finding that she was vastly in the minority. She continued, saying that despite my

Are your testicles killing you?

By Ruth Smithers, Science & Tech Team

efore you go ahead and get your knickers in a twist, dont worry there isnt a new strain of super STD, capable of rendering you infertile without the need to even take your clothes off. However, some recent evidence truly does suggest that cutting your nads off has the potential to extend your life; by up to nineteen years. It has been a long-held view which supports the argument to neuter pets; animals live longer, happier lives as a result of castration, as the likelihood of developing cancers and infections of the genitals is removed. It is only now that this evidence has been extended to humans, with the release of a report in the journal Current Biology. The report documents the study of life spans of eunuchs who served under Koreas Chosun Dynasty, which ran from 1392 to 1910. These servants were selected as boys to work in the royal palace and were castrated, although, in contrast to other Asian dynasties, they were allowed to marry and adopt children if they so wished. The study showed that the average age of eunuchs born between 1556 and 1861 was 70 years, whereas that of men of equivalent social standing, who

A tough descision? Living the life of a eunuch could extend your lifespan. had not been castrated, was only 51 years. When combined with evidence of females having a longer average lifespan than that of men, some scientists are beginning to question whether testosterone; the hormone secreted primarily within the testes, is a factor which limits life expectancy. Dr Min, from Inha University, South Korea, has commented on the findings, saying It is quite possible that testosterone reduction therapy extends male lifespan, however, we may need to consider the side effects of it, mainly reduction of sex drive in males. This evidence has been shown previously in animal studies, with some researchers concluding that testosterone increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and may also undermine the immune system. However, the study may have discounted the differences in lifestyle of the subjects. A lecturer from the University of Lancaster, Dr David Clancy, has suggested that these contrasts may have had a significant contribution to the overall life expectancies. Castrato versus non-castrato singers are probably a better comparison, and showed no difference in lifespan. Noncastrato lived an average of 65 years and both groups lived fairly cosseted lives. The results are in no way conclusive, but may pave the way to discovering exactly why women live that little bit longer than men.

2011 Vantage Point Counscelling

18 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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16th October 2012

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Revolutionary gun printing plan runs out of ammo

By Mike Colling, Science & Tech Team

US company hoping to distribute plans for printable firearms over the internet has suffered a major setback following the seizure of its 3D printer. The Wiki Weapon project, launched by Defence Distributed, stated its main aims were to create a 100% printable design and to become the webs printable gun wiki redoubt. Although it is legal in the United States to manufacture firearms without a license (provided they are not shared,

traded or sold), the company supplying Defence Distributed with the 3D printer, Stratasys, was unhappy with their intentions. In a letter to Defence Distributed published on the Wiki Weapon blog, Stratasys said It is the policy of Stratasys not to knowingly allow its printers to be used for illegal purposes. Therefore please be advised that your lease of the Stratasys uPrint SE is cancelled at this time. The printer was collected shortly after. 3D printing is a relatively new technology, with the first examples occurring in the 1980s.

It is a process by which solid, three dimensional objects can be produced from a computer model. The majority of 3D printers work using an additive manufacturing technique, which involves splitting the digital model in to very thin horizontal cross-sections, and then building the physical model from the base up by depositing layer after layer of material. These layers are fused together during the process to give a finished product. Materials used vary, although the most common are acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastics.

Controversy over the 3D printing of firearms comes just months after the mass shooting at a cinema in Aurora, Colorado which left twelve people dead. The incident sparked political debate on gun control, and in particular the ease with which suspect James Eagan Holmes obtained the assault rifles used in his attack. If the Wiki Weapon project ever resumes, and if the price of 3D printers continues to fall, then there is the potential for many more people gaining access to firearms. And it will only be as difficult as pressing print.

Technology round-up
By Fahmid Chowdhury, Science & Tech Team
Facebooks 1 billion users

Are the days of broadband numbered?

By Nick Bates, Science & Tech Team

ts been only 8 years since Mark Zuckerberg launched this social networking site as a project in his Harvard dorm room but today it is being used by 1 billion people around the world. Other facts and figures include users having run up 1.13 trillion likes, 140.3 billion friend connections and 219 billion shared photos since its launch on February 2004.

or anybody interested with technology, one of the big things this autumn has been the new iPhone 5, released by Apple. Although opinion on the new phone remains varied, people cant help but become intrigued by the inclusion of 4G. Previously weve had to deal with up to 7.2Mbps download speeds using 3G, whereas 4G could max out at 300Mbps; around three times greater than the fastest fibre-optic connections in peoples homes. Now, although this sounds amazing and could get many people jumping out their seats at the prospect of buying the new iPhone, as of yet there is only one network introducing 4G in 2012: EE; the company who own both T-Mobile and Orange. They have stated that it will launch its UK

London Mayor, Boris Johnson, attending the EE 4G press conference in September. service of 4G LTE on October 30th, providing it for 16 cities this year, with targets to make it available to 98% of the population by 2014. But if youre on another network there is no need to fear as Vodafone and O2 have also promised to implement 4G

networks by next spring. For anyone who doesnt want to get the iPhone 5, there are many other options quickly being developed and soon to be released. Samsung have released an LTE version of the top rated Galaxy SIII, and Nokia have a range of Lumia phones running Windows Phone 8 which will be released in the near future. But whats more note-worthy than all of these new phones is the possible handsets that these companies will produce in the future. Newly enabled superfast download speeds could make the phones superior entertainment hubs to current models. However, designers could also completely re-invision the style of phones, allowing people to replace their broadband lines in favour of their smartphones, thus ending the era of broadband internet.

larry Ellisons Hawaiian laboratory

Photo: Everything Everywhere

racle CEO Larry Ellison mentioned that he intends to turn his Hawaiian island into an area for experimenting with more environmentally friendly ways of living. He says he wishes to convert sea water into fresh water to supply the 141-square-mile island of Lanai, place electric cars on the island and increase fruit exports to Japan and other markets.

Driverless Cars now street legal in California

Nobel Prize: The winners

By Alex Smith, Science & Tech Editor

Cultured computers
By Alex Smith, Science & Tech Editor

ts that time of year again where the winners of, arguably, the most prestigious awards in the world are announced . The full lineup is available online, but without further ado, here is a summary of this years science superstars: The Nobel Prize for Physics went to Serge Haroche (Collge de France and Ecole Normale Suprieure, Paris) and David J. Wineland (National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and University of Colorado Boulder) for for ground-breaking experimental methods that enable measuring and manipulation of

individual quantum systems. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012 was awarded jointly to John Gurdon (Professor of Cell Biology and Master of Magdalene College) and Shinya Yamanaka (Kyoto University) for the discovery that mature cells can be reprogrammed to become pluripotent. And the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was given to Robert Lefkowitz (Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Duke University Medical Center) and Brian Kobilka (Stanford University School of Medicine) for studies of G-proteincoupled receptors.

rt has long been depicted as something which separates computers from humans. The capacity for self-expression and the sense of culture and style of a painting have been something which makes mankind unique. However, computer scientists at Lawrence Technological University have found a way of using computer algorithms and visual analysis to categorise a random selection of paintings and identify the picture. The WND-CHARM method, primarily created for biological image analysis, looks for key features such as shapes, textures and distribution of

colour to correctly identify the artist, the school of art (e.g. renaissance), and identify similar styles. When given the task to analyse 994 paintings from 34 different artists, the computer program managed to sort and classify the paintings, while separating classical and modern painters (all in agreement with art historians). Even when limiting the input to just oil or landscape paintings (to lower the computers statistical chance of a correct guess) the machine came up trumps. In fact the only way of tricking the computer was to give the computer tiny input images of 25 pixels.

alifornia is now the third state in the U.S.A. to pass a bill that allows driverless vehicles to travel on its roads. Currently, Google has been experimenting with autonomous vehicles by using a number of sensors, radar and computer navigation to help it travel safely on the road. The team in charge of this have recently claimed to have completed 300,000 miles accident free showing that this is a safe method of transport.

Scientists hope to put Bee brain in robots

group of scientists in the UK are attempting to create an artificial model of a bees brain to be placed in a robot. The robot is then expected to behave like a real bee. It is hoped that this will allow these bionic bees to undertake certain lifesaving missions in the future, such as search and rescue missions or gas leak detection.

22 DANCE & THEATRE

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16th October 2012

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Stratfords lasting legacy

By Rebecca Tubridy, Dance & Theatre Team

Dance & Theatre

Stratfords Theatre Royal, which became a worldwide success as it was transferred to the West End and Broadway. Hedley also started the theatres Musical Theatre Initiative, which aimed to develop and produce new musicals. The current artistic director, Kerry Michael, has continued the Musical Theatre Initiative and brought further success to the theatre by directing The Harder They Come, a coming-of-age musical set in Jamaica. The theatre has been working alongside novelist Martina Cole adapting some of her novels for the stage (Dangerous Lady runs from October 19th), and also offers workshops and opportunities and advises young people who are hoping for a career in the theatre industry. Taking the history of the theatre into consideration, along with its hopes for the future, I think it is fair to say that Theatre Royal Stratford East has already given Stratford a lasting legacy.

he phrase lasting legacy was used continuously, from the moment we won the bid for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games until the closing ceremony. It seemed that Stratford, labelled by the Daily Mail as one of the capitals poorest areas, would be regenerated and never forgotten. But, the Games finished less than a month ago, and Stratford seems to be almost forgotten. However, I believe Stratford had its own lasting legacy before the games even began. Stratford is home to the Theatre Royal Stratford East; a beautiful theatre built in 1884 by actor-manager Charles Dillon and architect James George Buckle. The theatre remained open throughout World War I and in 1953 was taken over by Joan Littlewoods theatre company, Theatre Workshop. In 1979 Littlewoods previous assistant, Philip Hedley, became the theatres new artistic director. Under Hedley, the theatre engaged with leading black and Asian companies and the productions reflected the variety of cultures in London. In 1990, Five Guys Named Moe debuted at

Visit www.stratfordeast.com for further info and tickets

The Ethics of Progress science meets theatre

two places at once. Entanglement suggests that you can take two particles and entangle them together, so that no matter how far away from one another they are they will act in exactly the same way. I created the metaphor of twins feeling the same pain regardless of their locality to each other (although this is the incredibly condensed, dumbed-down, thinking-out-loud explanation). This all built up to the somewhat alarming truth about Teleportation: the possibility of scanning a being, reproducing it elsewhere and destroying the original - something being studied at this very moment. So, thats the science part. Now for the theatre. If youre expecting a show with lights, set-changes, and flashy costumes, this isnt that kind of performance. It is the most honest form of theatre, in my opinion; one man on stage, no gimmicks, telling a story. And Jon Spooner is a phenomenal story teller. Visual aids provided not only a simplified explanation for the theories, but also a mildly comical break to make this show more than just a physics lecture. That, along with Spooners personal anecdotes, insights, thoughts, and confusions bring the two worlds of performance and science right on top of each other. Following the main event there was a Q&A session, which I greatly appreciated. Allowing us to probe further after settling our minds a little, it gave the opportunity to clarify and dispute what had been presented a risk you seldom see in traditional theatre. Whilst it included recorded FAQ answers by Professor Vlatko, the audience turned in a more philosophical direction, opening up the floor to the concepts of reality, the arts vs. science, and what we can consider truth. Breaking the barriers between these two artificially separated disciplines and bringing very different groups of people together makes The Ethics of Progress not just entertainment, but an important forum to debate, discover, and devour some incredible knowledge.

By Tiffany Stoneman, Dance & Theatre Editor

uantum physics and theatre two things youd never expect to see together, or necessarily link in any way. And yet creative director of Unlimited Theatre, Jon Spooner, has created The Ethics of Progress, a 50minute theatrical storytelling which breaks down some of the most extraordinary

yet every day parts of science, with the help of Professor Vlatko Vedral, Professor of Quantum Information at Oxford University. Discussing things that barely register as possible, Spooner engages with you, makes you laugh and then astounds you by making you understand some bizarre and intricate concepts. The weird and wonderful (almost proved) theory that one particle can be in

there was a star danced, and under that I was born. Beatrice, Much Ado About Nothing, Act 2 Scene 1

Bits O the Bard

Ed Collier

Dance/Theatre Editor: Tiffany Stoneman | Copy Editor: Hannah Wann

The Stag |

16th October 2012

DANCE & THEATRE

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By Jessica Smith, Dance & Theatre Team

An extra-ordinary world
W
hen I think about being an extra, I recall the hilarious Ricky Gervais TV sit-com Extras and its numerous scenes sitting in a grubby, converted coach, eating beans and drinking from plastic cups, with actors telling obnoxious stories of shoots with other celebrities. Is this a stereotypical view on the life of an extra? Or does it really ring true? I spoke to George Pearce, a final year Theatre studies student, to find out more about the day in the life of being an extra, or as I have just been corrected, a supporting artist! Jessica: Tell me about your typical day as a supporting artist. George Pearce: The days start early like 6am, or very late depending on the type of shoot. If you are on an early shoot, like I was for Anna Karenina, you will get your breakfast, then get into costume but it could be 10am before you do anything. However, when I was working on Hummingbird with Jason Statham, that was a late call of 10pm, I got there and they said now you can have breakfast as we were filming in the English National Opera House on a Sunday evening. Shooting
Titus Powell

all through the night till 8am when they call thats a wrap, I just wanted to go to sleep but realised I had to be in work in 2 hours! J: You mentioned there is a lot of waiting around, what do you do to preoccupy yourself in that time? GP: Generally you meet so many interesting people... and crazy people. But usually when youre shooting; [after] about half an hour you will be told, Right everyone back on the bus,

But on the other side, youre sat there in your costume, whether modern or period, thinking I cant spill anything on this! J: How did you get into being supporting artist? GP: Through family recommendations of a company, really! I want to be an actor but its hard to get into acting so mainly I wanted to learn set etiquette. A lot of extras get bad press and are seen as out of work

...anyone can now be part of the film making process.

we will take you back to camp. You end up sitting in the food trailer for a few hours. J: Is it literally like Extras, where you would have your cup of tea in a small plastic cup and the food would be anything edible? GP: It is almost exactly like Extras! Having watched it before, then going back to watch the show again, you start having a new appreciation for it. I mean yeah, you get your cups of coffee, but there is only so much coffee you can drink and free biscuits you can eat before you get fed up with it. actors waiting for their next big break. But being an extra is open to the public now so anyone can now be part of the film making process. This does have its bad points, as you will find people would harass the lead actors or not turn up, things also go missing from set, thats why on the set of Harry Potter you had to sign in and sign out the wands! J: What was your favourite biscuit? GP: The custard creams, they always go first and are the best to go with your tea!

Georges 5 Top Tips

1. If you say yes to a job, commit to it, you dont want to get black listed. 2. Always say yes! By being enthusiastic new opportunities may come your way on set! 3. Expect the unexpected; things will change all the time. 4. In costume, dont pick messy food! Theres nothing worse than going back to the costume department after lunch telling them you have spilt something on yourself! It also mucks up the continuity of the scene. 5. Always do the role they ask you and do what they tell you to do - youre more likely to be called back.

Adapted novels: Gatz

By Holly McCulloch, Dance & Theatre Team

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

second transaction. They had to be completely in sync with each other reflecting the young boys mind. The performance of Luke Treadaway as Christopher was superb, both from his comedic timing to his recurring groan of distress when someone touched him, tugging hard at the heart strings in the exchanges between him and his father. However, I must say that the details and intricacies of the set (designed by Bunny Christie) were equally as impressive as his performance and quite bowled me over. When we entered, my seat was covered in white material with my seat number on it, as were a few of the others dotted around the theatre. Why was this? The boy in the book loves to recite the prime numbers as they are his favourite things (along with trains) and I was in a prime number seat. There was a pocket in the white seat cover with an envelope and inside there was a game to see if my name added up to a prime number when matching the letters to numbers and if it was I could claim a special prize. Unfortunately, my name didnt add up, but the thought behind this, even before the play had started, made me excited for it to begin. The other surprise was just before the interval - when Christopher decides he is going to get the train to see his mother - a tiny train sounds and starts moving around the balcony where the audience were sitting (myself included). This again made me love the energy and detail that had been put into the set. It was exactly how I would have wanted the boys world to have looked like.
Manuel Harlan

n my experience of watching plays - and as a theatre student you can imagine Ive seen a fair few - Ive never come across a great novel that has been adapted into a great play. However, over summer, I have seen two very different adaptations, both brilliantly done in their own right. Gatz was adapted by John Collins from the classic novel The Great Gatsby, which I saw at the Noel Coward Theatre in London on the 15th July. The most unusual thing about this play was the fact that it lasted for eight hours in total. You may think this to be excessive or self-indulgent (and lets face it, it is slightly) but the reason for this was because the company performed every single word of the book. It was completely uncut. In fact, the actor playing Jim (Scott Shepherd), the narrator in the book, started the play as

Alastair Muir

a lowly office worker whose computer wasnt working, and stumbled across the novel The Great Gatsby. This humble beginning involved a great deal of physical humour, as the first spoken word comes from the book about ten minutes in. It grew into an amazing spectacle as the staff in the office stepped into the roles of the various characters, with the boss becoming Gatsby himself. The office transformed from the typical hum drum furniture, hemming the characters in with files, to the sheets of paper being thrown around to create the party scene and the beaten down sofa was suddenly Gatsbys car or deathbed. The storytelling element where the events took form from the words was something to be seen, and the humour of an action, followed by narration, was spot on throughout. The star though would have to be Shepherd, who for the last chapter (or scene) put down the novel and continued narrating completely off text, changing the tone to sombre. It was a perfect response to the tragedy that was the end of Gatsby.

By Holly McCulloch, Dance & Theatre Team

returned to London, this time to the National Theatre, in the hopes of seeing another one of my favourite novels being performed beautifully as a play, and I was not disappointed. On the 8th August I saw The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time in the Cottlesloe black box theatre, adapted by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliott. For those who are not familiar with the book, it is told from the point of view of an autistic boy, Christopher Boone, who lives with his father and is trying to solve the mystery of who killed the neighbours dog. As Christopher is extremely bright and has an aptitude for facts and figures, the stage is actually a grid so the actor can strategically map out all his actions and exchanges with complete precision. The props were kept just before the wings, again mapped out with labels next to each item. The physical aspect of the storytelling was slick and accurate; the chorus mime sitting on one person, whilst another supports his back and a third takes off his shoes, became one smooth two

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16th October 2012

dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Health and Safety hinders actors

By Lucy Smith, Dance & Theatre Team s a current second year Theatre Studies student, this time last year I found myself very much thrown in at the deep end. You may think this was due to the big transition, moving away from home and making new friends, but it was in fact because I had my first glimpse of what its like to be a performer in the real world. I came from a pretty small sixth form college in Bournemouth, where the Drama department consisted of laid back teachers, too chilled to be concerned with mainstream theatre, and wacky students (myself included) whose main interests included rolling around on the floor pretending to be a metaphorical representation of oppression. Having come from such a relaxed atmosphere, I was beyond shocked when I discovered that in professional theatre there are so many rules! I was genuinely blown away by all the Health and Safety procedures and protocols one needs to follow to merely set up a performance, let alone actually act in one. I can understand how rules are important for issues such as working at height or heavy machinery, but did you know that most things on stage need to be fireproofed? If you

can hold a flame to an item and it catches fire in less than thirty seconds, it has to be spray protected. Maybe this seems reasonable to you, and it did to me at first too, but then you think about it; this would include newspapers, upholstered furniture, signs it goes on. I personally view some Health and Safety rules as completely hindering the essence of performance. It should be about spontaneity and impulsiveness, fuelling heartbeats with adrenaline for both actors and audience. Whatever happened to a little danger? For my final A-level devised piece one scene required me to fall down the stairs. I didnt have any training or safety equipment; I just threw myself down them. In another, my friend had to violently throw me across the stage and in the first performance I hit my head on the floor. But you know what? I loved it. From an actors point of view, when Health & Safety and Risk Assessments which wrap you up in cotton wool take a step back, it allows for a much more real portrayal of life, requiring dedication and almost an audacity that I frankly

believe should come in the package of wanting to be an actor in the first place. If youre not willing to take the risk, do you really have the passion?

Theatre for 15 or less!

By Emily Bourne, Dance & Theatre Team ith the introduction of higher university fees this year, alongside job opportunities being at an all time low, money is tight for everybody at the moment and so activities such as going to the theatre can seem even more expensive than usual, especially when you have to include things such as food and travel on top of that. In light of this, Ive been searching around for some shows priced at a more student-friendly amount to prove that going to see a good production need not break the bank. Heres my list of five great shows to see this autumn, all for 15 or less! 1) The Effect The National Theatre from 12 (5 with Entry Pass Membership) This new play by Lucy Prebble is a romantic story which questions the limits of science and medicine in a humorous and engaging way. 2) Twelfth Night Yvonne Arnaud - 15 After a great success in touring Henry V last year, the all male Shakespeare company Propeller return to Guildford to present their version of one of Shakespeares most popular comedies. 3) State of Emergency Ivy Arts Centre - 5 Dance company State of Emergency are coming to the University of Surrey for a special performance for Black History Month, performing excerpts from previous internationally acclaimed productions. 4) Canterbury Tales Electric Theatre - 10.50 concessions The Merrow Dramatic Society will be performing Chaucers famous work in a modernised and funny style, while still maintaining the essence of the medieval poetry.

5) NSFW Royal Court Theatre from 12 (all tickets 10 on Mondays) In Lucy Kirkwoods debut at the Royal Court, NSFW is a production which explores the ideas of money, sex and power within the workplace.

Watch This Space: Arts at Surrey

A cross-cultural collaboration between the UK based State of Emergency South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma and composer Steve Marshall, Desert Crossings depicts the entire history of the Earth and of humanity in 59 minutes. What: State of Emergency Where: Ivy Arts Centre When: 24th October Cost: 10 (12 full)

Do you like hiking? Interested in performance outside the theatre? New Surrey-based theatre company, Ad Meliora, are looking for 10 participants for their upcoming project. For more information visit www.admelioratheatre.com or contact Abigail at admelioratheatre@gmail.com

Compliance and Safety 2012

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16th October 2012

music@thestagsurrey.co.uk

music
K-Pop makes waves across the world
By Becky Worley, Music Editor

Moyles hands over the torch to Grimmy

By Tanya Noronha, Music Team

Moyles passes on the breakfast show legacy to younger model

fter 8 years on-air, Chris Moyles has finally said goodbye to Radio One, leaving his morning slot to the arguably more popular Nick Grimshaw. Certain newspapers and critics rejoiced, while others (mainly Chris himself) mourned. Love him or hate him and Moyles is not the kind of DJ who people tend to be neutral about he had a point, when during his final show, he mused Its a hard act to follow. The Guardian leapt on his grand finale and ripped it to pieces, with Zoe Williams stating I dont wish to cause undue distress to his bereft fans, but this was the most mawkish, self-congratulatory, portentous broadcast Ive ever heard emit from the BBC. The Daily Mail were, for once, slightly more balanced, with Sarah Fitzmaurices article reading more

like a chronological description of his career although mention was also made of the small incident where he launched into a rant about having not been paid onair, enraging those who earn considerably less than his reported 630,000 (and that was in 2007). Not to mention, there were a couple of jokes about Auschwitz which didnt go down too well with the public. Perhaps this is precisely why his act is a hard one to follow, and why a wild card of a presenter was kept in a starring role for eight long years working for a corporation he has previously openly complained about. I cant pretend to be sad that my ears are no longer assaulted by Chris Moyles talking over half his songs and pretending to be funny at 6:30am every day, but there are now a reported 11 million or more listening to BBC Radio One, where there were 6.6 million listening to

his predecessor, Sarah Cox. According to the Guardian, there were only seven people waiting outside BBC Radio One HQ who were not photographers or security, and three of them actively hated him. However, the amount of press coverage following his departure means that he did his job well. He got people listening to his show, even if just to slate it. So far listeners and critics seem impressed with Grimshaw, but only time will tell if he can create a following to rival Moyles. In the meantime, Moyles steps into his new role as King Herod in a West End production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Personally, I feel that the stage may be the best place for him he can be as dramatic and over-the-top as he likes, and I can start the morning without wincing every time I turn the radio on.

ts the song on everybodys lips. Its the song making waves in the worlds music scene. Its the catchiest song Ive heard since Party Rock. It can only be Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oppan Gangnam Style! And if you didnt sing along with that in your head then you have no soul. Released on the 15th of July 2012, it debuted at number one in the Korean singles chart. Becoming an incredibly addictive, pop-culture hit was made possible by YouTube. With 359,713,166 views when I last watched, it has quickly seeped into the worlds music scene hitting number one in the UKs official singles chart. The video was recognised by the Guinness World Records as having the most likes of any video on YouTube. And its not hard to see why. The video features the South Korean rapper Psy in his snazzy suit and sunglasses combo, performing his comical horse-riding dance around areas of the Gangnam district in Seoul. Even though I have no clue about most of the lyrics, it is just one of those songs that gets everybody dancing around like idiots. Idiots who are

having a damn good time. Gangnam style actually refers to the lifestyle attributed to the Gangnam district in Seoul, which was likened to Beverly Hills, USA by Psy. Oppan Gangnam style translates to the rapper himself being cool and high class, as oppan means older male friend or brother in Korean. He said he intended a certain sense of humour when claiming to be Gangnam style when himself, the song and the video is poking fun at a high class and pretentious lifestyle with his mocking dance moves. The song is perhaps easy to disregard as trashy, but I cant help feeling it should just be taken as a bit of fun. The song has been shared on social media by some celebrities including T-Pain, Britney Spears and Katy Perry, undoubtedly fuelling peoples appetite for the song and giving it the platform to be successful worldwide. Its now played in clubs up and down the country and acts as the catalyst to get everyone up and dancing. In my eyes, popularising comical dance moves can never be a bad thing, and next time you hear this I hope you get your Gangnam style on and dance like a wally.

www.bbc.co.uk/radio1

music Editor: Becky Worley | Copy Editor: Hannah Wann

The Stag |

16th October 2012

mUSIC

27

Album review: Tempest - Bob Dylan

By Alan Hughes, Music Team

ith songs including a jaunty, pre-rock opener crammed with innuendo, a Shakespearean murder-suicide tale, a fourteenminute Titanic-based epic (complete with Leonardo DiCaprio reference) and a moving tribute to John Lennon, Bob Dylans 35th studio album Tempest never ceases to surprise, amuse, alarm or provoke. Like the man himself, the album is full of mystery, and demonstrates that the legendary songwriter is still at the top of his game. Dylan has been confounding critics and expectations since 1997, when, assumed to be a spent force, he released the seminal Time Out of Mind. Which is widely regarded as one of his greatest albums, and his first major work since the mid-70s pairing of Blood On The Tracks and Desire. Since Time he has released four more albums

to critical acclaim, becoming the oldest living artist to register a UK number one album. As with the majority of his work, the music takes a back seat to the albums true strength Dylans storytelling and lyrical ability, which is at its darkest in Tempest. It is filled to the brim with the kind of lyrical gems that are rare in the records of 2012. We pass from the simple, teasing, playful opener Duquesne Whistle, through long-lost love in Long and Wasted Years. Next comes purgatory in Scarlet Town and a scathing critique of greed in Early Roman Kings in the albums first 30 minutes. It is the second halfhour, spread over just three songs, that showcases Dylans staggering, and occasionally over-reaching ambition. Tin Angel and Tempest, the aforementioned Titanic ballad, are beautiful, fascinating stories, but at a combined 23 minutes they take a great deal of dedication and

have split opinion. The albums closer, the relatively brief 7-minute Roll On John, is a tribute to Dylans friend and fellow icon John Lennon. It combines Lennon lyrics, extended slavery metaphors and direct quotes from William Blake to create a true tear-jerker. The album is unlikely to win Dylan too many new fans as his voice, always polarising, becomes more hoarse and guttural with each new release. Dylans existing fans, however, who are both numerous and passionate, see Dylan as the greatest poet since Shakespeare. They will treat Tempest as further proof that hes still got it. For me, this album is among Dylans greatest achievements of his later career, and the fact that hes still going at 71 is a testament to his unique character and spirit. Roll on, Bob!

Review: In Case Of Fire Align the Planets

By Jason Hough, Music Team

The Disraeli Gears: debut single Skeleton

volve or die is a statement that seems quite fitting with todays music scene, particularly in rock and metal circa 2007. With the growing influence of emo, it was apparent that the metaphysical state of the genre was reaching a transition and many bands have suffered because they refused to adapt to this change. One such casualty is In Case Of Fire, recently deceased, leaving the unfulfilled promise of a second album. However, their lifespan was not completely in vain. From the thundering, opening drum barrage of This Time We Stand to the ending, frenzied, impaling riffs of Second Revelation, Align The Planets aims to take its passengers on a monumental sonic journey, befitting of its grandiose title. The first three tracks, This Time We Stand, The Cleansing and Do What I Say all combust into your ears like short-fuse powder kegs. The energetic fusion of crunching guitar roars, bellowing bass, drum assaults and the well-crafted quietloud dynamic wails of vocalist Steven Robinson, ensnare its listener into dancing to the bands intense and jagged rhythms. The throttle invariably changes gears from here on out, sometimes jarring the fluidity of the journey. It switches from the incendiary,

By Alexandra Wilks, Editor

T
breakneck eruptions of Violence and Pictures and Enemies to the calming, synth-tainted mountain climbs of Parallels and And Sorrow. The latter And Sorrow provides the albums softest, most purposeful moment. The analogy of climbing a mountain reflects the empowerment that the song provides you to chase goals and do the impossible. Songs overflow with unbridled passion and emotion; Plan A, a revolutionary speech to defy the masses, Align The Planets, a scream to the universe about the problems of humanity and Landslides, the mourning of a lover, incensed enough to pursue their killer. Overall, this is an explosive album, with a tapestry of gargantuan guitar riffs, epidemically anthem-y choruses and lovingly crafted atmosphere to make the journey a memorable rocket through time and space. Rest in peace In Case of Fire you provided one hell of a gift to the rock community.

he Disraeli Gears are a four piece band from London. Their debut single Skeleton is currently the only thing I play on YouTube. They describe themselves as lo-fi, alternative and although

on the long side, however, it feels more like two minutes. Thats how exhilarating it is. Guitarist, Tom Kitson, blows the lid off the song half way through, whilst Alex Moorse, drummer, and Sam Delves, bass, accompany the wall of noise. Currently unsigned, Im sure a record label will soon snap

They describe themselves as lo-fi, alternative Fregonas voice is akin to a female Thom Yorke
they are without a doubt both these things, theyre also incredibly exciting. Skeleton is an incredibly impressive debut. Lead Singer, Teia Fregonas voice sends shivers up my spine, as she eerily begs a lover to, let me in, to your skeleton. At 6 minutes, 13 seconds Skeleton is them up. Fregonas voice is akin to a female Thom Yorke, and one forgets how young the band are (in their early 20s) because their talent is so great. Fantastic.

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16th October 2012

music@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Skyfall: The new Bond soundtrack

By Alexandra Wilks, Editor

Fun with fun

ust to clarify I only knew one fun. song before attending this concert, and thats the one that goes tonniiiiiigggght and I didnt even like it that much. The tickets were free, I dont have a weird interest in going to gigs just to rubbish them. But fun. totally won me round; their music was lively, upbeat and enjoyable. Lead singer, Nate Ruess, has a powerful voice and fun.s lyrics are simple and catchy. fun. are a perfect pop band; their performance was

slick and they had the whole audience singing along. It may not be my normal choice of music, but it was hard not to be won by the bands effort and talent. Plus, the audience (a real range from young to old, male and female) were absolutely loving it. Half way through the accomplished set Ruess announced that this was the largest audience [theyd] ever played to but I think theyre destined to much bigger venues. fun. really lived up to their name and Id recommend their live shows to anyone who wants to have a laugh and a sing a long.

By Thea Spalding, Music Team

Adele is positively smouldering as the voice for the new 007 theme. part of the star-studded A-list including Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones and Madonna who have previously been granted the honour of recording a 007 soundtrack. Adele co-wrote the track with Paul Epworth, who also helped produce her massive hit Rolling in the Deep. The powerful ballad, also entitled Skyfall is very stereotypically Bond with a 77 piece orchestra backing Adeles sultry, soulful voice. From the second you press play, the song holds all the elements of a James Bond classic, with the song starting quietly featuring only Adeles voice and a piano, before eventually reaching a heart-racing crescendo with an ensemble of string instruments. Skyfall was appropriately released at 0.07am on the 4th October, and has already entered the charts at Number 4. Many critiques have declared that the song will be set for next weeks number one, as the hype increases around the release of the long-awaited film. Could Adeles Skyfall become another Diamonds Are Forever, or will it simply become another forgettable composition as the sky quite literally falls around Adeles hopes for the soundtrack.

Tylertello

ollowing Adeles staggering success over the past year, its no surprise that she was chosen to be the vocalist for the theme tune of the 23rd James Bond Film Skyfall that hits the cinemas on the 26th October. With Adele being undoubtedly the most successful UK female artist of recent decades, winning six Grammy Awards in 2012, high expectations were set when it was announced last week that Adele would be writing and recording the theme tune. Adele stated that recording Skyfall was one of the proudest moments of my life, as she became

30 lITERATURE

The Stag |

16th October 2012

literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk

literature
By Rachel Burgess, Literature Team

Morag Morris Poetry Lecture Rowling says goodbye to

O
n the 4th October 2012, the University of Surrey played host to the 38th annual Morag Morris Poetry Lecture. Staged in our very own Griffiths Theatre, students, staff and members of the public were treated to an evening of culture with poet Bernard ODonoghue. The lecture, which was first established in 1974 by Morag Morris herself, has included many successful poets from both the 20th and 21st century. However, this years speaker is no stranger to the annual event. ODonoghue first attended fifteen years ago as a judge and returned in 2002 to deliver a lecture on the love poetry by William Butler Yeats. He revisited Yeats again this year to talk about the impact of rhyme within the poets scope of writings, and delivered an interesting and engaging lecture which kept his audience enraptured for the full hour. ODonoghue stressed that the sound of poetry is pre-eminent, especially when studying the poetry of Yeats, a writer whos control of sound is very extraordinary. He suggested that Yeats incomparable metrical skill transforms his poetry, and thus the rhyming has as much impact as the meaning of the poem itself. Selected poems of Yeats were also performed by four students from the Guildford School of Acting to accompany ODonoghue in his explanation of the pieces. Shannon Palmer gave a rendition of Who goes with Fergus?, Steven Flynn performed September 1913, Matthew Serafini executed The Wild Swans at Coole and Liv Austen presented Yeats well known poem Sailing to Byzantium. Each student provided an original reading of the poems and succeeded in enhancing the enjoyment for both the audience and ODonoghue himself. He offered his applause at the unique interpretations that each of the students presented. The evening concluded with one of ODonoghues own poems Ascent of Ben Bulben being read out to the audience by Surreys current poet-in-residence, Stephen Mooney. It was a fitting end to the lecture and Surreys way of thanking Bernard ODonoghue for his time and expertise.

Hogwarts in latest novel

Shining bright for the 8th time: National Poetry Day

By Annika Gonnermann, Literature Team rom the classic works of Yeats to the colloquial tones of the poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, poetry remains a quintessential part of literature. Over the last decade, poetry has often struggled to maintain an important status, however it has certainly never vanished from literary attention. The introduction of the National Poetry Day in 1994 helped to bring back a sense of celebration surrounding poets and their work. The event takes place on the 4th of October, encouraging many to embrace new and old poetry through a range of events such as competitions, exhibitions, commissions and web-based activities. Each year is celebrated with a specific theme and this year focused on STARS. The topic was

J.K Rowling with her new novel The Casual Vacancy By Annika Gonnermann, Literature Team

picked following the opportunity for poets to explore its various connotations; from the scientific art of astrology, to wishing on a star or even to honour famous figures in the media. Throughout the day many poetry societies announced the winners of their poetry competitions. This years winner of the Stanza Poetry Competition was John Siddique; bestselling author of Full Blood and co-author of Four Fathers. Siddique was referred to as a stellar British poet by The Spectator, adding him to the list of stars talked about on the day. To mark the day, #NationalPoetryDay became a widespread trend on Twitter. Here are a few of the poems that stood out using 140 characters.

2
@SaskJan Bright star, would I were steadfast as thou art Not in lone splendour hung aloft the night... @rozaosman Fill the empty spaces of your heart The vacant crevices of your soul With that which completes you @luv_vigilante The sun cut the trees like a guillotine. Splintered the light. Threw sparks against the sky. @EllieRobertss Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

007 was a significant year in literature history. Across the country, teenagers queued outside bookstores until dawn, while the nation discussed if their favourite hero would survive the very last battle. On July 21st, 2007, J.K.Rowling released The Deathly Hallows; the final book in the Harry Potter series. The novel, eagerly anticipated by millions, had received protection fit for Gringotts to ensure its contents remained a magical mystery and to the relief of many, Harry remained the boy who lived. Five years later, and Rowling has written another book. Admittedly, it was received with an anticipation lacking the overwhelming Potter fever, yet promised a world very different to that of cauldrons, spells and broomsticks. Instead, Rowling delivers a novel abundant in aspects more commonly associated with the muggle world

to target much older readers; from alcohol and drug abuse, to suicide and sex. The Casual Vacancy is set in a town of much conflict among different classes, rich and poor and even between families. Following the sudden death of the local parish councillor, the imminent election promises even more social tension. Critics seem unsure of Rowlings latest literature with The Guardian sceptically criticising the book as solid, traditional and determinedly unadventurous, while the editor of The Telegraph referred to it as an uneven and harrowing book. Despite mixed reviews, it has sold 125 000 copies to date; a huge success for an unknown author, but a disappointment for the worlds favourite childrens author. Unfortunately, it seems Rowlings novel has left readers in disappointment as they return to the cupboard under the stairs, seeking the magical world that cast its spell over a nation.

Calamity Meg

lit Editor: Emily Smart | Copy Editor: Sophie Vickery

The Stag |

16th October 2012

lITERATURE

31

Experience Guildfords Book Festival

By Emily Smart, Literature Editor

uildfords annual book festival is ready and waiting for avid literary and art fans to step through its doors. The festival begins on the 18th October and is packed with events for the following ten days. This years line-up treats festival goers with some of Britains finest writers and household names, who will be hosting events and activities discussing a range of topics such as fiction, history and current affairs. Crime fiction is playing a big role in this years festival, with the likes of the hugely popular crime writer, Peter James making an

appearance alongside Ann Cleeves, Tania Carver, Nicci French, Sophie Hannah and R J Ellory. Judy Finnigan, well known as a British television presenter, author and columnist will also be present to promote her first fiction novel, Eloise. The festivals organisers relay the storys compulsive and haunting theme as it follows the life of a woman who is drawn ever deeper into a friends secret past. For lovers of art, the BBC Arts Editor, Will Gompertz (who was recently voted one of the worlds top 50 creative thinkers by New Yorks Creative Magazine) will be providing an insight into the world of Modern art. He will be introducing his book What are you

event to attend if you feel freshers week has destroyed your cultural interest. If you wish to find out more about the Book Festival visit www. guildfordbookfestival.co.uk for full programme details. Events will be staged in locations across Guildford, ranging from The Electric Theatre to WHSmith and even on university campus. This will be a great experience, certainly one not to miss out on. Events are selling out quickly so purchase your ticket while you can. Tickets are subject to availability.

looking at? 150 years of Modern Art in a Nutshell which is a great

Sophie Vickery asks What do we really like to read?

Halloween Creative Writing Competition

ver dreamed of having your work in the paper? Interested in having your work read by a published novelist? Enjoy writing chilling tales? This competition is for you! A story must be no longer than 500 words and can be complete or an extract, poetry must be between 14 and 20 lines. Entries will be judged by published novelist and Surreys

own Programme Director for Creative Writing the much acclaimed Paul Vlitos! The winner and two runners up will receive personal criticism from Paul himself, a rare chance to gain feedback from a top author. The winner will also receive a 15 gift voucher for Waterstones and have their story published in the next issue of The Stag.

Please send your scary stories and poetry toliterature@thestagsurrey. co.uk to enter. All entries must be sent by Wednesday 31st October

One Day by David Nicholls top selling novel of 2011 quick glance at 2011s top selling books reveals the nations tastes in literature; from the obvious holiday reads, to traditional Christmas gifts. Nielsen Bookscan is the worlds largest book tracking service and collects data from 90% of retail book purchases in the UK. The most popular genre is entitled General and Literary Fiction, to include classics, political fiction and semi-autobiographical novels. Meanwhile, other popular genres include crime, thrillers and childrens fiction, each capable of making 87.6 million. Last year, One Day was the top selling novel, highlighting the nations love for the romantic genre. Yet, Jamies 30 minute Meals took second place and the Guinness World Records scored sixth,

highlighting the keen interest in non-fiction literature. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and subsequent novels also boasted places in the top ten, thanks to gripping audiences of all ages. This years books demonstrate the nations love for an erotic read with 50 shades of grey taking the bookshelves by storm. Despite non-fiction books remaining valuable sources of profit for publishers, especially following 21st century obsession with celebrity autobiographies (Kate Mccanns and Tony Blairs memoirs flew off the shelves), Amazons Kindle top 20 of the year is entirely fiction so far. It seems readers look to books as a way to fantasise, imagine and escape to other worlds, distant from everyday hardships.

Film Editor: Candice Ritchie | Copy Editor: Sophie Vickery

The Stag |

22nd may 2012

FIlm

33

Taken 2
By Candice Ritchie, Film Editor

Film

hen it was announced that the sequel to Taken was being produced, I could hardly contain my excitement. Thanks to the action-packed fiasco that made Liam Neeson one of my favourite actors, it has become my favourite film. Since its release in 2008 I have watched it so many times that I can quote almost half of it. The best line is the most quoted of them all; I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you. The film carries on from the first, with the families of Neesons Albanian victims searching for revenge. As soon as Bryan (Neeson) invites Kim (Maggie Grace) and Lenore (Famke Janssen) for a holiday in Istanbul the action begins, but there is soon a twist when Bryan and Lenore are kidnapped together. Then comes the famous phone call line your mother is going to be taken, and people are going to come for you too. When the two are taken, it is down to Kim to take action; armed with two explosives, a gun and map she sets out to find their location (of course, following the instructions from her father throughout). When Bryan escapes and Lenore is left with the Albanians, Kim and Bryan team-up to save her and there-on ensues the epic carchase that is mandatory to an action film. It is then down to Bryan to put an end to the feud altogether. Taken 2 was without a doubt the best action film Ive seen in years. It does its prequel more than proud, and fulfils the hype rapidly anticipated by fans. Having Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen continue their existing roles proves an excellent choice as they create an extraordinary level of believability. I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat, rooting for Neeson to yet again demonstrate his legendary ninja-esque

skills. It was satisfying to see such a change to the storyline since most were probably expecting it to be predictable and almost identical to the first. Although it does contain many similar features (which was compulsory in order for the film to be a follow-up), it adopts so many alterations at the same time, that it shocks the system. What was refreshing and extremely successful in director Pierre Morels second instalment was the more handson role into which Maggie Grace was adopted. While in the first film she appears a much more reserved and nave character (an expected trait since she is the one taken), the second sees her demand her father to tell her what to do as she attempts to save her parents from the Albanians. Despite having starred in films prior to Taken, it wasnt until the films release that I truly noticed Maggie Grace. She has since become the girl from Taken but it doesnt appear to be a negative association; she later starred in the hit films Knight and Day and Lockout, and will appear in Breaking Dawn: Part 2, proving to be a huge boost for Miss Graces acting career. Famke Janssen also takes on a more involved role. Unlike her character in Taken, who has limited dialogue and few scenes, she steps up with a firm involvement in the storyline, and becomes one of the films key characters. It was also charming to see Neeson and Janssens characters become romantically-engaged again. Since the first film, and my deep dislike for Kims stepdad, I was rooting for Lenore and Bryan to get back together; undoubtedly, so was Kim, who attempts to play cupid throughout. Overall, Taken 2 is absolutely brilliant, and if you enjoyed the first one, youll more than enjoy the second. My favourite film now has a counterpart.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

By Alexandra Wilks, Editor

tephen Chboskys The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of those books I almost wish I didnt love. Banned in various libraries in America (although Im not entirely sure why) it has an almost cult like teenage following. It contains all the components of the coming of age novel: drugs, a bit of sex and a few shocking revelations. The thing that makes it special is that its very, very well written. Id been eagerly awaiting the film for some time. For starters I wanted to see what the film industry would make

of this slim and lovely volume. Secondly, I was curious to see what Emma Watson would be like when shes not playing the nations favourite geek. Well, the film is good. Its very true to the book; probably because it was written by Chbosky, the books author. Its funny, sometimes really funny. And the soundtrack is great. There are a few slightly cringey moments, which arent quite as indie cool as they want to be. Emma Watson is, annoyingly, really rather good. Its pretty hard not to enjoy this film, but theres almost too much going on and some of the emotional moments fall a little flat. Definately worth watching though.

34 FIlm

The Stag |

16th October 2012

film@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Small Town Folk (2007)

By Beth Goss, Film Team

hen I first saw this movie, on what I have solely designated the B-rated Horror Movie Channel, I was pleasantly surprised! Being the connoisseur of B movies that I feel I am, when I saw that Small Town Folk was an independent British modern horror movie, I was expecting the worst. They always have ridiculously small budgets and range from being extremely clich to being so out there that it is impossible to understand what is going on. Unfortunately with its plot of murdering sexually charged teens in several gruesome ways, Small Town Folk

lends itself towards the former. What I was not expecting was the tongue-in-cheek humour that accompanied these terrifying murders. A man with a carrot nose attacking a teenager with a rake is not exactly blood freezing by any form of the imagination. The mask the attacker wears distorts his voice so much that his mumbled bloody hell even has to be subtitled. Add this to the over-thetop green-screened background, and you have yourself the recipe for a 90 minute laugh fest. I understand that the entire world does not share my, somewhat

disturbing at times, dark humour, but how could anyone watch the line If its a boy well call him Rupert, and if its a girl well call him Rupert delivered by a homicidal maniac without the faintest smile? Just me then? Oh dear. The sneaky appearance of Warrick Davis hanging around the back of another actor also helped to cement the mix-match of comedy and clich violence to make Small Town Folk a surprisingly good B Horror. I fully understand that is a back-handed comment, but if you want to waste away time and are not easily disgusted, then I readily recommend this film.

By Daniel Brown, Film Team

Review: Looper

My Favourite Actor

t can be difficult not to view a film like this in 2012 without considering the history of time travel in film, particularly when Bruce Willis previous outing in the genre was so momentous. Even without trying, one finds themselves making irrelevant comparisons to other time travel films (Its Twelve Monkeys meets Source Code!). However, Looper finds its own balance of drama and action; deeply engaging, but not revolutionary. Joseph-Gordon Levitt stars as Joe; an assassin (Looper) in Kansas working for crime lords thirty years in the future. Time travel has been invented and very quickly outlawed, now only used illegally by criminal organisations to dispose of their enemies via the past. However, when Joe comes face to face with his own, unmasked future-self (Bruce Willis), he lets his loop run (explained as allowing your future-self to get away) and must find him before his employers do. In 2042, Joe is a junkie; misguided and naive. Hardly a class assassin (Loopers are equipped with infallible, close-range weapons), he is desensitised to his violent job by its quickness and anonymity as bags cover the faces of his victims. He is apathetic towards his future-self who is on a war path to avenge his wifes death. Escaping the opening exposition, the film shifts focus to a central narrative surrounding tough, single mum Sara (Emily Blunt) and her intelligent, yet enigmatic, young son Cid (played astoundingly by child actor Pierce Gagnon) on their farm, on which the young Joe finds himself as he flees from former employers. The tumultuous mother/son relationship reflects the conflict between the two Joes. When Joes former employers question Sara, they describe the young Joe and old Joe as father and son and their struggles resonate with Sara and Cids own relationship. As the old Joe proceeds on his vengeful warpath (Willis performs a cameo-like sequence of Die Hard-style destruction), young Joe must change his own future in order to save others; finally learning from his past mistakes. Though it may not intend to dwell on the logic and science of time travel (Willis disregards conversation about how this all works as he meets with Gordon-Levitt in the present), this

is smart science fiction entertainment at worst. However, at its best, its an emotionally engaging drama about the struggles of familial relationships and overcoming ones past.

Christoph Waltz
By Annika Gonnermann, Film Team

Interested in films?
Whether you prefer Cannes, Hollywood or just your local Odeon, we are looking for you! Get involved and become part of The Stag, just by reviewing releases new, old or obscure. Get in touch through film@thestagsurrey.co.uk.

009 was a good year for the team of rather masculine actors in Hollywood. Right in the middle of the Dream-Factorys paradigm of demanding young and pretty actors like Robert Pattinson or Ben Barnes, turned up a man, who did not fulfil even one criterion: 54year old Austrian actor Christoph Waltz. No baby-face, no screaming teenage fans but yet successful. Having portrayed one of the most disgusting villains in Quentin Tarantinos Inglourious Basterds, Christoph Waltz rose into the Mount Olympus of Hollywoods male actors not just with good looks but with talent and charm. Born in 1954, in Austria, more precisely Vienna, Waltz was raised in a family of actors. It is only logical that he decided to become one himself. But although he was widely known as a professional actor in Europe, it took quite some time to make him known beyond the big pond as well. And, moreover, a famous director who wanted to work with him: Quentin Tarantino saw in Waltz the ultimate actor for his film-villain Hans Landa, a cruel and reckless Nazi-Official. This role was certainly not easy going. But somehow Waltz managed to pass with flying colours. His extraordinary performance was exceptional for one thing. While watching the some of us may have noticed that they started to wish that Landa may get away with his mixture of blackmail and betrayal. That is exactly the reason why Waltz won the Academy Award in 2010: he made the audience sympathize with the evil character and showed us how professional acting works. A new opportunity to prove just this will be his new film Django Unchained, coming up in December 2012. Starring well knowns like Jamie Foxx und Leonardo DiCaprio, this movie will give Waltz to opportunity to prove once more his acting potential: again as a character you would not want to meet at night a bounty hunter.

Societies Editor: Shalini Thondrayen | Copy Editor:

The Stag |

16th October 2012

SOCIETIES

35

Burma: finally finding its voice

By Alexandra Dawson, PenSoc

Societies

hat comes to your mind when you think of Burma? To me, I think of a nation silenced, but also, a nation full of hope. In a country that has one of the worst human rights records in the world; the fight for freedom of speech is an ongoing battle, and one that is slowly starting to change for the better. Burmas censorship has nearly always been a subject of question, especially within the last 25 years, as freedom of speech and the press are issues that are not guaranteed by law. As recently as 2000, the Internet Law was established, identifying the prevention of posting writings that are harmful to state interests. Foreign news has also been censored by the government, leaving the country unable to safely express opinions due to the fear of control that seems to surround them. The ban on private ownership of daily newspapers still remains, leaving many journalists and media outlets

wary over reporting on and within Burma due to fear of imprisonment. In January 2012, more than 600 political prisoners were set free with pardons granted; showing a sign of positive progression within a country that for the last 25 years has been damaged by its human rights issues. Whilst the news has come to many as a sign of positive development, some are still skeptical that the change will not make any form of difference, whilst many critics are saying the damage that has already been done is irreversible. On his official visit to Burma in January, William Hague, British Foreign Secretary also seemed skeptical of Burmas progression stating, We believe now that you are sincere about it, so now get ahead quickly and complete it by releasing the remaining political prisoners and by showing that the upcoming elections are free and fair. Mr Hague is the first British Foreign Secretary to have visited

the country since 1955, indicating that relations between Burma and Britain are moving forward. However, it is thought that between 600 and 1,000 journalists, protesters and monks who led antigovernment protests in 2007 still remain behind bars, demonstrating that there are still on-going issues with sanctions regarding freedom of expression. The leading figure in the fight for Burmas right to freedom of speech, Aung San Suu Kyi, has helped to recognize Burma as a country fighting for a voice that deserves to be heard. In May 2012, Suu Kyi became a parliamentarian within the Burmese Government. Her agreement to work alongside Myanmars new reform-minded government, has helped to form an alliance between her party and the administration of President Thein Sein, which came to power last year after the nations long-ruling army junta stepped down. On the 20 September, Suu Kyi

was presented US Congress highest civilian honour at a ceremony in Washington DC. Suu Kyi said that the award helped to make the day one of the most moving [days] of my life. Whilst under her 15-year house arrest for protesting against military rule, she was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2008, but only two weeks ago was able to receive the award in person. This achievement in itself has helped to display Burmas positive advancement in becoming widely known as a county on the brink of optimistic and encouraging change regarding expression and free speech. Whether the newly formed government will work is a question still waiting to be answered, but the move has certainly given many individuals hope for Burma to have a better and more liberated future. This new direction for an alliance government has finally given hope to Burmas voice, a voice that has been silenced for far too long.

As part of the Guildford Book Festival, Surrey PEN presents an event celebrating the launch of Bones Will Crow, the first anthology of contemporary Burmese poetry to be published in the west. The evening will feature readings and films taken from the turbulent recent history of Burma, offering an insightful look into a country with one of the worst human rights records in the world. Tickets must be reserved at: http://www.guildfordbook festival.co.uk/english-pen For more information or if you would like to join the University of Surrey PEN society: www.surreypen.org/ Freedom of speech is a gift that should not be abused: use yours.

Cooking? Its a brie-ze!

By Fiona Buckland, Culinary Society

re you new to the University of Surrey or perhaps the summer has sparked a culinary flame inside you? Are you a budding baker ready to rise to the occasion? Well, simmer down, because Surreys Culinary Society is here to keep you from bubbling over with all your cooking knowledge! The Culinary Society is a platform for students and teachers alike to learn, exchange and explore new recipes, as well as to make new friends. To achieve this, we use taster sessions, baking classes, demonstrations and cooking classes from our own students and renowned celebrity chefs to serve you the perfect opportunity to turn mealtimes from being a whiskey business to a grate occasion. After our launch last year, the Culinary Society has been reinvented and we are turning up the heat with our new plan

of action. So if you think you can hack it in our American Style Eating Competition, if you want to win prizes for your literary prowess in our Local Restaurant Review Competition or you simply have a pot full of ideas and a heap of odd-bits in your cupboards and not a clue

what to do with them, join the University of Surrey Culinary Society today! Fennelly enough, we accept students from all woks of life, even if there is mushroom for improvement or you think you are a chef with the skillet requires to whip up something tasty.

Spice up your life and visit our pages or email us for more bite-sized information: www.ussu.co.uk/ClubsSocieties/societies/ culinary-society/SitePages/Home www.facebook.com/pages/ University-of-Surrey-Culinary-Society ussu.culinary@surrey.ac.uk

36 SOCIETIES

The Stag |

16th October 2012

societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Youve been tagged! Find out how!

By Laurence Williams

Litsoc: Freshers Fayre

By Clowance Lawton, Societies Team

oming soon from a MADSoc near you: new political satire, Youve Been Tagged, that offers controversy, hilarity and sexuality. This play is not only written by a 3rd year English student, Laurence William but is directed by 2nd year English and Math students Emily Clegg and Chris Evans and produced by 3rd year Aerospace Chris Dighton. You've Been Tagged is a comedic political drama focusing on an anonymous online protester's relationship with an ex-Army officer and the effects this has on their respective social circles. Switching between online and real life, we see those involved becoming swept up in an international political feud sparked by an anonymous protest

that threatens the life of a Government Official. Brimming with laughs, powerful characters and ridiculous innuendo, this promises to be an explosive ride. Inspired by real events and proving that whilst history may not repeat itself, it certainly does rhyme, Youve Been Tagged will give every audience member something to laugh and talk about. Watch as explosions shake both the stage and the lives of those involved in this comic, dramatic piece of student theatre, bursting into life in: Wates House Stage on the 26th, 27th and 28th November. Watch out for more information appearing on campus soon and do not miss out!

gain this year the Freshers Fayre was a huge success, and Lit Soc was no exception. This year the number of students who signed up was at an all-time high; although we are hoping this has nothing to do with the delicious cookies we were giving away! For those who are not aware of the society, it is directly linked to the English Literature degree but is open to students from other courses. Various events are put on during the year including theatre excursions, opportunities to talk to established poets and authors, competitions and not to be missed the

bar crawls! The first was last Wednesday (10th October) with the Litsoc Does School Disco Annual Quote Crawl: which began at Chancellors at and finished at Rubix. The night was a brilliant opportunity for everyone to get to know the new freshers, members of the committee, and socialise with others from the society. The night was full of new friendly faces who shared a good laugh over a few (or more) drinks. We hope to see you all again for future events! For all updates keep an eye on the LitSoc Facebook page where all information on upcoming events is posted. Furthermore it is not too late to join via the student union website.

Go on and CoppaFeel!
By Jess Blake, CoppaFeel President

Interested in Charitable Fundraising? Want to be part of one of the most active student groups on campus? Join RAG!
involved in what RAG does and gain more of a leadership role? Then you may want to stand for a position in the RAG committee either as Vice President or Treasurer. For more details on how to do this and be provided with a role description for one or both positions please email Jake at ussu.ragchair@ surrey.ac.uk Want to get involved in RAG? Apply to be a RAG Rep RAG Reps are the heart and soul of RAG, as a RAG Rep you will have the role of helping to spread the word of RAG across Campus and the wider community. There are many ways to become a RAG Rep-whether it is as Team Leader, Publicity Rep or a Team Member. There are so many advantages in becoming a RAG Rep, here are some great reasons why you should get involved; By becoming a RAG Rep, you will have the opportunity to raise thousands of pounds for charity. You will get specific RAG Rep training delivered by the Students Union which will enable you to gain confidence and the required skills to get stuck straight into the role You will have the freedom to organise and manage your own charitable fundraising events for our supported charities or propose new events for other charities to the RAG Committee. You will develop skills that will look great to future employers. RAG Rep applications are now open and can be found on the RAG page on the University of Surrey Students Union Website. If you have any questions or queries in regards to becoming a RAG Rep please email Jade Foley on ussu.ragrep@ surrey.ac.uk

By Lee Tolentino

urrey RAG is the official fundraising arm of the University of Surrey Students Union. It exists to oversee all charitable fundraising and is the only student group that can donate to charity. It is also in charge of the organisation of Union fundraising activities for local, national and international charities. For the 2012/13 year, our supported charities are Breast Cancer Research UK, Shooting Star CHASE and Barn Youth Project. Become part of the RAG Committee Want to get fully

LIKE us on Facebook for more info on our events.

-15th-18th Oct: save the Children week UNi CHALLeNGe - 28th Oct: RAG ReP Training Day - 5th-11th Nov: RAG WeeK

RAG Events:

o, have you spotted any giant boobs walking through campus yet? Im sure by the end of the year you will have become completely oblivious to them wondering around, in and out of Starbucks, coming out of the library after a hard-core revision session but more importantly, I also hope that by the end of the year, it will have become a habit to regularly check your boobs/pecks (delete as appropriate!). If that is the case, my job here is done. Well, at least until the next lot of freshers arrive Its been a great start to the year already for the CoppaFeel! UniS Boob Team, spreading boob love at the Welfare Walk-In, Freshers Fayre, and the Do>More Volunteer Fayre. We are off to take part in

the CoppaFeel! Flashmob tomorrow (October 18th) in London a big thank you to everyone who has signed up! And make sure to look out for more boobie shenanigans on Friday (October 26th) for the official CoppaFeel! Day! Check out all the latest news, events, blogs and photos on www.coppafeel.org/sites/ Surrey. If you would like to become a member of the UniS Boob Team or find out more about what we are getting up to, please like our facebook page for regular updates (w w w. f a c e b o ok . c om / CoppaFeelUniS) or send me an email (jb00200@surrey. ac.uk). In the meantime, for a free monthly SMS reminder to get coppin, text SURREY to 70500, and get to know your boobs it could save your life. Boob out.

Students in free enterprise

A
By Lewis Hobday, Vice-President of SIFE Surrey s with any club or society, the start of the academic year is always a very busy time of year and no more so with the SIFE society this year. After lots of potential new members signing up at Freshers Fayre, we held a series of three introductory talks throughout the first weeks of term. These talks detailed what SIFE do and why students should get involved. The talks also included sub-talks from Student Union Sabbaticals, former SIFE members who have graduated or just returned from their placement year, and one of our local charity contacts. After a good turnout at these talks we held the first of our two project Fayres at the Studio - a new dedicated student retail space on campus. Here, students

got the chance to find out more about our local and international projects that help change the lives of people in need. They then got the opportunity to sign up to the projects that interested them the most.
For more information: info@sifesurrey.org.uk visit our Facebook www.sifesurrey.org.uk

Freshers Fayre 2012

Freshers Fayre took place on Friday 28th September and we fitted 229 Societies, start up Societies and Sports Clubs into the marquee! Go Surrey!

Jacqui, the biggest legend at Surrey

Nurse Soc

Steve the Stag

Cycling club

Mazin and Steve

Canoe Club

StagTV

The people who make it all happen! GU2 Radio

To see all the photos, check out the union facebook page! For a full list of societies, visit: http://www.ussu.co.uk/clubsocieties

The Stag

Sri Lankan Society Malaysian Society

New society: Coppa Feel

Keep calm and join BakeSoc

Cheerleaders show off their skills

Raising and Giving

A big thanks to Jade Roberts and imogen Jones for taking these photos!

38 SPORT

The Stag |

16th October 2012

sport@thestagsurrey.co.uk

A geek watches... basketball Record interest in Surrey Dodgeball I

By Adam Lodowski, Sports Team hate football. There, I said it, perhaps not the best opening line from a sports columnist, but my mum did always say honesty is the best policy! Theres nothing that appeals to me less than running around a muddy field in shorts kicking a ball around. Actually, I tell a lie. The only thing worse is watching other people do it while you sit around in the cold, damp stands cheering or booing on demand, early on a Sunday morning dreaming of a nice warm bed. To be honest I hate all sport in general, it only makes you sweaty and hot. So there was nobody more surprised than me when my friend invited me along to the first Surrey Heat game of the season and I not only said yes but really enjoyed it! OK. I admit my main reason for going was that I thought it might make me look like Zac Efron in High School Musical, but alas, nobody stood up and screamed TROOOYYY! For anybody that doesnt know, Surrey Heat is the new name for Guildford Heat, the only premier league basketball team in the county, and they play right on our doorstep at Surrey Sports Park. I suppose basketball does have a few advantages over football for a start its played indoors! Theres no mud or rain, so you dont have to do your best train-spotter impression with 6 coats and a thermos flask! Unsurprisingly, I know nothing about basketball. There are quarters and tip-offs and people randomly calling time-out, but it didnt matter. The atmosphere was so incredible, I whooped whenever we scored, I cheered when we won, I cried when the Mersey Tigers scored- well no I didnt quite go that far but look Ive even started saying when WE scored as though Im actually a part of the team or had any impact on the result at all. The only flaw is that basketball has a lot of breaks. The sporting action is fast paced but at any time the coaches can call for a time-out. Not the chocolate bar unfortunately, its a chance for the coach to talk to the players. Im pretty sure these would be dull, however, in true American style they have the mascot Scorcher and the incredible street dance troop, Heat Street 13 keeping the crowd entertained throughout. In the end I saw history in the making for the club, with Surrey Heat defeating the Mersey Tigers in a record breaking 106-45 win. Truly an amazing start to the season, but the crucial question is would I go again? Yeah, I surprise myself by saying this but I definitely would! Surrey Heat have a home-game two or three times a month right through until April and its only 6 for students. When the Surrey Sports Park is only five minutes down the road it seems rude not to!

Sport

By The Surrey Dodgeball Club Committee

University of Surrey Volleyball Club

By Rita Silva, Volleyball Club

n 2009, a group of eager players decided to put together Surrey Universitys Volleyball Club and the club has experienced a great amount of success ever since. This is especially the case for the Mens Team who took the BUCS league completely by storm in 2010, topping division 2 in their first competitive year. Since then the Mens Team has shown great skill by successfully finishing in third

place in BUCS division 1 last year. 2012-13 is promising to be another successful season for Volleyball throughout the UK, as students inspired by the London Olympics are looking to get more involved in this very dynamic sport. With a newly formed Ladies Team, and a mixture of experienced and new players in the Mens team, the club is looking to really make a difference in the Volleyball community within the university.

We are an extremely friendly club that is open to all players. Whatever your standard, the University of Surrey Volleyball Club is always looking for new eager and committed members that share a love for the sport. If you are interested in joining us, find us on facebook under University of Surrey Volleyball Club. Visit our website for more information: www.ussu.co.uk/ ClubsSocieties/Sport/volleyball.

Andy Bowler

odgeball? Whats Dodgeball I hear you ask? Well, in short you have two teams of six on two sides of a court, separated by a no mans land, both trying to get the opposing team out by hitting them with a ball. This may sound dangerous and painful, but its not. Dodgeballs are padded and never fully inflated so they dont really hurt to be hit with. Dodgeball is in fact a wonderfully social and friendly game, and with almost 300 sign ups at freshers fayre and over 200 people turning up for the taster session at active freshers fayre, its not unreasonable to say that there is a lot of interest around.

We are a club with no upper limits in regards to membership size and potential. Our Monday night club sessions promise to be a warm and inviting place to meet new people over a beer, then work off the stresses of the week with a few Dodgeball games. For the real thrillseekers, we will be creating a team from the most efficient and eager dodgeballers to enter into national tournaments and games and hopefully even a high stakes match against our rivals at Kingston University. Finally, we aspire to hold some of the best social nights around so we hope to see lots of you sign up on our USSU page. Its a mere 20 to join and we promise you wont regret it!

Sport Editor: Anna Giles | Copy Editor:

The Stag | 16th October 2012

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The loneliness of individual sport

By S Sandhu, Sports Team

he perception of individual sport can sometimes be that of personal glory and celebrity status. A sportsman that wins a golfing or Formula One tournament is recognised as the unequivocal best of the competition. Winning guarantees recognition. Successful sports teams will often have a few star players that earn personal accolades and are painted as the face of the team, casting the lesser teammates in the shadows somewhat. However, despite the apparent uneven appreciation of players in a team, each player has a role to fulfill. They work as part of a unit, allowing camaraderie to form, enabling them to cope with defeat together, as well as basking in glory. Individual sportsmen, regardless of the result, go through experiences with no one to share them with. When considering the coaching team that goes through months of training alongside the sportsman, it is possible to disagree with the above argument.

However, the issue here is that when it comes to match day, the field of play becomes a battlefield, a battlefield that only the competitors are allowed to enter. If you are part of a team you have the support of your teammates, but as an individual sportsman, the result depends almost entirely on your personal performance versus your opponents. An incredible amount of pressure to be placed on just one individual. In the 2007 fight between Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather Jr, Hattons coach Billy Graham could do no more than offer futile encouragement in the final rounds as Hatton suffered at the hands of Mayweather Jr. In contrast, as time began to run out for a losing Chelsea side in the Champions League Final against Bayern Munich this year, talisman Didier Drogba rose to head home a thunderous equaliser. It was a crucial moment that turned the match on its head and led the London club to eventual victory. There can be no one to rescue you but yourself in an individual sport. The road

Football roundup
By Rohan Bansal, Sports Team

Do you do Judo?
By Alex Edge, Judo Club udo is a progressive, competitive martial art and Olympic sport, in which the objective is to throw an opponent cleanly onto their back or otherwise dominate them on the ground. Techniques are taught in a way that emphasises the use of ones momentum and breaking of balance in order to execute a successful throw. Therefore, it is a highly efficient self-defence system as well as a sport. The University of Surrey Judo Club was founded in December 2010 and has since gone from strength to strength. I joined the club in October 2011 and it has proven to be an incredibly positive experience. Having participated in various martial arts beforehand, I found the competitive edge encompassed within judo adds an extra element of motivation and fun to the study of martial arts. Furthermore, I

he second week of Europes premier club tournament took place this Wednesday with there being few surprises regarding the scoreline. The only minor surprise took place at the Etihad stadium where Manchester City failed to beat Germanys Borrusia Dortmund with the scoreline being 1-1. In a game that saw both goalkeepers called into action on a frequent basis, the current German champions would feel unlucky to not have come away with all three points. City keeper Joe Hart was labeled the worlds finest keeper following the game, not only by his manager, but also by English compatriot Wayne Rooney. Both goals were scored in the second half, the first one being from Marco Reus and the second one converted from a penalty by Mario Balotelli in stoppage time. The draw gives Man City their first points in group D. Meanwhile, Real Madrid have seized control of the group, gaining six points out of the maximum of six points. This leaves Amsterdam with a 4-1 over Ajax, and saw Cristiano Ronaldo score his first hat-trick in the Champions League. Elsewhere, Arsenal managed a comfortable win at home against the Greek champions Olympiakos, with a score of 3-1. All three goals were scored by a different set of players, with Gervinho starting the scoring following a shot

Manchester city goalkeeper Joe Hart praised following his performance in match against Germanys Burrusia Dortmund. from outside the box. Arsenal kept this lead for only 3 minutes before conceding a header from Konstantinos Kostas Mitroglou, just before the end of the first half. Arsenal came out into the second half with a much more demanding attitude, resulting in Podolski getting Arsenal ahead in the 56th minute. The win was glossed over by a delightful chip scored by Aaron Ramsey in the 94th minute. Manchester United also recorded a win over minnows FC Cluj with a nervy 2-1 win, Van Persie scored both goals but Manchester United were made to work, falling behind following a goal scored by another typically hard to write greek name, Pantelis Kapetanos. Van Persie equalised with a rather lucky goal as the ball bounced off his shoulder and went past a slightly hapless goalkeeper. However, in true clinical fashion he put United ahead in the 49th minute following a floated pass from Rooney. Chelsea also won their game against Danish opposition FC Nordsjaelland with a comfortable scoreline of 4-0, the last three goals were scored in the last 11 minutes of the game. Juan Mata managed a brace and defender David Luiz and Ramires also added to the scoreline. Milan won a thriller against Russian opposition Zenit St Petersburg 3-2 with the final goal being an own goal scored by one of the Russian players. Bayern Munich were upset by the Belarusian team BATE Borisov who won 3-1 and claimed the biggest scalp of the week.

find the skill and agility of the senior judoka astounding, as they impressively throw an opponent over their shoulder. So why join judo? As a progressive martial art, the belt system provides one with a great sense of achievement as they rise up through the ranks. Furthermore, participation is a fun way of improving your fitness, strength and self-discipline. Finally, we are a social and friendly club that welcomes anyone and everyone, from beginners to black belts. In addition, we hold regular socials, providing a great opportunity to make friends both on and off the mat. Why not join? We train at Surrey Sports Park on Thursdays in Studio A, from 8-10pm. Feel free to email us for more information at ussu.judo@ surrey.ac.uk.

Laurence Griffiths/Bongarts/Getty Images

Try Uni Cycling

By Hamish Hore, Cycle Club

e all watched the Olympics over the summer and heard about the success of Bradley Wiggins in the Tour de France. Now, the University of Surreys cycling club will be riding on the same roads that were seen in the Olympics, ridden by Wiggins, the Tour de France winner and multiple gold medalist. Taking on the famous Box Hill near Dorking, averaging 5% (incline), but with

ramps of up to 14.6%. However, much more challenging hills will be taken on by the Universitys cyclists, such as Barhatch Lane, seen in this years Tour of Britain which averages 9.6% with ramps up to 21%! With cycling going through a boom in participation this summer, it is an honour for the Universitys Cycling Club members to be able to ride the same challenging roads as the best riders in the world. Find us on Facebook for more information.

David Cannon/Getty Images North America

to match-day is one of isolation, requiring extreme mental strength. To go so far and then lose at the final hurdle can lead to self-depreciation and doubting of ones ability. As part of a collective unit, team spirit can often work wonders, helping the individuals to rally back. Golf offers an interesting opportunity to compare the two types of competition. Ian Poulter, despite never winning a Major, has had multiple successes in Europes Ryder Cup team. This contrasts Tiger Woods, a legend of the sport who has never been able to replicate his form from individual tournaments when placed in the U.S. team. The two different forms of sport bring out the best and worst in different competitors, while some crumble under the pressure and solitude of the one-man sport, others thrive on the chance to focus on ones own performance. To draw from Alan Sillitoes short story, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, the reliance on ones self can sometimes bring out the best in an individual.

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The Stag |

16th October 2012

sport@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Sport outside the university

Neil R Smith Photography

By Connor Mcloughlin

hile taking part in sport is something not everyone is interested in, watching sport live and in the flesh is something that can appeal to a lot of people. It is a great social occasion and can be great value for money. In Surrey, there are multiple places nearby to see great sport, both at the professional and semiprofessional level. Here are some of the great opportunities available to you in Surrey:

Epsom Race Course: Starting with something completely different, the horseracing course is only a 30 minute drive away, or can be accessed by the train to London Waterloo from Guildford, followed by a short bus journey. If you and a group of friends fancy seeing something youve probably not had the opportunity to see before, its a great way to spend an afternoon in the spring and summer months. They also offer a 50% discount for students with a valid NUS card on the door, definitely worth a look. Surrey Heat: This is one of the more obvious choices, due to the fact that they play their matches at Surrey Sports Park. The team have recently changed their name to Surrey Heat from Guildford Heat, and they take part in the British Basketball

League, the top division in the country. They play every weekend and occasionally on weeknights, with tickets costing anywhere between 6 and 15, a great price considering this is the highest standard of basketball in the country. See the previous article A geek watches... Basketball for more information and a different perspective on this exciting game. The Guildford Flames: The Guildford Flames are the counties local Ice Hockey team and they play in the English Premier Ice Hockey League. They are the current champions of the division; the league is the second tier of Ice Hockey in Britain, after the Elite Ice Hockey League. They play at the Guildford Spectrum Centre, only 25 minutes on public transport from the main University Campus. Prices for students are less than 7 each. Ice hockey is a dangerous and electrifying sport, no doubt worth the small fee. Surrey Storm: Another great option due to the home arena being Surrey Sports Park only a quick walk from campus and even closer if you live at Manor Park. They play in the Netball Superleauge, with their games being regularly broadcasted on Sky Sports during the season. The games are a great occasion when seen live, and the arena is able to hold up to 1000 people. Tickets

cost less than 10 a match; the season is from January to May. Esher RFC: Esher are the counties most premier Rugby Union side, they play in the National League 1. This is the third tier of Rugby Union in England. Tickets are 5 a game if bought in advance, or only 7 on the day for students. The ground is in Walton-onThames, a 30-minute drive or 45 minutes on public transport from campus. The team includes many of the academy and up and coming players from the Harlequins the Aviva Premiership champions whose training base is Surrey Sports Park. There is also Woking FC, the best local football team. They play in the Conference National League, the fifth tier of football in England. Surrey County Cricket Club also play at the Woodbridge Road ground in Guildford in the summer months, as they do not have the Oval available to them due to international matches. Undoubtedly there is a lot of sport viewing on offer from around the country, especially considering the great prices on offer to students. These events provide great, entertaining days and evenings out, there are a number of fantastic opportunities out there for everyone, from die-hard sports fans to those who just fancy experiencing something different.

Murray crashes and burns

By Rohan Bansal, Sports Team

orld Number three and the top British seed crashed out of the Tokyo open this Saturday following defeat against the Canadian youngster, Milos Raonic, losing 6-3 6-7 7-6 in the semi final. In a match where Murray wasted two match points and gave up a 4-1 lead in the final set, he also ended up trashing his racquet for the second consecutive match. Murrays temperament was once again called into question as concerns were raised en route to his first loss since his US open victory. Kei Nishikori went on to win the final on Sunday against Milos Raonic. Serbian international and current world number two won the Beijing title in straight sets over French compatriot

Jo Wilfred Tsonga. The scoreline of 7-6 6-2 did not reflect the tough nature of the match, with Djokovic having to dig deep to win the first set. Victoria Azarenka beat Maria Sharapova to win the womens title in Beijing in a clash of the top seeds. Sharapova had a below par performance losing out 6-3 6-1, handing Azarenka her first title in six months. Meanwhile Rafael Nadals coach has said that Rafa should resume training in the next 15 days and stands a chance of playing in the season ending ATP tournament held in London. Nadal who has been injured due an inflamed left knee has not played since his surprise Wimbledon loss to Lukas Rosol, but his return to the circuit will inevitably put Murray under additional strain in the future.