AWARD NIGHTS SHOW OFF SURREY'S TALENT - University of ...
AWARD NIGHTS SHOW OFF SURREY'S TALENT - University of ...
AWARD NIGHTS SHOW OFF SURREY'S TALENT - University of ...
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Newspaper <strong>of</strong> the students <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey Issue 46 – Tuesday 22 nd May 2012<br />
NEWS<br />
Teenager gets charged<br />
over Surrey campus<br />
stabbing... Page 3<br />
SURREY 2012<br />
A photographic collage<br />
<strong>of</strong> the best Surrey<br />
moments <strong>of</strong> 2012... Page<br />
16<br />
SPORT<br />
Surrey’s olympic<br />
hopefuls start their<br />
preparation... Page 32<br />
FEATURES<br />
How do you shower?<br />
Sophie Vickery discusses<br />
the many varients on the<br />
regular shower... Page 8<br />
LiTERATURE<br />
Ben Hatch talks to The<br />
Stag about his award<br />
winning novel, ‘Are We<br />
There Yet’ on page 23<br />
DANCE & THEATRE<br />
Emily Bourne reviews<br />
the latest MADsoc<br />
performance <strong>of</strong> How to<br />
Succeed in Business Without<br />
Really Trying... Page 19<br />
SCiENCE AND TECH<br />
is it the end <strong>of</strong> the<br />
nuclear rennaisance?<br />
Find out on Page 13...<br />
Say farewell to Surrey<br />
11/12 with some <strong>of</strong> your<br />
best memories on page 16<br />
<strong>AWARD</strong> <strong>NIGHTS</strong> <strong>SHOW</strong><br />
<strong>OFF</strong> SURREY’S <strong>TALENT</strong><br />
By Alexandra Wilks, Literature Editor<br />
The Student Awards<br />
recognizes the achievements<br />
<strong>of</strong> students through societies,<br />
events and volunteering. The<br />
Student Awards also recognizes<br />
exceptional societies as a whole,<br />
with awards such as Most<br />
Improved Society <strong>of</strong> the Year.<br />
This year Student Awards took<br />
place on the Thursday 17th May.<br />
Wates was transformed for<br />
the event and everyone made<br />
a huge effort to look fabulous.<br />
It was an incredibly enjoyable<br />
evening, with awards given<br />
out by the Union’s own Osama<br />
Salih (President), Trung (VP<br />
Sport), Jake Willis (VP Societies<br />
and Individual Development),<br />
Sam Ratzer (VP Education),<br />
Ollie Deed (Union Chair) and<br />
the much loved Alan Roy. It was<br />
particularly nice to see senior<br />
management not only come<br />
along to support the students<br />
but for their kind words when<br />
giving out Student Awards.<br />
To kick the evening <strong>of</strong>f<br />
Trung had everyone laughing<br />
(and marvelling at his brilliant<br />
memory) when reading out<br />
the Sports Awards, which<br />
had been previously read out<br />
at Saturday’s Colours Ball. A<br />
particularly heart warming<br />
moment was the Volunteering<br />
Gold Awards; every nominee<br />
was worthy <strong>of</strong> the award it was<br />
decided that they all would<br />
win. Every winner and nominee<br />
was incredibly deserving <strong>of</strong><br />
warm recognition from the<br />
<strong>University</strong> and Student’s Union,<br />
but a particularly notable<br />
winner was Kirsty Stubbs <strong>of</strong><br />
Do>More who not only won the<br />
John Hoborough for Student<br />
Volunteer <strong>of</strong> the Year but also the<br />
Outstanding Contribution to ...<br />
Continued on Page 3...<br />
Sophia Field chills with<br />
Newton Faulkner as he kicks<br />
<strong>of</strong>f his 2012 tour... Page 26<br />
UNION <strong>AWARD</strong>S<br />
2012<br />
And the winners are...<br />
• Student Volunteering Gold Awards:<br />
George Chatzizacharias, Beth Everest,<br />
Jamie Dooley, Adam Lodowski, Bakita<br />
Kasadha, Mark Grimmett, Ellen Vaughan,<br />
Becky Robinson, Charlie Eastaugh,<br />
Katie Hook and Kirsty Stubbs<br />
• Student Volunteer Trainer<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Year: Tom Dyer<br />
• John Hoborough Award for Student<br />
Volunteer <strong>of</strong> the Year: Kirsty Stubbs<br />
• Best Newcomer: Daniel Bishop<br />
• Student Academic Representative<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Year: Mark Grimmett<br />
• Academic Staff Member <strong>of</strong><br />
the Year: Lynne Millward<br />
• Students’ Union Staff Member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Year: Julie Havelund<br />
• Student Media Award: Jack White<br />
• Fundraiser <strong>of</strong> the Year:<br />
Zeshan Hussain<br />
• Student Run Event <strong>of</strong> the Year: MADTV<br />
and Stage Crew for iGala Broadcast<br />
• Outstanding Contribution<br />
to Representation and<br />
Wellbeing: Bakita Kasadha<br />
• Outstanding Contribution to the<br />
Student Community: Kirsty Stubbs<br />
• Societies <strong>of</strong> the Year: Chem Soc<br />
(Departmental), Gospel Choir (Arts),<br />
Nepalese Soc (International), Islamic Soc<br />
(Religious), Surrey Marrow (Political &<br />
Campaigns), Veg Soc (Special Interest),<br />
Stage Crew (Student-Run Service)<br />
• Most Active Society Member:<br />
Brooke Knight (Dance Music Soc)<br />
• Best Committee Member: Yusuf<br />
Ahmet (Islamic Students Assoc.)<br />
• Best President: Becky<br />
Robinson (Do>More)<br />
• Society Development and<br />
Development Award: Do>More<br />
• Society <strong>of</strong> the Year: Stage Crew<br />
View the whole list at www.ussu.co.uk
2 EDiTORiAL<br />
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Editor | Jack White<br />
editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Editor-in-Chief | Bakita Kasadha<br />
ussu.communications@ussu.co.uk<br />
Deputy Editor (Design) | Hollie Rowe-Roberts<br />
design@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Design Team | Ellie Brodie, Paul A Richmond, Hannah Roberts-Owen,<br />
Christina Morman, Louisa White and Alexandra Wilks<br />
Deputy Editor (Marketing) | Tom Goulding<br />
marketing@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Marketing Team | Shervin Hejazi, Imogen Jones, Eleanor Pearson and<br />
Genevieve Webb<br />
News<br />
News Editor | Jyoti Rambhai<br />
news@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
News Team | Kathryn Braid, Sophie Howard, John Kavanagh, Jyoti<br />
Rambhai, Melissa Raske and David Williams<br />
Features<br />
Features Editor | Nicole Vassell<br />
features@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Features Team | Peter Bailey, Ellie Brodie, Chris Thomas, Hannah Wann,<br />
Becky Powell, Stephen Cartwright, Louisa White, Ellis Taylor<br />
and Sophie Vickery<br />
Science and Technology<br />
Science and Technology Editor | Nathanael Roome<br />
sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Science and Technology Team | Lawrence Finn, Dave Holcombe,<br />
Shourya Khanna, Kate McAtamney, Melissa Raske, Alex Smith and<br />
Ruth Smithers.<br />
Societies<br />
Societies Editor | Chris Dighton<br />
societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Arts<br />
Dance and Theatre Editor | Hannah Jelliman<br />
dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Dance and Theatre Team | Emily Bourne, Sarah McDowell,<br />
Beth Hedges, Lucy Jarvis, Tiffany Stoneman and Lexi Sutton<br />
Film Editor | Tiffany Tucker<br />
film@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Film Team | Laura Howard, Caroline James, Kristie Marchant, Christina<br />
Maria Webb and Louisa White<br />
Music Editor | Sophia Field<br />
music@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Music Team | James Campbell, Liam Conroy, Dan Davidson,<br />
Amy McGivern, Tanya Noronha and Elliot Tyres<br />
Literature Editor | Alexandra Wilks<br />
literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Literature Team | Rachel Burgess, Stephanie Davies, Tessa Heenan,<br />
Candice Ritchie, Emily Smart, Emma Thomas, Sophie Vickery and<br />
Rebecca Worley<br />
Sport<br />
Sport Editor | Jordan Vine<br />
sport@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Sport Team | Douglas Elder, Arabella Gilby, George Gigney<br />
and Sam Limbert<br />
Copy Editors | Megan Barnacle, Michaela Fulton, Emma Giles,<br />
Candice Ritchie and Louisa White<br />
copyteam@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Webmaster | Andrew Smith<br />
webmaster@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Photo Editor | Tessa Morgan<br />
photos@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
The Stag is a newspaper editorially dependent on and published by<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey Students’ Union.<br />
The views expressed in the paper are those <strong>of</strong> the individual<br />
authors and do not necessarily represent the views <strong>of</strong> the educational<br />
team, the whole Students’ Union or the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey.<br />
Trinity Mirror (South)<br />
8 Tessa Road, Reading<br />
RG1 8NS<br />
The Stag reserves the right to edit all submissions and the right to<br />
decide which articles are published.<br />
Goodbye from the Editors<br />
Bakita Kasadha – Editor-in-Chief<br />
ussu.communications@surrey.ac.uk<br />
This year as Communications<br />
Officer has been amazing.<br />
I’ve learnt so much, and I’m<br />
very excited about becoming<br />
a full-time Officer next year. I<br />
have been presented with many<br />
opportunities to represent the<br />
student body and get more<br />
involved in the Union. I’d like<br />
to thank the other twelve<br />
members <strong>of</strong> the Union Executive and all the Union Staff,<br />
especially Alan Roy, Clem Mulcahey Banks, Lisa Lynch,<br />
Kath Jones, Bob Anderson, Helena Vardy and Aaron Salins,<br />
for the support they have given me as a Comms Officer to<br />
facilitate the projects I have been passionate about, such<br />
as the Nominate Now Campaign, Paint Campus Red and<br />
iFashion Show.<br />
Jack White – Editor<br />
editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
The Stag has gone from<br />
strength to strength<br />
this year: from our bold and<br />
(dare I say) pr<strong>of</strong>essional new<br />
design, through our tabooshattering<br />
first issue, to<br />
the crises <strong>of</strong> Union security<br />
and our ever-worsening financial situation. It is notable<br />
though, that where one aspect <strong>of</strong> life enters a trough,<br />
another gains a new peak and Britain’s widening political<br />
and economic quagmire has provided fertile ground for<br />
The Stag’s ascent to the forefront <strong>of</strong> student information.<br />
Looking back on my tenure on the Design Team last<br />
academic year, I feel confident in saying that this year,<br />
every section <strong>of</strong> the paper has been better than last year.<br />
We have all found a new drive to excel and I am immensely<br />
grateful to have been at the head <strong>of</strong> such a stellar team.<br />
They have made it much easier than I had imagined to<br />
Tom Goulding – Deputy Editor for Marketing<br />
marketing@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
put together a product worthy <strong>of</strong> a university <strong>of</strong> Surrey’s<br />
standing.<br />
Thank you then to everyone who has contributed<br />
to The Stag this year, whether as a regular or not. Hollie<br />
Rowe-Roberts has been particularly awesome as Deputy<br />
Editor for Design – a job that is not given the recognition it<br />
deserves. Thank you also to the long-suffering Union and<br />
<strong>University</strong> which have both been subject to rather more<br />
attention than history might regard normal. Without<br />
them both, The Stag would be a shadow <strong>of</strong> its current self.<br />
Thank you finally to all the readers. I have done<br />
my best to provide you with a good balance <strong>of</strong> articles,<br />
whether you are interested in arts, society, politics,<br />
sports or culture. I hope you enjoyed!<br />
You may see my name in The Stag next year, but this is<br />
my last issue as Editor. I leave the paper in the extremely<br />
capable hands <strong>of</strong> Alexandra Wilks, who has done an<br />
outstanding job this year as Literature Editor. I know she<br />
will be a powerhouse <strong>of</strong> an Editor and exalt The Stag to a<br />
new level.<br />
As I approach the end <strong>of</strong> my final year at The Stag, I’d like to thank Jack, Hollie, the marketing<br />
team and everyone else who has made the last three years an incredible experience. I’ve<br />
watched our students’ newspaper come a long way since I submitted my first article in 2009,<br />
and with Alexandra at the helm, I’m sure her dedicated team will only find new ways to dazzle<br />
it’s growing readership. Cheers Surrey, it’s been emotional!<br />
When I first took on this role I literally<br />
had no idea what I was doing. I was<br />
terrified! But I really can’t tell you enough<br />
how much I’ve loved The Stag this year. It<br />
has come on so much and the whole team<br />
are so proud – I’ll be sad to leave it! I want<br />
to say thank you to everyone that’s been<br />
involved this year, especially Jack, Tom,<br />
Bakita and my design team. Hannah, Ellie,<br />
Tina and Paul – it’s been great fun working<br />
with you each week and I hope you have a<br />
In regards to my role as Editor-in-Chief, it has been<br />
a pleasure to watch The Stag develop into a stylish<br />
and popular campus newspaper, made possible by the<br />
dedication <strong>of</strong> the editorial team and the writers. It will be<br />
very strange no longer having a position on The Stag, after<br />
three years, but you can be sure that I’ll keep submitting<br />
articles next year as a Sabbatical Officer!<br />
I’d like to thank all <strong>of</strong> The Stag team, especially Jack<br />
White (Editor), Hollie Rowe-Roberts (Deputy Editor –<br />
Design), Nicole Vassell (Features Editor) and Hannah<br />
Roberts-Owen (Design), for putting up with my (at times)<br />
late submissions and late night text messages!<br />
Finally, I would like to express my congratulations<br />
to Kat Heneghan, the newly elected Communications<br />
Officer for 2012/13. I’ve seen the passion and interest that<br />
she’s had over the campaign period and I wish her every<br />
success. I hope you enjoy it, Kat.<br />
Hollie Rowe-Roberts – Deputy Editor for Marketing<br />
design@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
great time at Surrey next year. Im happy to<br />
say that Hannah will be taking over my role<br />
as Deputy Editor (Design) and the others are<br />
still going to keep it up which makes me a<br />
proud little mummy!<br />
Good luck to the 2012/13 Stag Team<br />
with Alexandra Wilks (Editor) and Becky<br />
Richmond (Deputy Editor, Marketing)<br />
joining Hannah to run The Stag – you all<br />
deserve it and I’m excited to see where you<br />
take us in the next year!
News Editor: Jyoti Rambhai | Copy Editor: Emma Giles<br />
Societies and individuals felt recognition<br />
for their hard work this past year<br />
Continued from Page 1...<br />
the Student Community Award.<br />
Do>More won numerous awards<br />
in their own right. Kirsty and<br />
Do>More have worked tirelessly<br />
to organise some really brilliant<br />
events this year and are entirely<br />
worthy <strong>of</strong> this high accolade.<br />
Another worthy winner was<br />
Stage Crew who won Society<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Year and Student Run<br />
Service <strong>of</strong> the Year. Stage Crew’s<br />
work <strong>of</strong>ten goes unrecognized,<br />
yet they are incredibly diligent<br />
and hardworking. Without Stage<br />
Crew all the events we enjoy at<br />
Surrey (from Rubix nights to<br />
Theatre Productions) would not<br />
be possible.<br />
Bakita ‘Masala’ Kasadha,<br />
the one woman whirlwind, was<br />
UK ranked tenth for higher education<br />
By Chris Sibthorpe, News Team<br />
The UK has been rated as the<br />
10th best at providing higher<br />
education in a ranking <strong>of</strong> 48<br />
countries.<br />
The report, published by<br />
Universitas 21, listed the other<br />
countries making up the top 10<br />
for delivering higher education as<br />
the US, Sweden, Canada, Finland,<br />
Denmark, Switzerland, Norway,<br />
Australia and The Netherlands.<br />
The results were analysed by<br />
researchers at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Melbourne.<br />
Researchers looked at<br />
the most recent data from 48<br />
countries and territories across<br />
20 different measures, grouping<br />
data under four headings:<br />
resources (investment by<br />
governments and the private<br />
sector), output (research and its<br />
impact and the production <strong>of</strong><br />
an educated workforce which<br />
meets labour market needs),<br />
not only joint winner <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Volunteering Gold Award but<br />
also winner <strong>of</strong> Outstanding<br />
Contribution to Representation<br />
and Wellbeing. Everyone knows<br />
how amazing Bakita is and these<br />
awards testify to her hard work<br />
and dedication to Surrey students.<br />
Finally, The Stag’s very own<br />
brilliant editor, Jack White, won<br />
the Student Media Award. As<br />
his successor, I am incredibly<br />
proud (and slightly intimidated)<br />
to be following in his footsteps.<br />
Whatever you might think <strong>of</strong> Jack,<br />
or indeed The Stag, you cannot<br />
deny he has worked so incredibly<br />
hard to give the students at<br />
Surrey update news.<br />
Student Awards 2012 was a<br />
brilliant evening, enjoyed by all. I<br />
look forward to next year!<br />
Union staff and the Sabattical team worked hard to honour the students that<br />
have made a difference to the Surrey community<br />
connectivity (international<br />
networks and collaboration)<br />
and environment (government<br />
policy and regulation, diversity<br />
and participation opportunities).<br />
Researchers also took population<br />
size into account.<br />
The UK was ranked 10 th overall<br />
despite coming second only to the<br />
United States on the strength <strong>of</strong><br />
the universities themselves, whilst<br />
coming 27 th for the resourcing <strong>of</strong><br />
universities.<br />
Some claim that Britain was<br />
let down because <strong>of</strong> a lack <strong>of</strong><br />
investment, coming 41st out <strong>of</strong><br />
48 for government spending on<br />
higher education. The researchers<br />
analysis put the United States<br />
top overall, followed by Sweden,<br />
Canada, Finland and Denmark.<br />
The UK performed well on<br />
international connectivity, being<br />
ranked sixth as it has the fourth<br />
largest percentage <strong>of</strong> international<br />
students, whilst being ranked<br />
13th on environment. The UK<br />
Colours Ball 2012<br />
13 individual and club<br />
awards were given out at<br />
the annual Team Surrey<br />
Colours Ball on Saturday<br />
night, recognising various<br />
levels <strong>of</strong> achievement for<br />
students and coaches at<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey.<br />
Over 400 attendees<br />
celebrated the<br />
achievements at G Live in<br />
Guildford, in what was the<br />
highest attended Colours<br />
Ball ever!<br />
The evening was hosted by<br />
outgoing Vice President <strong>of</strong><br />
Sport and Recreation Trung<br />
and awards were presented<br />
by various members <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong>, Students’ Union<br />
and Surrey Sports Park<br />
staff and volunteers.<br />
Surrey Sports Park would<br />
like to congratulate all<br />
nominees and award<br />
winners for contributing to<br />
a successful year <strong>of</strong> sport<br />
for Team Surrey!<br />
also came within the top nations<br />
whose research has the greatest<br />
impact, along with Switzerland,<br />
the Netherlands, the United States<br />
and Denmark.<br />
Universities UK, the body that<br />
represents all UK universities, said<br />
it was difficult to compare such<br />
a wide variety <strong>of</strong> international<br />
educational systems.<br />
A statement on the Universitas<br />
21 website describes how<br />
the ranking system has been<br />
developed “As a benchmark<br />
for governments, education<br />
institutions and individuals.” It<br />
goes on to suggest the report aims<br />
to “Highlight the importance <strong>of</strong><br />
creating a strong environment<br />
for higher education institutions<br />
to contribute to economic and<br />
cultural development, provide<br />
a high-quality experience for<br />
students and help institutions<br />
compete for overseas applicants”.<br />
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012<br />
By Melissa Raske, News Team<br />
teenager has been charged<br />
A with grievous bodily harm<br />
with intent for the stabbing that<br />
occurred on <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey<br />
campus last December.<br />
Nineteen year old Aliaksandr<br />
Mazalkou, from Ailsworth near<br />
Peterborough, faces the charges<br />
after the incident which happened<br />
near Millennium House and<br />
resulted in a twenty year old man<br />
being taken to Royal Surrey County<br />
Hospital in the early hours <strong>of</strong> 3rd December.<br />
The man was later discharged<br />
having suffered minor injuries.<br />
Mazalkou, who was eighteen<br />
NEWS 3<br />
Surrey Police issues<br />
Olympic cycle warning<br />
With tickets soon to be on sale<br />
for the Cycling Road Race at<br />
Box Hill in Surrey, Surrey Police<br />
have warned residents to only buy<br />
through <strong>of</strong>ficial sites.<br />
The London Organising<br />
Committee <strong>of</strong> the Olympic Games<br />
(LOCOG) announced on 8th By Rachel Thomason, News Team<br />
May that<br />
the tickets for the road race will<br />
be going on sale on 29 May. Surrey<br />
Police have advised people to only<br />
go through <strong>of</strong>ficial channels to<br />
purchase tickets. They particularly<br />
recommend the <strong>of</strong>ficial Olympic<br />
website: www.tickets.london2012.<br />
com.<br />
Chief Superintendent Gavin<br />
Stephens has explained that this<br />
will provide opportunities for<br />
people to take advantage <strong>of</strong> the<br />
demand by selling fake tickets or<br />
setting up insecure websites.<br />
The road race has already<br />
proved so popular with spectators<br />
and cycling fans that the spectator<br />
capacity at the Zig-Zag Road incline<br />
and Donkey Green area <strong>of</strong> Box Hill<br />
has been increased from 3,500 to<br />
15,000.<br />
The incline is regarded as one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the best places to watch the<br />
race because <strong>of</strong> the slow-moving<br />
cyclists. It is also one <strong>of</strong> the only<br />
places that it can be watched.<br />
The circuit race is 9.6 miles,<br />
beginning at The Mall and then<br />
going through west London and<br />
around Box Hill before returning<br />
to The Mall. The race will welcome<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the world’s top riders to<br />
compete.<br />
The National Trust and LOCOG<br />
are working closely together<br />
alongside Natural England in order<br />
to provide the best protection for<br />
the local wildlife.<br />
Surrey Police also used this<br />
opportunity to remind people that<br />
unwanted tickets can be returned<br />
through the London 2012 ticket<br />
exchange for a full refund.<br />
Furthermore, they remind<br />
residents to report any suspicious<br />
behaviour and circumstances<br />
which come to their attention and<br />
to ring the 101 non-emergency<br />
number.<br />
Teenager charged<br />
over campus stabbing<br />
at the time <strong>of</strong> the stabbing, is out<br />
on bail and is due to appear at<br />
Guildford Magistrates Court on<br />
24 th May.
4 NEWS<br />
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 news@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Award winning Guildford<br />
group to host torch party<br />
By Ge<strong>of</strong>frey Pullen, News Team<br />
Celebrations following the<br />
Olympic Torch Relay passing<br />
through Guildford on the 20th <strong>of</strong><br />
July are to be lead by local youth<br />
festival StreetCLASH.<br />
The festival was recently<br />
awarded the Inspire Mark in<br />
recognition <strong>of</strong> the innovative and<br />
non-commercial promotion <strong>of</strong><br />
youth involvement in sports, arts<br />
and music, inspired by the 2012<br />
Olympic Games.<br />
The Inspire Mark is reserved for<br />
community led projects inspired<br />
by the upcoming Olympic Games.<br />
Chair <strong>of</strong> the London Organising<br />
Committee <strong>of</strong> the Olympic Games,<br />
Seb Coe’s believes that ‘These<br />
Games are for the whole <strong>of</strong> the UK,<br />
for sport and culture’.<br />
StreetCLASH, established in<br />
2008, is an annual festival held<br />
within Guildford in which young<br />
people have the opportunity to get<br />
involved in sports, art, dance and<br />
music.<br />
On <strong>of</strong>fer at the event will be<br />
over 30 sports, dance workshops<br />
led by local groups and music<br />
in association with Guildford’s<br />
Academy <strong>of</strong> Contemporary Music.<br />
Inspiring young people is a key<br />
motive behind StreetCLASH and it<br />
is this that led to recognition by<br />
Inspire and by Seb Coe himself;<br />
‘We want to use the power <strong>of</strong><br />
the Games to inspire change...I<br />
congratulate everyone involved<br />
in StreetCLASH for securing the<br />
Inspire mark’.<br />
The celebrations will be a free<br />
ticketed event held at Stoke Park<br />
starting at 2pm and ending at 10pm<br />
on the 20 th July.<br />
Guildford Orchestra<br />
faces final movement<br />
By David Williams, News Team<br />
The future <strong>of</strong> the Guildford<br />
Philharmonic Orchestra<br />
(GPO) is in doubt following an<br />
inconclusive meeting <strong>of</strong> Guildford<br />
county councilors which failed to<br />
decide whether the council funded<br />
group should continue.<br />
Since it’s induction in 1945,<br />
the GPO has been performing in<br />
a variety <strong>of</strong> venues in and around<br />
Guildford, however in recent years<br />
it has seen a decline in popularity.<br />
Currently Guildford Borough<br />
Council pays a subsidy <strong>of</strong> £290,000 a<br />
year for 10 concerts. However, over<br />
the past 2 years ticket sales have<br />
been down by 36% with income<br />
from sales and sponsorship only<br />
£140,000 for 2011.<br />
Questions have been raised<br />
over both the organisation <strong>of</strong><br />
the concerts and the need for a<br />
council funded orchestra. There<br />
are a number <strong>of</strong> other groups in<br />
Guildford that perform classical<br />
music and additionally a huge<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> other types <strong>of</strong> music that<br />
the GPO has to compete with.<br />
Plans to avoid disbanding the<br />
orchestra have been suggested,<br />
such as allowing the concerts<br />
to be held and organised at G<br />
Live, Guildford’s new 1000 seated<br />
capacity live entertainment venue,<br />
while maintaining the GPO brand.<br />
Only 3,858 tickets have been<br />
sold thus far for this season,<br />
another significant decrease in<br />
sales.<br />
A final decision on the GPO’s<br />
future is likely to be made at the<br />
council’s executive committee<br />
meeting in the summer.<br />
Surrey attracts attention during Universities Week<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey and Surrey<br />
Sports Park made themselves<br />
known during Universities Week<br />
2012 after two <strong>of</strong> their research<br />
initiatives were discussed in<br />
reports published by Universities<br />
UK.<br />
Universities Week, which<br />
commenced on 30th By Melissa Raske, News Team<br />
April, is a<br />
campaign that aims to raise<br />
awareness <strong>of</strong> the ways UK<br />
universities contribute to local<br />
communities and society.<br />
The campaign has been<br />
running for 3 years and this year<br />
was themed around the London<br />
Olympic and Paralympic Games.<br />
The first project mentioned<br />
in the report discusses the use <strong>of</strong><br />
3D skeletal motion camerawork to<br />
recreate athletic performances.<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey’s<br />
Centre for Vision, Speech and<br />
Police are appealing for<br />
information after an armed<br />
robbery occurred between 3:45am<br />
and 4:00am on May 5th By Melissa Raske, News Team<br />
.<br />
The incident, which took place<br />
on Chestnut Road near Stoke<br />
Park, involved three men who<br />
were carrying knives and what is<br />
believed to be a mock firearm.<br />
After breaking into the<br />
property the men threatened the<br />
four occupants with the weapons<br />
before tying them up and stealing<br />
a number <strong>of</strong> items including an<br />
Xbox, PlayStation 3, an iPhone<br />
and money.<br />
None <strong>of</strong> the occupants, three<br />
men and a woman, were injured<br />
during the break in which lasted<br />
around 45 minutes.<br />
Police <strong>of</strong>ficers arrived at the<br />
scene shortly after the burglary<br />
and specialty units including<br />
police dogs and forensics were<br />
called in. Door to door enquiries<br />
were carried out and the police<br />
urge anyone concerned about the<br />
incident to contact the Guildford<br />
Safer Neighbourhood Team on<br />
101.<br />
Investigating Officer Detective<br />
Sergeant Anna Leahy <strong>of</strong> Guildford<br />
CID said: “At this stage in the<br />
investigation we do not believe<br />
this was a random attack and that<br />
the <strong>of</strong>fenders had targeted this<br />
property in the belief one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
occupants was someone known to<br />
them.”<br />
Although the attack took place<br />
in the early hours <strong>of</strong> the morning<br />
police are confident that there<br />
Signal Processing (CVSSP) teamed<br />
up with BBC Research and<br />
Development to investigate the<br />
use <strong>of</strong> video footage from a single<br />
broadcast camera to estimate the<br />
skeletal motion <strong>of</strong> an athlete at key<br />
points throughout a performance.<br />
Previously it hasn’t been<br />
possible to use multiple specialist<br />
cameras to directly recover<br />
3D information at Olympic<br />
and Paralympic Games due to<br />
television constraints, however<br />
the semi automatic alternative<br />
developed by the CVSSP and BBC<br />
has potential.<br />
This technology could be used<br />
to further analyse or comment<br />
on performances, for instance by<br />
comparing high jump attempts for<br />
an individual athlete, or between<br />
different athletes in events such<br />
as the 100m.<br />
The CVSSP and BBC R&D have<br />
been collaborating on various<br />
may have been people still around<br />
at the time and anyone who has<br />
witnessed or heard anything<br />
suspicious, no matter how<br />
insignificant it may seem, should<br />
contact the police.<br />
Two <strong>of</strong> the men were described<br />
as black men and the other a white<br />
man, all <strong>of</strong> whom were wearing<br />
black trousers, black hooded tops<br />
and scarves covering their faces.<br />
In addition, a small beige car<br />
was parked on Recreation Road<br />
at the time <strong>of</strong> the burglary which<br />
may have been linked to the<br />
projects for the past decade and a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> Surrey’s PhD students<br />
receive funding from the BBC.<br />
The second project mentioned<br />
in the report is a research project<br />
that is looking at the social and<br />
economic regeneration resulting<br />
from London 2012 and how this<br />
could inspire the skills <strong>of</strong> hard to<br />
employ people. It is also looking<br />
at the benefits that volunteering,<br />
apprenticeships and employment<br />
schemes will have after the<br />
Games.<br />
Universities Week culminated<br />
with the BUCS Outdoor Athletics<br />
Championships held at the<br />
Olympic Stadium in which five<br />
Team Surrey athletes competed.<br />
In addition to the Universities<br />
Week activities, Surrey Sports<br />
Park will act as host to 17 Olympic<br />
and Paralympic nations during<br />
the London 2012 Olympics.<br />
Armed robber on Chestnut Road in Guildford<br />
incident.<br />
Sergeant Leahy spoke about<br />
the incident saying: “This was<br />
an extremely frightening ordeal<br />
for the victims. Surrey Police<br />
simply will not tolerate this kind<br />
<strong>of</strong> behaviour and we will do all we<br />
can to find those responsible and<br />
bring them to justice.”<br />
Anyone with any information<br />
relating to the incident is urged to<br />
contact the police on 101, quoting<br />
reference GD/12/4041 or ring<br />
Crimestoppers anonymously on<br />
0800 555 111.<br />
©SurreyPolice
6 UNiON<br />
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Consecutive Executives<br />
A big year for Education<br />
Sam Ratzer<br />
Union VP Education<br />
This year has been a<br />
challenging year for me as<br />
VP Education, getting to grips<br />
with the role and meeting so<br />
many people in the <strong>University</strong><br />
aside, ensuring all your views as<br />
students are heard effectively at<br />
a <strong>University</strong> which is currently<br />
in the ascendency is increasingly<br />
tough.<br />
I can hand on heart<br />
say that I have given it all my<br />
efforts and the amount <strong>of</strong><br />
positive feedback I have received<br />
from students, members <strong>of</strong> the<br />
academic community as well as<br />
support staff, goes to show my<br />
efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.<br />
However, instead <strong>of</strong> sitting back<br />
and winding down to the end<br />
<strong>of</strong> the academic year I am busy<br />
planning for my second year.<br />
2011/12 has seen the<br />
And so, here we are, the<br />
final issue <strong>of</strong> The Stag and<br />
my final article <strong>of</strong> the year. It’s<br />
been an interesting year, and<br />
one that has seen quite a few<br />
changes, to our Societies and<br />
student groups.<br />
I can honestly say that this<br />
year has been a huge pleasure<br />
for me, to see the amount<br />
<strong>of</strong> work and dedication that<br />
both Committee’s and Society<br />
members have had towards<br />
development and increasing<br />
their <strong>of</strong>ferings. As we move<br />
forward to the new academic<br />
year, Surrey students have a<br />
huge amount <strong>of</strong> choice when it<br />
comes to Societies, and that can<br />
only be a good thing.<br />
I can only wish the best <strong>of</strong><br />
luck to Em Bollon, who will be<br />
taking over from me as <strong>of</strong> 1st Jake Willis<br />
Union VP<br />
Societies & ID<br />
August. I’m sure she will do an<br />
absolutely great job, and I have<br />
full confidence that Societies<br />
are in capable hands. So, until<br />
next year, have a great summer.<br />
introduction <strong>of</strong> Faculty Reps to<br />
the Student Union team to help<br />
the development <strong>of</strong> the Academic<br />
Rep system, next year will see<br />
the embarking <strong>of</strong> a project to<br />
improve the representation <strong>of</strong><br />
postgraduate students. This<br />
year has been a learning curve,<br />
as a new set <strong>of</strong> regulations were<br />
introduced looking at things such<br />
as extenuating circumstances<br />
and academic misconduct, next<br />
year I want to make sure that<br />
they are engrained and work to<br />
the full effect.<br />
2012/13 is going to be<br />
a big year with the introduction<br />
<strong>of</strong> £9,000 fees across the sector,<br />
at Surrey, we will have a new<br />
VLE (SurreyLearn), which I hope<br />
will beginning a whole course<br />
<strong>of</strong> technological developments<br />
in teaching. Like it or not you<br />
will see more <strong>of</strong> me on campus,<br />
not just on NSS “I Love Surrey”<br />
campaign posters, as I will seek to<br />
find the issues that are affecting<br />
you most.<br />
Jade Foley<br />
Union Community Officer<br />
Having been elected as<br />
Community Officer late, in<br />
the October by-elections, and<br />
with no previous involvement in<br />
the union, the first few months<br />
<strong>of</strong> my year were spent getting to<br />
grips with the role; something<br />
which I found quite challenging<br />
at first. Nonetheless, I got there<br />
eventually and I feel as though<br />
I’ve had a pretty good year.<br />
Helping to organise a celebration<br />
evening for volunteers, running<br />
an international themed<br />
community quiz during iFestival,<br />
working with Dave, VP Welfare,<br />
during housing awareness week<br />
(particularly with the <strong>of</strong>f-campus<br />
accommodation guide) and<br />
attending meetings with different<br />
community associations and with<br />
Guildford council are just a few<br />
<strong>of</strong> the things I’ve been up to this<br />
year. Being a member <strong>of</strong> exec has<br />
been a fantastic experience and I<br />
hope the new community <strong>of</strong>ficer,<br />
Jade Roberts, enjoys the role as<br />
much as I have!<br />
A fond farewell after a smashing year<br />
Osama Salih<br />
Union President<br />
It has been a brilliantly busy year<br />
in the life <strong>of</strong> your Students’ Union.<br />
Our volunteer Freshers’ Angels<br />
descended on campus to provide the<br />
number one welcome experience<br />
in the UK. Freshers’ Week set the<br />
tone for the year to come when we<br />
saw over 4,000 students attending<br />
Freshers’ Fayre on PATs field.<br />
This year we have introduced<br />
a new structure for the way we<br />
operate as a charity, and been<br />
assessed in four competitive<br />
schemes which make us a better<br />
Students’ Union including Investors<br />
in Volunteers and the Students’<br />
Union Evaluation Initiative.<br />
We’ve been working on the<br />
functionality <strong>of</strong> our new website,<br />
been improving the transparency<br />
<strong>of</strong> our meetings and committees,<br />
and for the first time in our history,<br />
we’ve welcomed external trustees<br />
to our organisation.<br />
I have personally been working<br />
on improving the facilities for the<br />
Students’ Union, restructuring<br />
<strong>of</strong> the current support <strong>of</strong>fices to<br />
provide a spacious more relaxed,<br />
modern feel <strong>of</strong> the students union.<br />
More meeting rooms available,<br />
better social space and in general<br />
Dave Halls<br />
Union VP Welfare<br />
With another year coming to<br />
an end, this is as good a time<br />
as ever to reflect on the ‘Welfare<br />
Wins’ <strong>of</strong> the past year, <strong>of</strong>ten working<br />
closely with the <strong>University</strong> to get<br />
the best results for you. In truth, 250<br />
words is nothing to round up what’s<br />
been an exceptionally busy year, but<br />
here’s a selection <strong>of</strong> highlights...<br />
• Narrowly missed out on the<br />
Guinness World Record for ‘Most<br />
Sexual Health Tests in 24 Hours’.<br />
460 <strong>of</strong> you checked yourselves<br />
for chlamydia, missing the<br />
•<br />
record by just 41!<br />
Better lighting, more security<br />
& Police presence on campus.<br />
‘Balloon’ campaign for those<br />
open ground floor windows<br />
(keep them shut, folks!)<br />
a better utilised facility. This is<br />
part <strong>of</strong> a long term project <strong>of</strong> a<br />
new students’ union building to<br />
improve the student experience<br />
here at Surrey. I am looking forward<br />
to coming back and visiting the<br />
opening <strong>of</strong> the building, whenever<br />
that may be.<br />
It has been very interesting for<br />
me personally to see as president the<br />
journey that different <strong>University</strong><br />
departments have taken, those that<br />
listen to you as students – through<br />
your students’ union are going from<br />
strength to strength and those that<br />
ignore us begin to struggle. We<br />
are really lucky that the majority<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong> management<br />
take student representation really<br />
seriously and not just as something<br />
to tick a box with. If I had one<br />
• ‘Housing Awareness Week’<br />
saw hundreds <strong>of</strong> students<br />
attend talks, and get advice on<br />
finding their first <strong>of</strong>f-campus<br />
house. Don’t forget to pick up<br />
your free ‘Off-Campus Guide’<br />
from either the Union or the<br />
Accommodation Office before<br />
you move in this summer!<br />
• Worked closer than ever with<br />
the Court Life Mentors, those<br />
on-campus heroes helping to<br />
make sure you’re as happy,<br />
healthy and safe as you can be<br />
during your time in university<br />
accommodation!<br />
It’s been an absolute pleasure to<br />
serve as your VP Welfare this year.<br />
I look forward to welcoming many<br />
<strong>of</strong> you back in September in my new<br />
role as President; and am absolutely<br />
confident you’ve chosen a brilliant<br />
VP Welfare in Bakita. She’s going<br />
to do a great job for you next year,<br />
Surrey.<br />
Have a great summer everyone!<br />
message for the <strong>University</strong> it would<br />
be to remember how your closest<br />
friends can give you the best advice.<br />
It has been my pleasure serving<br />
you as president for this academic<br />
year and I rely hope that you all keep<br />
being involved in your students’<br />
union. Life is way more than just<br />
having a degree and I really hope<br />
you know that you have so many<br />
opportunities to be involved, so<br />
make the most <strong>of</strong> them. This is your<br />
union, support it, invest in it and<br />
lastly challenge it when needed.<br />
I have been Osama Salih,<br />
President <strong>of</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey<br />
Students’ Union 2011 – 2012 enjoy<br />
the rest <strong>of</strong> your year and good luck<br />
with your assessments.<br />
Peter Smeed<br />
Equality and Diversity Officer<br />
Well, what a year! I started <strong>of</strong><br />
the year getting to grips with<br />
the ins and outs <strong>of</strong> the Students’<br />
Union, which was a pretty big<br />
task in itself. Once I made myself<br />
familiar with the surroundings and<br />
the people, it was time to get used<br />
to my role! My aim was to be a vocal<br />
member <strong>of</strong> the union exec, which i<br />
think i achieved. I made sure action<br />
was taken with regards to security<br />
in Rubix, ensured I maintained the<br />
link between the union and the<br />
students, attended NUS training<br />
days and sent delegates for the<br />
first time in years to NUS LGBT<br />
conference. I really underestimated<br />
the amount <strong>of</strong> time my course<br />
would take up, which is a shame<br />
because I feel I was prevented from<br />
achieving even more. I’ve had such<br />
a great year and hope my successor<br />
enjoys it as much as me!
Features Editor: Nicole Vassell | Copy Editor: Michaela Fulton<br />
Features<br />
Y’know what really<br />
grinds my gears?<br />
By Bakita Kasadha, Editor-in-Chief<br />
wrote one about girls, I should<br />
I honour my word and write about<br />
the boys, but how to write this<br />
GMGs without coming across as<br />
a spurned/jealous girl? Before I<br />
begin, though, I’d just like to ‘out’<br />
the guy who assumed, months ago,<br />
that this was going to be based on<br />
him... Behave! Yes, you may not<br />
have been a decent human being,<br />
but I’m not sure if you’re interesting<br />
enough to spend 500 words on – so<br />
I’m not going to attempt it. Writing<br />
By Sophie Vickery, Features Team<br />
Last September, freshers enthusiastically drove into<br />
loading bays and were hurriedly moved into halls<br />
with the help <strong>of</strong> Fresher Angels. Although many were<br />
nervous, the idea <strong>of</strong> living with other students, in a<br />
space absent <strong>of</strong> nagging Mums and vigilant Dads, was<br />
one <strong>of</strong> great excitement. However, as the academic<br />
year comes towards a close, many first year students<br />
will eagerly skip out <strong>of</strong> their rooms and wave goodbye<br />
to halls. Living in halls is an experience full <strong>of</strong> life<br />
lessons, from cooking and cleaning, to sharing space<br />
and responsibilities with others. However, are halls<br />
all what they crack up to be? There are certainly<br />
some compromises to be made in order to maintain<br />
a happy flat; keeping the noise down, washing up<br />
plates and respecting others privacy and belongings.<br />
Unfortunately, there are many cases where this is not<br />
fulfilled and consequently some students find halls<br />
suffocating in their claustrophobia <strong>of</strong> noise, clutter<br />
and people. Loud music until 4am, germ-ridden dishes<br />
and food theft are sadly some <strong>of</strong> the horror stories<br />
<strong>of</strong> university accommodation. Not to forget a lack <strong>of</strong><br />
this sort <strong>of</strong> makes me think <strong>of</strong> Carly<br />
Simon’s song, You’re So Vain -“I bet<br />
you think this song is about you...”<br />
Can I just say that this isn’t about<br />
the boy who cannot be named, well<br />
anything outside <strong>of</strong> this paragraph<br />
isn’t about him!<br />
So first annoyance: the male<br />
ego, the bravado and need to ‘actup’<br />
when you’re around your fellow<br />
males, to assert male dominance.<br />
You’ll literally tear each other<br />
apart (and you like to hit each<br />
other). These are your friends! I<br />
honestly feel sorry for the small,<br />
David was puzzled by the lads unusual choice <strong>of</strong> prey. They could have done better.<br />
The horror <strong>of</strong> halls<br />
©Thos033<br />
skinny or ginger boy in the group,<br />
because we all know that they are<br />
generally the first to be picked on.<br />
It’s a shame that this need to be<br />
manly doesn’t prevail when you’re<br />
ill. Man flu guys? Really? Man up.<br />
The next point is actually<br />
more a source <strong>of</strong> entertainment<br />
than anything else – boys in clubs.<br />
It took working a club for me to<br />
realise how closely linked we are<br />
to our fellow mammals. Say/think<br />
the following in your best David<br />
Attenborough voice:<br />
‘These male humans, who<br />
spend most <strong>of</strong> their time working<br />
or studying in the library, are<br />
in their element in a nightclub<br />
environment. As night falls and the<br />
bass from the speakers beckon, they<br />
watch and make plans to approach<br />
the unsuspecting females.<br />
Standing to the side <strong>of</strong> the dance<br />
floor, with backs against the walls,<br />
with their fellow brotherhood, they<br />
wait for an enthusiastic female to<br />
dance slightly out <strong>of</strong> the dancing<br />
circle, which her and her friends<br />
have created. One glance from the<br />
female, the male sees fit to put his<br />
hand on her waist and initiate the<br />
mating dance.’ Honestly try it the<br />
next time you’re out; each club<br />
home comforts; s<strong>of</strong>as, gardens, dishwashers, washing<br />
machines, larger wardrobes, comfier beds, space,<br />
snug carpets and fuller fridges! For those with shared<br />
bathrooms, they miss the en-suite. For those used to<br />
double beds, the university single just doesn’t meet<br />
sleep’s expectations. For those downstairs, they miss<br />
the freedom to open curtains without fear <strong>of</strong> passersby<br />
viewing valuables and perhaps even nakedness as<br />
one steps out <strong>of</strong> the shower!<br />
For many students, university halls are sadly<br />
remembered with terror and stress. However, even if<br />
they were a traumatic experience, students should try<br />
to remember that they have benefitted in some way.<br />
All students will go into second year with a greater<br />
awareness <strong>of</strong> living with others and will have gained<br />
an invaluable independency. But, for those who still<br />
grimace at the thought <strong>of</strong> those sleepless nights and<br />
dreaded mornings, when one walks into a kitchen<br />
<strong>of</strong> sticky bottles (empty <strong>of</strong> course) and take away<br />
containers, they can embrace promise <strong>of</strong> a happier<br />
living environment for second year; living with people<br />
<strong>of</strong> their choice, in a larger space with more <strong>of</strong> those<br />
home comforts.<br />
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012<br />
will have at least 5/6 <strong>of</strong> this type<br />
(Source: Bakita’s Observations,<br />
2012).<br />
This goes out to the really<br />
(insert bad word here) guys, not<br />
all. How can two guys that claim<br />
to be friends try and chat up the<br />
same girl... sometimes in the same<br />
evening? Is there no loyalty, no<br />
‘Oh, it’s okay, you saw her first’<br />
or ‘maybe neither <strong>of</strong> us should<br />
approach her if we both like her,<br />
y’know let’s think <strong>of</strong> our friendship<br />
first?’ Am I approaching this<br />
dilemma too much like a female?<br />
Maybe.<br />
Lastly, you guys don’t like to let<br />
things go (this is not just a female<br />
thing) and you always feel that<br />
you can help in some way even if<br />
you’re going to make things worse.<br />
Many boys have thought that they<br />
can help me with this column,<br />
for instance, my friend has been<br />
badgering on at me to have a GMGs<br />
about shop workers who give you a<br />
receipt and then plonk your change<br />
on top <strong>of</strong> it so that you’re forced to<br />
close up your hand and stuff a ball<br />
full <strong>of</strong> change into your pocket.<br />
There you go Mike, I wrote it! (He’s<br />
going to say that I didn’t describe it<br />
properly!)<br />
FEATURES 7<br />
BOYS!<br />
Obviously, I could’ve tackled<br />
the hygiene thing, never asking for<br />
directions (what is the issue there<br />
by the way) or leaving the toilet seat<br />
up (though, I’ve never experienced<br />
this, living with girls in Guildford<br />
and having a mum who trained<br />
that out <strong>of</strong> my little brother before<br />
he was strong enough to lift the<br />
toilet seat)- I would have mentioned<br />
them, but I knew that you would<br />
have expected more from me.<br />
Last time I’m going to write<br />
this: I honestly do swear that I’m<br />
not a moany mare all the time;<br />
it’s just that boys do these really<br />
annoying things and it just really<br />
grinds my gears.<br />
© Stacey Hunter<br />
©minor9th
8 FEATURES<br />
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 features@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
How do you shower?<br />
By Sophie Vickery, Features Team<br />
Bev enjoys showers, lots.<br />
The question may sound silly<br />
as it appears with an initial<br />
obviousness, yet upon exploring<br />
the intriguing intricacies <strong>of</strong> the<br />
en-suite, one discovers a whole<br />
world <strong>of</strong> habits and washing<br />
rituals.<br />
Man has been washing<br />
throughout history. From the<br />
caveman dipping into chilly lakes,<br />
to the Romans relaxing in grand<br />
Roman baths. From metal tubs<br />
beside Victorian fireplaces, to<br />
scrubs in the 60s sink. And now<br />
the power showers <strong>of</strong> the 21st<br />
century in which, a recent survey<br />
<strong>of</strong> 100 families found, man spends<br />
an average <strong>of</strong> eight minutes.<br />
From the Sunday evening chore<br />
<strong>of</strong> washing children, to reviving<br />
wake-up showers before work.<br />
And thus arises the first variance<br />
among our showering nation;<br />
when to take a shower? Some<br />
rely on the shower’s energy as an<br />
alarm clock to awaken their senses<br />
before hitting the commute.<br />
Meanwhile, others prefer late<br />
night showers and snuggling into<br />
Summer fashion<br />
Ellis Taylor<br />
The summer holidays are fast<br />
approaching (and hopefully<br />
good weather will come too)<br />
meaning that this is our last issue<br />
<strong>of</strong> the year! So it is time to get<br />
out our fashionable hankies and<br />
dab away the tears, because we’re<br />
going to miss it (or at least I will).<br />
Think to the future fellow clothes<br />
lovers, for my advice shall return<br />
next year. HUZZAH. And because<br />
it will be autumn/winter, we get to<br />
discuss cosy clothes and all sorts <strong>of</strong><br />
fun stuff like that, it’s not all bad…I<br />
guess. However, we do have a whole<br />
season between now and then, so<br />
I’ve decided to do a little mash up <strong>of</strong><br />
everything you may need to know<br />
©basykes<br />
dressing gowns and sleepy cocoa.<br />
And then <strong>of</strong> course there is the<br />
male ‘shower and shave’ ritual<br />
before a dinner date; the warm<br />
up for cologne, cufflinks and the<br />
Rolex watch to follow.<br />
But when the curtain is pulled<br />
and jets are in full flow, our<br />
habits become even more radical.<br />
Following research into showering<br />
customs, one finds a large split in<br />
the nation; between those who<br />
enter the shower prior to turning<br />
it on, and those who turn it on,<br />
tarry a little and hop into a warm<br />
spray <strong>of</strong> loveliness. Those, who<br />
hopped in before turning on the<br />
jet, subject themselves to a rather<br />
absurd routine <strong>of</strong> rigidly huddling<br />
up to the tiles as the water begins<br />
cold, then flinching as the water<br />
turns too hot, before settling<br />
into a shower <strong>of</strong> the perfect<br />
temperature. However, despite<br />
recognising this routine as simply<br />
illogical, they persist with these<br />
habits.<br />
Shower antics do not cease<br />
at entering the shower either.<br />
Ever had a drunken shower?<br />
There are many anecdotes<br />
involving the amusing pairing<br />
between a lack <strong>of</strong> soberness and<br />
clumsiness. Drunken ‘showerers’<br />
find themselves toppling beyond<br />
the curtain or struggling with<br />
the temperature dial, resulting in<br />
scorched backs or freezing toes.<br />
Others wait until the morning<br />
and swear by showers as the<br />
ultimate hangover cure. However,<br />
it is commonly acknowledged that<br />
upon struggling to balance under<br />
the spray, the shower is <strong>of</strong>ten the<br />
over the next few months, together,<br />
we will remain stylish.<br />
Firstly, let’s look at possible<br />
events you may be attending, and<br />
by events, I mean festivals.<br />
What a tricky one that is!<br />
No showers, restricted baggage,<br />
obligatory wellies, not the best<br />
thing in the world. A very strategic<br />
selection <strong>of</strong> clothes is necessary<br />
in order to survive, my secret<br />
weapon is dresses. They fold up<br />
small, make you feel like a fairy<br />
and are basically a whole outfit in<br />
one, no need for anything else. The<br />
fairy part is crucial, because we<br />
all know that festivals are bloody<br />
weird (last year I had an awkward<br />
conversation with Anna Sui who<br />
asked if I wanted to put some glitter<br />
on a paper butterfly), odd stuff<br />
happens. However, I accept that not<br />
every girl is a dress kinda girl, so<br />
the other staple is a pair <strong>of</strong> denim<br />
shorts. A few different t shirts can<br />
place when one discovers that<br />
dreaded realisation; “I’m still<br />
drunk.”<br />
Talking about showers also<br />
bestowed a rather entertaining<br />
story <strong>of</strong> a friend’s recent discovery<br />
that his showering career has<br />
taken a different routine to the<br />
rest <strong>of</strong> the nation. Due to some<br />
misplaced or misinterpreted<br />
information as a child, he has<br />
since been applying conditioner<br />
BEFORE shampoo. Because this<br />
is not a common conversation<br />
topic, his hair has been victim to<br />
this order for forty years! Another<br />
ludicrous aspect <strong>of</strong> showering is<br />
the invention <strong>of</strong> 2 in 1 (no, not 2<br />
in 1 shampoo and conditioner)<br />
shampoo and…shower gel! It was<br />
subsequently unsurprising to find<br />
that this product belonged to a<br />
male and it took his girlfriend to<br />
highlight its stupidity.<br />
And thus the en-suite door<br />
has opened to a vast kingdom <strong>of</strong><br />
habits, routines and experiences<br />
beneath those beloved jets. Or, are<br />
they beloved? Perhaps, it would be<br />
a little too much to delve into the<br />
shower Vs bath discussion at this<br />
point, as we would inevitably gush<br />
towards vast deliberations <strong>of</strong> time<br />
(three minute shower against a<br />
three hour soak), bubbles (zesty<br />
shower gel or luscious bubbles?),<br />
hygiene (the uncomfortable<br />
notion that a bath is simply a sit<br />
in personal dirt, with a dwindling<br />
temperature) and taps (they<br />
simply get in the way!). Eight<br />
minutes is up, shower ends. Now<br />
to sort the hair; air dry, towel dry<br />
or hairdryer?<br />
easily change your outfit each day<br />
and go wild with as much jewellery<br />
as you want, because here you can<br />
look crazy and it’s totally fine. BUT,<br />
I do want to say one thing about<br />
the denim shorts thing, don’t have<br />
them so short that everyone can<br />
see your butt. Please.<br />
Now, general trends <strong>of</strong> the<br />
summer. I’ve spoken <strong>of</strong> them before,<br />
but tis the season <strong>of</strong> revision, so<br />
we’ll go over them once more.<br />
Pastels: Think ice cream colours,<br />
clichéd girly-ness, cupcakes. A<br />
warning, however, is that dreary<br />
weather doesn’t fit the vibe <strong>of</strong><br />
pastels so before you don your all<br />
pastel outfit, check the weather.<br />
If it is looking pretty crap outside,<br />
you can still work this trend; try<br />
Barry M nail polishes for a subtle<br />
hint <strong>of</strong> summer.<br />
Print: CLASH THEM LIKE<br />
CRAZY, GO WILD. Matchy-matchy<br />
is so not 2012.<br />
Metallics & general jazziness:<br />
Best done through accessories, a<br />
clutch bag is a great example.<br />
Peplum: Proving to be a rather<br />
Don’t miss the<br />
Summer Recruitment Fair!<br />
Tuesday 22nd May<br />
Tuesday 22nd May is the date<br />
for the Careers Service’s Summer<br />
Recruitment Fair – taking place<br />
from 2pm-5.30pm in the Austin<br />
Pearce building. There are<br />
dozens <strong>of</strong> employers and other<br />
organisations attending, including<br />
companies like Ernst & Young,<br />
Hitachi and Estee Lauder. And it’s<br />
not just for final years - with a<br />
number <strong>of</strong> companies <strong>of</strong>fering<br />
placement opportunities, as well<br />
as organisations looking to fill<br />
volunteering and part-time roles.<br />
There’ll be study providers like the<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Law in attendance too.<br />
You can <strong>of</strong> course just turn<br />
up on the day, but to get the most<br />
out <strong>of</strong> the Fair it can help to do a<br />
little preparation. If there are<br />
companies you think you may<br />
be interested in, check out their<br />
websites in advance and have<br />
popular shape. Building upon this,<br />
try focussing on structure and<br />
shape in your outfit choices.<br />
Now, I want to leave you with<br />
a final comment on something<br />
related to general summer<br />
dressing. When it gets warmer,<br />
jeans get pushed to the back <strong>of</strong><br />
the wardrobe, which is justified,<br />
replace them with shorts,<br />
skirts and<br />
playsuits. But<br />
do not, I repeat,<br />
do not, switch to<br />
using leggings as<br />
trousers. This<br />
is something<br />
that has<br />
some questions prepared – that<br />
way you’ll get more out <strong>of</strong> talking<br />
to their representatives, and be in<br />
a better position to impress! And<br />
although many organisations will<br />
ask you to apply online, it is still<br />
a good idea to take along a few<br />
copies <strong>of</strong> your CV, and be prepared<br />
to actively network.<br />
The Fair is part <strong>of</strong> our ‘Before<br />
You Go Week’ series <strong>of</strong> events,<br />
taking place between Monday<br />
21st and Friday 25th May. We’ve<br />
got a really busy programme <strong>of</strong><br />
talks, workshops and employer<br />
events – plus during this week<br />
you are welcome to drop in to the<br />
Careers Service in the afternoons<br />
with a quick query or for a CV or<br />
application form check. It is also<br />
still possible to book a one-to-one<br />
interview with a Careers Adviser,<br />
before, during or after this week.<br />
For full details <strong>of</strong> everything that’s taking place<br />
– and a complete list <strong>of</strong> organisations attending<br />
the Fair, go to:<br />
www.surrey.ac.uk/careers/whatson<br />
eternally bothered me, because<br />
it’s just like going out with a pair<br />
<strong>of</strong> thick tights on and nothing else.<br />
By all means, wear with a long shirt<br />
or t-shirt, but if you wear a regular<br />
length top, I can see your pants.<br />
So that’s it, guys. We’ve got our<br />
last bits <strong>of</strong> fashion information; now<br />
go forth into the sunshine and<br />
revise it in preparation for<br />
the exam.
Features Editor: Nicole Vassell | Copy Editor: Michaela Fulton<br />
BUSINESS<br />
Time for the Blitz spirit<br />
By Peter Bailey<br />
In recent years there have been<br />
many peaks and troughs, green<br />
shoots <strong>of</strong> economic recovery and<br />
then wash-outs <strong>of</strong> financial chaos.<br />
In fact, being a slightly more<br />
seasoned (now alumnus) <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey, the majority<br />
<strong>of</strong> my time as a young adult has<br />
been experience through the<br />
slightly murky glasses <strong>of</strong> recession<br />
tinted Britain.<br />
I would like to say that times<br />
were getting easier. I would like to<br />
defer to our own brand <strong>of</strong> capitalism<br />
and have faith that simply working<br />
hard will be sufficient to drive out<br />
the ghosts <strong>of</strong> financial downturn.<br />
Unfortunately it seems to be a<br />
little more complicated than that,<br />
perplexing leaders and eminent<br />
economists the world over. The<br />
recent Eurozone crisis and Greece’s<br />
woes seem to highlight that our<br />
carefully nurtured green shoots<br />
might once again be trampled with<br />
little or no regard for our individual<br />
aspirations. The efforts <strong>of</strong> previous<br />
generations have yielded a<br />
thoroughly mixed bag filled with<br />
meteoric rises in property values,<br />
unprecedented austerity measures,<br />
and interest rates that have made us<br />
wince at both ends <strong>of</strong> the extreme.<br />
So what can be done? Well I<br />
suppose we could shirk modern<br />
economics, dust <strong>of</strong>f the wooden<br />
clubs and retreat back into a cave.<br />
We could go the other way and bury<br />
our heads in the sand <strong>of</strong> consumer<br />
credit and resort to a little retail<br />
therapy. Or we could posture to<br />
the global markets that we are a<br />
strong island nation, which will<br />
weather this storm like we have<br />
any other. Well the rationale (and<br />
credibility) <strong>of</strong> all <strong>of</strong> those options<br />
might be somewhat dubious, but<br />
we certainly need to do something.<br />
And by we, I am not deferring<br />
to the Royal, I think she has done<br />
enough in her 60 years reign. I<br />
mean us. After all why did we come<br />
to <strong>University</strong>? I would venture<br />
that boozy parties and great<br />
societies are only fleeting flashes<br />
<strong>of</strong> colour in the overall transit to<br />
our destination. We spend years<br />
<strong>of</strong> our lives holed up in a place <strong>of</strong><br />
higher education to sharpen our<br />
tools, and sharpen our focus (even<br />
if your focus is to pursue a career<br />
as the new Van Wilder). We have<br />
the vision and the skills to solve the<br />
world’s problems (and by the way,<br />
even if we didn’t, it is still down to<br />
us). It might be time to break out<br />
the stiff upper lip and hand round<br />
some tea for the long night ahead<br />
<strong>of</strong> us.<br />
But the old adage goes, “How<br />
do you eat the elephant?”, and the<br />
answer is one bite at a time. You<br />
might not think that the route you<br />
are personally on is going to directly<br />
drive forward new business in our<br />
economy. You might not think that<br />
you are really that concerned about<br />
the distant passage <strong>of</strong> GDP growth<br />
and the fortunes <strong>of</strong> the Eurozone.<br />
But actually it is a cold hearted<br />
human who has no desire to see our<br />
society improve, and in fact it will<br />
always come back to bite us if we let<br />
our fragile balancing act <strong>of</strong> a world<br />
go to rack and ruin.<br />
So in my last article for this<br />
column, and a closing thought, I<br />
give you this:<br />
Whatever you choose to do,<br />
or whatever chooses you, make it<br />
count.<br />
Thank you all for reading.<br />
© Gonçalo Valverde<br />
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012<br />
Nicole Vassell - Features Editor<br />
Over and Out...<br />
The time has finally<br />
come for the last issue <strong>of</strong><br />
The Stag, and i genuinely<br />
can’t believe how quickly<br />
it’s gone! My year as the<br />
features editor hasn’t<br />
gone without a few<br />
hiccups, but i’ve enjoyed<br />
it immensely. i’ve learnt<br />
so much about myself and<br />
the journalism industry<br />
and i now know for sure<br />
By James Rumble, SIFE’s Media Relations Executive<br />
e the change you wish to see in the world”.<br />
“BFamous words by Gandhi, and the mission<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) Society<br />
this year. With a range <strong>of</strong> social and community<br />
enterprise projects, both locally and internationally,<br />
SIFE students strive to make a positive impact<br />
on the lives <strong>of</strong> those in need. Projects focus on<br />
developing their skills to empower them in the longterm,<br />
to obtain better business opportunities. As a<br />
society, we look to differ in this way, by providing<br />
cooperatives sustainable and supportive assistance<br />
for the future, rather than simply providing money<br />
in the short term.<br />
This model has certainly helped SIFE Surrey to<br />
achieve great results this year, and this has been<br />
reflected by the team achieving an impressive 3rd<br />
place finish at the National SIFE Competition on<br />
19th April, a massive improvement on our 8th place<br />
finish last year. This year, 38 SIFE teams competed<br />
from around the UK participated in the National<br />
Competition, to showcase their projects from the<br />
year and battle for top prize.<br />
The SIFE Surrey team shared two <strong>of</strong> their main<br />
projects. The first was Oakleaf, which has focused<br />
on working with unemployed people in the local<br />
area, who suffer from mental health difficulties. We<br />
taught them skills and helped build their self-esteem<br />
to gain employment opportunities. The second<br />
was our Thailand ‘RICycle’ project, which involved<br />
using the waste product <strong>of</strong> rice crop as a pillow<br />
filling. In a country that suffers annual flooding,<br />
that there’s nothing<br />
else i’d want to pursue<br />
as a career. (That is, <strong>of</strong><br />
course, if i don’t hear<br />
back about being a backup<br />
dancer on Rihanna’s<br />
next tour.) Thank you to<br />
all who have been on the<br />
features team, especially<br />
Sophie Vickery, Ellis<br />
Taylor, Hannah Wann,<br />
Katy Sawyer, Chris<br />
FEATURES 9<br />
Thomas, Louisa White<br />
and Becky Powell<br />
without whom i would<br />
have been completely<br />
hopeless. Thank you to<br />
Hannah Roberts-Owen,<br />
who has made features<br />
look the best it ever<br />
has, and thank you to<br />
the whole Stag team for<br />
making this a newspaper<br />
i’m proud to have been<br />
a part <strong>of</strong>! Though it’s<br />
sad to be leaving, i know<br />
that Ellis Taylor will do a<br />
fantastic job as features<br />
editor 2012/13.<br />
Thank you for reading!<br />
it has been an absolute<br />
pleasure.<br />
Podium Finish for SIFE Surrey at National SIFE Competition<br />
destroying the rice crop that villagers depend on as<br />
their only source <strong>of</strong> income, this innovative project<br />
provided another avenue <strong>of</strong> business for a previously<br />
struggling community.<br />
With their passion and commitment to success,<br />
the SIFE Surrey team progressed into the final for the<br />
first time in the society’s history, where they faced<br />
strong opposition. Unfortunately, the determined<br />
SIFE Surrey team were pipped to the main prize<br />
by Southampton <strong>University</strong>. However, reaching the<br />
final was no small feat, and was truly deserved,<br />
for a constantly improving and developing society,<br />
which has been defined by its devoted member’s<br />
efforts. Congratulations to all the presentation team<br />
involved, who dedicated themselves to representing<br />
the society, and helped to cap <strong>of</strong>f the SIFE Surrey<br />
calendar year in style.<br />
As a society ever aiming to improve and set high<br />
standards, we aren’t slowing down. We are looking<br />
to empower more communities worldwide with one<br />
goal; to ‘Be the change we wish to see in the World’.<br />
Don’t be left behind on our SIFE vision. If you’re<br />
interested in getting involved in a society which<br />
provides fun, fulfilment and fantastic opportunities,<br />
then SIFE is for you.<br />
Become a fan <strong>of</strong> our Facebook<br />
page at ‘SIFE Surrey’ or email:<br />
info@sifesurrey.org.uk<br />
for more information.
10 FEATURES<br />
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 features@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
A summary <strong>of</strong> your<br />
By Hannah Wann, Hannah Roberts-Owen, Sophie Vickery, and Nicole Vassell, Features Editor<br />
The Features Team has been out and about to summarise how this year has been<br />
from the student perspective. We had quite a range <strong>of</strong> stories: funny, embarrassing,<br />
bizarre, and many involving alcohol. They’ve all come together to round-up what<br />
has mostly been a fantastic year at Surrey. We give you: The Surrey Summary!<br />
Julia Derbyshire, Year 1<br />
Favourite Rubix event: Headphone Disco<br />
Most embarrassing moment <strong>of</strong> the year:<br />
During our first week we were sat in a lecture<br />
and the tutor told us to leave if we weren’t<br />
supposed to be in the creative writing<br />
class, and so I had to embarrassingly leave!<br />
Favourite thing about campus: Being<br />
able to check the status <strong>of</strong> the washing<br />
machines in the laundrette – genius!<br />
Saskia Cook, Year 1<br />
Favourite Rubix event: Mini Me<br />
Most embarrassing moment: Getting<br />
followed and caught by a Tesco guard as we<br />
walked out with shopping trolleys, to be left<br />
in the rain with 8 bags and 3 pumpkins<br />
Weirdest uni moment: Man climbed<br />
through our kitchen window and<br />
tried to take our vodka<br />
Favourite thing about being a<br />
fresher: The lie-ins!<br />
Favourite thing about Guildford:<br />
Good shopping<br />
Paris Evans, Year 3<br />
Favourite event: MADSoc’s<br />
How To Succeed in Business<br />
Without Really Trying!<br />
Most improved aspect <strong>of</strong><br />
the university: the library<br />
printing services<br />
Niki Ignatiou, Year 1<br />
Favourite Rubix event: Safe sex ball<br />
Most embarrassing moment: Telling my<br />
lecturer I thought he was fit<br />
Weirdest uni moment: Playing a quarterfinal<br />
football match still drunk after Carnage<br />
Favourite event: Living Room<br />
drum and bass night<br />
Most embarrassing moment:<br />
Falling down some lecture<br />
theatre stairs in front <strong>of</strong><br />
everyone<br />
Most memorable moment <strong>of</strong><br />
freshers’ week: DJ Fresh<br />
Most improved aspect <strong>of</strong> the<br />
university: Feedback from<br />
lecturers<br />
Jenni Armour, Year 2<br />
Favourite Rubix event: Tease foam party<br />
Most embarrassing moment: Being carried out <strong>of</strong><br />
Rubix by two <strong>of</strong> the bouncers<br />
Weirdest uni moment: Saw a flasher on campus<br />
Most improved thing about campus: The library<br />
Hazel Jane, Year 2<br />
Lucy Dascalopoulos, Year 1<br />
Favourite Rubix event: Movie character night<br />
Weirdest uni moment: Doing a presentation in my pyjamas<br />
Most memorable freshers’ moment: Walking into the<br />
wrong flat, thinking it was my own, and staying there talking<br />
to people for half an hour before I realised I didn’t live there!<br />
JAMES GREGORY, Year 5<br />
Favourite event: Surf Portugal Trip/Kissy Sellout<br />
Most improved thing on campus: The library and<br />
Costa in Chancellors and Amigos<br />
Most embarrassing moment: probably stacking it on<br />
my face down the steps in Rubix while coming <strong>of</strong>f the<br />
dance floor on a Wednesday night out. STANDARD!<br />
ANNA NUR, Year 1<br />
Favourite event: Firework night<br />
Most memorable freshers’ moment: Cleaning up<br />
the kitchen <strong>of</strong> a different flat when drunk<br />
Weirdest uni moment: A random drunk guy<br />
coming up to me and trying to kiss me, in the<br />
middle <strong>of</strong> the day!
Features Editor: Nicole Vassell | Copy Editor: Michaela Fulton<br />
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012<br />
FEATURES 11<br />
Surrey 2011/2012<br />
Ben Tubbs, Year 1<br />
Favourite Rubix event: Fetish night<br />
Most embarrassing moment: Passing out on my stairs<br />
after the foam party, in women’s lingerie<br />
Weirdest uni moment: Dressing up as a human-centipede<br />
Hannah McEvilly, Year 1<br />
Favourite Rubix event: Foam Party<br />
Most embarrassing moment: a friend had to retrieve items from Rubix<br />
as I wasn’t allowed back in after being thrown out<br />
Favourite thing about campus: Cathedral has good views<br />
Favourite thing about being a fresher: Having no-one to answer to!<br />
Favourite thing about Guildford: Hollister!<br />
Luke Proctor, Year 1<br />
Favourite event: Varsity<br />
Most embarrassing moment: Giving a presentation to a<br />
senior lecturer with a fake tan moustache and monobrow<br />
Most memorable freshers’ week moment: Getting my<br />
nickname ‘tranny’ by dressing up as a woman one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
first nights…<br />
Shalini Thondrayen, Year 2<br />
Favourite event: Surrey does Amsterdam!<br />
Most improved aspect <strong>of</strong> the university: The library, hands-down!<br />
Nathan Taylor, Year 1<br />
Favourite event: OAP night<br />
Most embarrassing moment: Knocking myself out on the fridge<br />
door (drunken stumble) and leaving a dent<br />
Weirdest uni moment: Second degree burns from melted soap in<br />
the microwave<br />
Favourite aspect <strong>of</strong> campus: Starbucks - we need more!<br />
Favourite thing about Guildford: Slug & Lettuce – Go and try the<br />
Porn Star Martini!<br />
Hannah Craig,<br />
Year 1<br />
Favourite Rubix event: Rizzle Kicks<br />
Most embarrassing moment: Falling<br />
down that treacherous slope by<br />
Channies…ice and hills are a bad<br />
mix!<br />
Weirdest uni experience: Discovering<br />
odd phrases from different regions in the country –<br />
who knew how different Northerners and Southerners are!<br />
Favourite thing about campus: The Lake and the ducks!<br />
Tiffany Tucker, Year 2<br />
Favourite event: Easter flirt<br />
Weirdest uni moment: Halloween in general<br />
– some strange people were out<br />
that night, and the fact that they<br />
were in costume didn’t help!<br />
Most improved aspect <strong>of</strong> the<br />
university: The library and Amigos<br />
Favourite thing about campus:<br />
The fact that everything is close<br />
together and the views are lovely!<br />
Amelia Deane, Year 1<br />
Favourite Rubix event: Headphone Disco<br />
Favourite thing about campus: Just stumbling out <strong>of</strong><br />
bed and rolling into lectures<br />
Favourite thing about being a fresher: Meeting new<br />
people from all walks <strong>of</strong> life<br />
Osama I Salih, Student Union President<br />
Favourite event: Colours ball<br />
Most memorable freshers’ week moment: DJ Larizzle<br />
Weirdest uni moment: Going to someone’s flat I didn’t know for pre-drinks<br />
and finding a photo <strong>of</strong> myself pinned on the kitchen wall, with a heart<br />
around it<br />
Most improved thing on campus: The library facilities
12 FEATURES<br />
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 features@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Games<br />
Answers in the next edition <strong>of</strong> The Stag. Send correct answers to letters@thestagsurrey.co.uk to get a mention in the paper.<br />
Sudoku Wordsearch<br />
3 6 2 9<br />
9 5<br />
Sudoku<br />
4 3 8 9<br />
2 7 9 6<br />
1 7 4<br />
3 5 8 7<br />
8 7 1 3<br />
4 7<br />
7 2 6 1<br />
2 9 4 7 3 5 6 8 1<br />
7 3 8 4 6 1 2 9 5<br />
5 6 1 9 2 8 4 7 3<br />
6 8 9 2 7 3 1 5 4<br />
1 5 3 6 8 4 7 2 9<br />
4 7 2 5 1 9 8 3 6<br />
9 2 7 1 5 6 3 4 8<br />
3 4 6 8 9 2 5 1 7<br />
8 1 5 3 4 7 9 6 2<br />
Issue 42’s answers:<br />
P A C S O Z E B U<br />
E P T L S J V A N<br />
N E A L W K A i U<br />
S S T A B H E L C<br />
O L X H C R W H L<br />
C H A T F O i A E<br />
D D A H L J L D A<br />
S H A D V E L B R<br />
N O P A E W i W E<br />
Wordsearch<br />
D K C H U N G E R<br />
L O Q V N O D N A<br />
H J i T G H A N H<br />
O D S A D i D A Z<br />
A L A V i T S E F<br />
T Y O i X B R T S<br />
H L O Y S O O Z R<br />
E R U B i X H E T<br />
K A E R B L i A J<br />
The words to find are:<br />
• WEAPON<br />
• IWEAVE<br />
• PENSOC<br />
• STAB<br />
• NUCLEAR<br />
• HATCH<br />
• BLOC<br />
• DAHLIA<br />
• HALLS<br />
The words to find are:<br />
• THE<br />
• ZOO<br />
• ADIDAS<br />
• DNA<br />
• FESTIVAL<br />
• JAILBREAK<br />
• HUNGER<br />
• YOLO<br />
• RUBIX
Sci/Tech Editor: Nathanael Roome | Copy Editor: Louisa White<br />
For the first time in 40 years<br />
there will be no nuclear<br />
power being pumped into<br />
Japan’s grid, having once<br />
supplied the country with 30%<br />
<strong>of</strong> its electricity, as the last <strong>of</strong><br />
its 54 reactors is switched <strong>of</strong>f<br />
for maintenance. But what<br />
does the future hold for such a<br />
stigmatised source <strong>of</strong> energy?<br />
Governments across the<br />
world have listened to the<br />
protesting voices <strong>of</strong> anxious<br />
citizens and taken heed <strong>of</strong> events<br />
at Fukushima-Daiichi with a<br />
push for ‘greener’, renewable<br />
energy forms.<br />
In France (the civilian<br />
nuclear powerhouse <strong>of</strong> the<br />
world), where nuclear generates<br />
78.8% <strong>of</strong> all national electricity,<br />
the situation is bleak for the<br />
once embraced carbon-free<br />
energy form, with newly elected<br />
socialist President Francois<br />
Hollande having pledged to<br />
cut national nuclear energy<br />
production down by a third by<br />
2025.<br />
And in neighbouring<br />
Germany (the country where<br />
nuclear fission was first<br />
understood and explored), The<br />
Chancellor, Angela Merkel,<br />
due to the uneasy relationship<br />
with nuclear safety and<br />
the public, has decided to<br />
completely abandon nuclear<br />
within a decade in an attempt<br />
to gain popularity for her now<br />
unfavoured administration -<br />
despite not having experienced<br />
a nuclear disaster since before<br />
the fall <strong>of</strong> the Berlin Wall.<br />
Under pressure from the<br />
German government, electricity<br />
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012<br />
Science & Technology<br />
Nathanael<br />
Roome<br />
Science & Tech Editor<br />
i’ve met with my writers<br />
on a regular basis, I find<br />
this is the best way to<br />
keep us all in the loop<br />
and ensure that enough<br />
articles are ready for the<br />
regular deadlines. i keep<br />
an eye on Sci/Tech news<br />
around the world and<br />
when i see something<br />
significant I keep a record<br />
for the writers to mull<br />
over. The articles selected<br />
sometime follow a theme,<br />
e.g. feminism or industry,<br />
but more <strong>of</strong>ten than not<br />
it is just a case <strong>of</strong> finding<br />
interesting news.<br />
Are you suffering from social jet lag?<br />
By Melissa Raske, Science & Tech Team<br />
If you require an alarm clock to wake<br />
up during the week and then sleep<br />
in during the weekend you could<br />
be suffering social jet lag, reports a<br />
study published online in the journal<br />
Current Biology.<br />
For the past 10 years scientists<br />
from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Munich have<br />
been compiling data on sleep and wake<br />
patterns and have recently published<br />
their findings thus far while the study<br />
continues.<br />
According to the study a person’s<br />
biological clock and social clock,<br />
which are based on their employment<br />
and other activities, do not match up.<br />
Our biological clocks are regulated by<br />
daylight and darkness and cannot be<br />
reset to match the timings required<br />
for our day to day lives.<br />
The use <strong>of</strong> an alarm clock means<br />
that you are essentially not getting<br />
enough sleep and the difference in<br />
sleep timings between the week and<br />
weekend is similar to changing time<br />
zones every week.<br />
According to a statement made<br />
by Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Roenneberg; “Waking<br />
up with an alarm clock is a relatively<br />
new facet <strong>of</strong> our lives. It simply means<br />
that we haven’t slept enough and this<br />
is the reason why we are chronically<br />
tired.”<br />
The report focussed on the effects<br />
<strong>of</strong> sleep deprivation on health and in<br />
particular obesity.<br />
After surveying 65,000 adults’<br />
sleeping habits, researchers found that<br />
those whose weekend and weekday<br />
sleep schedules were different were<br />
three times as likely to be overweight.<br />
The study didn’t show that obesity<br />
was directly caused by lack <strong>of</strong> sleep<br />
but rather by the habits associated<br />
with it, including eating at times<br />
when the body isn’t supposed to eat,<br />
eating unhealthy foods, drinking<br />
more alcohol and doing less exercise.<br />
Although it may be difficult to<br />
alter social schedules, people are<br />
encouraged to try and go to bed at the<br />
same time each night and rise at the<br />
same time each day in order to get the<br />
recommended 7-9 hours <strong>of</strong> sleep per<br />
night.<br />
©Jess J<br />
suppliers E.ON and RWE npower<br />
are seeking new owners for their<br />
joint UK venture: Horizon; with<br />
5 international players in the<br />
industry showing an interest<br />
in the nuclear power company,<br />
formed in 2009.<br />
Europe’s appetite for atomic<br />
energy may have waned;<br />
however in the newly emerging<br />
and less developed economies<br />
the demand for more and more<br />
domestic power still needs to be<br />
met.<br />
China is currently<br />
constructing 26 new reactors<br />
(with another 51 planned), 10<br />
are going to be built in Russia,<br />
India is forging ahead with 3<br />
nuclear plants, and South Korea<br />
is looking to double its domestic<br />
supply to 60% <strong>of</strong> national energy<br />
as well as aspiring to become<br />
the world’s third biggest nuclear<br />
power exporter.<br />
Even the Gulf States: Saudi<br />
Arabia, UAE and Qatar, are seeing<br />
nuclear as the ‘way forward’ as<br />
it’s more economically viable<br />
to export their oil at current<br />
high prices than burn it as a fuel<br />
while demand soars elsewhere.<br />
Speaking to Al-Jazeera, the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey’s Pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Paddy Regan said: “In a situation<br />
where the world population is<br />
increasing and the resources<br />
are becoming more and more<br />
scarce, I personally think that<br />
nuclear power continues to have<br />
a major role to play in energy<br />
production worldwide.<br />
“The number <strong>of</strong> people<br />
who actually died as a result<br />
<strong>of</strong> nuclear accidents is actually<br />
miniscule compared to the<br />
number <strong>of</strong>, for example, Chinese<br />
coal miners who die every year.”<br />
However the public<br />
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 13<br />
The end <strong>of</strong> the nuclear renaissance?<br />
By Alex Smith, Science & Tech Team<br />
perception <strong>of</strong> nuclear is typically<br />
a hostile one with memories <strong>of</strong><br />
Chernobyl, and now, Fukushima<br />
ingrained in their minds; yet<br />
other, traditional forms <strong>of</strong><br />
energy are only associated with<br />
words such as ‘emissions’ and<br />
‘climate’ despite catastrophes<br />
like the BP/Deepwater Horizon<br />
oil spill in the Gulf <strong>of</strong> Mexico in<br />
2010.<br />
In response to the<br />
Fukushima disaster Greenpeace<br />
issued a statement further<br />
condemning the nuclear<br />
industry: “Nuclear power is<br />
inadequate, unnecessary as well<br />
as dangerous. It’s also a hugely<br />
expensive distraction from work<br />
to limit the impacts <strong>of</strong> climate<br />
change.”<br />
Despite this and the public<br />
anxiety, for the first time since<br />
the Three-Mile Island disaster<br />
<strong>of</strong> 1979, the US has approved<br />
2 reactors to be constructed<br />
in South Carolina and has<br />
extended the licenses on half <strong>of</strong><br />
its nuclear power plants.<br />
And research is still ongoing<br />
at JET in Oxfordshire and ITER<br />
in southern France to sustain a<br />
nuclear fusion reaction, which<br />
leaves no radioactive waste (that<br />
currently spends thousands <strong>of</strong><br />
years buried under the ground<br />
to ‘cool-<strong>of</strong>f’) and yields far more<br />
energy than current nuclear<br />
fission reactors - If successful<br />
they would effectively remove<br />
the risks <strong>of</strong> nuclear energy and<br />
maybe the fear that goes with it.<br />
Whatever the future holds<br />
the world is still in shock<br />
from events in Japan, which is<br />
currently expecting nights <strong>of</strong><br />
more and more blackouts, as a<br />
result <strong>of</strong> what happens when<br />
nuclear power goes wrong.<br />
©Digi-tal
14 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY The Stag | 22nd May 2012 sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Mild head trauma temporarily decreases brain function<br />
By Melissa Raske, Science & Tech Team<br />
recent report published in the May<br />
A issue <strong>of</strong> the Journal <strong>of</strong> Neurobiology<br />
presents the findings <strong>of</strong> a team at the<br />
Virginia Commonwealth <strong>University</strong><br />
School <strong>of</strong> Medicine, relating to the brain<br />
abnormalities caused by traumatic<br />
brain injury (TBI), specifically in the<br />
mild form.<br />
Mild TBI can be caused by<br />
commonplace activities including<br />
sports, as well as accidents or combat,<br />
and can lead to neurological symptoms<br />
that may last for several days.<br />
These symptoms can include<br />
reduced cognitive function (i.e. your<br />
ability to think), confusion, chronic<br />
headaches, post traumatic stress<br />
disorder and depression.<br />
Sophisticated techniques including<br />
bioimaging and electrophysiological<br />
approaches were used to view the<br />
effects <strong>of</strong> mild TBI on the axons <strong>of</strong><br />
the brain as well as the firing <strong>of</strong> the<br />
neurones.<br />
It showed that after a trauma the<br />
structure <strong>of</strong> the axons, which are fibres<br />
required for the conduction <strong>of</strong> electrical<br />
impulses, was disrupted.<br />
The research is an important step in<br />
understanding the neurological effects<br />
<strong>of</strong> mild TBI and into ways in which it<br />
can be treated.<br />
Further research that could be<br />
completed using this system may<br />
look into whether repetitive injury<br />
exacerbates the damage.<br />
©Unique_Stephen
18 DANCE & THEATRE The Stag | 22nd May 2012 dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Dance & Theatre<br />
Dancing the Invisible/<br />
Late Work<br />
By Hannah Jelliman, Dance & Theatre Editor<br />
When you think <strong>of</strong> ballet dancers, or in fact<br />
dancers <strong>of</strong> most styles, what do you think<br />
<strong>of</strong>? Thin, pretty, young? Think again. For two<br />
nights at the beginning <strong>of</strong> May, the Ivy Arts<br />
Centre showcased a double bill <strong>of</strong> work, created<br />
as part <strong>of</strong> a project run by Surrey Dance lecturer,<br />
Jennifer Jackson. The main focus <strong>of</strong> the project is<br />
to prove that age is no boundary in performance<br />
despite stereotypes <strong>of</strong> who should dance and<br />
what dancers should look like.<br />
The evening is comprised <strong>of</strong> two contrasting,<br />
but equally enthralling works; Late Work and<br />
Dancing the Invisible, performed by ex-pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
dancers from companies such as the Royal ballet<br />
and Ballet Rambert. The first piece, Late Work,<br />
includes 6 separate sections, each introduced<br />
in a Brechtian style through speech from the<br />
performers. The two on-stage musicians add to<br />
the explorative nature <strong>of</strong> the piece; each with<br />
a variety <strong>of</strong> instruments, <strong>of</strong>ten performed in<br />
an improvisational manner. Jennifer Jackson<br />
and Susie Crow complete the movement with<br />
fluidity and grace, highlighting the sometimes<br />
restricting qualities <strong>of</strong> a mature dancing body,<br />
yet emphasising that older bodies have the ability<br />
to not only perform beautiful movement, but also<br />
to explore the struggles and restrictions faced by<br />
the ageing body.<br />
The second work, Dancing the Invisible, involves<br />
5 dancers: Ann Dickie, Deborah Jones and Simon<br />
Rice added to the previous duet. Cellist Emily<br />
Burridge is situated on stage, performing extracts<br />
from Bach Cello Suite no. 2 in D Minor. Despite<br />
the classical style <strong>of</strong> the music, the movement<br />
was far from recognisable as classical Ballet.<br />
The investigative techniques are expanded with<br />
more bodies, including those <strong>of</strong> the audience, to<br />
explore both individuality and harmony. Each<br />
performer’s unique movement style accentuates<br />
the liberation <strong>of</strong> mature dance, especially within<br />
a twenty-first Century Contemporary dance<br />
environment.<br />
Although not necessarily intentional in<br />
the choreographic process, there are arguable<br />
references to both physical and mental<br />
disabilities <strong>of</strong>ten associated with old age. Shakes<br />
“...the project is an<br />
inspirational exploration<br />
into mature dance...”<br />
<strong>of</strong> body parts indicate arthritis; many overlapping<br />
voices are perhaps a subconscious reference to<br />
schizophrenia. One particular section stands<br />
out in Dancing the Invisible, in which Simon Rice<br />
runs around the stage with his hand sticking up<br />
from his head, as though he’s a cockerel; Jennifer<br />
Jackson moves onto stage physically stopping<br />
Rice’s movement with her hands in a comforting<br />
manner, as though she is a care worker in a home.<br />
Perhaps this is only my interpretation as<br />
a Young dancer. The common stereotypes <strong>of</strong><br />
‘older’ dancers and the older community may<br />
have influenced me subconsciously. However,<br />
the project is an inspirational exploration into<br />
mature dance, proving that dance is indefinite;<br />
bodily movement may become restricted, but<br />
passion and expression will always live on.<br />
Reading vs. Performance<br />
By Tiffany Stoneman, Dance & Theatre Team<br />
In March I had the opportunity to attend a play reading <strong>of</strong><br />
ismene and The Underground, written by Makato Satoh in<br />
1950s Japan, translated by David G Goodman, and adapted by<br />
Jo Allan. I decided to attend initially because a friend asked<br />
me and it was free; however, as the day approached I began<br />
comparing play readings and performances, and became<br />
increasingly intrigued to see how the event would pan out. I<br />
have myself, participated in a reading – a first run through <strong>of</strong> a<br />
friend’s adaptation <strong>of</strong> Wuthering Heights, amongst beer bottles<br />
and crisps. Yet it requires more to make a reading (effectively<br />
a rehearsal) an event to which you invite an audience.<br />
There’s something incredibly freeing about seeing actors<br />
‘on stage’ in their ordinary clothes, scripts held together by<br />
a combination <strong>of</strong> staples, metal clips, or just shuffled into<br />
the correct order. As an actor, I felt a real sense <strong>of</strong> intimacy<br />
with the cast as they sat down, as though we as the audience<br />
were intruding on a time <strong>of</strong> rehearsal, usually a place for<br />
actors to explore without the pressure <strong>of</strong> performance. This<br />
means that a play reading provides a unique insight into the<br />
work that goes on before ‘opening night’, but also keeps the<br />
audience focused on the playwright’s words.<br />
Susan Harrison took the role <strong>of</strong> Ismene in the first play,<br />
and did so with expression and depth. Without the luxury <strong>of</strong><br />
a real stage, and with script still in hand, Harrison brought<br />
Satoh’s words to life and did justice to his story <strong>of</strong> Antigone’s<br />
underappreciated sister.<br />
Known for his performances as Albert in the National<br />
Theatre’s War Horse, Jack Monaghan held the larger part <strong>of</strong><br />
the Guard in The Underground - a relaxed, happy-go-lucky<br />
17-year-old working the tube carriages. Monaghan faces a<br />
dilemma when the driver <strong>of</strong> the train (Christopher Godwin)<br />
refuses to stop at the last station, whilst an argumentative<br />
married couple (Louise Ford and Bill Nash) attempt to kill<br />
each other. Shifting from oblivious teenager, the Guard finds<br />
himself in the Wife’s embrace - Monaghan proved emotional<br />
and concerned opposite Ford, with a tenderness echoing his<br />
famous role.<br />
Although the spectacle <strong>of</strong> theatre is something to be<br />
embraced and enjoyed, the art and simplicity <strong>of</strong> a play<br />
reading provides a depth <strong>of</strong> text that can be lost amid the<br />
convention <strong>of</strong> the stage. Seeing the inner workings <strong>of</strong> an<br />
actor’s rehearsal and preparation provides an insight into<br />
character development, whilst helping the play’s complexities<br />
to unfold further, giving a naturally growing performance<br />
that remains rough and organic.
Dance/Theatre Editor: Hannah Jelliman | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie<br />
How to succeed in<br />
business without really<br />
trying: Mon 14 th May<br />
By Emily Bourne, Literature Team<br />
had never seen a MADsoc production before, and neither<br />
I had I heard or seen anything about How to Succeed in<br />
business without really trying and so I was excited to see<br />
what the evening had to <strong>of</strong>fer. The musical, directed by final<br />
year English Literature student Andrew Phipps, is a hilarious<br />
tongue-in-cheek story following an ambitious window<br />
cleaner named J. Pierrepont Finch, who works his way up<br />
the career ladder to the position <strong>of</strong> Vice President in a global<br />
company.<br />
All the cast had great comic timing and really did justice<br />
to the incredibly funny script, however it was unfortunate<br />
that at times the sound did not always pick up the dialogue<br />
and so some <strong>of</strong> the punch lines were lost on the audience.<br />
Josh Howell was particularly strong as lead character Finch,<br />
where his singing and characterisation suggested a real<br />
commitment to the part. In addition, those who played<br />
the parts <strong>of</strong> J.B. Biggley, Rosemary and Bratt alongside the<br />
supporting cast were all highly accomplished in bringing<br />
the production together to ensure a thoroughly entertaining<br />
piece.<br />
Although dancing wasn’t a large feature <strong>of</strong> the musical<br />
it really enhanced the aesthetics <strong>of</strong> the show, and I enjoyed<br />
the choreography in such numbers as ‘Brotherhood <strong>of</strong> man’ and<br />
‘Cinderella, Darling’. Even though not all <strong>of</strong> the cast were the<br />
most talented <strong>of</strong> dancers, they more than made up for this<br />
in enthusiasm.<br />
While there were several technical blips with sound and<br />
lighting, the society did incredibly well to put on such a<br />
strong performance with limited resources, particularly in<br />
terms <strong>of</strong> set design and production. Comedy definitely seems<br />
to be one <strong>of</strong> the society’s main strengths, although singing<br />
wasn’t far behind, and I can’t wait to see what they come up<br />
with next year to show <strong>of</strong>f their great range <strong>of</strong> talents.<br />
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012<br />
DANCE & THEATRE 19<br />
Your fortnightly guide<br />
to the Arts at Surrey<br />
You are invited to a vivid celebration <strong>of</strong> our<br />
student talent. These shows <strong>of</strong>fer the perfect<br />
opportunity to see the next generation <strong>of</strong> young dance<br />
artists and choreographers before they embark on<br />
their pr<strong>of</strong>essional careers. Experience the rich and<br />
unique variety <strong>of</strong> styles studied at Surrey, including<br />
Contemporary, African, Indian Kathak, Ballet and Hip<br />
Hop.<br />
Final Degree Dance Show<br />
When: 25th & 26th May, 19:30<br />
Where: Pats Dance Studio, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey<br />
Tickets: £8, £6 Senior Citizens/Staff, £5 Students<br />
www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/dance<br />
series <strong>of</strong> performances by Film Studies and Theatre<br />
A Studies students, including a free ‘Instillations’<br />
performance, exploring space, theory, design and<br />
practice. Paid events include ‘Relatively Stable’, a darkly<br />
compelling theatre piece, performed by second<br />
year Theatre Studies students, directed by Sabina<br />
Netherclift and ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, a haunting take<br />
on the well-known children’s story, performed by third<br />
year Theatre Studies students.<br />
Little Moments Theatre performances<br />
When: 7 th & 8 th June- Various times<br />
Where: Ivy Arts Centre<br />
Tickets: Installations- Free, Other events-<br />
£6, £3 Students (special <strong>of</strong>fer available in<br />
conjunction with other ‘Little Moments’ events.<br />
Please see online or contact the box <strong>of</strong>fice.)<br />
www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/theatre<br />
Jelliman’s<br />
Gems<br />
“All the World’s a stage,<br />
and all the men and women<br />
merely players; they<br />
have their exits and their<br />
entrances; and one man in<br />
his time plays many parts,<br />
his acts being seven ages.”<br />
– William Shakespeare
20 DANCE & THEATRE The Stag | 22nd May 2012 dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Your fortnightly guide<br />
to the Arts at Surrey<br />
Featuring work from across the artistic spectrum, these shows<br />
celebrate the creative diversity that is bred from a year’s hard work<br />
at Surrey. The dance students present performances in styles from<br />
Contemporary to Ballet, African, Kathak and Hip Hop; whilst theatre,<br />
music and film students <strong>of</strong>fer a delightful array <strong>of</strong> short pieces for your<br />
enjoyment.<br />
The show will also include a reconstruction piece by Dr Jean Johnson-<br />
Jones <strong>of</strong> Negro Spirituals, a suite <strong>of</strong> eight dances created by the American<br />
dancer/choreographer Helen Tamaris. One <strong>of</strong> Tamaris’ best known<br />
works, these ‘protest’ dances are being revived as part <strong>of</strong> an ongoing<br />
research project by Dr Johnson-Jones at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey.<br />
End <strong>of</strong> Year Student Shows<br />
When: 8 th & 9 th June- 19:30<br />
Where: PATS Dance Studio<br />
Tickets: £8, £6 Senior Citizens/staff, £5 Students<br />
www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/dance<br />
Three performances performed as part <strong>of</strong> different dance research<br />
projects. iWEAVE explores the transformation <strong>of</strong> a dancer’s costume<br />
into a digital wearable item inviting unique movement interactions.<br />
Using cutting edge interactive digital technology, dancers have been<br />
filmed in the CVSSP 3D studio wearing garments with unique dance<br />
qualities.<br />
MindBeat Sextet showcases a multipurpose tool developed at the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey that facilitates the emergence <strong>of</strong> shared thoughts<br />
in a multidisciplinary co-creative environment.<br />
Flatland 2.0 is inspired by E. A. Abbott’s 1884 novella Flatland, the<br />
classic science and mathematical fiction. Devised and conceived by a<br />
cross-disciplinary research team from Mathematics, Computing and<br />
Dance Studies, this performance involves three dance sequences formed<br />
around movements in points, lines and 2D/3D shapes, representing<br />
the dialogue and multi-dimensional life-worlds <strong>of</strong> the characters in<br />
Abbott’s novella.<br />
Dance Research Performances-iWeave,<br />
MindBeat Sextet and Flatland 2.0<br />
When: 11 th -20 th June<br />
Where: Ivy Arts Centre<br />
Tickets: iWeave + MindBeat Sextet- FREE,<br />
Flatland 2.0- £6, £3 Students<br />
www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/dance<br />
Arts Internships:<br />
Useful or Useless?<br />
By Hannah Jelliman, Dance & Theatre Editor<br />
There has been a large amount <strong>of</strong> media and<br />
political discussion recently as to the value <strong>of</strong><br />
internships; many <strong>of</strong> which essentially make people<br />
work for free. As many <strong>of</strong> us near the end <strong>of</strong> our<br />
<strong>University</strong> degrees, we ask ourselves that seemingly<br />
unanswerable question: what’s next? Some will go<br />
onto to Postgraduate education, some will be lucky<br />
enough to get themselves a job fairly instantly, but<br />
what about the rest <strong>of</strong> us? I am most definitely in this<br />
very shaky boat, so decided to do a bit <strong>of</strong> exploration<br />
into internships, and whether they are in fact a<br />
valuable next step up the metaphorical ladder.<br />
We are stuck in a Catch 22: in need <strong>of</strong> a job,<br />
can’t get a job without experience, no one will<br />
give a job to get experience because we haven’t got<br />
this experience... sound familiar? Even for those<br />
with jam-packed CV’s <strong>of</strong> anything and everything,<br />
without industry experience it is very hard to walk<br />
straight into a job, particularly in the Arts sector.<br />
However, work experience and unpaid internships<br />
can be an invaluable way to gain this experience as<br />
well as providing vital networking opportunities.<br />
Goodbye message from Hannah:<br />
Many companies in the arts sector, from theatres<br />
to performance companies to well-established<br />
businesses, rely quite heavily on unpaid volunteers,<br />
particularly in the current economic climate.<br />
However, according to the Guardian, this has<br />
caused unpaid work to become ‘institutionalised’,<br />
or the norm. How can we be expected to work for<br />
free, fresh out <strong>of</strong> university? Is this exploitation <strong>of</strong><br />
those <strong>of</strong> us in need <strong>of</strong> experience? Perhaps it is, to<br />
some extent. However, many internships are only<br />
part-time, sometimes paying expenses, and are<br />
usually fairly flexible in terms <strong>of</strong> length and time<br />
commitments. The Arts sector is a tough market to<br />
break into, so just getting your foot in the door for a<br />
few weeks is a step towards a paid job.<br />
We may have to put up with working part time in<br />
a bar or a shop for a while, but presumably if you’re<br />
attempting to create a career in the Arts sector you<br />
have a fair amount <strong>of</strong> passion and enthusiasm. Is<br />
this not more valuable in the long run than finding<br />
yourself in twenty years’ time in an OK-salary job<br />
that you have absolutely no interest in? It’s going to<br />
be a long hard climb, but one day our flags will be on<br />
the top <strong>of</strong> that mountain!<br />
As this is the last issue <strong>of</strong> the year, and my last issue<br />
not only as the Dance & Theatre Editor, but also at<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey, I would like to take this<br />
opportunity to say a massive Thank You! The section<br />
has progressed so much this year, and that couldn’t<br />
have happened without the many people involved.<br />
Firstly, my wonderful team <strong>of</strong> writers, who have been<br />
incredibly dedicated, producing high quality writing<br />
and enduring my many emails! Secondly to the many<br />
theatres who have <strong>of</strong>fered press tickets throughout<br />
the year, including GLive and Yvonne Arnaud, as well<br />
as many people on campus including the Surrey Arts<br />
team and arts societies. Finally, to all <strong>of</strong> you readers! I’ve received fantastic feedback<br />
from many <strong>of</strong> you and hope you have enjoyed the Dance and Theatre section this year. I<br />
feel confident to be leaving it in the capable hands <strong>of</strong> Tiffany Stoneman!<br />
© Sterlic
Film Editor: Tiffany Tucker | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie<br />
Film<br />
Tiffany Tucker<br />
Film Editor<br />
During my time as Film<br />
Editor at The Stag, i’ve had<br />
the pleasure <strong>of</strong> doing a job<br />
i absolutely love. Being<br />
able to write about the<br />
films I find interesting,<br />
boring, enlightening<br />
has enlightened me on<br />
different subjects and<br />
genres i would otherwise<br />
be alien to. i am thankful<br />
for the opportunity i have<br />
been given and i should<br />
give a huge thank you<br />
to the writers who have<br />
contributed to the Film<br />
section consistently all<br />
year, such as Candice<br />
Ritchie and Caroline James.<br />
i would also like to thank<br />
The Stag team as a whole<br />
for putting in the hours<br />
to lay-up the newspaper,<br />
for without them the<br />
section would surely not<br />
look as amazing. i have<br />
had a wonderful year and<br />
i cannot wait to continue<br />
contributing to the Film<br />
Section next year when i<br />
hand over to the capable<br />
hands <strong>of</strong> Candice Ritchie.<br />
Review: The Black Dahlia (2006)<br />
By Tiffany Tucker, Film Editor<br />
From the beginning <strong>of</strong> The Black<br />
Dahlia, director Brian De Palma<br />
creates a ‘film Noir’ filled with an<br />
atmosphere <strong>of</strong> tense, intrigue and<br />
stylish seduction. The film centres<br />
on the two main characters Dwight<br />
‘Bucky’ Bleichert (Josh Hartnett)<br />
and Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart)<br />
in Los Angeles, whose personal lives<br />
become intertwined with their<br />
occupations as homicide detectives<br />
when they investigate the ‘Black<br />
Dahlia’ murder case. Based on the<br />
novel <strong>of</strong> the same name, the film<br />
is centred on the true story <strong>of</strong><br />
aspiring actress Elizabeth Short’s<br />
unsolved sinister murder in 1947.<br />
The film’s close love-triangle<br />
between Blanchard, Kay Lake<br />
(Scarlett Johansson) and Bucky,<br />
who comes between them, is the<br />
main sub-plot. Johansson is the<br />
perfect femme-fatal, poised with<br />
seduction and perfect eye-candy<br />
for the gentleman viewers.<br />
Bucky becomes a close friend<br />
<strong>of</strong> Lee and his girlfriend Lake, and<br />
the mix between personal life and<br />
the politics <strong>of</strong> the police American<br />
institution blends perfectly.<br />
When the mutilated corpse <strong>of</strong> the<br />
aspiring actress Elizabeth Short<br />
is found, Lee becomes obsessed<br />
with solving the case. Meanwhile,<br />
Bucky’s investigation leads him to a<br />
Madeleine Linscott, the daughter <strong>of</strong><br />
a powerful and wealthy constructor<br />
that resembles the Black Dahlia. In an<br />
environment <strong>of</strong> corruption and lies,<br />
Bucky discloses hidden truths. The<br />
ending <strong>of</strong> the film, if nothing else is<br />
worth the viewing, has a gripping<br />
twist, and is thrillingly surprising.<br />
With enough corruption, lies, sex,<br />
and hidden truths, The Black Dahlia is<br />
a tense mystery-thriller, perfectly<br />
cast and deeply mysterious.<br />
By Heulwen Williams, Film Team<br />
So far, The Avengers has been<br />
a massive hit in the UK, and<br />
most Americans seem to like<br />
it too, though is it just another<br />
superhero movie? With its huge<br />
marketing scheme, stretching<br />
over months, it was hyped up to be<br />
an amazing movie. CBS Chicago’s<br />
Michael Walters says “The Avengers<br />
is an overblown, overstuffed,<br />
superhero extravaganza,” and I’m<br />
afraid I’d have to agree with him.<br />
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive<br />
superhero junkie. I was pumped<br />
to see this - not as pumped as<br />
The Dark Knight Rises which hits<br />
screens on the 20th <strong>of</strong> July -<br />
because <strong>of</strong> the media attention,<br />
and the pretty cool concept. Not<br />
to mention the fantastic director<br />
Joss Whedon, who wrote the<br />
screenplay for Toy Story and The<br />
Cabin in the Woods.<br />
After Iron Man, Thor and<br />
Captain America, with cameos<br />
from Nick Fury, Black Widow<br />
and Hawkeye, Marvel’s next<br />
obvious step was to assemble<br />
the Avengers. The ‘Avengers<br />
Initiative’ was first mentioned in<br />
Iron Man 2 and since, (super-nerds<br />
will know) Marvel’s been dishing<br />
out the post-credit scenes like<br />
crazy. Remember the cube thing<br />
in both Captain America and Thor?<br />
Well, that’s on lock-down, under<br />
Nick Fury’s watchful eye (sorry,<br />
bad joke). However, Loki – Thor’s<br />
evil adopted brother – has joined<br />
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012<br />
forces with an alien army and<br />
plans to take over Earth through<br />
channeling the power <strong>of</strong> the<br />
cube. Run <strong>of</strong> the mill, really. Nick<br />
Fury calls the Avengers together,<br />
which consists <strong>of</strong> Iron Man aka<br />
Tony Stark, Captain America aka<br />
Steve Rogers, Thor, Black Widow<br />
aka Natasha Roman<strong>of</strong>f, Hawkeye<br />
aka Clint Barton and last but not<br />
least, the Hulk aka Bruce Banner.<br />
Throughout, there’s rivalry as<br />
the team learn to co-operate and<br />
try to stop Loki’s plan. There’s<br />
this huge build up <strong>of</strong> action,<br />
all pointing towards the final<br />
battle scene - set in New York,<br />
standard - where the Avengers<br />
fight invading aliens and floating<br />
mechanical dolphins, that look<br />
an awful lot like Transformers.<br />
In a nutshell, the film is a bit<br />
<strong>of</strong> a disappointment. With so<br />
many protagonists and a pretty<br />
complex story line, character<br />
FiLM 21<br />
Review: The Avengers (2012)<br />
By Candice Ritchie, Film Team<br />
At a time when exams are<br />
looming and revision<br />
is paramount, there is that<br />
one word which pervades all<br />
students’ lives: procrastination.<br />
The most conventional forms <strong>of</strong><br />
procrastination <strong>of</strong>ten lie within<br />
catch-up services such as 4oD and<br />
BBC iPlayer, the <strong>of</strong>ten delayeduntil-now<br />
room tidying, and most<br />
commonly, social-networking<br />
websites. However, I am always<br />
drawn towards wanting to watch<br />
a film, and this can prove deadly.<br />
Whilst the occasional glance<br />
at Twitter and Facebook can<br />
span as little as ten minutes or<br />
as lengthy as an entire hour, one<br />
can exit its realms at any point.<br />
However, once I’ve completed the<br />
mammoth task <strong>of</strong> choosing my<br />
film, and I’ve begun to watch it,<br />
I always feel as though I have to<br />
watch it in its entirety. Turning it<br />
<strong>of</strong>f halfway is just not an option.<br />
Perhaps it’s just the unconscious<br />
nature <strong>of</strong> film-watching which<br />
influences me; it’s natural to<br />
watch a film the whole way<br />
through and essentially, it’s the<br />
ultimate aim: to find out what<br />
happens at the end. But whilst<br />
this tactic is perfectly plausible<br />
for the everyday film-watch, when<br />
watching it for procrastination it<br />
can be fatal: before you know it,<br />
an hour and a half <strong>of</strong> your sacred<br />
revision time has disappeared.<br />
Whether film serves as more<br />
<strong>of</strong> a time-waster or a satisfying<br />
break from revision, however,<br />
may depend on the time <strong>of</strong> day in<br />
development is side-lined slightly.<br />
Occasionally, the action gets a<br />
little clichéd, and there’s a lot <strong>of</strong><br />
cliché in that 2-and-a half hour<br />
gap! Whedon, in his defence, has<br />
done a terrific job <strong>of</strong> portraying<br />
Black Widow and Tony Stark.<br />
However, the common idea that<br />
everyone seems to have is that he<br />
has made an awesome job with the<br />
Hulk. I disagree. Ruffalo’s Banner<br />
is believable and he does a pretty<br />
good job, but the Hulk himself<br />
has a minor role and is only<br />
added for comedic value, in my<br />
opinion. The film has much more<br />
potential, only an average film<br />
perhaps because <strong>of</strong> the build-up<br />
to it. That said, it is a good laugh,<br />
and the special effects are pretty<br />
good even though 3D doesn’t add<br />
that much to it. Definitely worth a<br />
shot though, just don’t expect to<br />
be blown away or swept <strong>of</strong>f your<br />
feet Superman-style.<br />
Film: the ultimate procrastination?<br />
which you use it to procrastinate.<br />
Watching a film late at night as<br />
a revision-break and vowing to<br />
carry on working afterwards<br />
may simply prove futile: more<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten than not, I have chosen this<br />
option and fallen asleep mid-film.<br />
However, if you have revised in<br />
the morning, for example, and<br />
chosen a film as an afternoon<br />
break, you’re more likely to<br />
benefit from it because you’ll<br />
have plenty <strong>of</strong> the day remaining<br />
in order to continue revision<br />
post-film.<br />
Nonetheless, it is undeniable<br />
that watching a film, although<br />
no doubt one <strong>of</strong> the most<br />
enjoyable, is one <strong>of</strong> the lengthiest<br />
procrastinations one can choose.<br />
Perhaps Twitter and Facebook<br />
aren’t so bad after all…
22 FiLM<br />
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 film@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Review: Seconds Apart (2011)<br />
By Tiffany Tucker, Film Editor<br />
Usually before I watch a film, I’ve read<br />
a review or two before hand, or at<br />
least checked out the trailer. But I watched<br />
Seconds Apart (2011) on a complete whim, and<br />
I was glad that I hadn’t been swayed by bad<br />
reviews saying it was a cheaply made horror<br />
film with bad actors, which it was critiqued<br />
for. However, I found it highly refreshing<br />
and amusing, none <strong>of</strong> that Hollywood gore<br />
and conventional, annoyingly familiar<br />
antiques. I’m not even sure I would call it<br />
a Horror film exactly, more a thriller and<br />
suspense movie with touches <strong>of</strong> horror.<br />
Directed by Antonio Negret, the film<br />
starts <strong>of</strong>f with a shocking game <strong>of</strong> Russian<br />
roulette by a group <strong>of</strong> high-school football<br />
players; without revealing the outcome,<br />
you’re left stunned and the ambiguity <strong>of</strong><br />
the scene makes you want to watch more.<br />
The film is centred on two very<br />
sheepish, seemingly perfect teenage twin<br />
boys called Jonah and Seth (played by<br />
Edmund and Gary Entin). They appear to<br />
lead the faultless, idyllic life; however, as<br />
growing numbers <strong>of</strong> deaths start occurring<br />
at their high school, Detective Lampkin<br />
(Orlando Jones) becomes suspicious <strong>of</strong> the<br />
twins and sets about uncovering the truth.<br />
The apparent ‘suicides’ might not be as<br />
intentional as the audience first believes!<br />
The film isn’t amazing, but it’s very<br />
refreshing to see a cast <strong>of</strong> unfamiliar<br />
actors; Seconds Apart is more believable<br />
because the actors haven’t been in a<br />
dozen films beforehand. There are a few<br />
jumpy moments, nothing too graphic or<br />
gory. I was also impressed by the setting<br />
in a Catholic high-school, rather than the<br />
ordinary run-<strong>of</strong>-the-mill, clique-ridden<br />
depictions <strong>of</strong> high-schools we see in every<br />
teen-cast film. The juxtaposition between<br />
pure religion and dangers <strong>of</strong> evil in one<br />
setting also makes the film more sinister<br />
and disturbing. Overall, this film is worth<br />
the watch, it’s incredibly unknown (as I<br />
found it filtering through pages and pages<br />
<strong>of</strong> horror films online and only choose it<br />
because the title and cover photo looked<br />
interesting), and it’s a little gem I highly<br />
recommend.<br />
Will Smith: get back on our screen!<br />
By Candice Ritchie, Film Team<br />
After pondering over<br />
my DVD collection<br />
for a while and deciding<br />
to remind myself <strong>of</strong> the<br />
greatness <strong>of</strong> Seven Pounds,<br />
I became overwhelmed<br />
with a sudden longing for<br />
the superstar that is Mr<br />
Will Smith. Where has he<br />
been? Smith seems to have<br />
almost disappeared from<br />
our screens over the last few<br />
years. Known for classics<br />
such as Bad Boys, I Robot and<br />
the hugely successful Men<br />
in Black and its sequel, it<br />
comes as a shock that his<br />
last hit film was in 2008, the<br />
aforementioned emotional<br />
Seven Pounds.<br />
Some might say he has<br />
been overtaken in showbusiness<br />
by the ever-growing<br />
success <strong>of</strong> his son, Jaden,<br />
Review: 21 Jump Street (2012)<br />
By Candice Ritchie, Film Team<br />
When we think <strong>of</strong> Channing<br />
Tatum and his hit films, the<br />
ones which immediately spring<br />
to mind are the classic chick<br />
flicks: Dear John, Step Up and most<br />
recently, The Vow. However, we<br />
seem to forget that Channing can<br />
most certainly excel in action too,<br />
as he perfectly demonstrated in<br />
films such as The Eagle and Fighting.<br />
Now he adds another to that list:<br />
the hilarious action-comedy that<br />
is 21 Jump Street.<br />
Tatum stars alongside Jonah<br />
Hill (star <strong>of</strong> the hit comedy<br />
Superbad), as two members <strong>of</strong> the<br />
police force who are deemed to<br />
be underachieving in their work.<br />
Joining the force after graduation,<br />
Jenko (Tatum) and Schmidt (Hill)<br />
are still young and <strong>of</strong>ten mistaken<br />
for high-school students: the<br />
perfect pair for an undercover<br />
investigation in a school on Jump<br />
Street. Schmidt and Jenko are sent<br />
to intrude upon a drug ring that<br />
is supplying high-school students<br />
with synthetic drugs. The mission<br />
is simple: find the supply.<br />
After appearing as characters<br />
from opposing high-school cliques<br />
at the beginning <strong>of</strong> the film<br />
(Schmidt as the characteristic geek<br />
and Jenko as the popular jock), the<br />
way the two are thrown together<br />
and their resentment-turnedfriendship<br />
is extremely cliché<br />
and predictable. Nonetheless, a<br />
contrast to his usual young and<br />
glamorous female counterpart,<br />
Hill is refreshing as Tatum’s<br />
sidekick. The two bounce <strong>of</strong>f<br />
each other brilliantly, and the<br />
comedy appears natural and<br />
unprovoked. The characters’<br />
amateur knowledge within their<br />
work is embarrassing, but it is their<br />
cluelessness which provides the<br />
hilarity. When Jenko’s response to<br />
knowing the Miranda rights is that<br />
it begins with “you have the right<br />
to be an attorney”, we have to take<br />
a moment during our laughter to<br />
cringe.<br />
My main problem with this film<br />
was the trailer. Although it enticed<br />
me to go and watch the film, it<br />
definitely gave away many <strong>of</strong> the<br />
key comedy-highlights, and at<br />
many scenes I knew exactly what<br />
was coming. Nonetheless, it is still<br />
laugh-out-loud funny constantly. If<br />
you don’t go for any other reason,<br />
go and watch this film purely for<br />
the hilarious and perfectly-acted<br />
reaction <strong>of</strong> Schmidt and Jenko<br />
when they are forced to consume<br />
the drug themselves – this scene<br />
was most definitely the highlight<br />
<strong>of</strong> the film for me. Overall, 21 Jump<br />
Street is certainly the funniest film<br />
I’ve seen this year and definitely<br />
worth watching!<br />
On the other hand, if you’re<br />
as much <strong>of</strong> a fan <strong>of</strong> Mr Tatum as I<br />
am, you’ll go simply because you<br />
get to sit through 109 minutes<br />
<strong>of</strong> the gorgeous man himself. No<br />
complaints there…<br />
and daughter, Willow. With<br />
Jaden co-starring alongside<br />
him in his 2006 tear-jerker<br />
The Pursuit <strong>of</strong> Happiness and<br />
Willow accompanying him<br />
in thriller I Am Legend, Smith<br />
grasped the notion ‘keep<br />
your loved ones close’ with<br />
both hands. However, the<br />
famous <strong>of</strong>fspring have gone<br />
on to have their own stardom<br />
in recent years, with Jaden<br />
appearing beside Jackie<br />
Chan in The Karate Kid and<br />
Willow gaining recognition<br />
in the music business with<br />
her catchy 2010 tune Whip<br />
My Hair. So what about Will?<br />
Smith is soon to be<br />
returning to our cinemas,<br />
and what film could be<br />
better to bounce back with<br />
than Men in Black 3. The first<br />
<strong>of</strong> the trilogy, Men in Black,<br />
grossed at a staggering<br />
$326,600,000 worldwide just<br />
five months after its release.<br />
The second instalment<br />
failed to disappoint, with a<br />
whopping $235,200,000 in<br />
less than two months. It’s<br />
inevitable then, that for the<br />
third addition, Men in Black 3<br />
3D, fans will be overwhelmed<br />
with anticipation. Directed<br />
again by Barry Sonnenfeld,<br />
the film takes Agent J<br />
(Smith) back to the 1960s to<br />
try and save his partner, K,<br />
from an assassination that<br />
would change the course <strong>of</strong><br />
history. Set for release on<br />
25 th May 2012, the wait is<br />
nearly over!<br />
Currently filming for the<br />
2013 release <strong>of</strong> After Earth,<br />
and with I, Robot 2, Bad Boys 3,<br />
and Hancock 2 all announced<br />
for the future, Smith looks<br />
set to remain on our screens<br />
for a long time coming!<br />
Phew!
Lit Editor: Alexandra Wilks | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie<br />
Literature<br />
By Becky Richmond, Literature Team<br />
It’s a ‘dog-eat-dog’ world out there, or should I say, it’s a<br />
‘word-eat-word’ world out there? Research has shown that<br />
there is a ‘Darwinian’ struggle for the survival <strong>of</strong> certain<br />
words.<br />
An international team <strong>of</strong> scientists, including scientists<br />
from the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Boston and IMT Lucca, have followed<br />
the application <strong>of</strong> certain words over a 209-year period, from<br />
languages such as English, Spanish and Hebrew. The research<br />
found that there is a “drastic increase in the death rate <strong>of</strong><br />
words”. Autocorrect and strict editing processes eliminate<br />
misspelled and nonsensical words which is how a lot <strong>of</strong> new<br />
words are born.<br />
A message from Alexandra:<br />
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012<br />
I’ve had a brilliant time as Literature Editor <strong>of</strong> The Stag, it’s been a great<br />
year and I’ve had a wonderful team behind me. I leave this section in the very<br />
capable hands <strong>of</strong> Emily Smart, whose name you’ll no doubt recognize from<br />
these pages already. A massive thank you to all my lit girls: Rachel T,<br />
Rachel B, Sophie, Tessa, Becky W, Becky R and <strong>of</strong> course Emily.<br />
LiTERATURE 23<br />
In conversation with Ben Hatch<br />
Ben Hatch, author and family man, talks to The Stag about<br />
his award winning book Are We Nearly There Yet?<br />
By Emily Smart, Literature Team<br />
The Stag: Hi Ben, to begin can you tell me a little about<br />
your novel Are We Nearly There Yet?<br />
Ben Hatch: It’s based on an 8000 mile road-trip my<br />
wife and two kids completed around Britain, where we<br />
tried to visit as many attractions as possible to research<br />
a guidebook. The story <strong>of</strong> our travels, that includes us<br />
being frightened by a ghost, Nazis, attacked by bats and all<br />
ending up in hospital, is set against the background <strong>of</strong> my<br />
dad’s declining health. Someone descried it as a memoir<br />
disguised as a travelogue that reads like a novel. But it’s<br />
also a comedy. I’m pleased to say it made John Cleese laugh.<br />
TS: Travelling 8000 miles in 140 days to ensure that you<br />
gave your readers an honest and thorough guide seems<br />
extremely dedicated but tough…was there ever a moment<br />
where you felt like turning the car around and driving<br />
home?<br />
BH: Many times. In particular, the day I took my<br />
daughter for a nature wee in a field <strong>of</strong> liver ordnance in<br />
Otterburn. There was a sign on the gate I didn’t see that<br />
read, ‘underneath a skull and crossbones: debris might<br />
explode and kill you’. It was the same day a live bat became<br />
However, it’s not only autocorrect that is preventing<br />
the growth <strong>of</strong> our language, words are being replaced:<br />
‘Roentgenogram’ thus named after the discoverer <strong>of</strong> the<br />
x-ray has fallen out <strong>of</strong> use due to the introduction <strong>of</strong> ‘x-ray’<br />
or ‘radiogram’. Thanks to the short, efficient and easy<br />
pronunciation <strong>of</strong> the new words, the old die out. More reasons<br />
as to why words die out are because they’re replaced due to<br />
global events, such as wars. ‘The Great War’ was pushed out<br />
<strong>of</strong> circulation in around 1939 as a war <strong>of</strong> equal proportions<br />
began, so now we simply learn it was once called the ‘Great<br />
War’.<br />
So find the words with low usage, invent new words, and<br />
let’s not let the English language die out, or become one<br />
dimensional. Keep English alive.<br />
trapped in our lodge in the Kielder Forest and starting<br />
flapping around causing such panic in the family; it was a<br />
bit like a closing scene from the Lost World.<br />
TS: After winning the Radio 2 award for Book <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year does this encourage you to want to write again soon?<br />
BH: I am writing a follow book to Are We Nearly There<br />
Yet? called The Road to Rouen at the moment. It’s about a<br />
10,000 mile road-trip around France.<br />
TS: Apart from travel writing, what genre <strong>of</strong> fiction<br />
interests you the most?<br />
BH: Contemporary fiction appeals to me most, though I<br />
do read other genres as well. I like a story that’s believable,<br />
that can hopefully move me and also make me laugh.<br />
TS: Lastly, with over 17,000 tweets and counting, do you<br />
feel that social networking sites have helped to promote<br />
your name and increase the readership <strong>of</strong> your book?<br />
BH: Definitely. I think it helps enormously. As well as<br />
being able to talk to other authors, it’s also an incredible<br />
way to directly reach out to readers. That’s never been<br />
available before. Thanks for the interview, Emily.<br />
The Death and Demise <strong>of</strong> Language<br />
© Calamity Meg
24 LiTERATURE<br />
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Lose Yourself in Lies<br />
By Rachel Thomason, Literature Team<br />
I<br />
’m sure many <strong>of</strong> us, at some point, have become lost<br />
within the pages <strong>of</strong> a gripping novel that, until you<br />
surface, almost becomes a reality. But according to a study<br />
conducted by Ohio State <strong>University</strong>, literature can have<br />
such a pr<strong>of</strong>ound impact on an individual that it can cause<br />
some people to actually alter their personalities.<br />
Blogger Alison Flood describes one <strong>of</strong> the studies about<br />
voting. Conducted on undergraduates, it was found that<br />
after reading a story in which the people had to overcome<br />
an obstacle <strong>of</strong> some sort to vote, the reader was far more<br />
likely to go out and vote themselves.<br />
The researchers also revealed that boys who had read<br />
a story where a young man was revealed to be gay early<br />
on had less tolerance for homosexuality than those who<br />
read a story where the man was revealed to be gay further<br />
in. Leader <strong>of</strong> the study, Ge<strong>of</strong>f Kaufman, explained that it<br />
was because they were able to identify with the characters<br />
before he was revealed as gay and therefore were able to<br />
relate to them.<br />
However, as Flood points out, these are all very positive<br />
situations. Is fiction just as influential in a negative way?<br />
1. If you turned on the T.V, which <strong>of</strong> the following<br />
programmes would you watch?<br />
a. Midsummer Murders.<br />
b. How I Met Your Mother<br />
c. Supernatural.<br />
d. E! True Hollywood story.<br />
2. Your perfect job is.<br />
a. Detective.<br />
b. Wedding planner.<br />
c. Haunted House manager.<br />
d. Showbiz editor for a Newspaper.<br />
3. Your favourite Simpson character is.<br />
a. Chief Wiggum.<br />
b. Marge Simpson.<br />
c. Comic book Guy.<br />
d. Kent Brockman.<br />
4. I like...<br />
a. The resolution.<br />
b. The happy ending.<br />
c. The journey.<br />
d. True life anecdotes.<br />
5. Who would you most want at your dinner<br />
party?<br />
a. Sherlock Holmes.<br />
b. Jane Austen.<br />
c. J.R.R Tolkien.<br />
d. Stephen Fry.<br />
6. Which themed party would you most prefer?<br />
a. Murder Mystery.<br />
b. Masquerade.<br />
c. Sci-fi.<br />
d. Hollywood.<br />
For example, the growing fantasies <strong>of</strong> teenage girls on<br />
finding their own vampire boyfriend or even stumbling<br />
upon true love which happens so <strong>of</strong>ten in Austen’s novels.<br />
What about when the themes <strong>of</strong> novels turn dark? Do<br />
violent, manipulating or homophobic characters influence<br />
readers to the same extent?<br />
Back in April, 15 year-old Daniel Bartlam was sentenced<br />
to a minimum <strong>of</strong> 16 years for murdering his own mother<br />
after being inspired by a storyline in Coronation Street.<br />
It was also revealed that he’d been watching the film Saw<br />
hours before committing the murder.<br />
Although this is a rare case, it is nevertheless an<br />
example <strong>of</strong> the effect that fictitious stories and characters<br />
can have on individuals, particularly the young and easilyinfluenced.<br />
There are certainly plenty <strong>of</strong> novels revolving<br />
around murder mystery, sadism and violence which<br />
regularly top the bestsellers list. With this amount <strong>of</strong><br />
popularity perhaps there really is a cause for concern over<br />
its potential effects.<br />
So next time you pick up a book, remember that there<br />
is a whole world waiting for you, but one that you should<br />
completely separate from reality.<br />
What books shall I read..?<br />
Mostly a) If you answered mostly A to the questions, you<br />
should think about trying a crime novel, or a mystery. An<br />
analytical mind helps follow the clues and the satisfaction to<br />
find ‘who dunnit’ makes it all worth it. Try James Patterson, a<br />
great, accessible author. His Women’s murder club series is great<br />
to get invested with the characters, but with a crime each book,<br />
it gives you the fix <strong>of</strong> solving the crime.<br />
Mostly b) Answering mostly B shows you should try a<br />
Romance. There’s nothing wrong with rooting for a couple and<br />
hoping for a happy ending. If you’d prefer a classic novel, you<br />
should pick up a Jane Austin, a subtle love story. Or if you’d<br />
prefer a more passionate story, The Time Traveller’s Wife shows<br />
love despite troubles.<br />
a) Crime/Mystery<br />
b) Romantic/comedy<br />
c) Fantasy/ Adventure<br />
d) Autobiography<br />
Mostly c) By answering mostly C, it sounds as if you’d like<br />
a fantasy or adventure novel. The quests intrigue and excite<br />
you, and the final destination is amazing, as long as there’s a<br />
battle. A classic adventure series is The Lord <strong>of</strong> the Rings trilogy<br />
and if you’ve seen the films, why not follow them up with the<br />
books? Or if you prefer less fantasy, more sci-fi, Philip K Dick’s<br />
Do Androids Dream <strong>of</strong> Electric Sheep is a great start!<br />
Mostly d) Finally, if you answered mostly D, you should steer<br />
towards an autobiography. Check out your favourite celebrity,<br />
they’ve probably released one <strong>of</strong> their own! They’re normally<br />
funny, and really insightful, giving you another dimension that<br />
a magazine can’t give. Dawn French’s Dear Fatty is hilarious,<br />
and a great story, mostly about her father.<br />
By Becky Richmond, Literature Team<br />
©Ian Wilson<br />
© Helga Wber
Lit Editor: Alexandra Wilks | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie<br />
By Becky Richmond, Literature Team<br />
The world is changing; over 200-million people use<br />
Facebook and Twitter every day. As the internet world<br />
grows and becomes part <strong>of</strong> our world, we must adapt to<br />
incorporate and embrace this technologically-advanced<br />
world. Although the Kindle and e-books are a step in the right<br />
direction for embracing technology and social networks, AJ<br />
Hanks, the author <strong>of</strong> a new ‘interactive novel’ sees these as<br />
a t<strong>of</strong>u hot dog: something replaced but with no real benefit.<br />
Why replace a printed book with a Kindle when you could get<br />
a novel on the iPhone attached to your arm?<br />
AJ’s new novel Someplace Unknown <strong>of</strong>fers a simple website<br />
design to appreciate, essentially, the writing behind the<br />
technology. With no real page turning it feels more like<br />
reading a diary rather than a novel, which makes you engage<br />
with the characters on a whole new level. The interactive part<br />
is just as simple and effective. Pictures during the chapters,<br />
interesting and sometimes seemingly irrelevant, draw you<br />
back into the novel. The experimental structure <strong>of</strong> the book<br />
hopes to engage the reader’s imagination by allowing them<br />
to interpret their own meaning <strong>of</strong> the pictures. AJ hopes that<br />
the reader evolves as they read the novel and he’s excited that<br />
the website can evolve as technology does.<br />
The technological advances surrounding this novel aren’t<br />
the only thing about the story. The novel is very well written,<br />
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012<br />
LiTERATURE 25<br />
Someplace Unknown<br />
Are you the<br />
next Strauss,<br />
Freud or<br />
Saussure?<br />
By Sophie Vickery, Literature Team<br />
To be a critic <strong>of</strong> literature<br />
has got to be one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
best jobs in the world. Just<br />
imagine English Literature<br />
students and pr<strong>of</strong>essors <strong>of</strong><br />
the future spending hours <strong>of</strong><br />
dedicated revision, research<br />
and work following and<br />
applying your opinions and<br />
theories. But how does one<br />
become an English critic?<br />
The first step to take, and<br />
perhaps the most obvious, is<br />
to read, and to read widely.<br />
This helps to acquire not<br />
just knowledge <strong>of</strong> different<br />
genres, contexts and<br />
writers, but it also triggers<br />
inspiration, opinion and<br />
ideas by comparing texts<br />
against each other.<br />
The second step to<br />
becoming a critic will build<br />
this knowledge further as it<br />
involves studying literature<br />
at a deeper level. This may<br />
involve taking a course in the<br />
subject or pursuing a degree.<br />
Any way <strong>of</strong> improving the<br />
ability to analyse texts, ask<br />
the right questions and<br />
explore themes, symbolism<br />
and flaws within texts will<br />
improve the chances <strong>of</strong><br />
forming credible theories.<br />
Another way <strong>of</strong> exploring<br />
literature more widely and<br />
to absorb a range <strong>of</strong> opinions<br />
is to join a book club.<br />
Weekly meetings bestow the<br />
opportunity to challenge<br />
ideas, discuss and hear<br />
approaches you may not<br />
have previously considered.<br />
Finally, comes the most<br />
daunting part; the writing<br />
<strong>of</strong> your critique. This will<br />
need to begin on a small<br />
scale by writing literature<br />
reviews. Starting a blog is<br />
a great way <strong>of</strong> practicing to<br />
critique books, especially as<br />
few people will be inclined<br />
to read the reviews <strong>of</strong> new<br />
critics entering a world<br />
abundant in established<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionals. Once the<br />
reviews gain respect they<br />
may be suitable for magazine<br />
submission. This is a difficult<br />
hurdle to overcome, but<br />
once passed, critics <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
find they gain much more<br />
attention, as their theories<br />
are immediately accessible to<br />
wider audiences. Following<br />
this, critics could find their<br />
theories appearing in books<br />
or as part <strong>of</strong> the research by<br />
students.<br />
Of course, this will<br />
take a lot <strong>of</strong> hard work and<br />
persistence and new critics<br />
will need to be prepared<br />
to overcome rejection.<br />
However, the thought <strong>of</strong><br />
future generations sporting<br />
your thoughts during<br />
seminars, essays and books<br />
is surely enough to support<br />
perseverance and before<br />
you know it you could be<br />
the next Freud, Saussure or<br />
Strauss!<br />
“AJ hopes that the reader<br />
evolves as they read the<br />
novel and he’s excited that<br />
the website can evolve<br />
as technology does.”<br />
it’s touching and it’s insightful. The importance placed upon<br />
the technology doesn’t take away from the message <strong>of</strong> the<br />
book, however. The book focuses on suicide, secrets and guilt<br />
- such widespread and hard-hitting problems, and always<br />
relevant. Someplace Unknown spreads the light on the secrets<br />
and guilt that everyone has: the specifics may not be the same,<br />
but they’re always there. The characters are interesting, and<br />
you want to read on to find out the big secret at the climax.<br />
Not only is the novel interactive in the technological sense,<br />
but it interacts with you and makes you think about your<br />
secrets, and after you buy the novel on the first website, you’ll<br />
have access to a second website where you can share your<br />
secrets with others, which is a proven therapy.<br />
The novel engages you in more than one way.<br />
Technologically, emotionally and personally. The novel is<br />
beautiful; it’s touching, exciting and thrilling. Not only is it<br />
beautifully written, it challenges the ideas <strong>of</strong> what a book is:<br />
it’s a step forward and an embrace <strong>of</strong> the technological future<br />
we will soon find ourselves in.
26 MUSiC<br />
The Stag | 8th May 2012 music@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Music<br />
Newton Faulkner Live – The Man Behind the Music<br />
By Sophia Field, Music Editor<br />
Newton Faulkner is a man <strong>of</strong> many<br />
talents. He plays the most complicated<br />
guitar with his hands whilst simultaneously<br />
playing a kick drum and what he described<br />
as a ‘floor keyboard’ with his feet. He is the<br />
man that uses the guitar in such unique<br />
ways that the crowd is stunned, but he<br />
manages to stay completely down to earth<br />
and during a performance, sheds waves <strong>of</strong><br />
optimism over his fans. He provides not only<br />
an amazing listening experience, but turns<br />
into a comedian between songs, reducing<br />
the crowd to hysterics. Listening to a Newton<br />
Faulkner album is not even comparable to<br />
the live experience. At GLive, he stood alone<br />
on stage and produced everything we heard<br />
right in front <strong>of</strong> our eyes. It was incredible,<br />
never have I seen so many people silent and<br />
mesmerised by something so minimal. If ever<br />
you get the chance to see this man live, I urge<br />
you to go see him. I am confident you won’t<br />
have seen anything like it before in your life.<br />
How has the tour been going so far?<br />
Really good actually, the last one we did<br />
ironed out all the problems I had early on.<br />
Just kind <strong>of</strong> getting all the monitors right.<br />
Always takes a couple <strong>of</strong> gigs to settle in.<br />
When did you first pick up the guitar?<br />
When I was about 14 or 15ish…<br />
Did you have lessons?<br />
Hmm how did it work…? I got into the steel<br />
stringed and acoustic stuff I do now at about<br />
15. When I was thirteen my friends got in<br />
a band, and they both played guitar so if I<br />
wanted to see my friends I had to play bass<br />
actually. That was really fun. Then I played<br />
electric guitar for a bit, which I was never<br />
really that good at. It was fun, but it didn’t<br />
really click in the same way.<br />
You have a unique style <strong>of</strong> playing, what<br />
influenced that?<br />
Well, there are loads <strong>of</strong> guitarists who do<br />
similar things, I could name about fifty <strong>of</strong>f<br />
the top <strong>of</strong> my head, but it’s the way you apply<br />
it. People like Jon Gomm who exploded after<br />
a tweet from Stephen Fry. It was literally,<br />
Stephen fry tweeted and the next morning<br />
it was on breakfast television. The thing<br />
that makes it really interesting is that it is a<br />
collection <strong>of</strong> techniques, an arsenal <strong>of</strong> little<br />
weird tricks that you can put together in<br />
whatever order and for any style. It’s pretty<br />
stimulating.<br />
Who inspires you?<br />
Everything. Loads <strong>of</strong> people. I’m still listening<br />
to the same stuff since I first got into music;<br />
obviously that has a special place. It was a lot<br />
<strong>of</strong> my parent’s record collection. Neil Young<br />
and Joni Mitchell, kind <strong>of</strong> everything from<br />
that to ELO and Supertramp. I’m always up<br />
for new and interesting things. Francis and<br />
the Lights have a track called Darling it’s<br />
Alright, which is amazing and the video is just<br />
incredible.<br />
You <strong>of</strong>ten perform covers alongside your<br />
original stuff, what do you prefer playing?<br />
Oh definitely my own stuff, I could never just<br />
do covers, I’d get really bored.<br />
Your favourite <strong>of</strong> the covers you’ve done?<br />
Well it’s Bohemian Rhapsody. I did it for a<br />
long while and I’m giving it a little rest, to just<br />
let it chill out. I’ve replaced it with something<br />
that is going down quite well…<br />
Different vibe, well there is nothing with<br />
the same vibe! I was trying to replace it with<br />
something but I was like where do you go<br />
from Bohemian Rhapsody? I peaked!<br />
Do you ever get nervous?<br />
I get nervous every time without fail. If I<br />
didn’t get nervous at all then that kind <strong>of</strong><br />
means you don’t care and then what is the<br />
point?<br />
What songs that you have written mean<br />
the most to you?<br />
Wow, there are loads. ‘I took it out on you’ is<br />
quite special to me and ‘I’m not giving up yet’.<br />
I got really personal on the second album<br />
and so much was so hard to write. This new<br />
album is a bit less heavy content wise.<br />
What is your opinion on the artists that<br />
come out <strong>of</strong> the talent shows that are so<br />
popular?<br />
I don’t know if I believe they do as much<br />
damage as some people think. After the<br />
initial explosion, if you survive that and<br />
have a career then that is such a massive<br />
feat. It’s really nice people being given that<br />
kind <strong>of</strong> opportunity, there are a lot <strong>of</strong> people<br />
who are convinced that it is destroying the<br />
entire music industry. I suppose it does make<br />
things a bit more disposable, but the industry<br />
has been doing that to itself for years… it<br />
hasn’t been developing artists in the same<br />
way it used to. It used to sign things more on<br />
potential. Think about Leona Lewis, she is an<br />
amazing singer. I’ve seen her live a few times<br />
and every time I’m like wow that is really<br />
good… Will Young has also developed into a<br />
really interesting artist. Sneddon has gone<br />
behind the scenes, he wrote some <strong>of</strong> the Lana<br />
Del Ray stuff. I’ve done some work with him<br />
recently, I was really pleasantly surprised.<br />
What current artists are you a fan <strong>of</strong>?<br />
I’m trying to catch up. I added loads to a<br />
Spotify playlist the other day. I went premium,<br />
got really excited and started starring stuff<br />
all over the place. Here you go have a look<br />
*hands me his iPhone*…. Metronomy, Gotye’s<br />
album, I just had to listen to that because it<br />
is just so massive. I caught up on MGMT and<br />
Darwin Deez…<br />
What can we look forward to?<br />
Well, the album is coming on the 9th July. The<br />
last two albums I think were kind <strong>of</strong> on the<br />
same page and this is the next page. With the<br />
first album I was writing in my bedroom, for<br />
my bedroom. The second was more written<br />
to be recorded and this one I have written<br />
stuff to play live… and it’s really working!<br />
Have you recorded differently because <strong>of</strong><br />
that?<br />
I’ve been recording stuff myself. Just sitting<br />
at home, I’ve done a few things with vocals<br />
and guitar at the same time. It’s been really<br />
interesting, the album could be sit and played<br />
in a session with one guitar!<br />
A Newton minute…<br />
Favourite food?<br />
Probably pizza, you can get it really<br />
late at night. Might need one post<br />
show.<br />
Alcoholic beverage?<br />
i switch between whisky and coke and<br />
fine ales.<br />
Favourite place to be?<br />
Just on the road. Does that count as a<br />
place?…. i’m happy in a van, i belong<br />
in a van.<br />
Favourite thing to do after a gig?<br />
Bit <strong>of</strong> a cockney knees up… haha!<br />
Look out for Newton’s upcoming album<br />
Write it on your Skin out on the 19 th July.
Music Editor: Sophia Field | Copy Editor: Megan Barnacle<br />
“U-NeaK” – The New Dance<br />
Music Act at Surrey <strong>University</strong><br />
Watch out, folks! “U-NeaK” –<br />
the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey’s<br />
home-grown commercial dance<br />
music act – have just had their<br />
launch night in The Living Room<br />
on 5th May, and have recently<br />
been confirmed on the new<br />
Dance Music Society committee<br />
2012/2013, meaning they’ll be<br />
putting on eclectic nights ranging<br />
between Ibiza Club, Trance,<br />
Drum n’ Bass and Dubstep on<br />
most Friday Flirt! nights at the<br />
downstairs Union next term.<br />
Not only that – they’ll be playing<br />
some <strong>of</strong> their own original tracks,<br />
and remixing tracks live.<br />
So who are “U-NeaK”?<br />
Beneath the ironic name is<br />
By Rebecca Worley , Music Team<br />
Away We Go, a quirky<br />
independent film, has one <strong>of</strong><br />
the most beautiful soundtracks I<br />
have heard in a very long time. And<br />
I believe that this is for one reason:<br />
nine <strong>of</strong> the thirteen tracks on<br />
the album are by Alexi Murdoch.<br />
A relatively elusive artist,<br />
Murdoch was born in Scotland<br />
and moved to Los Angeles, letting<br />
essentially the entertaining<br />
collaboration <strong>of</strong> Simon Rackham<br />
and Shervin Althem. The two<br />
Surrey students have been<br />
actively song writing, DJ-ing and<br />
producing in the studio, and have<br />
recently taken their new single,<br />
Hole In My Heart feat. Emma Barry,<br />
to a London studio where the likes<br />
<strong>of</strong> Pendulum and Chase & Status<br />
have also had tracks produced.<br />
After noticing a desire in Surrey<br />
for an openly commercial yet<br />
unique act, they have now felt<br />
it time to set free their musical<br />
ideas on the dance scene.<br />
Together, the two boys have<br />
over twenty years <strong>of</strong> songwriting<br />
experience: they have worked<br />
Alexi Murdoch: ‘Away We Go’<br />
his sleepy folk sound seep into<br />
the American music scene.<br />
Generally, Murdoch underplays<br />
his talent by only playing small<br />
gigs and independently recording<br />
and issuing his album Time<br />
Without Consequence. His closest<br />
brush with fame featured his<br />
melancholy song Orange Sky<br />
appearing on the popular show<br />
The O.C, capturing viewers hearts<br />
with its slow, sentimental sound.<br />
with established producers<br />
including Jud Friedman (Whitney<br />
Houston), Ryan Bowser (Nelly),<br />
and Andy Baldwin (Coldplay;<br />
KT Tunstall). Simon even has a<br />
family relation to Adrian Wright<br />
– member <strong>of</strong> the BRIT-award<br />
winning group, Human League,<br />
who became successful for their<br />
Number 1 winning single, Don’t<br />
You Want Me Baby.<br />
The duo will be working<br />
hard this summer to perfect their<br />
craft both in the studio and in the<br />
world <strong>of</strong> DJ’ing. Keep your eyes<br />
peeled for a dance music act to<br />
look out for!<br />
His music features himself on<br />
acoustic guitar, with subtle beats<br />
underneath, finished <strong>of</strong>f with<br />
his rasping vocals tinged with a<br />
Scottish accent. His music just<br />
epitomises beautiful simplicity.<br />
If you’re a fan <strong>of</strong> Bon Iver or Ben<br />
Howard, Alexi is definitely worth<br />
a listen. I can promise you won’t<br />
be disappointed.<br />
The Stag | 8 th May 2012<br />
Sophia Field<br />
Music Editor<br />
MUSiC 27<br />
i cannot believe this time has come already!<br />
i have had the most fantastic experience<br />
being Music Editor <strong>of</strong> The Stag this year. it<br />
has changed and improved my university<br />
experience immensely and helped me secure<br />
the placement i am <strong>of</strong>f on next month. i would<br />
like to thank Paul A Richmond for all his<br />
wonderful work laying up the section, Megan<br />
Barnacle for copy editing the section and all <strong>of</strong><br />
the writers who have been so enthusiastic and<br />
have provided excellent variations <strong>of</strong> articles.<br />
i hope you all grab some welly boots and go to<br />
some amazing festivals this summer. Finally,<br />
here are three artists you should definitely<br />
take a listen to: Alabama Shakes, James Vincent<br />
McMorrow and Alex Clare. Bye for now!<br />
REVIEW: Lostprophets - ‘Weapons’<br />
By Tom Goulding, Deputy Editor<br />
Lostprophets recently<br />
commented that their music has<br />
“staying power”, before adding they<br />
would like to bring “emotion and<br />
message” back to music. Since their<br />
debut Thefakesound<strong>of</strong>progress hit<br />
the airwaves over a decade ago, the<br />
old guard <strong>of</strong> nu-metal has time and<br />
again proven their ability to shift<br />
records. Not content with smashing<br />
the transatlantic barrier with Start<br />
Something (2004) and Liberation<br />
Transmission (2006), in 2010 they<br />
returned with The Betrayed, their<br />
most accomplished album to date.<br />
In contrast, Weapons is a curious<br />
blip on an otherwise upward<br />
trajectory for the boys from<br />
Pontypridd. At its best, the album<br />
conveys the same fury and bombast<br />
that rocketed their previous efforts<br />
to platinum success; stalwart<br />
monolith Bring Em’ Down and singalong<br />
anthem We Bring An Arsenal<br />
pack an opening punch, while the<br />
resounding chorus <strong>of</strong> Better Off<br />
Dead, ‘I’d rather die on my feet/<br />
than ever live on my knees’ is a<br />
rallying cry to arms, brimming<br />
with defiance, angst and idealism.<br />
Yet despite an urgent<br />
denouncement <strong>of</strong> political apathy,<br />
there is a frustrating sense that<br />
we have been here before. Where<br />
The Betrayed brought innovation,<br />
atmosphere and a newfound<br />
maturity, Weapons is undermined<br />
by pop filler, at times resembling<br />
the forgotten refuse <strong>of</strong> Liberation<br />
Transmission. For every Ro<strong>of</strong>tops<br />
inspired Jesus Walks, there is the<br />
plodding tedium <strong>of</strong> Another Shot and<br />
Heart on Loan, which fail to make an<br />
impact.<br />
This is by no means an<br />
unnecessary compilation <strong>of</strong><br />
B-sides; Weapons is fun, loud and<br />
extremely listenable. Yet its lack <strong>of</strong><br />
substance, on top <strong>of</strong> its inability to<br />
break new territory, is a worrying<br />
development from a band that<br />
has never before shown signs<br />
<strong>of</strong> growing stale. Lostprophets’<br />
continued determination to<br />
reinvigorate chart music is<br />
admirable, however this is not the<br />
album to do it.
28 MUSiC<br />
The Stag | 8th May 2012 music@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Old Dogs, New Tricks: The Who - 'Endless Wire'<br />
By Dan Davison, Music Team<br />
In light <strong>of</strong> Roger Daltrey's<br />
ongoing Tommy tour and Pete<br />
Townshend's expressed intent to<br />
see a Quadrophenia tour materialise<br />
this year, it seems as opportune a<br />
moment as ever to touch upon The<br />
Who. Despite the aforementioned<br />
ongoing activities <strong>of</strong> its members<br />
and last year's release <strong>of</strong> a remastered<br />
'Director's Cut' <strong>of</strong><br />
Quadrophenia (1973), the band<br />
has not produced a studio album<br />
in over five years. In predicting<br />
whether the band can still live up to<br />
expectations, the most reasonable<br />
place to begin would appear to be<br />
their most recent outing. Thus we<br />
are brought to Endless Wire (2006),<br />
their first original album since<br />
1982's It's Hard.<br />
One immediately noticeable<br />
feature <strong>of</strong> Endless Wire is that, in a<br />
comparable manner to Kate Bush's<br />
Hounds <strong>of</strong> Love (1985), the first half<br />
<strong>of</strong> the LP consists <strong>of</strong> unconnected<br />
tracks whilst the second forms a<br />
concept album in its own right.<br />
The latter part, entitled Wire &<br />
Glass, features the fictional rock<br />
musician Ray High, a character<br />
introduced in Townshend's<br />
1993 solo album Psychoderelict.<br />
Although the narrative is <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
vague and its 'rise and fall' theme<br />
is anything but groundbreaking,<br />
like Quadrophenia before it, the<br />
mini-opera's semiautobiographical<br />
nature allows Townshend to bring<br />
a personal touch to several tracks.<br />
Mirror Door lists the many musical<br />
icons who undoubtedly inspired<br />
Townshend whilst the spirited We<br />
Got a Hit captures the sentiment<br />
<strong>of</strong> finally achieving a commercial<br />
breakthrough.<br />
Nevertheless, Townshend's<br />
greatest talents are ultimately as<br />
a composer and not a librettist. For<br />
this reason, whilst the short length<br />
<strong>of</strong> the mini-opera's tracks largely<br />
prevent its abstract nature from<br />
undermining its enjoyableness,<br />
Endless Wire's strongest pieces<br />
are those <strong>of</strong> its first half. It's Not<br />
Enough provides a potent rocker<br />
evocative <strong>of</strong> the band's earlier hits.<br />
Meanwhile, Black Widow's Eyes tells<br />
the dark story <strong>of</strong> a love at first<br />
sight formed through Stockholm<br />
Syndrome. Long-term fans will<br />
Festival Frenzy<br />
By Rebecca Worley, Music Team<br />
Gearing up to summer usually<br />
involves many people planning<br />
their festival choice for the<br />
year. With Coachella festival in<br />
California attracting masses <strong>of</strong><br />
fans and celebrities alike, it is clear<br />
the festival frenzy is going<br />
nowhere. While Britain<br />
may not have the reliability<br />
<strong>of</strong> sun and Glastonbury,<br />
the festival staple, is taking<br />
a break this year, it does<br />
have an absolutely huge<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> festivals for you<br />
to catch your music<br />
fix.<br />
Did you know . . .<br />
For a dose <strong>of</strong> rock and indie<br />
music, Reading and Leeds is the<br />
place to head, with The Cure,<br />
Florence and the Machine,<br />
Kasabian, Paramore, Foo Fighters<br />
and The Black Keys all headlining.<br />
For those looking for something<br />
slightly quirkier, Bestival, on the<br />
probably appreciate Townshend's<br />
occasional throwbacks to The<br />
Who's classic years. For example,<br />
the opening track Fragments<br />
features part <strong>of</strong> the synthesiser<br />
riff from Baba O'Riley (1971). The<br />
first half also contains the most<br />
thematically notable track on the<br />
album, A Man in a Purple Dress, an<br />
overt and bitingly cynical attack<br />
on religious leaders.<br />
All things considered, Endless<br />
Wire's most apparent flaw is rooted<br />
in The Who's unfortunate tendency<br />
to leave their projects incomplete.<br />
The result <strong>of</strong> this, in regard to<br />
both the standard and mini-opera<br />
tracks, is that the album features<br />
many outstanding products <strong>of</strong><br />
Townshend's initial vision, but<br />
does not entirely come together<br />
as a single, solid record. Despite<br />
this lack <strong>of</strong> cohesion, the standout<br />
elements scattered throughout<br />
the album allow Endless Wire to be<br />
greater than the sum <strong>of</strong> its parts.<br />
It may not equal The Who Sell Out<br />
(1967) or Who's Next (1971), but for<br />
the band to pick themselves up<br />
so admirably 24 years after their<br />
last release reinforces my hopes<br />
Isle <strong>of</strong> Wight, <strong>of</strong>fers an eclectic<br />
mix <strong>of</strong> Stevie Wonder, Friendly<br />
Fires, Two Door Cinema Club, Ben<br />
Howard and Sub Focus. The mix<br />
<strong>of</strong> pop, dubstep and folk gives this<br />
festival the edge to stand out from<br />
the others. Beach Break Live <strong>of</strong>fers<br />
the unique experience <strong>of</strong> a student<br />
only event. Designed with<br />
… Johnny Depp plays guitar on Oasis’ Fade In/Fade Out from<br />
their Be Here Now album.<br />
for their intended tour. This is, <strong>of</strong><br />
course, cautiously assuming that<br />
said tour does not become another<br />
Townshend project that fails to<br />
partying away exam stress in<br />
mind, this smaller festival based on<br />
a beach in south Wales boasts Chase<br />
& Status, Ben Howard, Dizzee Rascal<br />
and the Maccabees all combined<br />
with a carefree, hedonistic<br />
atmosphere. However, if your<br />
budget doesn’t stretch to a couple<br />
<strong>of</strong> hundred quid but you’re still<br />
l o o k i n g<br />
fully come to fruition.<br />
Which Festival is right for you this summer?<br />
for some festival fun, there are<br />
still small, local festivals without<br />
the price tag. So you might not<br />
have a clue who the headliners<br />
are, roll with it and have some fun!<br />
Recently voted the best mediumsized<br />
festival, Guildfest, right<br />
on our doorstep at Stoke Park,<br />
is perhaps the best compromise.<br />
The adult weekend ticket with<br />
camping costs £130, a bit <strong>of</strong> a<br />
saving in comparison to the<br />
major festivals. And the lineup<br />
doesn’t disappoint with<br />
Olly Murs, Gary Numan and<br />
Tim Minchin playing, as well<br />
as other modern and retro<br />
bands. So grab your tent<br />
and don your wellies;<br />
once you’ve done<br />
a bit <strong>of</strong> research<br />
it’s easy to find<br />
the perfect<br />
festival for you.<br />
‘Hopefully people can see my music is<br />
tethered to my brain.” – John Mayer.<br />
© Darcy Tanner
Music Editor: Sophia Field | Copy Editor: Megan Barnacle<br />
The Stag | 8 th May 2012<br />
COMPETITION Bloc Weekend 2012<br />
The Stag is giving you the opportunity to<br />
WIN A PAIR OF WEEKEND<br />
TICKETS TO BLOC 2012!!!<br />
How to Enter<br />
To Enter, simply tweet with your full name and the hashtag<br />
#blocstag2012. - you must be a <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey student to be eligible.<br />
Results will be announced on The Stag’s Facebook & Twitter Pages at<br />
6pm on Monday 11 th June. Get tweeting!<br />
By Ahad Elley, Music Team<br />
Butlin’s in Minehead isn’t the type <strong>of</strong><br />
place you would expect Aphex Twin<br />
and Magnetic Man to be performing.<br />
However, the good people over at Bloc<br />
made this a possibility in March last<br />
year and I had the pleasure <strong>of</strong> being<br />
there. The atmosphere was unlike<br />
anything I have ever experienced before<br />
at a festival. Apart from the fantastic<br />
music and visual show, meeting a whole<br />
host <strong>of</strong> weird and wonderful people<br />
made for an amazing weekend.<br />
On the 6th and 7th <strong>of</strong> July this year,<br />
Bloc are coming back in a huge way with<br />
a new location in the heart <strong>of</strong> Olympic<br />
London. The venue is the London<br />
Bloc NUS Promotion<br />
Buy five tickets and get the sixth free<br />
visit: www.blocfestival.com/union<br />
pswd: UNIBLOC497<br />
You will need to produce a valid NUS card on entry.<br />
Pleasure Gardens, within which there<br />
will be several different stages, the most<br />
exciting <strong>of</strong> which is the MS Stubnitz. This<br />
is a deep sea fishing vessel that belonged<br />
to the German Democratic Republic<br />
before the collapse <strong>of</strong> Communism. She<br />
is 80 metres in length and weighs 2,541<br />
tonnes. A team <strong>of</strong> forward-thinking<br />
artists and engineers have converted it<br />
into a moving platform for the sonic and<br />
visual arts.<br />
So imagine this… A huge derelict<br />
warehouse in the East London<br />
Docklands. A colossal wartime boat.<br />
The absolute crème-de-la-crème <strong>of</strong><br />
electronic music, not to mention Snoop<br />
Dogg. It almost seems a bit too good to<br />
be true, right?<br />
MUSiC 29
30 SOCiETiES<br />
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Societies<br />
Chris Dighton<br />
Societies Editor<br />
Joining The Stag halfway through the year after<br />
seeing a vacancy as society editor, my time<br />
working with The Stag has been short, albeit, a great<br />
experience. Seeing so many different articles from a<br />
modicum <strong>of</strong> societies has been very satisfying. This<br />
role in The Stag has been a fantastic opportunity to<br />
try something out that was completely different to<br />
my degree, and I would recommend getting involved<br />
in The Stag next year to anyone who is interested in<br />
journalism or editorial work. As an editor, it was my<br />
job to amend any grammar or spelling mistakes,<br />
and I am glad to say that the quality <strong>of</strong> the articles I<br />
have received was already so high! I am proud <strong>of</strong> my<br />
section, and I am especially thankful to have Megan<br />
Barnacle for a copy editor to keep me on track with<br />
regards to deadlines. Thank you to everyone who<br />
has submitted an article or an advert to Societies<br />
this year, and next year, let’s keep societies amazing<br />
together! Good luck to my successor, I am sure you<br />
will do a fantastic job, and keep the standard up!<br />
Soldiers, Goats<br />
and Psychopaths<br />
By Victoria Ashdown, PENsoc<br />
What springs to mind when<br />
you hear the word psycho?<br />
Personally, I hear the jarring<br />
screech <strong>of</strong> violins from the classic<br />
film, and consequently picture<br />
a madman, in a dress, with a<br />
knife. However, after reading Jon<br />
Ronson’s critically acclaimed ‘The<br />
Psychopath Test’, my somewhat<br />
stinted views on the subject have<br />
altered. Throughout his writing,<br />
Ronson explores what it means to<br />
be deemed a psychopath and takes<br />
an in-depth and comical journey<br />
through the human condition and<br />
the ways in which society classifies<br />
the psychotic. He consults Robert<br />
Hare’s list <strong>of</strong> twenty qualities<br />
widely used to classify a psychopath<br />
and employs wit and humour in<br />
suggesting that many people in<br />
positions <strong>of</strong> power do in fact display<br />
psychopathic tendencies. His use <strong>of</strong><br />
case studies and primary research<br />
make Ronson’s work intriguing,<br />
comical and slightly disturbing! He<br />
blurs the boundary between sanity<br />
and insanity and leads the reader to<br />
question both themselves and the<br />
people who surround them. Will<br />
Self, a critic from The Guardian,<br />
described ‘The Psychopath Test’<br />
as ‘achingly funny’ and ‘naggingly<br />
painful’, acting to ‘force us to think<br />
more deeply about the subject in<br />
hand.’<br />
In addition to this thought<br />
provoking text, Ronson has won<br />
Go to www.<br />
PENsoc.org<br />
for more<br />
details<br />
and ticket<br />
information.<br />
acclaim with his journalistic<br />
pieces, created a number <strong>of</strong> film<br />
documentaries and has written a<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> best-selling novels. One<br />
<strong>of</strong> which is the popular title ‘The<br />
Men Who Stare At Goats’, which<br />
was recently adapted into a film<br />
starring George Clooney and Ewan<br />
McGregor. Based on true events,<br />
the novel focuses on the connection<br />
between the US Army in the late<br />
1970s and the potential military<br />
applications <strong>of</strong> the paranormal. In<br />
1979, a covert unit <strong>of</strong> the US Army<br />
was established that held the belief<br />
that there were soldiers trained<br />
to walk through walls, become<br />
invisible, and most bizarrely, kill a<br />
goat with a single glance. Ronson’s<br />
novel reveals the extraordinary -<br />
and very strange – national secrets<br />
at the heart <strong>of</strong> George Bush’s<br />
War on Terror and makes some<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>ound links to current affairs.<br />
The <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Surrey has<br />
been provided with the exciting<br />
opportunity to have an audience<br />
with Jon Ronson as part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Surrey PEN Writers Series that<br />
will take place on June 14th. This<br />
will give a valuable insight into<br />
the mind <strong>of</strong> a best-selling author<br />
and will give you the chance to ask<br />
questions about his work. Please<br />
support the work <strong>of</strong> a talented<br />
author and come along, you might<br />
be surprised what you learn…<br />
here’s hoping it’s not that you’re a<br />
closet psychopath.
32 SPORT<br />
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 sport@thestagsurrey.co.uk<br />
Sport<br />
2012: THE END OF THE WORLD?<br />
...or the start <strong>of</strong> something new?<br />
By Douglas Elder, Sports Team<br />
Well, I’ve had a good run. It’s been a<br />
pleasure writing about various sports<br />
this year and all for your entertainment. It’s<br />
been fun writing for The Stag and covering<br />
pretty much everything from women’s<br />
fencing to Rafael Nadal’s headband. I have<br />
suffered a fair bit this year, whether it be<br />
from the perils <strong>of</strong> black jeans on a hot day<br />
at Varsity, or the error <strong>of</strong> hair wax on a<br />
soaking wet day in November. But it has all<br />
been worth it!<br />
So, this being the last issue, I bet you’re<br />
expecting some cheesy, motivational<br />
article about how you can be whatever you<br />
want to be or how sport can – and will –<br />
change the world. If nothing else, I am very<br />
predictable, so I will try and do just that.<br />
This year I have seen a number <strong>of</strong><br />
people playing a multitude <strong>of</strong> sports for<br />
a plethora <strong>of</strong> reasons (thanks thesaurus).<br />
Whether it be the 1st XI playing in a cup<br />
final or the badminton club players just<br />
trying to hit the damn shuttlecock, we all<br />
have motivations. Take yours truly as an<br />
example. An utterly woeful sportsman with<br />
zero physical prowess, next to no mental<br />
strength and a total lack <strong>of</strong> cunning. And<br />
yet I love sport. I love writing about it,<br />
reading about it, playing it, watching it,<br />
avoiding it through over-anxiety. No-one<br />
is more <strong>of</strong> a testament to the mantra “It’s<br />
the taking part that counts” than me. Of<br />
Last week was the beginning <strong>of</strong> the<br />
London Prepares series, which was set<br />
out to test all the Olympic facilities before<br />
the Games to ensure they all functioned<br />
correctly. The series started in the evening<br />
<strong>of</strong> Friday 4th By Dave Holcombe, Sports Team<br />
May, coincidently when there<br />
were 2012 hours remaining until the start<br />
<strong>of</strong> London 2012. The annual BUCS Outdoor<br />
Championships was the main competition<br />
being held over this first weekend so<br />
athletes from Universities and Colleges<br />
across the nation could compete in track<br />
and field events at the Olympic Stadium.<br />
Four <strong>of</strong> the Surrey elite took part in the<br />
competition, all members <strong>of</strong> the <strong>University</strong><br />
course, I try to win, I am manipulative<br />
and get upset when it goes wrong (I want<br />
to be a sports journalist you see), but there<br />
is something bigger at work. Sport is not<br />
just the chance to beat someone weaker<br />
than you, but the chance to co-operate<br />
with people you would never have met<br />
otherwise.<br />
If you’re a first or second year, read this:<br />
First <strong>of</strong> all, hello, I hope you like my stuff,<br />
nice shoes!<br />
Secondly, take up a sport (or anything<br />
sport-related) next year. Seriously,<br />
it’s a good idea. There are plenty <strong>of</strong><br />
opportunities out there; you just need to<br />
know where to look. I came into this year as<br />
a sports geek with bad hair and no societal<br />
experience. As I approach graduation, I am<br />
now only two <strong>of</strong> those things. Joining The<br />
Stag has given me the opportunity to work<br />
on so many skills: writing, interviewing,<br />
patience, knowing what to wear if it’s going<br />
to be 30 degrees etc. I recommend you take<br />
the opportunities which will be available<br />
next year.<br />
You are the master <strong>of</strong> your own destiny.<br />
Sure, if you’re only learning to pick up a<br />
squash racquet now or have only just heard<br />
<strong>of</strong> canoe polo, you are unlikely to become a<br />
world-beater, but you’ll have a good time.<br />
Particularly if you try canoe polo, yes, it<br />
looks as fun as it sounds. Besides, it gives<br />
you more chance to avoid that assignment,<br />
to not do the washing up or at least sound<br />
<strong>of</strong> Surrey Running and Athletics club,<br />
with Vice President Dan Flello checking<br />
out the facilities. Hayley Crosswell and<br />
Nathan Steele were both competing on<br />
the Friday evening in the Javelin and 100m<br />
respectively. Hayley then competed on<br />
the Saturday but this time taking part<br />
in the Pole Vault. Also competing on the<br />
Saturday were Sports Exec Chair Charlie<br />
Eastaugh and Dave Holcombe in the 800m<br />
and 1,500m respectively.<br />
The ever competitive Hayley just<br />
missed out on the finals in both <strong>of</strong> her<br />
events but has vowed to reach them next<br />
year. Charlie just missed out on qualifying<br />
for the semis in the 800m by coming 5th in<br />
his heat (where the top four get automatic<br />
smug when your proud grandparents come<br />
round: “So that essay didn’t go as planned,<br />
but I am the volleyball 4th Team captain<br />
now”.<br />
And the opportunities are not just<br />
limited to <strong>University</strong> sport. This summer<br />
sees two massive sports tournaments<br />
where will be chances not just to watch,<br />
but to participate*. Euro 2012 kicks <strong>of</strong>f<br />
in just two weeks; where we, as a nation,<br />
can indulge in that favourite past-time<br />
<strong>of</strong> letting England get our hopes up, until<br />
they fall flat on their faces. Nevertheless,<br />
we will cheer them on anyway.<br />
* Not participate in a literal sense,<br />
unless you are an aspiring English<br />
footballer who happens to play as a striker.<br />
After that comes the Olympics. Yes, the<br />
Olympics are coming to Britain; you may<br />
have read about it. Athletes from all over<br />
the world at the height <strong>of</strong> their pr<strong>of</strong>essions<br />
will be descending upon our capital city<br />
for both our entertainment and for their<br />
nations. And we can watch them every step<br />
<strong>of</strong> the way (not really, the ticketing has<br />
been rubbish). For most <strong>of</strong> the competitors,<br />
the chances <strong>of</strong> victory are minute, but the<br />
opportunity to represent something bigger<br />
than themselves fills both them and their<br />
peers with immense pride.<br />
Next year, let’s see if we can try<br />
something similar.<br />
Surrey’s Olympic hopefuls<br />
qualification and the fastest four times<br />
from the 5 th and 6 th finishers also qualify).<br />
Nathan also performed well, taking 7 th<br />
place in his heat for the 100m and coming<br />
close to beating his PB for the year. Dave<br />
did beat his PB for the 1,500m and is<br />
hopeful for the next year.<br />
All in all, it was a very good show<br />
by the four Surrey athletes and a great<br />
experience for them to compete at the<br />
Olympic Stadium. The Running Club and<br />
the <strong>University</strong> are proud <strong>of</strong> all four <strong>of</strong><br />
these athletes.<br />
For full standings visit the BUCS<br />
website.<br />
2011 2012<br />
Thanks for reading and the best <strong>of</strong> luck to you all!<br />
~Fin~<br />
Jordan Vine<br />
Sport Editor<br />
This year has been such<br />
a great year working for<br />
The Stag. it has opened<br />
up lots <strong>of</strong> opportunities,<br />
giving me experience as<br />
an editor andmost <strong>of</strong> all<br />
it has been great fun. i<br />
would like this time to<br />
say thank you toall <strong>of</strong> my<br />
writers and well done to<br />
the new committee. Good<br />
luck to all thesports teams<br />
for next year, hopefully<br />
we can continue to go<br />
onwards and upwards!