AWARD NIGHTS SHOW OFF SURREY'S TALENT - University of ...

Newspaper of the students of the University of Surrey Issue 46 – Tuesday 22 nd May 2012
NEWS
Teenager gets charged
over Surrey campus
stabbing... Page 3
SURREY 2012
A photographic collage
of the best Surrey
moments of 2012... Page
16
SPORT
Surrey’s olympic
hopefuls start their
preparation... Page 32
FEATURES
How do you shower?
Sophie Vickery discusses
the many varients on the
regular shower... Page 8
LiTERATURE
Ben Hatch talks to The
Stag about his award
winning novel, ‘Are We
There Yet’ on page 23
DANCE & THEATRE
Emily Bourne reviews
the latest MADsoc
performance of How to
Succeed in Business Without
Really Trying... Page 19
SCiENCE AND TECH
is it the end of the
nuclear rennaisance?
Find out on Page 13...
Say farewell to Surrey
11/12 with some of your
best memories on page 16
AWARD NIGHTS SHOW
OFF SURREY’S TALENT
By Alexandra Wilks, Literature Editor
The Student Awards
recognizes the achievements
of students through societies,
events and volunteering. The
Student Awards also recognizes
exceptional societies as a whole,
with awards such as Most
Improved Society of the Year.
This year Student Awards took
place on the Thursday 17th May.
Wates was transformed for
the event and everyone made
a huge effort to look fabulous.
It was an incredibly enjoyable
evening, with awards given
out by the Union’s own Osama
Salih (President), Trung (VP
Sport), Jake Willis (VP Societies
and Individual Development),
Sam Ratzer (VP Education),
Ollie Deed (Union Chair) and
the much loved Alan Roy. It was
particularly nice to see senior
management not only come
along to support the students
but for their kind words when
giving out Student Awards.
To kick the evening off
Trung had everyone laughing
(and marvelling at his brilliant
memory) when reading out
the Sports Awards, which
had been previously read out
at Saturday’s Colours Ball. A
particularly heart warming
moment was the Volunteering
Gold Awards; every nominee
was worthy of the award it was
decided that they all would
win. Every winner and nominee
was incredibly deserving of
warm recognition from the
University and Student’s Union,
but a particularly notable
winner was Kirsty Stubbs of
Do>More who not only won the
John Hoborough for Student
Volunteer of the Year but also the
Outstanding Contribution to ...
Continued on Page 3...
Sophia Field chills with
Newton Faulkner as he kicks
off his 2012 tour... Page 26
UNION AWARDS
2012
And the winners are...
• Student Volunteering Gold Awards:
George Chatzizacharias, Beth Everest,
Jamie Dooley, Adam Lodowski, Bakita
Kasadha, Mark Grimmett, Ellen Vaughan,
Becky Robinson, Charlie Eastaugh,
Katie Hook and Kirsty Stubbs
• Student Volunteer Trainer
of the Year: Tom Dyer
• John Hoborough Award for Student
Volunteer of the Year: Kirsty Stubbs
• Best Newcomer: Daniel Bishop
• Student Academic Representative
of the Year: Mark Grimmett
• Academic Staff Member of
the Year: Lynne Millward
• Students’ Union Staff Member
of the Year: Julie Havelund
• Student Media Award: Jack White
• Fundraiser of the Year:
Zeshan Hussain
• Student Run Event of the Year: MADTV
and Stage Crew for iGala Broadcast
• Outstanding Contribution
to Representation and
Wellbeing: Bakita Kasadha
• Outstanding Contribution to the
Student Community: Kirsty Stubbs
• Societies of the Year: Chem Soc
(Departmental), Gospel Choir (Arts),
Nepalese Soc (International), Islamic Soc
(Religious), Surrey Marrow (Political &
Campaigns), Veg Soc (Special Interest),
Stage Crew (Student-Run Service)
• Most Active Society Member:
Brooke Knight (Dance Music Soc)
• Best Committee Member: Yusuf
Ahmet (Islamic Students Assoc.)
• Best President: Becky
Robinson (Do>More)
• Society Development and
Development Award: Do>More
• Society of the Year: Stage Crew
View the whole list at www.ussu.co.uk

2 EDiTORiAL
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Editor | Jack White
editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Editor-in-Chief | Bakita Kasadha
ussu.communications@ussu.co.uk
Deputy Editor (Design) | Hollie Rowe-Roberts
design@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Design Team | Ellie Brodie, Paul A Richmond, Hannah Roberts-Owen,
Christina Morman, Louisa White and Alexandra Wilks
Deputy Editor (Marketing) | Tom Goulding
marketing@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Marketing Team | Shervin Hejazi, Imogen Jones, Eleanor Pearson and
Genevieve Webb
News
News Editor | Jyoti Rambhai
news@thestagsurrey.co.uk
News Team | Kathryn Braid, Sophie Howard, John Kavanagh, Jyoti
Rambhai, Melissa Raske and David Williams
Features
Features Editor | Nicole Vassell
features@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Features Team | Peter Bailey, Ellie Brodie, Chris Thomas, Hannah Wann,
Becky Powell, Stephen Cartwright, Louisa White, Ellis Taylor
and Sophie Vickery
Science and Technology
Science and Technology Editor | Nathanael Roome
sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Science and Technology Team | Lawrence Finn, Dave Holcombe,
Shourya Khanna, Kate McAtamney, Melissa Raske, Alex Smith and
Ruth Smithers.
Societies
Societies Editor | Chris Dighton
societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Arts
Dance and Theatre Editor | Hannah Jelliman
dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Dance and Theatre Team | Emily Bourne, Sarah McDowell,
Beth Hedges, Lucy Jarvis, Tiffany Stoneman and Lexi Sutton
Film Editor | Tiffany Tucker
film@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Film Team | Laura Howard, Caroline James, Kristie Marchant, Christina
Maria Webb and Louisa White
Music Editor | Sophia Field
music@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Music Team | James Campbell, Liam Conroy, Dan Davidson,
Amy McGivern, Tanya Noronha and Elliot Tyres
Literature Editor | Alexandra Wilks
literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Literature Team | Rachel Burgess, Stephanie Davies, Tessa Heenan,
Candice Ritchie, Emily Smart, Emma Thomas, Sophie Vickery and
Rebecca Worley
Sport
Sport Editor | Jordan Vine
sport@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Sport Team | Douglas Elder, Arabella Gilby, George Gigney
and Sam Limbert
Copy Editors | Megan Barnacle, Michaela Fulton, Emma Giles,
Candice Ritchie and Louisa White
copyteam@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Webmaster | Andrew Smith
webmaster@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Photo Editor | Tessa Morgan
photos@thestagsurrey.co.uk
The Stag is a newspaper editorially dependent on and published by
the University of Surrey Students’ Union.
The views expressed in the paper are those of the individual
authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the educational
team, the whole Students’ Union or the University of Surrey.
Trinity Mirror (South)
8 Tessa Road, Reading
RG1 8NS
The Stag reserves the right to edit all submissions and the right to
decide which articles are published.
Goodbye from the Editors
Bakita Kasadha – Editor-in-Chief
ussu.communications@surrey.ac.uk
This year as Communications
Officer has been amazing.
I’ve learnt so much, and I’m
very excited about becoming
a full-time Officer next year. I
have been presented with many
opportunities to represent the
student body and get more
involved in the Union. I’d like
to thank the other twelve
members of the Union Executive and all the Union Staff,
especially Alan Roy, Clem Mulcahey Banks, Lisa Lynch,
Kath Jones, Bob Anderson, Helena Vardy and Aaron Salins,
for the support they have given me as a Comms Officer to
facilitate the projects I have been passionate about, such
as the Nominate Now Campaign, Paint Campus Red and
iFashion Show.
Jack White – Editor
editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk
The Stag has gone from
strength to strength
this year: from our bold and
(dare I say) professional new
design, through our tabooshattering
first issue, to
the crises of Union security
and our ever-worsening financial situation. It is notable
though, that where one aspect of life enters a trough,
another gains a new peak and Britain’s widening political
and economic quagmire has provided fertile ground for
The Stag’s ascent to the forefront of student information.
Looking back on my tenure on the Design Team last
academic year, I feel confident in saying that this year,
every section of the paper has been better than last year.
We have all found a new drive to excel and I am immensely
grateful to have been at the head of such a stellar team.
They have made it much easier than I had imagined to
Tom Goulding – Deputy Editor for Marketing
marketing@thestagsurrey.co.uk
put together a product worthy of a university of Surrey’s
standing.
Thank you then to everyone who has contributed
to The Stag this year, whether as a regular or not. Hollie
Rowe-Roberts has been particularly awesome as Deputy
Editor for Design – a job that is not given the recognition it
deserves. Thank you also to the long-suffering Union and
University which have both been subject to rather more
attention than history might regard normal. Without
them both, The Stag would be a shadow of its current self.
Thank you finally to all the readers. I have done
my best to provide you with a good balance of articles,
whether you are interested in arts, society, politics,
sports or culture. I hope you enjoyed!
You may see my name in The Stag next year, but this is
my last issue as Editor. I leave the paper in the extremely
capable hands of Alexandra Wilks, who has done an
outstanding job this year as Literature Editor. I know she
will be a powerhouse of an Editor and exalt The Stag to a
new level.
As I approach the end of my final year at The Stag, I’d like to thank Jack, Hollie, the marketing
team and everyone else who has made the last three years an incredible experience. I’ve
watched our students’ newspaper come a long way since I submitted my first article in 2009,
and with Alexandra at the helm, I’m sure her dedicated team will only find new ways to dazzle
it’s growing readership. Cheers Surrey, it’s been emotional!
When I first took on this role I literally
had no idea what I was doing. I was
terrified! But I really can’t tell you enough
how much I’ve loved The Stag this year. It
has come on so much and the whole team
are so proud – I’ll be sad to leave it! I want
to say thank you to everyone that’s been
involved this year, especially Jack, Tom,
Bakita and my design team. Hannah, Ellie,
Tina and Paul – it’s been great fun working
with you each week and I hope you have a
In regards to my role as Editor-in-Chief, it has been
a pleasure to watch The Stag develop into a stylish
and popular campus newspaper, made possible by the
dedication of the editorial team and the writers. It will be
very strange no longer having a position on The Stag, after
three years, but you can be sure that I’ll keep submitting
articles next year as a Sabbatical Officer!
I’d like to thank all of The Stag team, especially Jack
White (Editor), Hollie Rowe-Roberts (Deputy Editor –
Design), Nicole Vassell (Features Editor) and Hannah
Roberts-Owen (Design), for putting up with my (at times)
late submissions and late night text messages!
Finally, I would like to express my congratulations
to Kat Heneghan, the newly elected Communications
Officer for 2012/13. I’ve seen the passion and interest that
she’s had over the campaign period and I wish her every
success. I hope you enjoy it, Kat.
Hollie Rowe-Roberts – Deputy Editor for Marketing
design@thestagsurrey.co.uk
great time at Surrey next year. Im happy to
say that Hannah will be taking over my role
as Deputy Editor (Design) and the others are
still going to keep it up which makes me a
proud little mummy!
Good luck to the 2012/13 Stag Team
with Alexandra Wilks (Editor) and Becky
Richmond (Deputy Editor, Marketing)
joining Hannah to run The Stag – you all
deserve it and I’m excited to see where you
take us in the next year!

News Editor: Jyoti Rambhai | Copy Editor: Emma Giles
Societies and individuals felt recognition
for their hard work this past year
Continued from Page 1...
the Student Community Award.
Do>More won numerous awards
in their own right. Kirsty and
Do>More have worked tirelessly
to organise some really brilliant
events this year and are entirely
worthy of this high accolade.
Another worthy winner was
Stage Crew who won Society
of the Year and Student Run
Service of the Year. Stage Crew’s
work often goes unrecognized,
yet they are incredibly diligent
and hardworking. Without Stage
Crew all the events we enjoy at
Surrey (from Rubix nights to
Theatre Productions) would not
be possible.
Bakita ‘Masala’ Kasadha,
the one woman whirlwind, was
UK ranked tenth for higher education
By Chris Sibthorpe, News Team
The UK has been rated as the
10th best at providing higher
education in a ranking of 48
countries.
The report, published by
Universitas 21, listed the other
countries making up the top 10
for delivering higher education as
the US, Sweden, Canada, Finland,
Denmark, Switzerland, Norway,
Australia and The Netherlands.
The results were analysed by
researchers at the University of
Melbourne.
Researchers looked at
the most recent data from 48
countries and territories across
20 different measures, grouping
data under four headings:
resources (investment by
governments and the private
sector), output (research and its
impact and the production of
an educated workforce which
meets labour market needs),
not only joint winner of the
Volunteering Gold Award but
also winner of Outstanding
Contribution to Representation
and Wellbeing. Everyone knows
how amazing Bakita is and these
awards testify to her hard work
and dedication to Surrey students.
Finally, The Stag’s very own
brilliant editor, Jack White, won
the Student Media Award. As
his successor, I am incredibly
proud (and slightly intimidated)
to be following in his footsteps.
Whatever you might think of Jack,
or indeed The Stag, you cannot
deny he has worked so incredibly
hard to give the students at
Surrey update news.
Student Awards 2012 was a
brilliant evening, enjoyed by all. I
look forward to next year!
Union staff and the Sabattical team worked hard to honour the students that
have made a difference to the Surrey community
connectivity (international
networks and collaboration)
and environment (government
policy and regulation, diversity
and participation opportunities).
Researchers also took population
size into account.
The UK was ranked 10 th overall
despite coming second only to the
United States on the strength of
the universities themselves, whilst
coming 27 th for the resourcing of
universities.
Some claim that Britain was
let down because of a lack of
investment, coming 41st out of
48 for government spending on
higher education. The researchers
analysis put the United States
top overall, followed by Sweden,
Canada, Finland and Denmark.
The UK performed well on
international connectivity, being
ranked sixth as it has the fourth
largest percentage of international
students, whilst being ranked
13th on environment. The UK
Colours Ball 2012
13 individual and club
awards were given out at
the annual Team Surrey
Colours Ball on Saturday
night, recognising various
levels of achievement for
students and coaches at
the University of Surrey.
Over 400 attendees
celebrated the
achievements at G Live in
Guildford, in what was the
highest attended Colours
Ball ever!
The evening was hosted by
outgoing Vice President of
Sport and Recreation Trung
and awards were presented
by various members of
University, Students’ Union
and Surrey Sports Park
staff and volunteers.
Surrey Sports Park would
like to congratulate all
nominees and award
winners for contributing to
a successful year of sport
for Team Surrey!
also came within the top nations
whose research has the greatest
impact, along with Switzerland,
the Netherlands, the United States
and Denmark.
Universities UK, the body that
represents all UK universities, said
it was difficult to compare such
a wide variety of international
educational systems.
A statement on the Universitas
21 website describes how
the ranking system has been
developed “As a benchmark
for governments, education
institutions and individuals.” It
goes on to suggest the report aims
to “Highlight the importance of
creating a strong environment
for higher education institutions
to contribute to economic and
cultural development, provide
a high-quality experience for
students and help institutions
compete for overseas applicants”.
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012
By Melissa Raske, News Team
teenager has been charged
A with grievous bodily harm
with intent for the stabbing that
occurred on University of Surrey
campus last December.
Nineteen year old Aliaksandr
Mazalkou, from Ailsworth near
Peterborough, faces the charges
after the incident which happened
near Millennium House and
resulted in a twenty year old man
being taken to Royal Surrey County
Hospital in the early hours of 3rd December.
The man was later discharged
having suffered minor injuries.
Mazalkou, who was eighteen
NEWS 3
Surrey Police issues
Olympic cycle warning
With tickets soon to be on sale
for the Cycling Road Race at
Box Hill in Surrey, Surrey Police
have warned residents to only buy
through official sites.
The London Organising
Committee of the Olympic Games
(LOCOG) announced on 8th By Rachel Thomason, News Team
May that
the tickets for the road race will
be going on sale on 29 May. Surrey
Police have advised people to only
go through official channels to
purchase tickets. They particularly
recommend the official Olympic
website: www.tickets.london2012.
com.
Chief Superintendent Gavin
Stephens has explained that this
will provide opportunities for
people to take advantage of the
demand by selling fake tickets or
setting up insecure websites.
The road race has already
proved so popular with spectators
and cycling fans that the spectator
capacity at the Zig-Zag Road incline
and Donkey Green area of Box Hill
has been increased from 3,500 to
15,000.
The incline is regarded as one
of the best places to watch the
race because of the slow-moving
cyclists. It is also one of the only
places that it can be watched.
The circuit race is 9.6 miles,
beginning at The Mall and then
going through west London and
around Box Hill before returning
to The Mall. The race will welcome
some of the world’s top riders to
compete.
The National Trust and LOCOG
are working closely together
alongside Natural England in order
to provide the best protection for
the local wildlife.
Surrey Police also used this
opportunity to remind people that
unwanted tickets can be returned
through the London 2012 ticket
exchange for a full refund.
Furthermore, they remind
residents to report any suspicious
behaviour and circumstances
which come to their attention and
to ring the 101 non-emergency
number.
Teenager charged
over campus stabbing
at the time of the stabbing, is out
on bail and is due to appear at
Guildford Magistrates Court on
24 th May.

4 NEWS
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 news@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Award winning Guildford
group to host torch party
By Geoffrey Pullen, News Team
Celebrations following the
Olympic Torch Relay passing
through Guildford on the 20th of
July are to be lead by local youth
festival StreetCLASH.
The festival was recently
awarded the Inspire Mark in
recognition of the innovative and
non-commercial promotion of
youth involvement in sports, arts
and music, inspired by the 2012
Olympic Games.
The Inspire Mark is reserved for
community led projects inspired
by the upcoming Olympic Games.
Chair of the London Organising
Committee of the Olympic Games,
Seb Coe’s believes that ‘These
Games are for the whole of the UK,
for sport and culture’.
StreetCLASH, established in
2008, is an annual festival held
within Guildford in which young
people have the opportunity to get
involved in sports, art, dance and
music.
On offer at the event will be
over 30 sports, dance workshops
led by local groups and music
in association with Guildford’s
Academy of Contemporary Music.
Inspiring young people is a key
motive behind StreetCLASH and it
is this that led to recognition by
Inspire and by Seb Coe himself;
‘We want to use the power of
the Games to inspire change...I
congratulate everyone involved
in StreetCLASH for securing the
Inspire mark’.
The celebrations will be a free
ticketed event held at Stoke Park
starting at 2pm and ending at 10pm
on the 20 th July.
Guildford Orchestra
faces final movement
By David Williams, News Team
The future of the Guildford
Philharmonic Orchestra
(GPO) is in doubt following an
inconclusive meeting of Guildford
county councilors which failed to
decide whether the council funded
group should continue.
Since it’s induction in 1945,
the GPO has been performing in
a variety of venues in and around
Guildford, however in recent years
it has seen a decline in popularity.
Currently Guildford Borough
Council pays a subsidy of £290,000 a
year for 10 concerts. However, over
the past 2 years ticket sales have
been down by 36% with income
from sales and sponsorship only
£140,000 for 2011.
Questions have been raised
over both the organisation of
the concerts and the need for a
council funded orchestra. There
are a number of other groups in
Guildford that perform classical
music and additionally a huge
variety of other types of music that
the GPO has to compete with.
Plans to avoid disbanding the
orchestra have been suggested,
such as allowing the concerts
to be held and organised at G
Live, Guildford’s new 1000 seated
capacity live entertainment venue,
while maintaining the GPO brand.
Only 3,858 tickets have been
sold thus far for this season,
another significant decrease in
sales.
A final decision on the GPO’s
future is likely to be made at the
council’s executive committee
meeting in the summer.
Surrey attracts attention during Universities Week
University of Surrey and Surrey
Sports Park made themselves
known during Universities Week
2012 after two of their research
initiatives were discussed in
reports published by Universities
UK.
Universities Week, which
commenced on 30th By Melissa Raske, News Team
April, is a
campaign that aims to raise
awareness of the ways UK
universities contribute to local
communities and society.
The campaign has been
running for 3 years and this year
was themed around the London
Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The first project mentioned
in the report discusses the use of
3D skeletal motion camerawork to
recreate athletic performances.
The University of Surrey’s
Centre for Vision, Speech and
Police are appealing for
information after an armed
robbery occurred between 3:45am
and 4:00am on May 5th By Melissa Raske, News Team
.
The incident, which took place
on Chestnut Road near Stoke
Park, involved three men who
were carrying knives and what is
believed to be a mock firearm.
After breaking into the
property the men threatened the
four occupants with the weapons
before tying them up and stealing
a number of items including an
Xbox, PlayStation 3, an iPhone
and money.
None of the occupants, three
men and a woman, were injured
during the break in which lasted
around 45 minutes.
Police officers arrived at the
scene shortly after the burglary
and specialty units including
police dogs and forensics were
called in. Door to door enquiries
were carried out and the police
urge anyone concerned about the
incident to contact the Guildford
Safer Neighbourhood Team on
101.
Investigating Officer Detective
Sergeant Anna Leahy of Guildford
CID said: “At this stage in the
investigation we do not believe
this was a random attack and that
the offenders had targeted this
property in the belief one of the
occupants was someone known to
them.”
Although the attack took place
in the early hours of the morning
police are confident that there
Signal Processing (CVSSP) teamed
up with BBC Research and
Development to investigate the
use of video footage from a single
broadcast camera to estimate the
skeletal motion of an athlete at key
points throughout a performance.
Previously it hasn’t been
possible to use multiple specialist
cameras to directly recover
3D information at Olympic
and Paralympic Games due to
television constraints, however
the semi automatic alternative
developed by the CVSSP and BBC
has potential.
This technology could be used
to further analyse or comment
on performances, for instance by
comparing high jump attempts for
an individual athlete, or between
different athletes in events such
as the 100m.
The CVSSP and BBC R&D have
been collaborating on various
may have been people still around
at the time and anyone who has
witnessed or heard anything
suspicious, no matter how
insignificant it may seem, should
contact the police.
Two of the men were described
as black men and the other a white
man, all of whom were wearing
black trousers, black hooded tops
and scarves covering their faces.
In addition, a small beige car
was parked on Recreation Road
at the time of the burglary which
may have been linked to the
projects for the past decade and a
number of Surrey’s PhD students
receive funding from the BBC.
The second project mentioned
in the report is a research project
that is looking at the social and
economic regeneration resulting
from London 2012 and how this
could inspire the skills of hard to
employ people. It is also looking
at the benefits that volunteering,
apprenticeships and employment
schemes will have after the
Games.
Universities Week culminated
with the BUCS Outdoor Athletics
Championships held at the
Olympic Stadium in which five
Team Surrey athletes competed.
In addition to the Universities
Week activities, Surrey Sports
Park will act as host to 17 Olympic
and Paralympic nations during
the London 2012 Olympics.
Armed robber on Chestnut Road in Guildford
incident.
Sergeant Leahy spoke about
the incident saying: “This was
an extremely frightening ordeal
for the victims. Surrey Police
simply will not tolerate this kind
of behaviour and we will do all we
can to find those responsible and
bring them to justice.”
Anyone with any information
relating to the incident is urged to
contact the police on 101, quoting
reference GD/12/4041 or ring
Crimestoppers anonymously on
0800 555 111.
©SurreyPolice

6 UNiON
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Consecutive Executives
A big year for Education
Sam Ratzer
Union VP Education
This year has been a
challenging year for me as
VP Education, getting to grips
with the role and meeting so
many people in the University
aside, ensuring all your views as
students are heard effectively at
a University which is currently
in the ascendency is increasingly
tough.
I can hand on heart
say that I have given it all my
efforts and the amount of
positive feedback I have received
from students, members of the
academic community as well as
support staff, goes to show my
efforts haven’t gone unnoticed.
However, instead of sitting back
and winding down to the end
of the academic year I am busy
planning for my second year.
2011/12 has seen the
And so, here we are, the
final issue of The Stag and
my final article of the year. It’s
been an interesting year, and
one that has seen quite a few
changes, to our Societies and
student groups.
I can honestly say that this
year has been a huge pleasure
for me, to see the amount
of work and dedication that
both Committee’s and Society
members have had towards
development and increasing
their offerings. As we move
forward to the new academic
year, Surrey students have a
huge amount of choice when it
comes to Societies, and that can
only be a good thing.
I can only wish the best of
luck to Em Bollon, who will be
taking over from me as of 1st Jake Willis
Union VP
Societies & ID
August. I’m sure she will do an
absolutely great job, and I have
full confidence that Societies
are in capable hands. So, until
next year, have a great summer.
introduction of Faculty Reps to
the Student Union team to help
the development of the Academic
Rep system, next year will see
the embarking of a project to
improve the representation of
postgraduate students. This
year has been a learning curve,
as a new set of regulations were
introduced looking at things such
as extenuating circumstances
and academic misconduct, next
year I want to make sure that
they are engrained and work to
the full effect.
2012/13 is going to be
a big year with the introduction
of £9,000 fees across the sector,
at Surrey, we will have a new
VLE (SurreyLearn), which I hope
will beginning a whole course
of technological developments
in teaching. Like it or not you
will see more of me on campus,
not just on NSS “I Love Surrey”
campaign posters, as I will seek to
find the issues that are affecting
you most.
Jade Foley
Union Community Officer
Having been elected as
Community Officer late, in
the October by-elections, and
with no previous involvement in
the union, the first few months
of my year were spent getting to
grips with the role; something
which I found quite challenging
at first. Nonetheless, I got there
eventually and I feel as though
I’ve had a pretty good year.
Helping to organise a celebration
evening for volunteers, running
an international themed
community quiz during iFestival,
working with Dave, VP Welfare,
during housing awareness week
(particularly with the off-campus
accommodation guide) and
attending meetings with different
community associations and with
Guildford council are just a few
of the things I’ve been up to this
year. Being a member of exec has
been a fantastic experience and I
hope the new community officer,
Jade Roberts, enjoys the role as
much as I have!
A fond farewell after a smashing year
Osama Salih
Union President
It has been a brilliantly busy year
in the life of your Students’ Union.
Our volunteer Freshers’ Angels
descended on campus to provide the
number one welcome experience
in the UK. Freshers’ Week set the
tone for the year to come when we
saw over 4,000 students attending
Freshers’ Fayre on PATs field.
This year we have introduced
a new structure for the way we
operate as a charity, and been
assessed in four competitive
schemes which make us a better
Students’ Union including Investors
in Volunteers and the Students’
Union Evaluation Initiative.
We’ve been working on the
functionality of our new website,
been improving the transparency
of our meetings and committees,
and for the first time in our history,
we’ve welcomed external trustees
to our organisation.
I have personally been working
on improving the facilities for the
Students’ Union, restructuring
of the current support offices to
provide a spacious more relaxed,
modern feel of the students union.
More meeting rooms available,
better social space and in general
Dave Halls
Union VP Welfare
With another year coming to
an end, this is as good a time
as ever to reflect on the ‘Welfare
Wins’ of the past year, often working
closely with the University to get
the best results for you. In truth, 250
words is nothing to round up what’s
been an exceptionally busy year, but
here’s a selection of highlights...
• Narrowly missed out on the
Guinness World Record for ‘Most
Sexual Health Tests in 24 Hours’.
460 of you checked yourselves
for chlamydia, missing the
•
record by just 41!
Better lighting, more security
& Police presence on campus.
‘Balloon’ campaign for those
open ground floor windows
(keep them shut, folks!)
a better utilised facility. This is
part of a long term project of a
new students’ union building to
improve the student experience
here at Surrey. I am looking forward
to coming back and visiting the
opening of the building, whenever
that may be.
It has been very interesting for
me personally to see as president the
journey that different University
departments have taken, those that
listen to you as students – through
your students’ union are going from
strength to strength and those that
ignore us begin to struggle. We
are really lucky that the majority
of the University management
take student representation really
seriously and not just as something
to tick a box with. If I had one
• ‘Housing Awareness Week’
saw hundreds of students
attend talks, and get advice on
finding their first off-campus
house. Don’t forget to pick up
your free ‘Off-Campus Guide’
from either the Union or the
Accommodation Office before
you move in this summer!
• Worked closer than ever with
the Court Life Mentors, those
on-campus heroes helping to
make sure you’re as happy,
healthy and safe as you can be
during your time in university
accommodation!
It’s been an absolute pleasure to
serve as your VP Welfare this year.
I look forward to welcoming many
of you back in September in my new
role as President; and am absolutely
confident you’ve chosen a brilliant
VP Welfare in Bakita. She’s going
to do a great job for you next year,
Surrey.
Have a great summer everyone!
message for the University it would
be to remember how your closest
friends can give you the best advice.
It has been my pleasure serving
you as president for this academic
year and I rely hope that you all keep
being involved in your students’
union. Life is way more than just
having a degree and I really hope
you know that you have so many
opportunities to be involved, so
make the most of them. This is your
union, support it, invest in it and
lastly challenge it when needed.
I have been Osama Salih,
President of University of Surrey
Students’ Union 2011 – 2012 enjoy
the rest of your year and good luck
with your assessments.
Peter Smeed
Equality and Diversity Officer
Well, what a year! I started of
the year getting to grips with
the ins and outs of the Students’
Union, which was a pretty big
task in itself. Once I made myself
familiar with the surroundings and
the people, it was time to get used
to my role! My aim was to be a vocal
member of the union exec, which i
think i achieved. I made sure action
was taken with regards to security
in Rubix, ensured I maintained the
link between the union and the
students, attended NUS training
days and sent delegates for the
first time in years to NUS LGBT
conference. I really underestimated
the amount of time my course
would take up, which is a shame
because I feel I was prevented from
achieving even more. I’ve had such
a great year and hope my successor
enjoys it as much as me!

Features Editor: Nicole Vassell | Copy Editor: Michaela Fulton
Features
Y’know what really
grinds my gears?
By Bakita Kasadha, Editor-in-Chief
wrote one about girls, I should
I honour my word and write about
the boys, but how to write this
GMGs without coming across as
a spurned/jealous girl? Before I
begin, though, I’d just like to ‘out’
the guy who assumed, months ago,
that this was going to be based on
him... Behave! Yes, you may not
have been a decent human being,
but I’m not sure if you’re interesting
enough to spend 500 words on – so
I’m not going to attempt it. Writing
By Sophie Vickery, Features Team
Last September, freshers enthusiastically drove into
loading bays and were hurriedly moved into halls
with the help of Fresher Angels. Although many were
nervous, the idea of living with other students, in a
space absent of nagging Mums and vigilant Dads, was
one of great excitement. However, as the academic
year comes towards a close, many first year students
will eagerly skip out of their rooms and wave goodbye
to halls. Living in halls is an experience full of life
lessons, from cooking and cleaning, to sharing space
and responsibilities with others. However, are halls
all what they crack up to be? There are certainly
some compromises to be made in order to maintain
a happy flat; keeping the noise down, washing up
plates and respecting others privacy and belongings.
Unfortunately, there are many cases where this is not
fulfilled and consequently some students find halls
suffocating in their claustrophobia of noise, clutter
and people. Loud music until 4am, germ-ridden dishes
and food theft are sadly some of the horror stories
of university accommodation. Not to forget a lack of
this sort of makes me think of Carly
Simon’s song, You’re So Vain -“I bet
you think this song is about you...”
Can I just say that this isn’t about
the boy who cannot be named, well
anything outside of this paragraph
isn’t about him!
So first annoyance: the male
ego, the bravado and need to ‘actup’
when you’re around your fellow
males, to assert male dominance.
You’ll literally tear each other
apart (and you like to hit each
other). These are your friends! I
honestly feel sorry for the small,
David was puzzled by the lads unusual choice of prey. They could have done better.
The horror of halls
©Thos033
skinny or ginger boy in the group,
because we all know that they are
generally the first to be picked on.
It’s a shame that this need to be
manly doesn’t prevail when you’re
ill. Man flu guys? Really? Man up.
The next point is actually
more a source of entertainment
than anything else – boys in clubs.
It took working a club for me to
realise how closely linked we are
to our fellow mammals. Say/think
the following in your best David
Attenborough voice:
‘These male humans, who
spend most of their time working
or studying in the library, are
in their element in a nightclub
environment. As night falls and the
bass from the speakers beckon, they
watch and make plans to approach
the unsuspecting females.
Standing to the side of the dance
floor, with backs against the walls,
with their fellow brotherhood, they
wait for an enthusiastic female to
dance slightly out of the dancing
circle, which her and her friends
have created. One glance from the
female, the male sees fit to put his
hand on her waist and initiate the
mating dance.’ Honestly try it the
next time you’re out; each club
home comforts; sofas, gardens, dishwashers, washing
machines, larger wardrobes, comfier beds, space,
snug carpets and fuller fridges! For those with shared
bathrooms, they miss the en-suite. For those used to
double beds, the university single just doesn’t meet
sleep’s expectations. For those downstairs, they miss
the freedom to open curtains without fear of passersby
viewing valuables and perhaps even nakedness as
one steps out of the shower!
For many students, university halls are sadly
remembered with terror and stress. However, even if
they were a traumatic experience, students should try
to remember that they have benefitted in some way.
All students will go into second year with a greater
awareness of living with others and will have gained
an invaluable independency. But, for those who still
grimace at the thought of those sleepless nights and
dreaded mornings, when one walks into a kitchen
of sticky bottles (empty of course) and take away
containers, they can embrace promise of a happier
living environment for second year; living with people
of their choice, in a larger space with more of those
home comforts.
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012
will have at least 5/6 of this type
(Source: Bakita’s Observations,
2012).
This goes out to the really
(insert bad word here) guys, not
all. How can two guys that claim
to be friends try and chat up the
same girl... sometimes in the same
evening? Is there no loyalty, no
‘Oh, it’s okay, you saw her first’
or ‘maybe neither of us should
approach her if we both like her,
y’know let’s think of our friendship
first?’ Am I approaching this
dilemma too much like a female?
Maybe.
Lastly, you guys don’t like to let
things go (this is not just a female
thing) and you always feel that
you can help in some way even if
you’re going to make things worse.
Many boys have thought that they
can help me with this column,
for instance, my friend has been
badgering on at me to have a GMGs
about shop workers who give you a
receipt and then plonk your change
on top of it so that you’re forced to
close up your hand and stuff a ball
full of change into your pocket.
There you go Mike, I wrote it! (He’s
going to say that I didn’t describe it
properly!)
FEATURES 7
BOYS!
Obviously, I could’ve tackled
the hygiene thing, never asking for
directions (what is the issue there
by the way) or leaving the toilet seat
up (though, I’ve never experienced
this, living with girls in Guildford
and having a mum who trained
that out of my little brother before
he was strong enough to lift the
toilet seat)- I would have mentioned
them, but I knew that you would
have expected more from me.
Last time I’m going to write
this: I honestly do swear that I’m
not a moany mare all the time;
it’s just that boys do these really
annoying things and it just really
grinds my gears.
© Stacey Hunter
©minor9th

8 FEATURES
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 features@thestagsurrey.co.uk
How do you shower?
By Sophie Vickery, Features Team
Bev enjoys showers, lots.
The question may sound silly
as it appears with an initial
obviousness, yet upon exploring
the intriguing intricacies of the
en-suite, one discovers a whole
world of habits and washing
rituals.
Man has been washing
throughout history. From the
caveman dipping into chilly lakes,
to the Romans relaxing in grand
Roman baths. From metal tubs
beside Victorian fireplaces, to
scrubs in the 60s sink. And now
the power showers of the 21st
century in which, a recent survey
of 100 families found, man spends
an average of eight minutes.
From the Sunday evening chore
of washing children, to reviving
wake-up showers before work.
And thus arises the first variance
among our showering nation;
when to take a shower? Some
rely on the shower’s energy as an
alarm clock to awaken their senses
before hitting the commute.
Meanwhile, others prefer late
night showers and snuggling into
Summer fashion
Ellis Taylor
The summer holidays are fast
approaching (and hopefully
good weather will come too)
meaning that this is our last issue
of the year! So it is time to get
out our fashionable hankies and
dab away the tears, because we’re
going to miss it (or at least I will).
Think to the future fellow clothes
lovers, for my advice shall return
next year. HUZZAH. And because
it will be autumn/winter, we get to
discuss cosy clothes and all sorts of
fun stuff like that, it’s not all bad…I
guess. However, we do have a whole
season between now and then, so
I’ve decided to do a little mash up of
everything you may need to know
©basykes
dressing gowns and sleepy cocoa.
And then of course there is the
male ‘shower and shave’ ritual
before a dinner date; the warm
up for cologne, cufflinks and the
Rolex watch to follow.
But when the curtain is pulled
and jets are in full flow, our
habits become even more radical.
Following research into showering
customs, one finds a large split in
the nation; between those who
enter the shower prior to turning
it on, and those who turn it on,
tarry a little and hop into a warm
spray of loveliness. Those, who
hopped in before turning on the
jet, subject themselves to a rather
absurd routine of rigidly huddling
up to the tiles as the water begins
cold, then flinching as the water
turns too hot, before settling
into a shower of the perfect
temperature. However, despite
recognising this routine as simply
illogical, they persist with these
habits.
Shower antics do not cease
at entering the shower either.
Ever had a drunken shower?
There are many anecdotes
involving the amusing pairing
between a lack of soberness and
clumsiness. Drunken ‘showerers’
find themselves toppling beyond
the curtain or struggling with
the temperature dial, resulting in
scorched backs or freezing toes.
Others wait until the morning
and swear by showers as the
ultimate hangover cure. However,
it is commonly acknowledged that
upon struggling to balance under
the spray, the shower is often the
over the next few months, together,
we will remain stylish.
Firstly, let’s look at possible
events you may be attending, and
by events, I mean festivals.
What a tricky one that is!
No showers, restricted baggage,
obligatory wellies, not the best
thing in the world. A very strategic
selection of clothes is necessary
in order to survive, my secret
weapon is dresses. They fold up
small, make you feel like a fairy
and are basically a whole outfit in
one, no need for anything else. The
fairy part is crucial, because we
all know that festivals are bloody
weird (last year I had an awkward
conversation with Anna Sui who
asked if I wanted to put some glitter
on a paper butterfly), odd stuff
happens. However, I accept that not
every girl is a dress kinda girl, so
the other staple is a pair of denim
shorts. A few different t shirts can
place when one discovers that
dreaded realisation; “I’m still
drunk.”
Talking about showers also
bestowed a rather entertaining
story of a friend’s recent discovery
that his showering career has
taken a different routine to the
rest of the nation. Due to some
misplaced or misinterpreted
information as a child, he has
since been applying conditioner
BEFORE shampoo. Because this
is not a common conversation
topic, his hair has been victim to
this order for forty years! Another
ludicrous aspect of showering is
the invention of 2 in 1 (no, not 2
in 1 shampoo and conditioner)
shampoo and…shower gel! It was
subsequently unsurprising to find
that this product belonged to a
male and it took his girlfriend to
highlight its stupidity.
And thus the en-suite door
has opened to a vast kingdom of
habits, routines and experiences
beneath those beloved jets. Or, are
they beloved? Perhaps, it would be
a little too much to delve into the
shower Vs bath discussion at this
point, as we would inevitably gush
towards vast deliberations of time
(three minute shower against a
three hour soak), bubbles (zesty
shower gel or luscious bubbles?),
hygiene (the uncomfortable
notion that a bath is simply a sit
in personal dirt, with a dwindling
temperature) and taps (they
simply get in the way!). Eight
minutes is up, shower ends. Now
to sort the hair; air dry, towel dry
or hairdryer?
easily change your outfit each day
and go wild with as much jewellery
as you want, because here you can
look crazy and it’s totally fine. BUT,
I do want to say one thing about
the denim shorts thing, don’t have
them so short that everyone can
see your butt. Please.
Now, general trends of the
summer. I’ve spoken of them before,
but tis the season of revision, so
we’ll go over them once more.
Pastels: Think ice cream colours,
clichéd girly-ness, cupcakes. A
warning, however, is that dreary
weather doesn’t fit the vibe of
pastels so before you don your all
pastel outfit, check the weather.
If it is looking pretty crap outside,
you can still work this trend; try
Barry M nail polishes for a subtle
hint of summer.
Print: CLASH THEM LIKE
CRAZY, GO WILD. Matchy-matchy
is so not 2012.
Metallics & general jazziness:
Best done through accessories, a
clutch bag is a great example.
Peplum: Proving to be a rather
Don’t miss the
Summer Recruitment Fair!
Tuesday 22nd May
Tuesday 22nd May is the date
for the Careers Service’s Summer
Recruitment Fair – taking place
from 2pm-5.30pm in the Austin
Pearce building. There are
dozens of employers and other
organisations attending, including
companies like Ernst & Young,
Hitachi and Estee Lauder. And it’s
not just for final years - with a
number of companies offering
placement opportunities, as well
as organisations looking to fill
volunteering and part-time roles.
There’ll be study providers like the
College of Law in attendance too.
You can of course just turn
up on the day, but to get the most
out of the Fair it can help to do a
little preparation. If there are
companies you think you may
be interested in, check out their
websites in advance and have
popular shape. Building upon this,
try focussing on structure and
shape in your outfit choices.
Now, I want to leave you with
a final comment on something
related to general summer
dressing. When it gets warmer,
jeans get pushed to the back of
the wardrobe, which is justified,
replace them with shorts,
skirts and
playsuits. But
do not, I repeat,
do not, switch to
using leggings as
trousers. This
is something
that has
some questions prepared – that
way you’ll get more out of talking
to their representatives, and be in
a better position to impress! And
although many organisations will
ask you to apply online, it is still
a good idea to take along a few
copies of your CV, and be prepared
to actively network.
The Fair is part of our ‘Before
You Go Week’ series of events,
taking place between Monday
21st and Friday 25th May. We’ve
got a really busy programme of
talks, workshops and employer
events – plus during this week
you are welcome to drop in to the
Careers Service in the afternoons
with a quick query or for a CV or
application form check. It is also
still possible to book a one-to-one
interview with a Careers Adviser,
before, during or after this week.
For full details of everything that’s taking place
– and a complete list of organisations attending
the Fair, go to:
www.surrey.ac.uk/careers/whatson
eternally bothered me, because
it’s just like going out with a pair
of thick tights on and nothing else.
By all means, wear with a long shirt
or t-shirt, but if you wear a regular
length top, I can see your pants.
So that’s it, guys. We’ve got our
last bits of fashion information; now
go forth into the sunshine and
revise it in preparation for
the exam.

Features Editor: Nicole Vassell | Copy Editor: Michaela Fulton
BUSINESS
Time for the Blitz spirit
By Peter Bailey
In recent years there have been
many peaks and troughs, green
shoots of economic recovery and
then wash-outs of financial chaos.
In fact, being a slightly more
seasoned (now alumnus) of the
University of Surrey, the majority
of my time as a young adult has
been experience through the
slightly murky glasses of recession
tinted Britain.
I would like to say that times
were getting easier. I would like to
defer to our own brand of capitalism
and have faith that simply working
hard will be sufficient to drive out
the ghosts of financial downturn.
Unfortunately it seems to be a
little more complicated than that,
perplexing leaders and eminent
economists the world over. The
recent Eurozone crisis and Greece’s
woes seem to highlight that our
carefully nurtured green shoots
might once again be trampled with
little or no regard for our individual
aspirations. The efforts of previous
generations have yielded a
thoroughly mixed bag filled with
meteoric rises in property values,
unprecedented austerity measures,
and interest rates that have made us
wince at both ends of the extreme.
So what can be done? Well I
suppose we could shirk modern
economics, dust off the wooden
clubs and retreat back into a cave.
We could go the other way and bury
our heads in the sand of consumer
credit and resort to a little retail
therapy. Or we could posture to
the global markets that we are a
strong island nation, which will
weather this storm like we have
any other. Well the rationale (and
credibility) of all of those options
might be somewhat dubious, but
we certainly need to do something.
And by we, I am not deferring
to the Royal, I think she has done
enough in her 60 years reign. I
mean us. After all why did we come
to University? I would venture
that boozy parties and great
societies are only fleeting flashes
of colour in the overall transit to
our destination. We spend years
of our lives holed up in a place of
higher education to sharpen our
tools, and sharpen our focus (even
if your focus is to pursue a career
as the new Van Wilder). We have
the vision and the skills to solve the
world’s problems (and by the way,
even if we didn’t, it is still down to
us). It might be time to break out
the stiff upper lip and hand round
some tea for the long night ahead
of us.
But the old adage goes, “How
do you eat the elephant?”, and the
answer is one bite at a time. You
might not think that the route you
are personally on is going to directly
drive forward new business in our
economy. You might not think that
you are really that concerned about
the distant passage of GDP growth
and the fortunes of the Eurozone.
But actually it is a cold hearted
human who has no desire to see our
society improve, and in fact it will
always come back to bite us if we let
our fragile balancing act of a world
go to rack and ruin.
So in my last article for this
column, and a closing thought, I
give you this:
Whatever you choose to do,
or whatever chooses you, make it
count.
Thank you all for reading.
© Gonçalo Valverde
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012
Nicole Vassell - Features Editor
Over and Out...
The time has finally
come for the last issue of
The Stag, and i genuinely
can’t believe how quickly
it’s gone! My year as the
features editor hasn’t
gone without a few
hiccups, but i’ve enjoyed
it immensely. i’ve learnt
so much about myself and
the journalism industry
and i now know for sure
By James Rumble, SIFE’s Media Relations Executive
e the change you wish to see in the world”.
“BFamous words by Gandhi, and the mission
of the Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) Society
this year. With a range of social and community
enterprise projects, both locally and internationally,
SIFE students strive to make a positive impact
on the lives of those in need. Projects focus on
developing their skills to empower them in the longterm,
to obtain better business opportunities. As a
society, we look to differ in this way, by providing
cooperatives sustainable and supportive assistance
for the future, rather than simply providing money
in the short term.
This model has certainly helped SIFE Surrey to
achieve great results this year, and this has been
reflected by the team achieving an impressive 3rd
place finish at the National SIFE Competition on
19th April, a massive improvement on our 8th place
finish last year. This year, 38 SIFE teams competed
from around the UK participated in the National
Competition, to showcase their projects from the
year and battle for top prize.
The SIFE Surrey team shared two of their main
projects. The first was Oakleaf, which has focused
on working with unemployed people in the local
area, who suffer from mental health difficulties. We
taught them skills and helped build their self-esteem
to gain employment opportunities. The second
was our Thailand ‘RICycle’ project, which involved
using the waste product of rice crop as a pillow
filling. In a country that suffers annual flooding,
that there’s nothing
else i’d want to pursue
as a career. (That is, of
course, if i don’t hear
back about being a backup
dancer on Rihanna’s
next tour.) Thank you to
all who have been on the
features team, especially
Sophie Vickery, Ellis
Taylor, Hannah Wann,
Katy Sawyer, Chris
FEATURES 9
Thomas, Louisa White
and Becky Powell
without whom i would
have been completely
hopeless. Thank you to
Hannah Roberts-Owen,
who has made features
look the best it ever
has, and thank you to
the whole Stag team for
making this a newspaper
i’m proud to have been
a part of! Though it’s
sad to be leaving, i know
that Ellis Taylor will do a
fantastic job as features
editor 2012/13.
Thank you for reading!
it has been an absolute
pleasure.
Podium Finish for SIFE Surrey at National SIFE Competition
destroying the rice crop that villagers depend on as
their only source of income, this innovative project
provided another avenue of business for a previously
struggling community.
With their passion and commitment to success,
the SIFE Surrey team progressed into the final for the
first time in the society’s history, where they faced
strong opposition. Unfortunately, the determined
SIFE Surrey team were pipped to the main prize
by Southampton University. However, reaching the
final was no small feat, and was truly deserved,
for a constantly improving and developing society,
which has been defined by its devoted member’s
efforts. Congratulations to all the presentation team
involved, who dedicated themselves to representing
the society, and helped to cap off the SIFE Surrey
calendar year in style.
As a society ever aiming to improve and set high
standards, we aren’t slowing down. We are looking
to empower more communities worldwide with one
goal; to ‘Be the change we wish to see in the World’.
Don’t be left behind on our SIFE vision. If you’re
interested in getting involved in a society which
provides fun, fulfilment and fantastic opportunities,
then SIFE is for you.
Become a fan of our Facebook
page at ‘SIFE Surrey’ or email:
info@sifesurrey.org.uk
for more information.

10 FEATURES
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 features@thestagsurrey.co.uk
A summary of your
By Hannah Wann, Hannah Roberts-Owen, Sophie Vickery, and Nicole Vassell, Features Editor
The Features Team has been out and about to summarise how this year has been
from the student perspective. We had quite a range of stories: funny, embarrassing,
bizarre, and many involving alcohol. They’ve all come together to round-up what
has mostly been a fantastic year at Surrey. We give you: The Surrey Summary!
Julia Derbyshire, Year 1
Favourite Rubix event: Headphone Disco
Most embarrassing moment of the year:
During our first week we were sat in a lecture
and the tutor told us to leave if we weren’t
supposed to be in the creative writing
class, and so I had to embarrassingly leave!
Favourite thing about campus: Being
able to check the status of the washing
machines in the laundrette – genius!
Saskia Cook, Year 1
Favourite Rubix event: Mini Me
Most embarrassing moment: Getting
followed and caught by a Tesco guard as we
walked out with shopping trolleys, to be left
in the rain with 8 bags and 3 pumpkins
Weirdest uni moment: Man climbed
through our kitchen window and
tried to take our vodka
Favourite thing about being a
fresher: The lie-ins!
Favourite thing about Guildford:
Good shopping
Paris Evans, Year 3
Favourite event: MADSoc’s
How To Succeed in Business
Without Really Trying!
Most improved aspect of
the university: the library
printing services
Niki Ignatiou, Year 1
Favourite Rubix event: Safe sex ball
Most embarrassing moment: Telling my
lecturer I thought he was fit
Weirdest uni moment: Playing a quarterfinal
football match still drunk after Carnage
Favourite event: Living Room
drum and bass night
Most embarrassing moment:
Falling down some lecture
theatre stairs in front of
everyone
Most memorable moment of
freshers’ week: DJ Fresh
Most improved aspect of the
university: Feedback from
lecturers
Jenni Armour, Year 2
Favourite Rubix event: Tease foam party
Most embarrassing moment: Being carried out of
Rubix by two of the bouncers
Weirdest uni moment: Saw a flasher on campus
Most improved thing about campus: The library
Hazel Jane, Year 2
Lucy Dascalopoulos, Year 1
Favourite Rubix event: Movie character night
Weirdest uni moment: Doing a presentation in my pyjamas
Most memorable freshers’ moment: Walking into the
wrong flat, thinking it was my own, and staying there talking
to people for half an hour before I realised I didn’t live there!
JAMES GREGORY, Year 5
Favourite event: Surf Portugal Trip/Kissy Sellout
Most improved thing on campus: The library and
Costa in Chancellors and Amigos
Most embarrassing moment: probably stacking it on
my face down the steps in Rubix while coming off the
dance floor on a Wednesday night out. STANDARD!
ANNA NUR, Year 1
Favourite event: Firework night
Most memorable freshers’ moment: Cleaning up
the kitchen of a different flat when drunk
Weirdest uni moment: A random drunk guy
coming up to me and trying to kiss me, in the
middle of the day!

Features Editor: Nicole Vassell | Copy Editor: Michaela Fulton
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012
FEATURES 11
Surrey 2011/2012
Ben Tubbs, Year 1
Favourite Rubix event: Fetish night
Most embarrassing moment: Passing out on my stairs
after the foam party, in women’s lingerie
Weirdest uni moment: Dressing up as a human-centipede
Hannah McEvilly, Year 1
Favourite Rubix event: Foam Party
Most embarrassing moment: a friend had to retrieve items from Rubix
as I wasn’t allowed back in after being thrown out
Favourite thing about campus: Cathedral has good views
Favourite thing about being a fresher: Having no-one to answer to!
Favourite thing about Guildford: Hollister!
Luke Proctor, Year 1
Favourite event: Varsity
Most embarrassing moment: Giving a presentation to a
senior lecturer with a fake tan moustache and monobrow
Most memorable freshers’ week moment: Getting my
nickname ‘tranny’ by dressing up as a woman one of the
first nights…
Shalini Thondrayen, Year 2
Favourite event: Surrey does Amsterdam!
Most improved aspect of the university: The library, hands-down!
Nathan Taylor, Year 1
Favourite event: OAP night
Most embarrassing moment: Knocking myself out on the fridge
door (drunken stumble) and leaving a dent
Weirdest uni moment: Second degree burns from melted soap in
the microwave
Favourite aspect of campus: Starbucks - we need more!
Favourite thing about Guildford: Slug & Lettuce – Go and try the
Porn Star Martini!
Hannah Craig,
Year 1
Favourite Rubix event: Rizzle Kicks
Most embarrassing moment: Falling
down that treacherous slope by
Channies…ice and hills are a bad
mix!
Weirdest uni experience: Discovering
odd phrases from different regions in the country –
who knew how different Northerners and Southerners are!
Favourite thing about campus: The Lake and the ducks!
Tiffany Tucker, Year 2
Favourite event: Easter flirt
Weirdest uni moment: Halloween in general
– some strange people were out
that night, and the fact that they
were in costume didn’t help!
Most improved aspect of the
university: The library and Amigos
Favourite thing about campus:
The fact that everything is close
together and the views are lovely!
Amelia Deane, Year 1
Favourite Rubix event: Headphone Disco
Favourite thing about campus: Just stumbling out of
bed and rolling into lectures
Favourite thing about being a fresher: Meeting new
people from all walks of life
Osama I Salih, Student Union President
Favourite event: Colours ball
Most memorable freshers’ week moment: DJ Larizzle
Weirdest uni moment: Going to someone’s flat I didn’t know for pre-drinks
and finding a photo of myself pinned on the kitchen wall, with a heart
around it
Most improved thing on campus: The library facilities

12 FEATURES
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 features@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Games
Answers in the next edition of The Stag. Send correct answers to letters@thestagsurrey.co.uk to get a mention in the paper.
Sudoku Wordsearch
3 6 2 9
9 5
Sudoku
4 3 8 9
2 7 9 6
1 7 4
3 5 8 7
8 7 1 3
4 7
7 2 6 1
2 9 4 7 3 5 6 8 1
7 3 8 4 6 1 2 9 5
5 6 1 9 2 8 4 7 3
6 8 9 2 7 3 1 5 4
1 5 3 6 8 4 7 2 9
4 7 2 5 1 9 8 3 6
9 2 7 1 5 6 3 4 8
3 4 6 8 9 2 5 1 7
8 1 5 3 4 7 9 6 2
Issue 42’s answers:
P A C S O Z E B U
E P T L S J V A N
N E A L W K A i U
S S T A B H E L C
O L X H C R W H L
C H A T F O i A E
D D A H L J L D A
S H A D V E L B R
N O P A E W i W E
Wordsearch
D K C H U N G E R
L O Q V N O D N A
H J i T G H A N H
O D S A D i D A Z
A L A V i T S E F
T Y O i X B R T S
H L O Y S O O Z R
E R U B i X H E T
K A E R B L i A J
The words to find are:
• WEAPON
• IWEAVE
• PENSOC
• STAB
• NUCLEAR
• HATCH
• BLOC
• DAHLIA
• HALLS
The words to find are:
• THE
• ZOO
• ADIDAS
• DNA
• FESTIVAL
• JAILBREAK
• HUNGER
• YOLO
• RUBIX

Sci/Tech Editor: Nathanael Roome | Copy Editor: Louisa White
For the first time in 40 years
there will be no nuclear
power being pumped into
Japan’s grid, having once
supplied the country with 30%
of its electricity, as the last of
its 54 reactors is switched off
for maintenance. But what
does the future hold for such a
stigmatised source of energy?
Governments across the
world have listened to the
protesting voices of anxious
citizens and taken heed of events
at Fukushima-Daiichi with a
push for ‘greener’, renewable
energy forms.
In France (the civilian
nuclear powerhouse of the
world), where nuclear generates
78.8% of all national electricity,
the situation is bleak for the
once embraced carbon-free
energy form, with newly elected
socialist President Francois
Hollande having pledged to
cut national nuclear energy
production down by a third by
2025.
And in neighbouring
Germany (the country where
nuclear fission was first
understood and explored), The
Chancellor, Angela Merkel,
due to the uneasy relationship
with nuclear safety and
the public, has decided to
completely abandon nuclear
within a decade in an attempt
to gain popularity for her now
unfavoured administration -
despite not having experienced
a nuclear disaster since before
the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Under pressure from the
German government, electricity
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012
Science & Technology
Nathanael
Roome
Science & Tech Editor
i’ve met with my writers
on a regular basis, I find
this is the best way to
keep us all in the loop
and ensure that enough
articles are ready for the
regular deadlines. i keep
an eye on Sci/Tech news
around the world and
when i see something
significant I keep a record
for the writers to mull
over. The articles selected
sometime follow a theme,
e.g. feminism or industry,
but more often than not
it is just a case of finding
interesting news.
Are you suffering from social jet lag?
By Melissa Raske, Science & Tech Team
If you require an alarm clock to wake
up during the week and then sleep
in during the weekend you could
be suffering social jet lag, reports a
study published online in the journal
Current Biology.
For the past 10 years scientists
from the University of Munich have
been compiling data on sleep and wake
patterns and have recently published
their findings thus far while the study
continues.
According to the study a person’s
biological clock and social clock,
which are based on their employment
and other activities, do not match up.
Our biological clocks are regulated by
daylight and darkness and cannot be
reset to match the timings required
for our day to day lives.
The use of an alarm clock means
that you are essentially not getting
enough sleep and the difference in
sleep timings between the week and
weekend is similar to changing time
zones every week.
According to a statement made
by Professor Roenneberg; “Waking
up with an alarm clock is a relatively
new facet of our lives. It simply means
that we haven’t slept enough and this
is the reason why we are chronically
tired.”
The report focussed on the effects
of sleep deprivation on health and in
particular obesity.
After surveying 65,000 adults’
sleeping habits, researchers found that
those whose weekend and weekday
sleep schedules were different were
three times as likely to be overweight.
The study didn’t show that obesity
was directly caused by lack of sleep
but rather by the habits associated
with it, including eating at times
when the body isn’t supposed to eat,
eating unhealthy foods, drinking
more alcohol and doing less exercise.
Although it may be difficult to
alter social schedules, people are
encouraged to try and go to bed at the
same time each night and rise at the
same time each day in order to get the
recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per
night.
©Jess J
suppliers E.ON and RWE npower
are seeking new owners for their
joint UK venture: Horizon; with
5 international players in the
industry showing an interest
in the nuclear power company,
formed in 2009.
Europe’s appetite for atomic
energy may have waned;
however in the newly emerging
and less developed economies
the demand for more and more
domestic power still needs to be
met.
China is currently
constructing 26 new reactors
(with another 51 planned), 10
are going to be built in Russia,
India is forging ahead with 3
nuclear plants, and South Korea
is looking to double its domestic
supply to 60% of national energy
as well as aspiring to become
the world’s third biggest nuclear
power exporter.
Even the Gulf States: Saudi
Arabia, UAE and Qatar, are seeing
nuclear as the ‘way forward’ as
it’s more economically viable
to export their oil at current
high prices than burn it as a fuel
while demand soars elsewhere.
Speaking to Al-Jazeera, the
University of Surrey’s Professor
Paddy Regan said: “In a situation
where the world population is
increasing and the resources
are becoming more and more
scarce, I personally think that
nuclear power continues to have
a major role to play in energy
production worldwide.
“The number of people
who actually died as a result
of nuclear accidents is actually
miniscule compared to the
number of, for example, Chinese
coal miners who die every year.”
However the public
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 13
The end of the nuclear renaissance?
By Alex Smith, Science & Tech Team
perception of nuclear is typically
a hostile one with memories of
Chernobyl, and now, Fukushima
ingrained in their minds; yet
other, traditional forms of
energy are only associated with
words such as ‘emissions’ and
‘climate’ despite catastrophes
like the BP/Deepwater Horizon
oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in
2010.
In response to the
Fukushima disaster Greenpeace
issued a statement further
condemning the nuclear
industry: “Nuclear power is
inadequate, unnecessary as well
as dangerous. It’s also a hugely
expensive distraction from work
to limit the impacts of climate
change.”
Despite this and the public
anxiety, for the first time since
the Three-Mile Island disaster
of 1979, the US has approved
2 reactors to be constructed
in South Carolina and has
extended the licenses on half of
its nuclear power plants.
And research is still ongoing
at JET in Oxfordshire and ITER
in southern France to sustain a
nuclear fusion reaction, which
leaves no radioactive waste (that
currently spends thousands of
years buried under the ground
to ‘cool-off’) and yields far more
energy than current nuclear
fission reactors - If successful
they would effectively remove
the risks of nuclear energy and
maybe the fear that goes with it.
Whatever the future holds
the world is still in shock
from events in Japan, which is
currently expecting nights of
more and more blackouts, as a
result of what happens when
nuclear power goes wrong.
©Digi-tal

14 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY The Stag | 22nd May 2012 sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Mild head trauma temporarily decreases brain function
By Melissa Raske, Science & Tech Team
recent report published in the May
A issue of the Journal of Neurobiology
presents the findings of a team at the
Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Medicine, relating to the brain
abnormalities caused by traumatic
brain injury (TBI), specifically in the
mild form.
Mild TBI can be caused by
commonplace activities including
sports, as well as accidents or combat,
and can lead to neurological symptoms
that may last for several days.
These symptoms can include
reduced cognitive function (i.e. your
ability to think), confusion, chronic
headaches, post traumatic stress
disorder and depression.
Sophisticated techniques including
bioimaging and electrophysiological
approaches were used to view the
effects of mild TBI on the axons of
the brain as well as the firing of the
neurones.
It showed that after a trauma the
structure of the axons, which are fibres
required for the conduction of electrical
impulses, was disrupted.
The research is an important step in
understanding the neurological effects
of mild TBI and into ways in which it
can be treated.
Further research that could be
completed using this system may
look into whether repetitive injury
exacerbates the damage.
©Unique_Stephen

18 DANCE & THEATRE The Stag | 22nd May 2012 dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Dance & Theatre
Dancing the Invisible/
Late Work
By Hannah Jelliman, Dance & Theatre Editor
When you think of ballet dancers, or in fact
dancers of most styles, what do you think
of? Thin, pretty, young? Think again. For two
nights at the beginning of May, the Ivy Arts
Centre showcased a double bill of work, created
as part of a project run by Surrey Dance lecturer,
Jennifer Jackson. The main focus of the project is
to prove that age is no boundary in performance
despite stereotypes of who should dance and
what dancers should look like.
The evening is comprised of two contrasting,
but equally enthralling works; Late Work and
Dancing the Invisible, performed by ex-professional
dancers from companies such as the Royal ballet
and Ballet Rambert. The first piece, Late Work,
includes 6 separate sections, each introduced
in a Brechtian style through speech from the
performers. The two on-stage musicians add to
the explorative nature of the piece; each with
a variety of instruments, often performed in
an improvisational manner. Jennifer Jackson
and Susie Crow complete the movement with
fluidity and grace, highlighting the sometimes
restricting qualities of a mature dancing body,
yet emphasising that older bodies have the ability
to not only perform beautiful movement, but also
to explore the struggles and restrictions faced by
the ageing body.
The second work, Dancing the Invisible, involves
5 dancers: Ann Dickie, Deborah Jones and Simon
Rice added to the previous duet. Cellist Emily
Burridge is situated on stage, performing extracts
from Bach Cello Suite no. 2 in D Minor. Despite
the classical style of the music, the movement
was far from recognisable as classical Ballet.
The investigative techniques are expanded with
more bodies, including those of the audience, to
explore both individuality and harmony. Each
performer’s unique movement style accentuates
the liberation of mature dance, especially within
a twenty-first Century Contemporary dance
environment.
Although not necessarily intentional in
the choreographic process, there are arguable
references to both physical and mental
disabilities often associated with old age. Shakes
“...the project is an
inspirational exploration
into mature dance...”
of body parts indicate arthritis; many overlapping
voices are perhaps a subconscious reference to
schizophrenia. One particular section stands
out in Dancing the Invisible, in which Simon Rice
runs around the stage with his hand sticking up
from his head, as though he’s a cockerel; Jennifer
Jackson moves onto stage physically stopping
Rice’s movement with her hands in a comforting
manner, as though she is a care worker in a home.
Perhaps this is only my interpretation as
a Young dancer. The common stereotypes of
‘older’ dancers and the older community may
have influenced me subconsciously. However,
the project is an inspirational exploration into
mature dance, proving that dance is indefinite;
bodily movement may become restricted, but
passion and expression will always live on.
Reading vs. Performance
By Tiffany Stoneman, Dance & Theatre Team
In March I had the opportunity to attend a play reading of
ismene and The Underground, written by Makato Satoh in
1950s Japan, translated by David G Goodman, and adapted by
Jo Allan. I decided to attend initially because a friend asked
me and it was free; however, as the day approached I began
comparing play readings and performances, and became
increasingly intrigued to see how the event would pan out. I
have myself, participated in a reading – a first run through of a
friend’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights, amongst beer bottles
and crisps. Yet it requires more to make a reading (effectively
a rehearsal) an event to which you invite an audience.
There’s something incredibly freeing about seeing actors
‘on stage’ in their ordinary clothes, scripts held together by
a combination of staples, metal clips, or just shuffled into
the correct order. As an actor, I felt a real sense of intimacy
with the cast as they sat down, as though we as the audience
were intruding on a time of rehearsal, usually a place for
actors to explore without the pressure of performance. This
means that a play reading provides a unique insight into the
work that goes on before ‘opening night’, but also keeps the
audience focused on the playwright’s words.
Susan Harrison took the role of Ismene in the first play,
and did so with expression and depth. Without the luxury of
a real stage, and with script still in hand, Harrison brought
Satoh’s words to life and did justice to his story of Antigone’s
underappreciated sister.
Known for his performances as Albert in the National
Theatre’s War Horse, Jack Monaghan held the larger part of
the Guard in The Underground - a relaxed, happy-go-lucky
17-year-old working the tube carriages. Monaghan faces a
dilemma when the driver of the train (Christopher Godwin)
refuses to stop at the last station, whilst an argumentative
married couple (Louise Ford and Bill Nash) attempt to kill
each other. Shifting from oblivious teenager, the Guard finds
himself in the Wife’s embrace - Monaghan proved emotional
and concerned opposite Ford, with a tenderness echoing his
famous role.
Although the spectacle of theatre is something to be
embraced and enjoyed, the art and simplicity of a play
reading provides a depth of text that can be lost amid the
convention of the stage. Seeing the inner workings of an
actor’s rehearsal and preparation provides an insight into
character development, whilst helping the play’s complexities
to unfold further, giving a naturally growing performance
that remains rough and organic.

Dance/Theatre Editor: Hannah Jelliman | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie
How to succeed in
business without really
trying: Mon 14 th May
By Emily Bourne, Literature Team
had never seen a MADsoc production before, and neither
I had I heard or seen anything about How to Succeed in
business without really trying and so I was excited to see
what the evening had to offer. The musical, directed by final
year English Literature student Andrew Phipps, is a hilarious
tongue-in-cheek story following an ambitious window
cleaner named J. Pierrepont Finch, who works his way up
the career ladder to the position of Vice President in a global
company.
All the cast had great comic timing and really did justice
to the incredibly funny script, however it was unfortunate
that at times the sound did not always pick up the dialogue
and so some of the punch lines were lost on the audience.
Josh Howell was particularly strong as lead character Finch,
where his singing and characterisation suggested a real
commitment to the part. In addition, those who played
the parts of J.B. Biggley, Rosemary and Bratt alongside the
supporting cast were all highly accomplished in bringing
the production together to ensure a thoroughly entertaining
piece.
Although dancing wasn’t a large feature of the musical
it really enhanced the aesthetics of the show, and I enjoyed
the choreography in such numbers as ‘Brotherhood of man’ and
‘Cinderella, Darling’. Even though not all of the cast were the
most talented of dancers, they more than made up for this
in enthusiasm.
While there were several technical blips with sound and
lighting, the society did incredibly well to put on such a
strong performance with limited resources, particularly in
terms of set design and production. Comedy definitely seems
to be one of the society’s main strengths, although singing
wasn’t far behind, and I can’t wait to see what they come up
with next year to show off their great range of talents.
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012
DANCE & THEATRE 19
Your fortnightly guide
to the Arts at Surrey
You are invited to a vivid celebration of our
student talent. These shows offer the perfect
opportunity to see the next generation of young dance
artists and choreographers before they embark on
their professional careers. Experience the rich and
unique variety of styles studied at Surrey, including
Contemporary, African, Indian Kathak, Ballet and Hip
Hop.
Final Degree Dance Show
When: 25th & 26th May, 19:30
Where: Pats Dance Studio, University of Surrey
Tickets: £8, £6 Senior Citizens/Staff, £5 Students
www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/dance
series of performances by Film Studies and Theatre
A Studies students, including a free ‘Instillations’
performance, exploring space, theory, design and
practice. Paid events include ‘Relatively Stable’, a darkly
compelling theatre piece, performed by second
year Theatre Studies students, directed by Sabina
Netherclift and ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, a haunting take
on the well-known children’s story, performed by third
year Theatre Studies students.
Little Moments Theatre performances
When: 7 th & 8 th June- Various times
Where: Ivy Arts Centre
Tickets: Installations- Free, Other events-
£6, £3 Students (special offer available in
conjunction with other ‘Little Moments’ events.
Please see online or contact the box office.)
www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/theatre
Jelliman’s
Gems
“All the World’s a stage,
and all the men and women
merely players; they
have their exits and their
entrances; and one man in
his time plays many parts,
his acts being seven ages.”
– William Shakespeare

20 DANCE & THEATRE The Stag | 22nd May 2012 dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Your fortnightly guide
to the Arts at Surrey
Featuring work from across the artistic spectrum, these shows
celebrate the creative diversity that is bred from a year’s hard work
at Surrey. The dance students present performances in styles from
Contemporary to Ballet, African, Kathak and Hip Hop; whilst theatre,
music and film students offer a delightful array of short pieces for your
enjoyment.
The show will also include a reconstruction piece by Dr Jean Johnson-
Jones of Negro Spirituals, a suite of eight dances created by the American
dancer/choreographer Helen Tamaris. One of Tamaris’ best known
works, these ‘protest’ dances are being revived as part of an ongoing
research project by Dr Johnson-Jones at the University of Surrey.
End of Year Student Shows
When: 8 th & 9 th June- 19:30
Where: PATS Dance Studio
Tickets: £8, £6 Senior Citizens/staff, £5 Students
www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/dance
Three performances performed as part of different dance research
projects. iWEAVE explores the transformation of a dancer’s costume
into a digital wearable item inviting unique movement interactions.
Using cutting edge interactive digital technology, dancers have been
filmed in the CVSSP 3D studio wearing garments with unique dance
qualities.
MindBeat Sextet showcases a multipurpose tool developed at the
University of Surrey that facilitates the emergence of shared thoughts
in a multidisciplinary co-creative environment.
Flatland 2.0 is inspired by E. A. Abbott’s 1884 novella Flatland, the
classic science and mathematical fiction. Devised and conceived by a
cross-disciplinary research team from Mathematics, Computing and
Dance Studies, this performance involves three dance sequences formed
around movements in points, lines and 2D/3D shapes, representing
the dialogue and multi-dimensional life-worlds of the characters in
Abbott’s novella.
Dance Research Performances-iWeave,
MindBeat Sextet and Flatland 2.0
When: 11 th -20 th June
Where: Ivy Arts Centre
Tickets: iWeave + MindBeat Sextet- FREE,
Flatland 2.0- £6, £3 Students
www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/dance
Arts Internships:
Useful or Useless?
By Hannah Jelliman, Dance & Theatre Editor
There has been a large amount of media and
political discussion recently as to the value of
internships; many of which essentially make people
work for free. As many of us near the end of our
University degrees, we ask ourselves that seemingly
unanswerable question: what’s next? Some will go
onto to Postgraduate education, some will be lucky
enough to get themselves a job fairly instantly, but
what about the rest of us? I am most definitely in this
very shaky boat, so decided to do a bit of exploration
into internships, and whether they are in fact a
valuable next step up the metaphorical ladder.
We are stuck in a Catch 22: in need of a job,
can’t get a job without experience, no one will
give a job to get experience because we haven’t got
this experience... sound familiar? Even for those
with jam-packed CV’s of anything and everything,
without industry experience it is very hard to walk
straight into a job, particularly in the Arts sector.
However, work experience and unpaid internships
can be an invaluable way to gain this experience as
well as providing vital networking opportunities.
Goodbye message from Hannah:
Many companies in the arts sector, from theatres
to performance companies to well-established
businesses, rely quite heavily on unpaid volunteers,
particularly in the current economic climate.
However, according to the Guardian, this has
caused unpaid work to become ‘institutionalised’,
or the norm. How can we be expected to work for
free, fresh out of university? Is this exploitation of
those of us in need of experience? Perhaps it is, to
some extent. However, many internships are only
part-time, sometimes paying expenses, and are
usually fairly flexible in terms of length and time
commitments. The Arts sector is a tough market to
break into, so just getting your foot in the door for a
few weeks is a step towards a paid job.
We may have to put up with working part time in
a bar or a shop for a while, but presumably if you’re
attempting to create a career in the Arts sector you
have a fair amount of passion and enthusiasm. Is
this not more valuable in the long run than finding
yourself in twenty years’ time in an OK-salary job
that you have absolutely no interest in? It’s going to
be a long hard climb, but one day our flags will be on
the top of that mountain!
As this is the last issue of the year, and my last issue
not only as the Dance & Theatre Editor, but also at
the University of Surrey, I would like to take this
opportunity to say a massive Thank You! The section
has progressed so much this year, and that couldn’t
have happened without the many people involved.
Firstly, my wonderful team of writers, who have been
incredibly dedicated, producing high quality writing
and enduring my many emails! Secondly to the many
theatres who have offered press tickets throughout
the year, including GLive and Yvonne Arnaud, as well
as many people on campus including the Surrey Arts
team and arts societies. Finally, to all of you readers! I’ve received fantastic feedback
from many of you and hope you have enjoyed the Dance and Theatre section this year. I
feel confident to be leaving it in the capable hands of Tiffany Stoneman!
© Sterlic

Film Editor: Tiffany Tucker | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie
Film
Tiffany Tucker
Film Editor
During my time as Film
Editor at The Stag, i’ve had
the pleasure of doing a job
i absolutely love. Being
able to write about the
films I find interesting,
boring, enlightening
has enlightened me on
different subjects and
genres i would otherwise
be alien to. i am thankful
for the opportunity i have
been given and i should
give a huge thank you
to the writers who have
contributed to the Film
section consistently all
year, such as Candice
Ritchie and Caroline James.
i would also like to thank
The Stag team as a whole
for putting in the hours
to lay-up the newspaper,
for without them the
section would surely not
look as amazing. i have
had a wonderful year and
i cannot wait to continue
contributing to the Film
Section next year when i
hand over to the capable
hands of Candice Ritchie.
Review: The Black Dahlia (2006)
By Tiffany Tucker, Film Editor
From the beginning of The Black
Dahlia, director Brian De Palma
creates a ‘film Noir’ filled with an
atmosphere of tense, intrigue and
stylish seduction. The film centres
on the two main characters Dwight
‘Bucky’ Bleichert (Josh Hartnett)
and Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart)
in Los Angeles, whose personal lives
become intertwined with their
occupations as homicide detectives
when they investigate the ‘Black
Dahlia’ murder case. Based on the
novel of the same name, the film
is centred on the true story of
aspiring actress Elizabeth Short’s
unsolved sinister murder in 1947.
The film’s close love-triangle
between Blanchard, Kay Lake
(Scarlett Johansson) and Bucky,
who comes between them, is the
main sub-plot. Johansson is the
perfect femme-fatal, poised with
seduction and perfect eye-candy
for the gentleman viewers.
Bucky becomes a close friend
of Lee and his girlfriend Lake, and
the mix between personal life and
the politics of the police American
institution blends perfectly.
When the mutilated corpse of the
aspiring actress Elizabeth Short
is found, Lee becomes obsessed
with solving the case. Meanwhile,
Bucky’s investigation leads him to a
Madeleine Linscott, the daughter of
a powerful and wealthy constructor
that resembles the Black Dahlia. In an
environment of corruption and lies,
Bucky discloses hidden truths. The
ending of the film, if nothing else is
worth the viewing, has a gripping
twist, and is thrillingly surprising.
With enough corruption, lies, sex,
and hidden truths, The Black Dahlia is
a tense mystery-thriller, perfectly
cast and deeply mysterious.
By Heulwen Williams, Film Team
So far, The Avengers has been
a massive hit in the UK, and
most Americans seem to like
it too, though is it just another
superhero movie? With its huge
marketing scheme, stretching
over months, it was hyped up to be
an amazing movie. CBS Chicago’s
Michael Walters says “The Avengers
is an overblown, overstuffed,
superhero extravaganza,” and I’m
afraid I’d have to agree with him.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive
superhero junkie. I was pumped
to see this - not as pumped as
The Dark Knight Rises which hits
screens on the 20th of July -
because of the media attention,
and the pretty cool concept. Not
to mention the fantastic director
Joss Whedon, who wrote the
screenplay for Toy Story and The
Cabin in the Woods.
After Iron Man, Thor and
Captain America, with cameos
from Nick Fury, Black Widow
and Hawkeye, Marvel’s next
obvious step was to assemble
the Avengers. The ‘Avengers
Initiative’ was first mentioned in
Iron Man 2 and since, (super-nerds
will know) Marvel’s been dishing
out the post-credit scenes like
crazy. Remember the cube thing
in both Captain America and Thor?
Well, that’s on lock-down, under
Nick Fury’s watchful eye (sorry,
bad joke). However, Loki – Thor’s
evil adopted brother – has joined
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012
forces with an alien army and
plans to take over Earth through
channeling the power of the
cube. Run of the mill, really. Nick
Fury calls the Avengers together,
which consists of Iron Man aka
Tony Stark, Captain America aka
Steve Rogers, Thor, Black Widow
aka Natasha Romanoff, Hawkeye
aka Clint Barton and last but not
least, the Hulk aka Bruce Banner.
Throughout, there’s rivalry as
the team learn to co-operate and
try to stop Loki’s plan. There’s
this huge build up of action,
all pointing towards the final
battle scene - set in New York,
standard - where the Avengers
fight invading aliens and floating
mechanical dolphins, that look
an awful lot like Transformers.
In a nutshell, the film is a bit
of a disappointment. With so
many protagonists and a pretty
complex story line, character
FiLM 21
Review: The Avengers (2012)
By Candice Ritchie, Film Team
At a time when exams are
looming and revision
is paramount, there is that
one word which pervades all
students’ lives: procrastination.
The most conventional forms of
procrastination often lie within
catch-up services such as 4oD and
BBC iPlayer, the often delayeduntil-now
room tidying, and most
commonly, social-networking
websites. However, I am always
drawn towards wanting to watch
a film, and this can prove deadly.
Whilst the occasional glance
at Twitter and Facebook can
span as little as ten minutes or
as lengthy as an entire hour, one
can exit its realms at any point.
However, once I’ve completed the
mammoth task of choosing my
film, and I’ve begun to watch it,
I always feel as though I have to
watch it in its entirety. Turning it
off halfway is just not an option.
Perhaps it’s just the unconscious
nature of film-watching which
influences me; it’s natural to
watch a film the whole way
through and essentially, it’s the
ultimate aim: to find out what
happens at the end. But whilst
this tactic is perfectly plausible
for the everyday film-watch, when
watching it for procrastination it
can be fatal: before you know it,
an hour and a half of your sacred
revision time has disappeared.
Whether film serves as more
of a time-waster or a satisfying
break from revision, however,
may depend on the time of day in
development is side-lined slightly.
Occasionally, the action gets a
little clichéd, and there’s a lot of
cliché in that 2-and-a half hour
gap! Whedon, in his defence, has
done a terrific job of portraying
Black Widow and Tony Stark.
However, the common idea that
everyone seems to have is that he
has made an awesome job with the
Hulk. I disagree. Ruffalo’s Banner
is believable and he does a pretty
good job, but the Hulk himself
has a minor role and is only
added for comedic value, in my
opinion. The film has much more
potential, only an average film
perhaps because of the build-up
to it. That said, it is a good laugh,
and the special effects are pretty
good even though 3D doesn’t add
that much to it. Definitely worth a
shot though, just don’t expect to
be blown away or swept off your
feet Superman-style.
Film: the ultimate procrastination?
which you use it to procrastinate.
Watching a film late at night as
a revision-break and vowing to
carry on working afterwards
may simply prove futile: more
often than not, I have chosen this
option and fallen asleep mid-film.
However, if you have revised in
the morning, for example, and
chosen a film as an afternoon
break, you’re more likely to
benefit from it because you’ll
have plenty of the day remaining
in order to continue revision
post-film.
Nonetheless, it is undeniable
that watching a film, although
no doubt one of the most
enjoyable, is one of the lengthiest
procrastinations one can choose.
Perhaps Twitter and Facebook
aren’t so bad after all…

22 FiLM
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 film@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Review: Seconds Apart (2011)
By Tiffany Tucker, Film Editor
Usually before I watch a film, I’ve read
a review or two before hand, or at
least checked out the trailer. But I watched
Seconds Apart (2011) on a complete whim, and
I was glad that I hadn’t been swayed by bad
reviews saying it was a cheaply made horror
film with bad actors, which it was critiqued
for. However, I found it highly refreshing
and amusing, none of that Hollywood gore
and conventional, annoyingly familiar
antiques. I’m not even sure I would call it
a Horror film exactly, more a thriller and
suspense movie with touches of horror.
Directed by Antonio Negret, the film
starts off with a shocking game of Russian
roulette by a group of high-school football
players; without revealing the outcome,
you’re left stunned and the ambiguity of
the scene makes you want to watch more.
The film is centred on two very
sheepish, seemingly perfect teenage twin
boys called Jonah and Seth (played by
Edmund and Gary Entin). They appear to
lead the faultless, idyllic life; however, as
growing numbers of deaths start occurring
at their high school, Detective Lampkin
(Orlando Jones) becomes suspicious of the
twins and sets about uncovering the truth.
The apparent ‘suicides’ might not be as
intentional as the audience first believes!
The film isn’t amazing, but it’s very
refreshing to see a cast of unfamiliar
actors; Seconds Apart is more believable
because the actors haven’t been in a
dozen films beforehand. There are a few
jumpy moments, nothing too graphic or
gory. I was also impressed by the setting
in a Catholic high-school, rather than the
ordinary run-of-the-mill, clique-ridden
depictions of high-schools we see in every
teen-cast film. The juxtaposition between
pure religion and dangers of evil in one
setting also makes the film more sinister
and disturbing. Overall, this film is worth
the watch, it’s incredibly unknown (as I
found it filtering through pages and pages
of horror films online and only choose it
because the title and cover photo looked
interesting), and it’s a little gem I highly
recommend.
Will Smith: get back on our screen!
By Candice Ritchie, Film Team
After pondering over
my DVD collection
for a while and deciding
to remind myself of the
greatness of Seven Pounds,
I became overwhelmed
with a sudden longing for
the superstar that is Mr
Will Smith. Where has he
been? Smith seems to have
almost disappeared from
our screens over the last few
years. Known for classics
such as Bad Boys, I Robot and
the hugely successful Men
in Black and its sequel, it
comes as a shock that his
last hit film was in 2008, the
aforementioned emotional
Seven Pounds.
Some might say he has
been overtaken in showbusiness
by the ever-growing
success of his son, Jaden,
Review: 21 Jump Street (2012)
By Candice Ritchie, Film Team
When we think of Channing
Tatum and his hit films, the
ones which immediately spring
to mind are the classic chick
flicks: Dear John, Step Up and most
recently, The Vow. However, we
seem to forget that Channing can
most certainly excel in action too,
as he perfectly demonstrated in
films such as The Eagle and Fighting.
Now he adds another to that list:
the hilarious action-comedy that
is 21 Jump Street.
Tatum stars alongside Jonah
Hill (star of the hit comedy
Superbad), as two members of the
police force who are deemed to
be underachieving in their work.
Joining the force after graduation,
Jenko (Tatum) and Schmidt (Hill)
are still young and often mistaken
for high-school students: the
perfect pair for an undercover
investigation in a school on Jump
Street. Schmidt and Jenko are sent
to intrude upon a drug ring that
is supplying high-school students
with synthetic drugs. The mission
is simple: find the supply.
After appearing as characters
from opposing high-school cliques
at the beginning of the film
(Schmidt as the characteristic geek
and Jenko as the popular jock), the
way the two are thrown together
and their resentment-turnedfriendship
is extremely cliché
and predictable. Nonetheless, a
contrast to his usual young and
glamorous female counterpart,
Hill is refreshing as Tatum’s
sidekick. The two bounce off
each other brilliantly, and the
comedy appears natural and
unprovoked. The characters’
amateur knowledge within their
work is embarrassing, but it is their
cluelessness which provides the
hilarity. When Jenko’s response to
knowing the Miranda rights is that
it begins with “you have the right
to be an attorney”, we have to take
a moment during our laughter to
cringe.
My main problem with this film
was the trailer. Although it enticed
me to go and watch the film, it
definitely gave away many of the
key comedy-highlights, and at
many scenes I knew exactly what
was coming. Nonetheless, it is still
laugh-out-loud funny constantly. If
you don’t go for any other reason,
go and watch this film purely for
the hilarious and perfectly-acted
reaction of Schmidt and Jenko
when they are forced to consume
the drug themselves – this scene
was most definitely the highlight
of the film for me. Overall, 21 Jump
Street is certainly the funniest film
I’ve seen this year and definitely
worth watching!
On the other hand, if you’re
as much of a fan of Mr Tatum as I
am, you’ll go simply because you
get to sit through 109 minutes
of the gorgeous man himself. No
complaints there…
and daughter, Willow. With
Jaden co-starring alongside
him in his 2006 tear-jerker
The Pursuit of Happiness and
Willow accompanying him
in thriller I Am Legend, Smith
grasped the notion ‘keep
your loved ones close’ with
both hands. However, the
famous offspring have gone
on to have their own stardom
in recent years, with Jaden
appearing beside Jackie
Chan in The Karate Kid and
Willow gaining recognition
in the music business with
her catchy 2010 tune Whip
My Hair. So what about Will?
Smith is soon to be
returning to our cinemas,
and what film could be
better to bounce back with
than Men in Black 3. The first
of the trilogy, Men in Black,
grossed at a staggering
$326,600,000 worldwide just
five months after its release.
The second instalment
failed to disappoint, with a
whopping $235,200,000 in
less than two months. It’s
inevitable then, that for the
third addition, Men in Black 3
3D, fans will be overwhelmed
with anticipation. Directed
again by Barry Sonnenfeld,
the film takes Agent J
(Smith) back to the 1960s to
try and save his partner, K,
from an assassination that
would change the course of
history. Set for release on
25 th May 2012, the wait is
nearly over!
Currently filming for the
2013 release of After Earth,
and with I, Robot 2, Bad Boys 3,
and Hancock 2 all announced
for the future, Smith looks
set to remain on our screens
for a long time coming!
Phew!

Lit Editor: Alexandra Wilks | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie
Literature
By Becky Richmond, Literature Team
It’s a ‘dog-eat-dog’ world out there, or should I say, it’s a
‘word-eat-word’ world out there? Research has shown that
there is a ‘Darwinian’ struggle for the survival of certain
words.
An international team of scientists, including scientists
from the University of Boston and IMT Lucca, have followed
the application of certain words over a 209-year period, from
languages such as English, Spanish and Hebrew. The research
found that there is a “drastic increase in the death rate of
words”. Autocorrect and strict editing processes eliminate
misspelled and nonsensical words which is how a lot of new
words are born.
A message from Alexandra:
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012
I’ve had a brilliant time as Literature Editor of The Stag, it’s been a great
year and I’ve had a wonderful team behind me. I leave this section in the very
capable hands of Emily Smart, whose name you’ll no doubt recognize from
these pages already. A massive thank you to all my lit girls: Rachel T,
Rachel B, Sophie, Tessa, Becky W, Becky R and of course Emily.
LiTERATURE 23
In conversation with Ben Hatch
Ben Hatch, author and family man, talks to The Stag about
his award winning book Are We Nearly There Yet?
By Emily Smart, Literature Team
The Stag: Hi Ben, to begin can you tell me a little about
your novel Are We Nearly There Yet?
Ben Hatch: It’s based on an 8000 mile road-trip my
wife and two kids completed around Britain, where we
tried to visit as many attractions as possible to research
a guidebook. The story of our travels, that includes us
being frightened by a ghost, Nazis, attacked by bats and all
ending up in hospital, is set against the background of my
dad’s declining health. Someone descried it as a memoir
disguised as a travelogue that reads like a novel. But it’s
also a comedy. I’m pleased to say it made John Cleese laugh.
TS: Travelling 8000 miles in 140 days to ensure that you
gave your readers an honest and thorough guide seems
extremely dedicated but tough…was there ever a moment
where you felt like turning the car around and driving
home?
BH: Many times. In particular, the day I took my
daughter for a nature wee in a field of liver ordnance in
Otterburn. There was a sign on the gate I didn’t see that
read, ‘underneath a skull and crossbones: debris might
explode and kill you’. It was the same day a live bat became
However, it’s not only autocorrect that is preventing
the growth of our language, words are being replaced:
‘Roentgenogram’ thus named after the discoverer of the
x-ray has fallen out of use due to the introduction of ‘x-ray’
or ‘radiogram’. Thanks to the short, efficient and easy
pronunciation of the new words, the old die out. More reasons
as to why words die out are because they’re replaced due to
global events, such as wars. ‘The Great War’ was pushed out
of circulation in around 1939 as a war of equal proportions
began, so now we simply learn it was once called the ‘Great
War’.
So find the words with low usage, invent new words, and
let’s not let the English language die out, or become one
dimensional. Keep English alive.
trapped in our lodge in the Kielder Forest and starting
flapping around causing such panic in the family; it was a
bit like a closing scene from the Lost World.
TS: After winning the Radio 2 award for Book of the
Year does this encourage you to want to write again soon?
BH: I am writing a follow book to Are We Nearly There
Yet? called The Road to Rouen at the moment. It’s about a
10,000 mile road-trip around France.
TS: Apart from travel writing, what genre of fiction
interests you the most?
BH: Contemporary fiction appeals to me most, though I
do read other genres as well. I like a story that’s believable,
that can hopefully move me and also make me laugh.
TS: Lastly, with over 17,000 tweets and counting, do you
feel that social networking sites have helped to promote
your name and increase the readership of your book?
BH: Definitely. I think it helps enormously. As well as
being able to talk to other authors, it’s also an incredible
way to directly reach out to readers. That’s never been
available before. Thanks for the interview, Emily.
The Death and Demise of Language
© Calamity Meg

24 LiTERATURE
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Lose Yourself in Lies
By Rachel Thomason, Literature Team
I
’m sure many of us, at some point, have become lost
within the pages of a gripping novel that, until you
surface, almost becomes a reality. But according to a study
conducted by Ohio State University, literature can have
such a profound impact on an individual that it can cause
some people to actually alter their personalities.
Blogger Alison Flood describes one of the studies about
voting. Conducted on undergraduates, it was found that
after reading a story in which the people had to overcome
an obstacle of some sort to vote, the reader was far more
likely to go out and vote themselves.
The researchers also revealed that boys who had read
a story where a young man was revealed to be gay early
on had less tolerance for homosexuality than those who
read a story where the man was revealed to be gay further
in. Leader of the study, Geoff Kaufman, explained that it
was because they were able to identify with the characters
before he was revealed as gay and therefore were able to
relate to them.
However, as Flood points out, these are all very positive
situations. Is fiction just as influential in a negative way?
1. If you turned on the T.V, which of the following
programmes would you watch?
a. Midsummer Murders.
b. How I Met Your Mother
c. Supernatural.
d. E! True Hollywood story.
2. Your perfect job is.
a. Detective.
b. Wedding planner.
c. Haunted House manager.
d. Showbiz editor for a Newspaper.
3. Your favourite Simpson character is.
a. Chief Wiggum.
b. Marge Simpson.
c. Comic book Guy.
d. Kent Brockman.
4. I like...
a. The resolution.
b. The happy ending.
c. The journey.
d. True life anecdotes.
5. Who would you most want at your dinner
party?
a. Sherlock Holmes.
b. Jane Austen.
c. J.R.R Tolkien.
d. Stephen Fry.
6. Which themed party would you most prefer?
a. Murder Mystery.
b. Masquerade.
c. Sci-fi.
d. Hollywood.
For example, the growing fantasies of teenage girls on
finding their own vampire boyfriend or even stumbling
upon true love which happens so often in Austen’s novels.
What about when the themes of novels turn dark? Do
violent, manipulating or homophobic characters influence
readers to the same extent?
Back in April, 15 year-old Daniel Bartlam was sentenced
to a minimum of 16 years for murdering his own mother
after being inspired by a storyline in Coronation Street.
It was also revealed that he’d been watching the film Saw
hours before committing the murder.
Although this is a rare case, it is nevertheless an
example of the effect that fictitious stories and characters
can have on individuals, particularly the young and easilyinfluenced.
There are certainly plenty of novels revolving
around murder mystery, sadism and violence which
regularly top the bestsellers list. With this amount of
popularity perhaps there really is a cause for concern over
its potential effects.
So next time you pick up a book, remember that there
is a whole world waiting for you, but one that you should
completely separate from reality.
What books shall I read..?
Mostly a) If you answered mostly A to the questions, you
should think about trying a crime novel, or a mystery. An
analytical mind helps follow the clues and the satisfaction to
find ‘who dunnit’ makes it all worth it. Try James Patterson, a
great, accessible author. His Women’s murder club series is great
to get invested with the characters, but with a crime each book,
it gives you the fix of solving the crime.
Mostly b) Answering mostly B shows you should try a
Romance. There’s nothing wrong with rooting for a couple and
hoping for a happy ending. If you’d prefer a classic novel, you
should pick up a Jane Austin, a subtle love story. Or if you’d
prefer a more passionate story, The Time Traveller’s Wife shows
love despite troubles.
a) Crime/Mystery
b) Romantic/comedy
c) Fantasy/ Adventure
d) Autobiography
Mostly c) By answering mostly C, it sounds as if you’d like
a fantasy or adventure novel. The quests intrigue and excite
you, and the final destination is amazing, as long as there’s a
battle. A classic adventure series is The Lord of the Rings trilogy
and if you’ve seen the films, why not follow them up with the
books? Or if you prefer less fantasy, more sci-fi, Philip K Dick’s
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is a great start!
Mostly d) Finally, if you answered mostly D, you should steer
towards an autobiography. Check out your favourite celebrity,
they’ve probably released one of their own! They’re normally
funny, and really insightful, giving you another dimension that
a magazine can’t give. Dawn French’s Dear Fatty is hilarious,
and a great story, mostly about her father.
By Becky Richmond, Literature Team
©Ian Wilson
© Helga Wber

Lit Editor: Alexandra Wilks | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie
By Becky Richmond, Literature Team
The world is changing; over 200-million people use
Facebook and Twitter every day. As the internet world
grows and becomes part of our world, we must adapt to
incorporate and embrace this technologically-advanced
world. Although the Kindle and e-books are a step in the right
direction for embracing technology and social networks, AJ
Hanks, the author of a new ‘interactive novel’ sees these as
a tofu hot dog: something replaced but with no real benefit.
Why replace a printed book with a Kindle when you could get
a novel on the iPhone attached to your arm?
AJ’s new novel Someplace Unknown offers a simple website
design to appreciate, essentially, the writing behind the
technology. With no real page turning it feels more like
reading a diary rather than a novel, which makes you engage
with the characters on a whole new level. The interactive part
is just as simple and effective. Pictures during the chapters,
interesting and sometimes seemingly irrelevant, draw you
back into the novel. The experimental structure of the book
hopes to engage the reader’s imagination by allowing them
to interpret their own meaning of the pictures. AJ hopes that
the reader evolves as they read the novel and he’s excited that
the website can evolve as technology does.
The technological advances surrounding this novel aren’t
the only thing about the story. The novel is very well written,
The Stag | 22 nd May 2012
LiTERATURE 25
Someplace Unknown
Are you the
next Strauss,
Freud or
Saussure?
By Sophie Vickery, Literature Team
To be a critic of literature
has got to be one of the
best jobs in the world. Just
imagine English Literature
students and professors of
the future spending hours of
dedicated revision, research
and work following and
applying your opinions and
theories. But how does one
become an English critic?
The first step to take, and
perhaps the most obvious, is
to read, and to read widely.
This helps to acquire not
just knowledge of different
genres, contexts and
writers, but it also triggers
inspiration, opinion and
ideas by comparing texts
against each other.
The second step to
becoming a critic will build
this knowledge further as it
involves studying literature
at a deeper level. This may
involve taking a course in the
subject or pursuing a degree.
Any way of improving the
ability to analyse texts, ask
the right questions and
explore themes, symbolism
and flaws within texts will
improve the chances of
forming credible theories.
Another way of exploring
literature more widely and
to absorb a range of opinions
is to join a book club.
Weekly meetings bestow the
opportunity to challenge
ideas, discuss and hear
approaches you may not
have previously considered.
Finally, comes the most
daunting part; the writing
of your critique. This will
need to begin on a small
scale by writing literature
reviews. Starting a blog is
a great way of practicing to
critique books, especially as
few people will be inclined
to read the reviews of new
critics entering a world
abundant in established
professionals. Once the
reviews gain respect they
may be suitable for magazine
submission. This is a difficult
hurdle to overcome, but
once passed, critics often
find they gain much more
attention, as their theories
are immediately accessible to
wider audiences. Following
this, critics could find their
theories appearing in books
or as part of the research by
students.
Of course, this will
take a lot of hard work and
persistence and new critics
will need to be prepared
to overcome rejection.
However, the thought of
future generations sporting
your thoughts during
seminars, essays and books
is surely enough to support
perseverance and before
you know it you could be
the next Freud, Saussure or
Strauss!
“AJ hopes that the reader
evolves as they read the
novel and he’s excited that
the website can evolve
as technology does.”
it’s touching and it’s insightful. The importance placed upon
the technology doesn’t take away from the message of the
book, however. The book focuses on suicide, secrets and guilt
- such widespread and hard-hitting problems, and always
relevant. Someplace Unknown spreads the light on the secrets
and guilt that everyone has: the specifics may not be the same,
but they’re always there. The characters are interesting, and
you want to read on to find out the big secret at the climax.
Not only is the novel interactive in the technological sense,
but it interacts with you and makes you think about your
secrets, and after you buy the novel on the first website, you’ll
have access to a second website where you can share your
secrets with others, which is a proven therapy.
The novel engages you in more than one way.
Technologically, emotionally and personally. The novel is
beautiful; it’s touching, exciting and thrilling. Not only is it
beautifully written, it challenges the ideas of what a book is:
it’s a step forward and an embrace of the technological future
we will soon find ourselves in.

26 MUSiC
The Stag | 8th May 2012 music@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Music
Newton Faulkner Live – The Man Behind the Music
By Sophia Field, Music Editor
Newton Faulkner is a man of many
talents. He plays the most complicated
guitar with his hands whilst simultaneously
playing a kick drum and what he described
as a ‘floor keyboard’ with his feet. He is the
man that uses the guitar in such unique
ways that the crowd is stunned, but he
manages to stay completely down to earth
and during a performance, sheds waves of
optimism over his fans. He provides not only
an amazing listening experience, but turns
into a comedian between songs, reducing
the crowd to hysterics. Listening to a Newton
Faulkner album is not even comparable to
the live experience. At GLive, he stood alone
on stage and produced everything we heard
right in front of our eyes. It was incredible,
never have I seen so many people silent and
mesmerised by something so minimal. If ever
you get the chance to see this man live, I urge
you to go see him. I am confident you won’t
have seen anything like it before in your life.
How has the tour been going so far?
Really good actually, the last one we did
ironed out all the problems I had early on.
Just kind of getting all the monitors right.
Always takes a couple of gigs to settle in.
When did you first pick up the guitar?
When I was about 14 or 15ish…
Did you have lessons?
Hmm how did it work…? I got into the steel
stringed and acoustic stuff I do now at about
15. When I was thirteen my friends got in
a band, and they both played guitar so if I
wanted to see my friends I had to play bass
actually. That was really fun. Then I played
electric guitar for a bit, which I was never
really that good at. It was fun, but it didn’t
really click in the same way.
You have a unique style of playing, what
influenced that?
Well, there are loads of guitarists who do
similar things, I could name about fifty off
the top of my head, but it’s the way you apply
it. People like Jon Gomm who exploded after
a tweet from Stephen Fry. It was literally,
Stephen fry tweeted and the next morning
it was on breakfast television. The thing
that makes it really interesting is that it is a
collection of techniques, an arsenal of little
weird tricks that you can put together in
whatever order and for any style. It’s pretty
stimulating.
Who inspires you?
Everything. Loads of people. I’m still listening
to the same stuff since I first got into music;
obviously that has a special place. It was a lot
of my parent’s record collection. Neil Young
and Joni Mitchell, kind of everything from
that to ELO and Supertramp. I’m always up
for new and interesting things. Francis and
the Lights have a track called Darling it’s
Alright, which is amazing and the video is just
incredible.
You often perform covers alongside your
original stuff, what do you prefer playing?
Oh definitely my own stuff, I could never just
do covers, I’d get really bored.
Your favourite of the covers you’ve done?
Well it’s Bohemian Rhapsody. I did it for a
long while and I’m giving it a little rest, to just
let it chill out. I’ve replaced it with something
that is going down quite well…
Different vibe, well there is nothing with
the same vibe! I was trying to replace it with
something but I was like where do you go
from Bohemian Rhapsody? I peaked!
Do you ever get nervous?
I get nervous every time without fail. If I
didn’t get nervous at all then that kind of
means you don’t care and then what is the
point?
What songs that you have written mean
the most to you?
Wow, there are loads. ‘I took it out on you’ is
quite special to me and ‘I’m not giving up yet’.
I got really personal on the second album
and so much was so hard to write. This new
album is a bit less heavy content wise.
What is your opinion on the artists that
come out of the talent shows that are so
popular?
I don’t know if I believe they do as much
damage as some people think. After the
initial explosion, if you survive that and
have a career then that is such a massive
feat. It’s really nice people being given that
kind of opportunity, there are a lot of people
who are convinced that it is destroying the
entire music industry. I suppose it does make
things a bit more disposable, but the industry
has been doing that to itself for years… it
hasn’t been developing artists in the same
way it used to. It used to sign things more on
potential. Think about Leona Lewis, she is an
amazing singer. I’ve seen her live a few times
and every time I’m like wow that is really
good… Will Young has also developed into a
really interesting artist. Sneddon has gone
behind the scenes, he wrote some of the Lana
Del Ray stuff. I’ve done some work with him
recently, I was really pleasantly surprised.
What current artists are you a fan of?
I’m trying to catch up. I added loads to a
Spotify playlist the other day. I went premium,
got really excited and started starring stuff
all over the place. Here you go have a look
*hands me his iPhone*…. Metronomy, Gotye’s
album, I just had to listen to that because it
is just so massive. I caught up on MGMT and
Darwin Deez…
What can we look forward to?
Well, the album is coming on the 9th July. The
last two albums I think were kind of on the
same page and this is the next page. With the
first album I was writing in my bedroom, for
my bedroom. The second was more written
to be recorded and this one I have written
stuff to play live… and it’s really working!
Have you recorded differently because of
that?
I’ve been recording stuff myself. Just sitting
at home, I’ve done a few things with vocals
and guitar at the same time. It’s been really
interesting, the album could be sit and played
in a session with one guitar!
A Newton minute…
Favourite food?
Probably pizza, you can get it really
late at night. Might need one post
show.
Alcoholic beverage?
i switch between whisky and coke and
fine ales.
Favourite place to be?
Just on the road. Does that count as a
place?…. i’m happy in a van, i belong
in a van.
Favourite thing to do after a gig?
Bit of a cockney knees up… haha!
Look out for Newton’s upcoming album
Write it on your Skin out on the 19 th July.

Music Editor: Sophia Field | Copy Editor: Megan Barnacle
“U-NeaK” – The New Dance
Music Act at Surrey University
Watch out, folks! “U-NeaK” –
the University of Surrey’s
home-grown commercial dance
music act – have just had their
launch night in The Living Room
on 5th May, and have recently
been confirmed on the new
Dance Music Society committee
2012/2013, meaning they’ll be
putting on eclectic nights ranging
between Ibiza Club, Trance,
Drum n’ Bass and Dubstep on
most Friday Flirt! nights at the
downstairs Union next term.
Not only that – they’ll be playing
some of their own original tracks,
and remixing tracks live.
So who are “U-NeaK”?
Beneath the ironic name is
By Rebecca Worley , Music Team
Away We Go, a quirky
independent film, has one of
the most beautiful soundtracks I
have heard in a very long time. And
I believe that this is for one reason:
nine of the thirteen tracks on
the album are by Alexi Murdoch.
A relatively elusive artist,
Murdoch was born in Scotland
and moved to Los Angeles, letting
essentially the entertaining
collaboration of Simon Rackham
and Shervin Althem. The two
Surrey students have been
actively song writing, DJ-ing and
producing in the studio, and have
recently taken their new single,
Hole In My Heart feat. Emma Barry,
to a London studio where the likes
of Pendulum and Chase & Status
have also had tracks produced.
After noticing a desire in Surrey
for an openly commercial yet
unique act, they have now felt
it time to set free their musical
ideas on the dance scene.
Together, the two boys have
over twenty years of songwriting
experience: they have worked
Alexi Murdoch: ‘Away We Go’
his sleepy folk sound seep into
the American music scene.
Generally, Murdoch underplays
his talent by only playing small
gigs and independently recording
and issuing his album Time
Without Consequence. His closest
brush with fame featured his
melancholy song Orange Sky
appearing on the popular show
The O.C, capturing viewers hearts
with its slow, sentimental sound.
with established producers
including Jud Friedman (Whitney
Houston), Ryan Bowser (Nelly),
and Andy Baldwin (Coldplay;
KT Tunstall). Simon even has a
family relation to Adrian Wright
– member of the BRIT-award
winning group, Human League,
who became successful for their
Number 1 winning single, Don’t
You Want Me Baby.
The duo will be working
hard this summer to perfect their
craft both in the studio and in the
world of DJ’ing. Keep your eyes
peeled for a dance music act to
look out for!
His music features himself on
acoustic guitar, with subtle beats
underneath, finished off with
his rasping vocals tinged with a
Scottish accent. His music just
epitomises beautiful simplicity.
If you’re a fan of Bon Iver or Ben
Howard, Alexi is definitely worth
a listen. I can promise you won’t
be disappointed.
The Stag | 8 th May 2012
Sophia Field
Music Editor
MUSiC 27
i cannot believe this time has come already!
i have had the most fantastic experience
being Music Editor of The Stag this year. it
has changed and improved my university
experience immensely and helped me secure
the placement i am off on next month. i would
like to thank Paul A Richmond for all his
wonderful work laying up the section, Megan
Barnacle for copy editing the section and all of
the writers who have been so enthusiastic and
have provided excellent variations of articles.
i hope you all grab some welly boots and go to
some amazing festivals this summer. Finally,
here are three artists you should definitely
take a listen to: Alabama Shakes, James Vincent
McMorrow and Alex Clare. Bye for now!
REVIEW: Lostprophets - ‘Weapons’
By Tom Goulding, Deputy Editor
Lostprophets recently
commented that their music has
“staying power”, before adding they
would like to bring “emotion and
message” back to music. Since their
debut Thefakesoundofprogress hit
the airwaves over a decade ago, the
old guard of nu-metal has time and
again proven their ability to shift
records. Not content with smashing
the transatlantic barrier with Start
Something (2004) and Liberation
Transmission (2006), in 2010 they
returned with The Betrayed, their
most accomplished album to date.
In contrast, Weapons is a curious
blip on an otherwise upward
trajectory for the boys from
Pontypridd. At its best, the album
conveys the same fury and bombast
that rocketed their previous efforts
to platinum success; stalwart
monolith Bring Em’ Down and singalong
anthem We Bring An Arsenal
pack an opening punch, while the
resounding chorus of Better Off
Dead, ‘I’d rather die on my feet/
than ever live on my knees’ is a
rallying cry to arms, brimming
with defiance, angst and idealism.
Yet despite an urgent
denouncement of political apathy,
there is a frustrating sense that
we have been here before. Where
The Betrayed brought innovation,
atmosphere and a newfound
maturity, Weapons is undermined
by pop filler, at times resembling
the forgotten refuse of Liberation
Transmission. For every Rooftops
inspired Jesus Walks, there is the
plodding tedium of Another Shot and
Heart on Loan, which fail to make an
impact.
This is by no means an
unnecessary compilation of
B-sides; Weapons is fun, loud and
extremely listenable. Yet its lack of
substance, on top of its inability to
break new territory, is a worrying
development from a band that
has never before shown signs
of growing stale. Lostprophets’
continued determination to
reinvigorate chart music is
admirable, however this is not the
album to do it.

28 MUSiC
The Stag | 8th May 2012 music@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Old Dogs, New Tricks: The Who - 'Endless Wire'
By Dan Davison, Music Team
In light of Roger Daltrey's
ongoing Tommy tour and Pete
Townshend's expressed intent to
see a Quadrophenia tour materialise
this year, it seems as opportune a
moment as ever to touch upon The
Who. Despite the aforementioned
ongoing activities of its members
and last year's release of a remastered
'Director's Cut' of
Quadrophenia (1973), the band
has not produced a studio album
in over five years. In predicting
whether the band can still live up to
expectations, the most reasonable
place to begin would appear to be
their most recent outing. Thus we
are brought to Endless Wire (2006),
their first original album since
1982's It's Hard.
One immediately noticeable
feature of Endless Wire is that, in a
comparable manner to Kate Bush's
Hounds of Love (1985), the first half
of the LP consists of unconnected
tracks whilst the second forms a
concept album in its own right.
The latter part, entitled Wire &
Glass, features the fictional rock
musician Ray High, a character
introduced in Townshend's
1993 solo album Psychoderelict.
Although the narrative is often
vague and its 'rise and fall' theme
is anything but groundbreaking,
like Quadrophenia before it, the
mini-opera's semiautobiographical
nature allows Townshend to bring
a personal touch to several tracks.
Mirror Door lists the many musical
icons who undoubtedly inspired
Townshend whilst the spirited We
Got a Hit captures the sentiment
of finally achieving a commercial
breakthrough.
Nevertheless, Townshend's
greatest talents are ultimately as
a composer and not a librettist. For
this reason, whilst the short length
of the mini-opera's tracks largely
prevent its abstract nature from
undermining its enjoyableness,
Endless Wire's strongest pieces
are those of its first half. It's Not
Enough provides a potent rocker
evocative of the band's earlier hits.
Meanwhile, Black Widow's Eyes tells
the dark story of a love at first
sight formed through Stockholm
Syndrome. Long-term fans will
Festival Frenzy
By Rebecca Worley, Music Team
Gearing up to summer usually
involves many people planning
their festival choice for the
year. With Coachella festival in
California attracting masses of
fans and celebrities alike, it is clear
the festival frenzy is going
nowhere. While Britain
may not have the reliability
of sun and Glastonbury,
the festival staple, is taking
a break this year, it does
have an absolutely huge
variety of festivals for you
to catch your music
fix.
Did you know . . .
For a dose of rock and indie
music, Reading and Leeds is the
place to head, with The Cure,
Florence and the Machine,
Kasabian, Paramore, Foo Fighters
and The Black Keys all headlining.
For those looking for something
slightly quirkier, Bestival, on the
probably appreciate Townshend's
occasional throwbacks to The
Who's classic years. For example,
the opening track Fragments
features part of the synthesiser
riff from Baba O'Riley (1971). The
first half also contains the most
thematically notable track on the
album, A Man in a Purple Dress, an
overt and bitingly cynical attack
on religious leaders.
All things considered, Endless
Wire's most apparent flaw is rooted
in The Who's unfortunate tendency
to leave their projects incomplete.
The result of this, in regard to
both the standard and mini-opera
tracks, is that the album features
many outstanding products of
Townshend's initial vision, but
does not entirely come together
as a single, solid record. Despite
this lack of cohesion, the standout
elements scattered throughout
the album allow Endless Wire to be
greater than the sum of its parts.
It may not equal The Who Sell Out
(1967) or Who's Next (1971), but for
the band to pick themselves up
so admirably 24 years after their
last release reinforces my hopes
Isle of Wight, offers an eclectic
mix of Stevie Wonder, Friendly
Fires, Two Door Cinema Club, Ben
Howard and Sub Focus. The mix
of pop, dubstep and folk gives this
festival the edge to stand out from
the others. Beach Break Live offers
the unique experience of a student
only event. Designed with
… Johnny Depp plays guitar on Oasis’ Fade In/Fade Out from
their Be Here Now album.
for their intended tour. This is, of
course, cautiously assuming that
said tour does not become another
Townshend project that fails to
partying away exam stress in
mind, this smaller festival based on
a beach in south Wales boasts Chase
& Status, Ben Howard, Dizzee Rascal
and the Maccabees all combined
with a carefree, hedonistic
atmosphere. However, if your
budget doesn’t stretch to a couple
of hundred quid but you’re still
l o o k i n g
fully come to fruition.
Which Festival is right for you this summer?
for some festival fun, there are
still small, local festivals without
the price tag. So you might not
have a clue who the headliners
are, roll with it and have some fun!
Recently voted the best mediumsized
festival, Guildfest, right
on our doorstep at Stoke Park,
is perhaps the best compromise.
The adult weekend ticket with
camping costs £130, a bit of a
saving in comparison to the
major festivals. And the lineup
doesn’t disappoint with
Olly Murs, Gary Numan and
Tim Minchin playing, as well
as other modern and retro
bands. So grab your tent
and don your wellies;
once you’ve done
a bit of research
it’s easy to find
the perfect
festival for you.
‘Hopefully people can see my music is
tethered to my brain.” – John Mayer.
© Darcy Tanner

Music Editor: Sophia Field | Copy Editor: Megan Barnacle
The Stag | 8 th May 2012
COMPETITION Bloc Weekend 2012
The Stag is giving you the opportunity to
WIN A PAIR OF WEEKEND
TICKETS TO BLOC 2012!!!
How to Enter
To Enter, simply tweet with your full name and the hashtag
#blocstag2012. - you must be a University of Surrey student to be eligible.
Results will be announced on The Stag’s Facebook & Twitter Pages at
6pm on Monday 11 th June. Get tweeting!
By Ahad Elley, Music Team
Butlin’s in Minehead isn’t the type of
place you would expect Aphex Twin
and Magnetic Man to be performing.
However, the good people over at Bloc
made this a possibility in March last
year and I had the pleasure of being
there. The atmosphere was unlike
anything I have ever experienced before
at a festival. Apart from the fantastic
music and visual show, meeting a whole
host of weird and wonderful people
made for an amazing weekend.
On the 6th and 7th of July this year,
Bloc are coming back in a huge way with
a new location in the heart of Olympic
London. The venue is the London
Bloc NUS Promotion
Buy five tickets and get the sixth free
visit: www.blocfestival.com/union
pswd: UNIBLOC497
You will need to produce a valid NUS card on entry.
Pleasure Gardens, within which there
will be several different stages, the most
exciting of which is the MS Stubnitz. This
is a deep sea fishing vessel that belonged
to the German Democratic Republic
before the collapse of Communism. She
is 80 metres in length and weighs 2,541
tonnes. A team of forward-thinking
artists and engineers have converted it
into a moving platform for the sonic and
visual arts.
So imagine this… A huge derelict
warehouse in the East London
Docklands. A colossal wartime boat.
The absolute crème-de-la-crème of
electronic music, not to mention Snoop
Dogg. It almost seems a bit too good to
be true, right?
MUSiC 29

30 SOCiETiES
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Societies
Chris Dighton
Societies Editor
Joining The Stag halfway through the year after
seeing a vacancy as society editor, my time
working with The Stag has been short, albeit, a great
experience. Seeing so many different articles from a
modicum of societies has been very satisfying. This
role in The Stag has been a fantastic opportunity to
try something out that was completely different to
my degree, and I would recommend getting involved
in The Stag next year to anyone who is interested in
journalism or editorial work. As an editor, it was my
job to amend any grammar or spelling mistakes,
and I am glad to say that the quality of the articles I
have received was already so high! I am proud of my
section, and I am especially thankful to have Megan
Barnacle for a copy editor to keep me on track with
regards to deadlines. Thank you to everyone who
has submitted an article or an advert to Societies
this year, and next year, let’s keep societies amazing
together! Good luck to my successor, I am sure you
will do a fantastic job, and keep the standard up!
Soldiers, Goats
and Psychopaths
By Victoria Ashdown, PENsoc
What springs to mind when
you hear the word psycho?
Personally, I hear the jarring
screech of violins from the classic
film, and consequently picture
a madman, in a dress, with a
knife. However, after reading Jon
Ronson’s critically acclaimed ‘The
Psychopath Test’, my somewhat
stinted views on the subject have
altered. Throughout his writing,
Ronson explores what it means to
be deemed a psychopath and takes
an in-depth and comical journey
through the human condition and
the ways in which society classifies
the psychotic. He consults Robert
Hare’s list of twenty qualities
widely used to classify a psychopath
and employs wit and humour in
suggesting that many people in
positions of power do in fact display
psychopathic tendencies. His use of
case studies and primary research
make Ronson’s work intriguing,
comical and slightly disturbing! He
blurs the boundary between sanity
and insanity and leads the reader to
question both themselves and the
people who surround them. Will
Self, a critic from The Guardian,
described ‘The Psychopath Test’
as ‘achingly funny’ and ‘naggingly
painful’, acting to ‘force us to think
more deeply about the subject in
hand.’
In addition to this thought
provoking text, Ronson has won
Go to www.
PENsoc.org
for more
details
and ticket
information.
acclaim with his journalistic
pieces, created a number of film
documentaries and has written a
variety of best-selling novels. One
of which is the popular title ‘The
Men Who Stare At Goats’, which
was recently adapted into a film
starring George Clooney and Ewan
McGregor. Based on true events,
the novel focuses on the connection
between the US Army in the late
1970s and the potential military
applications of the paranormal. In
1979, a covert unit of the US Army
was established that held the belief
that there were soldiers trained
to walk through walls, become
invisible, and most bizarrely, kill a
goat with a single glance. Ronson’s
novel reveals the extraordinary -
and very strange – national secrets
at the heart of George Bush’s
War on Terror and makes some
profound links to current affairs.
The University of Surrey has
been provided with the exciting
opportunity to have an audience
with Jon Ronson as part of the
Surrey PEN Writers Series that
will take place on June 14th. This
will give a valuable insight into
the mind of a best-selling author
and will give you the chance to ask
questions about his work. Please
support the work of a talented
author and come along, you might
be surprised what you learn…
here’s hoping it’s not that you’re a
closet psychopath.

32 SPORT
The Stag | 22nd May 2012 sport@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Sport
2012: THE END OF THE WORLD?
...or the start of something new?
By Douglas Elder, Sports Team
Well, I’ve had a good run. It’s been a
pleasure writing about various sports
this year and all for your entertainment. It’s
been fun writing for The Stag and covering
pretty much everything from women’s
fencing to Rafael Nadal’s headband. I have
suffered a fair bit this year, whether it be
from the perils of black jeans on a hot day
at Varsity, or the error of hair wax on a
soaking wet day in November. But it has all
been worth it!
So, this being the last issue, I bet you’re
expecting some cheesy, motivational
article about how you can be whatever you
want to be or how sport can – and will –
change the world. If nothing else, I am very
predictable, so I will try and do just that.
This year I have seen a number of
people playing a multitude of sports for
a plethora of reasons (thanks thesaurus).
Whether it be the 1st XI playing in a cup
final or the badminton club players just
trying to hit the damn shuttlecock, we all
have motivations. Take yours truly as an
example. An utterly woeful sportsman with
zero physical prowess, next to no mental
strength and a total lack of cunning. And
yet I love sport. I love writing about it,
reading about it, playing it, watching it,
avoiding it through over-anxiety. No-one
is more of a testament to the mantra “It’s
the taking part that counts” than me. Of
Last week was the beginning of the
London Prepares series, which was set
out to test all the Olympic facilities before
the Games to ensure they all functioned
correctly. The series started in the evening
of Friday 4th By Dave Holcombe, Sports Team
May, coincidently when there
were 2012 hours remaining until the start
of London 2012. The annual BUCS Outdoor
Championships was the main competition
being held over this first weekend so
athletes from Universities and Colleges
across the nation could compete in track
and field events at the Olympic Stadium.
Four of the Surrey elite took part in the
competition, all members of the University
course, I try to win, I am manipulative
and get upset when it goes wrong (I want
to be a sports journalist you see), but there
is something bigger at work. Sport is not
just the chance to beat someone weaker
than you, but the chance to co-operate
with people you would never have met
otherwise.
If you’re a first or second year, read this:
First of all, hello, I hope you like my stuff,
nice shoes!
Secondly, take up a sport (or anything
sport-related) next year. Seriously,
it’s a good idea. There are plenty of
opportunities out there; you just need to
know where to look. I came into this year as
a sports geek with bad hair and no societal
experience. As I approach graduation, I am
now only two of those things. Joining The
Stag has given me the opportunity to work
on so many skills: writing, interviewing,
patience, knowing what to wear if it’s going
to be 30 degrees etc. I recommend you take
the opportunities which will be available
next year.
You are the master of your own destiny.
Sure, if you’re only learning to pick up a
squash racquet now or have only just heard
of canoe polo, you are unlikely to become a
world-beater, but you’ll have a good time.
Particularly if you try canoe polo, yes, it
looks as fun as it sounds. Besides, it gives
you more chance to avoid that assignment,
to not do the washing up or at least sound
of Surrey Running and Athletics club,
with Vice President Dan Flello checking
out the facilities. Hayley Crosswell and
Nathan Steele were both competing on
the Friday evening in the Javelin and 100m
respectively. Hayley then competed on
the Saturday but this time taking part
in the Pole Vault. Also competing on the
Saturday were Sports Exec Chair Charlie
Eastaugh and Dave Holcombe in the 800m
and 1,500m respectively.
The ever competitive Hayley just
missed out on the finals in both of her
events but has vowed to reach them next
year. Charlie just missed out on qualifying
for the semis in the 800m by coming 5th in
his heat (where the top four get automatic
smug when your proud grandparents come
round: “So that essay didn’t go as planned,
but I am the volleyball 4th Team captain
now”.
And the opportunities are not just
limited to University sport. This summer
sees two massive sports tournaments
where will be chances not just to watch,
but to participate*. Euro 2012 kicks off
in just two weeks; where we, as a nation,
can indulge in that favourite past-time
of letting England get our hopes up, until
they fall flat on their faces. Nevertheless,
we will cheer them on anyway.
* Not participate in a literal sense,
unless you are an aspiring English
footballer who happens to play as a striker.
After that comes the Olympics. Yes, the
Olympics are coming to Britain; you may
have read about it. Athletes from all over
the world at the height of their professions
will be descending upon our capital city
for both our entertainment and for their
nations. And we can watch them every step
of the way (not really, the ticketing has
been rubbish). For most of the competitors,
the chances of victory are minute, but the
opportunity to represent something bigger
than themselves fills both them and their
peers with immense pride.
Next year, let’s see if we can try
something similar.
Surrey’s Olympic hopefuls
qualification and the fastest four times
from the 5 th and 6 th finishers also qualify).
Nathan also performed well, taking 7 th
place in his heat for the 100m and coming
close to beating his PB for the year. Dave
did beat his PB for the 1,500m and is
hopeful for the next year.
All in all, it was a very good show
by the four Surrey athletes and a great
experience for them to compete at the
Olympic Stadium. The Running Club and
the University are proud of all four of
these athletes.
For full standings visit the BUCS
website.
2011 2012
Thanks for reading and the best of luck to you all!
~Fin~
Jordan Vine
Sport Editor
This year has been such
a great year working for
The Stag. it has opened
up lots of opportunities,
giving me experience as
an editor andmost of all
it has been great fun. i
would like this time to
say thank you toall of my
writers and well done to
the new committee. Good
luck to all thesports teams
for next year, hopefully
we can continue to go
onwards and upwards!