Issue 43 - University of Surrey's Student Union

Newspaper of the students of the University of Surrey Issue 43 – Tuesday 6 th March 2012
Union elections: the fun
continues on page 7...
A whole raft of new contenders enter the ring
and tell us what their plans are for 2012/13.
An exclusive interview with Fetish
night performers, Circus of Men.
Page 15...
OPINION & ANALYSIS
Union security gets the
sharp end of the stick
as letters complain of
aggression. Page 12...
NEWS
NUS elections are close
and The Stag got the
lowdown on candidates.
Page 5...
FEATURES
Find out how the Union
handles complaints on
Page 17...
SCIENCE AND TECH
Scientists discover a
new cellular mechanism
to fend off HIV. Page 20...
DANCE & THEATRE
Hannah Jelliman gives
dance and theatre lovers
a summary of the State
of Arts Conference 2012...
Page 22...
LITERATURE
Alexandra Wilks
interviews inspirational
novelist Peter Baker on
Page 26...
SOCIETIES
MadSoc stages a ‘24-hr
play’ and we look at the
newly formed Postgrad
Society... Page 33...
SPORT
Roller Girls get their
gear together in Surrey’s
newest sports club.
Page 35...
SURREY
MAKES
£500K
IN FINES
• Residential fines jump from £1,300 to £9,000
• Two students fined £100 for having a party
• Imperial makes £27,000 over same period
By Jack White, Editor
According to the results of
an enquiry by The Stag, the
University has made over £500,000 in
fines from students and staff in the
last five years.
The largest part of this figure
is made up of basic library fines,
coming in at between £64,000 and
£71,000 for each year.
Certain categories of fine have
seen large increases over the five
year period. Residential fines have
rocketed from a low of £1,300 in
2008/09 to £9,000 for the 2010/11 year
and lost book fines have gone from
£11,000 to £53,000.
The bulk of the University’s enourmous levy comes from the library.
While some students may not
fall foul of the fines system, some
are receiving very high fines for
relatively small offenses.
Audio engineering student James
Brooke was fined for playing his
guitar by a warden: “He said he could
hear me playing from the courtyard
and issued an on the spot fine for £30.
“When I later told everyone else
about it no–one in the house said
they were aware of me playing at any
kind of unreasonable level.”
Second year English student
Raisa Joseph was fined £100 after a
party in her campus flat: “People
Continued on page 3...

2 EDITORIAL
The Stag | 6 th March 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 and Eleanor Pearson
News
News Editor | Jyoti Rambhai
news@thestagsurrey.co.uk
News Team | Bethany Goss, Sophie Howard, Geoffrey Pullen
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 and
Christina Maria Webb
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 | Stephanie Davies, Tom Goulding, Candice Ritchie,
Emily Smart, Emma Thomas and Sophie Vickery
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.
The
Grapevine
Nothing but the finest Surrey opinion,
rumour and conjecture
The University is rumoured to be
considering a 3.5% rise in prices of its
own student accommodation.
Over the past few years, the cost
to students has risen by 12%, with the
University claiming that inflation has been
13% in the same period. Sources at the
Union however, said that the true figure is
closer to 7%.
Both the Surrey Students’ Union and
the National Union of Students (NUS) have
recently attacked high accommodation
prices. Surrey Union President Osama Salih
has been pressing for the University to build
more Band C accommodation (currently £90
per week), while the University is building
new Band D rooms (£111.50 per week).
Last week Surrey Union submitted
a motion to the April NUS Conference
mandating the NUS to lobby for lower house
prices by both building new university and
external houses, and by simply setting rent
at lower levels.
Term 1 Max. Loan* £ 1,833.33
Band D Rent§ £ 1,720.29
Left over £ 113.04
Or with 3.5% rent rise £ 52.83
* One third of full student loan 2012/13.
§ Rent from moving-in day to Term 2 loan-payment day.
Paper crane feat marks success
for Student Volunteering week
By the Students’ Union
From 20 th -27 th February, Surrey campus was taken over by
the 10th annual Student Volunteering Week, a national
initiative hosted by Do>More showing the breadth of
activities that ‘volunteering’ includes.
Monday kicked off with entrepreneurial project, the £20
Challenge, which encouraged students to propose ideas for
fundraising, volunteering or campaigning events and win
the funding to carry their plans out.
On Tuesday students paused between lectures to do some
online micro-volunteering in the Lecture Theatre Concourse,
answering some simple quizzes and in the process donating
over 12,000 grains of rice to developing countries.
Wednesday’s event Cranes for Cancer brought over 150
students into Rubix at lunchtime with the aim of making
1,000 origami cranes, in reference to the Japanese proverb
that says 1,000 origami cranes can bring luck to someone
suffering from cancer.
Apologies and corrections
Apologies to Tiffany Tucker, whose article February Flicks
was incorrectly credited to Candice Ritchie in the last edition.
Also to Alexandra Wilks, whose name was incorrectly spelled
not once, but twice in issue 42.
Come Clean: NUS presses
for university transparency
By Denise Juvane, News Team
The National Union for Student
(NUS) launched a campaign on
the 20 th February; its main focus
to tackle hidden costs by getting
‘money back into students’ pockets’.
This campaign has been part
of NUS’s wider plan named ‘Come
Clean’ in an aid to protect student’s
rights.
Movements such as ‘Week of
Action’, running from Monday
12 th to Friday 16 th March, National
Student Walkout on the 14 th March
and a lobby of Parliament on the
18 th April will shape their aims for
‘Coming Clean’.
NUS are urging universities to
be fully transparent on all course
costs prior to application; they
are pressing vice chancellors to
commit to absorbing essential
costs within the tuitions fees and
to offer means tested support for
non-essentials.
This initiative has been
launched as research conducted by
the NUS in regards to the hidden
costs of studying revealed that
31 per cent of students’ unions
reported their universities as
covering no additional costs such
as printing, studio fees, fields trips,
travel to work placements and
course books.
NUS President, Liam Burns
stated: “Whether lab coats, field
trips, printing or materials,
students across the country are
facing significant hidden costs
attached to studying. It cannot
be fair that academic success is
dictated by how much disposable
cash you have.
“The effects of mounting
hidden costs puts students under
additional financial pressure,
leading to all sorts of issues – from
having to work even more hours,
sacrificing study time, spiralling
into debt, and in the worst cases
dropping out.”
It was found that only 23 per
cent of students’ unions reported
that their institution included
printing costs in their tuition fee;
26% were found to include travel
costs for study placements; 17%
included CRB checks and only 14%
included the cover of ‘bench fees’.
Back in 2007 it was found that
students were paying up to £1,400
a year in ‘hidden university costs’.
Students on mathematical,
science and computer science
courses are shedding the most
money yearly. Thus, NUS is now
trying to tackle those issues, with
the added problem of some subjects
seeing a reduction in applicants
due to their steep costs.
Mr Burns also added: “We’re
pressing the Government to come
clean and admit that their reforms
have delivered nothing extra for
students, and with a national
walkout, week of action and lobby
of Parliament to come, our voices
will be heard loud and clear.”
At the end of the day Do>More had collected over 930 and
had many more on the way from avid ‘origami-ers’. Nearing
the end of the week, Do>More invited the charity Beatbullying
to campus to run a Cyber Mentor training session. Over
the course of the afternoon, 10 students were trained and
underwent a CRB check in order to be able to provide online
mentoring for young people experiencing bullying.
Finally, Friday came around and it was time for Do>More’s
Volunteering Exhibition in LT Concourse where students
paused to make more cranes (smashing the 1,000 target),
to write well-wishes for sick children, to learn more about
volunteering and write their own thoughts. The week was
a huge success and the Students’ Union’s own publicity
campaign “Thank you ____ for volunteering” summed up
nicely how grateful and impressed we all are by the work of
Do>More and all of our student volunteers. Thank you!

News Editor: Jyoti Rambhai | Copy Editor: Emma Giles
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
NEWS 3
University makes £500,000 in fines
...Continued from front page
weren’t making a mess, just
dancing in the space we’d made in
our kitchen really. At 12 the guard
came round and told everyone to
leave, so they did. Only one of my
house mates [took responsibility],
and I joined him.
“A week later we got letters
saying that we were being fined
£100 each for having people over,
making noise, and breaking the
health and safety rules. We replied
in writing saying that this wasn’t
true.
“He said he could hear me
playing from the courtyard
and issued an on the spot
fine for £30.”
“After the holidays we got
another letter saying that the fine
had been dropped to £50 each. The
injustice is that we weren’t the only
people having a party that night
By David Williams, News Team
Australian retail property group
Westfield has announced
the selling of its 50% share in
Guildford’s main shopping centre,
The Friary.
The sale, which has been
rumoured since the start of the
year, was announced on 21 st
February.
The move comes only months
after £40 million renovations to
the complex had been completed,
attracting upmarket retail outlets
such as Kurt Gieger and Hollister
albeit at the expense of stores such
as Select and Sports Direct.
Westfield is reported to have
relinquished its shares in the
Friary to Hermes Real Estate in a
£159m settlement.
As well as the Friary, Hermes
and also, the immediate lowering of
the fine at the slightest resistance
from us made us question just how
justified the fine was in the first
place.”
The Stag’s request under the
Freedom of Information Act was
spurred by a recent investigation
by The Telegraph and the Press
Association that found some
universities such as Leeds made
as much as £1.8m over a six-year
period.
The lowest figure though came
from Imperial College, which only
made £27,000 over the same time.
A spokesman for the University
responded to The Stag’s questions:
“Fines policy is laid down in the
student disciplinary procedures
and is designed to ensure students
behave in a respectful and dignified
manner to other members of the
university community.
“Clearly students should behave
in this way and it is right where a
tiny minority behave improperly
they are sanctioned for the benefit
of all.
also acquired control of two other
shopping centres and an effective
£400m portfolio from its former
partner Westfield adding the
Friary to what appears to be an
ever growing acumen of British
malls.
Westfield’s shares in Royal
Victoria Place, Tunbridge Wells,
and CastleCourt, Belfast, were
also relinquished as part of the
settlement.
Westfield’s abandonment of the
Friary puts a dent in any potential
further retail expansion plans.
Prior to the announcement
Guildford Borough Council
had considered a controversial
redevelopment of the Friary Bus
Station with a replacement station
to be constructed on Bedford road.
“Westfield are one of the top
firms in the country” commented
Basic library fines
between £64,000 and
£71,000 for each year.
“For disciplinary misconduct,
any money received from the
payment of fines is used for student
hardship and special personal
safety projects for example
personal attack alarms.”
“The vast majority of the fines
levied by the University relate to
library services where users of
the library have failed to return
books on their due date or have lost
library resources.
“At Surrey users are banned
only if they have fines over £30
or overdue items of more than 10
weeks. However, some universities
rely more heavily on banning users
– Imperial College, for example,
bans users if they have fines of £4
or more and this why the amount
of fines they collect is less.”
Westfield to cut and run on the Friary
The Friary shopping centre has recently undergone a £40m renovation.
Guildford honorary alderman
Gordon Bridger, “if they’re
not going to be part of these
development proposals in one of
the most prosperous areas then
who will?”
However, the departure
of Westfield may be seen as a
potential boon to those against the
relocation of the bus station.
One campaigner noted how
they hoped that the new owners
will look at a new development that
will incorporate the Guildford bus
station within it.
Hermes Chief Executive Chris
Taylor spoke highly of their former
Westfield partners describing them
as “the best in their class at what
they do” but gave no indication
as to whether the proposed bus
station relocation would still go
ahead.
Council Leader Tony Rooth
appeared less concerned with the
move having been quoted at the
start of the year saying Guildford’s
ominously sounding “Town Centre
Master Plan” was “…not all about
the Friary” and that plans for the
city were more outreaching than
Westfield’s investment.
Such small town concerns
appear to be beyond Westfield’s
prevue with the move rumoured to
be due to the company’s intension
to focus on larger sites, such as
its investment in the £1.45 billion
Westfield Stratford Centre.
Union denies
illegal search
• Police advise Union that searches can take place
without permission as long as nobody complains.
• Union denies liability for search items because
they were outside the cloakroom, but accepts that
the search was against Union policy.
By Jack White, Editor
Surrey Students’ Union
responded to Presha’s recent
complaint about Union security
last week in a email catalogue
of denials of responsibility. The
email does however go on to
accept that Union bouncers’
general attitude has been
targeted in talks with security
supplier DGL Services.
Correspondence responding
to the possibility that property
was illegally searched after
graffiti was found in the toilet
said, “Based on the statement
from the door staff they saw a
permanent marker in one of the
bags during their search upon
entrance, this coupled with the
altercation at the door did point
to a member of Presha being a
likely culprit of the vandalism.
“By the nature that no one
objected to the search of the bags
where the owner was present the
search was not in fact illegal.”
The Union also denied
responsibility for the property
that was searched because it was
not in the cloakroom.
Presha has demanded that
its officers be shown a law
confirming the legality of the bag
search and that Union contact
with the police over the issue be
published.
In a reply to the Union’s
By the Students’ Union
On 16 th February, the Students’
Union and Do>More
Volunteering Society played host
to 18 local and national charities
for another Volunteer Speed
Match Social. Run in a similar
way to speed-dating but with
students given the chance to
meet charities directly for a few
minutes each, this event followed
a hugely successful first Speed
Match in October and attracted a
number of students from all over
findings Presha said, “You also
state that the searching of bags
is permitted ‘with good reason’.
I trust, the good reason is more
than a search for a pen, that I
might remind you was not found.”
Regarding the disagreement
with security staff on the door,
the Union said, “This male
was refused entry...because he
claimed he had heroin on him
and that the door staff wouldn’t
find it.
“Joking about having illegal
substances on one’s person during
entry is similar to joking about
carrying a bomb when walking
through airport security.”
Presha again rebuffed this
argument: “It is my word that
this was not the comment made,
merely that he had it, and that it
was clearly jovial – in fact, coming
across as more of an attempt to
make the situation light-hearted
than to cause conflict.”
Staff at the Union are
suggestive of the possibility more
complaints have been raised
about the security staff’s general
attitude and the Presha email
states this has been raised with
DGL Services. However Presha
has stated its unhappiness with
the Union’s response and has
offered the Union a face-toface
meeting to discuss how the
dispute will proceed.
Volunteer Speed Match Social
sets up students with charities
campus.
Building on existing
connections and forging new
partnerships, Do>More has
provided many students with the
opportunity to meet charities and
sign up to volunteering projects
as diverse as the Guildford Sport
Relief Mile 2012 and Guilfest,
Surrey’s premier music festival. It
was a smashing success – perhaps
also due to the free pizza – and
so all Surrey students should
look out for repeat events in the
future.

4 NEWS
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 news@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Guildford station to
finally get a revamp
By Bethany Goss, News Team
Guildford station is to get a
£140m revamp after nearly a
decade of delays.
Plans originally proposed in
2003 will bring mass changes to the
station and its surrounding area.
The project has been taken
over by Solum Regeneration, a joint
venture between Network Rail and
Kier Property.
This occurs after the Redrow
Regeneration contract, for what
was then a £240m project, fell
through after the partnership
between the property company
and Network Rail collapsed in 2007.
Solum said: “there will be
significant benefits in transforming
the site in Station View”, claiming
it will regenerate an underused
area, enhance the environment
surrounding the facility whilst
at the same time reduce pressure
on Greenfield land by providing
housing and broadening the retail
and hotel offering in the town
centre.
The revamp would also create
hundreds of jobs.
Senior Development Manager
from Solum Regeneration, Edward
Pearce commented on how the
development is still in the very
early stages of drawing up ideas.
Whilst no detailed plan has been
presented, Mr Pearce was keen
to point out how they want to get
public feedback on some of the
key principles associated with the
development.
After a local survey of 500
residents taken out last March, 83%
of people were in agreement that
the area around the station was in
need of a revamp.
The revamp could include new
housing, two hotels, a food store,
station shops, improved parking,
enhanced cycle provision and
better arrangements for using
taxis.
Other features of the scheme
include an improved arrival hall,
new facilities on the platforms,
landscaping near station entrances
and better pedestrian connections
with the town centre.
A combination of private homes
and affordable specialist housing
for the elderly and students could
be created alongside the actual
revamp of Guildford Station itself.
Director of the Independent
Rail Consumer Watchdog, David
Sidebottom noted on what was
high on the list of priorities
for passengers regarding these
improvements, which included:
accurate information on train
times and platforms, short queuing
times and station staff to be
available when required.
The hotels planned would
include a 4–star high–quality
facility and the new station
square would be over-looked
by restaurants and cafes. A
supermarket also features in the
plans for the revamp.
The £140m planned investment
by Solum Regeneration is seen to
be a welcome endorsement for
Guildford town centre, particularly
in the current economic times.
Row over Guildford
bonfire monument
By Rachel Thomason, News Team
new bonfire sculpture to be
A placed on a roundabout in
Guildford has sparked indecision
over its installation.
The new sculpture would
stand at 16ft and be a permanent
steel fixture on the roundabout
between Woodbridge Road and
York Road.
On Tuesday 24 th February, a
committee meeting was held to
decide whether to go ahead with
the installation but, with concerns
over public safety raised, no
decision was made.
London-based public art
specialists, Mooch, were behind
the creation of the sculpture.
The structure is formed of a wire
dome-shaped cage made from 150
separate metal rods from which
flames rise up and surround a chair
that tops the sculpture, weighing
around two tonnes.
Its creation is to celebrate the
bonfire society of the mid 1800s and
the way that the town’s authorities
brought unrest under control.
This bonfire society was part of
a movement of riots in Guildford
during this period which happened
on bonfire night from morning
until night time. Gangs would wear
costumes and masks and terrorise
those who they believed had
wronged them.
The rioters, who caused terror
every year from 1820 to 1865 on
November 5 th , were known as the
‘Guildford Guys’. They stole from
houses and threw burning bundles
of wood onto buildings as well as
vandalising property.
Attempts to suppress the rioters
often failed because the rioters
simply called for more support to
outnumber the authorities.
However, with the election of a
new mayor in 1863, there was a
far greater police influence in the
town and attempted riots from
1865 were quickly dispersed by the
cavalry.
The sculpture was created with the
intention of commemorating the
end of these riots but civilians have
also suggested that it is more like a
celebration of the violence, rather
than its end.
Surrey Police are also very
concerned that it will pose a
dangerous temptation for public
disorder with people wanting to
climb on the frame despite the five
metre drop.
However, Councillor David
Goodwin suggested that the
position of the structure would
deter such actions. Situated 50
metres from the police station and
in the middle of a relatively busy
roundabout, there is less of a risk
of people being tempted to climb
on it.
A full council meeting has been
rearranged for April 5 th when a
decision over the sculpture will
finally be made.
Surrey graduates
win at Grammies
By Chris Sibthorpe, News Team
Two Surrey graduates won
prestigious Grammy Awards
at the world famous Los Angelesbased
music ceremony on the 12 th
February.
Music producer Jim Abbiss,
45, won an award for his work on
Adele’s smash hit album 21. The
album also won the British singer
two BRIT Awards on 21 st February.
Abbiss, who graduated from
the Tonmeister undergraduate
course in 1988, shared the award
for Adele’s album with several
other music producers in his
category ‘Album of the Year’.
Since graduating, Abbiss has
had a very successful career
including working on Arctic
Monkeys’ Mercury Music Prize
winning debut album Whatever
People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not.
He has also worked on albums for
Kasabian, KT Tunstall and Adele’s
highly successful debut album 19.
The other award went to Sam
Okell, 32, who graduated in 2001.
Okell picked up his second
Grammy in two years, winning
in the ‘Best Historical Album’
category for his work on the
deluxe edition of Paul McCartney
& Wings’ Band on the Run album.
Judges placed Okell’s work
ahead of several other projects,
including a re-mastered Elvis
Presley album. Okell was awarded
in the same category at last year’s
53 rd Grammy Awards for his work
on re-mastering the entire back
catalogue of The Beatles.
Since graduating, Okell has
had an impressive career at
London’s world–famous Abbey
Road Studios – the same location
where he spent his placement
year.
When asked about his
placement year, he described it as
being: “Invaluable in me getting
a job at the end of my studies’.
Okell’s other work has included
working on the scores for films
including Harry Potter and Lord of
the Rings.
Senior Lecturer in the
Institute of Sound Recording at
the University of Surrey, Dr Russell
Mason said: “We are delighted to
hear of the success of Sam and Jim
in the recent Grammys, adding
to the long list of awards won by
Tonmeister graduates in music,
film and television.”
© mary rose

News Editor: Jyoti Rambhai | Copy Editor: Emma Giles
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
NEWS 5
ELECTIONS 2012
What is the NUS?
The National Union of Students or NUS is
the national representative organisation
of students in Britain, encompassing those at
universities, further education colleges and
increasingly, apprentices too.
NUS officers and teams campaign and
lobby every year for a better deal for students,
winning concessions from Government on fee
rises and students’ living costs, and giving voice
to the concerns of those most harshly affected
by issues such as the Government’s changes to
Higher Education funding and abolition of the
Education Maintenance Allowance.
President
In charge of both the political and
administrative ends of the NUS,
the President is the figurehead of the
whole organisation.
VP Society & Citizenship
Promoting students’ viewpoints on issues
relating to the wider local, national and
global community, like politics, environment
and community relations.
VP Welfare
Responsible for looking after
issues that affect students
directly, but outside their
degrees, such as housing, health
and finance.
VP Union Development
Empowers unions to better represent
students, by better commercial services,
better democracy and better engagement.
The VP UD also organises the various kinds
of activist training around the UK.
VPs Higher Education and Further Education
In charge of representing the whole higher and future education sectors
respectively, and coordinating the input of the other VPs into these
sectors. The VP FE has led the fight this year to save Education Maintenance
Allowance, which the OECD described as the UK’s best welfare benefit.
By Jack White, Editor
Candidates for elections to
the Executive Council of the
National Union of Students were
interviewed by student media
representatives on 29 th Fe br u a r y.
The Stag went to NUS headquarters
to find out what they want for the
students of Britain.
As always, the position of NUS
President is the most hard fought
and most hard won. Incumbent
Liam Burns, running for re–
election, showed why he got the
job in the first place, making it
clear that continuity was a key
manifesto item for him. He cited
students’ finances – the money in
their pockets and tackling evergrowing
poverty amongst students
– as his priority for the next year.
Burns also battled fellow
candidates Kanja Sesay and Ed
Marsh over his unification of
the Left and Right of the NUS,
with Sesay urging great diversity
and Marsh preferring a more
centralised approach to NUS
campaigning.
Current VP Higher Education,
Usman Ali also brought a powerful
presence to the debate, making the
aspirations of deprived students
his key message: “We need better
access in every sense – not just to
the door of the university.” He went
on to call for greater attention to
be placed on education of younger
people, saying that this was the
key to improving access to Higher
Education for all social classes.
All the presidential candidates
made good points, but Liam
Burns and Ed Marsh stood out for
their broad viewpoints, where
Kanja Sesay and to a lesser extent
Usman Ali seemed very focused
on one aspect of student politics
– liberation and aspiration
respectively.
Notably, when asked about
the large sums that university
Vice-Chancellors rake in salary
and bonuses, Burns looked to
the cooperative movement for
inspiration, calling for students
to sit on university budgetary
committees.
The candidates for VP Higher
Education were very mixed.
Stalwart student activist Michael
Chessum (who many readers
will have seen in the Guardian
or representing the National
Campaign Against Fees & Cuts on
TV) cut a most impressive figure
in the debate. Perhaps buoyed
up by a year on the frontline of
student representation, he pressed
home a need for radical activists
to abandon their self-imposed
ghettoisation and start talking the
language that the rest of us do.
Chessum started by castigating
the culture of employability
in Higher Education, stating
emphatically, “What have we
got if we can only offer skills and
employability? We need to fight
for actual jobs.” Rachel Wenstone,
also running, added the crucial
point that concentrating on
employability makes it appear like
students aren’t already employable.
All three HE candidates were
asked about postgraduate students,
with both Wenstone and Sophie
Richardson pointing out that
nobody else was talking about
postgrad funding. Wenstone in
particular was keen to stamp out
commercial loans to postgrads.
Chessum countered by pointing
out that while postgrads have
not received attention from the
press or public, they have suffered
the same increasing fees and
marketisation of degrees, without
any of the maintenance loans that
undergraduates get.
Tackling a theme which came
up again and again throughout
the day, the candidates ripped into
unpaid internships, particularly
for students on a placement year.
While Richardson had not heard
of this practice, Chessum called
the unpaid internship “blatently
unfair” and a “hidden course cost”.
“They prevent access to careers –
people from poorer backgrounds
whose parents cannot support
them [during the internship]
cannot get in.”
Finally in Higher Education,
The Stag questioned the candidates
on their views on the fee waivers
which are due to replace cash
bursaries for undergraduates next
year. Chessum and Wenstone led
again, with the former saying, “Fee
waivers make no sense to anyone
other than the government – they
don’t have to make up-front-loans.
Uni managements are kowtowing
to the Government, not fighting
their corner or the students’. We
must equip students and unions
to negotiate and campaign on
access agreements. We can mobilise
students around bursaries.”
Wenstone added, “There is
going to be a £70m fall in bursaries
by 2015,” before suggesting a deep
study of students’ life cycle, to
find the greatest pressure points
and target alternative funding
accordingly.
The candidates for VP Union
Development saw a mammoth
debate. The Stag opened, asking
how students’ unions could avoid
having to bend over for universities
when they usually supply most of
unions’ budgets as a block grant.
Current NUS International Officer
NUS presidential candidates (l to r): Usman Ali (current VP Higher Education),
Liam Burns (current NUS President), Kanja Sesay (current Black Students’ Officer)
and Ed Marsh (current VP Union Development).
Christina Yan-Zhang, who visited
Surrey for iExhibition recently,
suggested a number of ideas to
reduce reliance on block grants,
including a regular NUS lottery,
the money from which would
go to helping pressured unions.
Candidate Tom Hollick advocated
assuring students of the worth of
their union, and then campaigning
around bad press when education
institutions threatened unions
with reduction of the block grant.
Incumbent VP Welfare Pete
Mercer is being challenged by
mature student Sean Rillo-Raczka
(pronounced “Rodgka”) who is
known on the Left as much for his
Edwardian dress sense as much
as his passionate, but measured
politics. Mercer opened by citing
students’ financial support and
housing as his key focuses in
2012/13, while Rillo-Raczka wanted
to “challenge what NUS is” and
“get students on the street talking
about support and housing.” The
candidates also talked about the
crippling mental health issues that
students face, with both candidates
experienced in dealing with
students’ problems.
A wide number of other
topics were addressed by all the
candidates, including those for
VP Further Education and VP
Society & Citizenship, including
community relations, the links
between colleges and universities
and much on unpaid internships.
Surrey delegates to NUS
Students can view the
manifestos of all NUS
leadership candidates at www.
nusconnect.org.uk/conference/
elections. Your elected NUS
delegates will vote for each
position at the NUS Conference
in April and you can lobby
them to vote for your favourite
candidates by emailing them:
Oliver Deed:
ussu.chairperson@surrey.ac.uk
Sam Ratzer:
ussu.education@surrey.ac.uk
Osama Salih:
ussu.president@surrey.ac.uk
Arran Stears:
ussu.postgrad@surrey.ac.uk
Jack White:
jw00211@surrey.ac.uk

sabbatical
elections
2012

8 UNION
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Union Elections
◊ President ◊ VP Education ◊ VP Welfare ◊ VP Societies ◊ VP Sport ◊
Election
Timetable
9/3/2012 Nominations Close
16/3/2012 Manifesto Submission
26/3/2012 Voting Opens
30/3/2012 Voting Closes /
Results Announced
Sam Bednarczyk – VP Education Candidate
There has been a large increase
in the number of Academic
Reps this year, as well as elected
reps for each faculty. I feel
that these positions can work
very positively for the student
population should they be
managed effectively. A greater
representation will become ever
more important as we get the
first influx of students paying
the increased tuition fee charge.
Additionally, as we see a greater
number of student reps, I hope
to be able to create separate
academic rep assemblies for
undergraduate and postgraduate
students, in order to effectively
cover the issues for a greater
population of students.
As the fees increase, I believe
that the academic reps will
become more significant, but
the system needs to become a
more effective way of hearing
the student voice. I intend to do
this by displaying more clearly
the success stories that come
from rep actions, so that students
feel as though reps do make
changes. Furthermore, intend to
review the performance of reps
at the end of the first semester,
to ensure that they are being
used in the best way – this will of
course include the continuation
of the rep refresher training that
was introduced this year.
In terms of teaching time
when compared to the new
fees, I believe that in order for
students to engage, they need
time to read. That said, we need
to ensure that all teaching time is
used as effectively as possible. I
plan to ensure this is the case by
conducting regular room audits
(completed by the academic reps)
that will check the suitability
of certain rooms for certain
lectures. By completing this on a
regular basis, we can ensure that
students are not having regular
disruptions to their teaching.
Finally, I feel that my personal
experiences as both Chairperson
of the Business School Academic
Reps and Faculty Rep for FBEL
have put me in good stead for the
role of VP Education, and hope to
continue making a difference to
the student population, but this
time on a greater scale.
Arran Stears – Presidential Candidate
My aim is to make
sure that no student
is left behind as a result
of their socio-economic
class and to ensure that
all students receive
the best deal from the
University in challenging
economic times. This
covers my main manifesto
commitments. Although
these appear to be welfare
issues, these issues are so serious and pressing that
they warrant the President’s full attention.
I am the best candidate for this as I deliver on my
manifesto commitments. In my current position
as Postgraduate Development Officer, I have set
up the Postgraduate Society and have become its
Chairman. I am involved with the Living Wage
campaign and proud to be associated with it.
Coming from a non-traditional university family
myself, with little financial advantages, I understand
some of the pressures that we, the students, go
through and that there are more people worse off
than me who are struggling in these challenging
times with not enough being done to help them and
Dave Halls – Presidential Candidate
I
’m Dave Halls; I’m
currently your elected
Vice President Welfare,
and I’m asking you to elect
me as your President for
2012/13. I came into the
VP Welfare role last year
as a relative unknown,
just a regular student
who saw an opportunity
to make a difference for
my fellow students.
I’ve spent this year working with the university,
external companies and, most importantly, students
to ensure the best possible welfare provision for all
Surrey students – working to ensure every student
feels happy, safe and comfortable throughout their
time here. This commitment to the non-academic
side of your student experience has seen positive
changes; some big, some small – but always with the
best interests of Surrey students at their heart.
I pride myself on being an open, welcoming and
caring person. I have no hidden agendas or ulterior
motives; similarly neither have I spent the duration
I feel the University has the ability to do more for
them but doesn’t.
The major problem affecting all students
throughout Britain and Surrey is that the money
given as Student Finance is not enough to cover
basic living costs. Rent costs of £400+ per month
excluding bills with 12 month contracts, swallows
this money up, leaving little for students to live off.
I feel this often leads to students living below the
poverty line, often in fuel poverty if they do not
have support from their parents. This ultimately
forces many students to work long shifts often on
the minimum wage simply to support themselves.
The Student Union ultimately needs to become
more politically organised and campaign about
these issues and, above all, care about them.
Ultimately we need to open our eyes and recognise
these problems and campaign to the University to
resolve them.
I am committed to winning the argument and
securing our future.
VOTE NO.1 FOR
ARRAN STEARS FOR PRESIDENT
of my time at Surrey simply planning a path to the
Presidency. I came into this role quite set that it,
for me, was a one-year-only thing; however, having
spent this year getting to know the Students’ Union
inside out, I have absolute confidence in my ability
to continue the great strides forward we, as a
community of 14,500, have taken over the past few
years.
This is a very different place to when I first
joined the University, mostly for the better. We need
someone committed, knowledgeable, and most of
all, able, to continue to improve the Students’ Union
and University to ensure that what Surrey students
want is what Surrey students get. From the cost
of Amigo, to ensuring you have more say in Rubix
nights; to, on a wider scale, ensuring that every
single student at Surrey feels as much a part of the
Students’ Union as they want to be, and knowing
that whenever and however they need it, the Union
is there for them – constantly improving.
I promise you that I have the passion, ability and
the wherewithal to lead this Union, on behalf of all
Surrey students. I’m therefore asking you to entrust
me, Dave Halls, with your [1] vote.
Remember! Nominations are open until 5pm on Friday 9th March –
YOU could be one of the successful candidates!
Visit: www.ussu.co.uk/yourvoice for details

Union Contact: ussu.information@surrey.ac.uk
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
UNION 9
Chris Dighton – VP Societies Candidate
have always strived
I to get involved with
societies since day 1, and
I enjoy seeing people
come out of themselves
when they get involved
in societies. The greatest
thing about societies is
their diversity, and this
is one thing that needs
to be protected. If elected, I would ensure that the
smaller societies and cultural societies do not get
left behind and support them, as they are just as
important to university life as bigger societies are.
As of recent, the societies grading award scheme
was reviewed. I spoke to some societies that took
part and some that did not, to gain an idea as to
what people thought about it, and took their points
to the panel. Some of these points made it difficult
for societies to progress up the grading system
easily, and therefore didn’t represent societies’ best
interest to take part in a development scheme. I
would ensure that there is a restructuring of societies
grading, so that there is fairer classification!
Societies are definitely something that allows
Em Bollon – VP Societies Candidate
am so excited
I to make the
most of the next
couple of weeks,
and meet more
of those who
are currently in
societies; both
committees and
members, as
well as promote
to those who
may not yet be involved. After all, a society is built
upon the collaborative efforts and enthusiasm of
individuals. In my opinion, the best candidate for
VP Societies will seek to support the individual and
Katie-Jane Beaven – VP Societies Candidate
Back the Beaver!
Contrary to popular belief, I am not actually
a Beaver. My name is Katie-Jane Beaven and
I will be running for VP Societies & Individual
Development.
Societies are a key component of any student’s
experience at University and provide each
individual with an opportunity to not only have
fun but to also develop crucial attributes such
as time management, commitment and social
interaction. Furthermore, a student’s ability to
sustain a healthy balance of work and play will aid
their individual development and future prospects
in an ever growing competitive job market. It is the
application of the wider skills you develop through
your involvement in all the University has to offer,
that makes you an individual who will shine to
potential employers after graduation.
As VP Societies & Individual Development
I endeavour to actively encourage student
participation and create opportunities to workshop
the skills required in the running of a society
students the opportunity to de-frag themselves
from a long day, or coursework. Committee members
may occasionally feel stress from organising events
and things for their societies to do, and might not
feel like they are receiving the support that they
could be getting. My dedication to the societies I am
involved in allows me to empathise with this, and
through this I know I can help. I am campaigning for
role specific training to be made available all year
round, for all societies new or old.
The Individual Development role is often
overlooked by candidates running for the VP
Societies and ID position. Societies can help in
the development of an individual, from learning
first aid to a language. We all come to university
for a course, but what else can we get out of time
here? What needs to happen is the promotion of
the skillsets that people can gain from societies. I
believe that there should be more advertisement
and publicity of societies throughout the year, and
not just at freshers’s or refresher’s fayre.
Go with the ‘Fro, and vote Chris [1]
for your VP Societies & ID
collect group alike. This is why, to better understand
the role, I am striving to meet those individuals. In
my three years’ committee experience, what I have
valued most is the accessibility and approachability
of the current Sabb. Therefore, these are the
attributes I hope to thrive in.
I believe that Jake’s implementation of Society
Grading this year, is essential to the development
of a society, but without placing an unnecessary
pressure upon the committee and members in
addition to their studies. A society is a place to
flourish, not burden. I appreciate the work he’s
put into the scheme, and hope that I can develop it
beyond the pilot phase, if elected.
Can’t wait to get involved with some new
societies in the up-coming weeks!
to ensure
regularity of
societal conduct.
I aim to nurture
existing societies
and aid student
participation
through crosssociety
relations,
by categorising
the societies so
that students can
work collectively
to create large
social events
that are successful and well attended. I want to
cultivate relationships between academic societies
and their relative department to encourage support
financially and improve student-staff affiliation.
All of these will work as benefits to allow societies
to evolve proportionally as a reflection to the rapid
expansion of the University of Surrey.
Kylie White – VP Welfare Candidate
I
’m Kylie White and I’m running
for VP Welfare. I’m studying my
Masters in International Event
Management and I’m a Court Life
Mentor.
I believe that the University
has a reputation to uphold when
it comes to campus safety, and
I want to continue to improve
that reputation by continuing
the projects that have already
been set in place. I would also
like to focus on several concerns
I’ve come across as a Court Life
Mentor, such as making sure
all of campus is properly lit,
continuing to promote general
health and safety awareness,
and working on improving the
security monitoring system.
I am a determined and
dedicated individual! My
determination is beneficial to the
position, as I would be looking out
for the students’ best interests. I
also enjoy meeting new people
and hearing everyone’s concerns.
You will find that I’m very
passionate about helping others!
During my undergrad, I held a
position that dealt directly with
social and cultural awareness.
During my time, I organized a
safety and crime prevention
week, as well as the National
Collegiate Alcohol Awareness
week.
I believe it’s important to stay
informed about all current issues
regarding the welfare of students.
The University has put in place a
fantastic list of facilities and staff
that can be of great service to all
students. I am also aware that it’s
a major concern to students that
the University is switching form
cash bursaries to fee waivers. I
understand the importance of
having the extra funds to help
with the additional costs of living.
While the Union is already
doing a wonderful job, I believe
that they could aid the students
by promoting Student Advice
more, and by possibly looking
into providing a “food closet,”
where students in need could
come and grab groceries (nonperishable
items). This idea was
implemented at my undergrad,
and was a great help to students!
I hope this gives you a little
insight about me and my goals!
If you have any questions, please
don’t be afraid to speak to me! I
look forward to meeting you all!
Liam Murphy – VP Societies Candidate
I
’m Liam Murphy and I want to
become the next VP Societies
& Individual Development. As a
President of a society myself, I
understand fully how important
the societies are to a campus as
large and diverse as ours.
I hope to increase the
relationship between societies
in order to put on large scale
events. I believe this will both
encourage further diversity in
and around campus and will give
society members the opportunity
to meet new people and see what
else they can get involved in.
I aim to help all societies raise
as much funding as possible in
order to maintain a healthy and
balanced existence on campus.
For example, Rubix and HRB are
amazing resources that a lot
of societies don’t use. I believe
having funding will increase
involvement from students and
hopefully keep current societies
from going dormant.
Thirdly I would encourage
society membership on a major
scale to all students. There is
more to University life than
studying and I believe society
membership, in this economy,
is beneficial to any graduate
looking for employment.
On Individual Development
I will re-iterate my previous
statement; there is more to
university than studying. I would
help by encouraging and helping
individual students find part
time jobs, placements and one
of my main aims, promote the
Surrey free languages offers to all
students. I believe the individual
development factor of Surrey
is something that is overlooked
and needs focus. I’m extremely
friendly and energetic and I can
help anyone who comes to me.
I believe that societies are
an amazing way to escape the
pressures of a degree, whether
it’s with socials, general meetings
or just going for coffee with some
new friends. I also firmly believe
that if everyone in a society feels
welcome and has fun, the society
will succeed. I would ensure I was
around to encourage this.
Please feel free to come and
have a chat with me if you see
me about on campus or email me:
(lm00137@surrey.ac.uk).

UNIVERSITY OF
Enter details here
SURREY
Session Here:
Thursday 15th March
10am-13.00 and 14.30-16.30
Friday 16th March
10am-13.00 and 14.30-16.30
Mini bloodmobiles to be parked in the Pay & Display car
park. Sessions by appointment only.
Please phone 0300 123 23 23 to
make an appointment

Editor: Jack White
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
OPINION & ANALYSIS 11
Opinion & Analysis
BUSINESS
The Internet
Barometer
By Peter Bailey
As memes abound will tell you,
students are adept at plumbing
the internet for information
with remarkable frequency
and assurance. A moment of
uncertainty is all it takes for a
hasty Smartphone Google search,
or a cheeky Wikipedia reference.
With a world of information at
our fingertips it is both simple and
effective to lean on the internet
and its bounty of searchable
information for any occasion.
And this is not necessarily
a bad thing in society (be it as a
student or otherwise). It embodies
a clear human need to grasp
information, and with it, the power
that information can provide to
an individual. For Businesses it
provides an interesting challenge
in how to best seep into the fabric
of such internet trawling. There is
a fine line between a company with
a message forcing your way into the
free information party bristling
with paid ads and pop-ups, and
subtly colouring the water of the
information landscape with your
own particular internet presence.
The two-way relationship
between consumers and brands has
become far more of an even fight in
recent years. An internet user is
hugely empowered by the ability to
command an array of information
simply by inputting a search string.
Everything from exchange rates
and product comparisons, to “hot
or not” and social trends can be
estimated in seconds.
So what did we do before
the digital “finger in the air”
which many a student has relied
on for a casual filler reference
or rough-shod cost estimate
for their Business plan? Well
some say that the way we recall
information has changed with the
predisposition to simply lean on
always-on internet connections
for the answer in a flash. Without
needing to remember things, some
people argue our range of available
information is now much larger,
but the information available for
mental recall grows smaller by the
day.
So what does this mean for
Business? Well ultimately it will
probably benefit those who cotton
on to the concept of the “Google
test”. Every search we submit is
imbued with a yearning for a quick
and simple answer. Realistically the
Business that can give that answer
is likely to get the attention (and
potentially trade) of that individual
at some point in the future. The
trader who stalks social trends and
matches his production and supply
operations accordingly is likely
to get one up on his competitors.
And the service provider that flips
searches on their head and reads
them as a wish list from potential
customers, is going to be able to
offer the panacea for all their
problems with their next release.
This goes beyond the maturing
concept of paid search and SEO; it’s
about Businesses understanding
that the next generation of
computing users can report on
anything, anytime. It’s about more
than just being given the answer by
a Business or anyone else; it’s about
seeing how that answer fits into the
landscape of information and then
stealing our own answers from
that context. Buyer and Business
beware, we have never had such an
honest metric at our disposal and it
grows more scathing by the day.
Has The Sun really
changed its ways?
Daniel Stevens
Sunday 26 th February saw the
launch of the first Sunday
edition of The Sun, which is
estimated to have sold around
3.26 million copies across the
country. The launch was seen
as an opportunity for News
International to move on from
revelations about phone hacking,
with Rupert Murdoch promising
that the organisation has changed
the way it works.
Coincidently, the launch of
the new weekend tabloid came on
the day of the Carling Cup Final
between Liverpool FC and Cardiff
City – two clubs whose fans have
severed ties with the newspaper
in response to its unique coverage
of major stories.
Liverpool fans boycotted
the newspaper in April 1989
following the paper’s coverage of
the Hillsborough football disaster
where 96 men, women and children
lost their lives. The paper’s then
editor, Kelvin MacKenzie, ran a
story entitled ‘The Truth’ which
accused Liverpool fans of stealing
from the dead and urinating
on police officers attempting to
save the lives of the injured. The
boycott remains strong, with
most Merseyside newsagents still
refusing to stock the paper.
Cardiff City’s boycott of
the newspaper is more recent,
beginning last September
following the murder of Welsh fan
Michael Dye outside of Wembley
Stadium. The club branded the
paper’s treatment of the story as
unfair and referred the matter to
the Press Complaints Commission.
For many Cardiff fans, the episode
suggested that little has changed
in the decades since Hillsborough.
Although 3.26 million copies
sold on Sunday 26 th February,
there remain hundreds of
thousands of people who will
never buy The Sun. The paper
claims it has changed, but these
claims can only be tested over
time. Even if it has changed, some
will never be able to purchase a
paper which has caused so much
pain to so many people, and I
think that defiance is admirable.
Court Life Mentoring: scrap it and
give cash direct to students in need
Matthew
Barker
Freedom of Information
A request response shows that
for last year, Court Life Mentoring
cost over a quarter of a million
pounds – the request shows that
for the year 2010/11 the cost
of the scheme was £258,393.97.
The response also showed 4,822
students lived in Courts in
2010/11, giving an effective cost of
£53.58 a year per student.
Given the choice, would you
pay £50 a year for that weekly
knock on the door? I’ll take an
educated guess and say, for most,
the answer would be no. I’d also
hazard another guess and say
most students wouldn’t choose
to hand over a fiver for it. It’s
not worth the cash, so it should
be scrapped. Instead, we should
give the cash direct to students
through financial assistance
schemes like the hardship fund
and bursaries: students could
get more money according to
need, there would be more money
students could access without
taking time away from study,
and we could help those suffering
most from rising living costs.
The counter-arguments that
satisfaction with mentoring is
high and that mentors make a
difference to some are just not
good enough. Satisfaction rates,
one mentor tells me, are as high as
96%. This is meaningless; students
are not going to complain about
something this parochial when
they don’t have to personally
hand over cash for it. Satisfaction
here means mass indifference,
which is not a measure of success.
On the second point, I do not
doubt mentors help some. If you
ask everybody on campus how
they are doing on a weekly basis
you are going to find somebody to
provide a listening ear to. Helpful
though this is, the benefit most
students receive makes the price
tag unjustifiable; we can deliver
more welfare with the same
money.
Let’s scrap Mentoring, and
give cash direct to those in need
to address the growing problem of
declining living standards.
Got an opinion or analysis to share? Email us!
Send ideas and articles to: editor@thestagsurrey

12 OPINION & ANALYSIS The Stag | 6 th March 2012 opinion@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Letters to the Editor
Readers tear into Rubix / Living Room security
Dear Stag,
Further to your article in The
Stag I'd like to comment on my
experiences with Rubix bouncers.
In the first semester of this year
I was in Rubix with friends and
I was play fighting / wrestling
with a friend of mine – there was
no malice at all. A bouncer came
over to us and I ran and hid in the
bathroom which I realize was a
stupid thing to do, however when
the bouncer caught up with me
he lead me to the door, and said
"Do that again and I'll break your
f**king legs!"
I accept he was right to throw
me out, but threats if violence
from these alleged professionals? I
emailed the Union at the time and
received an email saying it was
being looked into, I received no
further contact.
Yours,
Anon.
Dear Stag,
I am writing in response to the
bouncer article in the previous
issue of The Stag. I too have
experienced an incident involving
the Rubix bouncers showing a
clear lack of care or compassion for
those around them. On Friday 17th
February, I was innocently dancing
by the front of the stage when a
sudden shock of weight landed on
my left shoulder. Facing away from
the stage, it took me a few seconds
to realise what had happened; a
bouncer had jumped down from
the stage, cushioning his fall on
me. Minor as this sounds from
his perspective, it has had great
implications to me. Not only am I
a dance student, but I also have a
previous minor back injury, which
has been greatly accentuated
by being the bouncer’s landing
cushion. I have not been able to
dance since the incident, causing
me to fall behind in my studies as
well as being in great discomfort
due to the pain. This is yet another
example of the bouncers showing
little, or no, consideration for those
not causing harm or disruption,
with the self belief that they own
the union and can do whatever
they want! Something needs to be
done...
Yours,
Hannah
Dear Stag,
I am writing this email to
express my disgust and concern
surrounding the appalling and
downright unacceptable behaviour
of the Rubix student nightclub
security team at the University of
Surrey on numerous occasions.
To begin a couple of months
back, I was enjoying my evening
at the University of Surrey Rubix
nightclub, when I was suddenly
confronted with a glass bottle
being thrown at my head by an
extremely intoxicated female
student. Upon explaining what
had just occurred to a team of
security guards they flippantly
told me to ‘go home mate’, with
no concern for my health or the
criminal act that had just occurred
in front of an array of witnesses.
Feeling completely let down by the
very people employed to protect
my rights and safety as a guest at
Rubix, and after repeated demands
for him to detain her, I felt I had no
choice but to take it a step further
and ring the police. The security
guard whom I spoke to about this
incident, could literally not have
cared less and refused to detain
or confront the offender despite
my face bleeding and swelling by
the minute. It was the 999 operator
that ultimately had to demand the
bouncer (whom I and many witness
could identify) to detain the female
student, so that she could be dealt
with accordingly. The fact that I
had to ring the police in order for
the female student to be detained,
is quite frankly completely
unacceptable and I believe he
should be the subject of a formal
investigation into this serious act
of misconduct. Had I not had taken
the decision at that point to ring
the police the offender would have
slipped away into the night without
any consequences for her actions,
with subsequently my upper eye
severely bruised and swollen for
many weeks.
I would like to add that I
have numerous witness who still
remember the account of these
events very clearly and how the
bouncer’s reaction was completely
unacceptable and contradicts the
very purpose of their existence as
a security staff member.
To continue, on numerous
different occasions throughout
my previous semester, October
to December, the security staff
at Rubix have been utterly rude
and obnoxious, aggressive,
intimidating and threatening. One
occasion I remember very clearly
and with many witnesses. A very
fat, very rough looking bouncer
was standing on the steps between
the dance floor and the stage. I
attempted to gain access to the
stage like my fellow party goers
had previously, when I was told
and I quote, “Get the fuck down
now mate or I’m going to have you’.
Whilst verbally threatening me,
he proceeded to grab me and push
me down the stairs, almost causing
me to fall backwards down the
stairs. Firstly, this verbal abuse and
swearing is classified as abusive
language under public disorder act,
the threatening behaviour and the
assault are fairly self explanatory.
I would like to add again that
many friends who where behind
me witnessed and heard how the
bouncer treated me and where
also shocked and disgusted with
his threatening and intimidating
behaviour, not to mention the
assault they had just witnessed.
The security staff hired by
Student Union to look after the
interests, rights and safety of
each individual guest, are failing
appallingly and is completely
disgraceful. I am writing this email
on my behalf but also on behalf of
my friends and fellow students,
who have each individually been a
victim of verbal of physical abuse
from security staff in some way or
another. To highlight the number
of students who are concerned or
have been victims surrounding
this matter, a partition can easily
be compiled for students that agree
with the points raised in my email
and in your most recent article. The
number of students signing would
raise well into the hundreds.
I would to highlight that this is
a serious on going problem relating
to the security staff, and your
previous article of illegal behaviour
is not a one-off case, but more an
every-week occurrence.
I hope this email can offer
you some more information into
your most recent article about the
security staff at Rubix Nightclub in
the University of Surrey, and I hope
will be used to more highlight the
significance of this matter.
I hope you appreciate that I wish
at this stage to remain anonymous.
I will disclose my name and Surrey
email at a later date should it be
needed.
Yours,
Anon.
Dear Readers,
The response to Issue 42’s article on
the dispute between Presha and Union
security has been overwhelming. In
addition to your letters, many rumours
and gripes have worked their way back
to The Stag.
We cannot comment on the validity
of any particular student’s claims as
regards Union security, but we have
spoken to the Union, which has stated
that these complaints are being heard
and that talks are ongoing with DGL,
the firm which supplies security staff
to the Union. Without prejudicing the
complaints, we are clear that the Union
believes it will get to the bottom of
each complaint and also deal with any
apparent trends.
This has been corroborated by postcomplaint
correspondence between the
Union and Presha, although the issue
has not yet been resolved to Presha’s
satisfaction.
Our editorial opinion is that a
problem clearly exists with Union
security, although again, we cannot
comment on the validity of particular
claims. All readers are welcome
to continue to voice complaints or
comments around this issue and
we wish readers luck with any case
registered with the Union.
Yours,
The Editor
The Great Debate
Privatisation of the police
The Government plans to privatise a wide range of services currently run
by the police including: investigation of crime, detention of suspects,
support of victims and witnesses, and management of road safety.
Tell the campus what you think by Wednesday 14 th March! Email:
letters@thestagsurrey.co.uk
More info: http://tinyurl.com/7ewgqdm ◊ http://tinyurl.com/7qelaos ◊ http://tinyurl.com/7qzq38a

14 FEATURES
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 features@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Features
We can’t work for free!
With the prospect of graduation looming, it’s not surprising that final year undergraduates are concerned about the future. But in the
current economic climate, many will find themselves unnecessarily drawn to unpaid internships. In the wake of an NUS campaign to
eliminate unlawful employment, The Stag got in touch with the University of Surrey Careers Service to find out more…
By Tom Goulding, Deputy Editor
TS: What is the University of Surrey’s
stance on unpaid internships?
USCS: The Careers Service only advertises
positions which comply with National
Minimum Wage (NMW) legislation – therefore
unpaid internships are not advertised, unless
they are with an organisation which has a
specific exemption from the NMW, such as
a registered charity. It is also worth noting
that work placements which are formally
part of your course of study, such as the
Professional Training Year here at Surrey, are
also exempt from the NMW. The majority of
these are paid, however, this does vary from
course to course. In addition to the above, the
Careers Service adheres to the Association of
Graduate Careers Advisory Services’ Position
Statement on Internships.
TS: Could you explain why the NUS, TUC
and UCU have had to collaborate on a
campaign to end unpaid internships?
UCSC: The organisations collaborating on
the campaign have stated they believe
internships are contributing to growing
inequality in education and the job market,
with those with financial support able to
undertake unpaid work, whilst unpaid
internships remain inaccessible to those
from poorer backgrounds or those who live
outside London.
TS: Given the current level of unemployment
UK, do you agree that Arts & Humanities
undergraduates are particularly
susceptible to taking unpaid internships?
Do you think there is a solution to this
considering that most media positions are
already oversubscribed?
USCS: There is some evidence that unpaid
positions are more prevalent in the media
and creative industries, which can often be
popular with Arts and Humanities graduates
- although of course students from a wide
variety of disciplines may seek to enter
these industries. Gaining experience is
certainly important to have the best chance
of entering these industries, but this could
take a number of forms - from short work
experience placements to volunteering with
hospital radio or student media outlets.
TS: Will the University of Surrey Careers
Service be taking measures to make
students aware of unpaid internships in
the foreseeable future? If so, what steps
will be taken?
USCS: It is important that students are aware
of their rights in relation to the NMW, and
makes information available to students to
help them with this. As an impartial source
of advice and guidance, the Careers Service
cannot tell students which positions to
accept. However, we are always pleased to
talk to students about their options, and will
continue to work to make students aware
of their rights, and with employers to make
them aware of their responsibilities.
TS: Do you have any further advice
for students currently seeking work
placements?
USCS: The recruitment process for work
placements can be just as competitive as
those for graduate jobs. Therefore, we would
advise all students to prepare thoroughly and
make the best application possible – tailoring
their CV, covering letter or application form
for each job, and offering specific evidence
of the skills and abilities required by the
employer. It is also worth being aware that
for summer internships employers often
recruit well in advance – with closing dates
up to six months in advance of the start
of the internship. Therefore it is worth
planning ahead. Finally, make yourself aware
of your rights in relation to the NMW and
employment law more generally.
Read more on unpaid jobs...
To read more about unpaid
internships and to comment, why
not visit the new Careers Service
blog:
uniofsurreycareers.wordpress.com
Or for further info please visit:
www.surrey.ac.uk/careers
... or phone 01483 689001 to book an
appointment.
©rob ‘n’ rae
LFW Round-up
Ellis Taylor
Phew, what a fashion week!
Between the 17 th and 21 st
February London was teaming
with fashion folk rushing between
shows. Now although it is all in
preparation for Autumn/Winter
2012, it’s always good to know in
advance which winter items are
worth keeping.
In terms of colour and tone,
berry, forest green, and dark blue
will make their presence known in
the shops. Whilst dark colours for
winter isn’t particularly ground
breaking, we need to think about
how we will wear them. I’m not
talking simple dark jeans with
a dark coloured jumper, oh no,
these shades have a sort of morbid
and mysterious feel to them. In
Christopher Kane, we saw florals
being brought down in their
mood. But if you want something
brighter, look to Holly Fulton for
inspiration. As for print, it’s all
about the country being brought to
the city. Houndstooth, tweed and
tartan were all over the catwalks,
particularly in Henry Holland, so
keep an eye out for those. Also,
Peter Pilotto brought us some
erratic yet controlled prints, as
did many other designers, and
metallic shades shimmered down
the runway of Alice Temperley.
With the colours and prints
nailed, it’s time to think textures.
My, my, there sure was a lot of fur;
Alice Temperley and Mulberry
showed us how to do it, whilst PPQ
threw in some velvet and Topshop
Unique added some leather. For
shape, Burberry Prorsum showed
peplum at its best, and high
necklines were sported on nearly
every runway, particularly Erdem.
If you don’t have the time, or
patience, to trawl through every
show and want some exciting ones
to watch then I highly recommend
Mary Katranzou for inspiring
clothes, and Meadham Kirchhoff
for entertainment (check out
the shoes, they’re amazing). And
finally, check out Anya Hindmarch
for some awesome staging. And
if you missed it completely, don’t
worry - only six months till next
London Fashion Week…
Holly Fulton - LFW

Features Editor: Nicole Vassell | Copy Editor: Michaela Fulton
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
FEATURES 15
The Heart of the Circus
Admittedly, my knowledge and experience with male strippers is limited. So as I sat waiting for the interview to begin, I tried to imagine what British
Heart was going to look like. Tattooed? Seven-foot tall? Completely naked? Promptly, my musings came to an end as the host of Circus of Men came
into the room. He was slim, and wore a skin coloured leotard with mirrors all over the front of it. His eyes were lined with dark pencil and to top off the
outfit, he wore a black fur shrug. I groaned – I never thought I’d see the day when a man was more glamorous than me.
By Nicole Vassell, Features Editor
TS: How long have you been in Boylesque,
and what attracted you to it?
Since 2008, after watching a show at the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival - I used to direct,
but I originally trained as a performer and
I thought: “Bang!” The show was confusing,
it was anarchic, with performers throwing
things at the audience and the audience
were throwing things back...It was a little bit
wild. A lot of nudity, a lot of sexiness – and I
wanted in.
TS: How did you get into Circus of Men
(COM)?
The bosses were looking for male strippers,
but burlesque style ones, ones with a
difference. They contacted me probably
because they wanted me to bring a bit of an
alternative cabaret personality to the show,
and they also wanted to display a different
kind of male erotic. They didn’t just want lots
of buff, meaty guys but a variety of different,
beautiful men on stage.
TS: Stereotypically, this is a field strongly
dominated by women. How do you feel as a
man in this industry?
I feel good. It’s about time men were given
the chance to break out of the normal moulds
of being a man. It’s time that men can find
much more skilled and much more beautiful,
sensual ways of being erotic.
TS: What’s your favourite type of gig to
play?
The late, late, late shows where I can do
anything. The filthy ones.
TS: Is that what’s in store for tonight?
It might happen tonight, it depends on the
audience – if it gets to one or two o’ clock in
the morning, we’ll see how the audience are.
It may come to the point where we want to
pour alcohol on our naked bodies and get
the audience to drink off it - we’ll see what
happens!
TS: Do you ever suffer from stage fright?
[instantly] No. No. Not now, anyway. It’s a
different gig, a different feeling. If you do
mainstream theatre, you stand backstage
and prepare your character, and go through
some sort of psychological process, or
whatever you’ve been trained to do, but this
is much more of you, and yourself – I say just
f*** it and do it.
TS: How much time outside of performing
is spent on maintaining your physical
fitness?
A lot. In COM, we each have particular skills,
and every day you have to keep up your own
training. For me, I pole-dance, I just started
pommel horse (a gymnastic activity)...every
day you have to do your bit – handstands
et cetera. The rest of the guys are the same,
you have to train. There are people from the
traditional circus, from Australia, from all
over the world. There are fire-breathers who
have to keep fairly tough and trained.
TS: Have you ever had any on-stage
injuries?
Oh yes. The most recent one happened when
I was pole-dancing, and the person who
installed the pole had bent some of the metal
out, so as I was dancing I came off with a
big graze down the side of my ribs. But this
definitely isn’t one of the worst injuries I’ve
had – I’ve had quite private parts of my body
grabbed by audience members on the stage.
When I did a gig called ‘Bare-lesque’, I offered
my naked body to the audience to clean with
sponges. And I was knocked over, I was rolled
around, all sorts – I came out of the gig with
all sorts of dents and grazes. But it’s all worth
it in the end.
TS: What’s the best part of your job?
Blowing the audience away. When the
audience are seeing all the acts, revolving
through the air, spinning on the pole, and
you just see their eyes and you completely
capture and claim their attention…it’s a good
job. The worst is hitting a very dead crowd.
Sometimes it’s quite hard in clubs, when the
audience have been drinking a lot and they
get a bit rowdy. Or just performing to three
people. That has happened before.
Finally, describe tonight’s show in one word.
[after a pause] Meaty hotness.
“Though “meaty hotness”
happens to be two words, I
overlooked that. The
interview ended, we shook
hands and he told me to enjoy
the rest of the night. It wasn’t
until I saw him walking away,
that I discovered that his
costume was backless, and
his bare backside was the last
I saw of him before Circus of
Men came on stage. It seems
I was the first to get a sneak
preview of the show - being
the Features Editor has its
perks, after all.”

16 FEATURES
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 features@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Food Lovers:
No more shopping
The iExhibition
is for you!
By Hannah Wann, Features Team
This being my first iExhibition, I wasn’t sure what to
expect. All I really knew was that it was to celebrate
the diversity of our campus at Surrey and that there
was free food - always good. I turned up ten minutes
in to the start, expecting to be pretty early, and to my
surprise it was already packed! People were queuing
all the way through Rubix to get to the main area of
stalls where crowds were jostling to get a taste of what
was on offer, bongo drums were beating and lively
music playing from the GU2 Radio Station. And I was
not disappointed – there was food, and lots of it. Now,
before this event, I liked to think of myself as quite a
diverse eater... I mean, I like Chinese, Indian, Japanese,
Greek, Italian... what surprises would there really be at
this iExhibition? Boy, was I wrong. Going around the
stalls I didn’t recognise half of the food being served by
all the different societies - it was great!
Firstly, I made a bee line for the Indian Society’s stall
– curry being a favourite of mine – and before I knew it
was being persuaded to try a hollow fried crisp-looking
thing that they poured a spicy concoction into, which
you had to eat whole in one go. They told me, amusedly,
as I coughed and cried and gasped for water, that it
was called a ‘Pani Puri’. Their faces showed me I was
clearly not as much of a hardcore-spice lover as I had
hoped. Although it did make my eyes water so much I
wished I’d worn waterproof mascara, it was definitely
something I’d never tried before, or even heard of, and
not anything I’d usually order off the menu of my local
Indian on a Friday night. First new food experience –
check.
My next tastings were less traumatic; I stocked up
on a few of my favourites like chorizo from the Spanish
Society’s stall and camembert from the French, and
instantly fell in love with Sri Lankan food as soon as
I reached their table. Not only did it look brilliantly
colourful and exotic but it all tasted amazing. I’d never
experienced Sri Lankan food before, I’d never really
even considered it, but their kiribath (sticky coconutmilk
rice) with katta sambol (a kind of chilli paste) won
me over. I also found that, shock horror, I did actually
like chickpeas – something I’ve always pretty boring
and tasteless – just when they were cooked in the right
way, Sri Lankan kadala style. The Nepalese Society also
caught my attention, and not just because they were by
far the loudest and liveliest of the stalls! Their curries
– aloo dum and chana masala – were seriously good,
making me re-think why I always only stick to Indian
curries?!
Throughout the night I also lost my chocolatejelly-virginity
at the Malaysian Society’s stall, after
dropping my first two pieces – jelly with a fork...
really? – and noted down that I should attempt to
make Nigerian jollof rice some time, as it tasted great
and looked pretty simple to make, with few complex
ingredients; student-friendly. Overall, I think the
event was a complete success, from not just my own
experience, but everyone else’s that I’ve talked to. It
was lively, free, fun and most of all, different! I tried
many traditional cultural foods I would never have got
the opportunity, or initiative, to try elsewhere and it
made me realise how boring my diet actually is! So if
you love food, like me, here are my top 5 foods of the
night that I experienced for the first time - I highly
recommend you try:
1. Kiribath and katta sambol (Sri Lankan)
2. Chana masala (Nepalese)
3. Serra da Estrela cheese (Portuguese)
4. Jollof rice (Nigerian)
5. Gol Gappa Pan Puri (Pakistani)
Food lovers, do not miss the next
iExhibition!
By Ellis Taylor, Features Team
What’s your favourite thing
to do? We all have that
one thing that cheers you up
when you’re feeling like poop
and passes the time when you’re
bored. Now, try and give that
up for a month. Tough, right?
Well, I’m giving up shopping for
a whole month. I KNOW. It’s like
I’ve gone mad or something, or
just realised that food just might
be more important than clothes.
However, I can’t go a whole
month without any new addition
to my bulging wardrobe, so in
times of little money I’ve been
doing some mind maps (literally),
trying to figure out how I can do
a Matrix style bend around the
rules I set myself. Some ideas,
as I’ve now realised, are a little
unrealistic, but if anyone has
a Tardis I can borrow so I can
travel forward one month to a
time when I can shop, please let
me know. We could even have a
future-celebratory shopping trip
together.
For my first idea, I’ve been
trying to come up with a cool
name for it. It’s not clothes
swapping because you don’t keep
items, and borrowing isn’t an
exciting word. So I think it should
be called wardrobe merging. That
sounds a little more interesting,
but it’s basically borrowing and
lending. However, the negative
to this is that since coming to
University, I’ve realised that I
have an abnormal amount of
clothes, so I seem to be lending
more than borrowing. It does
store up a few “I lent you this
so you have to lend me that”
grudges though. So make your
mate a cup of tea, and bribe them
into lending you that piece that
would look totally perfect with
that other thing for that night.
Now, some of you may
argue that this next idea can be
classified as shopping, but if the
money goes to charity and the
clothes aren’t brand new then
it doesn’t count! Charity shops
are some of the best things ever.
Not only does it give you karma
points and count as your good
deed of the day, but you can find
some real gems in there. You may
find some classic 90s styles that
make you wonder who let them
survive, and you may even want
to do a very loud laugh at some
items (I’m guilty of that one). But
trust me, charity shops are great.
Personally, I’m against buying
second hand shoes, however
make sure you check out the
jewellery and look deeper before
you run out the shop, afraid
you’ll end up smelling like your
dear old Gran.
So you’ve hunted through
the charity shops, dressed like
Indiana Jones (fancy dress noncompulsory)
and found a dress
that either a) is a little too long
for your liking/height; b) has
a great skirt but an ugly top;
c) a great top and an ugly skirt.
STOP. Don’t put it back on the
rail, hand over the £3 and let your
inner seamstress out. Simple
adjustments are easy-peasy; all
it requires is concentration and
touch of patience. Better yet,
make something from scratch.
A skirt is the simplest thing to
make –however, I would only
recommend such a task if you
have access to a sewing machine,
unless, of course, you’re amazing
at hand stitching and have a heck
of a lot of spare time. It’s going
to be a tough month, but all that
time away from the shops might
mean a hand stitched something
is in order.
©mrjoro
Sometimes you just have to make do and mend

Features Editor: Nicole Vassell | Copy Editor: Michaela Fulton
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
FEATURES 17
The countdown begins!
By Sophie Vickery, Features Team
The 6 th July 2005 was an important day for London
– it was announced that our capital would be the
hosts of the 2012 Olympic Games. Since then time has
flown and the 27 th January marked six months until
the opening ceremony. As the countdown intensifies
TV has become abundant in adverts involving sporting
figures and shop windows have replaced winter coats
with sport inspired fashion. Unfortunately, there are
those critics who remain cynical about the games,
claiming that security threats, poor GB performance
and high expense are enough to dampen Olympic spirit
and bring disappointment to the nation. Despite this
pessimism, there is still plenty of eager anticipation as
the hype heightens.
The Olympic Village holds equally, if not more,
excitement than the games themselves. This could be
a result of the controversial ticket allocations which
excluded around 1.8 million fans from viewing the
events live. Instead, the village is open to everyone,
giving all the opportunity to experience some of the
promised aura.
The village, located in the Olympic Park, Stratford,
is principally designed to cater for the 16,000 athletes
and official members of staff from 200 countries. As a
result, the village has been prepared with 170,000 coat
hangers, 5,000 toilet brushes and 64,000 bed sheets. It
also has a 24 hour restaurant complete with 5000 seats,
capable of producing 60,000 meals a day. The Olympic
Delivery Authority (ODA) expect some 25,000 loaves of
bread, 232 tonnes of potatoes and 75,000 litres of milk
to be consumed. The village even includes a school and
3000 apartment buildings.
For members of the public the village plaza is
home to shops, cafes, restaurants and entertainment
services which will only add to the vibrant atmosphere
furnished by the village. Following the games the
village hopes to maintain its key role in public service
by becoming an important part of East London’s
community. There are plans to add 2,800 new homes,
parks and Chobham Academy; an education campus for
1,800 students aged three to nineteen.
As time continues to fly the nation looks forward to
hosting the games and many intend to use the Olympic
village as a way of participating in the celebrations
without holding an Olympic ticket. The next six months
certainly look to be a busy time for organisers as the
world watches London prepare to deliver an event of
such expectancy.
©spcbrass
How are complaints
handled at the Union?
By Dave Halls, VP Welfare
Amongst the varied tasks that
the VP Welfare is involved
in, is sitting on the Union’s
Disciplinary Committee. This
is a panel, consisting of the
Union’s Commercial Manager,
HR Director and the VP Welfare.
This panel meets every week,
discussing, and taking action
on incidents that occur within
the Union building. The panel
also discusses action taken
on complaints received by the
Union; and I’d like to take this
opportunity to briefly run
through the process that is used
for all complaints the Union
receives.
Contrary to popular belief, we
take each and every complaint
the Students’ Union receives as
seriously as the last.
The process is simple,
as detailed in the Union’s
Complaints Procedure (a thrilling
read from start to finish if you’re
ever stuck for some light reading,
and can’t be bothered to pop to
London to buy Heat magazine...):
1. Any individual may submit a
complaint, be they a student,
group or representative body.
2. A complaint is put in
writing and sent to ussu.
complaints@surrey.ac.uk.
This does not have to be from
your student account, but
anonymous complaints will
not be accepted. There is no
prescribed format, nor do you
have to state you are making
a formal complaint- by
writing to ussu.complaints, it
is assumed you are!
3. All complaints will be
acknowledged within
three working days. This
acknowledgement will give
an estimated timescale for
resolution of the complaint,
and the name of the individual
who will be dealing with it.
And that’s it. We aim to have
complaints dealt with within
two weeks from the date of
submission, though obviously
this varies depending on the
nature of the issue.
At the end of the day, this
place is here for you, the student.
It is our responsibility to ensure
that you. We have a responsibility
to ensure that Rubix is safe for all
attendees to have an enjoyable
evening, and by dealing with
complaints in a consistent, fair
and speedy manner, we are able
to use this method of feedback
to ensure that you are getting
the best service we can provide.
Rest assured, getting the best
outcomes for Surrey students is
our utmost priority.
If you have any complaints,
please email
ussu.complaints@surrey.ac.uk

18 FEATURES
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 features@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Taking the Leap!
By Becky Powell and Nicole Vassell,
Features Team
2012 is a leap year, meaning that
last week Wednesday we had
an extra date – 29 th February. This
is to keep our calendar aligned
with the revolutions of the earth
around the sun. *Fun fact* - if we
didn’t have leap years, we would
have missed around 24 days in
every 100 years!
However, another reason
why this day is special is that it
is traditionally the one specific
date where it is ‘acceptable’
for women to propose to their
significant others. Of course,
there is nothing that legally
restricts women from asking, but
it is generally assumed that if a
heterosexual couple get married,
it’s the man’s job to pop the
proverbial question. There are a
number of stories as to why this
practice came about: ‘St Bridget’s
complaint’ tells of how St Bridget
complained to St Patrick that
it was unfair that women were
not allowed to propose to men
as they took too long – so as a
compromise, St Patrick allowed
women to pop the question once
every four years, on February’s
extra day. In 1288 a law was then
passed, allowing women this one
day to propose to men. In both
circumstances it was considered
only fair that if the women were
rejected they were entitled to
compensation, usually a few
pairs of silk gloves to hide their
lack of wedding ring!
Jewellers such as H Samuel
endorsed the 29 th February
tradition last week, through
offers on men’s rings in their
‘Take the Leap’ promotion, and
even by running a competition
to win money towards a wedding
if you propose in the store.
For most women reading this
article, the prospect of marriage
isn’t something that’s in the
foreseeable future. However,
when – or if – you find yourself in
a situation where you want your
better half to ‘put a ring on it’,
how many of you would consider
popping the question yourself –
regardless of the date?
In this day and age, women
should be able to propose without
a stigma attached. But in practice,
many are still dismissive of the
idea. For example, the modernday
classic TV show Friends shows
the character of Phoebe deeming
the act of a woman proposing ‘a
little desperate’ – though that
episode dates from 2004, this
view hasn’t shifted much. Blog
writers on bridewillsurvive.
co.uk say: “There are so many
women in our world today who
want equal opportunities up
until the point of proposal where
they expect the knight in shining
armour to come sweep them off
their feet”. Maybe it’s because we
want the surprise of being asked
or we feel we would miss out on
getting an engagement ring, or
even because we don’t want the
pressure – what if he says no?!
In a marriage, husbands
and wives are considered equal
partners, so why should it matter
who asks who? The fact that you
both agree to spend the rest of
your lives together should be
more than enough, and make the
dilemma of how you get engaged,
trivial. So ladies, when the time
comes, if it feels right, don’t be
afraid to take the leap!
What do your taste buds say about you?
By Sophie Vickery, Features Team
Many first dates are spent over dinner at a restaurant
where nervous couples make light conversation
and try to get to know their new acquaintance,
assessing if they would like to spend more time with
them and potentially build a relationship.
But did you know that there may be a much easier
way to quickly gauge someone’s character without the
daunting task of having to make conversation and
asking appropriate questions? Hirsch, a psychiatrist
and neurologist, discusses that certain foods reflect
different characters in his book, ‘What’s Your Food
Sign? How To Use Food Clues To Find Lasting Love’. So,
what do your food choices say about you?
Hirsch articulates that those who choose nutty
foods have a reliable character, especially in emergency
situations. Meanwhile, those opting for fruity flavours
and are understood to be mentally strong. If chocolate
desserts or chocolate bars fill your cupboards, Hirsch
would equate this with the need for a mood booster.
He says that people craving dark chocolate are ‘social
butterflies’ and the ‘life of the party’, while those
desiring milk chocolate tend to be more ‘introspective
and quiet’.
There are many who would admit to having a sweet
tooth, often opting for sugary treats over savoury
snacks and dishes. Research indicates this ignorance
of cheese or salt and embracement of sweets and
chocolate reflects those looking to ‘walk on the wild
side’, living a carefree lifestyle with ‘few regrets’!
For those who prefer savoury choices such as meats,
cheese and nuts, Hirsch would expect to find spotless
homes and clutter free desks because cheese lovers are
‘fussy about cleanliness’!
Of course, these findings are rather contentious,
but the next time you are on a first date, contemplating
the menu, or are among friends and family at a buffet,
be aware that your choices could be revealing deep
psychological insights into your character!
Let’s hope your tastebuds aren’t as coourful as these
Y’know what really grinds my gears?
Not having
anything to
write about
© OakleyOriginals
“Down on your knees, woman.”
© popster
By Bakita Kasadha, Editor in Chief
I
’m just too damn happy! Things
are going alright at the moment
and it’s making this article hard to
write. I think writing my Grind My
Gears (GMGs) is starting to grind
my gears. Yeah I know - then I
should just stop, right? The thing is,
it’s become my ‘thing’ now, I guess.
Seeing as this is my third year of
writing it, I have to keep this going
until I graduate and partly to spite
the other people who want to take
it over (I’ll explain later on).
I’m beginning to run out of
ideas - I’ve moaned about being
short; recycling in Guildford; girls
(I still need to do a follow up about
the boys); I’ve moaned about you
and I’ve complained about me. Now
I fear that people just see me as the
short girl that has nothing better
to do with her time than rant.
As I previously mentioned, I
can’t stop because other people
want my column and I don’t trust
them with it. I’ve been messaged by
some students asking if they could
take it over. Osama hijacked one
of my GMGs and Dave Halls keeps
badgering me - he wants his turn. I
feel like I’m slowly but surely losing
it (the column, not my mind). How
long can I hold him off if I’ve now
openly admitted that I can’t think
of any new topics?
I wanted to write a GMGs
about racism, which I promise
you would’ve been funny and not
that offensive (and if it had been,
the offence felt would have been
lessened by the comic relief) but
certain members of the Union were
a little concerned. I’m still thinking
of a way to get around it - watch
this space.
So I’ve basically filled my
column and told you nothing.
I don’t know if that’s a sign of
brilliance or if I’ve just wasted your
time. By the way (unrelated note)
I know that in another rant I said
that I can’t use semi-colons, I did
actually mean it. I’ve just realised
that most other people don’t know
how to use them either, so I’m safe.
I’m not a moany mare all
the time; it’s just that I’m rather
content at the moment and it’s
ruining the moaning vibe and it
just really grinds my gears!

Mushroom Rarebit (v)
FOOD
Monday Grolsch £2.50
Tuesday Gaymers
Friday Night DJs playing
£2.00
Mushroom Rarebit (v)
Wednesday
Sport Weekends
Carlsberg/Snakebite £2.00
Thursday Bulmers £2.50
Friday Barefoot £6.50
MARCH FOOD, DRINKS Bulmers & 17 EVENTS CALENDAR £2.00
Jagerbombs 4 X £10
DRINKS
FOOD
OFFERS
Saturday Carlsberg/Snakebite £2.00
St. Patricks Day Specials
Traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie
DRINKS OFFERS
Monday Grolsch £2.50
Tuesday Gaymers £2.00
Wednesday Carlsberg/Snakebite £2.00
Thursday Bulmers £2.50
Friday Barefoot £6.50
St. Patricks
EVENTS
Day Specials
Traditional Irish Shepherd’s Pie
Mushroom Rarebit (v)
DRINKS OFFERS
Monday Grolsch £2.50
Tuesday Gaymers £2.00
Wednesday Carlsberg/Snakebite £2.00
Thursday Bulmers £2.50
Friday Barefoot £6.50
Bulmers 17 £2.00
Jagerbombs 4 X £10
ON CAMPUS
SUNDAY 25TH MARCH
Saturday Carlsberg/Snakebite £2.00
EVENTS
EVENTS
House-Dance-R&B and Hip Hop
Friday Night
Bulmers
Djs
17
playing the best
£2.00
of best
House-Dance-R&B Jagerbombs and Hip Hop 4 X £10
Sport Weekends Every Saturday and Sunday
Saturday Carlsberg/Snakebite £2.00
sabbatical
elections
2012
Friday Night Djs playing the best of best
House-Dance-R&B and Hip Hop
Sport Weekends Every Saturday and Sunday

20 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY The Stag | 6 th March 2012 sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Science & Technology
Scientists uncover new cellular
mechanism used to fend off HIV
By Lawrence Finn, Science & Tech Team
The HIV virus infects at least
2.7 million people worldwide
each year, targeting and eventually
eradicating a key component of the
immune system–the CD4 helper
cells. Yet some cells are more
resilient than others. Now, thanks
to international research, scientists
have uncovered an ingenious
defence mechanism employed by
the immune system against a form
of the virus known as HIV-1, that
offers a better understanding as to
why.
Like all viruses, HIV is parasitic,
relying on a host cell to replicate.
However, the virus has a problem.
Its genome is in a different language
to ours. Ours consists of DNA but
that of the virus consists of another
molecule called RNA. To replicate,
the virus has to convert the
instructions contained in RNA to its
equivalent DNA. Thus, the building
blocks of DNA – deoxynucleoside
triphosphates (dNTPs), are an
important requirement.
Certain cells of the immune
system are able to take advantage
of this-one example being the
macrophages involved in the
ingestion of foreign invaders.
By producing a protein called
SAMHD1, these cells can break
down the dNTPs-depriving the
virus of a vital resource needed
for replication. Unfortunately, the
cell is equally reliant on dNTPs for
replication so it can no longer divide.
For cells such as macrophages
which don’t proliferate, this is not
a problem. However, the CD4 cells
most affected by the virus do. The
cells “would be in trouble if we took
dNTPs away,” to quote Virologist
Dr Johnathon Stoyle from the
Medical Research Council National
Institute of Medical Research.
Whether or not the discovery
holds potential for a new form of
treatment remains to be seen.
The HIV virus up close.
© iceblade
Blue Sky Thinking
By Kate Mcatamney, Science & Tech Team
Creativity is often thought of
as something we have; that
we can come up with original
ideas because of our education
or something innate in us. But
it can also be affected by the
environment in which we work.
Mehta and Zhu (2009) found
that the colours blue and red
can affect creative output, with
blue being associated with more
creative works. This association
between the colour blue and
creativity was found across a
number of domains, including
solving anagrams and designing
toys. In contrast, the colour
red was associated with better
performance on tasks that
require attention to detail, such
as remembering lists of words.
So seeing as our abilities can be
affected by small aspects of the
environment so easily, maybe we
should pay more attention to our
surroundings, and reach for that
blue pen when we want blue sky
thinking.
© A is for Angie
The trials of research
By Kate Mcatamney, Science & Tech Team
find myself in an awkward
I position. The dissertation
topic I have had my heart set
on for the past five months isn’t
as revolutionary as I previously
thought. It isn’t going to be a game
changer, and it won’t launch my
academic career. In fact, around ten
other people have done it before,
and even their findings weren’t
that inspiring. Now, I know I’m
not the first person to go through
this, in fact, when I talk to people
about this I often get back similar
stories. This is something familiar
to most people in research, but it’s
not something that you’re actively
prepared for, and can leave you
feeling very alone when it does
happen. However, this can also be
a great motivator, and I know that
having this experience now means
I’m not going to go through it again.
So all in all, maybe a bit of failure is
a good thing.
Microchip development may
end need for self-injection
© rileyporter
By Melissa Raske, Science & Tech Team
The first in–human clinical
trial for a drug releasing
microchip has successfully
been completed.
The trial, published in
Science Translational Medicine,
involved inserting the chip
into the waists of women
with osteoporosis and then
activating it by remote control.
Professor Robert Langer
from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology was one
of the designers, and said that
with this “you could literally
have a pharmacy on a chip.”
He went on to discuss
other potential uses including
treatment for ‘multiple
sclerosis, vaccine delivery,
treating cancer and pain
management.’
The chip, which is 3cm by
5cm and 1 cm thick, has been
in development for 15 years
and is expected to take about
5 more years to be made into a
marketable product.
The chip is made from
biocompatible materials and on
the inside contains electronics
and tiny wells containing the
correct doses of the drug.
To release the drug the thin
layers of titanium and platinum
covering the wells are broken
with an electronic current,
making the drug available to
enter the blood stream.
Importantly, no side effects
were recorded, however the
chip only contained 20 doses
but it is thought that eventually
they could contain hundreds of
doses.
These microchips will be
particularly useful for patients
on a daily regimen of drugs that
are self injected.

Sci/Tech Editor: Nathanael Roome | Copy Editor: Louisa White
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 21
Penrose presents the
Big Bang in new light
By Ruth Smithers, Science & Tech Team
6pm on Thursday 16 th February: a packed
School of Management lecture theatre
experienced the very first of the annual
Lewis Elton Lectures. Gracing the university
with his presence on this occasion, was
Mathematical Physicist and Wolf Prize
winner Sir Roger Penrose, who gave an
engaging ninety-minute talk entitled ‘Seeing
Through the Big Bang into Another World’.
Settling down into their seats, the
audience were first given an introduction
by Professor Jim Al-Khalili, who presented
a humorous anecdote of his first interaction
with Sir Roger. An apology for the lateness of
Elton himself, and the talk began.
It was clear from the offset that this was
no standard PowerPoint presentation as may
have been expected – slides were replaced
with acetate sheets, almost completely
covered in multi-coloured diagrams and
exclamatory statements. The medium meant
sheets could be overlapped, adding particles
to light cone diagrams or changing their
usage altogether.
The order of material was also quite nonstandard
– it could almost be said that the
progression was non-linear – chaotic, even.
References were made to past and future
material; focus was important for each
audience member.
The subject of his talk, however, was
fascinating. A basic knowledge of physics was
surely required to retain a firm grasp on the
concepts presented by Sir Roger – light cones
perhaps appearing like golden sand-timers
to the younger members of the audience –
but his theories regarding the future of our
universe were sure to engage. Outlining the
three current hypotheses following the Big
Bang, Sir Roger presented his theory of our
future acting more as the Big Bang of the
next aeon.
Always a heavily debated topic, the talk
was almost controversial in some of its
ideas. Overall, Sir Roger held a great lecture,
despite not being as accessible as some other
public lectures. We can only hope the next
Lewis Elton lecture is as engaging.
© BrendaAnderson
Republican Santorum attacks
‘morally objectionable’ science
By Melissa Raske, Science & Tech Team
Leading Republican candidates Mitt
Romney and Rick Santorum have taken
up positions against science and scientific
research in a number of areas, despite
research that shows that the majority of
Americans believe the future of the US
economy lies in scientific research.
Public opinion polls completed by
Research! America have shown that 77% of
Americans believe that the US is losing its
international competitiveness in science
and technology, while 91% think that
research and development is vital to the
economy.
Santorum has taken a negative view
towards science stating in a recent Colorado
speech that climate change theories are “an
absolute travesty of scientific research.”
In relation to a key issue for all potential
presidential candidates, embryonic stem
cell research, Santorum has said he would
like to ban funding for this and other
“morally objectionable things,” in answer
to a question during an interview with the
Washington Journal on C-Span.
Santorum and another Republican
candidate, Newt Gingrich, have stated that
they do not support stem cell research of
any form.
Romney has taken a less extreme view
saying he supports the research as long as
the stem cells come from excess embryos in
a fertility lab and are not farmed.
He has said he would not give it federal
funding stating that he would prefer to fund
alternative research such as altered nuclear
transfer, a process that creates pluripotent
stem cells without the need for an embryo.
© donkeyhotey
Science & Technology Quiz
Put the following list in order of most
owned and regularly used technology:
(Based upon US adults; Forrester report, 2008)
• GPS/Navigation
device
• Mobile phone (any
type)
• MP3 Player
• Digital camera
Answers from last issue:
• Laptop PC
• A desktop PC
• Games console
• A printer
• DVD Player
Answers in the next issue
1) Dorothy Hodgkin (she never was a housewife) 2) 415 3) 1953
(within 5 years?) 4) An expert on Fungi, credited with being the first to
suggest that lichens were a symbiotic relationship between fungi and
algae. 5) The Eiffel Tower 6) Nuclear Fission 7) Hydrogen 8) Fruit Flies or
Drosophila 9) Marie Curie 10) Windscreen wipers
Dr Martin Unwin with his Tsycho Brahe award
Surrey engineering
alumnus wins space
navigation award
By Sophie Howard, News Team
former Surrey PhD student has been
A awarded the 2011 Tycho Brahe prize for
contributions towards space navigation and
control.
Dr Martin Unwin started as a Surrey
Space Centre CASE PhD student back in
1991 pioneering the GPS-based autonomous
navigation on the University’s PoSAT-1
microsatellite, which was launched in 1993.
Employed by SSTL in 1995, Dr Unwin led
the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
team for many years. His successes included the
design of the Space GPS Receiver series which
first demonstrated the feasibility of using
commercially available receiver technology
in space, and the flight demonstration of GPSbased
attitude determination on UoSAT-12 in
1999.
He also made significant contributions to a
GPS experiment and a signal generator flying
on the first European GNSS test satellite,
GIOVE-A, and is now a Principal Engineer in
the GNSS Receivers Team.
Dr Unwin said: “Following my own PhD
studentship, our GNSS team has gone on to
host eight successive University of Surrey PhD
students on placement within SSTL, four of
whom have subsequently been employed by
SSTL.
On receiving this award, DR Unwin said: “I
am honoured, privileged and grateful for the
award. My achievements are in a large part
due to being in right place at the right time
surrounded by the right people”.
Dr Unwin, who works at the world’s
leading small satellite firm SSTL, has a long
history of collaboration with the Surrey Space
Centre at the University of Surrey where he
completed his PhD.
Director of the Surrey Space Centre and
Executive Chairman of SSTL, Sir Martin
Sweeting said: “Martin’s work is a great
example of the powerful synergy of academic
research and commercial exploitation that is
at the heart of Surrey’s approach to changing
the economics of space.
“His award is very well-deserved and we
are all proud of his achievements.”

22 DANCE & THEATRE The Stag | 6 th March 2012 dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Dance & Theatre
Yvonne Arnaud
– Less Than Kind
By Tiffany Stoneman, Dance & Theatre Team
Set in 1944 London, Terence Rattigan’s
Less Than Kind unravels Sir John (James
Wilby) and Mrs Brown (Sara Crowe), two
independent adults who have found
scandalous love amongst war-torn
Britain. When war-widow Mrs Brown’s
son Michael (David Osmond) returns,
the household is thrown into a frenzy of
politics, anger, and conspiracy. Directing
one of the first performances of this play
in over 60 years, Adrian Brown shows us
the elegance of the upper class on a back
drop of political and domestic turmoil –
without pushing the point of neither war
nor peace, Brown manages to build the
household situation up until its amusing
conclusion with wit and intelligence.
James Wilby played with strength
and sincerity, making Sir John an
uncomplicated, straight–forward
character, who only wishes to spend life
with the one he loves, and not get caught
up in the games of her riled son. Though
a little flat at points, Sara Crowe is a
resigned war–widow finding happiness
in the arms of a millionaire – but never
once did Crowe play this in a shallow
way, rather with a slightly confused
but instinctively maternal slant. As the
young and self-important Michael, David
Osmond held his own with a broody
performance, carrying a childlike
protection that worked so well against
Crow and Wilby. His shifting moods
were both relatable and understandable,
whilst his pretentious manner created
many laughs amongst the audience.
Amy Yardley’s set was simple but
effective in this realistic piece – the
large living room of Sir John’s house
contrasted with the demure flat in act
two, which also sought to highlight the
comedy within Michael’s relationship
later in the play.
With simplicity and observation,
Less Than Kind is a wartime play that is
both humorous and thought provoking,
challenging political ideas without
overstepping the mark, but ultimately
portraying a love story in a time not too
dissimilar to our own. An uncomplicated
and feel-good show that would prove
nostalgic to the older generation and
amusing to the young.
State of the Arts Conference 2012
By Hannah Jelliman, Dance & Theatre Editor
Recession, mass unemployment,
higher education fees; the state of
our government is definitely not looking
great right now, and this isn’t doing the
arts world any favours. The annual State
of the Arts Conference, hosted by Arts
Council England in conjunction with
BBC, Salford City Council, Manchester
City Council and the British Council took
place recently to discuss the value of the
arts and what can and needs to be done
in order to save and maintain the rich
arts culture we have in Britain today.
The arts, including dance, theatre,
music, film, visual arts and many other
sub categories, provoke imagination,
inclusion, expression and creativity, in
my opinion creating rounded human
beings. Art has the ability to create
social change by drawing attention to
important, controversial and pressing
issues that may otherwise be ignored.
Arts don’t necessarily hold the answers,
but make us think and reflect on not only
society as a whole, but more personal
matters; they have the power to speak
against social and political issues in
a subtle, yet effective way. According
to Ed Vaizey, the minister of Culture,
Communications and the Creative
industries, now is a time for the ‘long
overdue recognition that the arts sit at
the centre of the changes of what we are
experiencing’ in terms of our economic
situation. There is far less funding for the
arts, especially from the government,
forcing us to ‘create something out of
nothing’ (Jonzi D- Artistic Director of
Breakin’ Convention), making artists
be more inventive in their work and
experiment with the little resources
they do have access to. In order for the
arts to survive, it must receive political
and social validation from the masses
as well as the authorities, and be taken
seriously within its context.
The upcoming Olympic celebrations
has provided a fantastic publicity event
for the arts, the Cultural Olympiad; a
celebration of British culture, centering
around the arts. Funded by the Olympics
principle funders and sponsors, many
exciting works have been commissioned
to bring the arts to the forefront of the
2012 Olympics. Hopefully this will be a
slight saving grace to the dire situation
the arts have recently found themselves
in.
Guildford Shakespeare
Company – Richard III
By Emily Bourne, Dance & Theatre Team
Located in the historic building of Guildford’s
Holy Trinity Church, it was not hard to set
the scene of this dark and twisted historic play.
The stage is end-on, built in-front of the altar
with an overbearing dome ornately decorated
with angels looming above, making for an apt
backdrop to such an immorally driven play.
Richard III tells the story of the end of the War
of the Roses in the 15th century: his brother,
King Edward IV, is on his death-bed, leaving
a male heir not old enough to rule on his own.
Meanwhile Richard decides that it is his time for
glory and is determined to take the crown for
himself, eliminating all obstacles that stand in
his way.
I really enjoyed this production of Richard III:
the Guildford Shakespeare Company succeeded
in embodying the political and sexual tensions
that would have existed in a medieval court at
that time. Timothy Allsop, who played the title
role, undoubtedly deserves a mention for his
portrayal of Richard as a bitter and desperate
man, while his physical representation really
highlighted the king’s struggle for recognition
and respect as a disabled man. Admittedly
the play is heavily text based, but the actors’
characterisation never failed to bring the words
to life with emotion and at times, comedy. I
would however, recommend reading a synopsis
beforehand to get to grips with the names
of characters, otherwise it is easy to become
confused with the events of the play.
In addition, the use of lighting and sound
in the production was very inventive, with
an unusual use of modern techno music -
almost verging on dubstep at points – which
surprisingly complimented and enhanced the
atmosphere of the darker scenes of villainy and
death. Silhouettes were used to great effect to
depict the beheading of Richard’s enemies and
the images of war in the final scenes.
This is the second production I have seen
by the GSC (having seen their version of Hamlet
last year) and I continue to be delighted by the
way in which they use unconventional spaces
to show Shakespeare in a fresh new light. I
really recommend checking out their work
this summer, when they will be putting on
productions of The Merry Wives of Windsor and A
Midsummer Night’s Dream in and around Guildford
town centre. I’m sure you will leave with a
renewed vigour towards the plays of Shakespeare
and their relevance in today’s society.
© Steve Porter

Dance/Theate Editor: Hannah Jelliman | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
DANCE & THEATRE 23
Review: Actual Size Dance Company
By Lucy Jarvis, Dance & Theatre Team
busy evening kicked off for the Surrey’s student-led dance
A company Actual Size on Wednesday 22 nd February. Serving
up nine short works, the company provided a varied flavour
of what contemporary dance has to offer. Choreographed and
inspired by both students and professional dance artists, the
company, of first to third years, performed with musicians,
projections, scrabble pieces and string, in sustained and
playful duets and lively group works.
The evening really got into its stride, however, in the last
few pieces, sparked by Kate Hartley’s mischievous duet Gamechanging,
performed with Julie Havelund. Keeping eye-to-eye,
the two dancers whirled across the floor like spinning tops,
dodging and grabbing at one another. Like two competitive
sisters ever determined to outsmart each other, when Hartley
ducks to the floor Havelund stands, only to duck down again
when Hartley raises up to meet her. The two never resolve
their playful conflict, darting about with energy and agility
up to the very last second.
Following this came an intriguing work involving string,
sounds of the sea and a salsa dance step choreographed by
ex-Actual Size Artistic Director Sian Goldby. Not quite as
bizarre as it might sound, Trails of Thought creates images
of children letting out the string on a kite, tangled fishing
lines on a bleak autumnal beach, and washing lines climbed
along by youngsters. But, as what looks like a salsa step is
gradually introduced and repeated by the seven members of
the company, the sense of strict order in the steps begin to
contrast with the disorder of the string. Perhaps Goldby was
trying to tell us that in life we have to accept the messiness of
the mind, like the tangled string, in order to find something
that has the stability and precision of the dance step.
The final work of the evening, Networking, provided an
apt climax, as the whole company joined together to perform
tumbling, flicking and shifting movements to a bubbling score
inspired by working with Replica Dance Company. Actual Size
flit back and forth across the stage in a series of diverse duets.
Finally, they unite to perform the last sequence in unison,
rounding off a pleasing show that, although at times felt a
little too fleeting, displayed the talent and commitment of
dance students at Surrey.
© Suzanne Nolan
Legally Blonde or Legally Bombed
By Hannah Jelliman, Dance & Theatre Editor
Recently, there appears to have
been a sudden phenomenon
of transforming hit movies
into large-scale musicals.
There seems to be no end to the
experimentation carried out
by directors, composers and
designers in turning much-loved
films into West End or Broadway
productions. Shrek and Matilda
both recently opened in the West
End with star-studded casts, and
received fantastic reviews, so I
just had to see what all the fuss
was about.
It has to be said, Legally Blonde
is one of my all-time favourite
chick flicks, with a ridiculous love
story, Chihuahuas, sorority girls
and more pink things than even
Barbie could handle. I was slightly
sceptical when I discovered
that it was being turned into a
musical, dubious as to whether it
could ever live up to the original.
However, with a full mid-week
audience at the elegant Savoy
Theatre, it provided all of the
joys of the film, and much, much
more. Carley Stenson delivered as
a fantastic portrayal of the ultragirly,
over-the-top Elle Woods,
who blags her way into Harvard
Law School with her charm and
good looks in order to chase after
her ex, Warner Huntington III
(Ben Freeman). The chorus of
Delta Nu Sorority girls gleamed in
their colour-coordinating outfits,
constantly appearing to give Elle
advice and remind her of the
‘bond of sisterhood’ throughout
her dilemmas, as well as bringing
a cheese-fest of songs and dances
to carry the story along.
Despite the incredible
spectacle the show provided, with
elaborate light-up staging, overdramatic
songs and perfectly
timed dance routines (including
one extravagant scene involving
the whole cast dancing at high
speed with skipping ropes), the
most impressive element for me
was the casts’ subtle use of comedic
timing and characterisation.
Many easily-missed looks, facial
expressions or gestures gave each
character clear personality and
understated comedy.
If you’re a fan of cheesy musical
theatre, then Legally Blonde is
definitely one for you. If nothing
else, it is just a bit of fun: very
over the top, but also incredibly
funny. Remember girls, the climb
to the top is easy; all you need is
your Chihuahua and lip gloss. And
when it comes to boys, there is
only 1 rule: Bend….and SNAP!
Your fortnightly guide
to the Arts at Surrey
Known for mining witty and profound dance theatre from everyday life, Luca Silvestrini’s award-winning
Protein has struck dance gold with LOL (lots of love). In an age of electronic communication this timely,
critically acclaimed production puts its six dancers on a quest for romance.
Against a video wall of dozens of screen-gazing individuals, Protein’s cyber souls stylishly nail the language
of life online. Talking and dancing at speed, they tackle the baffling etiquette of electronic discourse, make
hilarious straight-to-the audience confessions, and dance the physical equivalent of poking and tweeting.
With video animation by Rachel Davies and original music by Andy Pink, these ingredients conjure a razorsharp
commentary on our Facebook society, and an affecting rendering of human need.
LOL (Lots of Love)
by Luca Silvestrini’s Protein Dance Company
When: Wednesday 14 th March, 7:30pm
Where: Ivy Arts Centre
How much?: £12, £10 senior citizens, University staff, £7 students and concessions.
Book online: www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/dance or by phone: 01483 686876
As part of Woking Dance Festival’s Spring Shorts 2012 Season, The University of Surrey and Woking Dance
Festival join forces to present an evening that celebrates everything Hip Hop. Teamed up with Woking
Dance Festival and Kane FM, we bring you an evening that celebrates Hip Hop and the vibrant art form that
have stemmed from its surrounding culture.
The event will include live DJs, Freestyle dance circles, Graffiti wall, DJ and visual projection room and a
mainstage show displaying fine local Hip Hop talent ranging across all ages, works choreographed by Robert
Hylton performed by Dance students from the University, as well as Rannel Theatre Company performing
excerpts from their hit show, Flhip Flhop.
Hip Hop
presented by Woking Dance Festival
When: Saturday 17 th March, 7:30pm
Where: Ivy Arts Centre
How much?: £8, £5 students
Book online: www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/dance

24 FILM
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 film@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Film
Review: One for the Money (2012)
By Tiffany Tucker, Film Editor
Released on 24 th February, One for the
Money stars Katherine Heigl who
plays the initially unemployed and
freshly divorced Stephanie Plum. This
action-comedy is excellent if you’re
looking for a film that is lighthearted but
full of laughs. One for the Money is a film
adaptation of Janet Evanivich’s novel, and
brings to life the vibrant hilarity which
holds true to the book.
Plum is in desperate need for cash
and lands a job at her cousin’s bail
bonding business, otherwise known as a
bounty hunter. It is important to note the
similarities the film has to The Bounty
Hunter. The back and forth attacks
between Heigl and the handsome Jason
O’Mara, and the obvious sexual tension
between their two characters, meant
that the ending resulting in a romance
was inevitable.
Not quite a chick-flick, yet it possesses
enough female empowerment to shout
girl power! Overall, One for the Money
is certainly entertaining, if a little
predictable.
Review: Bad Teacher (2011)
By Tiffany Tucker, Film Editor
Bad Teacher was released
last year, and I have been
meaning to watch it for a very
long while. I settled down to
expect a fairly mediocre flick
and was actually pleasantly
surprised. Cameron Diaz
is rude, quirky and her ‘I
don’t give a damn’ attitude
is authentic and convincing
which was, in my opinion,
what made the film successful.
There was something very
refreshing about the main
character playing the villain:
time after time with films
we’re all presented with the
classic loveable and generic
lead who fails to excite or
amaze us in any way. Diaz, on
the other hand, is ruthless,
and takes what she can get by
any means possible!
The story follows
Elizabeth Halsey (Diaz) who is
dumped by her wealthy fiancé
and reluctantly returns to the
middle-school in which she
teaches (well, I’m not sure if
‘teaches’ is the word). Halsey
is anything but concerned
about providing her students
with an enriched education,
and would rather show films
and sleep in class.
However, with the arrival
of none other than Justin
Timberlake, she begins to
act as if she loves her job in
order to impress him. She is
also desperate for a boob-job,
and when she discovers that
there is big money to be made
by being a good teacher she
switches gears, proving that
she is a teacher for a reason.
Halsey is a marijuanasmoking
thief, but despite
all of these things I came
to admire her complete
disregard for society. Her
unconventional method of
teaching is oddly effective
and, in the end, she proves
herself to be the opposite of
the film title. If you haven’t
already watched this film,
I would definitely give it a
chance: it won’t change your
life, but it is laugh-out-loud
funny at times and not as
predictable as first expected.
Review: The Room (2003)
By Caroline James, Film Team
If you’re a Film Studies student,
a cult movie lover, or have
friends who fall into one of those
categories, then it’s possible that
you’ve heard of The Room (2003),
dubbed by critics as “the Citizen
Kane of bad movies.”
The central plot is a typical
melodramatic love triangle
between philanthropist banker
Johnny (Tommy Wiseau), his
fiancée Lisa (Juliette Danielle)
and his conflicted best friend
Mark (Greg Sestero). However, a
significant amount of the film’s
running time is also dedicated
to a series of unrelated subplots
involving the friends of the main
characters. For example, Denny,
a weedy college student whom
Johnny financially supports, and
Lisa’s friend Michelle, who is seen
in one scene sneaking into Johnny
and Lisa’s apartment to have sex
with her boyfriend.
At this point you’re probably
wondering why some people enjoy
watching this film. The reason?
Because although it was originally
only shown in a limited number
of Californian cinemas, the film
quickly developed a cult following
as fans found humour in the film’s
various technical and narrative
flaws. For instance, there is one
scene in which Lisa and Denny
inexplicably crouch down and
talk on the floor with the sofas
only a few feet away. Furthermore,
at midnight screenings of the
film, audience members cry out
‘Spoons!’ and start throwing
plastic spoons towards the screen
whenever the unexplained framed
photo of a spoon is visible in Lisa
and Johnny’s living room.
Most importantly though,
the highlight of this film is the
performance given by Tommy
Wiseau (who also wrote, directed
and produced the film). His
indistinguishable accent, his
terrible annunciation and the way
he wanders through the film and
its dialogue as if in an intoxicated
haze, make his performance so
enjoyably bad, that in some ways
it’s iconic.
Therefore, if I’ve left you
unconvinced about the wonders
of The Room, then I suggest
looking up the theatrical trailer,
or even looking at the Nostalgia
Critic (thatguywiththeglasses.com)
review if you have time. Though
if I’ve somehow successfully
encouraged you to witness this
rather unique masterpiece, then
I strongly suggest looking out for
its screenings in London’s Prince
Charles Cinema – the ultimate
cinema for cult movie lovers. Who
knows, you might just be lucky
enough to see Tommy Wiseau and
Greg Sistero give a Q&A session at
the start!

Film Editor: Tiffany Tucker | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
FILM 25
Review: The Vow (2012)
“Life’s all about moments, of impact, and how they change our lives forever.
But what if one day you could no longer remember any of them?”
By Candice Ritchie, Film Team
Broad shoulders, bulging biceps,
defined torso, cheesy grin and allround
stunning exterior: I can only
be describing one man – Channing
Tatum. Combine that with the most
beautiful woman in Hollywood – Rachel
McAdams – and the perfect line–up just
became reality.
Paige (McAdams) and Leo (Tatum)
are newly married, when a car accident
places Paige in a coma. Waking up
with severe memory loss, Paige fails to
remember who Leo is, and the race to
win her heart again begins. At first, The
Vow seems to convey vast similarities
to 50 First Dates, which surrounds
the notion of a rekindled daily love
following a bout of amnesia. However,
as the film progresses, the distinctions
between the two are clearly defined
and Leo’s strive for his wife’s love is
more than simply re–enacting day–to–
day tasks.
Leo stops at nothing: from
returning her to the car–park which
they first met, introducing her to
their favourite café, and attempting to
reunite her passion for sculpture, he
is determined not to let this ‘once-ina-lifetime
love’ pass him by. However,
when her memory seems like it will
never come back, Leo is faced with the
ultimate decision of a man in love: to
keep fighting or to walk away?
Channing Tatum displays the
struggle of Leo’s character perfectly,
and we are drawn in to both
sympathise with him, and truly feel his
heartbreak. The audience is left hoping
for their rekindle just as much as Leo
himself. The Vow is a wonderful, heartwrenching
story, which proves that we
should make every day count. A simply
stunning film, and the most emotional
since My Sister’s Keeper – I challenge you
not to cry.
Nonetheless, with leading roles
from stars known for two of the most
romantic films of the last decade
(McAdams in The Notebook and Tatum in
Dear John) The Vow was set for success
from the very beginning. If you’re
taking a trip to the cinema anytime
soon, make this your film!
Sam
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26 LITERATURE
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Literature
IN CONVERSATION WITH PETER BAKER:
Round the world travel and a vision for the future
By Alexandra Wilks, Literature Editor
Peter Baker’s The Jolly Pilgrim charts his
bicycle ride from London to Istanbul.
After arriving in Istanbul, Peter travelled to
Australia, India, and finally South America.
The Jolly Pilgrim was recorded in real time
through a series of emails. Perhaps the most
important aspect of The Jolly Pilgrim is Peter’s
interpretation of human civilisation, which is
set out in different sections in the book. Upon
meeting Peter, I asked him to articulate this
for me in his own words, ‘There is too much
negativity in the world about where human
civilisation is going. I think that if everyone
thought in terms of the bigger picture,
they’d be more rational and a lot happier’.
Amusingly, Peter is quick to establish that he
is not ‘trying to start a religion’ because ‘that
would be silly.’ In short, The Jolly Pilgrim is a
next generation travelogue. A true sex, drugs
and rock ‘n’ roll round-the-world travel story
that will open your eyes.
The eloquence of Peter’s prose kept
me engaged throughout his journey and
I was curious to ask him whether he’d
always planned to write a book. His answer
surprised me, ‘No. I just wanted to send
everyone an email to tell them where I was,
but those emails quickly became part of the
© Peter Baker
adventure.’ My next question was if he had
plans for another book. He stated that he
did, however, it would not be another travel
book. His reasoning was spot on, ‘I’ll never
write as spontaneous a travel book again...
he next book would ideally be about what
followed the adventure, which was perhaps
not as glamorous, but would be focused on
the process of writing and publishing The
Jolly Pilgrim.’
I had no doubts that getting published
was tricky, so I asked Peter for more details.
He told me that ‘The hardest part was
actually writing the book. It took two years
to compile.’ He quickly stated that he was,
‘not complaining’ and that the experience
was ‘immensely character building.’ As for
publishing, Peter found that, ‘getting an agent
was the hardest part. I spent a few months
looking for one, and then decided that I’d
proceed without one. After publication, an
agent approached me.’
Peter’s dedicated approach got results,
so I asked for his advice to those seeking to
write a novel. His answers were original, ‘I’d
advise anyone seeking to write a book to
focus all their efforts on the product, rather
than on getting it published.’ After musing
for a second, Peter added, ‘I mean, there are
so many words in this world, it’s crucial you
don’t waste anyone’s time with boring ones.’
My final question for Peter was a little
clichéd but had to be asked: his favourite
place. He found it tough to pick one, so I let
him have a few. Peter stipulated that India
was the most interesting country in the
world. Belgrade, Serbia, also popped up as
a notable mention, ‘it’s where the spirit of
Eastern Europe is.’ Buenos Aires, Argentina,
was also in Peter’s top cities. He begged for
one more, so I acquiesced, and Brazil made its
way into Peter’s list.
Interviewing Peter placed a big smile on
my face. A true gentleman, he paid for my
coffee and had kept me entertained for an
hour. I would implore anyone to read The Jolly
Pilgrim. You’ll find yourself gripped by Peter’s
adventures and charisma. As for the message
of the book: its powers are elevating. We
spend so much time in our own little boxes,
scarcely looking at the world around us. The
Jolly Pilgrim encourages you to do just that:
take yourself out of your life and see the life
all around you.
New adaptation of Daphne
Du Maurier’s Rebecca
By Rachel Thomason, Literature Team
Although Daphne du Maurier’s darkly
romantic novel Rebecca was first published
back in 1938, Variety has announced that there
is another re-make in the works.
Born in 1907, Maurier rose to fame after
her first publication, The Loving Spirit, received
brilliant reviews. She went on to write some of
her best known novels like Frenchman’s Creek and
Rebecca.
Originally gaining its reputation from Alfred
Hitchcock’s film adaptation in 1940, Rebecca
tells the story of an anonymous young girl who
marries a recent widower, Maxim de Winter. As
the story progresses, however, the happiness
of the newly married couple is tainted by the
memory of Rebecca, the dead ex-wife.
Many will recognise the elusive opening
line to Maurier’s most famous narrative: “Last
night I dreamt I went to Manderley again”.
Indeed, it certainly sets the mysterious and
sinister tone for the rest of the novel. There is
an almost disturbing underlying obsession with
Rebecca throughout the novel, felt, not only by
the characters, but by the reader too. Indeed,
Maurier’s skill lies in keeping the reader riveted
throughout the entire novel until the secret is
finally revealed.
The secrets surrounding Rebecca’s death
would make the idea of a new adaptation of this
novel extremely exciting. Combined with the
dark, threatening atmosphere that immerses
these characters and the deceptive plots which
underpin the narrative, a potential adaptation
would be unmissable.

Lit Editor: Alexandra Wilks | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
LITERATURE 27
Bring back the letter
Selfridges – making
reading fashionable
By Emily Smart, Literature Team
For the last two months, many
adults and children from all
across London attended reading
lessons with a difference on the
lower ground floor of Selfridges.
The ‘Get London Reading’
campaign helped to transform the
floor into a 15,000 book library. The
aim was to provide an interactive
space where children could learn
to love reading whilst adults could
expand their knowledge and chat
with other literature fans.
The programme consisted of a
number of great events for all age
groups which were thoroughly
enjoyed. One for the adults, the
Penguin Classics Book Club, offered
a chance to explore and discuss the
works of Robert Louis Stevenson
and Charles Dickens in great depth
with the publishers from Penguin.
This was followed in the week by
a class in Handwriting Analysis,
a tea leaf approach in the literary
world if you will. Handwriting
expert, Julie Hinton, took clues
from an individual’s handwriting
technique, such as how they dotted
I’s and crossed T’s, to explain
how this can say a lot about their
personality. As well as these
popular events, workshops were
available in the evenings where
one could travel back in time and
reminisce about their school days
by taking part in a grammar lesson
or a class in Greek Philosophy.
Although there were plenty
of activities for the adults, the
children were the main focus of the
event. A storytelling experience
was available to all children, intent
on narrowing the boundaries
between oral speech and the text on
the page. Professional story-teller,
Rachel Rose Reid, wanted to help
children to find the ‘joy’ in reading
by allowing them to get involved by
acting alongside her. Reid said that
storytelling can help to inspire
children who have problems with
reading and encourage them to
fall in love with words. She said
that “it is a way of engaging with
language. It improves cognition,
listening skills and imagination
and it increases the vocabularies of
children”.
The primary–school children
found the day highly enjoyable,
which is very encouraging to hear.
Lizzie Boafo, a seven year old from a
primary school in Battersea stated
that she “really enjoyed it. I love
being read stories. When someone
tells you a story it really makes it
come alive.”
The programme ended on an
evening of readings, music and
performance, as well as a unique
collaboration between publishers
Faber & Faber and Heavenly
Records, which was a fantastic
way to end the seven-week ‘Words
Words Words’ event.
By Sophie Vickery, Literature Team
Jane Austen said that ‘The
post office has a great charm
at one point of our lives. But at
my age, you will begin to think
letters are never worth going
through the rain for.’ It seems
Austen has little justification for
her disregard towards letters as
she lived through an era absent
in telephone or email. Since then
however, technology has aided
communication and the letter
has certainly been taken over
by more speedy services. The
Radicati Group, a technology
research firm, reported that in
2010 approximately 294 billion
emails were sent a day. That’s
a staggering 2.8 million each
second! Meanwhile, the letter
has dwindled. Five years ago
the postbag was bursting at the
seams with a peak of 84 million
letters, yet in 2010 it became much
lighter with just 68 million. This
isn’t surprising news as letters
are far slower than an email or
text message and the Royal Mail
have been frequently accused
of being unreliable. However, it
is also unsurprising to find that
many are saddened at the letter’s
decline as they lament the loss
of traditional language and the
written word.
Letters bestow an opportunity
for one to employ formal
language. It may be quicker to
use text speak, but it doesn’t have
the same personal touch as the
language of a handwritten letter.
Text speak is instead much more
abrupt and careless. Letters take
longer to write, showing more
thought. Surely we would all
prefer a sincere thank you letter
for a friend’s birthday present,
rather than a ‘cheers for the bday
pressie bbz’!
So, while the inboxes become
more chaotic and the sorting
office dusty, we should take the
time to value the letter as key
in maintaining the true beauty
of the English language, whilst
also conveying true heartfelt
emotions.
© Muffett
Is Dickens too difficult for the younger generation?
By Rachel Burgress, Literature Team
Charles Dickens is one of the most popular
British writers, deemed ‘one of the
greatest writers of the Victorian period’.
His stories are still enjoyed by thousands
of people worldwide, and many of his
novels have been reworked into musical
theatre performances, television and film
adaptations. Dickens has become a pillar of
English literature and readers are interested
in finding out about the author himself.
Claire Tomalin, writer of Charles Dickens:
A Life, a new biography spanning the years
of the infamous novelist, has suggested
however, that children of today are not well
educated enough to read Dickens.
She claimed, ahead of the 200 th
anniversary of the writers’ birth that
“children are not being educated to have
prolonged attention spans and you have to be
prepared to read steadily for a Dickens novel
and I think that’s a pity”. This controversial
statement is perhaps a little flawed. Where is
the evidence to suggest that modern children
cannot enjoy a Dickens novel? Pupils are still
required to study Dickens’ texts as part of the
national curriculum, and for many, Charles
Dickens is a key figure.
His works can be enjoyed by children
of many ages and often these children are
already familiar with the storylines of many
of his greatest and most popular novels,
including; Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and
Great Expectations.
Dickens is a master of characterisation;
creating absorbing, memorable characters
within his works. Who can forget the
shadowy Miss Havisham who mystifies Pip
throughout Great Expectations? Or the sneaky
Artful Dodger whose cunning abilities and
fast thinking help Oliver Twist survive the
streets of Victorian London?
Admittedly, Dickens novels can be a
challenging read, but is it right to assume
that children aren’t equipped to delve into
these classic works? The language used
within the texts can be difficult for younger
readers to engage with. However, GCSE pupils
also study Shakespeare and much older texts
which they are capable of understanding.
Certainly, these students are well-educated
enough to pick up a Dickens classic and read
it through to the finish. As well as providing
a worthwhile read, Dickens texts present a
glimpse into the history of Victorian Britain.
Many of his novels feature corrupt figures of
power, the problematic values and morals of
a society, and the often explicit distinction
between the rich and the poor. These themes
are still very much relevant to a modern
reader, regardless of age.
Dickens can be a challenge and so we
should encourage younger readers to delve
into his adventures, not just because he is
a pleasure to read but also to prove that
modern children still can!

28 MUSIC
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 music@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Music
Kaiser Chiefs take G Live by storm!
By Sophia Field, Music Editor
Kaiser Chiefs’ performance at
Guildford’s very own G Live well
and truly proved that even after
four albums, their fans still love
them and they have certainly still
got it. The boys set a high standard
being the first big music concert
G Live has held by enthralling
the crowd with songs from their
newest album ‘The Future is
Medieval’ as well as playing the
old classics which everyone was
waiting eagerly to hear. Front man
Ricky was full of energy and the
band really proved that they are
not going anywhere yet. Before
the gig I was lucky enough to talk
to Keyboard player Nick Baines, or
as he is more commonly known,
Peanut.
The Stag: How has the tour been
going so far?
Peanut: Yeah, all great. We’ve done
three days, North Wales, Reading
and Southend, so quite varied
places.
TS: Do you miss the home
comforts when you’re on tour?
P: Erm, you get quite a lot of home
comforts on tour really. Yeah, I
mean you miss home, but I wouldn’t
rather be at home.
TS: Tell us about the way you
released your album last year.
P: Well, we didn’t have any press
or publicity about this album,
we didn’t want to have to do the
world tour of what is coming up
on the record… we were bored of
sitting in a room talking about and
describing everything, we wanted
people to hear it without all that. So
basically, we made a unique system
online where we let our fans make
their own records out of twenty
songs. We knew it would be twenty
so that gave us a big writing target,
self-imposed pressure to write
twenty brilliant songs. There was
no room for end of album tracks/b
sides, we wanted them all to stand
up on their own.
TS: Would you say it was
successful?
P: Yeah, we spent nearly a year
planning it, working it out and
trying to keep it a secret. It was
hard but nobody knew what was
coming. We had a couple of deals
with newspapers and that so they
would do an article on it that
morning. Went really well I think
and was really good for us as a
band.
TS: You have established your
own record label. What prompted
that?
P: It’s nothing quite so glamorous.
It operates out of a studio in a
basement. The management office
where Nick has his studio is also
Chewing Gum Records. Basically
we wanted to be able to see a band
we like, who aren’t signed and put
out their record. Chewing Gum
Records’ third release is actually
going to be sold on our tour, we got
all the songs involved in The Future
is Medieval and a couple of others
and we’ve made a double vinyl.
Four sides of vinyl and 23 songs,
looks really good. Vinyl has come
back in a retro and collectable way.
So we’ve made only 500 of these
records and labelled each one. It’s
quite cool to do little things like
that when you’re established.
TS: What is the first thing you
guys do when you get back from
a gig?
P: If I’m going home after tour, I
usually steal some milk and bread
from the tour bus, because I know
I’ll have nothing to eat. When
we come offstage, we just end up
sitting in a room chatting. Probably
eating a ham and cheese sandwich.
Cup of tea. Rock and Roll. Haha!
TS: Do you guys still get nervous?
P: I suppose a nervous anxiety and
excitement… more at festivals,
because it’s light and you can see
everyone. You don’t feel any less
capable; it’s just a desire to not fail
the audience. The gigs after all they
are not just for the bands, they are
for the punters. We don’t want the
fans to ever be disappointed.
TS: As a band that have worked
your way up, what do you think
of shows like The X Factor?
P: Nothing to do with us. It’s
showbiz and it’s steered in a
certain direction. I don’t mind it
being on TV, I just hope the kids
picking up drums and guitar and
piano don’t genuinely think that is
the way to be successful. It’s selling
false dreams. They go up there on a
public platform and get laughed up
and that’s what I don’t like.
TS: What about the people who
win? Is there room for them in
the industry?
P: Problem is, the public like to
see people who have earned their
success. It’s all misguided. Send
them round the country on a tour
in a transit van and see how many
of them last…
TS: What new artists are you a
fan of?
P: A band called White Denim,
they sound quite old though, like
keyboards and guitars and synth
solos and stuff. . . I mostly end up
buying old stuff to be honest.
TS: Who inspires you?
P: I think if you listen to our songs,
you know they are pop songs, I
mean we play them in a rock and
roll way but they are pop. They are
catchy brilliant songs. It’s hard not
to be inspired by a band like Queen.
If you look at their songs they are
whacky and diverse but they are all
these diverse amazing songs that
are played all around the world.
Their music managed to progress
whilst still keeping that appeal.
The Beach Boys too, the detail in
the music, the songs are beautiful
obviously but the way they’re put
together, you couldn’t get a better
pairing between the songs and the
style.
TS: What do you think has been
the biggest moment of your
career so far?
P: Things like… playing at Elland
Road. It was a big thing because
nobody had really played gigs
there; we had to battle quite hard
to make it work. Having a number
one album and single was pretty
amazing too, it will be historical
thing, people remember that stuff.
Kaiser Trivia!
Out of the band, who is the…
…Best cook?
Not Nick. Ricky probably thinks he is… it would have
to be between Ricky and Whitey I’d say.
…Most athletic?
Well Ricky does a lot of running, he’s got fit lately,
but I reckon Nick would still give him a run for his
money, fancies himself as a bit of a football.
...The laziest?
I reckon that is between me and whitey. In terms
of sleeping in, that is me, hands down. I can lose a
whole day nearly.
“There is two kinds of music, the good and
bad. I play the good kind.” – Louis Armstrong

Music Editor: Sophia Field | Copy Editor: Megan Barnacle
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
MUSIC 29
The BRITs 2012
The Best of British Music?
By Elliot Tyers, Music Team
Back in 2011 the BRITs was
revamped, moving to a
new location at the O2 Arena
and so on – so I tuned in, and I
was pleasantly surprised to see
acknowledgements of the growing
Folk scene with awards to Laura
Marling and Mumford & Sons, as
well as nominations for more risky
acts than the usual pop dross you’d
expect in the form of The XX, Biffy
Clyro, Gorillaz and Plan B. There
were some low points, for example
Take That winning Best British
Group, and Justin Bieber winning
Best International Newcomer,
although I noticed two of the
other nominees were the Glee
Cast and Bruno Mars, so I assumed
that somehow the organisers had
horribly misspelled the Crimes
Against Music category. And, it
had that performance by Adele
of Someone Like You that launched
her into deserved levels of megastardom,
so I looked forwards to
this year...
Cut to twelve months later – and
the only moment of note is Adele
raising one finger against the ‘suits’
who forced her acceptance speech
to cut short to make time for Blur.
I think the BRITs producers moving
on one of the biggest talents this
country has ever produced for
a group of aging men who last
produced an album nearly ten years
ago is a fitting image that sums up
everything wrong with the BRITs.
Whereas 2011 showed promise
that they could actually become
a respected measure of critical
success, instead they wasted the
time of everyone watching.
Blur’s Outstanding Contribution
to Music was an award, that
although I believe they’ve done
enough to earn, probably had more
to do with the fact that they could
use the promotion, with a headliner
of Hyde Park later this year and an
announcement of a new album in
the future, than anything musical.
And that’s just the problem with
the BRITs, rather than take any
interesting decisions or risks;
everything was just as bland and
unoriginal as a Coldplay album.
Are we really going to look back
on the awards and think – ‘yeah
Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran were
real cultural milestones for us as
a people’? The former is a puffed
up lounge singer whose idea of
romance is some strange situation
where the object of his affection
is constantly having grenades,
bullets, trains and blades flung
at her, and the latter… Well, Ed
Sheeran had so much potential,
his work-ethic was exceptional,
coupled with a raw, intelligent
talent as evidenced in his early
SBTV appearances – and when he
announced in an interview early
last year he wanted a ‘lo-fi feel’ I
was looking forwards to his debut
album. Instead of lo-fi subtlety it
was over-produced and gimmicky
(Rupert Grint in the video to Lego
House? Really?). To see how far
Sheeran’s star fell contrast the
SBTV and Album versions of You
Need Me, I Don’t Need You. Tragic.
The entire dull affair is made all
the worse by the occasional nods
to the wider musical landscape
– nominations for James Blake
and The Vaccines are steps in
the right direction, but shouldn’t
more attention to be paid to
these kinds of acts, James Blake
is representative of the UK-led
Dubstep scene which is spreading
like wildfire – and The Vaccines
are one of the most exhilarating
acts in recent memory – they
should be shoo in winners, not just
pandering to alternative genres.
Indeed it just makes the absence of
other ‘out-there’ acts all the more
conspicuous such as Radiohead, or
the likes of Katy B and Wretch 32,
I’m not a massive fan but it’s hard
to argue that urban music hasn’t
dominated the last twelve months,
and moreso, it’s uniquely British.
Maybe that’s where the
problem is, the BRITs doesn’t
feel like a celebration of British
music, it feels like it’s trying to be
the Grammys, and failing. At the
Grammys the Foo Fighters won 5
awards and each time bounded
onto the stage, with Dave Grohl
delivering a speech about playing
with passion – at the BRITs Grohl
couldn’t even be bothered to be
there in person, instead leaving
the video acceptance to a man
we were told was one of the other
members… probably…
At the Grammys the Whitney
Houston tribute was a heartbreaking
rendition of I Will Always
Love You by Jennifer Hudson; at the
BRITs, James Corden introduced
a 30-second video montage more
befitting someone being voted off
the X Factor than a tribute to a
dead icon.
I hate to sound so bitter and
cynical, but the BRITs shouldn’t be
a poor imitation of the Grammys, it
should be as individualistic as the
music it supposedly represents.
When you think that the BRITs
could be the kind of platform to
show the beautiful variety of music
we have in this country you can’t
help but get angry at what we have
instead. I can only hope 2013 will
be a better year.
Brit Babe Does Women Proud
By Rebecca Worley, Music Team
On the 21 st of February, the
Brit awards stormed onto our
screens, offering up the best of
British music. Winners on the night
included: Ed Sheeran for best British
Male Solo Artist and Breakthrough
Act, Coldplay for Best British Band
and One Direction – What Makes
You Beautiful for Best British Single.
Doing it for the women, Adele won
Best British Female Solo Artist and
MasterCard British Album of the
Year for 21. However, the media
attention focused mainly on her
acceptance speech at the end of the
show. With time quickly running
out, Adele was rudely cut off as
she launched into her acceptance
speech. Causing a flurry of media
excitement, she proceeded to
flip the middle finger. In a later
statement, Adele claimed that she
was sorry for offending anyone:
‘that finger was to the suits at the
Brit awards, not to my fans.’ Aside
from this controversy, Adele clearly
dominated 2011 with her beautiful,
soulful voice and emotive lyrics.
She is one of the few female singers
of our generation who doesn’t rely
on sexualising herself to achieve
attention and success: Adele has
made it on pure talent. For this
reason I still believe Adele is an
incredible role model to young
women out there, despite the Brit
fiasco. She writes songs with real
meaning and her voice can fill
the Albert Hall with its power and
passion. Adele reinvents the classy,
female singer and doesn’t depend
on raunchy lyrics and gyrating
dancers in skimpy outfits, which is
frankly starting to get a bit old.

30 MUSIC
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 music@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Reviews
Inme – The Pride
By James Campbell, Music Team
Back with a vengeance, this
Essex based quartet show that
their own approach to independent
heavy rock has never been so
dauntless and yet harmonious,
waggling an album under our
noses which is fit to bursting with
a powerful concoction of dreamy
epic riffs, tumultuous climaxes
and frustratingly infectious vocal
lines. Inme first gained repute in
2002, upon the release of singles
such as Firefly and Underdose from
Overgrown Eden; 10 years down
the line and with now five studio
albums under their belt, The Pride
shows that Inme have not wavered
from delivering hard hitting rock
music, and melodies peppered with
poetical adroitness.
The album blasts off into the
stratosphere with Reverie Shores, a
lumbering titan of a track, laden
with soaring guitar work, spine
tingling chords and a squealing solo
courtesy of guitar wielding axmen
Dave McPherson and Gary Marlow.
Moonlit Seabed is a garnered mass of
writhing energy, boasting intricate
baselines, technical meanderings,
and an assailing Enter Shikari
inspired electro-synth breakdown
which culminates in gut wrenching
screeches of ‘I don’t know if I can do
this without you’. Without pausing
for breath, the album plunges into
a A Great Man, a devilishly catchy
tune, enhanced by McPherson’s
introspective lyrics that seem to
plunder the plight of the human
condition; ‘I am only human… we
all deserve a second chance’, that
rebound and resonate throughout
this epical soundscape. Next up,
Pantheon is released to rampage,
bombarding the eardrums with
intricate and melodic guitar lines
that give Coheed & Cambria a run
for their money. As if stumbling into
the twilight zone, our eardrums
encounter Silver Womb, resembling a
monstrous musical birth, spawning
a song with cavernous chords and
an otherworldly presence that
makes hairs stand on end. Legacy,
Guardian and Escape to Mysteriopa
follow in hot pursuit, with ball
busting guitar licks and anthemic
choruses that are strengthened
through McPherson’s heartfelt
lyrics and dynamic vocal range.
Although the calibre of the
musicianship present throughout
The Pride is unequivocal, some songs
are a little too bewildering in places
if you are not familiar with Inme
and their technical structures.
Despite the group’s efforts to get
the balance right, tracks like Silver
Womb and Halcyon Genesis stick out a
bit like a sore thumb, trying a little
too hard to get noticed because of
their musical specificity.
Nevertheless, The Pride is
impressive in its sheer power and
musical dimensions. The vocal
lines will hit you like a slap across
the face and the sickeningly fluid
guitar work will leave jaws agape.
It comes as no surprise that this
album should be so aptly titled The
Pride; Inme have a right to be selfsatisfied
with their latest musical
handiwork, an accolade to good ole
British Rock indeed.
Recommendable to fans of
Coheed and Cambria, Biffy Clyro,
Enter Shikari and anyone who
enjoys loud rock music, and who
doesn’t care for fads or trends! The
Pride is available via iTunes at £7.99
and via Amazon at £7.49. Lend an
ear to Reverie Shores and A Great Man
to see what the fuss is about.
Did you know . . .
...that Kate Bush was partly inspired to write
Wuthering Heights (1978), her breakthrough
single, because she was born the same day as
Emily Brontë?
Paul McCartney – Kisses on the Bottom
By Dan Davison, Music Team
As some readers may recall, in
my review last November of
The Fireman's Electric Arguments
(2008) I mentioned Sir Paul
McCartney's recent marriage and
ongoing tour. As if his productivity
was not already impressive for a
man who will turn 70 this year, the
former Beatle has also returned to
the studio to bring us his first solo
LP since 2007's Memory Almost Full.
However, unlike that album and
his aforementioned collaborative
effort with The Fireman, this latest
offering departs from McCartney's
usual rock and pop fare. Instead
Kisses on the Bottom (2012) takes a
step into the jazz-inspired sound
that formed the musical landscape
of his youth.
In relation to his existing
discography, Kisses on the Bottom
is in a similar vein to his 1999
rock n' roll outing Run Devil Run,
with McCartney reinterpreting
established works whilst providing
a handful of original pieces
written in the same style. To his
credit, much like that album,
McCartney avoids the trap of
excessively covering predictable
standards, which allows the LP to
shed new light on past gems that
may not be so readily known to
modern audiences. The approach
to arrangements for the most part
avoids grandiose orchestrations,
resulting in a more subdued
atmosphere evocative of a classic
jazz venue.
This results in several solid
interpretations, such as the
charming I'm Gonna Sit Right Down
and Write Myself a Letter, from
which the album derives its title.
Meanwhile, tracks like We Three
(My Echo, My Shadow and Me) and
Home (Where Shadows Fall) provide
a longing touch without becoming
overly melancholic. Out of
McCartney's original compositions,
the most striking is certainly the
lead single My Valentine. Complete
with Eric Clapton on acoustic
guitar, the song successfully evokes
the classic-era quality intended.
The album's most notable
drawback has little to do with any
particular underperformance on
the part of the musicians. Indeed,
plenty of opportunity is given
for the featured guests and band
members to demonstrate their
abilities. McCartney himself, whilst
beginning to show his age vocally,
also provides a commendable
performance. Rather the problem
lies with the concept of the album
itself. Whilst McCartney has shown
a laudable willingness to venture
beyond the boundaries of his
established style, the LP simply
lacks the ambition and vitality
one could justifiably expect after
the wonderfully abstract Electric
Arguments or the deeply personal
Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
(2005).
In essence, Kisses on the Bottom
makes for a pleasant journey into a
fondly remembered era, but comes
across as somewhat of a safe move.
Nevertheless, this disappointment
stems mainly from how McCartney
is responsible for some of the most
influential and creative records
in living memory. Were this an
outing from almost any other
performer, my praise would likely
be more ardent. Whilst not a bad
McCartney album by any stretch
of the imagination and worth
the attention of established fans,
there are far more recommendable
starting points for those yet to
explore McCartney's recent career.

Music Editor: Sophia Field | Copy Editor: Megan Barnacle
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
MUSIC 31
Lacuna Coil – Dark Adrenaline
By James Campbell, Music Team
After lying dormant, restrained, and being pumped full of injection after
injection of energy and bombast, these conjurers have given life to an
incubus of an album that quivers uncontrollably in the palm of your hand; the
release of Dark Adrenaline is not a bad start to 2012 for a group that are back
to wage war against contenders such as Evanescence for the supreme title as
musical warlocks of the Gothic Metal genre once more.
For rejoicing fans, itching to get their hands on this Italian troupe’s
sixth studio album, Dark Adrenaline has plenty of anthemic, yet radiofriendly
tracks, which nevertheless retain the dark edge and audacity
of the band’s previous hits from albums such as
Comalies and Karmacode. Principally, Dark
Adrenaline demonstrates that vocalists
Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro have
not lost any of their musical chemistry
from past glories, as beauty and beast
unleash a tirade of melodic hooks which
are bound to be etched into the mind.
Tracks Trip the Darkness and Kill the
Light boast some addictive vocal and
melody lines which will be churned
around the brain relentlessly, whilst the
blood curdling, goosebump inducing I
Don’t Believe in Tomorrow and Upsidedown
capture the darker dimension of this LP.
One of the albums other highlights is a
menacing rendition of R.E.M’s Losing My
Religion which, although may raise a few
eyebrows, is pulled off with aplomb and
style courtesy of these gothic crusaders.
Although Dark Adrenaline does not
indicate that Lacuna Coil are looking
to broaden their musical horizons
experimentally, this repertoire of
tracks are bathed in an impassioned
ferocity which will continue to entice
both the converted and the curious
like moths to a light. Needless to say,
this album will fit snugly onto any
metaller’s playlist!
Cristina Scabbia (female vocals)
and Andrea Ferro (male vocals)
answered a few questions for us.
Q: The metal world is a male
dominated society and it always
has been. However, women have
become much more prominent
on the scene, what are your
thoughts on this?
Cristina: When we started –
and that was 15 years ago – there
weren’t so many bands with
females in their line-ups. Now
it seems to be a common thing,
everywhere you look these days
you’ll find a female in the line-up.
Obviously, being a woman in a band,
you get a lot of attention because
you’re the different element. Look
at television commercials; even if
the ad is selling tyres a woman will
be in there somewhere because she
gets people’s attention.
Q: Over the last couple of
years, and especially on Dark
Adrenaline, it seems that you’ve
taken a step back from the
spotlight. Is that the case?
Cristina: It’s not that I’m taking
a step back. It’s just that if you’re
part of a band, it doesn’t make
sense to have yourself up front as if
you’re not an actual part of a band.
I think of it as if we’re an army on
stage rather than a singer with
some other people just standing
around and playing.
Q: It’s still early in the release
of Dark Adrenaline, but what it
your general impression of how
the album has been received?
Andrea: We’ve gotten great
reactions from the fans on the
internet and the ones we’ve met
on tour. They’re very enthusiastic
and we’re really happy about that.
When we play the new single Trip
the Darkness live, everybody knows
the songs already and they sing
along, which is pretty cool.
Q: Shallow Life was an upbeat,
positive sounding album in
comparison to Dark Adrenaline,
which is a lot heavier and much
more aggressive. Is it fair to say
you’ve taken a step back without
returning to your gothic metal
roots?
Andrea: Shallow Life is probably
the most experimental album we’ve
done in terms of musical direction.
But, that’s what this is all about.
You have to try to see what works
and what’s going to stand the test of
time. It’s been very important to do
that. When we were making Dark
Adrenaline we wanted to get back
to the energy and the aggression
that was missing on Shallow Life,
especially in the live environment.
The new album is heavier because
that’s what works really well for us
in the live shows.
Q: What’s your feeling on
Lacuna Coil inspiring other
up-and-coming musicians and
bands, the way Paradise Lost
or The Gathering may have
influenced you?
Andrea: Sometimes we see
Lacuna Coil tribute band or hear a
band to a cover song, and it’s a bit
weird (laughs). We still think of our
career as being fresh because we’re
reborn with every record, in a way,
so we don’t feel like we’re an older
band. But, it’s a pleasure to see that
bands have been inspired by us.
Dark Adrenaline is on sale via
iTunes at £7.99 and Amazon at £7.49.
What’s on… March 2012
UNIS Chamber Choir and Orchestra
The University of Surrey’s prolific Chamber Choir and Orchestra
present Faure’s beautiful Requiem Mass, Stravinsky’s Dumbarton
Oaks and a UK premiere of Koželuh’s Concerto in B Flat Major for Piano,
Four Hands and Orchestra. Conducted by Russell Keable, with Maureen
Galea and Margaret Roberts at the piano.
University of Surrey Chamber Choir and Orchestra
Friday 9th March, 7.30pm
Guildford United Reformed Church – Portsmouth Road
Admission Free
The idea of performing this concerto is part of an initiative to
promote piano duet repertoire after Maureen Galea launched a
biennial four-hand piano competition for University music students
called Quattro Mani! in March 2011. It is written by a Czech composer
who was Mozart's rival and successor, and is also one of the few pieces
written for this genre. This promises to be a wonderful and varied
concert.
USSU Big Band
USSU Big Band
Saturday 10th March, 8.00pm
Ivy Arts Centre
£8, £6 senior & staff, £5 student
Big tunes – big sound. The University of Surrey's award-winning
and talented Big Band returns to the Ivy with another lively and
fun-filled programme of Big Band standards through Latin jazz to
modern funk. Irresistible rhythms, toe-tapping tunes and exciting
performances make every Big Band concert and event - not just a
performance.
Hip Hop
Hip Hop
Saturday 17 th March, 6.30pm (main show 7.30pm)
Ivy Arts Centre
£8 full, £5 students
As part of Woking Dance Festival's Spring Shorts 2012 season, The
University of Surrey and Woking Dance Festival join forces to
create an evening dedicated to celebrating hip hop and the vibrant art
forms that have stemmed from its surrounding culture. The evening
will include: DJing and MCing, graffiti artists, free style dance circles
and a main stage show featuring dance acts from the local area and the
excellent Rannel theatre company (the guys decorating a house in the
McDonalds advert).
Surrey Guitar Day
Surrey Guitar Day
Saturday 24 th March, 12.30pm – various times afterwards
PATS Studio One
£40 full day, £25 student full day, £10 individual concerts
Hosted by Milton Mermikides (Lecturer, University of Surrey and
Professor of Guitar, Royal College of Music) this promises to be a
fantastic day for any fan of guitar music in all its wonderful forms. The
School of Arts at the University of Surrey hosts a packed day of superb
performances by some of the best guitarist from Britain and beyond.
Artists include chart-topping Australian guitarist Craig Ogden,
Austrian steel-string maestro Thomas Leeb, virtuoso/composer Gary
Ryan, popular guitarists Bridget Mermikides and Amanda Cook, and
jazz master john Wheatcroft.
Performance will include exquisite guitar music from the Baroque
era to contemporary electronica and across a diversity of guitar styles
from folk to classical to gypsy jazz. The day also features a performance
by EGO (The Eclectic Guitar Orchestra) providing a rare and exciting
opportunity to hear these modern masters perform together, and with
some very special guests. Proceeds will go to the Richard Hand Forget-
Me-Not memorial Fund in aid of Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research.

32 MUSIC
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 music@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Dry the River – Shallow Bed
By Tanya Noronha, Music Team
Despite their place on the BBC
Sound of 2012 list, several
appearances across the 2011
festival circuit, and an upcoming
tour in March, Dry The River can
be seen as the antithesis of the
pounding bass lines and synthheavy
vocals which often dominate
the mainstream charts.. This fivepiece
London-based band pride
themselves on their stripped back,
acoustic vibe and come complete
with a violinist. They have all the
features of a top folk band, but
somehow bring so much more
depth to their music. Shallow Bed
makes for a truly unique album
which is worth a listen.
With this in mind, Shallow Bed
is a remarkably intense listen.
Filled with layered harmonies
and eloquent lyrics, the violin and
acoustic guitar is woven expertly
throughout. The opening track
Animal Skins showcases lead singer
Peter Liddle’s haunting vocals,
yet as it shifts into New Ceremony,
the band begin to display a more
heartfelt side – “...don’t think about
the future now/ I know it’s got to
stop, love, but I don’t know how...”
Perhaps the most moving aspect of
the entire album is the simplicity of
it all. It is easy to picture Liddle, pen
in hand, attempting to illustrate
whatever was happening in his
head. This has resulted in an album
where tracks tend to flow into
each other. Some are soliloquylike
in nature, yet others paint
the listeners vivid tales to picture
at will. Each song is awash with
emotion, regardless of whether the
pace is relentless and sweeping, as
in The Chambers and The Valves and
the triumphant, trumpet-tinged
Lion’s Den, or whether it is the
mournful Bible Belt.
Shallow Bed seems to demand
you to put down whatever you are
doing and just shut your eyes to
listen. Dry The River have put soul
into this album, and from beginning
to end, their craftsmanship shines
through. That said, it is not one to
listen to when feeling low, as it may
just move you to tears.
Shallow Bed is out on 5 th March.
Gig Reviews
LIVE: The Sounds at Kings College, London
By James Campbell, Music Team
Like a wave surging onto a shore, a raucous flock of
students move with force toward Kings College’s
Union stage on the verge of half nine on the 4th
February. Enveloped in darkness, and amidst incessant
clamourings, The Sounds swagger on, with lead singer
Maja Ivarsson’s triumphant
smile shining resonantly
from ear to ear with the
effect of a fired bullet,
ricocheting from wall to
wall as the stage lights
loom, blazing furiously
on feverishly excited
faces. The atmosphere
is electric, and ‘whoops’
of anticipation grow to
a crescendo, as with a
lingering glide of the hand,
Maja gives the command to
strike. The Sounds proclaim
that the energy in their
performance is what gives
them the edge; but does it?
The Sounds chose
their support act wisely,
unleashing The Limousines onto unsuspecting
eardrums, a crowd friendly, bombastic duo from San
Francisco. Armed with decks, a microphone and a
not so conspicuous megaphone as their only means
of musical weaponry, these two musicians keep the
audience enthralled with their own take on the modern
electronic scene, combining influences from MGMT
and La Roux, which unfold as a tirade of hypnotic
beats and rasping vocals that pummel the crowd in a
relentless fashion.
In the wake that follows, a bright eyed and not to
mention Carling splattered crowd waits restlessly with
whetted appetites until an uproar from the furthest
part of the stage reverberates around the room with
lightening speed, heralding the arrival of a strutting
scantily clad Maja, followed in hot pursuit by some
scrawny, rebellious looking lads that take their
positions behind their instruments. Upon plunging
into their first song of the night, It’s So Easy, an anthemic
and uplifting number, heads bob and arms are flung
aimlessly into the air as the Sounds and their disciples
embark on the night’s musical pilgrimage. Tracks such
as Dance With Me and Better Off Dead are lapped up with
gusto, and Maja almost seems to toy with the audience
before the band perform popular singles Something to
Die For and Yeah Yeah Yeah, which are readily devoured
by greedy ears.
Emblazoned as a pop
act with a sound tinged by
synthesizers, memorable
hooks and dynamic twists
and turns, the Sounds
have a repertoire that can
get listener’s heartbeats
pumping, both old and new.
Despite their blustering
persona however, the
group’s performance
illustrates that they are
not embarking on any
new musical territory
that groups like Blondie
and The Epoxies have not
already tried to penetrate.
Churned out like so
many other quasi indie
pop bands of late, The
Sounds are fortunate that they have an enduring stage
presence, which makes up for the fatal weakness of a
setlist with numerously tedious song structures, which
do not take one’s breath away in the very least.
Nevertheless, tumultuous cries for two encores
stands as testament to the fact that the crowd did not
seem to come away disappointed; a buzz of frenzied
chattering was more than enough to leave ears ringing
after we lunged for our belongings, and were herded
out into the freshly fallen snow. The Sounds can be
recommended to anybody who likes to dabble in easy
listening pop, and are an ideal accompaniment to add
to your house party playlist!
Experience Get Sharp by The Limousines,
available at for £7.99 (iTunes) and Something to
Die For by The Sounds at £7.99 (iTunes) or £7.90
(Amazon) for a fuller perspective of what these
groups have on offer!
LIVE: Ben Howard at the
Shepherds Bush Empire
By Hannah Jelliman, Music Team
Ben Howard? Who? I hear you
ask…well now’s the time to
find out! Having been introduced
to his music by my brother, after
seeing him at a tiny festival in
Wales some three summers ago,
Ben Howard is ever so slowly
receiving the recognition he so
greatly deserves. His music has
an acoustic, surfer-type feel, with
an added use of cello and some
rather odd percussion (including
plastic bottles); Ben Howard’s
music is feel-good, relaxing yet
often incredibly moving. His
innovative use of acoustic guitar
never ceases to amaze me, with
astoundingly fast plucking,
slapping and strumming with
great precision and beauty. I like
to think of him as a new Jose
Gonzalez, but with a cool, surfer
edge.
Having seen him perform
less than a year ago in a tiny
bar in London (with an audience
of no more than 100 people), I
think I almost screamed when
I first heard Fern Cotton say his
name on Radio 1, and when he
announced his first ever headline
tour of the UK. The Shepherds
Bush audience was the largest
headline performance Ben
had ever given, and genuinely
looked astounded and moved by
the response the audience gave
him: Singing along to his lyrics,
performing call and response to
several songs off his recent album
Every Kingdom and giving roaring
extended cheers and applauses
after every song. Of course, he
looked ever so slightly terrified,
but who wouldn’t be! He’s just a
young, down to earth, ordinary
guy from Devon who has a
passion for music and is evidently
overwhelmed at the enthusiasm
of his fans and getting to headline
at such a great London venue. If
you haven’t heard of him, and are
into folky, acoustic music (or even
if you’re not for that matter, you
might still like him!) then I urge
you to check him out. I think he’s
going to go a long way and there’s
nothing more satisfying than
watching a talented musician
make it to the top!
Had an unforgettable
live experience?!
Email music@thestagsurrey.co.uk and tell
us who? when? and why? for your chance
to have your say about an incredible live
performance in the next issue!

Societies Editor: Chris Dighton | Copy Editor: Megan Barnacle
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
SOCIETIES 33
Societies
When Ghostpoet came to GU2
On Monday 20 th February, the University
of Surrey’s radio station, GU2, brought
Mercury nominated artist Ghostpoet to the
students’ union. GU2 is the student radio
station of the University of Surrey, and is
entirely student run. The night also saw up
and coming act Alt J and Adele’s backing singer
Bobbie Gordon hit the Rubix stage. The gig was
organised by Say Something; a student run live
music night, in conjunction with GU2, and saw
hundreds of people come to watch an incredible
night of live music. After being nominated for a
Mercury Award in July last year for his album
Peanut Butter Jams and Melancholy Blues, Ghostpoet
has gone on to play gigs and festivals across the
country, building an ever growing following.
His unique twist of creative and extraordinary
electronic beats and down to earth storytelling
lyrics has built him an impressive cult
following, who were out in force at the gig. His
music went down a storm with the crowd of
Guildford residents and university students. Alt
J's mix of electronic-indie and haunting vocal
style received an equally impressive reaction.
The Say Something gig was entirely student
run, and similar nights in the past have brought
artists such as Rizzle Kicks to the students’
union. There will be another Say Something
night, run in conjunction with GU2 Radio,
before the summer, with more amazing artists
and some huge names planned.
To find out more about the
night go to www.facebook.
com/SaySomethingLive
Refreshers Fayre 2012
By Chris Dighton, Societies Editor
Friday the 10 th February saw the return of
Fresher’s Fayre in Rubix. This was a perfect
opportunity to meet up and join a new sport or
society, or take advantage of the many freebies
that were available. If you missed this event,
fret not! There are plenty of ways of finding
the society for you, just look on the sports and
societies hub on the union website, where there
is a full list of societies and sports clubs:
www.ussu.co.uk/ClubsSocieties
The snow did not stop you from coming
through the doors, with an estimated 4000 people
through the doors, which is fantastic news for
societies trying to recruit new members.
Jake Willis, VP Societies & ID said “Refreshers
fayre went well, it was great to see the level of
involvement everyone put into their stalls. The
people at GU2 Radio were brilliant at getting all
the other societies up on the stage for their live
broadcast throughout the day. It was brilliant to
see all the societies stick around at the end and
help out too. My thanks go to Helena Vardy for
her fantastic job of organising it.”
©Tomodo Photography
I
t’s time to tread the boards
again with MADSoc’s next
sensational performance! After
three sell out productions this
year, from last week’s unique
24 Hour Play to the hilariously
original Princess and the Pauper
right down to the outrageous
musical hit I Love You, You’re
Perfect, Now Change, the hour has
arrived to begin on MADSoc’s big
blockbuster production; How to
Succeed in Business Without Really
Trying, already experiencing
phenomenal success on
Broadway with Daniel Radcliffe;
Business is coming to a campus
near you and now is the chance
to take part! With auditions
being held on the 6 th and 7 th
March from 18:00 till 21:00 in
TB18, the time has never been
better to get involved!
Musicals not your thing?
Let’s not forget about the
wonderfully popular drama
workshops held every Tuesday
evening at 6.30pm in TB18.
Whatever your experience,
come along and get involved
with the games, learn some new
techniques and strengthen old
ones. Each workshop generally
ends in a trip to Wates House
where over a drink and some
food, you can get to know the
wonderful members. It’s the
perfect chillout after a long day.
But let’s not forget that on
the 26 th March, MADSoc will
be holding its annual Variety
Show, from dance numbers to
standup comedy to straight
drama, there’s something to
get involved with! We’ll be
using material devised from
the workshops and are keen
for any contribution! Whatever
ideas you might be sitting on,
we’re ready to hear them, even
if you’ve never performed before
this is the perfect chance to have
your first experience in front of
an audience.
All this information and more
will be available if you email the
society at ussu.madsoc@surrey.
ac.uk or if you come along to one
of the Tuesday workshops. Now
is the chance to get involved with
one of the biggest societies on
campus and take part in another
award winning production!
Looking forward to seeing you
this Tuesday in TB18 at 6.30pm!

34 SOCIETIES
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk
A successful month for PENsoc
By Tom Goulding, Deputy Editor
February has been a busy month for Surrey
PEN. From our postcard campaign to
themed cupcakes, we have been working
hard to promote the importance of free
speech across campus. Elsewhere, the English
Department has successfully launched its
Censorship & Freedom module, proving that
efforts to engage with political expression
aren’t just important for Surrey students, but
Surrey lecturers too.
We kick started the month at Refreshers
Fayre, where a dedicated team of helpers
were on hand to distribute flyers, literature
and bribe new members with the promise
of chocolate. Our competition to finish the
sentence ‘The worst part of censorship is...’
was also a popular addition; the winning
suggestion ‘that it gives way to ignorance’
was thought provoking, sincere and
deserving of first prize. To top it all off, the
day’s proceedings were of course supervised
in ironic silence by our new mascot: Sylvia
the Pink Free Speech Bear.
This was quickly followed by the
Do>More Volunteering Exhibition, where
we encouraged people to write postcards
to Liu Xiaobo, a Nobel Peace Prize winning
literary critic and humans right activist who
is currently being detained due to his work
calling for fair political reform in China.
The importance of writing postcards is to
show appreciation and support for those
without a voice, reminding them that they
are not alone and have support throughout
the world. Our attempt to demonstrate this
at the exhibition was not only successful, but
also crucial in showing Liu Xiaobo’s efforts
have not been in vain.
Finally, the iExhibition proved to be
a great conclusion to the month’s events,
with our team baking cakes, painting faces
and providing more information on how to
get involved. “The iExhibition was a great
experience for the society”, said PENsoc
President Shaun Millis, “We had a lot of
support from students of all nationalities
and it was great to see so many people having
their faces painted in support of free speech
throughout the world.”
With even more activities planned for
March, including an afternoon with English
PEN guest speaker Rob Sharp, there hasn’t
been a better time to join Surrey PEN.
To find out more, please contact ussu.englishpen@surrey.ac.uk, or join as a member at Facebook.com/SurreyEnglishPEN
Newly formed Postgraduate Society
Calling all Postgrads! A newly formed postgraduate society
has been formed to act as a central hub for the postgraduate
community at Surrey.
The society has been set up to provide a forum where
postgraduate students can voice issues regarding all aspects of
University life and to also provide a central point for Masters
and PhD students from all disciplines to meet and socialise
together.
We will be holding regular meetings and as a committee it
would be great to hear from fellow postgraduates about what
you’d like to see the society doing in the future. Please join
our facebook group or email the committee (details below) to
join the discussion and find out when we’re meeting and what
events we’re running.
We very much look forward to meeting you in the weeks
ahead.
The Postgraduate Society Committee
Email: ussu.pgs@surrey.ac.uk
Facebook group “Surrey Postgraduate Society”: http://
www.facebook.com/groups/374956882534015/

Sport Editor: Jordan Vine | Copy Editor: Louisa White
The Stag | 6 th March 2012
SPORT 35
BUCS Sports Results
Badminton
Portsmouth Men’s 1st 8 vs 0 Surrey Men’s 1st
Surrey Men’s 2nd 1 vs 7 Reading Men’s 2nd
Reading Women’s 1st 1 vs 7 Surrey Women’s 1st
Basketball
Surrey Men’s 1st 102 vs 58 West London Men’s 1st
Football
Chichester Men’s 2nd 0 vs 2 Surrey Men’s 1st
Surrey Men’s 2nd 5 vs 0 Sussex Men’s 3rd
Surrey Men’s 4th 5 vs 3 Royal Holloway Men’s 2nd
Reading Women’s 1st 4 vs 2 Surrey Women’s 1st
Rugby Union
Surrey Men’s 1st 31 vs 18 Reading Men’s 2nd
Golf
Surrey Men’s 1st 2.5 vs 3.5 Kingston Men’s 1st
Hockey
Surrey Men’s 1st 0 vs 0 Kingston Men’s 1st
Portsmouth Men’s 4th 3 vs 1 Surrey Men’s 2nd
Surrey Women’s 1st 4 vs 1 Reading Women’s 2nd
Portsmouth Women’s 3rd 1 vs 2 Surrey Women’s 2nd
Netball
Imperial Medics 1st 68 vs 30 Surrey 1st
Surrey 2nd 53 vs 37 Roehampton 1st
Squash
Surrey Men’s 1st 3 vs 2 Essex Men’s 1st
Brunel Men’s 3rd 2 vs 1 Surrey Men’s 2nd
Fencing
Surrey Men’s 1st 100 vs 133 Queen Mary Men’s 1st
Portsmouth Men’s 1st 128 vs 96 Surrey Men’s 2nd
Surrey Women’s 1st 135 vs 84 UCL Women’s 1st
Tennis
Kings College Men’s 1st 4 vs 8 Surrey Men’s 1st
Reading Men’s 2nd 12 vs 0 Surrey Men’s 1st
Surrey Men’s 3rd 0 vs 12 Westminster Men’s 1st
Surrey Women’s 1st 0 vs 12 Portsmourth Women’s 1st
Roller Derby
Roller derby is a wheely good sport
By Ellie Brodie, Sports Team
Being a Surrey Roller Girl is quite an exhilarating
experience. Roller derby is fast-paced and
somewhat violent, which means it is great fun to
watch and get involved with. It has supporters who,
like the players, all come from a range of alternative
backgrounds, making derby a great place to meet new
and interesting people. As Surrey Roller Girls was
only founded at the end of last year, and as most of
us are beginners, there is a lot of hard training to do
before we can enter bouts as a team and invite you
all to watch. But already we can feel the support of
neighbouring derby leagues, some lending us kit and
coming to visit to help coach us.
For those of you who have never heard of roller
derby: it is a game played on roller skates with three
roles: ‘jammers’, ‘pivots’ and ‘blockers’. The ‘blockers’
aim to block the ‘jammers’ who score points for overtaking
the opposing teams ‘blockers’, while the ‘pivot’
controls the pack of ‘blockers’. However, early training
has so far involved only involved learning the basics:
falls, stops and how to skate as a team. It is great to be
part of a sport that is so unique and quite feminist, as
it is predominantly females who play.
For more information or if you want to be a Surrey Roller
Girl (or if you are not female, and are interested in becoming
a referee), email: info@surreyrollergirls.com

36 SPORT
The Stag | 6 th March 2012 sport@thestagsurrey.co.uk
Sport
The Girls are back in town
By Douglas Elder, Sports Team
It’s a new year, but for two of Team
Surrey’s sides, it’s the same old
story.
At the end of 2011, I wrote about
how the Women’s 1st XI Fencing
and Hockey teams had won all their
games, and that trend is continuing
even as spring approaches.
A the time of writing, the
fencing team, led by captain
Rebecca Smethurst, are unbeaten
in their division with seven wins
from seven matches. Despite
trailing Sussex University by three
points, Surrey have two games in
hand, providing the opportunity
to go top. As in the last issue,
Rebecca continues to attribute
the success of the team to a great
coaching team, but says that “the
most important thing is all the
girls train so hard”. With the end
of the season fast approaching,
she is confident the team will top
the league but warns “we mustn’t
get ahead of ourselves”. Even the
clichés are starting to sound like
those used by top sportsman, as
Rebecca insists that there is “a lot
of hard work to do, but the girls are
giving 110%”.
Nearing the top of the league
comes with added pressure and
this close to the end of the season
– with promotion at stake – one
would expect the girls to be
feeling the heat. However, despite
admitting “it does provide quite
a lot of pressure, being near the
top”, Smethurst believes such
pressure comes with the territory
and says that the expectations are
welcomed. “The pressure keeps
us focussed and keeps us training
hard. Our efforts are paying off and
the pressure will help us fight for
the top position.”
Last Wednesday, the girls
took on UCL Women’s 2nd team,
knowing victory would take them
back to the top of the division.
After comfortably beating them
earlier in the season, Surrey have
plenty of reasons to approach the
game with optimism.
As for Hockey, Surrey were
defeated in the cup in the quarter
finals by UCL, a defeat which
captain Becky Davidson was as
much down to misfortune as to
mistakes. After, the defeat, she said
that “we were all disappointed, but
I am so proud of the whole squad.
They never gave up fighting or let
their heads drop, even though it
felt like we were up against 13, not
11 players! We felt like we matched
them the entire game, and we
were able to force the match into
another 14 minutes of golden goal.
Unfortunately, a short corner
managed to find the net and that
was that.” Despite the loss, there
are many reasons for Davidson to
be cheerful.
“It was a great game. We came
away with our heads held high,
knowing that with a little more
luck, or better umpiring, we could
have won the game. A good cup run
was a goal of ours and we feel that
we achieved this goal by reaching
the quarter-finals. We’ve had a lot
of fun in getting this far, and that is
something I am immensely proud
of.”
Another cause for celebration
is the team’s excellent league form,
where victories – often by large
margins – have been commonplace.
Davidson says that the focus for
this year has always been to move
up a division. However, Surrey’s
dominance means that Becky feels
Surrey can achieve more than just
promotion. “Going out of the cup
means we can concentrate all our
efforts on the league and – having
won all our games – we are sitting
top. My new goal is not only to
secure promotion, but to do it in
style by winning every game. Given
our performances so far, I feel this
is definitely realistic.”
So why have the Hockey girls
done so well? Ultimately, it comes
down to a number of factors.
“I would say we have been
successful because every girl
in the 1st XI works hard and is
committed. As a result, there is
a team spirit which runs not only
through our squad, but the club
as a wholeSurrey played Reading
last Wednesday and going into
the game, the captain was feeling
confident. “We are at home and we
are definitely looking to continue
our winning streak. We beat them
7-0 in Reading so we know we
should be able to secure the win.”
Whether they do or not is
another matter, but you can find
out how they, the Fencing team
and every other team at Surrey
got on either by checking the
BUCS website or joining the Team
Surrey page on Facebook.
Trampolining
Trampoling club have a spring in their step
for their turn. Others watched
them carefully, picking apart
their routines and highlighting
any weaknesses in comparison to
their own ability. As intimidating
as this might seem, support and
encouragement is always present
from other team mates.
The next morning, it was an
early start. Some of us had a good
By Elena Koreneva, Sports team
On a cold but sunny Saturday
afternoon, the trampolining
team set off to represent Surrey
University at BUCS in Southampton.
We arrived at the sports hall
for a routine warm up, where I
was confronted with the daunting
knowledge that there were ninetynine
COME girls AND signed WATCH SURREY up to DESTROY compete KINGSTON breakfast AND CELEBRATE before we A TEAM left SURREY our hotel WIN !
in my category. Girls crowded rooms, but some of us didn’t. I was
over the two trampolines on our among the group that went hungry.
platform, waiting in anticipation Not knowing the times for our
2 012
SURREY VS KINGSTON
WEDNESDAY 28TH MARCH 12-6PM
COME AND WATCH SURREY DESTROY KINGSTON AND CELEBRATE A TEAM SURREY WIN !
individual “flight” and butterflies
in my stomach meant eating was
the last thing on my mind.
We arrived at Southampton
University’s sports hall and created
a “camp” in the corner of the busy
room. The crowds made it clear
that we were there to perform and
to be judged against others. The
competition was on.
The category I was competing
in was split into eight “flights”,
starting from 9am lasting until
4pm. It was a long wait. Our
team was spread out to perform
at different levels of difficulty,
amazingly well. Individually, the
whole team achieved their goals,
starting from seat landing, especially the girls competing in
progressing to back summersaults.
We were all competing at different
times and on separate platforms,
BUCS 5. They placed 2nd, 3rd and
4th in the competition. We were all
proud of one male team-mate, who
which allowed us to move around achieved 3rd place and qualified for
the hall to support and be a spotter Nationals.
2 012
for each other. However, despite Overall it was a fun and
the fact that a complete routine successful trip. At the moment our
lasts twenty-five seconds, everyone team is training for more advanced
SURREY VS KINGSTON
was nervous.
routines for the upcoming
Regardless of the nerves and the competition in Essex.
early start, everyone performed
WEDNESDAY 28TH MARCH 12-6PM
SURREY SPORTS PARK
SURREY'S BIGGEST SPORTING EVENT!