fb.com/warwickboar

twitter.com/warwickboar theboarMore than just hot air Wednesday 4th November, 2015 Est. 1973 | Volume 38 | Issue 3 Warwick’s dark cloud looms University set to fail to meet emissions target by 2020

INSIDE: Nigel Thrift’s final interview

Books Music Travel Sport Marlon James: Booker Prize The near death of the Culture Shocks: My time Warwick Surf pace 3rd in Winner 2015 independent label with a native tribe BUCS Page 23 Page 25 Page 37 Page 40 >>Photo: Warwick Media Library

Registered charity: 1098294 EmployEr To book your place, sign up via our website: prEsEntation teachfirst.org.uk/graduates 2 novEmbEr | 6:30pm rootEs building Toib Olomowewe Teaches: Business Studies

Sponsored by: News Editors’ Picks

Transgender Eastenders Should we read the classics? Skirting with controversy The death of indie labels TV (p. 33) Books (p.23) Lifestyle (p. 18) Music (p. 25)

You don’t watch Eastenders anymore, do you? Having studied English to degree level, I’ve Our Lifestyle editor Lizzie made it clear Having spent much of my life desperately It doesn’t matter really. What is more inter- found book politics to be a real and danger- during our Freshers welcome talk that, while trying to distract from my own lack of an esting is that the BBC have made the deci- ous phenomenon. Being asked ‘what’s your her section may be bright magenta, it’s by no engaging personality through an increasingly sion to delve into more gender diversity when favourite book?’ always incites a certain de- means just for women. esoteric choice in music, I was enthralled and casting. Callum is justified in wanting a more gree of panic as most of us wonder what’s disappointed in equal measures by Christo- inclusive national broadcaster, where the in- the most acceptable answer; Dickens seems In her excellent section this week, Sport ed- pher Sanders’ piece on the death of the indie terests of a number of different communities far too obvious (and would be a lie in my itor Shingi Mararike is out to show that the label. As it turns out I was being sold a lie from whatever racial, ethnic, sexual or other case), but something more modern might be same goes for skirts. Check out his article for the whole time! A cabal of shady tastemakers background should feel more involved with judged badly. Whether or not you can still a fresh perspective on hetero-normative atti- keen to prey on impressionable youngsters what is on their screens. However, I have a be said to appreciate good literature if you tudes to street style, not to mention an even such as myself had been slipping me Pave- funny feeling that in a dark corner of Broad- haven’t read the classics is still a pertinent fresher photo of The Boar’s resident fashion ment CDs while I slept. Luckily, not all is casting House, there is a HR manager ticking question, and both articles in Books’ tête-à- icon himself. lost: we may be able to gain some semblance off another box on her ‘Equal Opportunities’ tête do a great job at defending their views. of authenticity in the world of “independent” target list. How disappointing. Definitely worth a read. music after all. Hiran Adhia Bethan McGrath Jake Mier Sam Evans

Editor-in-Chief Hiran Adhia NEWS Connor O’Shea & FILM Kambole Campbell [email protected] [email protected] Arthi Nachiappan [email protected] Tom Hemingway Joe Lester Deputy Editors-in-Chief Sam Evans Matt Barker GAMES Ali Jones [email protected] Bethan McGrath Alex Ball [email protected] Jacob Mier Lily Pickard MUSIC Stephen Paul & Sub-editors Hannah Campling COMMENT Nour Rose Chehab [email protected] Jess Mason [email protected] Halimah Manan [email protected] Ollie Ship

FEATURES Blessing Mukosha Park TV Carmella Lowkis Director of Business Harshini Singh [email protected] Lauren Bond [email protected] [email protected] LIFESTYLE Elizabeth Pugsley SCIENCE & TECH Selina-Jane Spencer Head of Sales Lauren Garvey & [email protected] [email protected] John Butler [email protected] Pim Pearce FINANCE Alexander Shaw TRAVEL Jack Prevezer Head of Marketing Iris Du [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] ARTS Sophie Dudhill PHOTOGRAPHY Shruti Dayal Head of Distribution Simran Thakral [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] BOOKS Lucy Skoulding SPORT Shingi Mararike Head of Apps Kate Mant [email protected] [email protected] Sam Nugent [email protected]

Get in touch:

WE WANT YOU! SUHQ, Floor Two theboar is printed on 100% recycled paper University of Warwick Leave your paper for someone else when finished To write for your student paper University Road Coventry theboar is the University of Warwick’s Email the section editors above if CV4 7AL editorially independent student newspaper produced entirely by and for Except where otherwise noted, theboar and the you want to write for the paper students. works in theboar are licensed under: [email protected] http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ News

Editors: Arthi Nachiappan & Connor O’Shea News [email protected]

“You will never get things right”

Robert Ebenburger and Matt Barker interview Warwick’s outgoing vice- chancellor Nigel Thrift

What would you say is your legacy at some students are concerned. Warwick? Why did you decide to rebrand Warwick, If you start talking about your legacy, and why now? you have seriously lost it. Having said that, what I like to think We did it now because it is Warwick’s is that we put the University in a position 50th anniversary. The brand had become to keep going. That is probably the single quite tired and it was remarkably similar most important thing you can do. to some other universities, who basically pinched it. It was not distinctive any more. What are your biggest regrets about your Some students thought that the crest time as vice-chancellor? would be deleted from public memory, but that’s not the case, we’re still using it in all Of Warwick’s endowment, a very large sorts of ways. part goes into things like student bursa- What we were looking for was some- ries. We do not have the money that places thing that represented a university which like Oxford and Cambridge have, which has got to 50 and gone to the next level. allows them to balance the socioeconomic background of students. I am frustrated we Should students have a say in the Univer- could not do even more in that respect. sity’s management and long term strate- gic decisions, like rebranding? The trust relationship between the Uni- versity has been damaged on several oc- Students are massively represented in casions during the last year, such as vi- the University, and indeed in the manage- olence in handling the Free Education ment of the university. We are one of few protests and lack of student consultation universities that have the Students’ Union over rebranding the University. How do president on the main management board you think trust between students and the of the University. I go mad about this, be- administration could be improved? cause I genuinely believe we are doing all we can. When such events happen, they will have a dividing effect – one simply has to Have you ever felt the media treated you deal with that. unfairly? When? Communication is always going to be a difficulty, and even more so with social It comes with the territory. Whether media: stories just go and by the time you you like it or not, in institutions there has have presented your side of things, the sto- to be someone to criticise, because the in- ry is already done and dusted. stitution feels amorphous. Someone is re- Different groups of students also com- ally evil, and it’s as straight forward as that. municate in very different ways: this adds It’s sometimes not very pleasant, but a to a difficult exchange of information. If lot of it is so extraordinarily personal that we can get communication right, we can it becomes impersonal. improve trust in the institution. You will never get things right so far as See The Boar News online for full interview 4 NEWSNews theboar.org

Warwick fails to meet emissions target Billy Perrigo investigates reduction of carbon emmissions at the University over the past 10 years Warwick University is failing to undergoing across this period. report highlight the scale of the of just how little is being done to However, communications meet its carbon emissions reduc- But even using a measure that challenge of delivering meaningful tackle these issues.” manager Alex Buxton stated: “I’m tion targets, according to sustain- accounts for the University’s ex- emissions reductions in absolute In a statement to the High- not aware that we have received ability consultancy Brite Green’s pansion, Warwick performed rela- terms while also achieving com- er Education Funding Council any share of the £90 million grants Billy Perrigo Carbon Progress report. tively poorly. mercial growth.” (HEFC), Warwick said: “A focus from the Higher Education Fund- The ambitious targets were When emission was measured Hiba Ahmed, a representative on energy-intensive research activ- ing Council as part of the climate agreed as part of the Climate in CO2 per m2 of floor space, of Warwick Green Party Society, ity inevitably has knock-on effects change act in 2008.” Change Act of 2008. Warwick’s Warwick comes 104th out of 121 accuses Warwick of “green wash- to energy use and consequent car- “Significant examples of the target was a 60% reduction in car- UK universities surveyed, actual- ing” the issue. She said: bon emissions.” Universities commitment to sus- bon emissions between 2005 and ly increasing emissions per m2 by “We talk about how Green “There have been some notable tainability include constructing 2020. 0.92%. week is a thing and has a strong successes in reducing carbon emis- quality and efficient new buildings, According to the new report, Measuring by CO2 reductions green presence on campus yet the sions across the university, resulting and investing significant capital in Warwick has only achieved a 1% per GBP of income, Warwick University is at the bottom of the in both absolute and relative reduc- the University heat network to re- reduction on 2005 levels so far. comes 85th out of 121. This does People and Planet rating this year tions in emissions.” duce carbon emissions.” The report also predicts that represent a 20% reduction on 2005 and continues to collaborate with Despite the HEFC handing Across the sector, emissions are Warwick will only achieve a 1% re- levels, however. companies such as Rolls Royce, out £90 million in grants to UK predicted to fall only 12% by 2020, duction by 2020. Brite Green have admitted that who directly profit from climate universities as a way of encouraging compared to the original goal of However these figures are based their methodology has some limi- change.” emissions reduction, universities 43% set in 2008. on overall emissions, and do not tations. “We already knew the Univer- across the country are falling be- There are no financial penalties take into account University ex- In the report’s introduction, sity had a massive carbon footprint hind their targets, according to the for institutions who fail to reach pansion, which Warwick has been they state: “The findings of this and this is just another example report. their 2020 target. Student stories from around the globe Ana Clara Paniago and Sarah Morland report on news affecting students away from Warwick

Japan Hit reform with turntables France Students fight climate change Tokyo’s iconic Shibuya crossing for Liberal Democracy (SEALDs), and The World Wide Fund for Na- ious themes, such as biodiversity and sus- was flooded with students in de- have received media attention for their ture (WWF) has launched a stu- tainability. More than 500 students have signer street-wear earlier this month, striking style, visuals and party ambiance, dent-orientated challenge in France already signed up to take part, including protesting prime minister Shinzo Abe’s contrasting the last rallies of that scale in to teach teenagers of the dangers of cli- undergraduates from the Paris School of controversial security reform bill, armed the 1960s. mate change and how they can prevent Business and Grenoble Ecole de Manage- with loudspeakers and turntables. SEALDs has also campaigned (unsuc- it. ment. The bill, which was passed a month be- cessfully) against a bill criminalising jour- WWF’s project is said to be part of the According to WWF, this will all have fore the demo, has faced widespread op- nalists and whistleblowers for the publica- coming COP21, also known as the 2015 a point system where schools across the position and called to question to nature tion of “sensitive” information. United Nations Climate Change Con- country will compete to see who is the of democracy in Japan. It recently called for opposition parties ference, which will be held in Paris next most environmentally-conscious. For in- It reinterprets the post-WW2 consti- to form a united front against the ruling month. The first step will be to allow the stance, if they dedicate one day per month tution, enabling the military to engage in Liberal Democratic Party. students to reflect on what is going on to discuss these issues, they will receive overseas conflicts as opposed to being a Aki Okuda, the 23-year-old founder of around the world. This will take place in 1500 points. purely defensive force. SEALDs, has toned down his public ap- numerous schools around France for half On Earth Day, 19 March 2016, the three The protests, which began a year ago, pearances since he recently received death a day. best schools will be awarded for their ef- are led by the Students Emergency Action threats against his family. Schools are able to choose between var- forts. theboar.org/News | @BoarNews | NEWS 5 5 News theboar.org Warwick surpasses £50 million goal Warwick launch Alex Brock

The University of Warwick has cancer research revealed that it has surpassed its goal of raising £50 million to in- vest in teaching and research by the end of its 50th anniversary partnership with year. It was announced on 16 Octo- ber that over 12,000 donors had contributed to the overall total of £73 million since the campaign’s university in China launch. The money will be used to ben- efit students, as well as to fund re- search that will address a number of medical and global problems. For example, £19 million will go towards medical research being carried out at Warwick, such as in- vestigations into cancer and infec- tious disease.

Over 12,000 donors had contributed to the overall total of £73 million since the campaign’s launch

Aisha Zahid with the Sun Yat-sen University cology nurses at the University of Cancer Centre (SYSUCC) by sign- Warwick, along with the training £29 million will be used for stu- ing this agreement today. for SYSUCC pathologists at War- dent scholarships, whilst £2 million Warwick have recently an- “This represents a milestone in wick, University Hospital Coventry is for the Warwick in Africa Pro- nounced their partnership with the interaction between our two and Warwickshire too. gramme which helps over 200,000 Sun Yat-sen University in China. institutions and demonstrates the teachers and learners across Africa A Memorandum of Under- mutual benefit of our partnership. in Maths and English education. standing (MoU) was signed on 21 “Working together to train fu- This collaboration has The announcement followed the October between the two universi- ture cancer specialists and to devel- also attracted support Festival of the Imagination, which ties, creating a research partnership op new anti-cancer treatments will celebrated Warwick’s 50th Anni- focusing on the diagnosis and spe- significantly advance our mutual from the Royal Society versary. cialist care of cancer. ambition to bring benefit to can- National Science On the first day of that festival The MoU wassigned by Professor cer patients in both China and the Foundation Warwick University also unveiled Lawrence Young (pro-vice-chan- UK.” “The Ripple Effect”, a new art cellor at Warwick) and Professor work piece by artist Philip Melling Chao-Nan Qian (vice president at that celebrates and includes the or- the Cancer Centre at Sun Yat-sen) “This represents a milestone The two universities have igin of every donation in excess of at Mansion house in London. in the interaction between worked together previously, initi- £25,000 made to Warwick since its There are several specific areas our two institutions and ating various developments such as foundation. that the research will focus on, in- demonstrates the mutual a research programme to develop cluding: nursing, digital pathology, benefit of our patnership.” anti-cancer drugs for a highly prev- anti-cancer drug development, as alent cancer in southern China. £29 million will be used for well as systems biology and preci- Lawrence Young This collaboration has also at- sion medicine. tracted support from the Royal So- student scholarships, whilst Professor Lawrence Young com- ciety National Science Foundation £2 million is for the Warwick mented: “We are delighted to be The memorandum will allow the who are aiding the development of in Africa Programme. consolidating our collaboration training of SYSUCC senior on- new anti-cancer drugs. » Photo: WMG Warwick/ Flickr

South Africa Tuition fees protests USA Students act against Donald Trump Demonstrations continue in 900,000 public university students. Students from West High day lives of many minority students. South Africa after president Ja- However, many fall in the gap between School, Sioux City (Iowa), lined Teenagers have been using his derog- cob Zuma agreed to freeze tuition being too rich to qualify for the scheme up in protest outside the establish- ative phrases and hate speech to torment fees on Friday. and too poor too afford fees, which are on ment as they tried to “silence Trump”. Latino kids, suggesting that they are all The movement began on 14 October in average R 100,000 a year. Donald Trump was scheduled to give illegal immigrants and criminals. protest against the proposed 10-12% fee Angered by Zuma’s decision to an- a rally on 27 October. This is his second More than a third of the students at- hike but has developed into the largest nounce the freeze from inside a media rally in the state in less than a week. tending West High are Hispanic. The nationwide protest since the end of the room instead of directly to the crowds Over 600 people were present, ranging protest was not cancelled by the school as apartheid. waiting outside, students continue to from current students to alumni to even they strongly promote anti-bullying poli- It now demands greater racial equality campaign and three universities remain the school board. cies and freedom of speech. in universities and free education for all, closed. Their goal was to show solidarity and As the protest was held along a main as promised by the current government Police have used tear gas, stun grenades protect students who are being targeted road, passers-by responded according- over 20 years ago. and water cannons against protesters. by Trump’s racially-charged anti-immi- ly. Some responded with cheerful honks, The country has a National Student A popular placard reads: “Our parents gration policies. meanwhile others with rude comments. Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS), which were made promises in 1994. We’re just According to the protesters, Trump’s this year subsidised over 400,000 out of here for the refund.” rhetoric is already affecting the day-to- 6 NEWSNews theboar.org ‘They keep building on green spaces’

Billy Perrigo investigates how students feel about Warwick campus

A new survey carried out by the were constructed quickly and are Over 30% of respondents said Boar has found that only 63% of now in use.” the Humanities building was the Warwick students would describe A large percentage of students least attractive place on campus. campus as “fairly” or “very” vis- complained about the lack of green The University seems to agree, and ually attractive. 29% said campus space on campus. One second-year is currently consulting students and is “not very” attractive, while 5% said: “They keep building on green staff on how best to improve the of respondents called it “hideous”. spaces, which were what attracted building, which has been around But there are signs that percep- since the University’s opening in tions are improving. Of the freshers 1964. who responded, over three quarters 58% of students surveyed Many students, however, had (76.9%) answered that campus was still believed Warwick has good things to say about campus. either “fairly” or “very” visually at- a reputation as an ugly A fresher claimed it was “beautiful tractive. The lowest result came university. in autumn”. Many also agreed that from those in fourth-year and campus looks “much better than above, of whom only 50% liked the last year”. look of campus. However, there was one per- In contrast to these figures how- me to the uni in the first place.” sistent problem that no amount of ever, from the 100 that responded However, the University argues improvement work could solve: to the survey, 58% of students sur- that building works are ultimately “The walk to Sherbourne was a veyed still believed Warwick has a in the best interests of students. treacherous and dangerous one... It reputation as an ugly university. Of all the second, third and only got worse as the year went on Students also raised concerns fourth-years questioned, 57% said and the geese got horny.” that constant building works were campus looked a little or a lot bet- negatively impacting campus life. ter than when they were a fresher. What’s your least One respondent said: “it’s dis- This number rocketed to 88.9% favourite part of heartening to see some projects for second-years, unsurprising giv- campus? taking months and months while en the current lack of roadworks Tweet: @BoarNews » A snap of Rootes on campus Photo : The JR James Archive / Flickr others, such as the WBS buildings, compared to last year. 7 News theboar.org/News | @BoarNews | NEWS 7 Namazie ‘Ugh, go on then’ – George speaks Lawlor consents to workshop Anthony O’ Malley Following the controversial over- turning of the decision to ban Namazie from speaking at the university, on the 28th of Oc- tober, the outspoken secularist campaigner finally made it to Warwick. Last Thursday, the political activ- ist Maryam Namazie, who in 2005 was named ‘Secularist of the Year’ and in 2007 founded the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain, spoke to Warwick Atheists, Secularists and Humanists (WASH) about her views on Islam and apostasy in the modern age. Additional police officers were posted to most of the doors and en- trances of the Maths and Statistics building in which she spoke. Fortunately, no security threats » Photo: George Lawlor (left) and Lily Pickard, Deputy News Editor (right) arose during the talk, and the ses- sion progressed smoothly without serious disruption. Chris Tobin paign. These workshops are aimed ent and the Guardian. Throup went on to ask Lawlor if The session was divided into an at reducing sexual harassment and After the SU’s women’s officer he would attend a workshop in the hour long presentation, which was assault on campuses. Josie Throup issued a plea to Law- future, to which he agreed: “Not then followed by an hour of audi- Tab journalist and Warwick stu- George Lawlor, a third-year Pol- lor and all the other critics to “have because I feel like I need it. But ence Q&A. dent George Lawlor, who contro- itics and Sociology student, was in- a heart” and take part in the cam- because I’m a writer and someone Benjamin David, President of versially objected to being invited vited to attend a workshop as part paign in hope of reducing sexual who has criticised it I feel like I WASH, introduced the event as to attend Warwick Students’ Un- of his role as an exec member of harassment, BBC Newsbeat hosted should have a look”. “the largest event in the history of ion’s ‘I Heart Consent’ workshops Warwick Conservatives. a discussion between Throup and First-year Classical Civilisation the Warwick Atheists, Secularists earlier this month, reversed his Lawlor’s criticism of the cam- Lawlor about the article, the cam- student Ellen Rodda told the Boar: and Humanists society.” decision in a conversation hosted paign and of his invitation to take paign and the wider issue of sexual “When the majority of people are He also spoke about his experi- by BBC Newsbeat. part gained attention not only on violence. sexually assaulted by people they ence in dealing with the SU crisis The video shows Lawlor talking campus but nationwide, with cov- In the video, Lawlor comments: know it’s imperative that all stu- following Namazie’s initial rejec- to Warwick SU women’s officer erage from the BBC, the Independ- “I didn’t write the article well dents, especially those in positions tion from coming to Warwick. Josie Throup about the aim of the enough, I may have said the wrong of responsibility, attend these class- He said that censoring activists workshops, to educate students things.” es.” like her would only serve to “create about sexual consent. Josie Throup issued a plea “I don’t regret writing the article Second-year Philosophy student an environment incapable of ex- At the start of the term execu- to Lawlor and other critics even if I may have written it wrong, Joseph Lester added: “At least this pending real discretion.” tives from all societies were invited to “have a heart” because it got the discussion going. whole thing has actually increased Following this brief introduc- to take part in consent workshops That’s all I ever wanted, and I’m awareness of the workshops, and tion, Namazie told audience mem- as part of the National Union Of sure that’s all you ever wanted as created a coversation.” bers that she believed the SU’s Student’s ‘I Heart Consent’ cam- w e l l .” claims of her views being “inflam- matory” and “inciting hatred” were “absurd”. She added: “The days when un- conditional free expression in uni- versities is long gone. Religion has Warwickshire mansion set always had a privileged place in so- cieties, and critics of religion have never been free to express them- selves.” to host dozens of refugees Namazie’s talk ranged from the Charlie Hebdo killings earlier this year and the problems she has with Sarah Morland gle said the manor required some The idea came from a ref- ble, terrible ways.” the veil and burka, which she de- minor repairs. ugee reception held last July, where Last month, over 80 bishops scribed as a “body bag” and “mo- The application, submitted on the Bishop of Coventry praised the signed a letter to Cameron, urging bile prison”. A luxury 27-bedroom Dio- 20 October, proposed a “change of role of local leaders in the crisis and him to accept 50,000 refugees flee- She also discussed her contro- cese-owned Warwickshire man- use from diocese retreat house to told refugees: “We are so glad that ing war-zones in the next 5 years. versial nude protests in support of sion may soon be hosting dozens short-term residential accommo- you are here in Coventry, and that After receiving no response, the women’s liberation. of Syrian refugees, pending the dation for refugees for a period of you are safe. We know that you and letter was made public on October During the Q&A, one audience Council’s decision. up to 5 years.” your people have suffered in terri- 19th, a day before making the ap- member questioned her on the Offa House, on Village Street plication. effectiveness of nude protesting, near Leamington, was put on sale Current UK commitment re- saying that we should “use logic to in October two years ago after its mains 20,000 refugees, or 0.03% oppose these problems, rather than closure as a spiritual retreat centre. of the current population. This using nudity and flashing our bod- However, the Diocese of Coventry is substantially less than Britain’s ies.” has removed it from the market western European neighbours, in- Namazie rebutted these claims as they await planning permission cluding Germany, Sweden, Italy by saying that nude protests help from the Warwick District Coun- and France, despite many public bring “worldwide attention to mi- cil. pleas and appeals from people for sogyny and injustice towards wom- The Georgian mansion, which the UK to do more. en”, which she said is a devastating comprises of 27 bedrooms, a con- The Diocese has contributed to yet harsh reality for females in ference suite, coach house and the humanitarian emergency by countries such as Iran and Bangla- chapel, was estimated at £1.25 sending donations such as blankets desh. million when it was marketed as and clothing to the controversial a hotel or private school in 2013. “jungle” camps in Calais. »For more information see The Diocese spokesman Graeme Prin- » Photo: Andy F / Geograph Offa House is currently unused. Boar News online 8 NEWSNews

» The News Team loves democracy / photo: The Boar Holy Pens: It’s a bit of a Sham

Billy Perrigo

A self-styled ‘prophet’ in Zimba- bwe is selling holy pens that are said to help students pass their exams. The appropriately named Pastor Sham Hungwe claims the more you pay, the more likely you are to pass. The pens, which cost $0.15 have been selling for as much as $20. They have reportedly been popular as hundreds of pens have been sold to congregants. Did students care about the “My son is not very bright and Autumn elections? I think this will Hazal Kirci ture students’ officer. In her mani- suggested that this year’s elections uate and funding execs were pre- help him” festo, Selina pledged to work hard were in fact a success. dominantly male. to get part-time students heard and He claimed: “Despite difficult However, despite the reforms Customer of Pastor Hungwe After much campaigning and more involved. circumstances, we smashed last to the system, many students still nail-biting tension, Warwick stu- Unlike these roles however, the year’s all-time high autumn elec- did not feel engaged with the SU One customer said: “My son dents have had their say in the au- election of three representatives did tion turnout [2416 people voted to elections. is not very bright and I think this tumn elections. not have such smooth outcomes. be exact] so I’m very pleased with Both Anna Fletcher, a sec- will help him. With the knowledge The ballots have been counted These positions included a this outcome even if there is a lot ond-year Biomedical Science he has acquired this pen from the and our final officers, representa- medical faculty representative more to be done.” student, and Anthony O’Malley, man of God, I think it is going to tives and execs have been chosen. which did not have any running Also according to Olly, most, first-year English Literature and w or k .” The elections took place in candidates. if not all, of the postgraduate po- Creative Writing student, did not Julie Ombregt, a second-year week 3 in order to elect part time The same was the case for post- sitions rarely meet the minimum vote in the elections. Business and Management student, officers as well as exec members for graduate representatives for the So- requirement of votes, which makes In Anna’s case, she described commented: “I wouldn’t buy a holy the Students’ Union’s new execs. cial Science and Science faculties. Fiona’s win an even more signifi- having “not enough involvement” pen because I’m not an idiot”. Standing for the voice of for- One postgraduate who did win cant one. while Anthony didn’t vote due to a But Morgan Blake, a sec- eign students from the EU is So- at elections however, was Fiona The elections also selected lack of knowledge of the SU’s func- ond-year Mathematics student, phie Warrall and the representa- Farnsworth. members for the SU’s new execs. tion as well as the election itself. thought the pastor was justified: tive for international students from Now the new representative for Each exec will work under a sab- Ceri Mitchell, a first-year Eng- “Gotta pay for the priest’s holy time outside the EU Maneka Sharma. the Arts faculty, she is an ex-jour- batical officer. lish Literature student, comment- or whatever...if I weren’t studying Both Sophie and Maneka ex- nalist for the Boar’s book section. Of those elected to the new ex- ed that, becoming involved with maths, I would be a faith healer. pressed a desire for non-UK stu- Fiona expressed interest in in- ecs for democracy, funding, welfare, Warwick’s Free Education group “After all, at the end of the day, dents to be able to learn from and creasing mental health advice for societies, education, postgraduate gave her the opportunity to meet a pen is a pen.” help each other during the difficult Arts students tackling problems and sports, 22 were male and 18 and mingle with some of this year’s Sam Lawrence, a Drama stu- journey in attending a university in specific to the heavy-duty writing were female. candidates. dent, said: “I’d be happy to buy a another country. and reading they often face. When looking a little deeper She added that she voted be- holy pen. I’d like to have more faith Joining Sophie and Maneka as While three officer positions into the results however, almost cause of this and not because she in my stationary”. officer is Selina Noakes, who stood were not filled, democracy and all sports positions were taken by wanted to have her say. for the role of part-time and ma- development officer, Olly Rice, female candidates, while postgrad- Doggy de-stress day returns Students could guarantee some Natalya Smith time with the dogs by signing up for a slot online from midday the previous Thursday; 400 slots were Doggy De-stress Day, Warwick filled within the first few minutes University’s Students’ Union of being open. (SU) hosted the event again on Event organiser and Warwick Monday 26 October to raise mon- RAG Vice-President Aine Don- ey and awareness for Guide Dogs nelly estimated that over 500 peo- UK. ple turned up on the day. As part of the SU’s Disabili- Throughout the day, students ty Awareness Week programme, visited a stall selling merchandise Warwick Raising and Giving and giving out information about (RAG) society teamed up with the charity, while some of the dogs Guide Dogs UK by inviting stu- were walked around the SU Atri- dents to spend some time with um to give more students a chance guide dogs and puppies of all ages to pet them and discuss the charity. after paying a £2 entrance dona- The total amount of money tion. raised during the day was £1351.28. The event proved to be as pop- Some of this money was raised ular as it was last year, with over by holding a raffle, the winner of 1,700 people on Facebook saying which will get to choose the pup- » Photos: Natalya Smith / The Boar they would be attending. py’s name.

10 News 10 Sponsored by: Editor: Nour Rose Chehab Comment [email protected]

Editors’ Letters “A woman in a “Let’s fight man’s world” sexism”

Selina-Jane Spencer John Butler Science & Tech Editor Science & Tech Deputy Editor

rofessor Lisa Jardine (12 April 1944 saying “behave badly” – she was to wear ver the past couple of weeks, the street corner. But the possibility had been – 25 October 2015), was the wom- this badge inside her lapel for the rest of issue of sexism has seemed to be there, and that shouldn’t be the way it is. an who taught me that standing up her life, as a reminder of female solidarity. everywhere: in the media, on the I felt like I was going against the values for the interests of other women is not Reading the tributes to Professor Jar- lips of those around me and particularly that make me the person that I am. Even Pbolshy and does not make you a ‘femina- dine has demonstrated to me that I am Oon campus. worse than that, I felt that I was demean- zi’. Watching out for each other is the duty not the only one to have benefitted from Like most of my male friends, I would ing her as a person in some way – some- and responsibility of all women who can Lisa Jardine’s fierce protectiveness of other describe myself as a feminist. Although thing I would never willingly or knowingly do so. women. there’s still some stigma about men iden- do. Before I met Lisa Jardine, I had never Suzanne Moore cites the time that Lisa tifying as such, it’s obvious that men and I tried to shake this off; surely the prob- thought of myself as a woman in a man’s Jardine took her to one side and told her women should be treated equally. lem lies with those who cat-call, intimi- world. I had been in all-girls education for to speak up more in meetings. One wom- I consolidated my views on the issue as date and threaten passers-by on the basis seven years and assumed that university an told the story of needing to go to an a pretty basic and fair concept: treat people of their sex? It was at that moment that my and the workplace would be similar. urgent parent-teacher meeting whilst try- how you wish to be treated, gender doesn’t friend’s words rang true for me, and made I would be able to: discuss my ideas; de- ing to calm a child in a pram –Lisa Jardine come into it, right? me realise that it wouldn’t be necessary in bate controversial opinions; be taken seri- stayed and looked after the baby without a Recently, I’ve ended up walking female an ideal world - unfortunately our world ously when talking about my feelings and second thought. friends home after dark, simply so that isn’t ideal. feel safe doing so. When Professor Jardine It is small acts of solidarity like this that they don’t feel at risk from those around The real problem lies with those who spoke about her experiences working in I try to perform in my own life. This week- them. I might not live in the most refined hold views of equality but don’t stand up to male-dominated fields, I was presented end on the train I sat across from a girl part of town (South Leamington has its others who act in a discriminative manner. with a strange dystopia – an environment who was very uncomfortable, as a strange own particular charms), but that shouldn’t This can’t be a battle that women simply in which I would have to struggle to be man had been staring open-mouthed at mean that anyone should ever feel unsafe fight alone. The inequalities within our so- heard and to fight for the security I had so her for over 15 minutes. walking somewhere, due to the time of day ciety that stem from sexism are a problem far taken for granted. We spoke for a bit and I pointed out and their gender. to people of both genders, and are certain- What inspired me about Professor that she would not be “making a scene” by I feel wrong treating my female friends ly a problem for me. Jardine was that she had succeeded in so telling him off, merely asserting her right differently by offering to walk them back, I look forward to a future where I don’t many traditionally male-dominated fields, to be safe in a public space - she spoke to knowing I’d be laughed as if I proposed even give the notion of walking someone not by subsuming her womanhood to their the conductor and was moved to first class. the same to a male friend. With the fallout home, for their piece of mind, a second patriarchy, but by working with and for Although there are obviously problems of George Lawlor and ‘consentgate’ still thought. However without working to- women to gain the equal opportunities she with bystander intervention, I’m sure we racking around my mind I felt, as someone gether unilaterally to fight sexism, it’s a deserved. have all seen women treated in ways that who believes in equality, like I was submit- future I just can’t believe in. As a maths student, it was shocking just feel wrong. ting to the sexist mindset. to hear about the sexism she experienced Lisa Jardine taught me that I could trust When I put this to one of my friends, Do you agree with John? studying Maths at Cambridge that even- this feeling and insist that we are not spo- she said: “I wish you didn’t have to, but Do you have more to say? tually lead to her changing degree. During ken over or made to feel ashamed of our it’s sadly necessary.” On the walk to her’s Comment online: her time at Cambridge Lisa Jardine joined opinions and feelings. She taught me that there weren’t any problems: no-one closely theboar.org/comment the Feminism Society who wore badges it is important to behave badly, to ensure following us, no-one lurking just around a

Reader’s response: To Beth Hurst’s “I walk home...with keys between my knuckles”

’m a male Warwick student and feel there oned away, kicked out completely or punched If a girl does it, it’s really funny and I’m I’m really able to talk about it seriously be- is a side to the consent story that is sel- in the face. No, the safest course of action for essentially powerless to protest. If I do it, it’s cause there is a stigma attached to it. The dom heard: I too have been the recipi- me was to meekly walk away and let this sexual assault. only way I can acceptably bring this up when ent of unwarranted attention on a nightclub creep get away with trying to give me an im- I’m not trying to downplay the insecurities talking to people is as a light-hearted anec- Idancefloor. promptu prostate exam. and fears of women in these situations. I just dote, but the reality is that I really just want- One night, whilst waiting for some friends I felt a little bit sick. I just couldn’t under- want to say that often when these discussions ed to hit that girl in the face for assuming she at Neon, I feel something jab into my ar- stand: firstly that someone would think that are had, there is an implication that men are had the right to wear me like a finger puppet. sehole. Naturally I assumed this was my was an appropriate place to stick a finger, and predatory and their victims are women. And The implication is that as a man I need to mate returned from the bar. When I turned secondly that they would show no shame I don’t dispute that this is a problem, but it seek consent from anybody I wish to engage around, I was surprised to see see a girl sat on when caught. I told my mates of course, and does also go the other way, and I don’t feel physically with, to avoid being labelled a sex the floor grinning and waving up at me, her my story was met with a mixture of laugh- that is always made clear. pest, but also that as a man my consent to friends around her wearing facial expressions ter and disgust. And all the while, I couldn’t Whilst my size, relative to my attack- unwanted advances is implicit. That’s both a between bemusement and indifference. help but wonder how different this situation er, meant that I was in a position to just be sexist attitude and one that I don’t think is I shook my head and walked away; there would have been if I was the one on the floor angry instead of afraid, my status as a man that uncommon. was nothing else I could do. I could try and and she was the one minding her own busi- means that I’m expected to ‘be a man’ and So I welcome Beth Hurst’s words as a have a word about that not being OK, but ness. that I wasn’t really in a position to challenge message but I would like to challenge the if anyone sees a heated discussion between a I think there’s an incredibly small chance this girl on her appalling behaviour. stereotype that my being a man gives you an man and a woman in a nightclub, I would be any anal intrusions on my part would have The other issue is that this is a source of implicit backstage pass to my back stage. assumed the aggressor and be either chaper- been welcomed as a quirky flirting tactic. embarrassment for me, and I don’t feel like Anonymous 11 News theboar.org/Comment | @BoarComment | COMMENT 11

TRENDING ON CAMPUS Cartoon Corner October edition Elections A democratic vibe has taken over cam- pus as the SU held its autumn elections on October 22.

Halloween Important decisions were discussed on campus this month. Toast or Neon? Sexy witch or sexy nurse? Superhero or Super- vilain?

Freshers ‘There are so many hot freshers!’ ‘Have you been to the fresh- ers fair?’ ‘Fuck it, I’ve got freshers’ flu’ are things that have been said frequently in Oc- tober.

Selfie Spoon Spotted on campus: students with spoons taking selfies on their smartphones. Wait, what? Why, internet? I don’t always get you, but I love you.

» “Warwick Careers Fair” Cartoon by Jennie Watkin Leam roadworks Students that live in Leamington Spa Generation Z: A future in a digital world? aren’t too happy with the Parade closing. I mean, Stagecoach Kier Heath-Griffiths discusses privacy for the next generation of public figures was bad enough be- fore, but with the bus ntroductory lectures for first- gey teenage self is harder to remove This creates a problem for the generation of tabloid hacks, gener- diversions, getting to years never fail to make a song than you comprehend at the time. next generation of public figures. al busybodies or people who sim- campus is just hell. and dance of the esteemed rep- If my Facebook feed is Today’s leaders already ply don’t wish you well will have all utation of Warwick students and at all typical then, have their personal manner of material to create vivid Iour global high standing: our ticket by trawling lives dissected to character assassinations. New road to go on to do great things. through the the point of The next generation of public The new road is nice, Minus some inflated hyperbole, social me- an autopsy. figures, then, will have to factor in sure. But is it safe? this is all very true. Warwick stu- dia ac- The same the very real possibility of seeing Students have been dents can - and do - go out and put counts goes for their hedonistic exploits splashed getting hit by cars themselves amongst the trailblaz- of al- pretty out on a full-page spread in The quite frequently and it ing professionals of the world. The much Sun. is raising a safety con- problem, though, is that our gener- a n y Faced with such a stark dilem- cern for the university. ation is afflicted with an issue that ma it seems that at least some of others haven’t been. the gifted minds of tomorrow may Namely: that stupid picture of bury their idealistic ambitions and you with the questionable-looking settle for the world of HR instead. Maryam Namazie rollup when you were 16, helpful- This prospect could be a huge After banning the sec- ly captioned ‘Friday highday’, ever loss to society. ularist activist from so slightly contradicting the pro- However, one such way around speaking at the univer- fessional demeanour which you pub- this - ironically - might be to take a sity, the SU received a stressed in the interview. lic leaf from the book of the Catholic lot of backlash from It’s never been claimed that most figure. Church. If, for instance, on taking free- speech advocates teenagers are paragons of reason any- A s up a position we confessed our dig- and virtue. The perennial sense of one, you past gen- ital sins publicly and tweeted 500 teenage angst has only been exacer- can find erations re- hail Marys, then the scandals of the bated by social media. examples of: tire, it is our future could be nipped in the bud. ‘I Heart Consent’ A lack of foresight and a want to poorly worded generation who Whether you take this idea liter- Many articles were impress leads to tasteless pictures political opinions/ will inevitably fill the ally or not, eventually we will have written and many posing with a bottle of Glen’s. offensives joke, oversex- void. to start cutting some slack - or face Facebook rants were Thankfully, most of us mature, ualised photographs, indulgences Yet, this is a world where a bad no one stepping up to the podium. posted. The work- have a harsh life lesson or two, and in drinking or drug-taking or just tweet can ruin a career and the cy- shops have lead to grow into an adult with a touch of general buffoonery. ber sins of our ignorant teenage self quite a controversy humility under our belts. It’s getting much harder to are considered fair game. around here However, evidence of your crin- sweep past antics under the carpet. The result being that the next » Photo: spencerholtaway / Flickr 12 NewsCOMMENT “Oh, so you are going into teaching?” Beccy Willmetts discusses her frustrations as a humanities student at Careers Fairs or a few years, I thought I’d between faculties that can easily, distinct lack of opportunities for ing science students, seemed to be study Biochemistry at uni- and often do, work together, turned science students who wanted to very much pushing the marketing, I was disappointed that versity. As it turned out, I to actual frustration. do practical lab-based work, such business and advertising aspects the fair seemed to display changed my mind at the last min- At Warwick’s recent Autumn as for char- of their companies rather than such a narrow-minded Fute, and decided to study English Careers Fair, I found there to be practical science, which I imagine Literature, which I love. a disproportionately large focus would be disheartening for those view of what students are Many people are confused by on areas like business, consulting, students who are interested actually capable of doing this huge change of heart, which I management, technology and in continuing that aspect of with their degrees can understand. What I find a little finance – and little to no op- their degree. annoying, however, are some peo- tions for anyone interested I was disappointed ple’s reactions of disappointment, in other things. that the fair seemed men and bankers. To wholly ig- as if they believe doing a humani- There was no rep- to display such a nar- nore certain fields – which I’m sure ties or arts subject is somehow less- resentation of industries row-minded view of plenty of Warwick alumni have er than maths and the sciences. such as television, film, what students are gone on to succeed in and will con- The idea of a hierarchy of aca- radio, writing, pub- actually capable of tinue to do so – is a real oversight, demic subjects is nothing new, and lishing, editing, arts, doing with their de- and a disappointment to many stu- at this point nothing but a minor performance, curating, grees. Many of the dents I spoke to after the Fair. irritation for most arts students, academia, or journal- options available This was supposed to be a Fair who often joke about how they are ism – in fact, the only seemed to further re- for everyone - it was supposed to “not doing a real degree”, how few obvious options available iterate the low regard help people think about their future contact hours they get and where for humanities students that society seems to careers - but all it ended up doing the £9000 they are paying for their who didn’t want to go into have for subjects that for me was exacerbate the already education is actually going! Re- some kind of advertising are not obvious mon- pervasive feeling that a humanities cently, however, my jokey exasper- role for a large corporation ey-makers or that lead to degree has little practical applica- ation with these weird social hier- seemed to be law or teaching. typical city jobs, which is a tion in life, aside from teaching, archies and supposed dichotomies Whilst I admire those career real shame. which I know is not the case. There paths, I was frustrated that the Those jobs are obviously im- are plenty of interesting and di- “Oh, so are you going to go into portant, but they are not all that verse job opportunities for students Arts students, who often teaching?” question you always get ities, there is out there. The job market is of every subject and faculty, and I joke about how they are from distant relatives as an English in the health- varied, and the world needs culture, hope that in the future the univer- “not doing a real degree” student somehow translated across care sector, or as academic research. media, research, non-profit com- sity’s Career Fairs will reflect that! to a university Careers Fair as well! Even the tech companies, who panies and academics alongside I also couldn’t help but notice a were supposedly interested in hir- lawyers, teachers, business- » Photo: maysbusinesschool / Flickr

ear Mr. Bo- D jangles (name edited for safety’s sake)

This letter is not to say Not only is it not polite, but it also that I don’t respect you for the discriminates against those that fact that even in the dusk of your do take the time to extend their life you still have the desire to arms into the air and wait for the Campus: Is the new road safe? learn and be in education, when invitation to speak. We want to be most people your age would be heard too, you know. spending their life’s savings on Stop asking the damn lectur- ne week, one road, two idea of the University to build a not be another all year. Of course, traveling the world on 70+ corny ers if you can hand in your essays accidents. After spend- shared space road? there is no actual way of knowing cruise liners or tutting at the un- late. If we can’t, as the youngsters ing all last year rebuild- At first glance, the accidents whether this is the case without a suspecting younger generations in struggling to learn the ways of the ing the roads through campus, is suggest not. But before I dismiss time machine. Sainsbury’s for daring to breathe. world and be free of the comfort theO result a more dangerous system the road as a complete failure and At the same time, common I genuinely think you have every of our mother’s wing, then you, as or is there more to it? suggest we are tormented with yet sense also needs to be used. There right to be sitting in that lecture a weathered adult, most certainly The University has implemented more roadworks, let’s look a little is no longer a pedestrian cross- theatre, rubbing shoulders with are not allowed special “I’m too a shared space road system, where- deeper. ing; whether the shared space is aspiring, ambitious twenty-year old to use a computer” considera- by the separation between road and For a start, the pedestrians in- dangerous or not, there can be no olds – as long as you pay the fees, tion. Society favours you, you can- pavement is minimised, and there volved have both admitted that doubt of the increased risk in re- right? not have the lecturer as well. You is greater integration between car they were at fault in some way; one moving a crossing. No, I write to you to request, to just don’t understand, Bojangles, and pedestrian traffic. was not paying attention and the So, only time will tell just how plead even, for you to just chill the you just don’t. In practice this means lowered other mistimed her venture into dangerous the road really is, but it fuck out. And, please for the love of Zeus, curbs, and little distinction be- the road. looks like there is already an in- Stop with your millions of stop falling asleep in lectures. We tween road and pavement. There is rarely one cause of a sit- creased risk compared with other questions at the end of each lec- all do it, I know, but when you do, The idea behind such a road sys- uation, so pinning the entire blame years. ture. If you have these concerns, there is always that fear, scratching tem is that it encourages priority of on the road is like pinning the With so little structure to the Bojangles, use your email account at the back of our minds, that you pedestrians over cars, and without blame of the whole financial crash road, and with no crossing, it’s easy - that’s what it’s for. Or, better have died. You are a small little any signage drivers are forced to on one or two bankers. to understand how confusion could yet, go see the lecturer in your old man, Bojangles, and when you drive slower and be more aware of Secondly, the idea that you can arise between traffic and pedestri- own time. Not when all your fel- fall asleep in our lecture and don’t the situation. They are claimed to somehow label a road as dangerous ans. low course mates just want to get move for at least twenty of our have a positive effect with regards without reference to its danger pri- That’s not to say the fault lies home, get into their pyjamas and GMT minutes, it is not a crime to to both road safety and traffic vol- or to the new layout is absurd. In in one place only. While there re- have shit to do. Like eating choco- want to check your pulse. It’s very ume. that vein, the last two years there ally should be a crossing in such a late, or watching the next episode distracting to have a possibly de- However, they aren’t without have been no accidents on that busy area and the University should of Gogglebox. Yes, that still counts ceased course mate, unmoving and controversy. A survey of 600 people road, although a student was trag- continue to monitor the safety of as shit. To. Do. unresponsive. found that 63% rated their experi- ically killed on the Cannon Park the new roads, students need to be Stop interrupting the lecturer Enjoy your time at Warwick, ence with shared spaces as poor, road in 2014. aware that this is still a road and with these said questions, Bojan- Mr Bojangles. and 35% avoided them completely. Finally, two accidents in one should be treated as one. gles. Stop destroying classroom Yours sincerely, So, with such a mix of opinion week is bad, but their timing could etiquette by blaring out your sen- Jennie Watkin (a disgruntled on their safety, was it really the best be pure coincidence and there may Matt Barker tences without raising your hand. lecture mate) 13 News theboar.org/ Comment | @BoarComment | COMMENT 13 ‘Do you think that ME is a real illness?’ Jessica Smith is appalled by YouGov’s recent poll and how insensitive it is to sufferers

yalgic Encephalomyelitis it is in fact neurological. (ME) otherwise known Given the context of this de- as Chronic Fatigue bate, is the poll suggesting that if Syndrome (CFS) affects around the condition is neurological, it M250,000 people in the UK – a seri- shouldn’t be recognised as real? ous condition that can cause long- Whatever the poll is suggesting term illness and disability. is certainly unclear – but what is The condition is characterised clear is exactly how real ME is to by a persistent fatigue that can lead its sufferers (and of course, health to significantly reduced mobility professionals…) as they struggle and an inability to carry out simple everyday with the severe symptoms daily tasks, such as brushing your that they have to endure. teeth. While the cause of CFS is Let’s not make it worse. not yet known, ME is a medical- “Perhaps YouGov The Boar contacted Freddie ly recognised illness which affects could leave the Sayers, Editor-in-Chief of You- thousands of sufferers throughout Gov, who said: “At YouGov we take the UK. ill and disabled pride in our ability to shed light on However, the ‘professional’ poll- sensitive issues: by having reliable ing company YouGov seem to have population alone” data on everything from what per- forgotten this in their latest poll centage of the population is truly which asks (rather insensitively) » Photo: mateusd/ Flickr racist to whether people believe in ‘Do you think that ME, sometimes the science of climate change, we called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, make a valuable contribution to is a real illness or not?’ suffer from severe muscular pains, tion at all. – when in fact the condition can monitoring and understanding big I can’t work out why YouGov psychological difficulties and in- Why shouldn’t the most vulnera- be severely disabling and for many issues. are even asking this question in the somnia (among many other serious ble people in society be open to the forces them out of work. “The only way to find out first place. The World Health Or- symptoms), how can the ‘real-ness’ help and support they need instead There has been debate over the whether people believe something ganisation (WHO) are clear that of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome even of being dismissed as someone classification of the condition. The is to ask them, but it needs to be ME holds a fully recognised status be called into question? whose illness is a sham? WHO classified CFS as a chronic done with sensitivity and in this – as it has done since the 1960s. So Perhaps YouGov could leave the The danger of polls like these is long-term neurological condition case the wording understandably why is this question being asked to ill and disabled population alone, that they can lead to society stig- and this classification has been caused offense. For this reason, we uninformed members of the public instead of creating a stigma around matising those with the most se- accepted by the Department of have taken down the ME poll from rather than medical professionals? ME which misinforms the public vere disabling forms of ME as peo- Health. the website and we hope people How can an illness even fail to into questioning whether Chronic ple who are just ‘unwilling to work’ However, controversy still sur- that have been upset by it will ac- be real? When 250,000 people Fatigue Syndrome is a real condi- rounds the decision as to whether cept our sincere apologies.” What is Putin doing in Syria?

f you’ve been living under a rock Vlad’s decisiveness. In a West a bit something. Act fast. Save the day. Why has Putin gone in and is ing the rebels, and doing something or living on a university campus war-weary, having made a few big However, the Middle East is it worth the risk? Well, Russia is about the Kurds and ISIS. Right. in the middle of nowhere, then mistakes over the last few years, not like this. The Middle East has in trouble. The Donbas regions it And what if he loses? it may be news that Putin is doing America’s relative power declining now got quite messy (yes we have a took from Ukraine are now quiet He’s lost his Syrian ally, lost a lot Ithings again and everyone is freak- and with Europe having an increas- large chunk of the blame for that). and relatively unpopular. of blood and treasure, peeved off ing out. ingly long list of woes – they are Indeed one struggles to think of a Its economy has shrunk from 2 the West, and yes, well. It’ll be in- He took a couple of chunks of understandably for the most part situation that has an easy solution trillion to 1.2 trillion USD from teresting to see what happens. Georgia in 2008, he took a couple being quite hesitant about what to or an intervention that has helped. all the sanctions and low oil prices The crux is that it’s a big gam- of chunks of Ukraine in 2014 and do and when nowadays. ‘Should we The Afghanistan and Iraq inter- (over 50% of their economy is re- ble and so far, decisiveness may be now he’s in Syria. ever get involved? If so when and ventions? Not so good. Turkey and liant on oil and gas). It used to be confused with desperation. On the Whilst a literal reading of that how much? What will the public the Kurds…. Israel and Palestine… okay with Turkey and now it’s not plus side, if it goes badly for Putin would be a much more exciting think?’ touchy issues. Even lovely little okay with Turkey (violation of air- we might get the lovable comput- world, topless and mounted on a Such things mighty Putin cares Lebanon is now facing trouble con- space does that). er geek Medvedev back for a bit or bear, I of course mean Putin’s ‘little not for. It is here we see a differ- sidering one fifth of its population Assad’s Syria represents one of something. green men’ as they are affectionate- ence in the immediate connota- are Syrian refugees (it had a nice his last allies in the Middle East The downsides are continued ly termed by the world media, are tions of the word. On the whole we balance of different groups before and the only warm water port out- humanitarian disaster in the Mid- in Syria. tend think of decisive = good, and which stopped anything kicking side the former Soviet Union they dle East. It’s becoming cliché to Resplendent with tanks, decent hesitant = bad. More elaborated: off ). still have access to. So they’ve gone point out, but all talk of geopoli- equipment and a new efficient army decisive = get things done, strong The only good news to come out in. tics and strategy can take the focus structure (things weren’t quite as leadership; brave and hesitant = in a long time is the Iran nuclear So far there are even some signs away from the tragedy for the Syr- easy in Georgia as he’d hoped). His dilly dally, unsure, cowardly. deal, recently made between the it isn’t going very well. ian people. plan is to end the conflict soonish This obviously does apply for a West and Iran to allow it civil nu- He’s bombing lots of rebel tar- Whatever happens, at the mo- with a political solution and keep bunch of situations. In the case of clear reactors and lifting a forest of gets but the rebels are still gaining ment there is no ‘nice’ solution in Assad, his ally, in power. Right. a child drowning in a pond (how sanctions in exchange for measures ground (so far). What happens sight. How has all this been received do they fall in a pond anyway?) one to stop it enriching uranium to nu- from here? He doesn’t have that Tom Grimes in the West? For the most part me- would hope relatively little hesita- clear weapon level (read ‘win-win’). much time (read -4.6% growth). A dia were very impressed with old tion would be made before doing But now I informatively digress. decisive victory would involve beat- » Photo: mfosa/ Flickr 14

Editor: Blessing Mukosha Park Features [email protected] RAG volunteer raises mammoth amount for charity We talk to Poppy Barrett-Fish about her adventures, as this week’s Featured Name on Campus eatures: Hi, Poppy. So what tually quite enjoyable. The second views of the mountains and forests. motivated you to get started half was much harder but the crowd After a while it started to get very with this fundraising project? was very supportive and listening to arid and extremely dusty, I’ve been Poppy: I’ve always wanted to climb music defintely helped me finish! so dirty in my life! It was a shock FKilimanjaro and run the London but eventually we all stopped and Marathon and I have done lots F: Tell us how you had to train for fully threw ourselves into the climb. of fundraising before. When both Kilimanjaro? At this point the altitude really opportunities came up in the same PB: Luckily my marathon training started to kick in but fortunately I year I couldn’t say no! coincided with my fitness training didn’t have any problems with my for the trek! But because the hardest asthma! F: What made you want to raise thing about climbing Kilimanjaro money for the Meningitis Research is the altitude and lack of sleep it F: When did it really start to get dif- foundation in particular? was really hard to prepare for those f icult? PB: It was definitely through my elements. I also have asthma and it PB: Defintely the day before sum- involvement with Warwick RAG. made me uncertain about whether mit night as we were all very tired They introduced us to the char- or not it would affect the climb. I and it was a long and cold day. The ity and I was shocked to see how didn’t know many people before hardest day was summit night it- many young people at university the climb which I was apprehen- self because we had to climb for are affected by it and I wanted to sive about, but in the end we all 10 hours straight in freezing cold do everything I could to help the became great friends and bonded I weather after two hours sleep! It charity. definitely couldn’t have finished the was gruelling but defintely worth it. climb without their support! The feeling I had once reaching the F: How much support did you get top was completely irreplacable; it from friends and family for your F: What was it like when you ar- was worth all of the blood, sweat fundraising? rived in Tanzania? Did you experi- and tears! PB: Yes everyone was very support- ence any sort of culture shock being ive. I got a few of my friends to run so far away from home? F: So obviously raising £3k is in- a half marathon with me so it was PB: Not really, because I was for- credible, are you proud of yourself? nice to see them actively getting tunate enough to have the oppor- PB: Thank you very much! But involved. My mum also supported tunity to volunteer for a month in I’m most proud of everyone that me through my London Marathon a school in Ghana before I did the supported me, both with pledging training process by riding her bike climb! I was defintely excited to their sponsorship and helping me next to me! experience African culture again along the way before the marathon having enjoyed my time in Ghana and the climb. F: Was it hard to get people to actu- so much. ally commit to giving you money? F: Should we expect to see you doing PB: Initially it was because people F: What are the different stages of any more fundraising in the future? didn’t believe that I was actually the climb? PB: Unfortunately I think I’ve ran running the London Marathon PB: The first day we trekked out of people to beg, borrow and and climbing Kilimanjaro! But the through the rainforest and it was steal from to give me sponorship! day before the marathon I got loads quite a relaxed walk as we could But seeing all the amazing things of sponsorship by spamming Face- take our time and enjoy the natu- Warwick RAG has done during book! ral beauty of our surroundings. On my time at university, I am defin- the second day we started to walk tely motivated to take up more F: Onto the marathon itself. How above the cloud line which had in- fundraising efforts before I gradu- did you push yourself to run those credible views and we’d begun to ate and I really encourage everyone 26.2 miles? see miles and miles of breathtaking else to get involved with RAG as P: The first half was fine and ac- much as they can!

The Great House Hunt of 2015: Leamington vs. Canley

Cedric Conboy distance. Being this close to campus any day. thing about Leamington is the vast Most of the big parties will means you can get to your lectures But I think one of the most per- variety of restaurants; something be happening in Leamington. In in minutes. One of the best things tinent perks of living in Canley is Canley is lacking (unless you know that respect, Leam is ‘where it’s y this point, first years should about this proximity is that you can the rent. The average rent in Can- how to cook better than restau- at’. Smack; Neon; The Assem- be thinking where they would go home, make lunch and be back ley is £80 a week per person. That rants, in which case everything is bly; Dukes; Zephyr Lounge; Moo like to live next year. Being a to uni in time for your lectures. is cheaper than Rootes. And the swell). bar… the list goes on and on. Each resident of Canley, and having been Also, Canley has fantastic rail quality of the accommodation is There are 199 restaurants in of them have their unique charms, Bone for two years, I shall be defend- links. You can get a train from vastly better. With this much spare Leamington Spa. My favourite is well apart from Smack. This isn’t ing the suburb staunchly. However, Canley station directly to London cash, as well as not having to worry Momenti, which did the single even to mention the vast amount of don’t think for a second that this Euston. about shelling out £200+ for a bus best chicken saltimbocca I have bars and social spaces in the town. doesn’t mean I haven’t understood Equally you can go in the oth- pass (as you have to in Leam, unless ever tasted. I told the waitress to go So if you don’t want to get com- the benefits of living in Leaming- er direction, direct to Birmingham you drive). and hug the chef after I finished. It pletely and utterly hammered and ton. This won’t, by any means, be an New Street in half an hour. From would be ignorant to say that the cast into a room full of (but not ex- exhaustive list of comparisons, but Birmingham you can go almost an- Leamington rail links in Leamington are not as clusively dedicated to) sweaty, mor- it should definitely help! ywhere in the country. Leamington Spa is not a hard impressive as those in Canley; there ally questionable students, there are Not to mention you can get to sell. Anyone who has been there is a direct to Birmingham which places for you too! Canley Leamington in 15 minutes and, if knows it is pretty. But, more impor- gets there 3 minutes quicker than So there it is, a brief view of the The main benefit here is the you have a rail card, for the same tantly, the majority of your friends the Canley train. By the by, if you pros and cons of both places. Be proximity. Canley is, at its furthest price as a bus. Now I don’t know will be there. Whether they are in haven’t seen the new Birmingham sure to consider Kenilworth and point from the centre of campus, about you but I would take 15 min- North or South they will always be New Street, or “Grand Central” Earlsdon, both of which are fabu- 0.9 miles away: 18 minutes walking utes on a train over 45 on the U1 a short walk away. Another great station, please do. It is magnificent. lous. Choose wisely…. 50th Anniversary o celebrate Warwick University turning 50 this year, The Boar is running a series of interviews with notable alumni and prominent figures in the world of media. Everything we do here is intrinsically Tlinked to both of these areas, so what better way to celebrate our university finally coming of age?

Baroness Valerie Amos

The UK’s first black, female head of a university

aving graduated from Warwick Boar: With just 20% of professorships in woman is often criticised or seen negatively. is best to do it. But I have had a tremendous with a degree in Sociology in 1976, the UK held by women, and a signif icantly How have you found the motivation and amount of support from people I have never Baroness Valerie Amos has gone on smaller percentage from Black and Ethnic strength to continually break through these even met, as well as family and friends! to become one of the most illustrious alumni Minority backgrounds, how do you think your barriers and grasp the same opportunities as I think it is important that those around thatH this university has ever seen. Having appointment as Director of SOAS will change those who perhaps don’t have to try so hard me to keep it real. held prestigious positions in the United the way that students view the potential just to stay in contention? Nations, Cabinet, House of Lords and been of black women in higher education and Boar: You have clearly had a very illustrious offered a Labour life peerage, she is now the academia? BVA: It is a very good and difficult career that has spanned from the red carpets first Director of SOAS. With this she makes question. Everyone’s experiences are different of the House of Lords to the white walls of history, as the first black woman to be elected We had some great parties and that is why I am often loathe to give the United Nations. What one piece of advice to run a university in the United Kingdom. that I will never forget advice on how people can deal with this head would you give to Warwick students, staff and We spoke to Baroness Amos about her on. alumni about life during and after university mesmerising life and career: I am one for who my background and to be able to replicate the same success? upbringing were incredibly important. I The Boar (Hiran Adhia): Having been BVA: Well, I think it would be a real am an immigrant and my parents made it BVA: As much as possible, try to be at Warwick when The Boar was founded tragedy if the change depended on one very clear that if we were well educated and yourself and hold onto the things that are back in 1973, what was it like to study at appointment. However, I can understand had confidence in that, it would lead to less important to you and are your passion. an up-and-coming academic institution? Is that I am a role model because of the position barriers having to be overcome. I have done a whole range of different jobs, there anywhere in particular that holds fond that I am in. What I am interested in is the I am a very solutions-orientated person - if but tackling inequality and social injustice memories for you? fact that we have such high levels of under something is put in my way, then I try to find has been the most important thread in all of representation - what concerns me is that a way to get around it. Some of this can be this for me. Those are the issues that are a Baroness Valerie Amos: One of the there is a level of complacency in the UK immensely personally challenging and use a touchstone. reasons that I was interested in Warwick is around issues of representation of women in huge amount of energy, but I think that each We all have things that we are passionate because the course (I studied Sociology) was all walks of life, not only academia. and every one of us has the focus on what is about in this way. And it is a privilege to be well ahead of its time. It was a place where If you look at other countries, such as important to us. able to work and give recognition to those you could do anything from gender studies to the US, these issues are taken much more I said that to a person a few years ago: if things which are your passion. race relations which was cutting edge. Since seriously. In this country, we don’t seem to you are going to challenge every single thing then, not only has Warwick managed to put in place those policies that will see a which you are faced on a daily basis, then As much as possible, try to be expand and extend, but it has still remained fundamental change in our institutions. It you wouldn’t get up in the morning. We all yourself and hold onto the things at the cutting edge of higher education. is not just about effective leadership, but have our threshold and make our decisions that are important to you and are For me at that time it was to have the wholesale organisational change. It is about on what we can handle. I always say, as much opportunity to look at all of these areas that I challenging that societal culture that thinks as possible, you have to do it yourself. I am your passion was interested in as well as being a great place that this is still okay. And that needs to very prepared to work hard. I need to enjoy a to meet students from all over the world. The happen at a number of different levels. job that I am doing, even if it is difficult and student societies were very also active. I was I have made it very clear that this is one of challenging; but I also need to be able to do very involved with the African society and my priorities to try and will ensure that it is it in my way. we had some great parties which I will never well attended. I think it is important for me that I am forget! not trying to emulate someone else, that I am Boar: The concept of a powerful black doing the best that I can in the way that I feel 16

Editor: Alexander Shaw Finance [email protected] Maintanance Loan? I support it!

Danielle Taylor discusses the changes to student grants and what it means for us

» The changes announced by George Osborne MP have received criticism from various student bodies from across the country, as well as Labour MPs photo: altogetherfool / Flickr

t’s slightly unusual to come end of their studies. However, I ate and get into ‘the real world’, across a ‘Tory sympathis- think this is utter rubbish. The we will all be on the same foot- er’ in a student newspaper maximum grant allowance a stu- ing – that is, we will all be equal. (after all, students are no- dent is entitled to receive is £3,387, We will all have a degree from torious for being socialist compared to the £9000 a year the Warwick and the same oppor- vegans and who ‘found their student spends on studying, this tunities have been offered to us. true selves’ on a gap year building is merely a fly in the ointment. Why then, should people ef- schools in Tanzania), but as a stu- So, time for a case study: if fectively be given free money be- dent who didn’t qualify for a main- a student does not receive the cause of their circumstances as a Itenance grant by a few pounds, I feel grant and takes the money in the child? Why should those who had as though the new Tory plan is justi- form of a loan, they will owe Stu- household incomes above £42,875 fied and actually promotes equality. dent Finance £37,161 (providing have to pay more than those on they are on a three year course). an income a few pounds less? You only start to pay back your A student’s household in- loan after you earn £21,000, and comes doesn’t matter at 21 £22.50 you then pay 9% of anything you – they are adults, they are The monthly repayment of an earn over that salary. The aver- left to fend for themselves. average Warwick student on age Warwick graduate salary is I could argue several other an expected salary of £24,000 £24,000 and, therefore, the stu- dent will be expected to pay 9% of “I believe that the changes £3,000 annuall so £270 a year, or made will contribute to a £22.50 a month. It would therefore more equal system. By the Earlier this year, in the aftermath take 137 years to pay off. See where time we leave university, of the Conservative win at the Gen- I am heading? ( Just for the record, we have relatively equal eral Election, it was announced that if the student received this mon- to help reduce the deficit, George ey in the form of a grant, it would job prospects, and the Osborne was going to remove still take 100 years to pay off ), income of parents should maintenance grants and, instead, therefore, students will not feel not hinder our chances at the money would be given as a loan. this burden financially as a result university.” At first I was slightly appre- this change in government policy. Connor O’Shea hensive about this new propos- Now enough of the maths al; it appeared as if grants were – I agree that was pretty bor- points against maintenance grants, going to be completely removed or at least that everybody should and that no alternative would be be entitled to one, but I am run- offered. However, when read- ning out of space. I came across ing about this matter thoroughly, £37,161 a lot more conservative in this ar- I realised that grants were go- The average student debt of a ticle than I actually intended to. ing to be converted into loans. three year course student But, on a serious note, this Now, I truly do understand peo- lack of equality that surrounds ple’s frustration – many argue that student grants and loans is just this change deters students from part of the wider issue: I think applying to university due to the ing – and one last reason on everyone can agree that Student prospect of the amount of debt why I agree with Osborne. Finance and its distorted calcula- that they’ll have towards their When we, as students, gradu- tor needs a serious re-evaluation. theboar.org/ Finance | @BoarFinance | FINANCE 17 The changing What is TPP? face of HSBC Sumeeta Ganesan looks at the positives and negatives of TPP Oscar Wingrove financial crisis. George Osborne recently in- troduced a UK bank levy, which is a tax on UK banks based on how much assets they own. This tax hits HSBC particularly hard he World’s Local Bank remains the because of the enormous number of assets most memorable slogan in the bank- the company holds worldwide. By moving to ing industry, despite being introduced Hong Kong HSBC would be able to avoid over a decade ago. this tax entirely. TSince 1993, when HSBC moved its head- By the end of this year it is likely that quarters from Hong Kong to London, they the British government will introduce a have built up one of the most valuable bank- “ring-fencing law” for UK banks. This law ing brands in the world. The bank is current- will completely separate the retail banking ly undergoing fundamental changes that will segments of UK banks from their invest- determine its direction in coming years. ment banking segments. The retail banking In response to local economic conditions, segment is the area that deals with ordinary the bank is selling its operations in Turkey customer accounts, deposits and loans such and Brazil. Growth in these regions has been as mortgages. lower than expected and this has been com- The purpose of the law is to protect the bined with high interest rates and low levels bank accounts of the general public by ensur- of savings. ing that the retail section of the bank will be These factors all reduce the demand for able to continue operating even if the rest of HSBC’s services and loans in those coun- tries. Its businesses in the US and Mexico are The biggest change HSBC also under review and are at risk of dispos- al. This is a complete reversal of the bank’s is considering is moving its historical strategy, which involved expanding headquarters from London back into as many territories as possible. to Hong Kong HSBC’s management are now adopting a more nuanced approach, where they pick their territories carefully and cut unprofitable operations. The bank may be finally relin- the bank fails. Although this law may be pos- quishing its reputation as a truly global bank. itive for the British public, it would be very » TPP is widely considered a pivot to the East away from Europe photo: Wikimedia Commons The biggest change HSBC is consider- disruptive for HSBC and would result in a ing is moving its headquarters from London large number of expensive structural chang- fter years of negotiation, trade min- barriers will be eliminated, which would en- back to Hong Kong. The bank is optimistic es. The company is keenly aware that it could isters from 12 countries managed to courage transfer of skills, goods and services about the future of the Chinese economy, avoid these restructuring costs if it were to reach an accord regarding the Trans between the members. with the CEO Stuart Gulliver recently an- move back to Hong Kong. Pacific Partnership. According to the US officials, this is said nouncing his prediction that China will out- Ultimately it is very difficult to predict AAs per New York Times reports, the Unit- to be the world’s most progressive and for- grow the global economy for years to come. which options the bank will take in the next ed States said it was merely “an important ward looking agreement thus far and this HSBC has hired 4000 more staff in few years. HSBC’s management are under first step”. The agreement has definitely tak- can be seen through the improvisation in the South-East China this year, clearly indicat- pressure to make choices which will deter- en a leap in terms of progress, as previous agreement by President Obama. ing their interest in the region. mine the company’s success over the next meetings in the last few months all proved For an average individual, TPP impacts The predominant reason for HSBC want- decade or more, for better or for worse. futile with various obstacles, bringing it to a can be seen through the dwindling of the ing to move its headquarters is dissatisfac- halt time and again. minimum wage. This may be evident because tion with UK banking regulation since the » Photo: Wikimedia Commons The Trans Pacific Partnership is probably companies, in an effort to minimize cost one of the biggest initiatives by Barack Oba- while still abiding by the minimum wage re- ma before he steps down as the president of quirement, will begin to outsource the work. the United States. For example, companies would prefer to The Trans-Pacific Partnership is an ex- pay less to Vietnamese workers who obtain tensive free trade agreement involving 12 52 cents per hour as their minimum wage. member countries- United States, Australia, Hence, American workers would need to Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malay- compete with such low wages as companies sia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, would prefer lower-paid foreign labour. Vietnam, and recently, Japan as well. Besides that, based on the TPP agreement, The TPP is expected to be larger than intellectual property laws would be strength- the North American Free Trade Agreement ened. In other words, patents and copyrights (NAFTA), the world’s largest trade region will be even more protected. This may be an at present. Involving 12 major economies (3 obstacle to the access of generic drugs, es- NAFTA members coupled with 9 other na- pecially in poorer countries. Establishments tions), the TPP agreement will be responsi- such as Doctors Without Borders are oppos- ble for 40% of the world’s GDP and 26% of ing this aspect of the agreement as it would the world’s trade. make medicine much more expensive. While expected to be a boon in terms TPP could also be viewed based on its of promoting growth and access for several impact on ASEAN countries. Some ASE- economies, it will pose challenges in terms of AN countries involved in the TPP are also copyrights and patents as well as minimum in AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Agreement) wage regulation. such as Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singa- The Trans Pacific Partnership is capable pore, and Vietnam. The political response to of promoting more job opportunities and the TPP would prove to be challenging not boosting exports, and, as well as acting as a just for these countries, but also for those not catalyst to economic growth for the 12 coun- included in the agreement such as Indonesia tries involved, through this agreement trade and Thailand.

Recently, societies on campus such as War- wick Economics Summit have been examing, as part of their WES goes Global campaign, the effects of the TPP and what impact it might have on trade and services through- out the United States and Asia as a whole. 18

Editor: Elizabeth Pugsley Lifestyle [email protected] Skirting with controversy LFW special: Shingi Mararike discusses why real men wear skirts ired, frustrated and com- onormativity I was daring to break reached the show rooms in Soho it pletely lost for outfit ide- from. The first questions I asked all subsided. The fashion crowd for as, on the eve of London myself were: “What have I been all their pretentiousness and slavish Fashion Week, and having lapped taught for 19 years? What do peo- love of trends, found the idea of a WestfieldT Shopping Centre for the ple think it means to be ‘manly’ in man in a skirt pretty normal. The umpteenth time, I paused and took a sartorial sense?” Where I come marked contrast between the wid- a deep breath. Then I decided to from in East London it was all er world and the fashion mob was throw caution to the wind. about baggy jeans, tracksuits and refreshing, but at the same time a “The next thing I see that I re- trainers. If you’re looking to jazz reality check. In this day and age, motely like - I’m buying.” And that things up and look dapper for a minus a set of exceptional circum- was it. Venturing into the men’s special occasion, a standard white stances like fame and notoriety, you section in Zara, I saw a sleek piece shirt, trousers and drab pair of smart can’t get away with gender neutral of black material that looked like a shoes would suffice. Just make sure clothing without drawing audible cross between shorts and jogging you look like the big, burly male gasps from the general public. bottoms, and halted. Mesmerised, Whilst it’s acceptable for the I snatched at the label. “Trousers likes of Kanye West, Jaden Smith with overlaid skirt”, it read. “Flip- Behind a male’s decision and Jared Leto to don skirts, the ping hell, I like those!” I thought. to wear any form of idea of your average bloke outside Yes. I, a male, decided to wear a clothing deemed feminine of the the ‘fashion bubble’ daring to skirt. Not because I lost some sort lies an incredibly powerful wear one is still an unlikely pros- of cruel wager, not because some- statement pect. The idea hasn’t quite crossed one dared me to, but because I over into the mainstream social wanted to. Although I didn’t think consciousness, but change is com- about it at the time, caught up in a ing. Slowly but surely the world of classic moment of pay day impulse you’re supposed to be, that’s all. If mainstream menswear is beginning spending; behind a male’s deci- your jeans were a little too tight or to transcend gender lines. With the sion to wear any form of clothing your shoes were a tad too different odd skirt now available on a men’s deemed feminine lies an incredibly to what people were used to you high-street clothes rack near you, powerful statement - a slap in the were promptly dismissed, labelled who knows? The future could be- face of the stifling gender norms a “batty boy” (or any other manner long to Andy in an a-line and Perry that have dominarted our ways of of derogatory term), cast out and in a pencil skirt. thinking and made the world of stigmatised. everyday fashion too rigid for far The journey from my house to » Photos: Shingi Mararike too long. the heart of the city was interest- The following day as I trudged ing to say the least. I’d taken risks Tell us what you out of the house adorned in an before, but nothing that induced think - tweet us all-black ensemble with the loose so many horrified glares and in- @BoarLifestyle fitting, slightly frilled skirt as the quisitive glances. Staring on the to join the debate! centrepiece, I spared a thought for tube, staring on the platform, and all the preconceived rules of heter- more staring on the street. Once I Criticise - don’t victimise Rebekah Holland critiques the retaliation to The Tab’s I Heart Consent article nless you’ve been living un- too. It is important to take a more mentally flawed and, to be honest, as the media in response have ar- example of this behavior. Countless der a rock for the past few analytical approach to the media completely wrong. But, none of this guably displayed ‘poor journalism’ articles have also remarked and weeks, you will have defi- frenzy that has unfolded. should take away from the fact that themselves. This has come in the jeered at the fact that Lawlor is an nitely heard about the controversial he is still entitled to his opinion; form of newspapers using mislead- exec member of the University of Uarticle written by George Lawlor just as we, the majority, are entitled ing quotes taken out of context and Warwick Conservative Associa- regarding the I Heart Consent The media responses to to the opposite opinion. We live in personal jibes that attack the au- tion, something which, in its mock- workshops - and no doubt you’ll the uproar, however, have a world where we have the privi- thors of the controversial articles ing tone, seems to be irrelevant and also have an opinion on the matter. not been progressive at lege of free speech, something we and simply exacerbate the situa- purely a personal attack. I wholeheartedly disagree with all – instead, it has been should celebrate, yet people are still tion for increased readership. The The media’s response has been the articles written criticising the being attacked for steering away excessive and self-righteous in na- workshops and, having attended entirely salacious... from the status quo. Surely the idea ture. Simply supporting the cause one myself, regard them as a very of everyone having the same opin- We live in a world where of the workshops would have suf- progressive step forward in tack- ion on every issue is unthinkable we have the privilege of ficed and still proven their point. ling the growing problem of sexual The main thing apparent from and even undesired. It seems that What cannot be argued, however, assault at universities. The media the fallout is that, as soon as an we have entered a time where we free speech...yet people is that this debate has only contrib- responses to the uproar, however, opinion contrary to that of popular are unable to have an open discus- are still being attacked for uted to the growing success of the I have not been progressive at all – belief is expressed, the media seems sion about a situation without at- steering away from the Heart Consent workshops; numbers instead, it has been entirely sala- to hang these individuals out to tacking and ridiculing one another. status quo of those attending has increased cious. dry. Yes, what he said in his article ‘Poor journalism’ seems to be significantly and support for those The media’s retaliation to Law- is unpopular and if he had attend- one of the most notable criticisms responsible has rocketed. lor has been welcomed intensely by ed one of these workshops before against the articles published by If controversy is what the au- the majority, without actually being openly attacking them, his argu- the Tab, with claims of them be- Independent’s headline - ‘Student thors were looking for, controversy looked at critically, despite the fact ment may have been very different. ing factually incorrect. However, refuses consent lessons because he is certainly what they got. that these responses may be flawed I think his arguments are funda- this all seems rather hypocritical doesn’t look like a rapist’ - is a prime theboar.org/ Lifestyle | @BoarLifestyle | LIFESTYLE 19 Welcome to Acne Anonymous The adventures of ‘Pizza Face’ and her struggles with acne, as told by Armani Syed f there’s one area of expertise Sudocrem shrink. For me, this has worked Proactive Queen Helen Mint Julep Masque in which my knowledge is This over-the-counter cream is on occasions, so I would suggest This is a product I had seen on TV is available online for under £5 and plentiful, it is skincare; spe- marketed as a nappy rash treat- giving it a shot with caution and, advertisements with celebrity en- is a perfect masque for acne. De- cifically, skincare for the per- ment for babies, so what better way if all else fails, relegate the surplus dorsements and overly rehearsed veloped by a dermatologist, it has sistent, people sniggering in the to achieve that ‘smooth as a baby’s toothpaste back to its familiar oral lines that I assumed was simply visible improvements in just the Istreet, kind of acne. And so for all backside’ finish? I would recom- purposes. WARNING: accidental a fad. However, when my sister following days. my fellow members of acne anon- mend this because of its antisep- toothpaste in the eye really does bought the kit (as all annoying ymous, I’d like to introduce myself: tic nature; it’s an excellent way to sting like a mother… younger sisters who are good at Finally, the Neutrogena Wave is Hi, I’m Armani and it’s been six shield blemishes from further dirt their job do), I stole (or ‘borrowed’), an electronic facial massager priced months since my last breakout. but it’s also effective at reducing fa- Homemade masks the kit out of curiosity. It consists under £10 that comes with refilla- I thought it would be helpful cial redness. Whilst its mild nature These masks are effective cleansers of a cleanser, a toner and a repairing ble cleansing pads. The exfoliating, to share my most and least rec- doesn’t boast instant results, as a and natural toners. A simple com- lotion for daily use. My skin vastly electronic motion helps to unclog ommended products for treating cream that costs nothing more than bination of yogurt (or milk), lemon improved with use of the kit, which pores and allow the product to blemishes. From home remedies a few pounds from drug stores, it’s and turmeric powder can prove to leaves you with a nice, clean finish. cleanse deeply. to the pricey treatment kits thrown a definite must have. be great at cleansing skin, while the However, I began to wonder how into adverts between Teen Mom yellow tones of the turmeric have good anyone’s skin would be if they and Catfish, I’ll give an honest ac- Toothpaste been suggested to counteract the religiously used any three products For mild acne, it’s worth trying count of what has proved This is a commonly colour of blemishes and pigmented of this nature for an extended peri- some of these retail products to most effective, heard trick scars to help neutralise their harsh od. My conclusion is that the prod- help existing spots and also as a warts and all that com- appearance, as well as having an- uct was good, but for £60 you could preventative measure to minimise (well, blem- pletely di- ti-oxidant properties used for heal- replicate these results with any spot further breakouts. For intense acne, ishes). I am in vides nations. ing. You can experiment for differ- treatment products and regulated such as that which is genetic, it’s no way a der- Some see it as ent effects with household items usage. worth consulting a dermatologist to a random substi- such as honey, oats, and tea tree oil, see if they have a treatment suitable tute to eradicate almost an effective breakfast (mi- Personal Favourites for dealing with the root causes of those stubborn nus the latter). WARNING: acci- My personal cosmetic picks that I your acne, rather than splurging on mini-mountains that products dental lemon juice in the eye also wholeheartedly recommend to an- topical treatments to no avail. Ulti- matological professional; I’m just like Sudocrem just aren’t equipped stings like a mother… yone looking to improve their spot mate. I hope you can all draw some an individual sharing personal ex- to deal with, while others have treatment routine are as follows: useful tips and recommendations periences that may not always be found that applying toothpaste can from my unfortunate adolescent effective for other people. cause some skin discolouration in Cosmetic Cures La Roche-Posay Effaclar DUO[+] adventures as ‘Pizza Face’. darker skin tones. Generally, when These are the products that I’ve is a great anti-blemish cream priced » Photo: William Warby / Flickr Cheap Tricks dabbed onto individual spots, discovered in a vast array of stores at £15.50 and worth every penny, as Home remedies or household toothpaste can prove to be a dry- and websites. it effectively dries out spots much items that have reported benefits. ing agent that helps absorb excess more consistently than toothpaste. oils and ultimately causes spots to

hese pancakes are amazing - perfect for breakfast, snack or Keeping it fresh pudding! The best thing aboutT them is that they Here’s all the décor tips you’ll need to keep it cool on campus from Daljinder Johal are sugar-free, wheat- free, delicious (trust me) e all know that univer- on brown of Arthur Vick needs for a unique find, and websites like and so easy to make sity rooms aren’t really brighter shades of pinks, blues or Etsy and eBay have always been – super healthy, and no that aesthetically pleas- purples, yet has the bigger size to reliable for me. regrets! ing. Even if it yours is a bit more handle a wider variety of piec- A crucial final touch is soft fur- You can top them acceptableW (lucky!), when home- es. On the other hand, for those nishings like pillows and cushions, with anything that takes sickness hits, it’s always nice to who prefer to study in their room, which can balance out the bare- your fancy. I normal- Ready, have a place that feels like home. softer and cooler colours produce a ness of halls. They create a cosier ly use chopped banana First of all, it’s important to calmer mood for concentrating, as environment when you’re missing and honey (and also add consider the size of your room and well as being restful enough to aid the heating at home, and big rugs peanut butter if I’m feeling steady... other specifications. Most articles sleep. Sherbourne’s and Claycroft’s can be paired with blankets and cheeky) will provide useful advice on how blues, soft greens and wood would throw pillows to ward off the cold Serves 1 (makes 3 small to keep your room tidy and or- benefit from maintaining this and soften the sparseness of the pancakes that you can pancakes ganised, but, when revision strikes, muted colour scheme with small larger floor spaces ofWestwood . stack). good intentions often go awry. earth-inspired pieces like woven It’s always lovely to remember Ingredients: 4. When hot, add a third of the Bigger rooms can get away with baskets neatly paired with bigger, pre-university memories with 1 banana, mashed, mixture in the centre of the pan having more stuff; but for a smaller slightly more colourful pieces – photos and mementos of home 2 eggs, whisked, in a circle shape and let it cook room, like Whitefields, concentrate much like my personal first year friends, holiday trips and favourite ½ cup of oats/ 50g, for around 3 minutes, until the on being selective and choosing favourite, an A3 poster of Klimt’s old teddies, and it’s also a good Cooking oil, bottom side has cooked through. key pieces when it comes to décor. The Kiss, and a patterned throw. idea to pick stuff up over the year Topping of your choice - here are 5. Flip the pancake over onto Heronbank or Bluebell are perfect The key is to interpret and from parties and societies. At the some examples: the other side and cook for a examples of rooms with sufficient change your preferred style in an end of the year, you can look back - Chopped banana, honey and further 2 minutes. (If you can’t flip shelving and space to include more affordable and accessible way for and see how a small, usually stark cinnamon pancakes then use a spatula, as I like a more complex photo display your room. It often seems that, - Chopped banana, peanut am not paying for your cleaning and more knick-knacks. for the first time someone sees » Photo: The HR James Archive butter and honey fine when your pancakes stick to Colour choice is always an your room, they’ll unconsciously / Flickr - Bacon and maple syrup the ceiling!) important thing to think about. notice the things that display your - Berries, yoghurt and honey 6. Put the first pancake on a Bright shades of energetic colours hobbies and interests, as well as - Nutella/ Jam/ Peanut butter/ plate and put it to one side like orange or green will pop and anything else that shows your Biscoff spread 7. Repeat this process twice inspire, which is perfect for a stu- personality. To stick to a budget, - Banana and Nutella more until you have three pan- dent who wants to study, or have mix and match these things with - Honey and cinnamon cakes stacked on your plate. a hobby like creative writing, and items that fit your chosen style. I Method: 8. Add your desired toppings might spend more time having lean towards an arty, rustic style so 1. Mix together your whisked and dig in! (I added half a banana, friends over to socialise. The bare some of my (worryingly extensive) eggs and your mashed banana in a 1 tbsp of peanut butter and a driz- and almost Spartan feel of Cryfield jewellery collection is on dis- bowl until combined zle of honey!) would be balanced out by vibrant play, in some seashells I found 2. Add the oats and stir until it 9. Snap a picture, and send it pops of colours like red, but in Mexico. has formed a thick paste. over to the Boar Lifestyle Insta- should keep to a few key modern In fact, second hand shops 3. Heat up 2 tsp oil in a frying gram! pieces due to its size. The brown and market stalls are perfect pan Heidi Selwood 20 Sponsored by:

Editor: Sophie Dudhill Arts [email protected] Arts Column Why does Mona Lisa make us smile? Kneehigh’s‘uncontested theatrical ability to tell a story’

Sophie Dudhill reviews Kneehigh’s ‘Dead Dog in a suitcase (and other love songs) aving seen the equally brilliant Red and setting within an instant. The show was ments. It was abstract and engaging, hanging Shoes and Wild Bride, I was expecting creative in every avenue, using elements of in a limbo of musical and theatrical genres. to see Kneehigh deliver this piece punk and rap as well as more musical theatre Statements are made about wider society with that signature characteristic charm they style moments. through the mockery of the judiciary system carryH so well, and I was not disappointed. Puppets bring a further dimension again, as puppets and the policing system though a n the Louvre, Paris, the Gallery map Dead Dog in a suitcase (and other love songs) with babies, animals and Punch and Judy ridiculed, slapstick character. highlights exactly where notable works is an adaption of A Beggar’s Opera, catapult- characters all as puppets. Punch represented Filch, played by Andrew Durand, has the are situated by wing, floor, and room ing this 1728 tale into the here and now. The the consciousness of characters, or voice of most spectacular tone to his voice. He trans- number. Even more than that, certain works set is an impressive and playful one, almost the devil, that pops up narrating the thoughts forms something as simple as an injury or areI signposted with paper on the walls fea- ghosting an industrial children’s playground behind the action. searching for a lost Polly into a beautifullly turing a picture of the painting or sculpture, with a slide and a pole that stands below a The diversity in mediums that director effortless musical moment. and a large black arrow. Almost as if the Gal- noose, hanging centre stage. The actors used Mike Shepherd brings to this adaptation is The audience always has one question lery staff had got so sick of trying to direct the interchangeable elements and levels of what revolutionises an old tale. posed to them; what the hell is the world foreign tourists to the Mona Lisa, that a trail the space intelligently, hold the audience’s The production is sectioned with some coming to? Goodman’s wife is the voice of of arrows seemed preferable. engagement in a fast-moving plotline. wider issues and the bearer of attempting an- After 8 hours of travelling by train, plane, The story begins with the mysterious swers. In a prison cell she says to Macheath, coach and metro - a few friends and I decid- shooting of Goodman and his dog, a man This was the set up for a farcical, “don’t’ blame the world; we make the world”. ed to follow the idiot-proof Louvre guide for soon to be re-elected as mayor, directly after comedic yet romantic murder There is something appropriate about the dummies and weary travellers like ourselves. he reveals he knows ‘the truth and must re- mystery which somehow, way she attempts to reason more than any Nearly missing the Mona Lisa because the veal it tonight’. They are shot by Macheath, amongst the madness, made other character, yet all she is left with is a Italian wing has too many ugly babies and played by Dominic Marsh, who then be- relevant statements about the dead dog in a suitcase. Before the very end hilarious montages to laugh at, we eventu- comes the protagonist of the piece as we fol- we are left hearing the hopeless breaths of ally found her. People gathered around the low him on his immoral journey through life, morality of current society Goodman’s wife. Perhaps this would have in roped-off painting – taking pictures and even a man who is adamant that he is not afraid fact been the perfect ending. the odd selfie. to die. This show is brilliantly current in char- Within minutes another dozen or so im- This was the set up for a farcical, comedic areas standing out more than others. High- acter, style and language. It is intermittently ages would be on Facebook, Twitter or Insta- yet romantic murder mystery which some- lights include the lovely and hilarious, if comic in an otherwise topically quite dis- gram…#Louvre #Monalisa #Art how, amongst the madness, made relevant somewhat initially stereotypical, relationship tressing piece. We question how power and For such a famous painting, I realised how statements about the morality of current so- between Les and his wife Mrs Peachum, the money are intertwined, and the effects of little I actually knew about it, other than ciety alongside topical jokes and contempo- perfect comic villains. rising against corruption. Love becomes part some probably false information I picked up rary stereotypes. The choreography was imaginative and of the basis of this story, which is interesting from the Da Vinci Code. Kneehigh hold an uncontested theatrical varied. Polly Peachum’s wedding scene felt given its violence and topical nature. Yet it’s possible, even if you’ve never stud- musical ability to tell a story. They highlight- like a strange dream, with a brilliant saxo- ied art, to feel something when you look at ed the capability of music to change mood phonist and twisted musical theatre ele- » Image: Warwick Arts Centre her mystifying smile. A small, unidentifiable stirring, trying to understand something so complex. Essays, books, and films have been made about it Three Sisters fails to connect with audience and there you are, standing in front of it, not knowing what to think. The Parisian who told me you need six months to see the Louvre was right. Maybe Sohini Kumar awards 3 stars to The Loft theatre production even longer to absolutely study every minis- alking into the auditorium, the ing. A conversation with one of the audi- background, but the production perhaps cule detail of the thousands of pieces of art. audience is greeted by a quaint ence members, who happens to come from misses some other potential opportunities to My experience was summed up, stand- scene: the courtyard of a house a Slavic country, also revealed the obvious: indicate a Russian setting. For instance, the ing in front of the Venus de Milo, when my with a glimpse of the dining room inside, or- despite the importance of geography in the cold weather is not apparent until someone friend questioned “why this armless statue nateW pieces of furniture occupying the stage, play, there is no other way of identifying the mentions frost. The characters are neither and not another? It’s not even that good.” a piano sitting in the corner, adorned with characters’ Russian heritage apart from their dressed for the cold, nor do they act cold flowers, under an armchair is a small pile of verbal mentions of Moscow. Even though when they are in an outside space. Beth Hurst books. It is this intricate stage design that the actors took time and effort to learn the Regardless of this, the performance still immediately draws the audience into the pronunciations of Russian names, the story presents moments of engagement. When world of the play. could be taking place anywhere. Marsha says goodbye to Vershinin, or dur- The cast created striking tableaus, one Admittedly, it is difficult to convey a sense ing Andrey’s monologue about marriage, it is with the characters seated around a dining of place in a translated play. It would not help, difficult to tear one’s eye away from the stage. It’s a wonderful life table, frozen mid-action whilst Marsha de- in my opinion, to speak the dia- Apart from these instances, I would not livers a few lines of poetry; or the three sis- logue in Russian accents or to say that the performance makes a lasting im- in Leamington Spa ters scattered across the stage, each lying, sit- plant a Russian flag in the pression. There is not much one can brand ting or standing. These moments of rest gave as ‘wrong’ with the production; some aspects The Royal Spa Centre presents It’s a won- the audience some time to absorb the scene were in fact admirable. Nevertheless, I did derful life, an adaptation from the Frank before them. not find myself connecting with the char- Capra film by Tony Palermo. Similarly, the subtlety in dialogue, the ac- acters. I did not share the sisters’ longing This iconic tale follows idealist George tors’ use of silence and intonation, brought for Moscow, nor their sorrow at the end Bailey. As he stands alone on a bridge, he de- Chekhov’s writing to life. Yet as the interval of the play. cides that everyone would be better off with- drew closer, I found myself unable to quite Thus, whilst the performance is worth a out him… or would they? It falls to hapless believe the characters. visit to experience and explore Chekhov’s guardian angel, Clarence, to try and save him. Three Sisters is the story of a family story, the Loft Theatre’s version does It’s a wonderful life is on at Royal Spa Cen- longing to return to Moscow. How- not quite offer anything completely tre on November 15 at 4pm. ever, as each of the three sisters wist- extraordinary. fully sighed Moscow’s name, I was Look online soon for our review not quite convinced of their long- » Image: The Loft Theatre theboar.org/ Arts | @BoarArts | ARTS 21 Hal Cruttenden on orphans, Ebola and performing with his favourite comedians Reece Goodall chats to Hal Cruttenden and Warwick alumni Alexis Dubus ahead of charity gig at Warwick Arts Centre

omedian Hal Cruttenden comes to RG: When you write jokes, are there any sub- of their health education DVDs on Ebola in it’s actually really funny. I wasn’t orphaned as Warwick Arts Centre on Sunday 8 jects that you prefer to write about, or that you Liberia. It was really moving but also quite a child, don’t worry, but I think there should November, holding a funny fund- steer clear of? hard because it was health education advice. I be more consideration given to middle-aged raiser with three other stand-ups of HC: No, there’s nothing that I’d steer clear had to talk about what happens if somebody people who don’t have parents any more. his choice. of. If it appeals to you, you don’t really want falls ill with Ebola in your family. After be- It’s generally me being very self-obsessed. CHal has worked in stand-up and on panel to censor yourself and you’ve got to trust your ing directly involved and doing the voiceo- Socially, I’m pretty self-obsessed, but thank shows, such as Mock the Week, as well as instincts. I would censor myself if I knew I ver, they made me a patron. It’s like being a God I have this job so I can have an outlet written and starred in his own hit radio sit- was a racist, if I hated women, or gay peo- godfather where you can’t say no. I thought to talk about myself. It is mainly about me com. The four comedians, including War- ple, but I’m not those things. One of the it was a really good charity and agreed to do and it’s very, very good for my soul when I do wick alumni Alexis Dubus, will join forces things I find most offensive is when you do it. For the event, I’ve got brilliant comedians, anything for charity. to raise money for Leamington Spa-based corporate gigs and they go ‘can you not do some of my personal favourites, really unu- charity Thare Machi Education. anything racist or sexist?’ and you go ‘yeah, sual comics and all very different. It’s going He got involved with the charity by pro- because that’s not what I do in my everyday to be a mad evening and I’m the straightest » Photo: Hal Cruttenden.com viding a voiceover for a DVD on Ebola in stand-up of them all. Liberia, later becoming a patron. When he I would censor myself if I knew was approached about holding an event, he I was a racist, if I hated women RG: And all the proceeds are going to the char- was incredibly enthusiastic and agreed to ity? turn his Warwick Art Centre tour date into or gay people but I’m not those HC: Are they? I thought we were all getting Alumnus a charity night. things. paid? No, just joking. Yeah, it will all be go- In preparation for this event, I spoke to ing to the charity and it’s such a good char- Alexis Dubus Hal about the fundraiser, his career, his ap- ity because it’s giving people information. proach to comedy and new tour Stright Out- life’. So I trust my instincts to know I’m not One of the things people need the most in ta Cruttenden. going to do that. I’ve got a real bee in my areas affected by illness and disease is infor- on retunrning bonnet about things at the moment, mation; knowing what’s safe and what Reece Goodall: Where did your passion for there’s certain things I want to do isn’t safe. A lot of work gets held to Warwick for comedy begin? jokes about but I can’t make them up in these areas because of peo- Hal Cruttenden: It came a lot later in life. I funny.When something’s ple doing the wrong thing. With charity gig started out as an actor and was working with really bothering you, Ebola, when locals saw the someone at the BBC, but not actually do- like a friend of your people dressed in white ing an acting job. I was struggling as an ac- wife says something that suits with the big masks, also spoke to Alexis Dubus ahead of his tor and was doing traffic reports. I’d always really annoyed you and they thought they were return to Warwick campus for the fun- loved and enjoyed comedy, and was a big fan you think ‘I can’t come spreading it. Spreading draiser. of Billy Connolly and Jaspar Carrott, people back and say what I re- knowledge is the best way ‘It’s always fun returning to Warwick like that. I never thought of doing it until ally think of you now,’ of dealing with disease. campus. It’s where I wrote my first comedy someone suggested it to me. This was in the you can come back on- We’re going to save the Iroutine, got my first and only “proper” job late 90s, at the beginning of the big boost stage if you do it well world on November 8 – (sabbatical officer - that counts!) and burned in comedy, and I just started going along to enough, if you make it all crises will be over. Ac- my first Pop Tart. I assume students still eat workshops. It was completely random, I’d funny enough. Comedy tually, they say it might those. never really considered it before, I’d never can be a little revenge be November 8 when we ‘I’ve actually been back to the Arts Cen- walked around thinking ‘I’m the funny kid’. on all those things that declare the world Ebola- tre a couple of times since to do my tour I thought I was entertaining, I thought I was annoy you. free – I don’t know if shows. The first time they even left me a quite funny compared to my friends but I that’s just luck. little “welcome back” note in the dressing RG: How did you come room, which was lovely.’ to be involved with the RG: Can you tell ‘While studying at Warwick, I was in- I’d never really considered it Thare Machi founda- me a bit about volved in pretty much every drama before, I’d never walked around tion? your latest and performing society, quite often thinking ‘I’m the funny kid’ HC: They bothered tour, Straight to the detriment of my stud- me on twitter and said Outta Crut- ies (Philosophy & Psy- ‘I hear you’re tenden? chology). As it happened, my never thought I’d be able to do it profession- coming to HC: Well, path turned out to be making ally. It was something that, when I discovered Leam- it’s not about people laugh rather than mak- it, changed my life – it was like wow. So yeah, ington’. gangster rap, ing people think (although I it was something that came really quite late. Ra- I came like to think I occasion- I really was trying to be an actor, or a sort chel up with ally combine the two), of actor-writer, but then I found stand-up – the title so I guess it was time that’s my obsession and it’s ruined my life. before I well spent. even knew ‘I still have RG: You’re a professional stand-up, you’re on a that film memories of per- lot of panel shows and a radio sitcom that was was com- forming Sweeney very successful. What did you enjoy the most? ing out. Todd in that per- HC: I love doing the radio sitcom because I It’s based formance space, in- love the change of working with a team. This on the fact volving a barber’s chair/ can be a lonely job, so when you work with that, in my trapdoor mechanism that a team it’s a wonderful experience. mid-forties, nearly took our heads off I used to watch Eddie Izzard I’ve started on the way down and shows and think that is every- listening to actually concussed one thing I really want to do, what gangster rap actor in rehearsals. Peo- I want to be, to hold an audience by who again, may- ple assume we must get myself, to have all the glory, for it to be all my works be because nervous doing stand-up. own work and my own jokes. That to me is there is I’m quite an If I start sweating on the apex of it. Things like panel shows, yeah one of angry person. November 8 I’m putting you do them and they’re okay, but it’s not the most Well, yeah, I it down to flashbacks to what you got into the job for. Its funny when bril- am, but I’m using that to that bloody chair.’ people call someone a panel show comedian. liant and most inform my comedy. Really it’s a There’s no comedian I know that wants to go annoying people show dealing with topics that into comedy to do panel shows. Panel shows I’ve met. She said to have always both- ered me. are a means to an end. All comics secretly come and see us if So, you know, being married a » Photo: Patch take themselves much more seriously than you’re in town for long time and getting older, kids, Dolan other people do. a cup of tea. I did a social media, being an orphan. I’ve got stuff voiceo- ver for one about being an orphan, that sounds sad but 31 News 22

Editor: Lucy Skoulding Books [email protected] » Photo: Pixabay Top Ten Halloween Horror Stories Katie Greenbank and Felicity Bates share the spooky stories that should be on your books bucket list...

The Woman in Black – Susan Hill creating an overpowering, erotic atmosphere cent, but King’s nail-biting, cliff-hanger nov- The Monk – Matthew Lewis with an underlying sense of horror and sus- el inverts these ideas as the newly-departed Written in the style of a traditional Vic- pense. rise from their graves. Brim-full of horrific scenes of violence torian horror story, Susan Hill’s novel – with and through skilful use of suspense, Lewis’s its1 dilapidated manor house, uncommunica- Dracula – Bram Stoker Seed– Ania Ahlborn gothic9 horror depicts the fall of an angelic tive locals and haunted, eerie landscape - taps monk into the depth of hell through sinful into our greatest fears, leaving the reader This bloody vampire tale with its dark, The demonic possession of a child is al- temptations of his demonic lover. wrapped in suspense, anxiety and mystery. enigmatic villain and its creepy locations from ways an unnerving theme, but as past events desolate4 Transylvanian castles to screaming are7 revealed through flashback, Ahlborn re- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – The Turn of the Screw – Henry James lunatic asylums is a classic Halloween read. fuses to allow the novel to become too fan- Washington Irving tastical by depicting familiar and relatable Deeply psychological, Henry James’ The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks scenes to create a psychological chill which Many people will think they know The Leg- classic ghost story generates an atmosphere penetrates the reader’s mind. end10 of Sleepy Hollow from its various depic- of2 tension and horror through its suggestive Packed with stomach-turning depictions tions in popular culture, but the tale is far and ambiguous narrative, leaving the reader’s of animal brutality, human experimentation The Pit and the Pendulum – Edgar Allan from straight forward. Its ambiguous plot imagination free to conjure up all manner of and5 elements of the Gothic, Iain Banks’ nov- Poe and the unusual character of Ichabod Crane nightmares. el examines the dark thoughts of an isolated make for a decidedly different story, yet it is and disturbed teenager, making this a horrific Writing in a style heavily focused on sensory the image of the headless horseman that has The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories – yet compelling read. experience,8 Poe transfers the gripping terror become entrenched in our Halloween horror Angela Carter and fear of his unidentified protagonist to his culture. Pet Sematary – Stephen King reader whilst he undergoes the torments and Putting an adult spin on the classic fairy torture of the Spanish Inquisition. » tales,3 Angela Carter’s short stories explore Family pets and young children seem to photo: Shannon Wise / Flickr, Alejandro Luna- the darker side to female sexual awakening, 6epitomise everything that is sweet and inno- dei + Hammer Films /Wikimedia Commons

Childhood Classics: A Trip Down Memory Lane When asked about her favourite writer, Sohini Kumar gave a suprising answer ho is your favourite author?” ing my childhood favourites. I found Fudge’s antics – includ- is engaging; I finished some of her books in Matilda’s pranks on her ing making his own currency a matter of hours. She also deals with serious As an English literature family in Roald Dahl’s and dressing as a miser for topics without seeming patronising. student, that is a difficult eponymous novel Halloween -- hilarious. Another author that accomplishes this is question to answer. I am often tempted to actually made me These were the books Michelle Magorian. Like Wilson’s books, her answerW Jane Austen or Charles Dickens, or laugh out loud. that, in making novel Goodnight Mister Tom kept me reading another famous writer of classics. Equally hu- me laugh, made through beautifully crafted characters. Whenever I tell the truth – that it is some- morous was me love reading Similarly, the characters in Hergé’s The one best known for children’s books – people the Horrible more. Adventures of Tintin are so likeable that I seem surprised. Histories se- Another au- could not help but eagerly follow their ad- Why would I choose Charlie and the Choc- ries by Ter- thor I read av- ventures (and almost adapt “Thundering ty- olate Factory over Pride and Prejudice, The ry Deary, idly as a child is phoons!” as a catchphrase). Twits instead of Great Expectations? Because which not Jacqueline Wil- These books are diverse, but are united by children are more difficult to impress than only made son. Looking their ability to grab and hold the reader’s at- adults. me laugh but back, it is obvi- tention. Whether this is through humour or For a child, books are more easily closed also taught ous that many compelling characters, these are titles I could and tossed aside. The books I was never able me a thing of her books return to countless times. to put aside as a child have some qualities in or two. I also have recurring Even though they were intended for a common that have solidified their places as enjoyed Judy themes. However, younger demographic, I hope, if Austen or my favourites. Blume’s Double her characters and Dickens ever tire you out, that you give these According to Roald Dahl, “a keen sense of Fudge which fea- stories are so diverse books a chance. humour” is important when writing for chil- tures Fudge, a five- that each book offers dren. year-old who has re- a new world to explore. I cannot help but agree when consider- cently discovered money. Moreover, Wilson’s writing » Photo: Rodw / Wikimedia Commons 32 News theboar.org/Books | @BoarBooks | BOOKS 23 Tete-a-Tete: Should we read the classics? Booker Prize Winner 2015:

“There is a danger in heralding “Classics are powerful, deeply classics as superior.” emotional and wise.” Nicola Paling Rory McCarthy Marlon James

his year’s Man Booker Prize was won ca during the 70s and 80s: the damage done by Marlon James’ 680 page novel by American colonialism and most vividly ‘A Brief History of Seven Killings’. the violence and turf war in Jamaica. It’s a James is the first Jamaican writer to win the gory and breathtakingly honest piece that he prizeT in all its 47 years of running and, of his writes with flair and originality. 3 novels, this is my personal favourite. He manages to pull together different His debut John Crow’s Devil (2005) was voices, languages and accents and make a rich read focused on the human struggle them fluid whilst there is a somewhat jarring between righteousness and the will to do structure to the book that juxtaposes that, wrong in a village where magic and religion giving the novel grit. It’s an exciting read that co-exist. This got James on the map and his leaves the reader happily satisfied and all at next novel did not disappoint: The Book of once ignites a hunger to know more that the Night Women (2009) was a fierce novel ex- reader didn’t expect – well I certainly didn’t. ploring slavery with a precision that many James spans Jamaica 1976 to New York As far as I’m concerned, reading is o begin, I’d like to refer to the author- 1991 and introduces you to so many different about enjoyment, and as long as you’re ity of a classic; namely, Italo Calvino’s James manages to encompass characters, all of them so real – a feat of the enjoying the book that you’re reading Why Read the Classics?: “A classic is a the spirit and soul of Jamaica. true artist. A must read. Lthat’s all that matters. Tbook which has never exhausted all it has to It’s a gory and breathtakingly Simran Kaur Sandhu This may seem odd coming from an Eng- say to its readers.” honest piece that he writes lish Literature student who reads on average Basically, there’s a reason the classics are with flair and originality four books a week for their degree, many of classics. It’s because they’re vibrant and mul- which are considered classics. tifaceted, and can offer something different My favourite book of all time is Wuthering to each reader, something new to each re- Heights which also happens to be a really fa- reading, something relevant to each genera- mous classic novel. But I don’t like it simply tion. If this weren’t true, they wouldn’t have other authors miss. because it is a classic, I love the story, and I survived. The rebellious Night Women plotting their think the problem comes when certain books A classic isn’t a classic because it’s old: freedom from slavery bring to light dark se- are prioritised over others simply because many of the top Victorian bestsellers - such crets, power relationships and try to bring they are considered ‘classics’. as James Payn and Margaret Oliphant - have about an island wide revolt. It’s a fascinating Lists of “books to read before you die” vanished into obscurity while writers who read, I must recommend it and it showed a always contain numerous classics, but these have died in obscurity - such as Kafka and remarkable improvement on his debut earn- lists also often include relatively unknown Dickinson - have since become essentials. ing him comparisons to the stunning Toni books or different authors alongside the The only reason they have is because people Morrison. more famous ones. There is a danger in her- across the ages have read and loved them. Citing reggae music as a heavy influence alding classics as superior, as lots of brilliant There’s an enhanced degree of difficul- on his work, James said that he tried to make lesser known books will be forgotten. It ty that comes with reading older works, but an educated guess about the fate of those also suggests that people who prefer reading it’s not without its rewards. They’re powerful. involved with Marley’s shooting and felt he popular novels are somehow less well-read They’re deeply emotional. They’re wise. had to write them into history rather than let which is both unfair and ridiculous. Macbeth teaches you about hubris and them disappear. I also think there’s a problem with the evil, A Tale of Two Cities teaches you about After reading Seven Killings, I can’t help definition of a classic, who is to say that one self-sacrifice. An adaption of Macbeth has but say he did that and more. Set after the book is better than or worth reading over an- just come out in cinemas to intense critical attempted assassination of Bob Marley, the other? I would much rather read a popular acclaim, whilst plot elements and quotes of novel explores its aftermath, following the book that I’m really enjoying, than force my- A Tale of Two Cities were used for key parts failed seven assassins that were never caught, self through a really long book such as Bleak of the most recent Batman film, which was a the Jamaican gang wars and the various wit- House just because I feel like I should. staggering commercial success. nesses to the event. If you like reading classics, that’s great; if James does not just tell a story. He manag- » Photo: David Shankbone / Wikimedia Commons you prefer popular novels that’s also great. There’s an enhanced degree of es to encompass the spirit and soul of Jamai- To me, reading should be about enjoyment difficulty that comes with reading rather than competition and discussions about which books are better than others. The problem comes when certain books are given a higher status because they are better You’ll be surprised to find that in Ancient Short Fictions and Disturbances known. Greek works written two-and-a-half millen- nia ago, people were having much the same Victoria Potts reviews Neil Gaiman’s creepy collection thoughts and troubles that you’re having to- day, and you’ll understand people a bit better rigger Warning, by Neil Gaiman, ish the book without having one of Gaiman’s from that. What stays permanent about peo- can briefly be summarised as a tour ‘disturbances’ lodged in your mind. These ple is probably what’s most important about through different worlds. Each of the tales won’t make you jump out of your skin people: ancient works concerned family, war, 23 short stories intends to address a differ- or want to shut the book. purpose – things that’ll always be relevant, entT mask we wear and skeleton we hold in What they will do even if we think of the past as drastically dif- our closet. The style means it is not just your is seem incon- ferent from our lives. average scary fiction, but tells tales that have spicuous o n You’ll understand classical references the ability to place something deeply trou- the page, but and their force (between Scylla and Cha- bling at your core. when y o u rybdis, anyone?); you’ll expand your knowl- With each new chapter a new world ap- think about edge of the world and history, you’ll learn pears, shaking you from the comfort of your them late a t how people in other times thought and learn previous one. Some are more light-hearted night, the horrors » All photos: Wikimedia Commons more about modernity in doing so, and you’ll than others like Gaiman’s reimagining of of what lay be- hind the gain a greater appreciation of contemporary Doctor Who, and a mini Sherlock mystery, plot will begin to crawl out. Where do you stand works (the adolescent alienation of Catcher in while other stories will stick with you. The on the debate about the Rye will teach you a lot about John Green title of Short Fictions and Disturbances is and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.) certainly correct. Though I do admit, that the classics? Are you a . canon-supporter or not? Ezra Pound once described such litera- not every chapter is as good as the next and Tweet: @BoarBooks ture as “news that stays news.” It’s good to be sometimes the writing can be a little disap- informed. pointing, I have no doubt that you won’t fin- » Photo: Wikimedia Commons 24

Editors: Jess Mason and Stephen Paul Music [email protected] I Bet You Look Good...still good

Molly Willis

t’s the national anthem of any self-re- specting indie kid with a habit of get- ting turned down on rubbish nights out – and now it’s turning ten. Arctic Mon- keys’ stomping debut single ‘I Bet You Look IGood on The Dancefloor’ was released 23rd October 2005 and set the precedent for what would become one of the most exciting rock acts in the world. Five albums later and the awesome four- some are less ‘dingy Sheffield nightclub’ and more suits, sunglasses and fifties quiffs. While most of the band have gone on to be husbands and fathers, they are far from turn- The Gospel according to Godspeed ing in to your stereotypical dad band. The release of their 2013 critically ac- Sam Evans snagged guestlist to Warwick Arts Centre’s biggest scoop claimed offering AM and the global success of singles such as ‘Why Do You Only Call Me When You’re High’ and ‘Do I Wanna Know?’ cemented their staying power, proclaiming n October 22nd of the year of another element to the music. Menuck has plants and birds to snakes: again, these vis- them as the fellow barons of brooding, sul- our Lord 2015, myself and your been stated as saying the projections “put the uals were fairly key to setting the mood on tans of swagger and kings of cool alongside esteemed website deputy edi- whole thing into context”, and having now stage. By the time the band reached ‘Mladic’, powerhouses such as Queens of The Stone tor-in-chief Jacob Mier descend- witnessed it live it’s hard to disagree. Opener from 2012’s Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!, I Age. Yet somehow, the band are still defined ed upon the Church of St. Butterworth to ‘Hope Drone’ functioned as an introduction was ready to end it all (or at least I might by Alex Turner’s sarcastic ode to drunkenly hear preaching from The Gospel According of sorts, building the mood with drones and have done, if I wasn’t having such a great chatting up some girl who is probably way O out of your league. to Godspeed. Or in other words, Godspeed feedback and the word “HOPE” occasional- time). The images on the screen were phys- You! Black Emperor were playing the Arts ly flickering onto the screen, scratched into ically melting (can’t get that with your .jpgs A decade later and dancefloors flood with Centre and we had nothing else to do that images of train tracks. This segued into the and .gifs, can you now?), and a great sense of anyone between the ages of 16 and 30 as soon night. incredible ‘Storm’, a cut from 2000’s legend- dread was enjoyed by all - never has a slowly as it comes on. When you’re packed in to a Arriving just in time to see the openers, ary Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to decomposing film reel seemed so ominous. rainy, smelly festival crowd in between per- Dead Rat Orchestra, I’d never heard of them Heaven, functioning as the closest thing to formances, it still gets every person present before, but a cursory Google search pro- a religious experience I’ve ever had. The im- I think he smiled, but it was hard chanting its bitter poetry. You’ve probably seen someone with an acoustic covering it, claimed them to be “the UK’s leading avant- agery of mountains and sea juxtaposed with to tell under the metres of beard folk ensemble”. Hmm. Even if their website the ensemble’s uplifting cre- surrounded with teenagers singing along didn’t give much away, what we got was a scendos stirred descending from his face because it’s still considered cool to know the strangely compelling blend of what sounded words. like Cornish sea shanties and experimental However, not all was lost, and the set tran- Believe it or not, ‘…Dancefloor’ has al- electronica. Some fairly aggressive singing sitioned once again into the uplifting (and ready been “handed down” to an age group gave way to a hypnotic extended drone piece. catchily-titled) ‘Unknown (New Song)’. My who were too young to listen to it when it This segued into one of the duo sticking perception may have been skewed, but I first rocketed in to the charts. To put this in a small microphone into his mouth and think it was better than most of the mate- to context, I was nine years old on the 23rd singing, which was followed by an aca- rial from Asunder, which certainly bodes October 2005. I had absolutely no clue what pella song comprised solely of the two well for future releases. Finally, the band the song was on about. But ten years on it has of them barking at each other. We were played ‘The Sad Mafioso’, an excerpt served as the soundtrack to many a night out, introduced to the closer as it being “a from the longer ‘East Hastings’ suite road trip or just sitting around pretending I song from the 17th century about ine- from their debut F#A#∞. It was here didn’t have anything to do. quality – that’s all you’re getting,” which the band’s political affiliations became Despite Alex Turner’s attempts to distance elicited a laugh from the crowd and most noticeable. Whereas before there himself from many of his earlier creations, hinted at an undercurrent of humour had been vague anti-capitalist lean- Arctic Monkeys’ early releases are so brutal- throughout the whole event. Which I ings, with images of stock markets and ly honest about what it means to be young, guess makes sense, because again, one city workers rolling past during the most working class and pretty sure you know of them stuck a microphone inside their discordant of minor chords, we were greet- both everything and absolutely nothing that mouth and started singing for four minutes. ed by images of anti-war, anti-inequality, young people will always go back and listen and generally quite anti-USA protestors. It to them. The line-up expanded over the next seems especially poignant in 2015, where it few minutes to include about fifteen seems like there’s an anti-austerity march guitarists (official reports suggest every other week in London. some- thing Eventually, the band drifted offstage one there were three) within me that years of weekly by one. Menuck, ostensibly the frontman, school-enforced church services never quite and who had sat slightly off-centre and too Then finally it was time for GY!BE to managed. low down to be visible, gave a single wave take to the stage. It took a while: initially If the first half an hour or so lifted us, as and walked off. I think he smiled, but it was a sole violinist, the line-up expanded over they had promised, like antennas to Heaven, hard to tell under the metres of beard de- the next few minutes to include about fif- the next hour was a slow descent into Hell. scending from his face. There was no cry teen guitarists (official reports suggest there Gone were the major key exaltations; in their for an encore. It was obvious that there was were three), two drummers, and a cellist. place were portentous walls of noise that no need. We had heard exactly what was in- The word epic seems fairly hackneyed these seemed to threaten to consume the room tended. Godspeed You! Black Emperor had days, but it’s one of the only words to de- whole. The band played their latest album, delivered two and a half hours exactly as scribe what unfolded. The sounds com- Asunder, Sweet and other Distress in its en- they had intended. We had heard their ser- ing from the stage were supplemented by tirety, and whilst that had been a somewhat mon. We saw all that They had made, and black-and-white clips projected behind the underwhelming release it really, as trite as behold, it was very good. Amen. band (which as it turns out were from actu- it sounds, came to life on stage. The back- al real projectors with real film reel), adding ground imagery shifted from images of » Photo: Kmeron / Flickr theboar.org/ Music | @BoarMusic | MUSIC 25 Jessica Pratt: Live at Bush Hall, London few minutes walk from Shepherds the conventional realm of human vocal tone, sit or lie down with their eyes closed, but this Bush tube station lies Bush Hall: simultaneously sounding like a young child just seems fitting with sense of Pratt’s perfor- an independent music venue built and an elderly woman singing English folk mance. over 100 years ago, originally in- from the last century, despite Pratt herself tended as a dance hall. Entering the main hailing from the west coast of the U.S. As Her unique style of rapidly atrium, you can see from the plush carpets, someone who’s only heard her on record be- sliding from bird-song highs to A fore, I was sceptical as to how much of her watery depths, which genuinely curtains and chandeliers that the space has kept a certain sense of surreal grandeur. At dream-like singing was the result of studio give the impression of some kind almost half capacity, a widely varied audi- manipulation. Yet Pratt is able to perfectly of studio after-effects ence lounges around the large space sipping reproduce her unique style of rapidly slid- over-priced locally brewed beers, and there’s ing from bird-song highs to watery depths, an unusually casual atmosphere that many which genuinely give the impression of some Despite the singer’s admission that she’s artists would perhaps find hard to harness. kind of studio after-effects. “…a little bit ill” (it sometimes feels like that’s Framed by hanging red velvet and con- a required saying for all live artists these cealed under a mane of dirty blonde hair, days), her song-writing’s main strength - the Jessica Pratt’s initial attempts at audience en- Her sophomore effort is a lyrical prowess - still comes across powerful- gagement are almost comically quiet and as collection of unearthly, poetic ly. Jessica’s hallmark investigation of a yearn- awkward as a teenage first date. Yet all is for- songs that subtly shift through ing, retrospective look at pain and loss is best gotten as soon as she begins to drift her way unusual harmonic patterns seen in lead single and principal “Hey I know through her own unique mix of psychedelic some of the words to this one!” number ‘Back 60s ‘freak’ folk (a label she reputedly dislikes Of course, her voice is not Jessica Pratt’s Baby’. To Pratt time is a “glass world” and a - apologies!) with only an acoustic guitar only appeal. Fresh off the release of On Your “frozen thing/ It encloses you in its crystal- and support from Cyrus Gengras on electric Own Love Again – an album lauded by Pitch- line/Look so lovely but you’ll have to decide/ guitar. It soon becomes clear that the eccen- fork and Q magazine as one of the best-kept That you’d better reconsider all the love you tric surroundings add to the can’t-quite-put- secrets of 2015 - her sophomore effort, like took and then cast aside”; delicate imagery your-finger-on-it mystique Pratt commands her first, is a collection of unearthly, poet- that’s mimicked by the gentle interplay be- as a performer. ic songs that subtly shift through unusual tween Pratt and Gengras, and some perhaps harmonic patterns. Although as a two-man not so delicate accompaniment from mem- Simultaneously sounding like band the set is notably lacking the expanded bers of the audience which luckily soon dies a young child and an elderly use of instrumentation that marks the latest down. After her brief encore Pratt tells the woman singing English folk from album apart from her eponymous first, the audience “I’ve played in London before and the last century set up works to create the delicate waves of every time it’s special”, and as they amble out sound which cushion Pratt’s ethereal vocals. of the hall with one foot still in Pratt’s dreamy Although mostly soft and understated, The mesmerising quality of the final sound sonic world, this time is no exception. a first time listener will be shocked to hear on songs such as ‘Night Faces’ and ‘Grey- Pratt’s voice, which seems to exist outside cedes’ has much of the audience deciding to Lewis McClenaghan » photo: Bruce / Flickr The near-death of the independent label Is there any hope for the indie labels of today? from self-promotion is the clout a record la- Christopher Sanders bel has. And with these slowly merging in to one another, and with the potential demise of or the past 15-20 years, labels that were SoundCloud on the way, it seems like, for the once truly independent in every sense time being at least, we will be subjected to an have slowly melted away. Over time, ever decreasing pool of artists manufactured they have become subsumed into a se- by ever larger conglomerates. ries of larger bodies, forever impressing upon However, there are a few success stories artists the need to be commercially viable, now where real self-governing labels are holding on F to their independence, offering a ray of hope. more than ever before. Labels such as XL, Young Turks, Matador, and 4AD, for example, This sense of autonomy has been maintained all claim ‘independent’ status, yet are, in actual by the likes of The Quietus Phonographic Cor- fact, all part of the same unifying body: Beg- poration, Vanity Pill, Tasty Morsels and Phan- gars Group. tasy, for example. It is not necessarily because This tricks the listener into thinking that they have a commitment to a particularly they are listening to the genuine, organic prod- niche genre or scene, but they present less of a uct of an artist who may very well have spent need to neatly brand everyone on their roster years underground and unnoticed, had it not for the selling of records. (Everything on Tasty been for the keen eyes of the ‘independent’ Morsels, for example, is free). They all have a label bringing them to our attention. Perhaps DIY feel to them which is, in turn, a sense of the figure for whom this is most applicable is honesty and sincerity in the music making, its the seemingly ever-present Jamie xx. Since The distribution, and the overall aesthetic of the la- xx’s beat maker turned solo producer, there has bel and their artists. The hardcore punk scene been a sickly ‘packaging up’ of his image. For appears to have embraced this ‘Do-It-Yourself’ example, the continuity in album covers be- ethos more than any other; here, labels spring tween his solo work and that of The xx, and up in bedrooms, and EPs are recorded on cas- the overtly trendy Good Times pop up record sette tapes and distributed for pennies. They’re shop all point towards the need to brand and not trying to fool us. commodify an artist. This all comes from the The concept of the independent label is, need to sell records. Of course in any industry, then, both a dying trend and one typically money is at the centre of everything, but here skewed in its presentation. Though a ray of it seems to be so glaringly central you can’t run hope is to be found in the continuation of art- away from it. ists promoting themselves online, and the few What this disintegration of independent remaining independent labels which are com- record labels has given rise to, in connection mitted to allowing the singular vision of the with the internet boom we have experienced artist to flourish. In the end, these are the dis- over the last 15 years, is the rise of self-promo- tributors which are not trying to pull the wool tion. Websites like SoundCloud and Bandcamp over our eyes. provide a platform for artists to self-release material, and earn a small amount of money » Photo: Danny Ryder / Flickr whilst doing it. But what you cannot achieve 26

Editor: Selina-Jane Spencer Science&Tech [email protected] Is human embryo genome editing the future of medicine? Jess Patel debates whether human embryo genome-editing is a useful tool, or a step too far

cientists in China are pushing at the designed by the researcher. Because the sys- that the system will introduce addition- cerns about having a life-altering disease frontiers of genetics - they have carried tem is highly versatile, it can be targeted to al off-target edits in random regions of the edited out of their genome, especially if that out the first set of experiments on ge- almost any gene within a cell, and relatively genome. This could lead to unpredictable treatment is the reason for their very exist- nome-editing in human embryos, However, easy to use, if applied in human embry- effects that may not manifest until later ence. But the versatility of CRISPR/Cas9 Sthis research raises important ethical dilem- os it could be a powerful weapon in life, or possibly even a few gen- system means that genes that are not asso- mas for the scientific community. in the fight against inherited erations down the line. It is ciated with disease could be altered, opening In April this year, researchers at Sun Yat- disease. Repairing a faulty likely that future research up the potential for exploitation. Why stop at sen University in Guangzhou published a gene in a single em- into genome-editing alterations to genes that cause disease? Why landmark paper on genome-editing in hu- bryo would eradicate in human embryos, if not make our children smarter, taller, strong- man embryos, but the significance of the re- the disease from its given the go-ahead, er, and so on? search lies not in the results, but in the fact future germline, will focus on ways Although a decision on the application that it is the first to openly conduct research ensuring not only to minimise these for human embryo research is still pending, in this uncertain ethical territory. that the treated spurious changes. one thing is clear –genome-editing is here After the paper’s publication, the influen- embryo is dis- Of course, no and it is here to stay. Many of the concerns tial journal Nature published an article from ease-free, but treatment – from raised about the technique refer to its po- leading scientists calling for a worldwide ban that its future a simple blood tential clinical application, but for a method on genome-editing research in human em- offspring are too. test to open- still in its infancy, that day is still far off. In a bryos. However, now it seems the tide may The idea of heart surgery controlled research environment, under close slowly be shifting in its favour: a group of treating inherited – is completely regulation, the pursuit of knowledge and ex- scientists have come out in support of the disorders direct- risk-free, but what pertise in this area will be valuable. research and the first UK application for a ly at their source is makes genome-ed- research licence to conduct genome editing appealing, however iting different from » Ultrasound image of a foetus in the womb in human embryos has been submitted. A there are also ethical other forms of medical Photos: Dr Wolfgang Moroder / Wikimedia decision is still pending. and practical issues to treatment is its inherita- Commons and Creative Commons So what is human embryo genome-ed- consider. One of the cave- bility. It places caregivers in iting and why is it controversial? ats of CRISPR/Cas9 is the the unique situation of treating Genome-editing uses a system de- unpredictability with which it in- an individual and that individual’s fu- rived from bacteria called CRISPR/ troduces changes to DNA. Although ture offspring. This raises questions about What do you think about Cas9, which, when introduced into a attached ‘guide’ sequences target CRIS- informed consent: in the case of changes to the ethics of human cell, uses a ‘find and replace’ mecha- PR/Cas9 to specific sequences in the germline, how does a person who doesn’t embryo genome-editing? nism to replace unwanted seg- the genome, there is still the risk yet exist consent to treatment? Tweet: @BoarSciTech ments of DNA with new ones It is hard to imagine anyone raising con- Robot apocalypse imminent Clement Mawby bows down to our new robot overlords

» Images: Honda / Wikimedia Commons

rom Hal 9000 to The Terminator, sci- to happen, it would already have happened, chines intent on our destruction - the pan- well decide not to harm humanity, it’s all the ence fiction has created enough evil ro- and that fears of the robot apocalypse are ellists brought up the genuinely scary sub- other AI’s in between that would be unpre- bots to end humanity a thousand times simply a reaction against change, the likes of ject of autonomous military drones. They dictable, and could conceivably decide to de- over, but is this likely? which are echoed throughout history - for in- pointed out that clearly machines don’t need clare war on humanity. If such an AI were to FAs a part of Warwick’s Festival of the Im- stance people’s initial terror at the idea of the consciousness as we know it to be a threat to learn from our wartime history, present and agination, a panel was held to debate wheth- car. They also pointed out that we shouldn’t human life, and that robots can be physically near future, we have great reason for concern. er the current trend in robotics and artificial assume that the final result of a supreme AI’s and computationally superior to humans in intelligence (AI) will result in the “inevitable nearly all ways. destruction of humanity”. Machines don’t need Another more unusual point was raised – As we entered the theatre, on the stage in consciousness as we know it to the lack of ethics committees in a field that plush leather chairs sat our five panellists, be a threat to human life, and is often advanced by commercial and military in a mimicked romantic candle-lit setting, pursuits, which allows developments to hap- starkly contrasting with the topic at hand robots can be physically and pen unchecked. - bodies and minds made of cold steel. To computationally superior to Neither of the two sides had clearly won set the scene while the room filled, we were humans in nearly all ways the debate by the time it ended, with sev- treated with an old recording reminding us eral logical fallacies arising from both sides. how robots should behave – Asimov’s three The opinions of the audience had not visibly Laws of Robotics. lengthy computation would be “KILL ALL shifted during the final vote. The prevailing attitude in the audience HUMANS!” This reporter believes the impact of arti- was that our demise is not inevitable. The Arguing the opposite - that our scientists ficial consciousness to be profound, hard to arguments from the panel in support of this are right now designing and building the quantify or predict, and largely overlooked in shared a common thread; that if it was going parts that may one day reside in the ma- this talk. While AI past a certain level may 8 theboar.org/science-tech | @BoarSciTech | SCIENCE & TECHtheboar.org 27 The problem with women in science? Warwick research you There aren’t enough, says John Butler should know about

» Images: Steve Diggle and Creative Commons

’m a scientist. I’m a male. Surprised? whether that be medicine, chemistry or my atic. Put simply, we are the only solution. Thought not. own subject, physics. However, I see no rea- We, as a student body, need to do more No-one is perfect, and we all say son why anyone should go through any kind to include and educate people – especially, Ithings that are likely to have offended some- of discrimination because of their gender as it must be said, men – in understanding the body at some point or another. I, for one, they work their way towards their chosen ca- problems that are present and how to change can’t claim any moral high ground – the reer path. the way we act in order to both stop our- unfortunate truth is that, even as a believer One of these friends, who prefers to re- selves from offending people unintentionally in true equality of the sexes, I’ve most prob- main unnamed, once told me about one and dissuading others around us ably been insensitive in some way on this experience she had whilst asking students from doing so. Within the sci- issue before. There is a truth that too often from older years for help with her revision. entific community we’ve got an remains unspoken, however: the world of “Someone in an upper year in my subject even bigger issue to grapple with science is inherently sexist. told me the only reason anyone would ever – throughout the education system » Image: Katerina Gonos Back in June, the Nobel Prize-winning help me with physics was “to get into my there is a fallacy that the sciences biochemist, Sir Tim Hunt, had to resign his pants”, she explained, adding: “the are areas of study for men. In honorary professor role at UCL after he made main problem is that people don’t 2014, eight out of ten phys- Researcher: Professor Peter Sadler some unacceptable remarks about women in think [sexist behaviour] is hap- ics A-level papers were sat science at the World Conference of Science pening”. To go into everything by a male candidate. The Area of interest: Designing new anticancer Journalists in South Korea. On every level, I that is wrong with her treat- problem is that this lack drugs from organometallic complexes (met- agree that this was wrong of him, and that his ment, I’d need to take over the of representation with- al ions bonded to carbon-containing mole- departure from his academic department was rest of this edition of the Boar. in these subject areas cules). necessary – after all, singling out one gen- Nevertheless, there are some leads to the ludicrous der for crying “when you criticise them” and truly vital points that need to belief that women are Methodology: Taking a metal ion (an atom calling for single-sex laboratories so as to not be addressed here, and they ill-equipped to study the that is charged by the removal of electrons), be “very disruptive to the science” is pretty need to be addressed now. sciences. They’re not. It’s such as osmium, and attaching specially cho- bad by anyone’s standards. What strikes me, It’s evident that the old- as simple as that. sen carbon compounds to it, then testing the however, is what it shows about the reality of er student’s statement is I’m certainly not saying that result in cell cultures from arrange of cancers. women studying and working in science. completely inappropriate. the majority of men within the At every step of my education thus far, Everybody should be able sciences are sexist; but while Findings: At least 3 mutations in the mi- I’ve been in co-educational establishments, to go about their studies there are still elements of sexu- tochondria (energy powerhouse) of cancer with both male and female studentsd both without being sexualised sim- al prejudice and discrimination cells have been detected; osmium complexes competing and working together within all ply because they dared to ask present within our lecture the- attack these already weakened powerhouses, subjects. The truth of the matter is quite sim- for help. Furthermore, the atres, laboratories and work- unlike current platinum-based drugs that ple: women are just as good as men at science, ignorance and lack of action rooms, we can’t continue with the target the cell’s DNA. Recently one such but are represented incredibly poorly when it has to stop. There is no ex- complacent attitude that is all too osmium complex was found to be 49 times comes to the gender divide on STEM cours- cuse for anyone not to step often shown when addressing this more effective than a current drug in more es. Some of my best female friends are more up in the presence of sexual issue. We need to meet it head-on, than 800 cell lines. intelligent than I could ever hope to be, and discrimination, whether sooner rather than later. are leading the way on their science courses; that be casual or system- Why it’s interesting: There is a great de- mand for new cancer treatments, especially as treatment-resistance is a risk. These new drugs could be used after resistance has de- veloped, as they target a different part of the cell. The challenge of interdisciplinary and international work is also highly stimulat- ing; clinicians, biologists, physicists and even mathematicians all have a role to play and need to communicate their specialist knowl- edge.

Final word: : Not only does this research call for novel chemistry, but it has the exciting el- ement of interdisciplinary and international work that is both challenging and brings new perspective to the work. Katerina Gonos

Do you want to write for Science&Tech? Email us on: [email protected] 28

Editor: Shruti Dayal Photography [email protected] Autumn Hues Red, orange,yellow and green-autumn is finally here and everything is changing colours.

>>Image : peaceful-jp-scenery / Flickr >>Image:Vincent Brassinne / Flickr

>>Image: Danny Molyneux / Flickr

>>Image: Manizha Khayriddinova >>Image: Balint Vidos

>>Image: anakakay / Flickr @BoarPhotography | [email protected] | PHOTOGRAPHY 29

>>Image: Jeff Kubine / Flickr

Fun with Photoshop

ou don’t need a DSLR or a special- >>Image: Ana Clara Paniago ised lens to take a good picture of everything autumn, just whip out your phone and you’re good to go! Here are a few tipsY to give your pictures that professional touch:

Selective colour - This command lets you increase or decrease the amount of a par- ticular colour in your photograph. After opening your photograph in Photoshop, go 1to Image-Adjustments-Selective colour and use the dials to adjust the settings to your liking.

Variance and Saturation - This com- mand helps you to bring out the bright colours in your image. To use this setting, simply go to Image-Adjustment-Variance 2and Saturation and adjust using the dials.

Sharpen - This command can be used to adjust the sharpness and clarity of the image. To use this command, go to Fil- ter-Sharpen-Unsharp Mask. This helps to 3fine-tune your image by adjusting the pixels and their radius.

Blur - On the other hand, if you wish to bring focus to your image, by blur- ring your background this setting may be of help. To use this command go to Fil- >>Image: ambermulcahy/Instagram >>Image: fadii23/Instagram 4ter-Blur-Gaussian Blur; this is one of the best settings for blurring the image as it lets you focus on a particular area at a time.

Interested in exploring dif- ferent types of photography, covering events and improv- ing your skills?

Join our Facebook group: “The Boar Photographers 2015/16” to know about our latest opportunities. >>Image: Joyce Lau 30

Editor: Kambole Campbell Film [email protected]

he James Bond films are on what seems to be their seventeenth re- surgence into the world of cool - Casino Royale made us forget about Die Another Day, of course, whereas SkyfallT did more than just beat Quantum of Solace - it was, for many without rose-tint- ed glasses, declared to be the best Bond ever. Not only was Sam Mendes’ first effort beautifully shot, well-acted, and fantas- tically exciting, it also had a proper story, Sam Gray that gave Bond the most personality and depth he’s had in years. This presents a bit of a problem with the follow-up. It’s the old sitcom problem - you’re always having to reset to square one by the end of the day, ready for the reviews next adventure, so how do you incorporate genuine character development while still finding time for explody-runny-gunny-ac- tion that will rake in the big bucks? Bringing back Mendes is a good start. He’s laid the foundations for a new era of Bond, so why not let him build on it? Dan- Spectre iel Craig, too, is at the very height of his powers in this role. Still retaining his in- tensity, whilst having recently picked up a dry sense of humour, his Bond has become one of the best: he commands the screen with a confidence that never spills over into cockiness, and the audience is quite » Image: MGM, Columbia, Sony prepared to follow him to the ends of the earth. The opening scene of the film involves an He enlists the help of his old pals; brainy a rehash of Jaws, and Monica Bellucci - who almost destined to become classic Bond. explosive chase through a Día de los Muer- Q (Ben Whishaw), flirty Moneypenny Bond shags in one scene and forgets about in Mid-way through there’s a brilliant, excru- tos festival. Hey, I never said it was Shake- (Naomie Harris) and the newly-christened the next, in the film’s most erroneous exam- ciating torture scene for the ages, one that, speare. But the incredible 4-minute-long M (Ralph Fiennes); he also encounters new ple of dinosaur logic. at the screening I went to, made the audi- Touch of Evil-style opening shot kicks things faces, some well-utilised, some not so much. It’s certainly true that, compared to the ence literally jump out of their seats. And off on an impressive note, and for a while it The former consists of Léa Seydoux, a spiky grand departure of Skyfall, this is a return to that opening I mentioned earlier, replete doesn’t let up. While MI6 faces the threat of French accomplice who dives head-first into more tradition action-adventure storytell- with an upside-down helicopter sequence, is being swallowed up by a drone-happy mul- the action sequences, even if she is treated as ing, one that seems partially geared to tick- as pulse-quickening an action scene as they tinational corporation, faced by a sneering a damsel-in-distress; and Christoph Waltz, ing off boxes of repetition in fanboys’ note- come. Andrew Scott (whose name is “C”, enten- who may be an obvious choice for a villain, books. See: a punch-up on a train, a chase It’s deeply silly, it’s overlong, and it’s per- dre intended), we once again see Bond go but he’s one that lights up the screen with between a biplane and a car, a showdown at haps a little rote. But it’s still one of the most rogue, as he chases up information regarding his charisma and signature German drawl. the villain’s lair. But many of the individual fun things you can see at the cinema this a mysterious organisation named “Spectre”. The latter includes Dave Bautista, basically ingredients are so well-realised that they’re year. Bond’s back, baby.

Crimson Peak: “A penetrating type of fear”

It’s not so much a ghost story, it’s more a version of the gothic. then some. story with a ghost in it,” explains budding This symmetry between the real and the Most horror films will by no means fail to writer Edith Cushing (Mia Wasikows- fantasy is what makes Del Toro’s ghost story scare and frighten you, but in the long run ka). She is not deliberately referring to so enthralling. The living residents of Crim- they will unavoidably become as memorable the events to come, but this comment rings son Peak mingle seamlessly with the fanta- as the popcorn you eat; they are short lived “true of the type of horror film we’ve come sy layers cloaking the film. Tom Hiddleston sensational thrills. There is a central trage- to expect from Guillermo del Toro. In many delivers sinister Britishness with ease while dy locked away in Crimson Peak. Del Toro’s ways, the phantoms are a backdrop to the Mia Wasikowska effortlessly slides into a supernatural realm is a fascinating way of more frightful story of tainted and corrupted exploring the misfortunes and corruptions love. of mankind and this is something most films Del Toro’s film doesn’t disappoint those Crimson Peak may not be the sharing the genre frequently fail to exploit. familiar with his characteristic visual effects. scariest film you will see but The ghosts feel like meaningful projections Crimson Peak is emblematic of the signature its terror has a longevity and from that world’s past. style of fantasy he has become famous for Their existence is contingent on a world and it is probably one of the most artistic poignancy. where decisions matter. Crimson Peak may films you will see all year. Similar to his pre- not be the scariest film you will see but its vious work, Del Toro spectacularly concep- terror has a longevity and poignancy. The tualises the fantastical characters in the film. role she was made for. film is harrowing more than it is frightening From Thomas Sharpe’s peculiar inventions, There is little love lost when one learns but this is perhaps a more penetrating type of to the elaborate gothic dresses, the film de- that Benedict Cumberbatch and Emma fear. It’s a ghost story that will haunt you, like sign is phenomenal for anyone who likes the Stone were the two originally cast to play the all the good ones should. enhanced chromatic visual and a magnified leads; the replacements aptly fill the void and » Image: UPI Media James Kersley theboar.org/Film | @BoarFilm | FILM 31

STAR WARS: EPISODE VII

» Images: Lucasf ilm TRAILER BREAKDOWN Our writers collectively geek out about the latest Star Wars trailer Who are you?” We see Daisy Ridley’s de- thing mostly absent from the prequels (no sert scavenger, probably a Skywalker. The matter how hard Lucas tried). It also helps music builds as John Boyega’s Finn is cast that every second of the film we’ve seen so adrift. Adam Driver’s husky tones give moti- far looks gorgeous, and while Abrams keeps “vated life to Kylo Ren as the camera sweeps it as mysterious as ever, 1 second snaps of in on his silhouetted figure, cast against the things like Finn wielding Luke’s lightsaber red light of a great destructive force. “It’s all and looking monumentally screwed while true,” says an all too familiar voice – Han going up against Adam Driver’s murderous Solo. Here we see a world in which the Jedi Darth Vader fanboy Kylo Ren are enough to have once more become nothing more than get me even more to see Abrams’s take on legend. The musical crescendo of the theme the franchise, the undoubtedly massive debut from The Empire Strikes Back blares out now just under 2 months away. as the millennium falcon sweeps over a ru- ined star destroyer, while lightsabre’s swing Kambole Campbell towards each other in a dramatic looking battle. Is it all too good to be true? We’re a world away from the dry senate rooms of the f the other trailers hadn’t wet your appe- prequels, and everyone is losing their minds. tite for the new Star Wars film, then this Star Wars is back… in a big way. Someone final tease, released last week, does that please give the marketing department a med- and more. Personal highlights include the al. Isoaring Empire Strikes Back theme playing as the millennium falcon takes flight into hy- Daedyn Appleton perspace, and a dishevelled looking Han and Leia making a welcome return after over 30 would be lying if I said I didn’t get chills. years. Expect the biggest film of the decade JJ Abrams/whoever cut the trailer really so far and you probably won’t be far wrong. knows how to hit all the nostalgia points, with much of the music being made up of re- Tom Hemingway Ivamped John Williams pieces and an elderly Han Solo and youthful as ever Chewbacca featuring heavily throughout, alongside new- Are you looking forward to comers Finn ( John Boyega) and Rey (Daisy the new Star Wars Film? Ridley). Tell us more! There is also a kind of raw emotionality (peo- Tweet: @BoarFilm ple crying in Star Wars!) to the trailer, some- Answers provided in next paper

How about a study break?

Last Week’s Answers

PHD STUDENTSHIPS AT LSE LSE is awarding 63 PhD Studentships for 2016, providing full fees and £18,000 a year to PhD students across all LSE subjects. Apply for a PhD by 11 January 2016 (or 14 December 2015 for Economics) to be considered for a PhD Studentship and other generous funding.

Learn more at lse.ac.uk/PhDFundingBoar 33

Editor: Carmella Lowkis TV [email protected]

The Boar TV Guide

Boar TV brings you the top five TV shows Trans actor makes soap history to watch this fortnight, as voted by section contributors:

BBC Children in Need: Callum McManus on the latest EastEnders casting decision 13 Nov / BBC1 The BBC promises a great night of telethon entertain- ment and fundraising; get he past couple of years have seen We cannot simply dismiss the influential of their own stories whilst cisgender actors 1. your Pudsey polkadots and something of a turning point in the power of a television programme which has have been lavished with praise and awards tune in for some fun! representation of the transgender so broad a reach: these shows have the abil- for portraying them instead. community in the media. Whilst there is ity to permeate the national consciousness Even more reassuring is the promise that Elementary S4 US Premiere: unarguablyT a great deal of progress still to and raise awareness of issues in an imme- this is not just tokenism, with executive pro- 5 Nov / CBS be made, it certainly seems that trans issues diate fashion, one in which regular contact ducer Dominic Treadwell-Collins saying CBS’s successful answer to have finally begun to move firmly into the with the central characters creates a powerful that Kyle is “going to be thrown right into the Sherlock Holmes tale spotlight. sense of both familiarity and empathy. one of our biggest stories for the end of the is back for its fourth season, Individuals such as Laverne Cox and Cait- year.” 2. with all new adventures, and lyn Jenner have become pop culture icons in For far too long trans people This is essential; it shouldn’t feel like a a visit from Sherlock’s father. their own right, whilst shows such as Trans- transgender character has been created mere- parent and Orange is the New Black have have been excluded from telling ly in order to fill a quota. Like any other new Peep Show S9 Premiere: beautifully explored the realities of the trans their own stories whilst cisgender introduction to the show, they deserve a pur- 11 Nov / Channel 4 experience and have been rightfully inundat- actors have been lavished with pose and story to tell, rather than simply to We’ve all been waiting for this ed with praise and global attention. awards for portraying them exist as fetishised window dressing without for years, but what will the fi- Now, in a move that feels considerably instead. any involvement in major plots. 3. nal season of Peep Show bring overdue, EastEnders has made television his- As a publicly funded-broadcaster, the for Mark and Jeremy? tory by casting the first transgender charac- BBC’s remit should clearly be to represent ter played by a transgender actor to be in a the lives of the British public. This latest London Spy S1 Premiere: British soap. Actor Riley Carter Millington It is therefore vital that diversity becomes casting, along with the brilliant recent BBC 9 Nov / BBC2 will join the show as a new regular character, a cornerstone of soap opera storytelling, to sitcom Boy Meets Girl (centred on a love story It’s the gay spy drama you Kyle. ensure that individuals from all walks of life including a trans woman as the central fe- never knew you needed. With There are many who may ridicule the idea are able to see themselves represented on male protagonist), is hopefully indicative 4. Ben Wishaw and Mark Gatiss of EastEnders as a form of storytelling that screen. of a culture in which trans stories can stop among the cast, it’s bound to ought to be taken seriously, but this would In terms of transgender storytelling itself existing as mere footnotes to the ‘main’ nar- be a hit. severely undermine the fact that the genre in soap, this will essentially be the most high- rative action of television. This should be a of soap opera is potentially the fictional me- profile example of a trans character since movement towards a televisual landscape in Live at the Apollo S11 dium which is best able to influence social at- Hayley Cropper ( Julie Hesmondhalgh) in which transgender people can feel as though Premiere: 9 Nov / BBC2 titudes (at least within the United Kingdom). Coronation Street. However, the main differ- they are thoroughly included. If you’re in need of a chucle, Despite the fact that we live in an age where ence here is that we are finally seeing a main- There is still work to do; but we must hope 5. the return of Live at the Apol- appointment-to-view television is becoming stream transgender character being played by that these past few years have seen the begin- lo is sure to provide it. increasingly less relevant, soaps still manage an actor who is transgender themselves. For nings of a true seismic shift in the represen- to garner average live ratings of 6 million far too long it has been the case that trans tation of trans lives. » Photo: US CPSC / Flickr viewers repeatedly throughout the week. people have been excluded from the telling » Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Monica Helms New Doctor Who spin-off announced Will Coal Hill School-based Class be as successful as its predecessors? ust weeks into Doctor Who’s critically- “Will it be worth watching?” this. While not filling fans with celebrated ninth series, it has been an- The series has a fine creative team backing initial glee, the prospect of a series nounced that BBC Three will play host to it. Moffat, as divisive as he often seems in his without such blatant ties to Doctor a new spin-off series, Class. Featuring eight role on Doctor Who, is a fan of the original Who could allow it to become its episodesJ of 45 minutes, it will be targeted to- show and its mythology. It can only be seen own entity in a manner which wards young adults. as a positive that he has given his backing to has proven successful for The series will be written by Patrick Ness, Class’ production. other programmes. best known as the author of the Chaos Walk- As for Ness, he is an adept choice of writ- As annoyingly vague as ing trilogy, and executive-produced by Ness, er, having won the Carnegie medal for out- this is, an on-the-fence, Steven Moffat and Brian Minchin. standing writing for young adults in 2011 and benefit-of-the-doubt ap- Class will focus on Coal Hill School, a 2012. proach is possibly the best setting well-known amongst Who fans. The Fan reaction to the spin-off ’s announce- stance Who fans can take. show is said to be its own entity, featuring ment appears to have also been tempered by As for casual viewers, all-new characters and villains, although the series’ deemed lack of importance in a the announcement of a cameos have not been ruled out, neither the larger ‘universe’. A show that may well fea- series with the less-than- Doctor (currently portrayed by Peter Capal- ture no characters from its parent programme thrilling title, Class, will di) nor Clara ( Jenna Coleman), his current has come as a disappointment. have very likely passed companion, will be heavily featured. This has proved the main problem with them by. This is a shame, As of yet, very little has been released re- the announcement of Class – a lack of imme- because the seemingly garding the plot of the series, only that it diate excitement. In an age where the Twelfth largely isolated premise will see classic Doctor Who-style threats be- Doctor’s actor was announced during a live means that it may prove ing faced within the school. Looking back show, and upcoming films have teasers to most enjoyable precisely upon past spin-offs, it can be assumed that tease other teasers, this announcement came for them. the series will be more mature than CBBC’s rather under the radar; made during a Doctor The Sarah Jane Adventures, but less so than Who ratings drop, it felt closer to a cry for James Hibbs Torchwood. help rather than an assured move. Of course, the big question has to be: However, there are other ways to look at » photo: Doctor Who Spoilers / Flickr 34

Editor: Ali Jones Games [email protected]

Next time on Minecraft Alex Brock considers the rise of episodic gaming as Minecraft and Back to the Future both get the Telltale Games treatment this month » Photo: Bago Games / Flickr ast your mind back to 2012, when lot less time, as they can focus on one sec- seem like a major issue, but when you con- cult to remember recent developments in the unassuming game developer Telltale tion of the game at a time. Episodic games sider how many hours of entertainment you story or even the names of the supporting released graphic adventure title The are also typically cheaper to produce, which typically get in games such as The Walking cast (all of whom inevitably die gruesomely Walking Dead to universal critical acclaim. means there’s also a lower risk investment. Dead (about ten hours for the entire season), in typical Walking Dead fashion anyway, so I CThe game was particularly revolutionary, Finally, they can adapt later episodes to com- it’s hard not to feel short-changed. guess it doesn’t matter too much). sacrificing gameplay and puzzle-solving munity feedback and the choices made by There’s also the question of whether the The fact that new episodes of Telltale for character development and an engaging players in already released episodes. episodic format suits story-based games. games include a recap on previous instal- story - essentially becoming an interactive The consumer also benefits; cheaper pro- These games focus on the player making ments does not lessen this problem in the graphic novel. However, perhaps an over- duction costs result in a cheaper price - the tricky moral choices that impact the story slightest, as they’re often generic and cover looked reason for the game’s success was the first episode of Life is Strange is available for and charac- ter relationships in often the story in broad strokes. They don’t really fact that The Walking Dead was released just £3.99 on Steam, a significant bonus for unpre- dictable ways. For my recount your choices or intricate character over five separate episodes between April and those of us living on Tesco-brand noodles who initial playthrough of The relationships in great detail. What you’re left November 2012. The success of this episodic don’t want to invest an entire £40 in a game. Walking Dead Season One, I with is a muddled and disjointed story, which game model sparked a new era of episodic Episodic games also tend to b e played the entire is particularly concerning for games that em- gaming, which has included titles such as the innovative and well-made, as the story over Christ- phasise personal choices and character devel- recently concluded Life is Strange. developers need to maintain a mas. so it was easy to opment. high level of quality to ensure keep track of the Finally, there’s the threat of the episodic their customers are kept inter- choices I made. gaming model being abused by bigger gam- The first episode of Life is Strange ested in the game over several It was a com- ing developers. Recent blockbuster titles, costs just £3.99, a significant installments. But pletely differ- such as Star Wars Battlefront, only release as more and ent experience a small portion of the single player or mul- factor for those of us living on more of these when I played tiplayer mode upon release and then require Tesco-brand noodles episodic games through Season gamers to buy more content over the follow- flood the market, the Two as each ep- ing months - a trend which could have been flaws of this particular isode came out. influenced by the successful and cheap to trend are becoming increas- The entire game produce episodic format. Unsurprisingly, Telltale have stuck with ingly apparent. was released over More choice and innovation in how we their winning format. In the three years The episodic gaming ex- a nine month pe- play games is never a bad thing, but the suc- since The Walking Dead, they’ve churned perience does come with riod and I discov- cess of Telltale Games means the rise of ep- out several more titles at an almost alarming some unfortunate side-ef- ered it was tricky isodic video games will continue, for better rate, including Game of Thrones, Minecraft: fects. That £3.99 price tag to remember the or worse. Story Mode, The Wolf Among Us and The seems alluring but the en- choices I had Want to write for Boar Walking Dead: Season 2. tire season ends up being a made in previous » Photo: Bago Games / Flickr Games? Email us at There are certainly advantages to this for lot more expensive than you instalments. In [email protected] developers. Creating episodic games takes a first thought. This might not fact, it was diffi- Until Next Time... November 10 November 10 Rise of the Tomb Raider Fallout 4 Lara Croft is back in the long-awaited We’re finally going back to The Waste- sequel to Tomb Raider, the reboot that ex- land! Fallout 4 is Bethesda’s third foray into plored the origins of the world’s most badass the post-apocalypse, after the successes of archaeologist (sorry Indy). Her mission this Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas. This time time is to locate the ancient city of Kitezh in the game is set in Boston, and the rest of Siberia, which is rumoured to hold the secret New England. We don’t know much about to immortality. The sequel promises to offer the story yet, but we do know that the story a number of improvements, including rede- begins on the day the bombs dropped, and signed combat and a weather system. Rise of starts up again 200 years later. Fallout 4 will the Tomb Raider will be released on Xbox be released on PC, Xbox One and PlaySta- 360 and Xbox One in November, whilst PC tion 4 all at once, and will be available to pre- and PS4 owners will have to wait until 2016. load a few days before release. Alex Brock Ali Jones » Photo: Bago Games / Flickr www.theboar.org/ Games | @BoarGames | GAMES 35

Life is Strange: Polarized Review Joanna Jakubowska plays the finale of Dontnod’s emotional time-travel saga

o you think in-game choices hopes you poured into the characters. incredibly compelling, very different should matter? Love dwelling Gameplay is more varied this time, as from what I was anticipating for the fi- over paths you could have or we get to sneak around and even save nale. maybe should have taken? If so, you people. Life is Strange has already left a pro- Dprobably already know about episodic, There are moments where it’s a lot found mark on gaming, even if devel- story-focused gaming Life Is Strange, harder than previous episodes to figure oper Dontnod has obviously modelled the brilliant finale of which came out out what to do, and I really like the way its production on Telltale Games’. but two weeks ago. Polarized keeps surprising you, letting there’s a big difference between the e...Sports? It’s tough to write concisely about you think things are coming to a head, two studios; Telltale lets its stories un- Polarized. You get to see all your choices only to snatch the rug out from under fold slowly, leaving choices until the last unfold in front of you, from the small your feet. Character development races minute, whereas Life is Strange asks you to the game-changing, from across the ahead, taking into account the choic- what you want to do. previous four episodes, and Polarized es you made in the past; some are re- Do you want to see this character finally shows off just how selfish the deemed, others fall from grace. hurt? Will you lie to your best friend? choices you’ve made can be. You’ll try Another big plus is the amount of The themes covered throughout the to bend rules and cut corners, but Life thought put into dealing with mental series range from bullying, to abandon- is Strange forces you to make a choice to health, something worth highlighting ment, to suicide. There’s no side-step- move the story on, even if, like me, you because of its usual lack of representa- ping the issues, and you have a hugely end up staring at the screen for minutes tion in gaming. We get to see the pro- proactive role. on end, agonizing over seemingly im- verbial inside of main character Max’s All in all, this is a great title that you possible choices. head, her hopes and fears taking on have to play at least once, and for me, There are no clear-cut answers and physical shapes. This is an amazing seg- the finale is great, even if I was let down Polarized lets your failures sink in, some- ment of the game, further showcasing by some of its explanations. There’s a times crudely rubbing salt into the wound. your choices. definite possibility of a second season, so It’s a summary of all the steps you’ve tak- You set out beliefs Max holds so that I guess we won’t be rid of Max Caulfield en so far, all the sacrifices you made and they become part of her psyche, and it’s for a while yet.

» Photos: Joanna Jakubowska Casual Gamer Column Want to play Mad Max but hindered by your desire to not bankrupt yourself? t’s not exactly surprising with behind are idle, spending their pose, be it a seemingly worthless compelling RPGs I’ve ever Mad Max’s gasoline-hun- time wrestling, killing for no inventory item, a rare cut-scene played, and this is coming from gry desert to compete with, reason, and numbing their pain or a stray line of dialogue, and all a person who usually avoids but as the second instalment in with drink and a drug ironical- work together to help you un- turn-based combat at all costs. Ia trilogy, it’s a real shame that ly named Joy. Their currency is cover the plot. Nothing is as it LISA is an interesting example LISA: The Painful RPG is as based around dirty lad’s mags, first seems, nothing is spelt out of a well-blended medium with underappreciated as it is. The which the player can use to pay for you, and sometimes you’ll a strong storyline in which you game focuses around your quest for upgrades or new recruits. be left questioning your sanity gradually learn the mechanics as to find your kidnapped daugh- The strength of the title lies in as the game progresses. Are the you go, rather than having them ter in a world where there are no its portrayal of mental health, choices you’re making right? Is stand in your way until the end women left. or rather the lack of it. I haven’t there any actual morality in a of the game. LISA takes place in a world seen any film, let alone game, world without civilisation? Do If you fancy a crazy ride through that’s been torn apart by an un- utilise its visual medium to suit the ends justify the means? Will your emotions, convictions and known catastrophe, in which its narrative as well as Din- you sacrifice everything for your outlook on life, check out LISA: all semblance of public order galing, the game’s creator, has. daughter? The Painful RPG. Fair warning has melted away. The men left Everything in LISA has a pur- This game is one of the most though, this ride is not for the 36

Editor: Jack Prevezer Travel [email protected] Dastardly destinations Fancy going somewhere truly terrifying this Halloween? The Skirrid Mountain Inn The Galleries of Justice

or anyone interested in visiting some- eerie atmosphere, dim lighting and creaking oted the most haunted building in over 300 years of crime and punishment. where with a spooky atmosphere staircases, a night at the Skirrid is not for the the UK, the Galleries of Justice in Down in the dungeon, you can learn about and a strong reputation for faint-hearted. Nottingham are the per- the severe punishments prisoners were sub- hauntings, the Skirrid These guestrooms have at- fect place to go for jected to, as well as stepping inside Mountain Inn is the place tracted the attendance of a scary day out. Based real and replica prison cells, from Fto visit at Halloween. numerous groups inter- Vat Nottingham’s old the Victorian era to the pres- Situated in the impos- ested in the paranormal, courthouse and gaol, ent day. To make your visit sible-to-pronounce including TV shows the museum is the even more realistic, you Llanvihangel Cru- such as Most Haunted previous home can also stand in the corney, a small and Extreme Ghost of the Sheriff of courtyard where pris- Welsh village in Stories. Nottingham, oners were hanged. Monmouthshire, If paranormal and so has lots If that isn’t spooky the inn is popular investigating isn’t of connections enough for you, the due to its repu- your thing (and with the leg- museum also runs tation for being let’s face it, it prob- end of Robin special ‘Terror Tours’, not only one of ably isn’t), the inn Hood and Not- where you can visit the oldest pubs in still offers a hearty tingham’s grisly the most scary prison Wales, but also one meal, a few pints, criminal past. cells that are not usu- of the most haunted. and should you feel Providing a tour ally open to the public, The Skirrid dates brave enough, a suitably of Nottingham’s and ghosts have suppos- back to 1110, with 900 spooky overnight stay for criminal history, the edly been seen there as re- years of ghostly history you and your mates to have museum contains lots cently as 2014. There is also a associated with it. Until 1698, a laugh and scare yourself silly. of genuine, sometimes Robin Hood tour, where you can the first floor of the inn was reput- The inn is set against a backdrop gruesome artefacts that were see the famous outlaw being put on edly used as a courtroom, where hanging was of the Brecon Beacons, most notably the used in the torturing of prisoners. It trial, as well as murder mystery nights. carried out as a punishment for up to 180 distinctively-shaped Skirrid Mountain from is not simply your average museum though, Nottingham isn’t too far away from War- criminals. Rope markings can be seen on an which the inn gets its name. ‘Skirrid’ is de- but more of a day in the life of a prisoner! wick, so if you fancy seeing how scared you oak beam still in the inn today, adding a ma- rived from the Welsh word for ‘shiver’, an apt Be prepared to immerse yourself, with ac- can get, I would recommend a trip! cabre touch to the staircase winding towards name for a place steeped in chilling mythol- tors in period costume ready to scare you at the guest bedrooms. ogy. every turn, and the opportunity to stand trial Nicola Paling Three rooms are available for visitors to in the dock (and possibly do some acting!) » Image: andy dolman / Geograph,, Fay - spend the night in – if they dare! With an Natalya Smith before descending into the cells to explore erollinson / Wikimedia Commons An international struggle Hannah Bettison explains the difficulties of being an international student alking through campus, I excuse and yet the initial social activities I at- to my excitement, the Americans even out- If that means I end up eating out more or found myself stuck behind a tended began a few days earlier than general numbered us at dinner the other day. But I spending money on trips to Disneyland, it’s group of lost-looking people student move-in, and were aimed at inter- can no longer fully blame internationals for because I want to experience the culture as speaking a foreign language. national students. So, other than my Cali- sticking with people from similar places; much as possible while I still can, even if it “Great, internationals” I thought to myself fornian roommate, I only it’s a practical not a personal means living on rice and pasta for my entire withW a heavy dose of all-too British sarcasm. had the chance to meet thing. fourth year. Then I realised, I’m one of them. and make friends with Furthermore, there Finally, I like to talk about England… I’ve been in the USA at the University non-Americans. tends to be a stereotype of California Santa Barbara for just over a A couple of weeks that international stu- I certainly don’t have a month and, despite my best intentions, in in, and I find my- dents have a lot of lot of money, but being an many ways I’ve become typically ‘interna- self spending lots money, and don’t tional’. of time with the always spend it international student has However, this has given me a perspec- Brits I’ve met in wisely, or at least definitely affected the way I tive that, I hope, will make me a little more classes here. don’t budget in spend it. understanding of (and a little less tempted Arriving the same way to make stereotypical Yik Yak jokes about) as second home stu- international students when I return to the or third dents tend too much. There’s a certain ‘grass is greener’ UK. years rather to. I certainly mentality that I think is part of the culture than Fresh- don’t have a lot shock for international students. It’s great for man means of money, but making the thought of returning to a place A couple of weeks in and I that, other than being an interna- that rarely gets below 20 degrees Celsius a find my self spending lots of fellow interna- tional student has little more bearable but for the Americans, time with the Brits I’ve met in tionals, many of definitely affected or even other internationals, it’s got to grate. classes here our American class- the way I spend it. Just over four weeks here and I can now mates already have Firstly I was pre- say, as your typical international students, established friendship pared for this year to be please don’t be too quick to judge, it’s often groups and are less in- more expensive as I had to not for the reasons I used to assume and, not For starters, I hang out with a lot of in- terested in making friends prove I had the funds before that deep down, we’re really just like any oth- ternationals but, crucially, not because I’m with new people. I was even offered a place, but I also know er student. antisocial or don’t want to adapt. That said, out of my closest friends here that this is a once in a life time opportunity, » Image: Westminster College Fulton MO / I don’t even have a language barrier as an now, about half are American; in fact, much so I want to make the most of my time here. Wikimedia Commons theboar.org/Travel | @BoarTravel | TRAVEL 37 To couchsurf or not to Culture Shocks: couchsurf? My time with a native tribe

or me, there is more to travelling than that wound up and around the mountains simply posing for tourist shots like and concluded for us at their village. holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa The hike itself revealed to me the remark- For pinching Lady Liberty. able manipulation of the landscape; the res- Having spent six weeks of my summer idents, having varied the different gradients, travelling around South East Asia; specifical- have created almost a stair case up the sides >> Photo: Flickr/ Jacob Bøtter ly Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, there is of the peaks, allowing them to grow greater one particular adventure that will last long in quantities of rice. It’s a sight that words can Scarlett Mansfield explores the pros and cons of couchsurfing my memory. only go so far in doing justice. My homestay with the Black Hmong hill After a demanding day of travel, arrival at have travelled now for a few years, and you’re into that, give it a go. tribe of Sapa, northern Vietnam, was an ex- the village meant only one thing; rustic Viet- yet couchsurfing went against every in- On the down side, it can be rather sexist. perience that opened my eyes to both the namese food. tuition I have ever had, and everything Men do have a harder time finding a place to simplistic, pure lifestyle of the locals who re- A completely new style of both cuisine my parents told me not to do (eg. sleep- stay, since many women don’t feel comforta- side here, as well as the beauty of a country and cooking technique awaited me; the vil- ing in some random persons house I met on- ble hosting them alone, but also many men that has become synonymous with warfare lagers here opt for an open fire method of Iline). would rather their company. and tragedy. cooking with minimal meat. However, in a moment of desperation, This can lead to some odd situations. A The north-western Hoàng Liên Son Rice is not the only substance grown in stranded with only expensive accommoda- man I met in NOLA stayed with an old, rich Mountains, some 38km from the Chinese abundance there, both cannabis and opium tion in Miami, I turned to the couchsurfing man in Miami and ended up giving him nip- border, is the more precise location of this are innovatively used for numerous things. community and finally put my faith in the ple massages in return for accommodation. particular tribe. For example, cannabis is used to make the internet. This man even offered him a job as his ‘per- Its close proximity to China meant a rich Firstly, I’ll talk about the benefits. Despite sonal assistant’ in return for getting a green diversity of people living there; although the having no references, and being extremely card to live in the States – weird. language barrier was an issue at times- with Cannabis is used to make the last minute, Jeremy, my first ever host, told Of course, you also hear the horror stories. even some of the Vietnamese people not ful- hemp for clothing and opium, me I could get a cab to his workplace and we ly understanding them- their friendly nature much to my merriment, for rec- reational use could sort things out from there. That’s the great thing about it meant it was easy for me to tackle this minor Upon arrival, he instantly trusted me and all, you just never know where obstacle. gave me keys to his house and car, telling me acouchsurfing night will take Having taken an overnight bus of nine hemp for clothing and opium, and, much to I could get an uber back to his and wait, nap you my merriment, for recreational use. in his car, or - wait for it - have free tick- I was fortunate enough to partake in the ets to watch the Miami Marlins play New There is more to travelling than consumption of opium in its liquid form York Mets with some of the best seats in the simply posing for tourist shots with one of the locals, which was a special house! Turns out he worked as the baseball One man had a webcam pointed at the sofa such as holding up the Leaning experience as it’s not often offered to west- team’s equipment assistant so was able to bag where I slept, and didn’t tell me. I figured it Tower of Pisa erners; not without a price attached anyway. me some free tickets. He even invited me to was more for Airbnb guests that stay when Initially I was sceptical but it was noth- watch them train the next day. he isn’t there, it still made me feel awfully hours from Hanoi to reach them, the three ing short of ecstasy (pardon the pun). It was Speaking of unexpected adventures, in uncomfortable, and among other odd things day residency began with a hike deep into the combination of both intense and casual San Antonio, my host’s neighbour popped he did (like demand I get his drinks all the mountains from the Vietnamese town of activities that helped shape an authentic in- over with VIP jazz festival tickets night), I ended up leaving early Sapa, my drop off point. sight into the lives of these individuals and in a downtown park. and switching hosts. Immediately I was in awe of the ease in gave me a truly unique memory from my I hopped onto the Overall though, I would which a collection of ladies, far older than time in Vietnam. back of his motorbike urge you to take a leap myself, took to the treacherous dirt roads and was given a great of faith. It was the best lengthy tour around thing I could have the city, which hap- done. I met some pened to coincide great people, had a with an electron- great laugh and got ic light story of the to do things I would Alamo projected on have never been able the cathedral. to without it! That’s the great thing Oh, and don’t forget, about it all, you just never it’s free! A cost-effective know where a couchsurfing way of seeing the world. Just night will take you. Every day is a exercise caution when choosing brand new adventure. who to request to stay with, always tell a Furthermore, it’s a great chance to try out friend where you’re going and have a reason- and learn new things. From balloon animals, able exit strategy for a worst-case scenario. to nudism, there is a variety of hosts that of- fer some really crazy things! (Yes, one man’s >> Photo: Flickr/ Vladimir Kud profile suggested mutual masturbation be- cause, “no homo, I just like the guest connec- Had any crazy couchsurfing stories ? tion”). Don’t worry though, I never had these Tweet: @BoarTravel people sneak up on me, I just avoided them if it was listed in their description. But hey, if 3826 | SPORT theboar.org Comment Corner Absolute Boarginners Does Sport heart consent? A guide to pick and mix sports from Joe Lester

» photo: Warwick Dodgeball

“I’ve come to learn that when I go out to a nightclub, I should expect » photo: Joe Lester sexual advances” t’s week three. You’ve been get the chance to try things you room for improvement. The clubs to the sports fair, you’ve tak- would never have dreamed of dab- we run each session in conjunction On Tuesday 20 October the discuss their previous education en home more leaflets than bling in, and isn’t that one of the with often use pick and mix sports Warwick Uni Men’s Hockey Club regarding sexual relations and con- you can physically carry and you’ve best things about university? to scout new talent, whilst also us- co-hosted an ‘I Heart Consent’ sent, attendee’s responses consist- beenI to all the taster sessions you So, if you want to get active this ing the sessions as a chance plug workshop with our sister club, the ed largely of cringe worthy, dated could fit in – but you still haven’t year but you’re not sure where to go, their own sport. As with taster ses- UWLHC. videos from their Year 6 Biology found the sport for you. Shouldn’t make sure you come along to one sions, it’s also a great way to help The quote you have just read lessons and next to no education at it be easier than this? of our sessions. It’s completely free you decide on a specific sport; last is the sole statement from that all regarding consent. I was thinking something along to sign up: all you have to do is pay year, a session with pick and mix workshop that has imprinted itself This ‘sport-specific’ workshop these lines in my first term at War- £2 to get into the sports centre for persuaded me to join the Chinese so vividly in my mind. Given the we helped co-ordinate looked to wick. It’s a common problem: you each session, or use your Warwick kickboxing club – a great experi- recent coverage in the media of the address the ‘lad culture’ stereo- want to try something new but Sport membership if you have one. ence that I would never have seized somewhat narcissistic, antiquated type, and these gaps in people’s you’re overwhelmed by the endless Above all, pick and mix aims on if I hadn’t had the opportunity views of a certain ‘he who must not knowledge that seemed so preva- opportunities. Taster sessions are to be accessible; you can come as to try it. be named’, I felt compelled to get lent. Funnily enough, deep down useful but they often clash with little or as much as you want, it’s The most important aspect of the club involved. sports clubs genuinely your super busy early term sched- the one of the cheapest ways to pick and mix, however, is that we I felt the need to think the same way as ule and only run for the first two take up sport on campus and, most have a group of regular members help educate those everybody else on the weeks: after that, you’re on your importantly, it’s open to people of who turn up every week and really who wanted to learn issue of consent. own. all abilities. Since you’re going to make the group feel like a commu- more. I for one cer- As hockey clubs, Pick and mix Sports represents end up taking part in at least one nity. Weekly socials in addition to tainly would have we sought to educate an antidote to this problem. Every sport you’ve never tried before (and the regular weekly sessions have benefited from these our members on the week we try out a different sport usually many more) everyone’s in helped turn what started off as a sessions in my first importance of rela- in two-hour free sessions. Newly the same boat. So fear not, even if bunch people sweating it out in the year. tionships at universi- combined with Warwick Active, you’re an absolute boarginner at one taster sessions into a genuine col- As we ploughed ty, including potential we cover the sports that the ordi- of the sports we cover, you’re pretty lective. through the work- pitfalls and the legal nary ‘Rock Up and Play’ sessions much guaranteed not to be the only So, if you want opportunity, ac- shop one thing became striking- and ethical implications of getting don’t – from Floorball to Fencing one. cessibility and community, then ly clear. Behind every anecdote, it wrong. and Quidditch to Climbing, you Having said that, there is still pick and mix sports is for you. every opinion, and every discus- Although, it’s easy to lay the sion, there was a common thread: blame for sexual harassment and the ‘lad culture’ stereotype. Like it violence at the door of those with or not, it’s here, it exists, and it’s a a Y chromosome, the event en- very real problem not just at War- abled us to look at instances in wick but at every UK university. which both genders were at fault. As a longstanding member of A chance for some frank and hon- one of Warwick’s largest sports est discussion, the workshop was a clubs, I take it somewhat person- great success. ally that so many of us (not only Feedback was incredibly posi- males) are labelled with the sports tive, with many who attended in- player stereotype as sex-crazed, la- dicating that they felt better pre- ger drinking misogynists, which is pared to monitor their actions in clearly untrue. public, with a heightened aware- However, I do accept the fact ness of consensual behaviour. that unacceptable sexual behav- This is only a step, but maybe iour behind the mask of supposed we can finally move towards de- ‘banter’ happens way too often on stroying the stigma that surrounds university campuses. Hence, it was our sports clubs. unsurprising that when asked to » photos: UWMHC » photo: Warwick Sport 27 News theboar.org/Sport | @BoarSport | SPORT 39 Oi! Will you be watching the Rugby World Cup?

Johnny Hall says YES James Roberts says NO “It’s a glorious showcase of sporting excellence” “Two words: Boring and predictable” his Rugby World Cup may finishes which any neutral rugby ix weeks of rugby, you v Georgia? not have been one for a fan could enjoy, the quarter-fi- say? Please direct me to Games such as this are nothing fledging England rugby fan nals well and truly delivered. the nearest newly-painted more than a play-off to avoid the to remember, but it has certainly Home nations Wales and wall so I can watch it dry. wooden spoon, just as they were at beenT one to cherish in terms of at- Scotland both performed SThe fact that three of the last World Cup and each one tacking, exciting and generally un- admirably before ultimate- those six weeks encompass before that. It does the tournament predictable rugby. ly losing by just four and a group stage as predictable no favours that for each genuine- Indeed, in just the fourth game one points respectively. as hearing ‘Swing Low, Sweet ly watchable game there are five of the tournament, we saw what Furthermore, even where Chariot’ at Twickenham makes where it is an achievement to sit has been described as “the greatest the other semi-finals were sig- the Rugby World Cup even more through the entire 80 minutes. upset in the history of test rugby” nificantly more one-sided, both excruciating. But when the meaningless as Eddie Jones’s Japan beat South New Zealand’s and Argentina’s A time period in which you matches are over it gets interesting, Africa with a last-minute try. performances were a joy to watch. could fit one and a half Olym- right? Wrong. In every World Cup, Whilst undoubtedly the high- Argentinian Head Coach, Dan- pic Games offers up a plethora of if the southern hemisphere sides light of the group stages, the bonus iel Hourcade, is surely right when pointless match-ups, whether it be are on form they will inevitably points scheme means that unlike stating that despite losing their New Zealand v Namibia or Aus- come out on top. The end result is other sports, even one-sided World semi-final, “our legacy should be tralia v Uruguay. a tournament that if you predict- Cup group games have great rele- the way we play the game”. With only two or, at a push, ed the outcome of every game you vance. On top of this, and as typical Plus, it is always going to be three teams in each group realisti- would probably end up with a 90% of test match rugby more generally, entertaining when your biggest cally good enough to qualify for the success rate. the pride and the passion of play- fan is none other than Maradona quarter finals, you do not have to No effort wasted watching the ers from all nations’ shines through – whether he be downing pints on be a hardcore rugby fan to correctly games themselves – just think how every action. television or leading frankly hilari- forecast each result. Then there are much paint can dry in that time. If Japan-South Africa had whet- ous celebrations after beating Ton- the teams involved. Let’s be honest ted your appetite for nail-biting ga. – who really wants to watch Tonga » Photos: ell-r-brown + bagogames / Flickr Warwick lose out to Oxford in first BUCS game Despite a valiant effort, the Mens’ Lacrosse team are thwarted by the title favourites

Oscar Mayhew goalkeeper, who was desperate- midfield began to look increasingly halt for half time at 10-5 to Oxford. Yet hopes of a comeback were ly searching for a throat guard in isolated and frustrated. A galvanising team talk with soon dashed as Oxford’s superior order to satisfy the referee’s safety Refereeing confusion over a emphasis placed upon doing the fitness and match practice began to Stepping onto the Cryfield grass concerns. Allowing the game to flailing elbow then brought a break basics right initially did little to take its toll, making the most out of for the first BUCS game of the sea- start with the Warwick side-line in the play, leading to discussion thwart an impressive Oxford side a temporary man advantage when son, Warwick entered their match scampering for the missing equip- on the side-line over the majori- after the break, as they quickly the referee caught onto some War- against Midland 1A’s title-favour- ment, Oxford raced into a lead, ty of the Oxford players wearing added a further three goals to their wick swiping. The game drew to a ites Oxford full of endeavour. Al- capitalising with three well execut- goggles. While not donned by any tally, only kept this low through close with Warwick firmly pinned though the squad has been over- ed goals before Warwick regained of the Warwick side, goggles have brave goalkeeping and some robust in their own half as Oxford contin- hauled due to a high number of their full cohort. become increasingly popular in the defending from Warwick. Yet after ued to extend their lead, briefly re- departing players, an industrious Yet once the sides were evenly BUCS leagues and although there this spell under the cosh and with lieved by some great stick work and pre-season filled with drills and fit- matched, Warwick’s play began to may be reservations over their im- some wholesale changes, Warwick a precise finish from Gunisha Vig, ness has prepared the side for a year develop. Quick breaks and inci- pact upon peripheral vision, their flourished. Clarke and Standen leaving the final score 19-8. surrounded by high expectations. sive passing from captain, Emi- value to player safety has not been were again at the forefront of this Despite the loss, Warwick can Whilst this was not the result de- ly Standen, led to two superbly overstated. resurgence, using their pace to ex- look proudly upon their perfor- sired to kick-start the new season, finished goals from Alice Jeffers As the game reached the inter- ploit gaps in the Oxford defence mance against an impressive Ox- Warwick’s battling performance as Oxford had their backs firm- val, Oxford’s spells of dominance as Warwick began to claw back at ford side. Effective communication was filled with positives to take ly against the wall. However, poor became more telling, as they found the heels of their opponents. Two at this stage of the season is always into future games. marking allowed Oxford to regain the net consistently. Fast Warwick precise finishes brought Warwick a telling sign of a team with great Initial optimism at the first draw dominance in the game, with their breaks, particularly from Sarena right back into the game once potential and there is no doubt that was temporarily dented by War- first home proving a menace in Clarke on her debut, kept them in more, as Oxford struggled to deal the season’s ambitions remain high. wick starting the game without a Warwick’s backline as the host’s the game, with the referee calling a with the home team’s pressure. 40

Editor: Shingi Mararike Sport [email protected] Surfsational Warwick defy the odds to claim 3rd place at BUCS Championships

» Photo: Kate Mant

at in the SU atrium nearly a third year PhD candidate in Ma- to the Warwick Surf contingent. The teams superb BUCS Cham- spent honing their balance and week later, it still hasn’t sunk rine Microbiology, began “we were Their immediate reaction? Dis- pionship showing was a chance for skills through sessions of yoga, in. Warwick, the most land- there because we had to be there, belief. them to prove that clubs outside swimming and tarp surfing, as well locked university in Britain is home everyone else had gone to the pub!” The word “shock” is repeated of the traditional performance cir- as taking to the water as much as Sto the third best women’s surf team Stood on the beach in miserable from all angles of the rounded sofa cle at Warwick can also scale the possible on tours both at home and in the country. weather conditions waiting for the before 2nd year Sociology student greatest heights in University sport. abroad has paid off. The image of the the team final result alongside some of the and Club Tour Sec Romy, Viviani, Kate Mant, an integral part of Combining their work ethic with clutching their 3rd place cheque in country’s traditional surfing su- elaborated “we just stared at each the team and the first female pres- a level of comradery scarcely found a state of disbelief has been steadily per powers, Warwick didn’t expect other and thought: No that’s not ident in the club’s history, said “it’s at your standard Warwick sports plastered over Warwick’s sporting much. Up against the likes of Fal- possible it’s a joke.” really great for us because we’re not club culminated in an accomplish- social media streams. A result that mouth, Exeter, Sussex and South- Jones added “I had a dream the always taken particularly seriously ment absolutely worth celebrating. represents by far the biggest success ampton; who boasted sponsored other day, they called and told us as a sports club, and in ways that’s Whether or not Warwick Surf for Team Warwick in the BUCS surfers, better equipment and reg- we didn’t win third place, it was ac- meritable because we have one go onto build on their success, the calendar this year. ular access to the seafront, the team tually Southampton”. competition a year and we’re not fact of the matter is, that weekend Sat around the table with an air were expected to gracefully bow out Thankfully Jones’ nightmare will really a competitive BUCS Club. they reached the crest of a well de- of infectious enthusiasm, the team as also rans. remain just that. For at least a year, We’re not like football or hockey.” served wave and rode it all the way began to recall their unforgettable So, as the weekend’s festivi- Warwick can lay claim to bragging She then added “we’ve really to our biggest sporting story of the weekend spent competing at Fistral ties drew to a close and attention rights over a number of their more tried to put a lot of time and effort year. Beach in Newquay. Thinking back turned to the after party, the an- decorated rivals. Jubilant, the girls over the last couple of years into to the moment of triumph, Helen nouncement they had snatched 3rd returned from Cornwall to a wave improving as a surfing club.” Shingi Mararike Jones, a Warwick Surf veteran and place came as a bolt from the blue of campus wide admiration. Quite clearly, the extra hours