ISSUE 1623 FRIDAY 22nd JANUARY 2016
The Student Newspaper of Imperial College London
Rewinding time in Where have all the Life Is Strange. maintenance grants gone?
PAGE 10 GAMES PAGE 3 NEWS
Medic boat club stopped on way to Belgium for being too drunk
The annual trip to Leuven ended abruptly at Dover when students were sent home
ast week’s ICSM Boat Grace Rahman the driver at 3:30am over the getting close to his legal driving arranged to fly or take the train to club’s annual trip to Editor-in-Chief students’ behaviour. The coach left limit time, this would be impossible. Leuven instead. These members got Belgium ended before it Hammersmith as scheduled at a The Dover port police were called, to their destination without a hitch. really even began – at the quarter past midnight on Saturday. to help the coach get out of the This news comes after last year’s ferry port in Dover. captain told members that “[P&O] The coach company alleges that one way system before the group shenanigans on the same club’s LCurrent medics and alumni were were willing for us to be allowed on some students caused damage at were driven back to Hammersmith. annual Leuven trip, when a coach prevented by P&O ferry staff from after a 2-3 hour wait. Unfortunately, Maidstone service station, which Upon returning, the group tried to window was smashed on the way boarding the boat which would have the coach drivers were unwilling P&O ferries confirmed. Thebook another coach in an attempt to Dover. Although the person taken them to mainland Europe, as to co-operate, hence are currently boat club denies that there were to save the short weekend trip, but responsible was an alumni student, they were too drunk. driving us back to London”. any complaints made during the could not. the whole club was suspended The students tried to board the The trip from Hammersmith planned stop in Maidstone. Drinking was heavy on the trip, during Imperial College Union’s 4:50am ferry from Dover to Calais to Dover had not been without The boat club was told by P&O with some rowers reportedly having investigation. but were “drunk and disorderly” issue. The coach company’s depot that they could take a slightly later port bottles strapped to their arms, The ICSM President and boat according to port staff. P&O ferries manager was first contacted by ferry, but as the coach driver was that they weren’t allowed to remove club declined to comment on this took the decision not to allow the until the bottles were finished. year’s incident. The tweet printed students to travel when they were The trip, which cost £80 per ticket, here suggests the club has not been scheduled to. involved two coaches and 100 issued with a ban. A representative In an email, sent as the students students, who each pay £70 per year of Imperial College Union told us were heading back to London for club membership. they “had been informed and are having been turned away, the club’s This tweet was sent after the party were turned away at Dover. Some students had previously investigating”. nd PAGE 2 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk
Contents A word from the Editor News 3 Editor-in-Chief Grace Rahman Comment 6 News Editor Science 7 Matthew Johnston love the medics, in all of their the first Oxford Tube on a Sunday Comment Editors Games 10 forms. I like the artsy medics, morning? They were allowed to Tessa Davey and Vivien Hadlow the Muslim medics, the medic drink on the coach. P&O wouldn’t Music 11 Science Editors sabbs, the medics who try and let them on the ferry. The coach Jane Courtnell and Lef Apostolakis sell me doughnuts in SAF, and even wouldn’t let them wait for the next TV 12 the sporty ones. one. It was unfortunate. I hope they Arts Editors I Indira Mallik, Jingjie Cheng and Look, if we were all stuck on a get their dosh back. Max Falkenberg Arts 19 desert island, the boat club medics But it did happen so I’m going would survive a lot longer than to report on it. If I see a suspicious Music Editor Film 24 me. While I’d be writing out my looking tweet, I’m going to start Cale Tilford tweets in the sand and trying to making phonecalls. It doesn’t mean Games 27 Film Editor find a football to draw a face on for I don’t like boat club, or P&O, or Fred Fyles company, they could perform first port, or Belgium or medics because Clubs & Societies 28 aid, fashion slings from palm leaves I enjoy all of the above. One of my Welfare Editor and most likely build a basic boat best friends is a medic! I went to Noor Mulheron Hangman 39 and row to the nearest habitated Leuven! I went on a boat once! This Sports Editor land mass, all in a time that BUCS gal’s got no agenda, except to create Josh O’Donnell Puzzles 30 would be proud of. I have the utmost high quality content for millenials. respect for people that I know could What is FELIX for? Well, it’s a will report on it. That’s life, chums! Puzzles Editors Hamish Beck and Roxana Radu Sport 32 outlive me on a desert island. job for one thing, which brushes If this all sounds quite exciting you They got hammered on a coach, the tumbleweed from my CV and should probably write for us. And if Food Editor FELIX, Beit Quad, man. It happens. People get allows me to enjoy the finer things you hate us now, we’ll let you write Sanjay Bhattacharya Prince Consort Road, hammered on coaches all the time, in life, like food and accomodation. for us too. It’s nice to have a bit of TV Editor London SW7 2BB and worse. Have you ever been on But news happens, and the paper variation. Saad Ahmed Tel: 020 7594 8072 Printed by Iliffee Print Cambridge, Copy Editors Winship Road, Cambridge Henry Lloyd-Laney Registered Newspaper ISSN 1040-0711 Cover pictures by Creative Copyright © FELIX 2015 Commons, Cale Tilford and Ian Boyle Letters
In response to ‘Imperial clear natural boundaries, one race, very successful, with the course on the students to take good lecture is certainly right that I cared about professor makes questionable one culture, one language, one which I was the sole teacher usually notes. Some staff members flashed my students and topic. I am still in comments on race in new book’, religion. I am not advocating those getting the highest or second many PowerPoint slides on and contact with many former students Issue 1622 things. Given the enormous amount highest average mark of any course off, not letting students take down even from many years ago. I had There have been many reports in of conflict caused within and in the department, with approval details in the lecture, condemning many delightful students and really the newspapers of ‘no-go’ areas in between countries by differences in of the second marker and external them to spend ages looking them enjoyed teaching them, whatever large cities in England. race, culture and religion, I do not examiners. It is complete rubbish up electronically later if they their ability level. There is absolutely no need to give see how any sensible person could that I wrote out all my lecture wanted the details. More than once Should FELIX wish too [sic] citations for my opinions in this object to that theoretical list. notes on the board - an impossible the students gave me 100% highly publish my reply, I am happy for book. I give a list of factors (page 18) As for the comments by ‘Stan’ task in the time. I did write major satisfied ratings in the end of course them to do so, providing they give which could help minimise internal about my teaching methods, I terms on the board and pit [sic] up official student questionnaires, so me a copy. and external conflicts, including have to say that my methods were diagrams on the board. This helped not all were of Stan’s opinion. Stan Dr Bernard Lamb (online)
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NEWS [email protected] Maintenance grants are no more From September there will be no more maintenance money from the government that doesn’t have to be paid back
n Tuesday, Labour’s when the student loans are written attempt to reverse the off and not, as is the case now, when government’s decision the grants are first given out. to scrap maintenance Osborne’s use of this loophole grants was foiled. allows him on paper to make huge OFrom September 2016, students strides towards “balancing the will only be able to access means- books by the end of this parliament” tested loans, which they will have despite just prolonging the cost. to pay back once earning over the Strong criticism was also voiced over £21,000 salary threshold. the way the government enacted At the moment around 500,000 these changes, doing so without a students in England are given full commons debate via the process means-tested grants to cover living of a “Statutory Instrument”. costs which don’t need to be paid This type of bill is usually used for back. This equates to an increase of low-key policy change, not large- £3500 of debt per year for students scale overhauls, and meant that from the lowest income households, a committee of just 18 MPs (10 alongside their £9000 academic fees. CON, 6 LAB, 2 SNP) voted after Many worry that this will put having a debate of just 90 minutes. off bright students from poorer The final vote, 10-8, meant that backgrounds from attending the last resort of reversing the university at all, given the threat of I think we’re a loan now. Photo Credit: BBC decision now lies with the House such a financial burden. The average of Lords, where a motion has been home student who started a degree the decision, and when the news the protesters managed to block accused of using the changes as called for in order to annul the in 2012 or later will leave university broke that maintenance grants were the main thoroughfare from a political trick, one in which the changes. It was a Lords vote that with about £50,000’s worth of debt. to be scrapped, students ‘occupied’ Westminster to Waterloo for an costs of the current student grants overturned Osborne’s controversial Representatives from the National Westminster bridge. hour and a half, before police are passed onto the government 30 tax credit cuts late last year. Campaign Against Fees and Cuts With signs, reading ‘NO successfully moved them along. years down the line. This is due to MATT JOHNSTON & were outside parliament awaiting GRANTS = NO BRIDGE’, George Osborne has also been the expenditure only being counted GRACE RAHMAN
New financial threshold for non-EU students You could be deported unless you earn £35,000 after graduation
his week pressure has charity workers, nurses, students some specific engineering jobs (such been growing on Home and others”. as in the oil and gas industry) that Secretary, Theresa May, Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal are on the government’s “Shortage to abandon plans to Democrat home affairs spokesman, Occupation List”, whose entry deport non-EU immigrants who also argued the point that the level salaries are usually below the areT earning less than £35,000 a year arbitrary level “fails to take talent proposed threshold, but would be after 5 years of living in the UK. and new sectors like tech start-ups, exempt. The average UK-wide salary is whose staff might be paid less than Proposals have also been made far lower than this threshold, at £35,000” that would mean UK companies £20,800 and a figure on the college’s Petitions on the government’s can’t bring in skilled workers from website put the average leavers’ website are guaranteed a response outside the EU, unless they are paid salary across subjects in 2013 at once they reach more than 10,000 a starting salary of £30,000 as well Imperial at £29,232. signatures, but as seen on Monday as paying a levy of £1,000 per year A petition calling for the plans with the petition to ban Donald for every non-EU hiring. to be scrapped has reached 78,000 Trump, they need 100,000 The plans unveiled in 2011 were signatures, with large concentrations signatures to be considered for always planned for introduction in of signatures from London, but debate in parliament. April 2016, and are seen as a way also from university towns like After an outcry when these plans for David Cameron to reduce net Bristol, Oxford, Cambridge and were first announced in 2011, immigration from 250,000 to a Brighton. Joshua Harbord, who several jobs were excluded from number “in the tens of thousands”. set up the petition, said the policy this threshold. These include PhDs, “unfairly discriminates against lecturers and nurses. There are also GRACE RAHMAN “You have to be earning this much to stay”. Photo Credit: Reuters felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22nd JANUARY 2016 PAGE 5
NEWS [email protected] The Match4Lara campaign reaches Imperial Stem cell donation drive hits SAF today
oday, the Anthony Nolan disorders, including leukaemia. Most people say it’s painless. Only branch at Imperial is Last week, it was reported that a 10% of donations actually involve running a bone marrow Thai-Italian man took an eight hour giving bone marrow, and these drive in an attempt to coach ride across Thailand to take procedures happen under a general find a match for a Thai-Italian the test to see whether he could be anaesthetic. student,T the 24 year old Lara a match. 30% of people diagnosed with Casalotti, who has been diagnosed Despite its reputation, donating blood cancers find a tissue match with leukaemia. stem cells is a lot like giving blood. with a member of their own family, The test involves nothing more but the rest rely on donations from than writing down your details and Despite its strangers. At the moment, The spitting into a cup – this will be Anthony Nolan trust, the charity analysed to see whether volunteers that matches donors with those have the right tissue type to save reputation, who are ill, has 577,000 people on Lara’s life. its register. At the moment, only 3% of people donating The charity says it needs more on the bone marrow register are men, who make up only 15% of mixed race, which has meant that stem cells the register but produce more stem a suitable match hasn’t yet been cells, and are more likely to donate found. is a lot like them if matched. After no one in her family was a As highlighted in Lara’s case, match, Lara’s friends launched a they are also in desperate need of worldwide campaign to find a donor, giving blood more donors from Black, Asian which has included huge drives on and minority ethnic backgrounds. several university campuses. and most People of non-Caucasian origin are Last week, the Cambridge drive much less likely to find a stranger recruited 656 people onto the people say it’s with matching tissue, and only 20% Anthony Nolan register, which do. could also help hundreds of others Lara is a big yoga fan and works to help refugees. Photo Credit: match4Lara The drive is running on Friday the waiting for stem cells to cure blood painless 22nd in SAF from 11:30 until 18:00 Junior Doctor strike won’t go ahead Continuing negotiations means that the next strike has been cancelled
unior doctors will not strike been tempestuous since last summer, This is apparent with the ongoing next week, the BMA have when they first broke down. negotiations between London announced, calling off Should the Government strong- Underground and its tube drivers. industrial action after it arm the junior doctors by imposing Again, negotiations using the ACAS resumed talks with the the original contract changes, the service have been fruitful, with the government.J changes would take place incredibly strike that was scheduled for the On Tuesday, the doctors’ union quickly because the vast majority same day as the suspended medics’ said that continued negotiations of junior doctors are on short term walkout, now too having been put with NHS Employers via an contracts, typically six or twelve off. Peter Holden, chairman of East intermediary negotiation service, months. Their options would then Midlands Regional Council of the ACAS, meant that planned strike be to accept the contract, move BMA, cited this clash as part of the action for next week had been abroad to find employment or reason that the doctors’ strike had suspended. find a job in the private sector. The been suspended, highlighting the After last Tuesday’s strike which balance of the strikes ultimately lies fragile position the Government lasted 24 hours, doctors were due with public opinion which currently was in. to strike again for 48 hours on the strongly favours the position of Consultant contracts are also 26th of January. The strike would not the medics. An Ipsos MORI poll up for renegotiation soon, and have disrupted emergency care. recently put their approval rating at considering the difficulty in reaching Another strike is still planned 66%. an agreement for junior doctors, the for the 10th of February if the How Jeremy Hunt handles the government is unlikely to be able to negotiations do not result in negotiations between now and the spring another big change on the “concrete progress”, the BMA have next planned strike is likely to have profession. said.The negotiations between the impacts not only on the NHS, but MATT JOHNSTON & government and the BMA have on the wider public sector as well. GRACE RAHMAN Last week’s cover star at last week’s protest. Photo Credit: FELIX nd PAGE 6 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk
COMMENT [email protected] The royals should pay for themselves If we cut spending on the royals, the money could be better spent elsewhere
or a long time, the UK has been wading through an era of cuts, cuts and more cuts. The NHS is expected to shave off £20bn in costs Fby 2021, schools are preparing for 16% cuts over the next three years, and controversial plans to reduce working tax credits have been in the public eye recently. Despite there being some overly optimistic murmurs of an end to austerity, Does the queen really need more new jewellery? Photo Credit: ibtimes.co.uk it’s looking unlikely that George Jennifer Eden Osborne is going to start splashing co. are seemingly unaffected by UK’s through austerity. The swarm of affect the amount of public funding Writer the cash any time soon. It’s a sticky financial state. right royal scroungers living off needed. If they were to be axed from situation that, supposedly, we’re all For at least two years, there will the Queen’s handouts indirectly the royal payroll, the extra pennies in together. be no cuts to the royal budget. In needed for repairs could be covered But guess who’s still balling? fact the taxpayer funded income by the private income, and there That’s right, the old baked bean and for the royals will actually rise to as The royals would be no need for taxpayer’s much as £44 million (due to repairs money which could be much better needed for the palaces), before the spent elsewhere. The old royals will have to face reductions will never With the potential £8 million rise to funding. This is on top of the to the royal budget, the government Queen’s private income from the have to could have paid for roughly 1000 baked bean inherited estates, land owned, and heart bypass surgeries or 10,000 the crown estate. cataracts operations; built a new Although this money doesn’t make average sized school; or even paid and co. are hugely impact the taxpayer, with the off 889 students’ tuition fees for a cost per person coming to just 56p year! Instead, that money will be seemingly each – quite good value, considering the same spent on tarting up Buckingham we reap the vast benefits of the royal Palace’s interior and reupholstering loving tourists – there is an issue. By the corgis’ baskets. unaffected not scrutinising the royal budget, sacrifices The whole notion of this is not and even allowing it to rise, they only uninspiring for the public, it are sending out the message that undermines the government’s harsh by the UK’s the royals will never have to make as the and increasingly unpopular tactics the same sacrifices as the rest of the for getting the country back in population. While we’re all feeling rest of the shape. The issue is enhanced because financial the effects, old Lizzy and Phil carry now there really isn’t any reason why on livin’ it large. taxpayer’s money should continue And it’s not just the main population funding the royals’ ever expanding state figureheads that are smooth sailing budget. The royal family has next to no power anymore. No one is going to be thrown in the stocks for opposing the rise to their budget, and therefore it seems ridiculous that we should have to keep paying out. Ultimately it’s time for the royal family to start budgeting and getting by on their own. Switch the fine wines for Sainsbury’s Basics, make the horse and carriages available for hen dos, rent out Balmoral as a haunted house, or maybe just get Charles flogging shedloads more Duchy Originals. It doesn’t matter how it’s done, just as long as it puts Prince Harry can often be found at Boujis in South Ken, spending your hard-earned taxes. Photo Credit: mirror.co.uk an end to the royal freeloading. felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22nd JANUARY 2016 PAGE 7
SCIENCE [email protected] NASA’s billion-dollar savings plan Because green is so much more than just the colour of money Rahul Shivaram Writer
reens everywhere, There is rejoice! It’s looking like those Heathrow- such a hating prayers have been answered by none other than GNASA’s own home-grown team of thing as Aero Engineers and associates. On the 4th of the January 2016, NASA released a press fairy-tale statement with big claims: their Environmentally Responsible Aviation project (ERA) had been a endings to heart-warming success, set to save NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida - where the magic happens Photo Credit: Reinhard Link the airline industry over $255 billion dollars over 25 years (2025 – 2050) research giants were keen to get involved. The findings were interesting; some allowed the plane wing to seamlessly and cut huge amounts of pollution, Ed Waggoner, Director of NASA’s examples are highlighted for your extend its flaps. all by playing the efficiency game. projects Integrated Systems Research geeky pleasure. A redesign of the combustion The project began in 2009, Program explained “It has been an Firstly, they include an innovation stage via Pratt & Witney decreased scheduled for completion by the unmitigated success... every one of “tiny embedded nozzles” blowing nitrogen oxide pollution from end of 2015, totalling a runtime of of our industry partners is getting air over the vertical tail fin of an combustion by up to 80%; and six years in development. A host of something out of it.” aircraft meaning smaller tail fins can finally, the Hybrid Wing-Body industry partners jumped on board For those who know the And he’s right, the outcome of be used. In addition to this, a new Concept (HWB) was successfully – some of which include General commercial aerospace industry, one the project was a whopping 75% non-stick coating design helping tested, whereby the whole body Electric, Pratt & Whitney, the wading deep in safety regulations, pollution saving, a halving of fuel to prevent residue build up was seamlessly forms into wings, with US Air Force, Boeing and smaller conservative design and high stakes consumption and a reduction in tested. Secondly, cleverly stitched the engines mounted on top. contractors – as they volunteered engineering (and rightly so), it noise pollution to an eighth of composite materials cut weight by So, there you have it, there is over $250 million and their own was a welcome opportunity for current levels. 20% making for safer and lighter such a thing as fairy-tale endings facilities to undertake the work. scientists and engineers to really The project was aimed at aircraft bodies. Thirdly, testing of to research projects; say hello to NASA fronted the remaining $400 have a crack at some unusual ideas. thoroughly testing eight technology the “morphing wing concept” via quiet skies, clean clouds and happy million of the expenditure. It was no wonder some industry concepts and refining the ideas. the US Air Force and FlexySys Inc. Greenpeace protesters, for now.
Calling all science writers Do you have a burning pasion for science? Do you enjoy pointing things out to strangers? Are you looking for a chance to have your geeky voice heard? Join the FELIX science writing team! Drop an email to [email protected] and send us your articles, pitches or just say hi! We promise to say hi back. nd nd PAGE 8 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 PAGE 9
SCIENCE [email protected] SCIENCE [email protected] A coastal approach to the plastic problem E-Cigarette claims go up in smoke Imperial College research suggests we should change our clean up methods Why vaping will not help you quit smoking
Naomi Stewart which is based in the Netherlands – Madeleine Webb reviewed data from 48 studies and trials, as well as a range of age Writer that aim to deploy plastic collectors Writer discovered that using e-cigarettes in demographics, number of previous at these environmentally toxic sites fact decreased the rate of successful quitting attempts and nicotine to directly clean up and remove the dependence. pollution from the ocean. uitting smoking is one The researchers also presented hen we think of of the most common Using a possible reason that e-cigarettes plastic pollution New Year’s resolutions are ineffective when used to help in our oceans, it’s Plastic and there are seemingly quitters; in this case, the cause common for our endless methods claiming e-cigarettes can be found in the e-smoker’s first thoughts to be of a poor turtle collectors Qto help one quit, from patches to psychology. The drop in the use squishedW within a tight plastic ring, gum to spray; even hypnosis is of traditional cigarettes over the or of the infamous Great Pacific used to help people kick the habit. to aid last 50 years is generally attributed Garbage Patch - a massive swirling placed at However, recently e-cigarettes to the introduction of policies to vortex of plastic bags, bottle caps, have been used to wean people off discourage smoking. Warnings fibres from synthetic clothing, and strategic ‘normal’ cigarettes, which many attempts on packaging, increased taxation so on, found smack in the middle of consider more harmful than the and the ban on indoor smoking in the Pacific Ocean. entry points electronic equivalent. The public public places, have made smoking Estimated at over 100 million health charity Action on Smoking to quit more inconvenient and corroded its tonnes and twice the size of the and Health estimate that of the 2.6 “cool” image. However, e-cigarettes, entire United Kingdom, most of the would million people using e-cigarettes, smoking while regulated, are largely free of Why quit smoking when you can look THIS cool? Photo Credit: rpavich plastic in the patch has been broken 1.1 million are ex-smokers, with the same stigma and are considered down into microscopic pieces – remove 13% increase of e-cig users between 2014 to be less harmful. The paper states main reasons both adults and kids (AAP) section on Tobacco Control microplastics – that can persist for and 2015 being almost entirely from actually that “The inclusion of e-cigarettes use e-cigarettes, but the overall argued, “The presence of nicotine hundreds, if not thousands of years, ex-smokers. in smoke-free laws and voluntary effect is less, not more, quitting,” said in e-cigarettes is highly dangerous continuing to poison and kill ocean more plastic Ocean plastics can pile up in important areas for animal conservation. Photo Credit: Forest and Kimm Starr However, the University of smoke-free policies could help one co-author Stanton A. Glantz, for the developing brains of the and avian wildlife indiscriminately. San Francisco has released data has the decrease use of e-cigarettes as a UCSF professor and director of the youth”, which is especially troubling The toxins in the plastics also than garbage set up plastic collectors directly at currents and end up in these large out to the ocean. In light of this, showing that e-cigarettes are not cigarette substitute, and, perhaps, UCSF Center for Tobacco Control considering people under 25 enter the earth’s food chain when coastlines where plastic garbage is concentrations of garbage patches. the research from Imperial College actually as effective as believed opposite increase their effectiveness for Research and Education. Even generally use e-cigarettes at a much ingested by animals, passing the patch being washed out, not out in the “The Great Pacific garbage patch pointing out the greater efficiency when it comes to stopping smoking. smoking cessation.” more worrying, further research higher rate than other age groups. dangerous chemicals continually oceans where it’s already being has a huge mass of microplastics, but and success in reducing plastic Findings published in The Lancet Right now very few of the current from UCSF shows than the use of So for those students looking to through our planet’s food webs broken down into toxic chemicals the largest flow of plastics is actually pollution by ultimately stopping it Respiratory Medicine show that smoking laws apply to e-cigarettes, e-cigarettes may still have negative look after their lungs in 2016, it’s and ecosystems. A recent analysis collections and waste. off the coasts, where it enters the at the coastal sources is even more using e-cigarettes to aid attempts effect allowing the devices to be used as a impacts on people’s health, which probably safer and more effective by Imperial College’s Dr. Erik van “There is a lot of plastic in the oceans,” said Sherman. relevant and timely. to quit smoking actually has the crutch for smokers rather than tools are currently not widely known. for you to stick to the gum or go Sebille and colleagues in Australia patch, but it’s a relative dead zone “It makes sense to remove plastics “We need to clean up ocean opposite effect. The researchers quitting attempts by 28%. Studies that enable quitting. “The irony is Dr. Karen Wilson, chair of the cold turkey, rather than trying to showed that more than 90 per cent for life compared with the richness where they first enter the ocean plastics, and ultimately this should in San Francisco collected and included both practical and clinical that quitting smoking is one of the American Academy of Paediatrics vape in the back of a lecture hall. of seabirds have swallowed plastics. However, newly published around the coasts,” said Sherman. around dense coastal economic be achieved by stopping the source of To date, much of the research research from The Grantham The birds analysed in the earlier and population centres,” added pollution,” said Sherman. “However, focus on ocean plastic pollution has Institute’s Dr. van Sebille and study by Dr. van Sebille are also Dr van Sebille. “It also means you this will not happen overnight, so a been on how to clean up this Great undergraduate physics student concentrated around coasts where can remove the plastics before they temporary solution is needed, and Pacific Garbage Patch and others Peter Sherman actually shows that their food is plentiful. have had a chance to do any harm. clean-up projects could be it, if they that exist in almost every ocean in it might be more efficient to focus The new study by Dr. van Sebille Plastics in the patch have travelled are done well.” A glimpse into the genetics of overeating the world. There are well-meaning on cleaning up at the point of entry and Sherman, released just this a long way and potentially already initiatives like The Ocean Cleanup – for pollution. That is, it’s better to Tuesday in Environmental Research done a lot of harm.” Amrita Ghosh The team led by Prof. Dr. Lohmann Letters, shows how the researchers The authors identified this Writer of the Centre for Organismal Deformed studied the movement of plastics in system of coastline collectors as Studies (COS), studied the the ocean to figure out where was particularly useful around China Over 80% model fruit fly (D. melanogaster), best to deploy plastic collectors and and some Indonesian islands. and looked at the function of a plays a prevent the most harm to wildlife These two countries were also of oceanic ll the festive meals and particular developmental gene and ecosystems. recently identified as two out of five drinks plaguing the which belongs to the Hox gene Modelling a ten year project countries, also including Vietnam, holiday period, often family. Hox genes are responsible crucial starting in 2015, they found that the Philippines and Thailand, debris have a substantial effect for controlling the development plastic collectors placed at strategic that contribute nearly 60% of on our post holiday figure. Sure, of an embryo along the head-tail role in entry points along coastlines global oceanic plastic pollutions, actually weA make New Year’s resolutions to axis. In a sense, the Hox genes would remove over 30% of the in a report released last week from hit the gym and become fitter, but could be described as the body's microplastics, as opposed to the McKinsey and Company and the comes from how many of us still struggle to 'architect' which is responsible for 17% removal rate if collectors Ocean Conservancy. fit into that pair of skinny jeans? the physiological blueprint of an controlling were placed at the garbage patches The McKinsey report also Well, if you’re still finding your organism. However, this new study themselves. This proposed system confirmed that over 80% of oceanic land-based jeans a bit too snug post Christmas, revealed that a particular gene in the our feeding Genes, jeans...who can even tell anymore? Photo Credit: rpavich of floating barriers and platforms debris actually comes from land- you can probably hold your genes Hox family, known as ‘Deformed’, would concentrate, collect, and based sources of pollution, not sources of responsible for it. plays a crucial role in controlling motor unit was successfully formed This research offers new scope remove plastics flowing into the oceanic ones like fishing vessels or A research team of biologists our feeding behaviour. This specific behaviour after embryogenesis which revealed for several future studies, including ocean from urban rivers, sewers, cruise ships. Most of it comes from at Heidelberg University gained gene is responsible for establishing that this gene is also responsible looking at how the Hox genes and waste deposits before they even litter and debris on the land or in pollution new insight into how our feeding the feeding motor unit during the In the study, the Deformed gene for controlling the motor unit even perform this function on a molecular A small garbage patch in the Pacific. Beautiful. Photo Credit: Stephen Guerissi had the chance to disperse into the waterways that eventually wash behaviour is encoded in our genes. development of the embryo. was deactivated when the feeding during later phases of life. level. nd PAGE 10 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk
GAMES [email protected] Rewind time with Life Is Strange Francine Tran Writer There is
any people often find an ever themselves reflecting on their past choices, given the knowledge present that they have now. Our teenage Myears are characterised by the mistakes and lessons learnt, shaping feeling of us into the ‘adults’ we are today. Undoubtedly, some mistakes bear significantly worse repercussions trepidation than others and real life has no second chances. Games are appealing to us because we can kill, heart-warming tale about the newly fail and die with no consequences renewed friendship of two teenage affecting our real lives. Life Is girls to the horror of an impending Strange challenges the idea that hurricane and subsequent fate of games don’t affect us personally; it their town. forces us to make harsh decisions The heroine Max Caulfield (played that have the ability to haunt the by Hannah Telle) is a seemingly But first, let me take a selfie. Photo Credit: Dotnot Entertainment player beyond the computer screen. average teenage girl. Armed with a Life is Strange is a game that camera and creativity, she attends really is just like high school. ‘points of no return’ throughout the succeeding one hopes to never have encompasses the trials of being a the prestigious Blackwell Academy The game allows the player story at which the option to reverse to go through that ordeal again teenager and the burden of being a in the hopes of pursuing a future to rewind the vast majority of time is removed, forcing the player only to find out eventually that superhero. Developed by DontNod career in photography. Despite her events, with each triggering to really think carefully about their the exact same puzzle will feature Entertainment and published by natural talent, her lack of confidence consequences that cascade onto choices. Due to this, there is an ever no less than five times in the fifth Square Enix in 2015, it is a five part keeps her in the shadows of her other consequences (The Butterfly present feeling of trepidation. At episode. Moreover, the game is not episodic journey which explores the peers. She is completely contrasted Effect for those familiar with the end of each episode, worldwide without its fair share of glitches and difficult decisions many teenagers by Chloe Price (Ashly Burch) who Chaos Theory). A decision that statistics are revealed that show how graphical imperfections. The speech encounter – with a twist. The is a recalcitrant spirit with electric the player makes in episode one people made their choices – one vaguely follows the movement protagonist, Max Caulfield, one day blue hair. The tag team combination might not have visible effects until of the game’s many quirks. Who of the characters’ mouths at best, acquires the ability to manipulate of a timid character and a rebellious episode four, leading to moments wouldn’t be curious to see what nevertheless one still cannot help time and alter the fabric of reality. one is not uncommon in teenage of dramatic realisation. The choices percentage of people made the same but be impressed by the intricate Max and her childhood friend coming of age stories, because that the player can make are vast; choices as you? artwork. Another feature of Life Is Chloe Price embark on exciting it works. Life Is Strange is no ranging from choosing between Every game features ‘filler’Strange that deserves praise is the adventures, taking advantage of exception to this. There is also an having a bacon omelette or Belgian moments that contribute little to soundtrack; the indie instrumental (and even sometimes abusing) intriguing ensemble of secondary waffle for breakfast to whether the overarching storyline, instead tunes, featuring musical talents such Max’s new found power. However, characters, from filthy rich brats or not they steal money from the existing solely to prolong it. In as Foals and Syd Matters, keep the the story quickly evolves from a to the wholesome and innocent. It handicapped fund. There are several the case of Life Is Strange, there player thoroughly engrossed in the are several mini-games which are gameplay. generally entertaining yet sometimes Life Is Strange is a triumph in mildly annoying. Among these, terms of storyline. There is much to in the third episode there is a part be desired in terms of smoothness of that warrants furiously mashing the gameplay, but this is a minor defect. keyboard in an attempt to solve a The ending is poignant and thought seemingly randomly and extremely provoking. Although the storyline frustrating puzzle. After finally takes place over only five days, the characters feel eerily familiar by the end. Life Is Life Is Strange is a must play for those who are interested in point and click adventure games. Strange is Its episodic nature is perfect for allowing yourself an acceptable amount of procrastination one triumph evening, but proceed with caution – it is entirely possible that you could end up bingeing the entire five in terms of episodes in one sitting.
Life Is Strange is available now storyline on all major platforms #nofilter. Photo Credit: Dotnod Entertainment felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22nd JANUARY 2016 PAGE 11
MUSIC [email protected] Terrible Love, not so terrible EP Rob Garside verse guitar lines, it shows off the understandable, but I feel this takes Writer skills that made Grappler and away from what should be the most Bastions such necessary listening. dramatic and emotional parts of the Unfortunately, the guitar tone songs, leaving them insincere. The errible Love is a new the lead guitarist uses during the stodgy ‘They Need You’ really suffers band featuring UK from this poor choice with the peak Hardcore stalwarts from of this song sounding really corny, well-regarded and sorely ‘Change whilst ‘The Stone in Me’ has some missed bands such as Bastions, really twangy sounding arpeggios GrapplerT, Goodtime Boys and Nothing’ that almost sound comical. Crocus. On paper this EP should The EP is good and shows be a solid slice of melodic Hardcore promise for the future of the band with some post rock leanings and showcases especially in their more driving cathartic lyrics and vocals. triumphant style songs and when The best tracks of this EP are muscular they stay away from questionable when Terrible Love insert real drive tone choices. Whilst I feel this into their songs. ‘Mt Misery’ is a musicianship release fails to eclipse the member’s highlight with its driving guitar previous works, with the spite and and drum lines. The cathartic despondency of Bastions and the opener ‘Change Nothing’ showcases bridges on the EP is difficult to live ferocity of Grappler missing in this muscular musicianship that would with. A guitar tone could have could release, it’ll be interesting to see easily translate to a live domain. have really separated Terrible Love where this band goes next. With its powerful gang vocals from their hardcore contemporaries Change Nothing by Terrible Love is chorus’, tense bridge and jangly so a move to a lighter tone seems out now on Bandcamp Wolves are hardcore. Photo Credit: Terrible Love
The month (so far) in tweets
Think you can produce better content than this? Email us music.felix@ imperial.ac.uk nd nd PAGE 12 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 PAGE 13
TV [email protected] TV [email protected]
Retro Retrospective:that Madrealising its significance Men will Kiernan Shipka (playing Draper’s circleThe of friends, families and allies.Fastest Man Alive make you smirk. The title coupled young daughter), are some of the Saad Ahmed All the possible relationships are with events towards the end serve best I’ve seen. Television Editor exploited to great effect. The two to turn the whole episode into one I’d be remiss in forgetting main highlights are Jesse L. Martin long hilarious, if cruel joke. Then, to highlight the downright as Barry’s adoptive father and Tom of course, there’s that wonderfully poetic synergy of direction/ retty much any new TV Cavanagh as his mentor. Martin surreal dance number in ‘Waterloo’ cinematography and writing. series has a period of brings a nice touch of warmth to (S7E7). Whether it’s the powerfully adjustment where the his role, both as an anxious father The writing has a beautiful way metaphorical sequence at the end actors settle into their and a man perplexed by all the crazy of endearing to you those who of ‘Shoot’ (S1E9), or the incredible roles and the writers capture the things around him. Cavanagh’s only a second ago you hated. The continuous shot of Don Draper Pshow’s voice. Superhero shows Harrison Wells is the show’s most walking set to ‘You only live twice’ are of course, no exception to this captivating character, appearing to The settings (ironically signifying his fall back rule, as Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. care for Barry while also being more into his old habits) in ‘The Phantom’ can testify. What makes the Flash than what meets the eye, eventually used are often (S5E13), every so often the show unique is that it was able to hit becoming season one’s main throws these moments at you that the ground running straight off antagonist. There isn’t enough time just as important just scream ‘iconic’. The settings and just continually got better over to go through all the characters but used are often just as important the course of the next few months. as the acting, as the acting, with them reflecting Strictly speaking, it didn’t have to Ultimately, TV the characters or being symbolic of start from scratch; being a spinoff of with them this. An example of this is the use Arrow, some of the characters and is inherently a of bright and over saturated colours ideas were already established prior The Men (and Women) who Sold the World. Photo Credit: AMC reflecting the for California, in contrast with to its pilot. better medium Grant Gustin delivers an incredible performace as Barry Allen AKA The Flash. Photo Credit: The CW the relatively industrial and faded A star feature of the show is Anurag Deshpande warning us of the pitfalls of avarice in the 21st century. characters or colours of New York; used in order Grant Gustin’s performance as for superheroes than film. Weekly episodes can hearted and ostentatious features of Zoom, the main antagonists of Writer and overindulgence. It destroys that Don’t get the impression that to signify the happiness and peace Barry Allen, a forensic scientist and do serialised storytelling in a way comic books. The show is easily able seasons one and two are done well old adage ‘things were better in my the show is all serious, however. being symbolic Draper feels in the West rather than the series’ titular hero. Gustin gives than film a couple of films each year just to juggle between time-travel and as complex and terrifying main day’ (in this case the 60s), showing There are plenty of funny moments at home. Interestingly, the colours us a Barry Allen who is immensely can’t. Of course a major advantage telepathic gorillas while making villains. Mark Hamill also shows up ast year marked the end us the past in all its grimy glory. spread throughout, and showrunner of this and materials also have a distinctly likeable and impossible not to relate of films is having more time and everything work in a universe as the Trickster, a role he had from of lots of things; Jon Such things are always deftly and Matthew Weiner goes to great flimsy and artificial feel to them, with. A stark contrast from Stephen rest assured, everyone has their own money to bring the powers and where powers are new and most the 1990’s short-lived Flash series. Stewart’s run on the Daily respectfully handled. lengths to ensure viewers are never dialogue again is a testament to the reflecting the constructed and easily Amell’s intense and broody Oliver quirks, traits and their time to shine. spectacles to life. For a TV drama people don’t know how to react to His debut episode also proved that Show, Bill Cosby’s career, One of the central narratives bored or overwhelmed by drama. skill of the writers. It ranges from breakable nature of this illusion. Queen, Gustin brings an enjoyable Looking at all the underlying however, the effects of the Flash are them. The show gets bolder with the show is capable of going into Meek Mill’s career, 2014, and many follows Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth There is an understanding that, as in charming, to witty, to pithy, often Frankly, I can keep gushing about combination of youthful energy, conflicts and how they develop damn impressive. His super-speed this as it goes along, with season full-on camp territory without Lbeloved TV shows. Of these, one Moss), as she attempts to make it real life, both are required to keep all at once. Consistently believable, it, but the exquisite quality of Mad delicate poignancy as well as a touch overtime, it’s clear the Flash is is rendered well in creative ways as two introducing the concept of losing sight of its goal. was Mad Men, a series I discovered, through the male dominated and things believable. In fact, one of the what it never manages to be is dull Men is something that simply must of Peter Parker-esque awkwardness able to succeed because it adopts well as the abilities of the numerous A major standout episode is the binge watched, and fell in love with, shows greatest comedic triumphs or stilted. This is all to say nothing be experienced. It succeeds because to the table. the serialised nature of superhero villains. A particular highlight The show is also season one finale “Fast Enough”. all in the space of about two weeks. In its scale, it comes with the episode ‘Guy walks of the calibre of the cast. It’s obvious all of its elements come together It isn’t just the main hero who comics really well. With each is Gorilla Grodd, a completely It does away with the “final Centring on the enigmatic and into an advertising agency’ (S3E6), everyone is acting their heart out, wonderfully. If I can’t convince you, gives an amazing performance, episode having its fair share of twists computer-animated villain who never afraid to confrontation” trend, moving that to dapper Don Draper, played by a very much feels which in my book is perhaps one and this really helps cement these perhaps the show’s 16 Emmys and it is the entire supporting cast. and surprises as well as a climactic heavily featured in two episodes so the penultimate episode. It was an perfectly cast Jon Hamm, the show of the greatest and meta titles an characters and make the viewers five Golden Globes will. A lot of the show’s driving force, cliffhanger, it serves as a reminder far. embrace the intensely emotional finale, forcing follows the exploits of the men and like a ‘Great episode of anything has ever had. thoroughly invested in them. Mad Men is available on Netflix drama and emotional core comes that ultimately, TV is inherently The show is also never afraid to Barry to decide just how much he’s women of the Sterling-Cooper Without spoiling anything, I’ll say Even the child actors, particularly and Sky from Barry’s relationships with his a better medium for superheroes embrace the more colourful, light- more colourful, willing to sacrifice in order to save advertising agency; as they attempt American novel’; his mother. Every actor was on full to navigate through the rapidly light-hearted form and it felt like a great payoff changing world of 1960s New York. a modern day to a season’s worth of buildup. It The driving force of the series is and ostentatious also ended on a cliffhanger which, the strength of its characters. There ‘Great Gatsby’, while aggravating, left the window are no one-dimensional characters, features of opened for anything. This is nicely no real ‘villains’, and everyone gets warning us of fleshed out and explored in season moment to shine. At first Draper comic books two. seems to the platonic ideal of the the pitfalls of The Flash is set to get his own 60s Ad-man; suave, charming, the multiverse with dopplegangers solo movie in 2018, but featuring clever, a veritable James Bond-type. avarice and from a parallel earth. The humour a completely new cast, story and However, the first episode expertly plays a big part in keeping things even Barry Allen in the form of and efficiently deconstructs this, overindulgence grounded and not letting the drama Ezra Miller. While it’s an unusual revealing all his flaws and failings. get out of hand. With all the fun and interesting decision, the movie No, Don Draper is not necessarily a misogynistic advertising world. and flashy elements of comics, the version definitely has a lot to good man. However, he is trying his There are also the subtle touches, show provides a welcome change of prove with the show setting the damndest; which is what makes him such as the rampant alcoholism pace from the dark and grounded bar so high. With great acting and such a compelling lead. We root for (though admittedly I’d love to adaptations going around. never being afraid to embrace its him to succeed and overcome, even have that kind of bar in my office While the show follows a standard comic book roots, the Flash has an as we see him fall, right on the verge, one day) or firm partner Roger ‘villain-of-the-week’ format, it is impressively high quality level and because of his own shortcomings. Sterling’s ( John Slattery) hatred of one done rather well. While some of serves as a strong blueprint of how This is, of course, not all the the Japanese, due to his part in the villains come off as underdeveloped to do superheroes on TV. piece is. In its scale, it very much Second World War. These, while and one-dimensional, others feels like a ‘Great American novel’; barely commented on by characters have more nuanced and stronger The Flash is available on Amazon a modern day ‘Great Gatsby’, in the era, are blatantly obvious to us Drinking to Remember. Photo Credit: AMC Some of the multi-layered and varied characters of the series. Photo Credit: The CW appearances. Reverse-Flash and Prime friday 22 January BPM CHILL, HIP HOP, HOUSE, FUTURE BASS AND DNB
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Date Event Time Location Every Tuesday Super Quiz 20:00 - 22:00 FiveSixEight Every Tuesday Cocktail Night 18:00 - 23:00 Metric Every Wednesday CSP Wednesday 19:00 - 01:00 Metric & FiveSixEight Every Wednesday Sports Night 19:00 onwards Reynolds Every Friday PGI Friday cocktails 16:30 onwards h-bar Every Friday Reynolds Cocktail Club 17:30 - 00:00 Reynolds Friday 22 January BPM 20:00 - 02:00 Metric & FiveSixEight Friday 29 January Common People 20:00 - 02:00 Metric & FiveSixEight Friday 5 February iPOP 20:00 - 02:00 Metric & FiveSixEight imperialcollegeunion.org/whats-on Check out sciencechallenge.org to be in with a chance of winning £1000!
felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22nd JANUARY 2016 PAGE 19
ARTS [email protected] Is opera more than ‘fur coats and no knickers’? Ben Williams narrowly escapes death by stiletto to report on Royal Opera House’s La Traviata
La Traviata at the Royal Opera House, 2016 Photo by Tristram Kenton
ver watched ice-cream harder, changed more - for love of staple) it seems deeply ironic that balance vocal talent with dramatic being made in a factory? an ice-cream? the current, very carefully ‘authentic’, ability, and that decision is always A quick YouTube and a The current Or, to quote my wise old form of the ROH’s production going to be weighted pretty heavily bit of cornetto should give Grandma, is opera just “all fur coat absolutely demolishes the author’s towards the former. Granted too, you the full effect of my feelings as I carefully and no knickers.”? basic intent to challenge. All that the size of the auditorium also Estormed up the stairs (“Latecomers La Traviata, billed as “everything remains in the wreck is a fairly means that unless gestures are will NOT be admitted”) to the that opera should be about” ...”an standard tale of romance lost and a exaggerated, they’ll be missed by a opera La Traviata at the Royal ‘authentic’ intense workout of your love and history lesson. fair proportion of the audience. Opera House. fear muscles”, seemed the best However, messing up a stage Maybe I just have a little crush opportunity to settle the question. slap simply isn’t great, nor does an on good engineering, but there’s ROH The plot revolves around the The crisp imitation of a windmill do anything definitely a tingle to think that a struggles of a Parisian courtesan to convince me of a broken heart. bunch of monkeys with firesticks Violetta, (Venera Gimadieva, If I’d said this at the ROH, I’d have advanced to such a fantastic production debut) and her (forbidden) love vocal probably have been staked by some extent that whole herds of them can for a nobleman, Alfredo Germont hefty pearls and a stiletto. In no way spend their lives building machines (Samuel Sakker). do I deny the technical, vocal ability to endlessly produce the perfect absolutely Violetta’s slow decline and power of of the cast. The crisp vocal power of level of chocolate flakes in a Mr. eventual death from consumption Venera (Violetta) was outstanding Whippy. That tap of your tongue on (tuberculosis) forms the crux of in particular. a lump of frozen milk is someone’s demolishes the play, while Alfredo’s family do Venera was However, I can’t shake the feeling lifetime problem. Isn’t that crazy? everything possible to prevent the that for the audience last Saturday, On the other hand, after Verdi’s union of the happy couple. the real attraction of La Traviata, having lustfully gulped down That plot has undeniably faded. outstanding became not La Traviata, but a seat someone’s career, there’s something The 19th century social mores of in Covent Garden. disgustingly pointless about it all. intent to marriage and chastity that Verdi The emotion in this performance To my mind, I think I’d rather Something pretty disturbing – in rebelled against are long broken. It is left in the force of the music, and close my eyes and listen to the a dark old world – that we’d waste took thirty years for Verdi’s opera to not the words. This is just as well, music. such a glut of care on icecream. challenge be performed in it’s original form. because the acting itself is fairly La Traviata at the ROH. Who ever built higher, fought So, (as much as Traviata is a robotic. There’s obviously a need to Until 19th March. Tickets from £97 nd nd PAGE 20 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 PAGE 21
ARTS [email protected] ARTS [email protected] the human condition as unifying. Seung Ah Paik’s floor to ceiling Let’s drawings in gallery 8 are depictions of her own flesh down to the most Saatchi Gallery raises a toast to female artists unflattering details. Exposing the hope this imperfections of her own flesh Champagne Life makes history by being the only exhibition in the gallery to feature just women on a large scale is an unapologetic statement of honesty – of not only promise of accepting but celebrating flaws as Elizaveta Tchebaniouk reflections of one’s individuality and Writer identity. a brighter Her work aims to show a self- accepting take on beauty that hampagne Life is not your contrasts the current societal future for average contemporary art obsession with illusory perfection. exhibition, but the first The soft muted tones and technique female of its kind in Saatchi Paik used seem to further contrast Gallery’s history. Not only is it the digital and sharply focused Cstaged to mark the Gallery’s 30th images of perfect bodies in the artists isn’t anniversary, but it is also Saatchi’s media that women are constantly first major all-female exhibition. bombarded with. Personally, I found The brochure claims the title itself Paik’s works to evoke a feeling of false makes an ironical statement about tenderness in response to the way in the illusory glamour of an artist’s which she depicts the female body Stack” clearly conveys this concept. life. Hopefully that is the true reason that is empowering and inspiring. The feeling of an ancient tradition behind the title, and not the fact While Paik’s works focus on the evoked by the earth-toned mosaic that the exhibition’s main sponsor is physical aspect of female identity, – an ancient and traditional art – the champagne Pommery … Mequitta Ahuja’s paintings in contrasts strikingly to the body that It is difficult to think of any Gallery 7 convey her take on the is depicted in the same traditional appropriate title for the exhibition intangible aspects of identity. Being style but is coloured bright blue. as the artistic purposes and ethereal, these facets of identity can The mosaic can be interpreted as a materials vary extensively. Though thus be presumed to be unfixed, metaphor for using bits and pieces the variation between the artists and Ahuja’s works aims to convey of tradition, culture, and the past is greater than any commonalities, a similar concept – that identity to reimagine these boundaries and I felt that each artist succeeds is not static, but ours to fabricate. to create out of them a unique in effectively and impressively Her paintings show figuresidentity. Moreover, the blue skin is conveying her own individual (often self-portraits) woven into a symbol clearly demonstrating the message. This is definitely an A“Kanye and Kim”, Julia Wachtel. Photo Credit: Sarah Barlondo a mythological or ancient setting. ability to create a personal identity exhibition which will leave you with Moje Sabz by Soheila Sokhanvari. Photo: Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images Personally, I felt the work “Stick despite seemingly unchangeable a lasting and transformative impact of images that seem juxtaposed, processes of contemporary image well after your visit. but in fact may appear together in culture distance the image from the material a touch of human warmth, seeming to melt conveys Ittah’s The exhibition consists of the a Google search. The images are subject, or uncover a new profound almost a sort of secret intimacy. purpose in this work - to study the works of 14 emerging international reproduced extensively in various meaning in it. Contrastingly,Sigrid Similarly, Alice Anderson’s ‘181 “frailty and transience of human women artists, providing 14 unique ways and spliced together, leaving Holmwood’s paintings illuminate kilometers’ bears testament to the flesh”. The fact that the bodies almost reflections on the meaning of being us to contemplate whether these a forgotten Swedish traditional meditative and intensely physical hang in suspension further invites a female artist today. Each artist’s life. The Impressionist style of the process undertaken by the artist to purpose is honest, and this purpose artworks and the nineteenth century create the work. conveyed through their works in Julia Dault’s subjects contrasts against the The works in gallery 4 bear Bulajic’s a most creative, unexpected, and psychedelic neon colours in which an existential essence. On the original way. they are done. The fluorescence walls are Jelena Bulajic’s works transfixing Some of the works make sculptures seems to put a vivid spotlight on - each a portrait of a person she’s statements about the current the vanished traditions, or perhaps encountered who’s caught her digital age and media culture. For revives them with a new, refreshed attention in some way. portraits example, in the first gallery, we bear life. Three of the portraits are so instantly recognize the subjects of Unconventionally, some works large they almost fill a whole wall, “Champagne Life” – repetitions of in the exhibition make statements and the effect created by an aged evoke a inverted Kim and Kanye painted marks and about themselves. They act as face in extremely accurate detail over with a green or yellow. The mediums to expose the act of is absolutely transfixing. Not fact that this unifying recognition creation – a contemplation and only are humans psychologically sense of phenomenon is experienced by scratches an exposure of the methods predisposed to be drawn to faces, all the viewers of the work, the undertaken by the artist to create the process of aging is inevitable ability of Julia Wachtel’s work to that expose the work. In gallery 6, Julia Dault’s for all. Tapping into these two facts, haunting demonstrate and expose this almost sculptures bear marks and scratches Bulajic’s portraits evoke a feeling of subconscious new ‘instinct’ created that resulted from the artist bending empathy and of a haunting unity, unity by celebrity pop culture and the the act of and assembling the work, and thus and the monumental size and detail Internet is truly incredible. unmask the presence of the artist in of the portraits make them even Maria Angeletti’s works in the work. The imprints left on the further powerfully mesmerizing. us to reflect upon this transience gallery 6 also focus on the digital the work’s Plexiglass hint at an unbreakable In the middle of gallery is the between being and nothingness. The and Internet age, but specifically bond between the creator and her sculpture “Echoué au seuil de la figures seem to reach for each other, on its influence on artistic practice. creation, and these imprints also raison” by Virgile Ittah. The flesh of and this perhaps adds the subtle Each trio of her works is composed creation seem to give the cold industrial “Jermenac”, Jelena Bulajic. Photo Credit: Sarah Barlondo two bodies made of wax and metaphor of this inevitable part of “Two Cows, 2013”, Stephanie Quayla. Photo: courtesy of the Saatchi Gallery, London. nd nd PAGE 22 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 PAGE 23
ARTS [email protected] ARTS [email protected] conventions. to supporting female artists. Though The sculptures in gallery 8, such this is just one small step (and just as a striking minotaur, explore how one single exhibition) in the greater man and animal reflect each other, scheme of things, it is at least a step Privilege paves way to success for aspiring actors and seem to subtly mirror the soft in the right direction. red clay tones which can also be Moreover, this exhibition brings Max Falkenberg imagine the same influenced many found in Paik’s drawings in the same much needed attention to the Arts Editor of today’s actors. Talented or not, gallery. The material Stephanie reality of the issue. Shockingly, actors from the top private schools some still believe that the glass are backed by an unrivalled support ceiling for women is a myth, despite Unsurprisingly, it appears and training network that simply its global statistics. Only one woman privilege is a key to success on isn’t available to the less privileged. has ever headlined Coachella, solo the silver screen. In an interview Yet that still doesn’t justify the showcase exhibitions by female artists have with the Radio Times, the actor huge gap at the top. Life as an actor only made up 25% of the Tate and Lannister poster boy Charles Modern’s roster since 2007, and so Dance came out saying that Actors from of unique on ad infinitum. state educated actors have fewer I truly hope that Champagne opportunities than those from the the top private perspectives Life’s aura of liberation and of a brighter future for female artists 44% of isn’t a false promise. schools are makes this “Bound”, Alice Anderson. Photo: Nils Jorgensen/Rex/Shutterstock Overall the unique perspectives people in TV, and original creativity of each backed by Quayle used to create her pieces – consequential impact of human works hint at a duality of life and showcased artist, taken together film or music exhibition organic red clay sourced by man for actions. These works act to unmask are evasively ominous in both their with this mission, makes an unrivalled centuries to create - enhances the these consequences – we are forced contents and their atmosphere , Champagne Life an empowering definitely not exploration of the antiquity of the to come face to face with the realities created by blurry shadows and dark and inspirational exhibition. are privately support relationship between man and beast. of human actions, which many colours. Definitely not one to miss. Several works – notably those of are not aware of or avoid thinking I found Champagne Life to be the educated one to be Mia Feuer, Soheila Sokhanvari, about. Also notable are the works perfect exhibition chosen to mark Champagne Life is at the Saatchi and training and Maha Malluh in Gallery 3 – of Suzanne McClelland conveying the grand occasion of Saatchi’s Gallery until 19th March. private sector. What a revelation! missed illuminate political issues or bring data sets which can pertain to anniversary, as it demonstrates Tickets from £97 So many of the big names have the network our attention to the lasting and body builders and terrorists. These Saatchi’s mission and commitment badge of privilege. That’s not to say some aren’t great actors, but still, Eddie Redmayne at Eton. Photo Credit: London Media is competitive and for the 2% who 44% of people in TV, film or music make a living from it, there is whole are privately educated, I wonder – and on. Despite making up 7% of are a rarity. National Theatre, the Liverpool lot of hardship on the way there. If why the disparity? the general population, the privately But do not rush to judgement. For Everyman, Shakespeare’s Globe you can’t afford to stick to it and wait In his interview, Dance highlights educated are crammed in at the the few who make it, it is talent and and trained in direction at RADA. for your break, you’ll never make Sexism in the arts doesn’t make for a pretty picture Eddie Redmayne and Dominic higher echelons of theatre and film. training that get them there. For Whether you like it or not, that a career out of it. As long as the West as actors whose Eton In a sense it’s self-fulfilling. A many the training comes at drama influence and experience has a privileged can pay their way through Chronic under-representation of female artists across the world is robbing us of great artwork background give them an extra career as an actor remains one where school and part of this is having remarkable effect on a young actor. the years of unsustainable London charm and confidence to hit the the right contacts and the right exposure and guidance to life on the My experience at the National Youth life, the disparity will continue. stage - but there are many more. agent are invaluable. As a nobody, stage. I went to a private sixth form Theatre pales into insignificance More needs to be done to close the Indira Mallik should be recognized as merely the Henry Cavill, Carey Mulligan, audition after audition dominates and I can tell you that the drama when compared with the skill and gap and make a career in acting Arts Editor first step in achieving real change. Tom Hiddleston, Helena Bonham your day to day with rare success, experience is staggering. A former budget offered by the top private possible to the underprivileged, but The end of the exhibition should Carter, Ben Cumberbatch, Hugh but past a certain level the top jobs director in residence at Eton, our schools. No training before or after in the current anti-arts climate, that not mean a return to the status quo Laurie, Emily Blunt… I could go on are just handed out – newcomers head of drama had worked for the that has taught me as much and I won’t be happening soon. f you’re thinking that a whole for the Saatchi and the rest of the exhibition devoted to women art world. is a an unreasonable amount Until fair representation is of positieve discrimination, achieved in the top galleries year consider how many shows in the round, it will be us, the public, ISaatchi Gallery have featured We’ve heard you were a victim. just men. There are no prizes for guessing it’s more than one in 30 Blockbuster Stop crouching in shadows, chewing your hair. years. Sexism is endemic in the art shows should You can be graceful, not like a ballerina, world; of the top art institutions like a hedge of coral, in Westminster and the City of London, out of 386 public works of go further art; only 8% are created by women. “Do women have to be naked to get into the Met. Museum”, Guerrilla Girls. Photo: Guerrilla Girls Built up and eaten and worn down Only 31% of artists represented by to promote yet alive, carving the rhythms of the seas. London galleries are women despite New York were women, but 76% to share. Champagne Life has created 72% of students studying Art in of the nudes are female. In fact, Chronic under-representation something of a trap for itself by equality in the London being female. the proportion of artists seems feeds into the arts market; in 2014 being a one-off exhibition. It risks You can be a threshing sledge, The Guerrilla Girls, ratherto have actually declined from Artnet.com counted just five women becoming a gimmick that will new and sharp with many teeth. damningly, in their series Do Women the 5% representing every female in the top 100 living artists based on be over by Spring, a token salute arts STILL Have to be Naked to Get artist in 1984. Nothing else quite sales from 2011 to 2014. Passion, to these women who have been Jeannine Hall Gailey, “Okay, Ophelia” Into the Met. Museum? found that so eloquently points out even now; not money matters to most artists, bundled together for no other in 2011, less than 4% of the artists women are seen first as objects, but the gender pay gap means that good reason than they share an that will be missing out on all the featured in the Art section of the figures to pose rather than human women are less likely to afford to XX karyotype. These blockbuster fantastic art we could’ve enjoyed had Metropolitan Museum of Art in beings with things to say and ideas continue being full time artists. one-offs should be celebrated, but the art world got its act together. nd nd PAGE 24 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 PAGE 25
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FILM FILM Room intentionally refusing to. At only eight years old, Tremblay gives a performance anyone would be proud to call their greatest work. Endurance is everything in The Revenant Dir: Lenny Abrahamson Script: It’s a real shame that he was mostly If Iñárritu’s frontier survival epic doesn’t net Leo that Oscar, nothing will Emma Donoghue Starring: Brie ignored for award nominations; Larson, Jacob Tremblay, Joan Allen, it must be difficult for anyone to Sean Bridgers. 117 minutes. play someone whose entire world is The Revenant completely changed so convincingly, oom is a story of let alone a child. Watch out for this kidnapping, survival and, kid, he could likely grow up to be ultimately, hope. The two one of his generation’s finest actors. Dir: Alejandro G. Iñárritu Script: lead performances by Brie Larson succeeds in creating Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Mark Larson and Jacob Tremblay give the a character who is terrified and L. Smith Starring: Leonardo Rfilm heartbreaking depth, but this is broken underneath whilst trying DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall hindered by a wobbly narrative. to appear strong and happy for Gleeson, Will Poulter. 156 minutes. The film follows a mother known her son, going from motherly to only as Ma, played by Larson, and angry to desperate in the blink of Thomas Carroll her five-year-old son, Jack, played an eye – an emotionally exhausting Writer by Tremblay, as they live their life performance. as captives in a shed. At the start, Although Room has many great he Revenant is a brutal Ma has been held captive for seven aspects to it, it isn’t perfect: the film. Nominated for years, meaning Jack has lived his first half of the film is intense and twelve Oscars, it’s entire life in what they call ‘Room’. emotional, and at one point I could looking like this might To make it bearable, Ma has told even feel my heart thudding heavily; be the one that bags it for Leo, Jacob Trembley and Brie Larson give staggering performances in Lenny Abrahamson’s Room. Photo Credit: StudioCanal Jack that Room is the entire world, but all too quickly, the narrative of and goddamn, will he have earned that beyond it is only space, and the film turns into a semi-incoherent T Creed it. Anyone who has read anything Rocky movies – and asks for his in sports drama, bolster the film beyond that is ‘TV world’. What mess. While all the individual about director Alejandro González training. It may not sound massively with their authenticity – Michael follows is their attempt at escape – scenes in the second half are well Iñárritu’s new frontier survival epic original, but this is a sports drama – B. Jordan has worked with director but even if they manage it, can they made, they don’t always fit together will know that everything about what would you expect? Ryan Coogler previously on the handle living in the world beyond naturally. At one point, a character the film’s production was a feat of Dir: Ryan Coogler Script: Ryan Except it’s not just a sports drama. acclaimed Fruitvale Station, and Room? is introduced, and a plot develops superhuman effort and endurance. Coogler, Aaron Covington Starring: In the vein of the best of the Rocky it’s clear that the professional Considering the large amount of around them, but before anything From freezing temperatures to Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester films, Creed uses its visceral sporting relationship between them is a time spent in such a small room, can happen the character disappears miniscule daylight hours, the fact Stallone, Tessa Thompson 133 action as a thrilling backdrop to a strong one; while the films don’t not once did the film feel closed forever, without seeming to really that this film exists at all is testament minutes. human drama that is perhaps even overlap much thematically, the in. Director Lenny Abrahamson affect anyone. This, along with other to the will of the cast and crew to more engaging than its counterpart. palpable power that possessed somehow created the feeling of parts, means that the empathy I make something worthy of the story nce in a while, the While the poignancy of Adonis’ Jordan’s portrayal of Oscar Grant a wide expanse that beautifully felt for Ma, built up so well in the that inspired it. I’m happy to report pairing of an actor fight for success is somewhat blunted in Fruitvale Station courses through mirrors the incredible world that first half, began to slip away as the that this effort was not in vain. and a role appears so by the silver-spoon upbringing he the blood in Adonis Creed’s veins. Ma had created for Jack. But is this film progresses – definitely not the Set in the wilderness of perfect that it eclipses received, it is made up for by the While Jordan remains an arresting world really beneficial for him in intended effect. 1823 Montana and based on Leonardo DiCaprio, thinking about all the awards he’s going to win for his portrayal of Hugh Glass in The Revenant. Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox the possibility of that actor ever film’s powerful exploration of the and immediate central presence the long run? By telling him this Room is a difficult film to watch; the events surrounding Hugh Otruly being separated from their themes of family, passion – the real throughout, and a likeable new story, will it make it harder to come it’s a dark and tragic story, but the Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) – a From the off, you know what you’re film) which I’m sure will stand the shaped by whether you’re invested convincing performances in their character: Hugh Jackman will battle is not for a mere title, but for hero to carry the saga forward for to terms with the real world upon hope that remains throughout is legendary frontiersman and fur in for. The ambush occurs within test of time as an example of CGI enough to see him pull through own right. The cinematography always be Wolverine despite his Adonis’ very identity. a new generation, it is in fact the their escape? The film delves into enough to make it watchable until trapper – The Revenant is a study the first fifteen minutes and by done right. One particular moment another punishing situation. of Emmanuel Lubezki is another continually-expanding performance The performances, as is common old guard Stallone who steals the questions like this one, sometimes the end. in grim determination. It begins then about twenty people have died that highlights the director’s DiCaprio isn’t the only hook draw, with beautifully constructed résumé, and Robert Downey Jr. show – that legendarily winning answering them, other times ALEX HEIB with Glass’s fur trapping party onscreen, many of them extremely commitment to convincing us of in this film though, with Tom shots and long ‘how-did-they-do- quite simply is Tony Stark. One of combination of actor and role rings being ambushed by native Arikara graphically: arrows through throats; his film’s reality is when the bear’s Hardy and Will Poulter putting in that’ single take sequences showing the earliest and best examples of Creed may true once again. As an audience we warriors, which leaves most of the shots through chests; axes through heaving breath fogs up the lens of off serious filmmaking prowess. such a pairing is Sylvester Stallone fully believe that although age is men dead. The survivors, including skulls. No, this film doesn’t spare you the camera, making you feel like The entire film is aided in its and his humble-beginnings boxing catching up with Rocky – a moving cantankerous half-scalped trapper the gory reality of frontier living at DiCaprio is really being savaged by The authenticity and onscreen intensity champ Rocky Balboa, a character so well be scene in which he visits the graves Thomas Fitzgerald (Tom Hardy), all. However, while the vast amount a true tank of an animal. by the fact that it was simply so iconic and well-loved that it’s quite of some old friends is a highlight decide to head overland to the of violence will be in itself a turnoff As you will probably have noticed, bloody hard to make. Treacherous hard to remember exactly when you – he is still undeniably Rocky: nearest settlement. Shortly for some, it is beautifully done. The suffering is quite the theme running Revenant weather conditions and sub-zero first heard about the Rocky saga, the most quietly passionate, a little goofy, afterwards, Glass surprises a mother shocking immediacy of the deaths through this film from start to temperatures meant that actors were although you’re certain it was quite and ultimately heart-wrenchingly bear with her cubs, and is viciously is acutely felt, as opposed to grunts finish. While this is masterfully constantly fighting off hypothermia, some time ago. lovable. His performance is truly mauled. Severely injured, Glass is dropping like flies, Rambo-style, in done, viewers looking for a film doesn’t and Iñárritu’s insistence on using Stallone’s Rocky now returns to engaging, excellent; I’ll sleep well if Stallone left to either recover or die with a cartoony Wilhelm-scream-esque with more emotional heft may want only natural lighting for shots the silver screen for a seventh time carries home this year’s Best his half Native-American son death. to look elsewhere, as there’s not limited filming time to a few hours in Creed, although not quite taking Supporting Actor Oscar (as it’s Hawk, Fitzgerald, and naïve young The famous bear-attack is another really much emotion on show other spare you a day. Every scene was meticulously centre stage – the story instead worthwhile largely suspected he will). trapper Jim Bridger (Will Poulter). point of artful violence and somehow than vengeance, fear, and varying rehearsed, and the effort shows in is based on Adonis (Michael B. It’s not often that a truly Fitzgerald kills Hawk, and tricks tops the previous ballet of suffering. levels of pain and survival instinct. the final product. Jordan), the son of Rocky’s old worthwhile reboot comes along, but Bridger into abandoning Glass, In my opinion DiCaprio deserves What drives the film and keeps you the gory The Revenantis a visceral venture rival and friend Apollo Creed, who reboot to this may well be the most engaging leaving him alone and weaponless in an Oscar simply for the toe-curling, engaged for the whole (admittedly into a cold hell of life and death, and rejects the easy life anointed by his one in years. Creed makes up for its the wilderness with hostile natives butt-clenching screams of pain rather long) 156-minute runtime is – in the age of blockbuster sequels father’s financial success and instead lack of originality with a good story, pursuing. What follows is one of the and waves of facial contortion he seeing what Glass will survive next. reality of – one of the most original films to hungers to become a boxer himself. come along told well by a talented cast – with greatest survival tales of all time and produces during the scene. Serious Such adversities include sub-zero have come out in a long while. A In search of proper guidance, some brilliantly-done fight scenes a 200-mile odyssey to seek revenge credit must also go to whoever temperatures, starvation, gangrene, gamble that seems to have paid off, I Adonis tracks down Balboa in the to boot. on the man who killed his son and produced the bear (one of the only and frozen rivers, with your overall frontier life can only hope the film and its actors dusky backstreets of Philadelphia – in years left him for dead. concessions to CGI in the whole opinion of the movie mostly being get the recognition they deserve. the same setting of all the previous TOM STEPHENS Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in Creed. Photo Credit: Warner Bros. nd nd PAGE 26 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 PAGE 27
FILM [email protected] FILM [email protected] cinematography, script, costume, the online streaming programme. The top three and score should have near- While this perhaps only reflects guaranteed its inclusion in the There is a the openness of the documentary Best Picture category. Something branch of the Academy, it seems method actors Winners and losers in this year’s seems wrong, and my personal inevitable that online streaming hunch is that the Academy still growing services will go on to change the that aren’t has a deep problem with films future of cinema, just as they that aren’t catering to a straight revolutionised television culture. audience. Carol is a film about two divide Perhaps the final word should go Daniel Day- Oscar nominations lesbians that doesn’t veer off into to the most pleasantly surprising tragic territory, and offers a chance nomination: veteran British actor Lewis of a happy ending; it was adapted between the Charlotte Rampling, who has by a lesbian, from a book written been nominated for her chillingly ith anecdotes far by a lesbian, and directed by a gay powerful role in Andrew Haigh’s too extensive to man. It seems the Academy hasn’t Academy long-awaited, critically-acclaimed cover in any one moved on much from 2004, when drama 45 Years, which focuses article, Daniel the mediocre Crash won out over on a married couple who have to Day-Lewis treads the line between the far superior Brokeback Mountain and the endure a shock to their relationship. geniusW and madman. His dedication (a decision even Crash’s director Rampling’s performance is simply to method-acting led him to, has questioned). The decision this stunning in it, and – after the for example, remain exclusively year to include the straight-friendly public Academy’s long-running tradition wheelchair-bound and spoon-fed trans narrative of The Danish Girl of refusing to recognise art-house throughout filming ofMy Left over the wildly liberating Tangerine gloom with the nominations. One talent – I am relieved that she is Foot. However, with actors being just reinforces this idea that the of the most surprising outcomes in recognised for her work. She has the weird bunch they are, there are Academy are hostile to LGBTQ this year’s awards was the growing already won awards for Best Actress plenty of other examples to look to: cinema. recognition outlets like Netflix are at the Berlin Film Festival, and the Another snub was Sarah Gavron’s getting for shaping the cinematic European Film Awards; after the Choi Min-Sik obvious Oscar-bait Suffragette. I market. While their original performance was snubbed by the One story that has come out of finished my review of it (back in production Beasts of No Nation BAFTAs, who nominated 45 Years Leonardo DiCaprio’s role in The October) with the line ‘it will win a failed to gain any nominations, two for only a single award, it’s good to Revenant involves his eating of raw lot of Oscars,’ and I now happily eat of the Best Documentary nominees, know that the world hasn’t gone liver despite being a vegetarian. Mad Max: Fury Road and The Revenent lead the pack, but snubs for Carol means that Todd Haynes is left out in the cold. Photo Credit: 20th Century FOX my words. What Happened, Ms. Simone? and complete mad. In a similar vein, the Buddhist Male, pale, and stale? The makeup of the Academy membership. However, it’s not all doom and Winter on Fire, were distributed on FRED FYLES actor Choi Min-sik ate several ast week saw the is George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury suggestion that no black artists are the membership cap, and recruiting live octopuses for his role in the announcement of the Road, which has ten nominations. good enough to be nominated that 400 younger members, as the last superb Oldboy, praying for each one nominations for the 88th While the Academy has never been is more upsetting. Idris Elba, whose couple of years have shown, things beforehand. In the film, each year of Academy Awards, quite known to shy away from populist terrifying turn as a commander are not improving. In a statement protagonist Dae-su’s confinement possibly the event of the cinematic cinema, their recommendations leading a group of child soldiers on Twitter last week, she said that Documentary corner: Nas: Time is Illmatic was marked by hot wire as a tally on calendar. In a perfunctory ceremony, tend towards the bland (The King’s in Beasts of No Nation earned him she was ‘heartbroken and frustrated Ben Collier him. This culminates to show how L Writer the skin. This marking, along with headed by Ang Lee and Guillermo Speech, anybody?) therefore, it is nominations for a BAFTA, Golden about the lack of inclusion’, and close Nas came to succumbing to the weight fluctuations that came del Toro, the names were rattled off refreshing to see them nominate Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild acknowledged that ‘change is not the life that many of his friends with confinement, was not faked. in quick succession, leaving plenty a film that has been undoubtedly Award, was snubbed by the academy. coming as fast as we would like’. She n 1994, Nasir “Nas” Jones did. A particularly poignant part of time for the following deluge of both wildly popular, and completely Similarly, Will Smith’s turn in has announced that she will launch released his debut studio of the film features Jabari looking Hilary Swank critical analysis of the list. So how off-the-wall. The fact that its sports drama Concussion, which saw an investigation into the Academy, album Illmatic. The record at a picture included in the album’s The 1999 film Boys Don’t Cry is the ceremony shaping up for this nominations include both Best a Golden Globe nomination, was with the likely outcome of changing quickly became a classic of art of a group of Nas’ peers and portrays the life of Brandon Teena, year? Picture and Best Director are ignored. the membership structure to better hip-hop music, and one of the most neighbours. Jabari explains how a transgender man murdered in Alejandro G. Iñárratu’s frontier perhaps signs that the Academy is The latest in the Rocky saga, represent the film-going public. Iinfluential albums of all time. Many each person featured is either in 1993. Hilary Swank was cast and, revenge-epic The Revenant leads beginning to embrace maximalist Creed, saw Sylvester Stallone earn And this change is long-overdue. people consider this album, myself jail, between sentences, or dead. The for over a month before shooting, the pack, with twelve nominations, cinema, as demonstrated by Miller’s a nomination for Best Supporting A study in the L.A. Times from included, to be one of the best, hip- true bleakness of the future faced lived her life as a man. Introducing including Best Picture, Best bonkers blockbuster. Ridley Scott’s Actor, but no nomination for its last year found that the Academy hop or otherwise, ever produced. by many black youths at the time herself as her brother to friends Director, Best Actor, and Best The Martian, essentially a vessel black director Ryan Coogler, nor membership is 77% male, and 92% NME magazine at the time strikes hard here, and is emphasised and neighbours Swank covered her Supporting Actor. If the Golden for Matt Damon’s acting chops, its black lead Michael B. Jordan. Caucasian, with black members described it as ‘rhythmic perfection,’ by Princeton professor Dr. Cornel breasts, stuffed her underwear, cut Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards garnered seven nominations, and Similarly, Straight Outta Compton, making up only 2% of the Academy. and in retrospect many discuss it West, who elaborates on the life her hair short and spoke in a low are anything to go by, this year recent success at other ceremonies the N.W.A. biopic that became the Furthermore, the average age of alongside 36 chambers, Ready to Die, of the average working class black tone in her dedication to the act. will see the Best Actor award go means it could be one to watch on highest grossing film with a black members is 62, with people younger The Chronic, and My Beautiful Dark family in the US at that time. to Leonardo DiCaprio, whose the night. director, only received a nomination than 50 making up only 14% of the Twisted Fantasy. Nas: Time is Illmatic The final sections of the film closely Christian Bale nomination for The Revenant is his However, a large number for its four screenwriters, all of membership. With such a growing provides a context for the album, follows the rise of Nas as a teenager Christian Bale is well-known for fifth for acting. However, a large of cinema-goers were left whom are white. divide between the Academy expanding on the topics covered making music and the development his extreme weight fluctuations. The number of nominations does not disappointed, after this ceremony With many seeing this as an membership and the movie- in its lyrics (from drug culture to of his famed lyricism. One criticism most famous example was in the necessarily transform into actual acted as a sequel to last year’s indication of racial bias on the going public, a rearrangement of poverty) and narrating the early here is that the very short running mid-2000s, when he nearly halved success; one only needs to look back #OscarsSoWhite debacle, where part of the Academy, high profile membership is much-needed. life of Nas. One may expect this time doesn’t allow for exploration to his weight by eating one apple and to two years ago, when David O. Ava DuVernay’s Selma was by-and- names like Spike Lee and Jada But the problems with diversity documentary to exclusively feature quite the level I would have liked in tin of tuna a day to play skeletal Russell’s American Hustle, which led large shut out of nominations. Like Pinkett Smith both announcing don’t just stop there: Todd Hayne’s boasting and the kind of raving I Nas poses with his friends and neighbours for Illmatic’s album artwork. Photo Credit: Danny Clinch some cases. However, what the film Trevor Reznik in The Machinist the pack with ten nominations, went last year, all twenty nominees for their intention to boycott the ravishing masterpiece Carol, which have just shamelessly demonstrated, does do right is portray the genre of before gaining back 109lbs of home empty-handed. One thing we acting awards are white, prompting ceremony. It comes as a bit of garnered rave reviews across the leading to a bland puff piece, but a Jazz singer and postal worker, and the death of his best friend interesting to occasionally look hip-hop as one that is essential to muscle for the first of the Dark can near-guarantee, however, is that many commentators to question the an embarrassment to Academy board, was noted by its lack of this is far from the truth. In reality experiencing the uglier sides of life Willie Graham, who was shot beyond the bravado of Jabari in communities such as Queensbridge, Knight Trilogy. In the past few days someone will flub Iñárratu’s name process behind the awards, calling president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, the inclusion in the Best Picture and we are treated to an intimate look all in a film lovingly, professionally, following a fight. This second particular and see a man who is and provide a refreshingly mature Bale abandoned his role as Enzo – here’s hoping for a repeat of John for a greater diversity in the makeup first African-American to be elected Best Director nominees. Many into Nas’ life and influences. We and subtly assembled. example was an incident that also deeply scarred, even repeatedly view of the artistry, social awareness, Ferrari for health concerns. Good to Travolta’s infamous ‘Adele Dazeem’ of the Academy. While many of the to the position, who has been vocal saw this as a direct snub; the fact see Nas grow up in the projects Two key moments in the film scarred Nas’ brother Jabari both begging his mother to move as the and poetic lyricism that rap music see he has limits, I suppose. incident. performances nominated this year in her criticism of the Academy’s that Carol was nominated for of Queensbridge as the son of include the leaving of Nas’ father physically and emotionally. It is location of the shooting haunted can achieve. BEN COLLIER Tailing just behind The Revenant have been worthy of awards, it is the lack of diversity. Despite removing Academy Awards for its acting, nd PAGE 28 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk
CLUBS & SOCS [email protected] Your society could win £500 If you can think of a charitable idea they’ll give you £1000 to make it happen Iskren Peev Writer It can be orporate Social anything, Responsibility (CSR) is a company’s sense of responsibility towards as long as it the community and environment in Cwhich it operates. costs £1000 To promote this idea, the Finance Society organises an annual CSR conference in which all Imperial to implement societies are invited to propose their own charitable ideas and the winner and brings gets £1000 to make it a reality. Who knew these two would be buddying up? This year we teamed up with RAG to bring you an even bigger and about better Charity Challenge 2016 and How do I take part? by the Imperial student body after a these have been representatives we’re throwing in an extra £500 for positive You need to form a team and be week of voting. from Morgan Stanley, Barclays, your society to spend as you please, backed by an Imperial society. Your This is an excellent opportunity for Ernst & Young, Citi, Deutsche with the main presentation event idea needs to be submitted in the societies to gain new membership as Bank and Goldman Sachs). The kicking off RAG week on the 8th of change in form of one to two A4 pages or a each team must represent a society best part is that we will be providing February! video lasting up to five minutes and each society can only put copious amounts of free pizza for the world video. forward one team but there is no everyone attending and it’s all for a What is a charitable The proposal will need to carefully limit on team size. good cause. address how the £1000 will be spent For more information on how to idea? raise more money and donate it to and include the names of everyone The Final submit your idea or vote please find It can be anything, as long as a charity of your choice or you can involved The top five teams will present our Facebook event ICFS & RAG: it costs £1000 to implement and invent a clever device to filter water The submission deadline is the their ideas at the final and the Charity Challenge 2016. We look brings about positive change in the to prevent disease in poor parts of 24th January. winner will be chosen by a panel forward to your submissions and world. You can organise an event to the world. The winners will then be picked of independent judges (in the past seeing you at the final!
PAID ADVERT Refreshers’ Fair 2016 Wednesday 27 January, The Great Hall 11:00 - 15:00 Loved the excitement of Freshers’ Fair? Experience it again at our Refreshers’ Fair! Meet some of our Clubs, Societies & Projects, external companies and pick up some freebies. See you there!
imperialcollegeunion.org felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22nd JANUARY 2016 PAGE 29
HANGMAN [email protected] NEWS WITHOUT THE NEWS
MEDIC SPORTS CLUB FINALLY MAKE IT “Not earning £35,000 after graduation? B-bye!” ACROSS THE CHANNEL TAURUS CANCER GEMINI VIRGO ARIES HOROSCOPES LEO
This week you go on a boozy This week, you do a naughty This week you misspell This week you realise instead This week you would like This week you’re a bottle top trip to [REDACTED] but on thing but then tweet about something after previously of relying on your student to remind everyone that in the centre of the garbage the coach there, everyone gets it! So people find out! That having mocked students for loan for financial support you Saudi Arabia is still an awful patch in the Pacific ocean. pissed and [CENSORED] was silly! Don’t do that again! their poor English skills. should prioritise a little bit of place that doesn’t care about Your life is carefree and yet in the [UNABLE TO #atleastnoban Maybe you should learn insurance fraud. You jump in human rights and that Great monotonous; you long for an NAME FOR LEGAL too (sic) practice what you front of one of those wankers Britain supported their entry existence outside the giant REASONS], resulting in preach. with Range Rovers; however, into the UN’s Human Rights vortex of trash. One day you your permanent ban from the they don’t slow down as Council. I wonder if oil escape, make friends with sea English Channel. Ah well, Wholefoods awaits and you money had anything to do creatures and fall in love. You there’s always next year. end up in a full body cast. with that… sell the film rights to Pixar. SCORPIO AQUARIUS SAGITTARIUS CAPRICORN PISCES LIBRA
This week you are excited This week you remember all This week after coming back This week as the horoscopes This week you are a genetics This week you hope that the about the massage you’re your friends from school who from home with a massive writer you would like to say professor. Why weren’t any lecture you’re currently in going to receive courtesy of were applying for medicine suitcase, you decide to take that you greatly admire the black people nominated whilst writing the horoscopes the NHS; however, your idea and who also voted for the the tube back home; however, police but then again you at the Oscars, you wonder. will finish soon. Please all of a beautiful lady masseuse Conservatives. Oh boo hoo! you are vaguely ethnic and are also as pale as the skies John Boyega in Star Wars? lecturers, if you think reading is quickly eradicated when It’s not safe it’s not fair! I as a result are ‘randomly’ of Ireland so you don’t really Everyone involved in off your slides is good Keith from Durham asks you haven’t got more money for stopped and searched eleven need to worry about them. Straight Outta Compton? It teaching, just fuck off. Ugh. to strip to the waist and pats my guaranteed job! Sob. [This times. Fuck the police. Never been stopped in an upsets you, deeply. You have your bottom. is not the official view of airport either. reformed. FELIX. None of this is. -Ed.] nd nd PAGE 30 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 PAGE 31
PUZZLES [email protected] PUZZLES [email protected] 20. Pen point (3) 22. Inhabitant of Kansas (6) FUCWIT Bridges 23. Lunar period (5) 25. Drag (4) Solo Efforts Connect all of the islands st 26. Worth (5) 1 Cherry Kwok 137 with horizontal and vertical nd 28. Important (11) 2 Nicholas Sim 136 bridges. 30. Exclamation of contempt (3) 3rd Greg Poyser 42 31. Wrath (3) 4th Ayojedi 33 32. Plentiful (5) Bridges cannot cross islands th 33. Leaning to one side (3-5) =5 Jan Xu 13 or other bridges. =5th Sach Patel 13 Down th 7 Harry Secrett 10 Up to two bridges can th 8 Joshua Wan 8 run alongside each other 1. Low in pitch (4) 9th Ho Chin 7.5 2. Crease in the skin (7) th connecting a pair of islands. 4. Sun directly above (4,4) =10 Grace Chin 3 th 5. Cylindrical material (6) =10 Jeremy Ong 3 The numbers indicate the 6. Burrowing creature (9) number of bridges leaving the 7. Genre (5) Groups 8. Secret agents (5) 1st Pufuletzi 70 islands. 13. Vista (8) 2nd CP Fanclub 51 15. Something deleted (8) 3rd Gap Yahhhh 44.5 18. Spacecraft (9) 4th Parmesan 9.5 21. Fashion shop (8) 24. End result (7) 25. Minor Prophet of the 6th Points Available 22 Across 12. Wastefully extravagant (11) century (6) Crossword 5 3. Breaks (8) 14. Listens (5) 26. Brilliant (5) Chess 4 9. Wrathful (5) 16. Stink (4) 27. Defamation (5) For both chess problems: Solutions White to move. Checkmate 4x4 Sudoku 4 10. To bleed from (3) 17. Flowers (5) 29. Digits (4) Nonogram 2 11. Narrow beam of light (3) 19. Every sixty minutes (6) in two. Bridges 1 Word Wheel Sudoku 2 Snowflake Slitherlink 2 Word Wheel 2
Email your solutions to [email protected] before midday Wednesday!
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Nominations now open! STUDENT Nominate someone today to celebrate and reward excellence and innovation amongst ACADEMIC CHOICE Imperial’s academic and professional staff. To make your nomination, visit AWARDS imperialcollegeunion.org/sacas nd PAGE 32 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 22 JANUARY 2016 felixonline.co.uk
SPORT [email protected] Superior rucking and tackles aplenty Strong performances but a loss early in the year for the women’s rugby team
Laura Tuckey Writer Unfortunately,
n the first match of the new the second year on Wednesday 20th January, the Imperial woman’s half also led rugby team set off to Reading in a hope of their first win this to some Iseason in the league. Spirits and morale were high as the team arrived nearly on time to injuries, the sports ground. After a quick warm up, the game was underway. After an early try by Reading, not notably the disheartened, the team pulled together and managed to score two Captain’s tries in the first half. The first by Charlotte, in a show cracked rib of pure strength and determination, pushed through the opposing line and the second was from Elizabeth However, the lack of recent training in an equally mighty battle to the Back before the bruising. Photo Credit: Ladies Rugby was starting to show as the team line. tired towards the end, and couldn’t Imperial got a very lucky break pushing them further into the lead. this an even harder task. The second also led to some injuries, notably quite get any points back. when, having broken free of All in all the first half showed half was a story of tackling, with the Captain’s cracked rib, meaning The final score was 65-10 opponents, a Reading player failed some very good rugby, with Imperial some amazing tackles being landed that Reading’s speedy number to Reading. But it was not a to put down the ball on the touch winning scrums and turning over in by everyone, especially Lizzie, Pip twelve managed to slip through the disheartening game, with many line and ran it into the dead zone! rucks. and Freya. The rucking ability of the defensive line, scoring more tries. of the girls playing a stormer of But this was only a slight let up and At the half time team talk, spirits Imperial team was far superior to The Imperial team thought they a match, and having the bruises unfortunately the speed of Reading were lifted and the team were eager Reading’s, with a large proportion had a lucky break when, due to to prove it, it was a very good was too much at times and they to pull back some points. However, of tackles ending up in a turnover. injury, Reading’s top try scorer benchmark to start the season on. broke through the Imperial team, the hard pitch (nearly frozen) made Unfortunately, the second half (of this match), was subbed off. Well done girls!
Home fixtures: Wednesday 27th January
HOCKEY RUGBY UNION BASKETBALL NETBALL FENCING
MEN’S 1st MEN’S 2nd MEN’S 1st WOMEN’S 5th WOMEN’S 2nd vs MEN’S 2nd (MEDICS) (MEDICS) vs LONDON MET (MEDICS) vs BRUNEL vs KING’S MEN’S 2nd vs UWL MEN’S 2rd vs PORTSMOUTH vs. HERTS WOMEN’S 6th TABLE TENNIS BADMINTON vs BRUNEL TABLE TENNIS FOOTBALL MEN’S 1st MEN’S 1st WOMEN’S 8th (MEDICS) vs LSE WOMEN’S 1st vs HERTS MEN’S 4th (MEDICS) vs ST GEORGE’S vs LSE vs KING’S MEN’S 2nd MEN’S 3rd (MEDICS) LACROSSE vs ESSEX MEN’S 2nd vs KINGSTON vs CARDIFF WOMEN’S 2nd vs KENT