ISSUE 1617 FRIDAY 13th NOVEMBER 2015
The Student Newspaper of Imperial College London
Tilda Swinton is love. What’s the government Tilda Swinton is life. doing with your metadata?
PAGE 20 FILM PAGE 7 COMMENT College fees likely to rise under new plans Government’s ‘green paper’ proposals would allow fees to rise with inflation
ast Friday, the government Grace Rahman released its ‘green paper’ Editor-in-Chief on higher education. Promising to put students “at the heart of higher the publicly funded institution is Leducation”, the 105 page document run. If data that can answer their proposes huge changes to fees and question has been recorded, the the way universities are created. institution has to respond. The The fees for home students opposition party have dismissed at the moment are capped at the policy as a way of preventing £9000 per year, after being hiked the public from seeing how the from £3375, in 2012. The green government spends public funds, paper recommends that the best whereas the green paper says institutions should have uncapped eliminating universities from FOI fees, allowing them to increase legislation will save them £10m with inflation. This would allow a year and put them on equal institutions like Imperial to bump footing with private companies in up their prices. the industry, who do not have to The paper also proposes making answer such requests. universities exempt from Freedom The paper also proposes a new of Information requests, that ‘Office for Students’, which... allow anyone to inquire as to how continued on page 2 Chancellor introduces spending review from Imperial fter tagging along on He also mentioned that four question”. George suffered no such come here today, to this science young minds to be taught, the President Xi’s visit government departments – interruptions at Imperial, especially campus, to talk about economics”. chancellor’s comments talking three weeks ago, George transport, food and rural affairs, since FELIX wasn’t invited. At a time when students across the about “world-beating science and Osborne was back at local government and the treasury – Imperial proudly lauded the visit country, including at Imperial, are innovation, turned into commercial Imperial on Monday, but this time will have their spending cut by 30% on its news website, quoting George complaining about their treatment application” somewhat clashed with slightlyA further out at our White by the end of this parliament. as saying he “deliberately chose to as sources of income rather than the setting. City branch, AKA Imperial West. Health and international aid The college also published a picture Speaking from the unfinished budgets will be protected. Spending of President Alice Gast showing the campus, which overlooks the A40, on the elderly and the NHS will Tory MP to the stage. An inherently the chancellor introduced the make up 44% of the national budget, political sight, the press release spending review. in plans the chief of NHS England went on to quote Osborne as saying Ahead of its publication on the has called “unworkable”. Imperial “represents the future of 26th of November, he dropped David Cameron was our economy here in the UK”. some major hints as to the review’s simultaneously speaking at the Considering the spending review contents. He spoke about about Confederation of British Industries has put huge emphasis on spending security, both financial and national, conferences, where he too reiterated for older generations, it seemed reminding the assembled gaggle of the party line, that the focus is on ironic to hold the press conference journalists that despite the internet putting “the security of British at a university. As the ex-Tory being “central to modern life”, families first”. He was heckled by minister of universities put it, the its existence and use by terrorists activists halfway through, and went review “raises questions about the justified the need for an increase in full teacher mode, pleading with future role of the state in boosting the number of spies the government them: “Come on – come on guys, if productivity and supporting young employs. you sit down now you can ask me a adults”. th PAGE 2 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk
Contents A word from the Editor Editor-in-Chief News 3 Grace Rahman ou couldn’t make it The paper’s already been damned Comment 5 News Editor up, this week. George by unions, academics and students Cecily Johnson Osborne, everybody’s across the country for treating Features 9 favourite tax-credit-for- students as consumers. Comment Editors the-disabled-cutting, pro-taxing- The biggest threat here is Tessa Davey and Vivien Hadlow Science 10 tampons chancellor of the exchequer attaching a commercial price Y Science Editors was back at Imperial. Hoorah! to quality of teaching. Only the Games 13 He was here to promote the latest wealthiest can afford the best Jane Courtnell and Lef spending review. After spouting education, or aren’t frightened off Apostolakis Music 14 some shpiel about the NHS and that by the doom of huge loans. Do Arts Editors we need to hire more spies because, we want the best universities to be Indira Malik, Jingjie Cheng and Film 18 like, the internet exists, George-O even more socially exclusive? The Max Falkenberg went on to say that Imperial “doesn’t government’s only just realised that Arts 22 just represent the future of science ethnic names on UCAS forms are Music Editor in the world, it represents the future subject to unconscious negative Cale Tilford Music 29 of the economy here in the UK”. bias during the selection process, First of all, congrats to us. We all and now they’re trying to make it Film Editor Clubs & Societies 27 attend the university that represents harder for the poorest to get the best Fred Fyles ‘future science in the world’, a education. an education the big old payday loan Puzzles 29 Welfare Editor soundbite so muddled it could be a We’ve got a pretty rage-y you’re getting. Noor Mulheron dodgy pitch on The Apprentice. comment piece about ghettoisation Please write in if you go to the Hangman 30 As much as it pains me to say, of halls this week, but it’s much business school and that metaphor Sports Editor Imperial could end up looking a the same story as this one. If you is so factually incorrect, it upset Josh O’Donnell Sports 32 little like the economy quite soon. charge for the good stuff, all the you. Write in if you liked it, because This week we’ve seen the release rich people will end up in one place, it’s mid-term, and everybody likes Puzzles Editors of a new green paper on higher and the poor in another. This is an compliments. Hamish Beck and Roxana Radu FELIX, Beit Quad, education, setting out what will established model for business, but If anything here riles you, makes Copy Editors Prince Consort Road, probably become law within this should publicly funded universities you angry, or better, makes you London SW7 2BB Mattin Mir-Tahmasebi, Henry parliament. If everything in the be adopting it too? want to put pen to paper or stylus Tel: 020 7594 8072 Lloyd Bates, Anthony Long, Printed by Iliffee Print Cambridge, paper does happen, which is pretty It all comes down to the question to tablet, let me know, and we’ll Alexandra Lim, Francesca Winship Road, Cambridge likely, we’d see the top universities, of whether students should probably flipping publish you. It’s Siracusa and James Bates Registered Newspaper doing STEM subjects (two ticks be treated as consumers: their like having a blog, except people ISSN 1040-0711 for us, then) being allowed to employability like the interest rate, besides your mates might read it. Or Cover Pictures Copyright © FELIX 2015 significantly bump up fees. UCAS points your credit score and that’s what I tell myself. by Imperial College London and Cale Tilford Government unveils university funding changes continued from front page that this legislation would allow NUS reports that ‘what employers “market forces [to] permeate” want’ is mentioned in the paper ...would replace the Higher the sector. They also dispute the 35 times, as opposed to ‘what • Universities would be allowed Education Funding Council relaxation of rules for private students want’, which is brought that distributes public funds sector companies becoming up 23 times. to raise fees with inflation to universities. This new body universities. Comparing the new The National Union of Students, would also be in charge of strategy to the model that “caused who are affiliated with student • Easier for institutions to get ranking institutions based on the financial crash”, they also unions across the country, but student satisfaction, teaching, report dismay at the green paper’s not Imperial’s, say the paper is university status and something the green paper emphasis on what employers unfortunate in that it only focuses puts particular emphasis on: want, rather than the opinions on “entry and exit to the system”. • Plans have been called “Trojan employability. of those working within higher The NUS closed a press release A ‘green paper’ is the education institutions. Indeed, the on the paper saying, “this is the horse for raising fees” government’s way of reviewing university hunger games and the legislation before it becomes law. ‘What ones losing out are students and Deputy President (Welfare), said, of universities should be fully At the moment, the Department academics.” “Even at this early stage I am recognised by the Government as for Business, Innovation and Skills, The paper touches on the future extremely concerned about the it develops these proposals, and that manages higher education, employers of student unions, saying they will impact the proposals will have on decisions on the future allocation is asking for feedback on the be subject to trade union reforms students, fees and the future of of funding to universities should paper. Professors from Warwick, want’ is that will “improve union practices higher education.” remain independent of Ministers Newcastle and UCL, amongst and increasy transparency”. The An Imperial college spokesperson and Government departments. others, have signed an open open letter in the Guardian said, “The College is considering We look forward to discussing the letter, published in the Guardian, mentioned expressed fear that these changes the Green Paper carefully and key issues with Imperial College condemning the proposals. The will risk unions’ “autonomy”. will respond to the consultation,” Union, and to sharing our draft group of professors are worried 35 times Jennie Watson, Imperial union’s adding that, “the independence response with them.” felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13th NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 3
NEWS [email protected] Race row at Yale sparks protest Rumbling racial tensions over Halloween costumes, censorship, and safe spaces have caused some students to take direct action at the Ivy League school
Grace Rahman Editor-in-Chief A Halloween frat party fter an email from a college administrator, telling them to “look allegedly away” if they were offended by racially insensitive refused black HalloweenA costumes, Yale students have been protesting this week. students Shortly before Halloween, an initial email was sent to the whole student body from Yale’s entry as the ‘intercultural affairs committee’ which included representatives from door policy the chaplaincy, athletics and various ethnic groups. After telling students that Yale “values free expression as was “white well as inclusivity,” it went on to remind students to be aware that girls only” their costumes could be interpreted Students protesting on Monday. Photo Credit: Twitter / @hannuhmontanuhh
as offensive to marginalised groups. While classic examples of students to toddlers playing dress- with branches at several American A thousand Four potentially problematic types distasteful and downright offensive up, mourning the lack of free universities, is being investigated of costume were named; ‘funny’, costumes, like feathered headdresses speech and questioning the validity over the matter. Yale students ‘historical’, ‘religious’ and ‘cultural’, and blackface, were named, the of some points in the initial email They have already been banned with each followed by questions email generally advised students asking for sensitivity when choosing from conducting any activities took part in potential party-goers should ask to consider whether their costume Halloween costumes. She also on campus or using their name themselves. Under the cultural could potentially cause offense quoted her husband on the matter, in association with Yale’s, after banner, the administrative staff before they wore it. saying, “Nicholas says, if you don’t last year violating the university’s a ‘March of asked, “If this costume is meant In response, the Associate like a costume someone is wearing, policy on sexual misconduct and to be historical, does it further College Master of residence, Erika look away, or tell them you are then attempting to hinder the Resilience’ misinformation or historical and Christakis, sent out an email offended.” investigation that followed. Last cultural inaccuracies?” comparing dodgy costume-wearing In response, 740 students signed year a video emerged of several an open letter to Christakis, calling members of the fraternity’s her email “offensive”, berating her Oklahoma branch singing a racist Exerpt from the email from Associate College Master, Erika Christakis comparisons between pre-schoolers song on a bus, implying that American universities were once a safe space not only for and students, and for comparing they would rather lynch African maturation but also for a certain regressive, or even transgressive, cultural sensitivity with censorship. Americans than allow them to join, experience; increasingly, it seems, they have become places of censure A thousand students took part in saw the chapter shut down and two and prohibition. And the censure and prohibition come from above, a ‘March of Resilience’ on Monday, students expelled. not from yourselves! Are we all okay with this transfer of power? with hundreds missing lectures to The University of Missouri’s Have we lost faith in young people’s capacity – in your capacity – show support. President and Chancellor stood to exercise self-censure, through social norming, and also in your In a heated exchange between Yale down earlier this week after capacity to ignore or reject things that trouble you? We tend to view students, her husband, quoted in the heightened racial tensions on this shift from individual to institutional agency as a tradeoff between email, was filmed by a passer-by. their campus. Several incidents, libertarian vs. liberal values (“liberal” in the American, not European After saying he didn’t think his including two students being caught sense of the word). wife’s email was making the college scattering cotton balls outside the Nicholas says, if you don’t like a costume someone is wearing, look an unwelcome space for minorities, university’s Black Culture Centre, away, or tell them you are offended. Talk to each other. Free speech one particularly upset student was and the US equivalent of a union and the ability to tolerate offence are the hallmarks of a free and open filmed screaming “why the fuck president describing common use society. did you accept the position?” at the of racial slurs on social media, lead But – again, speaking as a child development specialist – I think professor. to the university’s football team there might be something missing in our discourse about the exercise The last few weeks have been threatening to boycott their next of free speech (including how we dress ourselves) on campus, and it is marred by accusations of racism at match. this: What does this debate about Halloween costumes say about our Yale, after a Halloween frat party University-level football is big view of young adults, of their strength and judgment? allegedly refused several black business in the US, and with the In other words: Whose business is it to control the forms of Nicholas Christakis responds to students entry, on account of it college standing to lose one million costumes of young people? It’s not mine, I know that. students. Photo Credit: YouTube being a “white girls only” event. dollars over the missed match, both Sigma Alpha Epsilon, a fraternity big names stood down. th PAGE 4 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk
NEWS [email protected] New observatory keeps any eye on big data Philip Kurugny KPMG are sponsoring a big data suite that will visualise data for Writer businesses, scientists and students
ast week, the KPMG Data Business Analytics, argues that the Observatory was launched main function of the observatory is as part of Imperial’s Data to “take advantage of years and years Science Institute. Theof evolution,” and make use of the purpose of the observatory is to fact that “humans are really good at Lenable the analysis and visualisation recognising patterns visually”. of data, particularly useful for large For example, banks will be able corporations that collect massive to decide where to open new amounts of it. branches to enhance profits based This new observatory, which is part on a visualisation of data trends that of the £20m funding provided by the professional services company, will make it easier for businesses It’s powered to spot new patterns and emerging trends with greater clarity. The by 32 observatory consists of a massive 130 million pixel screen, powered by 32 computers and 313 degrees of computers surround sound. Bringing scientists and business and 313 people together, this piece of kit So user-friendly, even a child could use it. Photo Credit: Imperial College london is a big opportunity for college to further enhance its already strong degrees of would ultimately pin point where and take decisions that move “We are still very much in the ties with various corporations. It’s the best location for a new branch organisations forward”. silent movie-era of big data”, said also a coup for the business school. surround would be. Mr Kennedy further One of the goals of the project KPMG’s head of analytics, Alwin Imperial scientists will use the added that “the more we can turn is to provide a pilot for new data Magimay, who added, that “by observatory to visualise data about sound data into something visual, the observatories where staff andfinding better ways of visualising the solar system and climate change. more people can actually respond students can interact and work with and analysing their data, companies Mark Kennedy, Director of Imperial to what’s going on in the world, big data. will be able to unlock profitability”.
Labour HQ moving to High Street Kensington Corbyn’s team will be fighting inequality from Kensington and Chelsea
Jonathon Masters offices to political parties since to they shall remain in and around Writer the attack on the Conservative Westminster, including Sadiq Khan, Headquarters in 2010 during the Labour’s Candidate for the London student protests over the increase in mayoral contest and Labour deputy, n the most exciting tuition fees. Tom Watson. development in High The move is set to occur before An insider has reported to the Street Kensington since the Christmas, meaning the party’s Financial Times that the move to Odeon was shut down, this members will be forced to travel fancy High Street Kensington is week it was announced that the three miles in order to reach merely a “shell” building, and is only ILabour headquarters would be Whitehall and the Houses of temporary until offices are found uprooting from its current offices Parliament, instead of their current closer to Parliament. in Westminster and relocating to location in Brewer’s Green in within walking distance of Imperial Westminster, which is walking College London. distance away. As well as now being They’ll be This comes as a consequence, metres away from Corbyn’s most not of Jeremy Corbyn having a outspoken objectors, the Daily metres from hankering for wasabi flavoured Mail, the Labour headquarters will crisps from Whole Foods, but since be extremely near the residences Corbyn’s the Labour party failed to find an of several Conservative peers, the affordable HQ near Westminster Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, before Christmas. and of course, Metric. objectors, the The difficulty has arisen from This move will not affect Jeremy the reluctance of landlords to rent Corbyn’s core team, however, as Daily Mail Is he rushiing for the Circle line? No. Photo Credit: The Spectator felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13th NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 5
COMMENT [email protected] Feminism isn’t just for girls Back this week from fighting the patriarchy, Angry Grad asks why we aren’t all embracing equal rights
hile my usual pieces have a satirical take on pop culture, this week, I thought it was about time my graduate anger isW channelled towards an issue that actually has some weight. From the recent uproar regarding VAT on sanitary products, to men, mental health and suicide, you must have been living in a pineapple under the sea to be oblivious to the media frenzy surrounding gender equality The Angry Grad lately. Columnist I’ve had countless conversations with my friends about feminism, and I’ve been struck by some serious misunderstandings of what feminism is. And I want to clarify Emma Watson persuaded Malala to be a feminist, but Angry Grad persuaded Watson. Photo Credit: Fox Searchlight this: it wasn’t just my male friends who seemed misinformed. afraid of the connotations associated professors. I’ve heard these women and robbed of their right to be I’m fully aware that I’m not an with the title. talked about as “controlling, short- sensitive, in fear of being perceived expert on the issue, and I’m far Pretty much every type of tempered,” and when they’re a as less manly, or God forbid, a girl. from what one would call an ideal movement that exists has some tad blunt with their orders, “she In fact, suicide is the biggest killer advocate for gender equality. Yet, it’s barbaric fanatics, and feminism is no must be on the blob.” Their male of men between the ages of 20 and an issue that, I believe, needs more exception; man-haters are out there, counterparts however, well, they’re publicity, more support, and most and I acknowledge this. But these driven, changing the game, and a importantly, clarification on what it individuals are a far cry from what role model to look up to. Every stands for. feminism represents. The movement What the hell is this all about? First things first. I am a feminist, represents a fight for equality, and I, myself, am guilty in perceiving and I am proud to say so. This last time I checked, the notion of women like this, which is pretty movement however, does not mean I host equality wasn’t a radical one. disgusting. There’s no point in head-shaving parties in my garden, For the record, feminism is not motivating more young girls to get that exists complete with a burning bin in synonymous with man hating. It is into STEM subjects, if when they the centre, which myself and other not about fighting for a matriarchy. get there, their authority is belittled. feminists gallop around, flailing It is not a thinly veiled attack on I don’t know how we’re going to go has barbaric our bras like lassos, chanting men, in order to undermine and about changing this and I cannot man-hating Sanskrit mantras and suppress them in society. Rather, offer any ground-breaking solutions. fanatics engaging in voodoo on Ken dolls. it’s a movement with re-thinking But I guess recognition of our biases Since when has being a feminist gender roles at the forefront of its is a great way to start – next time aims, for both men and women. you deem a girl bossy, think whether 49, eclipsing cancer, road accidents Regarding women, the issues that you’d call a dude the same thing. and coronary heart disease. Yet, It wasn’t just demonstrate that we need feminism But why do we need to re-think literature shows that women suffer are endless. I obviously will not gender roles for men? Men seem to more from depression. But it’s touch on everything, but a couple have it easier compared to women, not un-womanly to seek help, and my male of issues really peeve me. As I’ve right? They generally hold greater it’s not un-womanly to cry. The mentioned, we’re taxed for having positions of power, earn more, and infatuation with being macho, the friends who something that closely resembles a aren’t thought to be suppressed in obsession with the stiff upper lip – murder scene in our pants once a society. Patriarchy is pretty neat for these things evidently contribute to month. Apparently cleaning up a you guys isn’t it? the fragility of the mental state. seemed bleeding vag is a luxury these days. From young boys shamed for Men are imprisoned by gender Combined this with the searing being weak and expressing emotion, stereotypes too, and what constitutes misinformed back and stomach cramps, my, aren’t to grown men, expected to be the male success is in desperate need we ruddy pampered! provider and emotional rock for of reform. Men would clearly reap Let’s not forget issues with their families, patriarchy imposes the benefits of gender equality as also meant that you’re a radical? our personalities too; my drive, ridiculous pressures on men of all well, and it’s now imperative that Some women would rather have motivation and determination are ages to conform to its ludicrous men are invited to and become daily bikini waxes than associate actually “bossy,” and “intimidating.” order. advocates of feminism – not just to themselves with feminism, not Hell, we can see this in action at I’ve seen young men – my friends empower women, but to break free because they are non-believers in Imperial itself, which houses a load – suffering from mental illnesses, of the irrational gender stereotypes gender equality, but rather they’re of successful female scientists and unable to express their emotions themselves. th th PAGE 6 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 7
COMMENT [email protected] COMMENT [email protected] The North South divide is part of being a Brit Your internet history is up for grabs Why can’t we stop making fun of each other’s accents and get along? You should be more worried about Theresa May’s new Investigatory Powers bill
here I come heard it all before, but essentially something like the Tribal Instinct For example, I know that I want my from, in rainy the bread and butter of the debate Hypothesis, where it’s stated that tea in a mug, not a pissing teapot ince Edward Snowden’s old Manchester, is that southerners are snobs, and as a tribal species we are capable and china. leaks in 2013, many have I’m considered northerners are rough. Southerners of extreme compassion towards However, although small cultural compared the British state relatively posh. Hop across the shoot pheasants, northerners shoot members of our own groups, and differences will probably always to The Party from George imaginaryW divide though, and I rats in the kitchen. Southerners hostility towards others. A bit like remain, the economic balance Orwell’s prophetic Nineteen Eighty- might as well have just come up drink Chai lattes (no fat, no foam, two separate ant colonies (also a does seem to be improving. With SFour. The Party seeks power; not from the mines with a pie in one no point), northerners drink tea. tribal species), North and South George Osborne’s plans for the to improve the lives of others, hand and a ferret in the other. Southerners actually see the sun, are rival tribes. Thankfully there’s Northern Powerhouse, the North but entirely for its own interests. Visits to see the family in Sussex northerners don’t. But why do we no physical rivalry (i.e. punch ups is proposed to have as large a role From the transceiving television are always a reminder of this, as so often feel the need to point out outside a chippy in Birmingham), in the economy as London and the sets used to monitor the citizens’ many a time my mild “Northern these differences? Can’t we all just it’s just a subtle, underlying South East. thoughtcrime (the act of socially accent” has been pointed out, badly get along? competitiveness. Not only will this impact the unacceptable thoughts), there are Jennifer Eden impersonated and then ripped to The simple answer is no, not And of course there’s the element North for the better, it will make many areas where Orwell’s fiction Writer shreds. A Northerner, that’s what for now. For guidance, look at of wanting to stick to what we know. Britain stronger as a whole country. Cale Tilford now overlaps with the reality of 21st I am. And people who live in the Once united and free of the Music Editor century Britain. South are Southerners. Two separate economic divide, we can start to With the introduction of the peoples, within the same country. embrace the quirks of where we Investigatory Powers Bill, Theresa Google the North-South divide came from with much less of the May aspires to become much more and it gives you a spiel about simmering resentment. than Big Brother, and as a result our cultural and economic differences. Despite this, Northerners and future has the potential to be far Economics helps to explain some of Southerners will always feel worse than Orwell’s dystopian novel the origins of the divide; the South the need to comment on one ever predicted. being where the money flowed another’s pronunciation, eating The extent to which we have and the North being left with the habits, drinking habits and general submitted ourselves to the internet equivalent of the Bountys in a box existence. It’s part of what being has left us exposed. If this bill
of celebrations. But there’s more to a Brit is all about. If we were all succeeds, security forces will be Indira Malik it than that. exactly the same life would be a given new powers to examine our Debates can go on for hours over little dull, and that’s something digital footprint from the last twelve against those who wish us harm. even find evidence to support this, forward to the moment when an whose way is better and why. You’ve There’s no need to argue over hot beverages. Photo Credit: bananascoop.com neither side wants to be. months. It will enshrine in law the Our government’s definition of a but that doesn’t mean I should be entire year’s worth of your browsing bulk collection of personal metadata, threat extends to anyone opposing allowed unbounded access to their history is dumped on the internet; the hacking into and bugging of British values: democracy, the rule personal data. While this argument because all of the data that internet computers, and will force companies of law, individual liberty, and mutual might be reductive, it illustrates that companies will be required keep on to assist in bypassing encryption. respect and tolerance of those with threats are often entirely subjective, you is unlikely to stay safe for long. Any curiosity or “extremist” different faiths and beliefs. It’s a especially to those trying to cling to You only have to look back a few intrigue could be used against definition so loose that you could power. weeks to the TalkTalk hack and it’s Imperial’s halls solution is a travesty us without our knowledge and As well as the far right, it’s often obvious that it probably won’t just The accomodation rent hikes are extortion, plain and simple a simple spelling mistake when the “extreme” left that are most be the government looking through entering a URL could now make Mention ISIS vulnerable to surveillance. all the porn sites you’ve been on. or the past five years, the union to start lobbying college Kensington hall. Why are students logic from the College. you look suspect. By only keeping In the nineties, police conducted Then there’s the whole problem when it comes to handling to change rents. Such high rents from disadvantaged backgrounds I find it surprising that a university your history up to the first forward spying operations on a number of encryption which makes the accommodation issues, will create ‘ghettos’ in halls, since being pushed out of central London that’s been performing so well slash of each website address, or al-Qaeda of Labour politicians. Theyentire thing essentially useless Imperial has been following only people from the same class and by the college and given an 80 academically is so badly managed security forces lose the context of examined their political beliefs, the against anyone actively hiding their the mantra that two wrongs make same background will be able to minute daily commute? Why does when it comes to student affairs. why someone is visiting a specific enough times demonstrations they attended, and activities. If you’re serious about Fa right and fixing problems by afford the rent. This endangers the living in a hall close to campus People will desire an Imperial site. It could be entirely innocent. the people they met with. causing harm or committing an creating new ones. Last year prices very essence and purpose of living need to be considered a “luxury” education no matter what, but the The people of Britain seem all While the new bill places act of terror it’s likely that you’re were hiked in the South Kensington out, which is learning to live in a that justifies a premium, which has college has to learn not to take this too eager to sacrifice their right and you can restrictions on the surveillance of encrypting your communication. halls by 10% to compensate for diverse environment. recently turned to extortion with a for granted. to privacy in order to protect MPs (the Prime Minister must be Making encryption illegal will do the low rents in Woodward, since As a hall senior this year, I can tell hike every year? themselves from the supposed make the consulted in all cases), it could easily nothing to stop that. Freshers need to pay for a zone you that current prices are seriously Fundamentally, why are students’ threat of terrorism. Andrew Parker, be used to undermine activists and I wish there was something we 3 travel card. In what seemed a affecting students’ ability to go out, opinions being disregarded? Such high the chief of MI5, has been vocal in public believe anyone the establishment disagrees could do to stop this bill passing, victory last year, the Union Council drink, and party. In certain cases Frankly the answer is that we the need for more powers to assist with. So, it’s not ridiculous to think but in reality we’re powerless. No Philip Kurukgy was allowed to set the rents, but the some of them had to rely on the were passive, we didn’t protest in fight against those who oppose that these powers could one day be one voted for the Conservatives in Union Council Member College had a fixed bottom line, so £2000 emergency fund the college against mistakes that were made rents will our “great” nation, claiming that anything used by a ruling party to quell the the hope they would pass a bill like rents had to be hiked somewhere has in place for students in difficulty. by college. We just read about it in we are now facing the most serious opposition. this (if you did, then you’re an awful else. The logic behind the increase At a starting price of £224 a week, FELIX when the halls closed and threat of a terrorist attack since Obviously, if you’ve got nothing to person). in fees in Beit and Prince’s Gardens, that’s the equivalent of £8500 a year when the new ones opened, we create 9/11. Mention ISIS and al-Qaeda probably get a warrant for the hide, you’ve got nothing to fear. It’s You have to start questioning was that if a fresher wants to live which a maintenance loan cannot joked that we wouldn’t want to be enough times and you can make Queen’s browsing history. only metadata that the government whether we really live in a democracy close to campus, let them pay a fully cover. With further cuts in a fresher this year. The union came the public believe anything. For the Personally, I think that the is asking for, right? (the answer is no). I just hope that premium for it. maintenance grants next year, there up short in mobilising students and ‘ghettos’ in establishment, fear has always been Conservative Party is a serious We’ve probably all looked at some someone leaks all of Theresa May’s The issue was raised in the last is a genuine concern that people raising awareness amongst them their most powerful tool. threat to our national security, kinky shit online that we’d rather metadata, then she might begin to council meeting and as a member, from poorer backgrounds will never concerning these issues. And then halls It would be naive to believe that our economic security and your not let other people know about. If understand the true nature of what I am putting a motion forward for be able to afford to live in a South comes mismanagement and flawed these powers would be only used family’s security. I could probably you’re going to use that line, I look she is proposing. friday 13 november
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imperialcollegeunion.org/food-drink Friday 13th Reynolds Scareathon!
We are celebrating this cursed Friday with a showing of the original Friday 13th followed by the 2009 remake! Grab our Reynolds Cocktail Club deal all night long to distract you from the nightmarish experience of this scareathon.
coming up - see our website and newsletters for more details! 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
imperialcollegeunion.org/whats-on felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13th NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 9
FEATURES Ben Fernando & Parikshat Singh Alumnus goes Galactic Writers Jonathon Firth used to go to Imperial, now he’s busy building career, is there anything in particular that you would recommend? Richard Branson’s commercial space travel business JF: The UK has great ambitions to grow its space industry – for example, ice President of Virgin it wants to have 10% of the world’s Galactic and Imperial market share by 2030. It won’t be alumnus, Jonathon Firth, able to do this unless it can attract is involved in developing talent. So I would say follow your the first commercial spaceflight interests and passions, but overall I Vcompany. He attended the 2015 would recommend engineering. It SpaceLab conference last month, gives you a wide range of areas to where he cornered him for an work in and does not predestine you interview. to a particular field. I also think it gives you sound judgement – you FELIX: Would you mind telling might not know the right answer, us a little about your background, but you know the sounds that the and how you ended up at Imperial? wrong answer makes. JF: I studied Mechanical Engineering at Imperial, and FELIX: So what should people am actually a fourth generation follow – passion, or interest? mechanical engineer. I was born JF: It has to be a balance. You in Cumbria, and grew up in have to make a living as well, so I’d Manchester. Imperial seemed like say think about the salary but don’t the place to go when it came to make it all about that. applying to university, so I ended FELIX: And what is it that up here. My son is actually also inspires and motivates you? a mechanical engineer, so it’s JF: I think I’m one of those people something of a family profession, When your boss is so hands on, he offers to fly in your first spaceship. Photo Credit: Virgin who are self-motivated, in a way it’s even though I didn’t steer him baked in. That’s partly a product of towards it. particularly crazy that you remember some interesting ideas, for example run things. It’s a bit like branded my upbringing and partly a product happening whilst here? a joint public/private partnership venture capital in a way? It is good of coming to Imperial. I never wait FELIX: During your time at JF: The most memorable thing to fund the rolling stock. Virgin though that he keeps in touch and to be asked to do something. I can Imperial, is there anything in was definitely the Iranian Embassy was looking at this model after the comes to milestone events, and he’s sit read a book to relax, but will particular that you learnt that’s Hostage Crisis. I was in Weeks Hall privatisation of British Rail, and always said that he’ll be on the first never do nothing. stuck with you? [a former Imperial hall of residence approached me to work on the West commercial flight. JF: I think I learnt how to enjoy in Princes’ Gardens, now closed] at Coast Mainline and Cross Country FELIX: Okay, so what would a myself. I went to an all boys’ school the time, revising for exams, and it franchises, which they had just won. FELIX: So what would you say typical day look like for you? before university, but coming here was Easter of 1980. After the first The industry was in transformation, the fundamental reason for Virgin JF: To be honest, it probably really opened me up. I did IC Radio, hostages were taken there were but it wasn’t an area I’d worked in Galactic’s existence is? wouldn’t be particularly exciting! and was on the publications board security people everywhere – asking before. After time with the railways JF: Well, it is in effect customer There’s normally something on the whilst here. In my third year I also us who we were, where we were division of Virgin, I ended up experience driven engineering. Our outreach side every other day, which chaired the Union general meetings. going, and so on. working for Virgin Atlantic, and product needed to be something is good. Our spaceport is out in the Overall, it opened up my social It ended with the Embassy then someone asked me if I wanted that satisfied the pilots who wanted Mojave Desert in New Mexico, side and some of the things that being stormed, and a huge fire. We to move to Virgin Galactic – and to fly in space as well as in planes, but occasionally I find myself back I did were very good experience; watched from the warden’s flat at that’s how I ended up there. the baby boomers who remembered in London which I like. I spend a for example public speaking and the top of the hall as the SAS took the Apollo missions, and also the lot of time on reports, talking to working with limited finances. the building. FELIX: Did you have any thrill seekers. stakeholders and customers and in FELIX: And after Imperial, how particular interest in space before Initially, the company was discussions with employees, just the FELIX: Is there anything did you end up at Virgin Galactic? that? structured to do just this. We’d same as everyone else. JF: After graduation I ended up JF: I didn’t have any particular refined the model over time, for working in oil and gas. I’d always professional interest in space, but example moving away from the idea FELIX: Would you want to be Someone liked doing ‘projects’, and the oil there was definitely a casual interest. of having a single-person spaceship. on one of Virgin Galactic’s first industry had plenty of those for me I knew lots of space scientists, Now we also plan to branch out commercial flights then? to do. I started out as a pressure vessel people who remembered watching and launch small satellites off of the JF: Absolutely, I always assumed once used engineer, but knew that I didn’t the Moon landings in the 1960s, and parent vehicle. We want to make that I would be. Once upon a time want a technical career. Rather, I Helen Sharman getting selected as a sure we accommodate the customer’s we all thought that we were going the phrase was more interested in how people UK astronaut in the 1980s was also needs, rather than making them to be flying, back when it was just work together on projects, and so quite exciting. Besides, at Virgin we conform to our specifications in the five or six of us. Now there’s 520 on. However by 1981 the business never quite knew what was going to way that most other space launch people in the company, so we won’t the ‘Uber of was starting to tail off a little, as the happen in the next week! companies do. Fundamentally, we all be flying. Possibly after testing oil price began to fall. want to be flexible and available – is completed but before entry into So, I ended up working on FELIX: Richard Branson – what’s someone once used the phrase the service we’ll a chance for some Space’ to mass-transit projects for London it like working with him? ‘Uber of Space’ to describe us. employees to try it out. Underground, specifically on the JF: He’s always interested in FELIX: That sounds very cool. modernisation of the Central and what’s going on, but he does make FELIX: For someone looking Anyhow, thank you very much for describe us Northern Lines. This included sure to let the management team to go into the space industry as a your time! th th PAGE 10 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 11
SCIENCE [email protected] SCIENCE [email protected] Star powered science Conservation in aid of cancer research Imperial’s André Neves wins mathematics award at star studded Breakthrough Prizes Cutting corners in conservation may cost us the cure
Samuel Lickiss whales are no exception. However, naked mole rat’s version is also a and habitat loss are showing We bias our conservation towards Naomi Stewart Ma and his wife Cathy Zhang. Physics, Life Sciences, and Fox News, the award ceremony people who would otherwise never Writer cancer in whales very rarely spreads. longer chained form. already in the UK. Four UK bird pandas, tigers and elephants, while Writer The committee handed out $21.9 Mathematics. Each category also shines a spotlight on the grand hear about them. This research is At the other end of the spectrum, Hyaluronan is already used as a species, including the puffin, are the naked mole rat, blobfish and million in prizes for significant also has a sub-category called achievements of scientists, for fundamentally altering the way we tiny animals with short life spans, cancer treatment. Researchers are now at serious risk of extinction. assorted other ugly animals are achievements and innovations in New Horizons, handed to junior see and interact with the world, but ancer is one of the like mice, are cancer prone. now looking to use the naked mole Eight British species are on neglected. mperial College’s very own three categories: Fundamental researchers like Prof. Neves who is often considered boring, stuffy, or scourges of humanity. This lack of correlation is called rat’s version to find out if it is more the International Union for the Some of these animals, like André Arroja Neves has are ahead of the game in producing The impossible to understand. Casting it Two trillion cell Peto’s paradox. Larger animals effective. They may find that it is Conservation of Nature’s Red List the naked mole rat, could hold won the New Horizons in important work in their field. in this ‘sizzling’ and dynamic light divisions take place in seem to have evolved mechanisms ineffective: that it fails to have the of threatened species, and a further important secrets. By letting them go Mathematics Award at the The awards were hosted by Seth attracts attention, funding, and the average human body every for effectively combating cancer; same effect in humans as it does in 14 species considered to be ‘near- extinct, we could be losing valuable, Breakthrough Prizes, which was MacFarlane, the well-known committee respect. Cday. Every time a cell divides, essential to ensuring their survival. the naked mole rat. Many clinical threatened’. irrecoverable information. While Iheld at the NASA Ames Research creator of Family Guy. A star- Adorning research with roughly three billion genetic base Consequently, whales may hold tests that are effective in animal Why does this matter? the naked mole rat’s population is Centre in Silicon Valley on studded Hollywood line-up gave Hollywood sparkle also encourages pairs distributed throughout 23 a key to learning how to beat test subjects fail to have any effect For Simon Watt at the Ugly healthy, it’s clear that we need to November 9th. The professor in the away the prizes and performed, handed out a generation of young people to chromosomes need to be copied, cancer. Researchers are looking at in humans, due to differences in our Animal Preservation Society, the work to be indiscriminate in our Department of Pure Mathematics including Pharrell Williams, look to STEM for an exciting, and sometimes our bodies get it this seriously. But, as many aspects genetics. However, there’s a chance ‘pretty’ animals like pandas get all efforts to conserve life on earth. One won the prize, along with Codá Russell Crowe, Hilary Swank, illustrious, and potentially world- wrong. Usually, these poor copies are of nature, one unlikely animal so that it could substantially improve the attention, and all the money. day, we may find ourselves indebted Marques, for having solved the 50- and Lily Collins. Winners ranged $21.9 million changing career. To this end, there automatically destroyed by the body, spectacularly violates Peto’s paradox survival rates of cancer in humans, to the naked mole rat. year old Willmore Conjecture in from a 1300 scientist-deep team is a Breakthrough Junior Challenge but from time to time, a mutated that a cure for cancer may be held in especially when combined with 2012. studying neutrinos (including team Award for high school students, this cell slips through and continues to its genetics. other, more widespread treatments. The Breakthrough Awards, now leaders who won the Nobel Prize in prizes for year won by a student from Ohio for divide. If this goes unchecked, a The naked mole rat is sufficiently Unfortunately for species like in their third year, are sponsored in Physics for this research), to an a dynamic video on understanding benign tumour may form. If that ugly to be featured in The Ugly the mole rat, some scientists have by some of society’s modern MIT professor who developed the special relativity. tumour begins to spread to other Animals: We can’t all be Pandas by posited that the earth is on the brink powerhouse tech giants, who have field of optogenetics – using light significant As the Breakthrough Prize website tissues, it is known as malignant, Simon Watt, published by the of a sixth mass extinction event. all made significant breakthroughs signals to treat Parkinson’s and notes, “Great scientists enrich us and this is cancer. Ugly Animal Preservation Society. Climate change, loss of habitat, and of their own. This includes the co- other neurological disorders. all. They enable technologies that While scientists have developed But the naked mole rat is far more various other factors have made founder and CEO of 23andMe, The prize money is intended to innovations ease our lives, but they also show us treatments for various cancers, than meets the eye. One mole rat conservation ever more challenging Anne Wojcicki, and her now ex- provide funding for research that is what’s beyond our horizons.” Will mortality rates still remain high, at can live for up to 30 years without and ever-more crucial. This week, husband, the Google co-founder proving to be successful. “Science is you be the next Imperial College around one in five. Because cancer ever getting cancer. A 2013 study UN officials have announced that Sergey Chin – in addition to racing forward to meet the demands in three scientist to win the Breakthrough is caused by abnormal cell division, in Nature found that naked mole plans to tackle climate change DST founder Yuri Milner and his of the world’s most critical issues, and Prize and show us what’s over the the more cells a person has, the rats produce a gloopy, sugar-rich are not enough to keep the global wife Julia, Facebook CEO Mark Andre Arroja Neves, winner of New we have a duty to support it”, says next horizon? Prof. Neves’ win has more likely they are to get cancer. substance called hyaluronan. This temperature increase below the 2oC Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Horizons in mathematics. Photo Cred- Jack Ma. However, using celebrity categories certainly shown us that it’s more Taller people, for example, are at forms a kind of seal around cells, danger threshold. Later this month, Chan, and AliBaba founder Jack it: Andre Arroja Neves power and live broadcasting on than possible. higher risk than shorter people. preventing the runaway cell division UN nations will meet in Paris to So what about huge animals, that causes cancer. The same discuss plans to tackle climate like whales? Animals get cancer in chemical is produced by humans, change. Behold the glorious mole rat. This lovable creature may hold the secrets to much the same way humans do, and but not in high quantities, and the The effects of climate change curing cancer. Photo Credit: Roman Klementschitz What can science policy do for you? A call to arms from the LSFP. Shape science policy, shape the world
Joanna Wolstenholme ensure that science has an impact Office for Science and Technology content, as they are produced by the by these institutes are presented Lonely wail might indicate new species Writer on people’s lives. (POST), and are dense summaries government, other briefings can be to policy makers, and become part Scientific community torn over a unique recording from elusive whale A major issue is that the written of a field (such as ‘Precision Farming’ much more targeted. of the body of knowledge they world of science is difficult for non- or ‘Trends in Energy’), noting Science-focused think tanks use to make decisions. One such Jane Courtnell of a unique whale song and with it, Yet, echolocation of this new species as a culprit. Adding to the calls could actually belong to the n a university populated by scientists to engage in. There are where evidence is more certain, and lobby groups also summarise thinktank is based here at Imperial Science Editor perhaps a new species. But how can species is difficult. The unique confusion, another unique call, same species. However, given the scientists, it can be very easy to hundreds of peer-reviewed journals, where conflicts lie, and where the evidence from the literature, but they – the student-run London Forum we not have already catalogued all signal, named BW29, has been dubbed Antarctic BW37 has also ocean covers 70% of our planet, it lose sight of the world outside. all containing copious amounts of field is currently developing. Whilst use it to make suggestions for future for Science and Policy, which whale species? Let’s face it; they’re recorded fourteen times on separate been recorded, a higher frequency would be surprising if these signals Of course, science is important highly technical information, coded these are supposedly neutral in policy choices. The papers produced anyone can get involved with. They ow many species do not exactly small! occasions. Tracking down the than the first, but these two unique didn’t belong to two new species. – we know that; we are studying it. in highly technical language. This have already published a number you think exist on The mysterious Antarctic habitant anonymous composer is proving to IBut how many people outside of can be challenging enough even for of papers, and even presented at planet earth? 100 is thought to be from the family be problematic. Timing and sound the science bubble really appreciate people with a background in science, Brussels. thousand, one million, Ziphiidea, otherwise known as types separate the signal from others what science is telling us, and what and is hugely off-putting for non- Interested in getting involved ten million? Recent estimations ‘Deraniyagala’s Beaked Whales’. known. Suspicions lie with the it can say on some of the big issues scientists. Where should they start with a thinktank, or want to learn Hhave induced a species count of They are renowned for their shyness strap-toothed southern bottlenose that influence our lives? reading? Who do they trust when more? Come along to the launch 8.7 million. More than 1000 years and thus a poorly-known animal species, however, sightings of this Politicians are a key group there is a conflict of evidence? How of LFSP’s most recent paper, would be needed to catalogue such group. Deraniyagala’s beaked whale species are rare south of latitudes outside the science world that it is applicable is this knowledge? Improving the Visibility of Women a vast number. It’s really a question was identified as a new species only 60oS in the Southern Ocean, giving important for us to engage with. To ensure politicians can in STEM, at 6.30pm today in the of ‘where do we start?’ last year, bringing the total number the strap-tooth a strong alibi. Scientists could, and in some cases understand the fields of science Pippard Lecture Theatre, or like From the depths of the icy of species in the beaked whale Another suspect is the Gray’s do, know how to feed, house and relevant to their work, policy LFSP on Facebook. We are looking Antarctic waters, this answer is group to 22. Diving out of the sight beaked whale, commonly sighted clothe the world – and how to briefings are written. The most for enthusiastic people to get literally being called out to us. of any on-looking scientists, it is in the region. However, frequency stop it from imploding - but if this well know of these are POST involved in writing policy papers, Recently tuning in to ‘What’s going suspected that the Ziphiidea family of the latter species’ calls differs information never gets to policy Notes, which, as the name suggests, so if you are interested in what you on in the Antarctic’, astonishment harbours more unknown relations from the BW29 signal frequency, makers, very little can be done to are written by the Parliamentary City Hall, where the magic happens. Photo Credit: Garry Knight have just read, get in touch! circulated with the identification to Deraniyagala. removing the Gray beaked Shy and elusive beaked whale breaching the surface. Photo Credit: NOAA th th PAGE 12 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 13
CLUBS & SOCS [email protected] CLUBS & SOCS [email protected] Just Bollywood is back! Do you want to see a magic trick? Ten teams are ready to fight to become the 2015 Champion Magicians, assemble! Jonny Zheng Trisha Ghosh The 2014 Imperial JB team put Writer Hopefully Writer on a spectacular performance last year, winning 1st place with their Bollywood adaptation of the classic hat do you picture there’s ust Bollywood – the movie Pretty Woman. when you hear the nationwide fusion-dance We hope the 2015 team can word ‘magician’? If something competition organised by follow in their footsteps and defend you think of ‘that IndianSoc, is back! our title. The next few weeks will guy’ at a party, sloppily doing lame you’ll After its wildly successful first consist of hard work, dedication tricksW he learnt an hour ago from year,J the competition promises to be and intense training. Led by the Youtube, then I’m here to change even more exciting and entertaining two captains Roshni Mitra and that. If you imagine a sad man in find cool, this time round. Ten teams across Trisha Ghosh, Team Imperial will his thirties doing kids’ parties, filled the country will be fighting to be be pulling out all stops to create with self-loathing due to poor life crowned the Bollywood champions another passionate, unforgettable decisions, then I’m here to change perhaps of the UK. performance. This year a pre- that too. Each team is assigned a specific show mini round has been added, Unfortunately, these common theme and a prop, to integrate intensifying the competition generalisations of magic are mostly even creatively within their eight- further! true, but I’d like to attempt to show minute set. The teams aim to Each team has produced a short you a glimpse from deeper inside beautiful explore a diverse range of dance dance video, now live on the JB the rabbit hole. There aren’t any styles, maintain execution and Facebook page, featuring a taste of flying broomsticks, but hopefully create dynamic formations, all the talent to come. The Imperial there’s something you’ll find cool, I’ll attempt to describe it in words. whilst staying true to the colourful, JB team needs your help to ensure perhaps even beautiful. Derren invites a random member of extravagant nature of Bollywood. our success during this first round: I’ll attempt to show you some the audience who has lost an older You can definitely expect fierce a simple Facebook like on our JB Imperial taking home the crown last year. Photo Credit: Eternal Memories powerful magic, not by showing you relative on stage. The spectator’s competition, as this year the show dance video is all it takes. the coolest trick, but by showing you name is Emma, and the relative is You mean this wasn’t your card? Nooooo! Photo Credit: Infamous PR will adopt a head-to-head format, The team with the most likes on competition, so please do take a Imperial at the show on Sunday 13th judges and incredible performances, the kind of wonderful experience her grandmother, Doris. Derren with Team Imperial taking on Team their video will be rewarded with moment to visit the Just Bollywood December and see the talent from Just Bollywood will not disappoint. a spectator can have. If you type then tells a story in which his own contained a coin, made of solid the words, “In loving memory of skills, then you’ve got to be ‘that Cambridge! an advantage on the day of the Facebook page! Come support Team all over the country. With renowned You can’t miss it! “Derren Brown mystery box” into grandfather kept an old wooden silver, with 7 words engraved on it. Doris”. guy’ for at least two years. The guy Youtube, then you’ll find a two box on his shelf, and told Derren The words were, “Derren I told you This magical climax, combined who carries four decks of cards and part video of a routine from one of that he should never, under any not to look”. with the backstory of Derren’s six pieces of rope everywhere; who Derren’s brilliant stage shows. Pay circumstances, open the box. We You can imagine why this became grandfather, causes a flood of crowbars a magic trick into every special attention to the spectators’ always want what we can’t have, one of Derren’s prized possessions, emotions to rush through Emma. social interaction; who wears mostly reactions, and don’t read the and obviously he wanted more than and this story becomes the catalyst The fond memories of her own black and maybe even, God forbid, a Brace yourself for End-of-Term Youtube comments unless you want anything to know what was inside. for the magical plot about to follow. grandmother are mixed with the playing card tie. Welcome to magic a thousand incorrect theories about After a couple of years, his On stage is a locked box, and Emma surprise of the impossible coin, to puberty. Abigail de Bruin membership intact. For many, this the trick’s method. grandfather passed away, and is given the key. She opens the box, create a truly unique experience At this point most of your friends Clubs & Societies Editor will be the first performance that I’m almost certain that you won’t Derren was left with this box, and and inside is another silver coin. that can’t be had elsewhere in the have probably disowned you, but really shows how well they’re doing have bothered to actually go to was finally able to see what was This time, engraved on the coin, are entertainment world. if you’ve made it this far then without old members. Youtube to look up the video, so inside. To his surprise, the box Not bad right? Different from you’ll now have the experience to ou only have to pick Many of you must have the awful, tuxedo-wearing, wand- perform tricks that won’t cause your up the paper on any encountered the talent of Musical bearing stereotypes you’ll find if you spectators to roll their eyes, and given day to admire Theatre and DramaSoc with their search ‘magician’ on google images. perhaps even provoke a genuine the latest technological performances in the Union Concert But an interesting fact about every smile in the right people. advancement or scientificHall (shows on 2nd - 4th December magician, even the good ones, is If this all sounds good to you, god breakthroughY our students and and 7th - 12th December respectively), that we all go through the exact knows why it would, then maybe researchers have made, but keep and the more classically-oriented same journey. you have what it takes to become a in mind that folk here also have Symphony and Sinfonietta with The reason someone starts learning magician yourself. If you stick with incredible talent in many facets performances in the Great Hall magic is almost always a lack of it long enough, then who knows, outside of academia. The end-of- (27th November and 4th December This pull self-esteem. Why else would you maybe you’ll become so remarkable winter term is when this becomes respectively). However, it’s the want to learn a skill that basically that you’ll change what people most apparent, with almost every whole host of groups that disappear says “please look at me, aren’t I think of when they hear the word room on campus filled with off campus you should look out for babes amazing”? Learning sleight of hand magician, to you. performances put on by our myriad too, as you might miss a real treat requires a good amount of practice, societies. otherwise. and only those who don’t have the I’m looking to start a magic For most groups, this will be the For example, both Chamber chance to do more fun things, like society, so if you’re already first time they are letting their newest Choir and Choir have their Autumn going to parties or having friends, into magic, or if you’re keen to members loose on a live audience, concerts in the Holy Trinity Church have the time to spend their teenage learn, then drop me an email so it’s all a healthy mix of nerves on the 19th and 22nd November lives practising in front of a mirror. at [email protected] with a link to and anticipation. This is especially respectively, and that’s not even And then, even after you’ve spent your Facebook, and I’ll add you the case for certain groups with half of what to expect. Make sure far too much time learning your to a group where I’m gathering members who have just graduated, you indulge yourself in the ultimate new abilities when you could have anybody who would consider leaving only half of their previous end-of-year line-up! Musical Theatre Society living it up in last year’s show. Photo Credit: Chads Chadwick Magicians are sexy now. Photo Credit: Someone been developing genuine social joining. th th PAGE 14 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 15
MUSIC [email protected] MUSIC [email protected] The auditory overload of Garden of Delete Grimes’ radiant Art Angels Cale Tilford Cale Tilford Grimes hasn’t completely left her me, I’ll be back on the shelf.” She Music Editor Music Editor old sound behind. Her music is now comments on the disparity between more guitar-driven and borders the image she’d like to present on bubblegum pop – somehow it and the one actually presented by rom the guy who probably ith Visions, Grimes works. Art Angels is full of bangers the media. Don’t worry, Grimes, invented vaporwave comes (the stage name of (and I say that un-ironically). here at FELIX we’ll always love in even more weird shit. Claire Boucher) you. The drawn out “California” Experimental American gave us an album in the chorus turns the song into musician, Daniel Lopatin (more that combined the danceable sound The songs one of the year’s biggest anthems. Fcommonly known as Oneohtrix ofW synthpop with introspection Grimes crushes it on the unhinged Point Never) ruptures the walls of and the sorrow of dark-wave. ‘Kill V. Maim’, a song “written from reality with his new record, Garden As one of the defining albums stand on their the perspective of Al Pacino in of Delete. of 2012, it was celebrated and The Godfather Pt 2. Except he’s a Oneohtrix Point Never records adored by many, including myself. vampire who can switch gender and have always managed to sound Upon first hearing ‘REALiTi’ (the own: catchy, travel through space.” It’s one of like expertly arranged collections original version), I felt confident the many songs from the album that of experiments rather than linear, that Boucher would deliver another forces your body to wiggle and jerk narrative driven albums. Like his sonically impressive album, distinct uplifting, and in ways Drake would be proud of. previous work, they are full of and radical when compared to her Janelle Monae’s guest vocals on alien sounds, but this time they’re contemporaries. This feeling soon ‘Venus Fly’ turn it into strange combined to form something that began to fade with the release of her accessible futuristic pop. It lures you in feels a lot more whole. new singles, ‘Flesh without Blood’ with a trap-like beat and then From the grungy depths of ‘Sdfk’ and ‘Life in the Vivid Dream’, surprises you with a beautiful to the anthemic heights of ‘I Bit Garden of Delete is a complete, concrete, and fleeting treat built from beats and bleeps. Photo Credit: Warp the first we would hear from the On ‘California’, a hate-track violin solo. It’s easily the most Grimes returns three-eyed and chirpy. Photo Credit: 4AD Through It,’ Garden of Delete takes us record. I was ready to let my own aimed at Pitchfork, a thumping kick experimental track on the album. on a journey through an otherwordly album perfectly blends in with synth on the album shimmering; if expectations inhibit my ability to drum and sampled clap accompany Like an angel from heaven, Art of the pop industrial complex. catchy, uplifting, and accessible. landscape that few musicians are A journey the sounds of travel and the bustle Listen to it in we could hear the sun shining, this form a fair opinion of Art Angels, Boucher as she exclaims: “The Angels, glows with a radiance. It stays While it might not be as coherent capable of constructing. of the inner city. It is cinematic is would what it would sound like. but after seeing how they fit into things they see in me, I cannot see within the confines of pop music but as previous albums, the songs stand Art Angels by Grimes is out now on I’ve spent the last week almost on a personal level, making every ‘Mutant Standard’, an eight her new work, it’s obvious that myself / When you get bored of is able to transcend the tired tropes on their own. They are notably 4AD exclusively listened to the record; through moment feel like the prelude to an the darkest minute epic, stands out as the most each listen allows me, for short ominous threat. cinematic piece on the record. It moment, to escape the reality of While it is by far Lopatin’s most starts off like a thumping, violent everyday life. It has guided me an welcoming collection of songs, corner of heartbeat and evolves into a richly through the streets at night as I walk there is still a lot of experimentation layered anthem. through dark, isolated pathways and across the twelve tracks that make To fully appreciate Oneohtrix FELIX wants to it has kept me awake on late, lonely otherwordly up the record. While it may not the darkest Point Never’s latest work, listen to it bus rides home. It is far more than have been his intention, the themes in the darkest corner of the darkest Demo Dump Vol. 2 a companion. From the beeping of deletion and negative space are alleyway in the worst part of town. SLON “He’ll buy up your dead, and you’ll hear your music! of closing tube doors to midnight landscape essential to much of the appeal of alleyway in Lose all illusion of safety and allow be tax exempt / Then he’ll mortgage conversations in McDonalds, the Garden of Delete. it to guide you through through the In just five songs, the trio the lot to the state.” Or, they’re sad At the beginning of ‘Ezra’ it night. By the time you arrive at your showcase an extraordinary gift for and harrowing like in ‘Woman of sounds like the artist has selected the worst destination, the music is over, but storytelling. From the last voyage of the Sea’ where the narrator describes parts of the track and pressed delete your mind and body are ready. Captain Cook to the human-frog herself drowning: “And I go to sleep on a keyboard; it is in these moments mutant on ‘Dragonfly Man’, they a woman of the sea… Because the of silence that he evokes far more part of town Garden of Delete by Oneohtrix Point sea forever shares a bed with me.” emotion than many artists can in Never is out now on Warp On the live recording of ‘Woman three entire minutes. Time stops The trio of the Sea’, Michael Ridley, a and then starts back up again, like a Physics PhD student, asks his nightmarish, glitched rollercoaster. crowd to make the sounds of sea There is much aboutGarden of Don’t listen to the harsh editor. Photo showcase an animals; it’s both hilarious and Delete to fear; the gargles, asthmatic Credit: SLON charming. This is a band best suited whimpers, and high-pitched for the corner of an artisan coffee squeams of its vocal samples quickly elcome back extraordinary shop or a trendy microbrewery pub. become rival voices in your head. to the Demo Others in the FELIX office were Sometimes you can hear words Dump, FELIX’s less impressed. An anonymous Arts among these warped growls, and fortnightly review gift for Editor described the demos as: amusingly, Lopatin has released a of music by Imperial students. This “Impressive lyrics marred by poor set of lyric sheets for the album. sectionW can only exist if we continue vocals and an abysmal sound check. As always, Lopatin creates an to receive submissions. So, please storytelling Unimpressive, amateur guitar riffs electric range of synthesiser sounds. keep the demos coming. Send them with a disappointing end result. It’s There are the usual hard-hitting to the email on the right or via post shit and pretty wanky. I don’t like it.” crashes and some are grainy and (if you still use archaic forms of explore historical characters and Ouch. Harsh words from a harsh Send demos to uncomfortable to listen to. These communication); we’d love to start made-up mythical creatures. editor. [email protected] are matched by the dulcet tones of getting cassettes or CDs to review. Their lyrics often read like strings, which at times sound like FELIX will say lots of nice things beautiful poetry. They’re funny with You can listen to SLON now on Someone has discovered how to use Microsoft Paint. Photo Credit: Warp weird imitations of Arca. There’s one Lopatin uses the iTunes visualiser to advertise his new music. Photo Credit: Warp about your music if you do. the black humour of ‘Dead Souls’: SoundCloud
th th PAGE 18 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 19
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FILM He Named MeFILM Malala director of Oscar-winning An Inconvenient Truth, has stepped up to the plate. He Named Me Malala takes its Love in the time of diaspora Dir: Davis Guggenheim. Starring: title from the fact that Yousafzai’s Saoirse Ronon lights out for the territories in this somewhat syrupy love story Malala Yousafzai, Ziauddin father named her after an Afghan Yousafzai, Toor Pekai Yousafzai. 88 folk hero who stood up to British minutes. invaders, and paid with her life. Brooklyn It seems to have become a self- he main way we notice fulfilling prophecy. time passing is not that Her father, an educator in you yourself are getting Pakistan, obviously encouraged her Dir: John Crowley Script: Nick older, but rather that from an early age, and while the Hornby Starring: Saoirse Ronan, everyone else is getting younger. extent to which her father shaped Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, ThisT is not going to be a problem her destiny is somewhat explored Julia Walters 112 minutes. for Malala Yousafzai; already, at the here, it never really digs too deep, tender age of 18, she has blogged remaining firmly on the surface. Do you stand #withmalala? Watch the film and find out. Photo Credit: Fox Searchlight about Taliban control of Pakistan Taking as its starting point Fred Fyles for the BBC, survived an attempt on Malala living safely in Birmingham, slowly forward towards the Nobel her since a young age. Similarly, it animation, or reconstructed Film Editor her life, during which she was shot the film then follows a looping Prize announcement, which is only highlights the fact that this denial of sequences. Cinéma vérité it is not in the head, and last year won the pattern, weaving in and out of revealed over the credits. education is not a one-off situation, – a sentiment that is only enforced 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, making her different points of Malala’s life. In The film does well to flesh out the but instead one that happens to by the end credits, which urge us to or me, there is no the youngest winner in the award’s one scene we find out about the Malala narrative, which – without children all over the world. One visit the Malala Foundation website, compound word in the history. And you thought managing campaigning Malala did in her caution – could easily go down as memorable sequence takes place on and use the hashtag #withmalala. English language more to put your underwear on the right native Swat Valley; in the next we just another heart-warming story of the Jordan-Syria border, and serves Such aspects only support the idea unpleasant or off-putting way round this morning was an see her in Kenya, asking schoolgirls good triumphing over evil. We see to remind us of the human factors that we are, in essence, watching a that ‘heartwarming’. Call me achievement. about what they want to do when the very real effects that the attack involved when we pontificate about 90 minute advert for an education Fmisanthropic if you want, but I Following the publication of her they’re older; in another she’s has had on her life; not only the refugee asylum. It is at points like charity. Brand-charity synergy may think my heart is at a perfectly memoirs two years ago – a children’s interviewed about why she can’t fact that she can’t hear in one ear, or this the film is at its most real. be laudable, but it does not make a good temperature, thank you. If I version of which came out last year have a boyfriend. Unfortunately, move one side of her face properly, A pity then that most of the film great documentary. wanted a heart served warm then – it seems that a film was somewhat this means that the film lacks an but also her life-long struggle for eschews such realism, with Malala FRED FYLES I am more inclined to speak to inevitable, and Davis Guggenheim, overall narrative structure, inching a normality that has eschewed providing the voiceover to mawkish Fergus Henderson than to head down to the cinema. Now, even those patient readers amongst you would now be inclined to throw up their hands and refuse to read on: ‘what kind of miserable review’, Saoirse Ronan’s resilient shopgirl Eilis, in John Crowley’s Brooklyn.. Photo Credit: PR/Kerry Brown/Fox Searchlight/AP Documentary corner: Bowling for Columbine they may cry, ‘could we expect from someone whose idea of a fun night going well, disaster calls her back (but also warm, obviously) landlady. bathed in a warm, glowing light, – are removed in favour of a much Ben Collier particular is such a highlight that is watching Michael Haneke films to Ireland, where she falls in love Like the cannon at the end of the while outside the clothing colours more straightforward missionary- Film Writer if you don’t have time to watch the and contemplating death?’ But fear again – this time with a native Irish 1812 Overture, someone of Walters’ contrast with both sides of the style approach to sexuality. Eilis’ whole film I’d advise seeking it out not, dear readers; as you may have lad, who has a modest fortune, calibre is wheeled on is when the churning Atlantic’s waters. Director character is so incredibly passive – on YouTube. gleaned from the rating above, I and is played by handsome rogue audience demands a big, bombastic John Crowley does a solid job, and she leaves home nearly immediately ichael Moore’s The interview itself follows a actually found Brooklyn – despite Domhnall Gleeson to boot. show, and she certainly delivers, while there are no shots that are at her mother’s request, and there is documentaries have section discussing the various the bright colour palate, the syrupy So now our Eilis is faced with with jokes about Jesus and nylons especially memorable, or would the sense that Tony isn’t actually her always been divisive. scapegoats used to explain the score, despite, in other words, of its a crushing choice: be appallingly coming in quick succession. seem out of place in any number of soul-mate, but instead the first man For the most part, behaviour of Eric & Dylan with obvious heartwarming qualities – satisfied in Brooklyn, or be The cinematography is handled historical dramas, the performances in Brooklyn to take an interest in people’s opinions of his films seem everything from violent video games really pretty enjoyable. Trust me, I’m appallingly satisfied in Ireland. excellently by Yves Bélanger, who teased out of his cast reveal a sure her – that the fact we go along with Mto be based on their pre-existing to action films being blamed by just as surprised as you. As you may guess, this film is was responsible for Wild and Dallas and steady hand behind the camera. her for the ride shows the strength political leanings; it’s no secret that America’s conservative news media. Adapted by Nick Hornby from far from Sophie’s Choice. Indeed, Buyers Club; interior scenes are Ultimately, however, Brooklyn of Ronan’s talent. Moore, as a documentarian, is far In his interview Manson gives us the Colm Tóibín novel, Brooklyn the unquestioning nicety of her loses out because of its leaning While Brooklyn is nothing but from objective. But opinions aside, insight into accusations made about tells the tale of Eilis (Saoirse suitors begins to get a little grating, towards sentimentality. Tóibín’s heartwarming, the efforts of the cast what makes Bowling for Columbine him at the time whilst making some Ronan), a young shop-worker from and this reviewer longed for the I longed for novel does not shy away from and director manage to stop it from great is the depth and complexity of the best points in the film. When a small Irish town, who is instructed much-needed injection of drama the sheer psychological trauma melting into unappealing mulch – with which it explores its chosen Moore asks Manson what he would by her mother to pack up her bags an unwanted pregnancy or back- moving half-way across the world John Crowley is no Richard Curtis, issues. say to the boys if he had the chance and travel across the Atlantic to street abortion could bring. So, we a much- can wrought, and his handling of thankfully. Saoirse Ronan is by far From the title, one might expect one quote in particular stands out; “I America, leaving behind her only understand that the film suffers the Irish diaspora experience never the most interesting aspect of the the film to be solely a focused ‘From my cold, dead hands’. Charlton Heston in Bowling for Columbine. Photo Credit: Michael Moore PR wouldn’t say a single word to them, sister. Beginning her life again from a serious lack of bleakness, feels celebratory, but is instead film, which only cements her well- exploration of the Columbine High I would listen to what they have to in Brooklyn, with a job at a large which is for me a serious defect – needed shot through with a searing sense founded reputation for nuanced School massacre. This is far from schoolers Eric Harris and Dylan With a British anti-gun mind-set however, and Moore should be say and that’s what no one did”. department store, she begins to but what about it is good? Well, of melancholy. In the film, such an performance. If you need a film to true. The shooting merely acts as Klebold shot and killed 13 students it is often infuriating to see Moore applauded for the sheer breadth Bowling for Columbine is piece things together; overcoming for starters there’s Saoirse Ronan, issue does not seem to present itself. take your granny to this week, or a jumping off point for Moore to and teachers before turning their debate with NRA members and of interviews and segments he has incendiary, thought provoking, and the crushing homesickness she who is fast becoming one of the injection of Eilis seems to – apart from an early something to put in a loved one’s expertly explore a number of other guns on themselves. Unfortunately, gun advocates. If anything, the film assembled in order to make the yet very watchable. Ironic, dark feels, she enrols at night college, most exciting Irish talents to grace scene of homesickness – be equally stocking come Christmas, you could topics, primarily the dangerous Columbine is now just one in a long perhaps places too little emphasis argument. humour is sprinkled throughout as and meets Italian-American Tony our screens. Eilis is constantly at home in both worlds. We hear certainly do a lot worse that Brooklyn. combination of firearms and fear in line of gun massacres in the U.S.: on the link between gun ownership Two interviews that really stand Moore retains his unique style of (Emory Cohen), with whom she is troubled by the situation around drama into a lot of the destitution in Ireland Viewers of a Bergmanesque modern day America. from the Aurora shootings to Sandy and gun-related homicides. Moore out, and place this film amongst film-making. It would be impossible soon deeply in love. Of course, any her, and Ronan’s face conveys the from the characters themselves, persuasion will probably avoid the On the 20th of April 1999, the Hook, the debate around gun- is clearly more focused on his main some of the best documentaries of here to touch on even half of the plotline that carried on in such a tumultuous emotions churning but the pretty village streets of film at all costs, but if – like me – small county of Jefferson, Colorado, control continues to this day. This argument – the one against fear- all time, are those conducted with points made in this film – Bowling sweet manner would be unpalatable, inside as she struggles to adapt this film Eilis’ native town belie this fact. they go along for the ride, chances was subject to one of the worst mass speaks to the continued relevance mongering in the American media. Marylyn Manson and Charlton for Columbine really is essential even to the normal movie-goer, to her situation state-side. Julie Sapphic indications in the book are they will shamefully, appallingly, shootings in American history. High and importance of this film. This is not necessarily a bad thing Heston. Manson’s interview in viewing. and just when it seems that all is Walters is cast well as Eilis’ terse – an important theme of Tóibín’s shockingly come to enjoy it. th th PAGE 20 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 21
FILM [email protected] FILM [email protected] receive a full release next year. But The top three 3. Sleeping in Swinton clearly knows how to pick her collaborators well, and stick a Box in the with them for the long haul: she date-night films The five most iconic moments of first met Guadagnino over 20 years Name of Art ago, when he had only just finished that aren’t film school. Not afraid to take on dangerous roles, Swinton appeals Swinton’s talents and interests lie to other actors to raise their game, The Notebook Tilda Swinton beyond the screen, as seen in her and bring the art of cinema up as Last week saw the 55th anniversary of the birth of the saviour of 1995 collaboration with Cornelia a whole k, I’ll admit it: The Parker RA, The Maybe. Coming Notebook is a good modern cinema, Tilda Swinton. To celebrate, we take a look back to Parker with the idea for a film. It’s far from being performance piece in which she 5. Being Normal the be-all-and-end- at her legendary career; choosing what to feature was difficult, but just slept, the artist designed a glass all romantic drama, but it’s by no vitrine, forming the centrepiece of in Trainwreck Omeans awful. However, it has always we have managed to narrow down five of her most iconic moments, the Serpentine exhibition, in which confused me as to how that film has Swinton slept (or at least appeared become the quintessential example and what they teach us about life and art to) for seven hours a day. The Maybe When Amy Schumer wrote the of romantic cinema. It is, to a lot of has since been restaged, in Rome in description for tyrannical magazine burly men, ‘that film she made me 1996, and most recently at MoMA boss Dianna in her film Trainwreck, watch one time’. It may then please in 2013. For most actors, their she described her as ‘dressed like you to know that there are much activities outside cinema lie mainly Tilda Swinton would at an airport’. better alternatives that everyone Little did she know that they would can enjoy snuggled up in bed this soon have Swinton on board as coming winter. Tilda a collaborator; but more shocked were the audience members – used About Time (2013) to seeing Swinton as some kind of Richard Curtis – it’s probably Swinton is mercurial ice goddess with cropped fair to say – is something of an peroxide hair, in Trainwreck she icon when it comes to romantic dons a long flowing wig, and hella comedies. From Love Actually to cinema’s make-up in order to look… well, Notting Hill, the rom-coms he has pretty normal actually. She pulled written and occasionally directed are a similar trick in Lynne Ramsey’s true classics. About Time is an often true starkly powerful We Need To Talk forgotten-about film of his, telling About Kevin, where she plays the the story of Tim who, at the age of mother of a boy who commits a 21, discovers he can time travel and modern-day school shooting. Split between uses this to better his every day. The before and after the shooting, we film’s messages on life and love find see her character of Eva physically the director at his most sentimental. polymath transformed by the immensity of her grief and guilt. It’s a travesty Mamma Mia! (2008) in the fashion world, acting as that she wasn’t nominated for an Mamma Mia! is probably the muses to designers, or appearing in Academy Award for what is a career cheesiest film that I will admit to high fashion advertising campaigns. highlight. liking (and seeing multiple times Swinton has – of course – done her While Trainwreck is perhaps the in the cinema. Please don’t tell fair share of this, advertising for most extreme of her transformations, anyone). The weight of an emotional Chanel and Pringle, and modelling Swinton has a long history of drama film seems wholly uninviting Tilda Swinton serving face in Derek Jarman’s 1988 film,The Last Of England. Photo Credit: Derek Jarman PR in Viktor & Rolf shows. But her disguising herself before the camera. when you could have the kind of fun talents and interests are diverse, In Bong Joon-Ho’s masterfully dark a combination of ABBA songs and suit the ethereal qualities Swinton the cleverest adaptations of a novel whether it’s appearing as David machinery dystopia Snowpiercer she Hollywood A-listers pissing about 1. Her brought to the screen; perhaps the 2. Gender- ever to grace cinema; a sumptuous Bowie’s wife in the video for The plays Mason, the cynical enforcer of can give you. With its gorgeous last great English auteur, his death work, the look and tone of the film Stars (Are Out Tonight), or helping order on a train carrying the last of Greek island setting, Mamma Mia! Collaborations was a blow for experimental cinema, Bending in is one of ravishment. to start an alternative school in rural humanity; devoid of human warmth, is sure to fight the winter blues. one that – with the rise of Joanna And who else would be able to Scotland, Swinton is cinema’s true and given a horrible set of fake teeth, with Derek Hogg and Clio Barnard – we are Orlando play Orlando, the gender-switching modern-day polymath. she’s channelling Margret Thatcher Wall-E (2008) just about getting over. immortal, than Tilda Swinton? with prosthetic floppy breasts. They say to save the best for last and Jarman This early work grounded Swinton With her angular face and beguiling Elsewhere, in Wes Anderson’s WALL-E could well be the perfect resolutely within the world of If one was to make a list of air, Swinton displays the true spirit I would write a caption, but a voice in my head is too busy just screaming ‘QUEEN’. Photo Credit: PA Photos delightful The Grand Budapest Hotel, date night movie. Yes, I’m serious. experimentalism, and whilst she has unfilmable novels, Virginia Woolf ’s of androgyny. As Patti Smith said, 4. Learning she has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it A gorgeous sci-fi epic, it boasts It could be said that the die was moved on to numerous big-budget Orlando, a masterpiece of modern ‘she is both princess and prince’, a taking on perhaps her greatest crafting in Emma Recchi one of cameo as Madam D, the part-time brilliant action and fun alongside cast as soon as Swinton appeared productions, she never seems to literature, would be high on the quality she displayed when playing New challenge yet. Playing a Russian A mercurial her most nuanced, rich characters lover of Ralph Fiennes’ Gustav honestly touching moments. The in her first film. Caravaggio, a have lost her original approach to list: the story of a nobleman who the Archangel Gabriel in the 2005 Emigreé, she speaks Italian for to date. H – aged thirty years through the romance between WALL-E and fictionalised retelling of the Italian the medium: one of curiosity, love, somehow lives for more than three film Constantine, and will display Languages for I pretty much the entire film, with a Her second feature collaboration use of elaborate make-up effects EVE is always believable and never painter, was directed by Derek and generousness. Without the centuries, and changes sex half way again next year in the upcoming few scenes showing her speaking ice-goddess with Guadagnino, A Bigger Splash, and cloudy contact lenses. Swinton cheap – more than can be said for Jarman, and would be the first of attention of Derek Jarman back in through the plot, it is a complex, film Doctor Strange, in which she Am Love Russian. For any usual actor who sees her playing the famous rock clearly delights in messing around most romantic films. The feel good seven collaborations made until the 1980s, the Tilda Swinton we nuanced, convoluted exploration of has not decided whether to play was not brought up bilingual (or star Marianne Lane, and appearing with her appearance, eschewing the ending following some genuinely Jarman’s death in 1994. Resolutely know of today would probably not the messy nature of gender – and her character as male or female. at least learning a second language with great in the latest issue of AnOther traditionally enforced Hollywood sad moments throughout will leave art-house, but completely grounded exist. As she said: ‘he opened the completely unfilmable. At least, Swinton has managed to transcend I Am Love, Luca Guadagnino’s from an early age), such a prospect magazine in character. A Bigger narrative of younger equals better, both of you smiling. in English temperament and history, door with a camera on me, and until Sally Potter came along. Her the binary, showing us all that 2009 film about a Milanese would seem daunting, but Swinton Splash was shown at the London and striking a blow for equality. BEN COLLIER Jarman’s work seemed to perfectly never turned it off ’. Orlando, released in 1992, is one of gender is truly performative. industrial family, saw Swinton took to it like a duck to water, hair Film Festival last month and will FRED FYLES th th PAGE 22 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 23
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TheStyle National Theatreover throws substance the heft of its big inbudget As behind You Shakespeare’s Like classicIt ClassicJean Etienne Liotard’s charm work is aabounds sight for sore eyes at in anew world filled RA with showabstract art
Jenny Lea for a second suggesting that she may Suzanne Curchod is my favourite. Writer live up to the role as Shakespeare’s Seated by a lavishing array of fruit most-developed female lead (albeit and glassware, she looks up as if one that spends half of the play interrupted in her reading, eyes ll the world’s a stage. If dressed as a man). This space(ship) flickering with delight. And what only it was one decked then ascends in one of my favourite a dress she is wearing! Opaque, out by the NT’s set radiant blue heightened with designers for their gouache; intricate, transparent silk production of ‘As You Like It’. A slapstick embroidered on her sleeves. ADirected by Polly Findlay, this In the next room, hanging next to latest performance of Shakespearian each other are the double portraits of comedy gives us a handful of gags, and self- Julie and Issac-Louis de Thellusson. awe-inspiring stagecraft and a The newly-weds stare admiringly soundscape that eclipses both – into each other, faces illuminating but all at the expense of examining aware nature with joy. Beside them, the frail Rosalind and our own gender painting of Princess Louisa-Anne zeitgeist. gazes at me with anxious, curious We walk in to a colour-charged avoids the eyes – a little girl dwarfed by an trading floor and an already bustling oversized dress. Liotard painted cast throwing up some definite Star her hair so soft that it begs to be Trek vibes. Rosalie Craig as Rosalind cringe factor combed. Very few artists can capture surveys her uniformed office drones, such heartbreaking tenderness, and set transitions of all time, as bonsai he succeeded with a humane touch trees fall to the floor and darkness When you find a free computer in labs but someone’s locked it. Photo Credit: Johan Persson rarely found in royal portraitures. Awe-inspiring transports us into a forest of His characters are not social ciphers; dangling desks. There must be a word for the is it an unwritten rule that in all Overall however, a pleasurable Unfortunately, the magical score; a choir nestled in furniture Shakespeare they must attempt as production. A slapstick and self- 250 years stagecraft mystery of the surroundings does not wilderness provide backing for Fra many regional dialects as possible?! aware nature avoids the cringe factor bleed into the dynamics of the two Fre’s magnificent earthy vocals (and In many past performances and that is all too often served with the main characters. Rosalind is quickly jawline). As well as the occasional now. we see a Scot, a Welshman and modernization of a classic tale, but later, his at the reduced to giddiness by Orlando’s owl noise and rain shower, to revert a hybrid of the two, just to make in turn simply not enough was done love, whilst he rarely hints at her once more to my theme of being the 16th Century verse a little more for the audience to leave the theatre sitters are cross-dressing and continues to woo more enamoured by the actors’ difficult. This was all accompanied with “But heavenly Rosalind!” expense of via the age-old correspondence of set than their speeches, the close by Touchstone’s adoption of a resonating in their minds. still alive post-it notes. A seemingly bizarre harmonies were exquisitely judged somewhat Geordie accent. I wonder occurrence considering the text’s and at times could have formed a if Old William was thinking of his Until March 5th at the National Rosalind reliance on homosexuality being piece in itself. likeness to a particular Hairy Biker Theatre’s Olivier Stage with pastel inherently ‘funny’ for comedy. One thing that I have noticed: when writing the play… Tickets from £15 warmth
they are ordinary, likeable people we meet everyday. Why have such works disappeared from public attention? This is a Kieran Hodgson doping his way to the top Jean Etienne Liotard, Portrait of Mrs Jacquet (pastel). Photo Credit: artfund.org question easy to ask, but tricky Max Falkenberg impressions aren’t hugely refined, the world of rowing only leads to answer. Unlike the man Arts Editor but he offers a laid back, engaging set back to a greater, more wonderful laughing, still managed to impress. Guildford is a perfect illustration of himself, Liotard’s works do not which is wonderfully easy watching. reminder of Armstrong’s honest Julia Zhuang Liotard Born in Geneva and trained in verisimilitude. She is garnished with make a proclamation. They were Oddly for a northerner, he sounds ways. A moral tale Hodgson’s Writer Paris, Liotard was one of the most gleaming velvet and lace, diamond commissioned as private collections, n 2003 a young, frail lad from as southern as you can get, but evening is not, but through all the accomplished portraitists of the on her neck sparkles from a distance. treasured by their owners without West Yorkshire had only that doesn’t hold back the endless satire it’s not too hard finding one. catches Enlightenment era. He earned a But is she flattered by the ruthless making a public appearance. His one idol – the great Lance quips on his homeland. Throwing Yet, to use a term I never thought ho, you may ask, reputation for his meticulous pastel depiction of her double chin? I don’t choice of medium, the versatile Armstrong. Inspired by the in musical numbers and a cracking I would, Hodgson is missing his is Jean-Etienne fleeting portraits, and was commissioned in know; I am amused. pastel, gave these paintings vivacity serene, omnipotent cyclist come cameo from Opera, Hodgson has X-factor. Liotard? An royal courts across Europe. Styled There is candour in Liotard’s and luminosity, but also made Ilying bastard, Kieran Hodgson is an eye for picking out the audience’s Although I had great fun, I get eccentric fellow in moments himself in an exotic manner, Liotard seemingly extravagant paintings, them extremely fragile and almost taking the world by storm with his memorable Armstrong moments the feeling that Hodgson’s show just his oriental attire, elongated fingers ‘the Turk’ fuelled the fashion for but it did not set him apart from impossible to transport. completely honest, unadulterated, and he plays on it with ease, but not won’t satisfy our generation. Despite reachW out to something behind turquerie, or Orientalism, that Rembrandt or Durer. In my opinion, Moreover, art is often evaluated dope-free journey. Fun and easy- everyone is quite so tuned in. having grown up with an awareness the curtain. His eyes wrinkled with indulged the European society. Yet Liotard’s speciality lied elsewhere – according to contemporary taste. going, Hodgson’s set is smooth It is funny how a figure like of Armstrong, his story and his from laughter, mouth wide open, nowadays his name only evokes he caught fleeting moments with In a world filled with abstract and and simple, effortlessly offering Armstrong has such a comic actions seem to mean more to revealing a missing tooth. This is my sympathetic unfamiliarity. tender, sympathetic eyes. After controversial art, Liotard’s calm his joyous accounts of cycling’s Not quite Armstrong’s physique but almost... appeal – the jokes seem endless people in their late twenties than to first impression of him. As I glanced “Truth prevailed in all Liotard’s being snared onto vellum for two- contentment may be too subtle favourite bad guy. and continually hilarious. The us. A rubbish reason, I know, but the at those 18th century aristocratic works,” marked an art historian. and-a-half centuries, his sitters to be fully appreciated. Yet there’s The talk of the town since Edinburgh Fringe, Hodgson is road to hitting it big. His brand of aspirations of a young mountain result is that for me Hodgson never elites arrayed on the walls of Royal eyes Indeed, gazing down at me with are still alive with pastel warmth. charm in every portrait – they will his lauded performance at the the latest young comedian on the comedy isn’t wildly smart and his biker and his uninspired stray into hits the heights I was promised. Academy, Liotard’s self-portrait, her imposing look, the Countess of Among them all, the portrait of put up a smile on your face. th th PAGE 24 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 25
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The V&A’s Fabric of IndiaDo reveals trousers stories of culture matter? and politics behind the woven craft
Abhinav Varma of the designs are a testament to Writer a great art that has been lost with In Response to Simone Weil’s Letterby Eoghan to a Priest Totten the advent of machines, but on the other hand, there a sense of great here are those for whom poignancy to our proud exhibitions You lambasted the church for its promulgation fashion excites, fabric of imperfection: The pre-industrial enthrals, and whose lives poppy shawl demanded two days of Of interdiction, a formality blurring are inescapably moulded work from three craftsmen for every by fads and faddism. And then there few inches of fabric, and in this scale Real treasures: if only you had lived to see in areT others who, like me, are content of effort and sheer hard work there to live more or less on the periphery is something other than mechanical of this bustling, chaotic, colourful perfection or a polished finishing to Our times, world; whose fashion choices are appreciate. merely a function of proximity to It is no wonder, then, that fabrics the blight of the world of without, slating an item in the wardrobe. I am only came to represent a microcosm of The veiled divine truth within the dim chapel knaves, too content to flip a coin to match cultural identity – the hopes, dream socks, and wear stripes with plaid. and fears of an entire people. It was Where flickering candles offer hope to men, bring I felt, going into The Fabric of India a stab at immortality, an opportunity w much like the fictional Bertram to preserve for antiquity one’s most Wooster, confessing to his trusted inner identity in a piece of fabric. To Kindling to the pneuma, searing belly’s meat. Save gentleman’s gentleman: “There are use the word ‘antiquity’ may seem moments, Jeeves, when one asks like a venture into hyperbole, but For this mere shadow of mediation, there would oneself, ‘Do trousers matter?’ ” when I stand before a 6000-year- Ultimately, this exhibition was not old piece of Indian fabric excavated Be nought. In times like these, Christ’s rage makes sense: he caved really about India, but about why in Jordon – intact and bursting with fabric matters, on a global scale. colour – it appears as though the art The Indian subcontinent merely of making and decorating fabric has In just the once at the Pharisees’ arrogance, Wood happens to be one of the biggest outlived the majority of literature, players in the game. The first part sculpture, and visual art. Of the word splintering like the merchant’s tables Detail of wall hanging from Gujarat. Photo Credit: V&A of the exhibition focuses on nature. The oldest religious stories have In the temple: the harmonious fulcrum should For all that is materialistic and man- been encoded in fabric, such as the made about the world of garments Kanamaraju epic, the Ramayana, know that more than a thousand describing him as a “half-naked holy and garb, it is inextricably tied to the and the Mahabharata – a 2,500 year years ago, Gujarati block prints An entire man”. Gandhi would hold great natural world for inspiration and for old epic narrative (one of the oldest were a part of daily Egyptian life. spinning-wheel demonstrations Not fall to the sins of men. I’ll take the trick the pillaging. The glorious tone that in the world) that is told and retold Mughal embroidery from the room is where he not only taught the masses Of the church, truth’s mediated whim, over mania. is Indigo – taking its name from through countless metres of cloth. 1600s depicts lilies, derived from to make their own cotton thread ‘India’ – has been extracted from Fabric is also central to Hindu European botanical illustrations, but also galvanised them to revolt. plants for millennia to colour yarn tradition in the form of the sacred while some hangings have cranes, devoted to a The spinning wheel found its place and fabric. And where else could we thread of the priest, the upavita. The pine trees, oriental dragons, and on the flag of the Indian Congress, Photo: The Church in Auvers-sur-Oise by Vincent Van Gogh turn to for the bright exuberant reds cultural identity of Indian Christians intricate waterfalls all reminiscent 17-metre wall the first democratic political but the lac beetle, whose secreted is also preserved in fabric; South of Japanese art. In Japan, Indian party to come into power post- resin is still used these days to make Indian craftsmen drew on imagery under-kimonos were all the fad in hanging independence, and is symbolised by dye? Curiously, there is no efficient from Armenian manuscripts to tell the 1800s, and in the same century the wheel on the flag even today. To natural source for green, a colour Biblical tales. Jain embroideries are European men wore gaudy chintzes this day, the Indian flag continues almost synonymous with nature – embedded with sacred Kusha grass, in public. An entire room is devoted ‘Khadi’ is the name of a type of to be made from hand-woven khadi instead, one combines yellow and and Tibetan lotuses line Buddhist to a 17-metre wall hanging from cloth, but has come to represent cloth. The indigo. prints. Often, words from the Quran rural Gujarat that was found an entire political movement, In these pieces of fabric, there is Before the world of the mechanical are written into the fabric – the so dumped on a New York pavement where the central ideology was nothing less than a microcosm of an Jacquard loom, it was up to the called “Talismanic shirt” was worn twenty years ago outside a Brooklyn that Indians could be self-reliant entire culture, an entire civilisation, talent and craftsmanship of weavers under battle dress and during times warehouse. There is a breathtaking and independent from the highly- and the lasting traces of their most to make exquisite garments. On one of illness. Islamic prayer mats are of serendipity to it all – how did it get priced British clothes (made from beautiful, and most important ideas. hand, the perfection and intricacy great cultural importance because there? How did it get back to the cheaply bought Indian cotton that Overwhelmed by the powerful phoe ix n est. 1887 they facilitate the touching of the V&A? Moreover, there is a sense was exported to Britain to be woven statement of art, culture and the I might forehead to the floor during prayer. of humanity – a tall wall hanging and brought back to be sold at hefty identity made by something as IS BACK! It is hard to imagine religious life depicting European men was made prices). Central to the freedom innocuous as a piece of cloth, I in India without the significance to be hung together with two other struggle was the symbolic act of am forced to consider that there reconsider of fabrics, and this point is driven hangings of Indian men and women, rejecting foreign-made garments is a distinct possibility that when The final issue of this term’s FELIX will feature the Autumn 2015 issue of The Phoenix (hopefully) jam-packed full home rather well. to create via dramatic juxtaposition and wearing only hand-spun, I reach for my coin and fumble my callous One of the biggest sections of the a gallery of human figures. hand-woven fabric. When Gandhi through my wardrobe in the dark, I of the best arty-things Imperial has to offer. We’re looking for paintings, photographs, poetry and short stories. exhibition focuses on trade – there The climax of the exhibition travelled to the United Kingdom, might reconsider my callous pairing seems to be no country that India appears to be with the political he continued to dress in khadi, fully of socks and think to myself that pairing of has not borrowed from, or has not statement made in 1920s India by aware of its symbolism – Churchill perhaps, after all, trousers really do th borrowed from India. Thanks to a certain weaver and cotton-spinner believed that his style of clothing matter. Send in your work to [email protected] by 29 November. socks the miracle of carbon dating, we who went by the name of Gandhi. was akin to political manipulation, V&A until 10 Jan. Tickets from £9. th PAGE 26 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk
ARTS [email protected]
TheBelarus Freescreaming Theatre’s Staging abeaten Revolution coincides voice with ofthe MillionProtest Masks march Art
Max Falkenberg Arts Editor
n my impressive ignorance this week, I went to see the Belarus Free Theatre thinking that Belarus is now a free country. Turns out Belarus is still a fun- Iloving repressive regime, and the BFT’s protest work isn’t just hugely powerful, but also remarkably It is protest art whose voice shouts the loudest and echoes the longest current. In their one-man show ‘Generation Jeans’, BFT’s co- founder and political activist Nikolai Khalezin tells his story of jeans and rock music as a symbol of freedom in Belarus. While the work in itself doesn’t blow me away, the play has a far greater symbolic importance. While the spirit of protest and resistance is embodied across a The line between public order and brutality is thin. How much do we care about what the police is doing? Photo Credit: PA
The first the media carries far greater weight worse when censoring art. That is But as I write this, despite my but much harder to do. Regardless, when delivered through art. Of the why I applaud Nikolai. convictions, I find it hard not to be whether we act or not, art might drowned numerous Chinese dissidents, it is Ai Performed in a secret location as at least a bit cynical. For all the news not confront a regime directly, but Weiwei who is best known globally, part of their ‘Staging a Revolution’ I read, it does so often feel that art it is a constant reminder of what and of all the LGBT campaigners festival, the evening simulated what is treated as a medium for leisure – we are missing, and the issues we’ve Syrian child in Russia, Pussy Riot hold the most it is like consuming art in a repressive insignificant when confronted with forgotten about. traction with the media. There are regime. The crowd assembles at the real global problems. For all the The night I went to see the sparks more but you get the idea – for an undisclosed location before sunflower seeds Ai Weiwei could Belarus Free Theatre, we were some reason art reaches the heights being taken in small groups to the possibly carve, the actual difference in Westminster alongside the of resistance closed off to more performance space. The audience to people’s lives under a repressive ‘Million Masks’ march. As we left outrage, but conventional resistance. are given blankets, soup and a drink regime feels insignificant. Despite the car park, we walked past the Delivered in Belarussian, the and we all squeeze together on the protest anthems of Billy Bragg last remnants of the Met’s kettle. the next falls audience are oddly removed from these long benches. For ‘Generation and co, the wars in the Middle East Looking at the regimes abroad, it ‘Generation Jeans’, but the moral is Jeans’ we’re sitting in a Westminster went on. What does art actually is so easy to feel safe at home, but on deaf ears poignant, touching and provocative. car park. It isn’t exactly flattering, achieve? Is awareness enough? It seeing the Government’s treatment In all honesty, the play in itself but the whole process gives so is because of this that we find it of protesters and the unsettling doesn’t really interest me and in all much more weight to the political so easy to fall into the usual cycle tribal tactics of the police is just a whole spectrum of disciplines and likelihood I won’t remember any of message behind BFT’s production. of disillusionment whereby the reminder of how thin the line is. actions, it is protest art whose voice the details come next year, but there There is a genuine vibe to the event, first drowned Syrian child sparks We can sit back, passive, and let shouts the loudest and echoes the is a standing ovation none the less. a vibe even the few hotspots left in outrage but the next falls on deaf the protest movements walk by, but longest. Peaceful process refined to The content isn’t really crucial, it is London can’t recreate. This isn’t just ears. Will we ever get more engaged, don’t complain when in thirty years a simple, powerful message, it isn’t the attack against freedom of speech one man and his audience, but a I hope so, but I say this with the you’re not happy with the regime immediately obvious but protest in and expression that seems so much powerful communal movement. full knowledge that it’s easy to talk we’ve built. felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13th NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 27
GAMES [email protected] Love, sex, and the internet Nina Freeman’s Cibele is a deeply personal vignette exploring the awkward sensuality of online relationships in your teens
Cale Tilford access to Freeman’s life through Music Editor her desktop; intimate and revealing emails, photos, chat logs, poems, and blog drafts all tell us a little ina Freeman has more about teenage Nina. It feels made a name for incredibly invasive given the herself developing fact that in reality we are rarely weird and wonderful given the chance to look through autobiographical games. Many someone’s personal files. Nof them only take minutes to play; however, in these vignettes, Freeman pushes the boundaries of the medium more than any ten Freeman hour epic has ever been able to do. Much of the appeal of Freeman’s pushes the work stems from her willingness to explore themes that most developers find uncomfortable. Take ‘how do boundaries you DO it’ for example; it’s a game about a young girl trying to work out how sex works by positioning of the two dolls. In ‘Freshman Year’, she Nina Freeman easily wins the award for coolest hair in the gaming industry. Photo Credit: Star Maid Games explores the much more serious medium issue of unwanted attention. For live so much of our lives through interacting with the opposite sex to reflect on my own life quite like some, her games can be triggering screens, we often struggle with in and outside of school. Luckily, ‘Cibele’. or painful, but for others they’re more than real life encounters. These do exist I soon grew out of my social The flirting, sexting and awkward often comforting. in ‘Cibele’ in the form of short in- awkwardness, but like many of compliments that take place online Freeman offers a refreshing game videos. They paint a picture our generation I always found it are no replacement for physical female perspective in an industry any ten of a young women struggling with easy to interact with others online: intimacy. And when we do extend dominated by men. And by her own self-image and sexuality. “It’s easier to talk when you’re not an online relationship beyond focusing on her teenage years and ‘Cibele’ focuses on the awkward looking at someone.” Some of the web, it rarely lives to our time at college, she is always able hour epic interactions and self-confidence my activity online could probably expectations. It’s sad that future to make something that is easy for issues that are intertwined with have been described as creeping, generations might discover their any millennial, regardless of sex, to It’s worrying how much we can online communication and however, after playing ‘Cibele’ and sexuality entirely through the engage with. learn about someone through their relationships. Discovering your seeing Nina Freeman’s experience internet. Her latest game, ‘Cibele’, follows digital presence; we’re moving fast sexuality online in the 21st century as a teenager I now realise this was While Freeman never expresses her online relationship with Blake, towards a world where every other is a far different experience from the norm for a 14 or 15 year old this concern explicitly in ‘Cibele’, a man she met while playing Final thought or communication exists that of our parents. growing up in the internet age. it’s painfully obvious from Fantasy Online. We are given full in a record online. And because we As a teenager, I always struggled Few games have ever caused me the disappointment that her relationship ends The power of sex plays an Few games increasingly important role throughout the game and its ending. But for a piece of work that Nina have ever herself describes as being about sex, the act itself is surprisingly absent. caused I have a lot of respect for Freeman. By putting per own personal experiences in a game she allows me to us to reflect on own lives in ways few games have done in the past. There were many times where I saw reflect on myself in Blake and Nina. There was a moment where I was my own reminded of the first time I told a girl over Facebook that she was “cute” (a fact which she quickly life quite like refuted). A game has never done that to me before. Cibele Cibele by Star Maid Games is But first, let’s take a look a Nina Freeman’s selfies. Photo Credit: Star Maid Games available now on Steam Union Page
Volunteer with Community Connections!
Community Connections is our volunteering service linking Imperial students with the local community through volunteering. Whatever you study or the year you are in, whether you’re an undergraduate or postgraduate, if you have a couple of days to spare each month or just a few hours, if you want to volunteer by yourself or participate in a mass volunteer event, there’s a volunteering opportunity to suit everyone’s interests and timetables.
If you’re interested in volunteering in the community, find out what’s on offer at: imperialcollegeunion.org/volunteering/opportunities
Choose the theme for next year’s Summer Ball!
The Union is currently preparing for the Summer Ball 2016 and we need your help to choose a theme. Last year, we were shaken not stirred by our Bond themed ball. In previous years we’ve been down the rabbit hole with an Alice in Wonderland theme, and entered the Prohibition era.
We listened to what you had to say about the ball in our feedback survey last year and picked the following six themes from your feedback. Let us know what you would prefer out of:
A Superheroes A 1960s/Flower Power A Greek Gods and Goddesses A Cabaret/Casino/Vegas A Rio Carnival A Hollywood
Vote for your theme at: imperialcollegeunion.org/summerball
Get discounted trips throughout the UK with the Union and International Student Support Office
The International Student Support team organise activities that are open to all London Eye and Southbank Market Trip students throughout the year. They have a range of trips on this term and into Saturday 12 December 2015 January. All tickets to trips are discounted, so you can make a great saving! The 11:00 - 15:00 next upcoming events are: Southbank £5.00 (saving £4.50) British Afternoon Tea Cookery Class Wednesday 25 November 2015 Mamma Mia! the Musical 14:00 - 16:00 Wednesday 27 January 2016 St Luke’s Church, Chelsea 19:30 - 22:30 £12.00 (saving £6.00) Novello Theatre £20.00 (saving £5.00) London Christmas Lights Walking Tour Wednesday 9 December 2015 Search for the trip you want to attend to buy your ticket online at: 16:00 - 17:30 London imperialcollegeunion.org/whats-on £5.00 (saving £1.00)
imperialcollegeunion.org felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13th NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 29
PUZZLES [email protected] MiniNonoGram Across 1. Enough clues in fifty puzzles? (12) 9. A small number? I deny it! Reflecting, it’s enough to make you cry (5) 10. Could be one of 49 or 50 — Boatman’s wiser, at last? (4,5) 11. Islamic State overturns Middle East up in arms (7) 12. Refugees from the East taken by 50 states (7) 13. Whether to help, perhaps? Yes, most of the time that’s best (4,6) 15. Some 50%, you see, of what you’re reading (4) 18. Here you’ll get 50 cobblers (4) 19. Gain backing of European (Irish speaker) for old tenants’ association (4,6) 22. Anger about current disorder (7) 24. The facts: old car maker’s failure ultimately having a place in time (7) 25. Shrew put spell on a horse, brought back by Tam’s leadership (9) 26. Camcorders even used in large estates (5) Down 27. Where cliffs erode, ie St Bees Head (6,3,3)
1. Southern song from It’s Immaterial (9) 14. Usually, alcoves in the centre over body of church go 2. Erotic show is loud and a pole and cage is hollow (3,5) up the wall (2,7) 3. For a strong wind, where to put a fireplace (5) 16. He said, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over, Gary” — or I be 4. In poor position from mid-point: fifty-fifty on podium mistaken! (4,5) (3-6) 17. Naughty nature’s seized Fifty Shades of Grey (8) 5. On the ground, it’s felt a number had retreated (6) 18. Slate with a step back on top would let air in (6) 6. Thrust forward with no little power (5) 20. All the same initial odds: below fifty-fifty (4,2) 7. 50% of USSR rejected mysterious perestroika (6) 21. State 50 initial hints at Welsh first eleven (6) 8. The sailors — say 50 — seemingly leave the lastone 23. Woman uses 50% of butter substitutes (5) stranded (6) 24. Fifty-fifty on first of dogs to take rabbit ’ome? (5) Kakuro FUCWIT Fill in the white squares with numbers 1 to 9. Each horizontal Solo Efforts block of squares must ad up to the number above. No number 1st Nicholas Sim 46 may be used more than once in any one block. 2nd Cherry Kwok 40 3rd Ayojedi 18 ForeverSudoku Riddles 4th Jan Xu 13 5th Greg Poyser 12 6th Harry Secrett 10 R1. What kind of room has no 7th Ho Chin 7.5 doors or windows? 8th Sach Patel 6 =9th Grace Chin 3 R2. A truck driver is going =9th Jeremy Ong 3 opposite traffic on a one-way street. A police officer sees him Groups but doesn’t stop him.Why didn’t 1st Gap Yahhhh 28.5 the police officer stop him? 2nd CP FanClub 23 3nd Parmesan 9.5 R3. What is the coolest letter in the alphabet? Points available 16 Kakuro 2 MiniNonoGram 2 Riddles 3 Crossword 4 Sudoku 5
Solutions Email your solutions to fsudoku@imperial. ac.uk before midday on Wednesday! th th PAGE 30 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk felixonline.co.uk FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 PAGE 31 What is going on inside the Blue Cube this week
[email protected] 3 3 What is: Blue ? HANGMAN It really shouldn’t need any introduction by Blue now, but just in case you’re still confused The weekly newsletter of the Faculty Building (or don’t have time to read Blue3 due to NEWS WITHOUT THE NEWS Formerly ‘Blue News’ your highly demanding and vital workload), we’re running a special, compulsory session 3 Hello, hello, hello and welcome back to Blue News! Or, should I say, hello3 for all staff members to explain what Blue Provost Post of and welcome (for the first time) to Blue3 – that’s ‘Blue Cubed’, for all you is and how it’s here for you. mathematically-challenged folks out there! – our all-new newsletter for the Week This session will also include a special members of the Faculty Building. Each week, we like to segment on how to submit content for provide the opportunity for Blue3, including an opportunity to enter That’s right, it’s out with the old and in with the new(s), as we’ve given our one of our Vice Provosts to a competition to win a prestigious slot on write a column on a topic of beloved workhorse newsletter a fresh lick of paint (blue, naturally) and sent ‘Provost Post of the Week’! (Non-Provosts their choice. Providing our it on its merry way into the big, wide world. We do hope you like what we’ve need not apply). staff with the opportunity to done with the place – the lovely boys (and girl!) in Comms assured me that communicate to the masses 3 in such a highly respected Blue will look better than Blue News ever did, and should rightfully claim If you’re interested in any, all, or even none organ as Blue3 is key to our pride of place in Imperial’s arsenal of wonderfully-designed publications of this (attendance is, after all, compulsory), continued commitment to (except that rag Felix, of course). come along to the Boardroom at 1pm on staff development here in the Monday. Cube, which is why we’re very Re-branding and re-vamping is of course something we are very much “all proud to confirm that this column – a popular feature about”, as the kids say here at Imperial. Our ability to continually reshape and Blue3 Launch Party in the old Blue News – will be reform our appearance in the face of unyielding expectations is one of our continuing. proudest assets, and has repeatedly proved essential to our survival. When Of course, what re-launch of any publication confronted with (unjustified) criticism, the capacity to change our appearance, would be complete without a delightful FELIX STAGES SIT IN AGAINST In a fond nod to those and thus change the conversation, is vital to our wonderful successes here at launch party? CORBYN DESPERATELY TRIES TO columns of old, we had tried 3 REDEEM NAME, ‘JEREMY’ UNION CUTS to invite Al Pologies, the Vice Imperial, and I’m pleased as punch to include Blue in this fine tradition. Provost (Arbitrary Excuses), That’s right, we’re taking a few tips from back for another pop at This redesign has been in the works for several months now, with a regrettable the premiere-thing that occured outside the column, but when we delay in publication meaning we missed the start of the undergraduate our local concert hall the other week, and tried to send him an email term (and thus the chance to introduce the wonderful sources of delicious hosting a no-holds-barred, black-tie, red- ([email protected]) we TAURUS CANCER tuition fees to the vital work we do here in the Blue Cube!). However, the carpet gala at the Blue Cube!
GEMINI discovered he’d been involved VIRGO ARIES HOROSCOPES in the latest staff reshuffle, and lovely boys (and girl!) in Comms assured me at the time that this was due LEO had actually been promoted to an unforeseeable issue with the espresso machine vastly restricting their The theme is (naturally) ‘blue’, so make sure to Vice President (Inadequate workflow. Understandable. you’re wearing something blue, or you may Explanations). have a visit from the Vice Provost (Dubious Nonetheless, this delay did give me a chance to discuss Blue3 with my good Design Choices), who also deserves massive In his new role he is thanks for his input into the redesign unfortunately far too busy to friend Xi Jinping (the President of China, for the politically-challenged). When process. This week you are an old man This week, you’re an Oasis fan This week you decide to go This week you are faced with This week you feel wonderful This week you read some be troubled with addressing I told him about our dream of communicating all the vital work we do to the on the moon. Unfortunately, and are furious at John Lewis and try one of the new pizza the unenviable task of writing and you’re looking great. ‘actual’ (we would say customers, I mean students, huddled masses, yearning to pay more tuition fees, Xi laughed heartily. “Alice,” and as such was regrettably Don’t forget your yoga mats! you discover that not only for butchering such a good bases at the union. Whilst the horoscopes (again). You Expect to draw some ‘legitimate’, but that would he said, “I admire your commitment to a state-run press. But why on earth do unable to provide us with a has a small girl been spying song. You decide to occupy there, you discover a large half-heartedly attempt to admiring glances! The only be lying) horoscopes, and you allow those filthy students to publish their own newspaper too?” on you, but so has Theresa the library, but people keep cherry wood carving of the come up with the usual downside to this is that you decide, on a whim, to follow column for this week. May. telling the librarians that Union logo has been added level of barely acceptable, feel stronger than you are. their advice. You are hit by a Al has assured us (via his What’s On outside the Blue you’re playing your music too to the bar. You wonder where poorly formatted wackiness, Eat right, get enough rest, truck and die. PA) that he will certainly be Always one to ask the important questions, is Xi. But when I asked the lovely Cube this week loudly. they got the wood from. but eventually give up and and pace yourself. Look out looking into his current policy boys (and girl!) at Comms, they pointed out that we let the students publish on interacting with the ‘plebs’ 3 just paste in some actual for trucks. that rag Felix so we can print Blue in it for free. Sounds like a good enough We assume that everyone outside the Blue horoscopes. You struggle to at some point in the near-to- SCORPIO AQUARIUS SAGITTARIUS CAPRICORN reason to me! tell the difference. PISCES far future, and will probably Cube will be far too busy rejoicing at the LIBRA get back to us with some sort rebirth of Blue News to be doing anything of answer within the current Have a happy, prosperous, wonderful and collaborative week! else, so as far as we’re concerned nothing of strategic plan. any importance is going on out there. Of course, Al’s hectic work schedule (typical of the hard, Alice Gast: Thought of the Week If you do encounter any Cube outsiders long hours carried out by all (although all staff members should be This week you are incensed by This week you are a cherry This week you are soThis week you are a worker This week you are the new This week, you’re booking of our benevolent leadership “The Blue News of old was often about reminded that it is College policy to what appears to, once again, tree. After seeing your sister overjoyed by the return of in the Faculty Building. You big data observatory thingy an act for the Imperial team) does still leave us without addressing perception issues of the vital work avoiding interacting with all students unless be a bunch of horoscopes tree cruelly felled before your Blue News that you write to notice with some trepidation at the Data Science Institute. West to raise morale at the a column for this week. we do here in the Blue Cube, and some staff absolutely necessary), please do encourage about writing horoscopes. eyes [Ed. - Do trees have Alice Gast to thank her for the return of Blue News, Your computer brain is so new campus. After finding Fortunately, these editors’ members raised concerns with me that it was 3 notes should have filled the them to pick up a copy of Blue , and to You see where this one is eyes?], you are subjected to such a wonderful publication. and are incensed by the full of stuff. Numbers, words, someone on Craigslist you simply acting as a bit of a propaganda for the educate themselves about all the vital work going, and promptly stop a brutal murder at the hands You don’t really get satire, do implication that some of your dates, figures, it’s all too assume to be a cut-price whole thing, so not to worry! Faculty Building. Those staff are sadly no longer we’ve been doing on their behalf. We may reading it. Sucks to be you, of some ‘surgeons’. You are you, hun? meetings feature yoga mats. much. You decide to write magician, you find you’ve Next time, look out for a special with us, but I would like to wholeheartedly the punchline is great. replaced with some weedy Our bad. It’s actually all of it down in a little notebook accidentally hired George column from the Vice Provost encourage anyone with concerns to drop not want to actually talk to them, but that twig that hasn’t got a chance them. instead but the cleaners Osborne. The builders are (Staff Management), Reese doesn’t mean they can’t hear all about our Huffle! me a line at our special complaints address, against drunk rugby boys. throw it away. unimpressed. [email protected].” wonderful lives anyway! th PAGE 32 THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FRIDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2015 felixonline.co.uk
SPORT [email protected] RUGBY: IC hammer East London In a shocking defeat for UEL, Imperial’s 2nd XV return triumphant with a 65-0
Martin Head Writer The
mperial 2s made the journey second half to West Ham on Wednesday to play their 4th match of the season against East London started with University 1st XV. After an easy ride Iso far in the league, Imperial were Imperial hoping for an opposition that would provide some serious competition to test the lads’ capabilities. After the tries, and first few minutes it was clear that this was not going to be the case. All it took were a few good phases and finished with solid line breaks in the opposition 22 for IC to cross the white wash Imperial early on. Imperial were up against a side with big runners, but this threat was tries cut off at source with good tackling from the team all around. We were Towards the end of the match, able to punch some holes ourselves, Imperial were playing against a with big running from the back line. 13-man side after two opposition Captain Gavin Roberts also proved The team had a victory so great, it was almost embarrassing. Photo Credit: ICURFC players went off with injury with no himself very difficult to stop, with one to replace them – perhaps an his small stature and quick legs hard Nominated goal kicker, Kieran side. The second half started with thanks to a solid D all around from unnecessary additional advantage to follow, sometimes even by his Donnelly, had a good game off the Imperial tries, and finished with the boys, and in particular, good for College. To everyone’s relief, the own team. Backs moves flowed well, tee, bar failing to slot one directly Imperial tries. IC finally met some cover tackles from Carlos Sheppard. match was called off five minutes often being finished by the wheels in front of the posts, blaming good competition in the scrums, The forwards played well as a pack, early after two tries in quick on winger Will Goldberg. The rest chat from the opposition for his but after 60 minutes they went being dominant in the lineouts in succession from IC, and that was it. of the game went on in a similar misdemeanour. uncontested following a knock both attack and defence, and also in Final score 65-0. Quite easily the fashion, with four tries completed After the first half, it was clear to the head taken by opposition the scrum with awesome steals from most clinical performance from the by the end of the first half. that Imperial were the dominant hooker. A clean sheet was kept hooker, John Welsh. Imperial 2s so far.
Home fixtures: Wednesday 18th November HOCKEY TENNIS BASKETBALL NETBALL RUGBY UNION
MEN’S 1st MEN’S 1st MEN’S 3rd WOMEN’S 1st (MEDICS) MEN’S 1st vs KENT vs BATH vs SURREY vs KCL vs KENT
WOMEN’S 3rd WOMEN’S 1st WOMEN’S 4th MEN’S 3rd vs MIDDLESEX vs UCL FOOTBALL vs EAST LONDON vs GREENWICH
WOMEN’S 5th (MEDICS) MEN’S 1st WOMEN’S 5th (MEDICS) SQUASH vs ESSEX BADMINTON vs UCL vs SOUTH BANK WOMEN’S 1st MEN’S 2nd (MEDICS) MEN’S 1st WOMEN’S 1st WOMEN’S 6th vs SURREY vs LSE vs SOUTHAMPTON vs LSE vs BUCKINGHAMSHIRE MEN’S 1st MEN’S 4th (MEDICS) WOMEN’S 1st MEN’S 2nd WOMEN’S 8th (MEDICS) vs LSE vs CHICHESTER vs BRIGHTON vs ST MARY’S vs ROYAL HOLLOWAY
MEN’S 3rd (MEDICS) TABLE TENNIS vs SURREY GOLF ULTIMATE FRISBEE FENCING
MEN’S 1st MEN’S 2nd MIXED 1ST WOMEN’S 2nd WOMEN’S 2nd vs KCL vs BRIGHTON vs BRUNEL vs SUSSEX vs SUSSEX