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www.felixonline.co.uk @felixImperial /FelixImperial @imperial.ac.uk Keeping the cat free since 1949 issue no. 1587 November 7th 2014 The Bumper Arts Issue Inside... Imperial announces Felix Arts explores fashion, theatre and radical nudes new fl ying robot lab Arts, page 30 Another

News 3 rugby team Felix is let loose at the MCM Comic Con suspended after Features 12-13 Imperial Twitch Plays Pokemon: six months on Medicals smash coach Games 20

What is the future of window space travel?

PHILIPPA SKETT were travelling to Bristol on their Several sources have alleged that the public. FELIX EDITOR “School’s Tour” last Wednesday student responsible was a first year Said the company on the behaviour when the incident took place. The student, although this is yet to be of the team, “Our supplier has been in double glazed window on the side confirmed. business 40 years and they have never of the coach was smashed with an A source that works for the coach seen anything like it.” edic rugby players have emergency hammer: the inner pane company, Blue Ribbon Network, “We will never book with them been suspended pending was shattered, but the driver was said that the team, as soon as they again.” Minvestigation after only made aware of the damage upon got on board, proceeded to “trash the Blue Ribbon Network said they smashing a window in a moving arriving in Bristol. whole vehicle.” Blue Ribbon Network just want the costs of the damage coach. It is uncertain as to when exactly organises, with other suppliers, to recovered and aren’t interested in The players, members of the the window was smashed, or how provide vehicles for bookings made “pursuing police involvement.” Science 17 Imperial Medicals Rugby Club, fast the coach was going at the time. by students and members of the Continued on page 5 2 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE FELIX This week’s issue... [email protected] Felix Editor Philippa Skett

EDITORIAL TEAM CONTENTS Editor-In-Chief The responsibility of a PHILIPPA SKETT News 3–8 Deputy Editor PHILIP KENT Comment 9–11 Treasurer student THOMAS LIM Features 12–15 Technical Hero LUKE GRANGER-BROWN Science 16–17 his week, another rugby team THIS WEEK’S EDITORIAL if you find yourself under scrutiny has been suspending following from a student media outlet, do try to News Editors Technology 19 Tanother stint of bad behaviour. put forward your take on the events CAROL ANN CHEAH Although this lessened the logistics of too. It might be the only chance you KUNAL WAGLE Games 20–21 arranging our front page (literally, we co-operative, a privilege many other get, as the national media may not be could have just changed the name of student papers don’t enjoy. as kind. Comment Editor Welfare 22 the team from last week’s issue), it is Student Unions at other A prime example of this is the story TESSA DAVEY becoming a much more difficult topic institutions have a habit of meddling we’ve also covered this week of The Technology Editors Film 27–28 for us, as a student paper, to report on. with student , and can Sun looking to pay student papers for JAMIE DUTTON We are aware that these stories reduce them down to an extension incriminating photos of Halloween OSAMA AWARA Food 29 have the potential to go national of their publicity material if they costumes this year. and therefore bring disrepute onto are too careless. The papers cease Again, students “misbehaving” Science Editors LAUREN RATCLIFFE Arts 30–36 Imperial College and Imperial College to function as intended, and harm generate interest, clicks, and money. JAMES BEZER Union as a result. We are also aware the development of the journalistic We have sadder news this week, Fashion 37 that it could have an impact on skillset of the students involved with about the passing of a student this Games Editors those involved, who, although have the publications and also the quality week. We offer our condolences to the MAX EGGL Travel 38–39 remained nameless, may be affiliated of the paper as a whole. family and friends of Tian Wei Chew. CALUM SKENE with the club. It also makes the whole thing a lot We also have some great student Arts Editors Hangman 40–41 As an independent paper, we can’t less fun and a lot more laborious for news in this week’s issue too. Our FRED FYLES refuse to cover stories that are of us. iGEM team came second in their KAMIL McCLELLAND Puzzles 42–43 the public interest. We also can’t We are always keen to put across global synthetic biology competition, be told what stories we shouldn’t the student’s side of the story, as we which is outstanding. Music Editors GRACE RAHMAN C and S 44–46 cover either by the Union or the are students too. Although it may be Therefore it’s a mixed bag of an AMNA ASKARI College. We are lucky that both easier and simpler to let the Union issue this week. Read on and then let Sports 47–48 have been understanding of this and release a statement on your behalf, us know what you think. Television Editors GIULIA GABRIELLI JOHN PARK What’s on this week: Film Editors ELLEN MATHIESON JACK STEADMAN University Challenge JOHN PARK Try Outs Books Editor Nov 10th, 18:30, Hux LT 311 DIANA LUCACI Nov 13th, 18:30, Skemp LT 201 Fashion Editor CECILE BORKHATARIA Do you like fun facts? Do you Food Editor want to go on TV? Or do you CAROL ANN CHEAH just fancy the Paxman? Coffee Break Editors TESSA DAVEY The rst tryout will include ELLEN MATHIESON 60 questions, and the top 16 Travel Editor scorers will make it to the YUNG NAM CHEAH next round. Knowledge and buzzer speeds will be tested. Hangman Editor YOUR MOM Welfare Editors SKETT’S BOX OF SHAME DIBA ESBATI CHANON WONGSATAYANONT Apologies for some mistakes in Clubs and Societies Editor Issue 1586. These were: BEN HOWITT - A photo in Sport was attributed to Sport Editor IC Cross Country, but was provided KUNAL WAGLE by IC Rugby - Last issue, we reported that CCTV COPY EDIT TEAM footage from Heston was released Copy Chiefs to the Union. Although the incident STEPHEN BALL is being investigated, the footage ELLEN MATHIESON itself has not been released directly Copy Editors to the Union. ANNINA SARTOR - Some of puzzles were unsolvable. TOM RIVLIN BEN HOWITT So don’t feel bad if you couldn’t JUNE GAN complete them all. MICHAEL FAGGETTER -Missing off the newest member of MATTIN MIR-TAHMASEBI JASPER MENKUS the Copy Edting team from the list CECILY JOHNSON – sorry Abby. ABBY GOLDBLATT FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF 07.11.2014 3 News [email protected] News Editors Carol Ann Cheah and Kunal Wagle College to build advanced drone lab Philippa Skett welcomes our new lying robotic overlords

mperial is spending £1.25m to College London, who donated the build the most advanced drone £1.25m costs in full. Dr Vasudevan Ilab in the UK. The testing lab is studied Aeronautical Engineering at to be built on the Imperial before completing an MBA campus, as an investment into next from the Harvard Business School, generation robotics, and construction and is now the Founder and Chief of the lab will begin in 2016. Executive officer of Creador, a private The Brahmal Vasudevan Aerial equity firm based in Indonesia, Robotics Lab will be a two-story Malaysia, Singapore and India. structure that will feature workshops Professor Jeff Magee, Dean of the and a working laboratory. The lab Faculty of Engineering, said: “The will be installed on the roof of the Brahmal Vasudevan Aerial Robotics City and Guilds building, and will Lab will be a focal point for our aerial have also teaching facilities for robotics research and education Undergraduates and Postgraduates. activities. It will house a workshop for We also want this facility to a manufacturing aerial robots, and will place for prospective students and feature an arena to put the new flying school children to visit, inspiring robots to the test. There will also be them to become future aeronautical facilities to test the robots in water engineers.” too, which will aid the development Professor , President of robots for search and rescue of Imperial College London, said: missions. “Aerial robotics has a tremendous The aerial arena will have sixteen range of applications, and Imperial is high speed 3D aerial tracking well-equipped to play a pivotal role in cameras, whilst the water tank will this nascent industry. feature a further eight to track Brahmal Vasudevan’s generosity to robots as they swim and dive and vision will allow our students, throughout the water. academics and industrial partners The lab was funded by Dr Brahmal to rapidly advance research and Vasudevan, an alumnus of Imperial innovation in this exciting field.” Could we be seeing flying drones like this all over campus? Photo: patdollard.com

Movember Centre of RAG tells Rugby: ‘We don’t want your junk’ Excellence opens in London KUNAL WAGLE SECTION EDITOR

AEMUN RAZA cancer, which is the most common n light of recent events NEWS REPORTER cancer in men. The centre will bring surrounding Imperial College scientists together to help improve IRugby Club, the RAG committee the lives of men with prostate cancer. chose to remove the team from their arlier this year Imperial College The researchers will look for genetic naked calendar for 2015. London, in collaboration with and cellular signals that can help RAG Chair Ben Fernando said: Ethe Institute of Cancer Research identity high risk patients as well as “Following conversations with the and University College London, those that can help in the selection Union, we made the decision to launched The London Movember process of therapies used in the later pull the photo from the calendar.” Centre of Excellence. The new centre stage of the disease. Fernando said that he held has been created to redefine and Alongside this, the centre will focus discussions with Chris Kaye, Deputy personalise the care given to men on training those who will become the President (Welfare), and Alex Savell, with prostate cancer and was funded future leaders and the drive behind Deputy President (Finance and by the Movember Foundation and prostate cancer research. They hope Services), over the issue. Prostate Cancer UK. to start testing new therapies and However when asked for a According to Movember’s main diagnostic tools within five years. comment, Chris Kaye vehemently website, the main aim of the charity Professor Charlotte Bevan, from denied ever suggesting removing the is to raise awareness and funds in the Department of Surgery and picture to RAG. order to change the face of men’s Cancer at Imperial, said: “The Centre The picture was taken last Thursday health. Each year thousands of males will enable scientists and clinicians evening, with the decision to pull grow moustaches in the month of from each of the three partner the picture taken later in the night. November to spark conversation and institutes to work together to really Fernando said that whilst it may have Taken from the Rugby Centrefold in Issue 1583 Photo: Felix to generate donations towards the make an impact. resulted in bad publicity, but it was a Movember charity fund. Movember It is a great vision that Movember strong response from the Union. It was subsequently posted on finalise these as soon as possible. We and Prostate Cancer UK are investing and Prostate Cancer UK have, to It has since transpired that a Facebook, and has now gained more now have a month available if anyone a total of £10 million over five years bring together complementary member of the committee released than 200 ‘likes’. else is interested.” in the London centre. expertise to expedite results and the photo to the team, allegedly Fernando concluded by saying: “We It was undecided which month One of the main aims of the charity change for patients and we are excited without the permission of Ben thank all the other sports teams for Rugby would have taken in the is to raise awareness of Prostate about being part of it.” Fernando. offering to participate and we look to calendar. 4 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX News [email protected] News Editors Carol Ann Cheah and Kunal Wagle The Sun offers money for “Jihadi John” photos Carol Ann Cheah on the paper offering money for bad taste costume photos

he Sun has now come under were disgusted by this request, as fire from various student Alan Henning hailed from Greater Tunions, after it emerged that and his death had been their reporters have offered money in a huge shock to them. “We felt that exchange for images of controversial they were trying to misrepresent Halloween costumes. students, by trying to get us to send Editors at a number of university something that would not only make newspapers have since spoken out, students look bad but that would also claiming that “thousands of pounds” be completely insensitive, especially and “a potential front page spot” for Manchester students. Manchester were offered for pictures of students students have been very affected by dressed (amongst other offensive Alan Henning’s execution.” costume ideas) as “Jihadi John”, the Officials from the University British member of ISIS responsible of Manchester’s Student Union for several beheadings this year. have unanimously condemned Publications that were contacted the tabloid’s actions, with general by The Sun include bathimpact at the secretary Charlotte Cook issuing University of Bath, at the statement: “We have a zero- University, at Bristol tolerance approach towards offensive University, and Mancunion at the outfits at the Union to ensure we are . maintaining a safe space for all our Speaking to , Gráinne members. Morrison, one of the editors at the “However, undoubtedly somewhere Mancunion, told of how the editor- across the country people will choose in-chief at her paper received a to wear inappropriate costumes. For phone call from a female reporter The Sun to purposefully have students Two girls dressed as the World Trade Centre during 9/11, as reported in The Sun. Photo: The Sun at The Sun, who made the offer for out witch-hunting for this minority pictures of “Jihadi John” costumes or in order to completely misrepresent as stupid – based on the actions of a depicting the World Trade Center’s newspapers to see if they had photos those of Alan Henning, the Salford students as a whole is disgraceful.” few. We wouldn’t want to sell out the Twin Towers being destroyed in the that they might want to share with resident who was killed by Isis at Also speaking to The Guardian, whole student body like that.” 9/11 terror attacks. the newspaper. We categorically the beginning of October. “They Ben Butcher from bathimpact said This is not the first time that The A spokesperson for News deny any suggestion that money implied that if we could make that that “we were told that pictures of Sun has courted student Halloween International issued the following was offered to construct or fake a happen, they would reward us and if ‘Jihadi Johns’ would be a front-page costume controversy. Last year, the statement: “The Sun was aware that photograph. we wanted to go even further, there story, but ebola victims would also tabloid had published photos of there were Halloween parties taking “Approaching other publications would be even more reward.” be good. They said a substantial two students from the University place on student campuses, with is a legitimate and often practiced Morrison expressed how the financial reward would be offered. of Chester, who won a nightclub reports of some interesting choices journalism request which we stand Manchester student community They wanted to portray all students fancy dress competition with outfits of costumes, and was calling student by.”

Mail on Sunday “investigation” on human tissue use at Imperial “highly misleading”

PHILIPPA SKETT described how limbs are regularly FELIX EDITOR transported to the test centre, but highlighted that the College were not answering The Mail on Sunday’s questions as to whether or not the n “investigation” into the use limbs are donated specifically for of human tissues at Imperial military tests. Aby The Mail on Sunday has The college released a press been condemned by the College and statement this morning, hitting back the Royal British Legion Centre. at the article. The College said that, The investigation, outlined in an “All human tissue used in the course article posted by The Mail on Sunday, of research at the Centre – whether detailed how “Human remains are from the UK or overseas – has been being used in secretive weapons tests donated to medical science, with funded by the sale of Remembrance full informed consent, by either the Prince Harry opens the centre for Blast Injury Studies last year Photo: Imperial College London Sunday poppies,” at the Royal donor or their relatives.” British Legion Centre for Blast College also addressed the Information request.” Sunday to term this as a “macabre that looks to reduce the effects of Injury Studies (CBIS), located on the accusations made by the article The Royal British Legion, a trade in human legs and feet” roadside bombs and Improvised South Kensington campus. about refusing to answer questions, partner with Imperial College, also is sensational, false, and deeply Explosive Devices (IEDs). The article went on to describe how saying that “The College has not announced that it “[Deplored] The offensive.” The centre is funded partly by “legs, feet, and possibly other body refused to name tissue suppliers. Mail on Sunday’s cynical attempt The Royal British Legion for Blast the Royal British Legion, a charity parts,” are being imported from “As the journalist has known since to discredit our funding of vital Injury Studies opened last October. that provides welfare for the Armed America, and then “destroyed in Wednesday 29 October, his inquiry scientific research.” The RBL went His Royal Highness Prince Harry Forces. It recieves donations through gruesome experiments.” The article is being handled as a Freedom of on to say that “For The Mail on officially opened the research centre, the sale of poppies every year. FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 5 News [email protected] News Editors Carol Ann Cheah and Kunal Wagle Rugby player smashes coach window with hammer during School’s Tour

PHILIPPA SKETT FELIX EDITOR

Continued from the front page

The coach was originally booked to take the team to a match in Birmingham, but an injured player on the Birmingham rugby team meant Birmingham weren’t able to play. The team were instead picked up from Apollo at around 18:00 on Wednesday evening (29th October) and taken straight to Bristol. found out about the incident the following morning around 08:00, and by midday the whole of Imperial Medicals were suspended and told to return home as early as possible. The rugby team has already paid £5000 towards the costs of the damages done on the coach, as a “gesture”, although this is unlikely to cover all of the losses made by the company. The £5000 is thought to have come from the pockets of members themselves, and any further costs will have to be covered by the funds held by the team as a whole. The window alone has cost £2500 to replace and the bus was rendered unusable for a week. The company is also keen to recover any loss of earnings that could have been made during this period. After incorporating other damages done to the coach, alongside the loss of earnings from having to take the vehicle off the road, the source from the company said that the total damages would be closer to £10,000. The team paid £850 for the coach hire and a further £500 to travel back to Bristol on Thursday evening. The coach company told Felix that the Imperial Medicals would struggle to book a coach in the future. “They’ve been blacklisted with every company in the industry. “No-one will let them hire a vehicle, and we will certainly be turning them away in the future.” The window was smashed from the inside, allegedly with an emergency hammer. Photo credit: Blogspot The Imperial Medicals declined to comment. District Line train. With two of the will be made during an emergency ‘harsh’. I therefore feel it would be an or activity will be forfeited, with no The tour, known as The School’s main rugby teams now suspended, it meeting of the Board of Trustees appropriate time to remind everyone compensation. Tour, takes place during October has not been confirmed that Governance Committee on Tuesday of the law. Drinking on public “BUCS points, money, or ‘tradition' every year. The team initially will continue as in previous years 11 November.” transport is illegal. Appearing naked bear no relation to the extent of planned to return on the 31st in with IC Rugby playing the Imperial Tom Wheeler also sent an email in a public place is illegal. Drinking discipline that can and will be time for the Halloween Bop at the Medicals. to all Club Officers on Monday, in a minibus is illegal. administered… Poor behaviour has Reynolds Bar. Tickets for the tour Imperial College Union President, reminding students of the “To make it absolutely clear, never been acceptable and will no were priced at £75 per person. Tom Wheeler, gave Felix the consequences of such anti-social Alex, Abi and I will suspend any longer be tolerated. This follows on from the incidents following statement on the future behaviour. Club or Team the moment that a “I am not exaggerating when I say that also took place last Wednesday of the Imperial Medicals: “I have led “It gravely concerns me that these confirmed report is received. A that if there is another event similar with the Imperial College Rugby an investigation into the incidents activities are considered acceptable thorough investigation will then to those of the previous week, the team, who were seen to be stripping regarding the Imperial College and that the sanctions that I am be carried out; and this could take future of student-led, independent on tube platforms and disrupted a Medicals Rugby Club and a decision administering are considered weeks. Every missed fixture, booking activity is at risk of cessation.” 6 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX News [email protected] News Editors Carol Ann Cheah and Kunal Wagle Imperial iGEM team come second in the world Philippa Skett talks to the team on their synthetic biology triumph

he International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) Tcompetition saw our own Imperial team receive a number of awards at the Global Jamboree this week. The competition sees teams from hundreds of Universities bioengineer products using synthetic biology techniques and pits their ideas against each other in a giant conference held in the USA. The Global Jamboree, held in Boston, Massachusetts, took place last week from October 30th to November the 3rd, and 245 University teams took part. It marked the tenth anniversary of the iGEM competition. Universities from all over the world enter the competition; there were 82 teams from Asia, 67 from Europe, 14 from Latin America and 84 teams from North America. Imperial’s team won multiple prizes including Best Part Collection (that recognised the use of additional elements that are added to products, like fluorescent or metal elements), Best Manufacturing Project, and are were finalists in the Undergraduate category; they came number two in the World, second to a team in Germany, Heidelberg, which presented a “highly technical” project on proteins. The Imperial iGEM 2014 team project, called Aqualose, consisted of Undergraduates from various The contestants at the Jamboree in Boston, USA. Imperial won a number of awards at the event. Photo: iGEM departments across Imperial. The team of nine students and their the team, “The team were great to important at Imperial too is ‘Saving marked the tenth anniversary of the Many of the team members are still supervisor, Ben Reeve, a PhD student, work with and work incredibly hard, the World’. We wanted to develop an competition, and allowed all teams stateside, enjoying New York and overseen by the Centre of Synthetic considering all their big results came idea that is accessible to people and from all stages of the competition to socializing with the other teams now Biology and Innovation, spent the in the last two months. something people on the street would attend. In previous years, only those the competition has ended. summer in the lab working on their “They put in an amazing amount appreciate.” that pass a regional round make it to They are also enjoying looking project, and then pitched their idea of time and effort over the summer. Of their trip to Boston, Michael the Boston conference. around Biology labs in New York, as at the Jamboree in front of the other They were so enthusiastic and kept told us how the work didn’t stop once Gabriella told us, “It was great that apparently a whole summer working competing teams. smiling the entire time.” they arrived. “We arrived during all the teams were competing at once, in labs was not enough for this The team focused on manipulating “They were working with a tangible Halloween and managed to squeeze so we could see everyone’s projects. hardworking team. bacterial cellulose to produce water product you could hold in your hand, in a party then! Some projects wouldn’t have made The results of the project will be filter membranes. Upon genetically and this was handed out during the “We also spoke to a lot of other it out of the regionals due to time used in the future as a foundation for modifying Escherichia coli to produce presentation at Boston, which was teams there and it was great to be able constraints and other elements out of further research, such as the genomes the bacterial cellulose, they were exciting. We are very proud of their to discuss ideas.” their control, but still are based on a the team sequenced from the bacteria able to mass-produce the cellulose success.” The iGEM Giant Jamboree great idea that is worth sharing.” that created the cellulose. that could be used to augment water Felix spoke to two of the team recycling on a local and industrial members: Michael Florea who studies scale. They modified the cellulose Biology, and Gabriella Santosa who with binding proteins, allowing studies Biochemistry. Michael told different contaminants to be filtered us about how they came up with the out of water as needed. idea. The Imperial teams have “We started the project in July, traditionally done very well in the and spent about three weeks past in the iGEM competition, with brainstorming ideas. We had three the team last year reaching the final main ideas, and our supervisor helped stages and coming second runners us pick one that really fit with the up. The 2011 team were the European criteria of the competition. champions, and came in as the first We finally set on an idea everyone runners up overall. was happy with, and one that was Dr Tom Ellis, a Senior Lecturer feasible in the time scale we had.” in the Centre for Synthetic Biology Gabriella said: “One of the big and Innovation and a Supervisor of ideas behind iGEM and one that is FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 7 News [email protected] News Editors Carol Ann Cheah and Kunal Wagle Imperial lecturers in Felix pays marking boycott tribute to Tian Wei CAROL ANN CHEAH consists of pre-1992 universities such normal. Representatives from UCU outlined how 25% of pay would SECTION EDITOR as Oxbridge and those in the Russell are due to meet with UUK staff to be withheld from staff who chose Group. This involves the academic resume negotiations on the 7th of to take part in the boycott. It Chew union’s members ceasing to carry November. did, however, allow members the ollowing a breakdown in out all work relating to setting and The pension cuts, which are option to maintain full pension Felix has recently learnt of the negotiations regarding marking any assessed coursework. In currently being disputed, were contributions, as long as they gave passing of Tian Wei Chew, one of Fpension reforms between a UCU briefing pamphlet to students, proposed in order to make up a deficit written notice of intent to take part Imperial College London’s newest Universities UK (UUK) and academic it was mentioned that this “covers any in the USS pension pot, which stands in the boycott at least three working alumni, on the 2nd of November staff under the Universities setting or marking which contributes at £8bn. Explanations given by the days in advance of the first day of 2014. As of going to print, the Superannuation Scheme (USS), to the award or classification of UUK describe the USS scheme as it action. circumstances surrounding Mr members of the University and any degree, certificate, diploma or currently stands as “unaffordable”, The statement mentions the Chew’s death have yet to be made College Union (UCU) commenced any other academic or professional citing an actuarial valuation carried following: “Imperial is committed known. “industrial action short of a strike” on qualification. It also covers out by the trustees of the USS in to providing our talented students This is extremely tragic news the 6th of November, which involved progression from one stage of study March – a process that weighed with an outstanding education and and we extend our deepest a marking boycott. to the next.” up the value of the scheme’s assets any action having a detrimental condolences to Tian Wei’s family, A total of 69 institutions across There is as of yet no proposed against the amount needed to pay impact on their experience is neither friends and coursemates. the UK (including Imperial) took end date to this industrial action; pension rights already accrued, which an appropriate nor effective route to A fully-funded scholar under part in said boycott, which mostly teaching, however, will proceed as uncovered the shortfall. resolve a dispute about staff pension the Singaporean government’s It also warned that this deficit is benefits.” Agency for Science, Technology volatile, and that according to the As of present it is unknown and Research (A*STAR), Tian Wei Employers Pensions Forum (EPF), whether all Imperial College UCU recently graduated with a First in academic institutions would need members across all departments are BSc Biochemistry. Peers described to increase contributions by nine taking part in said marking boycott; him as an “incredibly helpful percentage points to 25% if reforms however to Felix’s knowledge, friend/senior” and an “amazingly aren’t introduced. EPF estimates that both the Mathematics and EEE humble and kind” individual, with this would cost institutions £6m a departments have issued email many taking to his Facebook page year and would result in job cuts, pay announcements to their respective to leave their tributes. freezes and recruitment freezes at students. A Union spokesperson on the universities nationwide. The email from Professor Trustee Board said: Tian Wei was a The UCU has called into question Jonathan Mestel, the Mathematics bright, passionate and extremely the methodology used to calculate department’s Director of competent young man with a real these proposals, with the University Undergraduate Studies (DUGS), wanting to contribute to the wider of Warwick voicing concern that stated that “...it is only with great student population through his the proposals could make it harder reluctance that lecturers would roles he undertook in the Union, for pre-1992 institutions to attract do this, and it is indicative of the with the last of these being one and retain staff. Similarly, the strength of opinion... I would like of the Union’s i rst Appointed University of has labelled the to apologise for the situation that Student Trustees. information, produced by the UUK has arisen, though it is outside our “Our condolences go to Tian Wei’s to explain the pension reforms, as control.” family and friends at the sad time. highly misleading. he email announcement that was His contribution to both the Union Union members had taken part in sent by College management to the and wider Imperial community a ballot on the 1st of October, with academic union members, citing will be remembered fondly.” 78% of voters opting for strike action that “in my view, this was a very CAROL ANN CHEAH and 87% voting for action short of a unhelpful letter from the College, strike, which included the marking whose tone was deeply resented by boycott. Turnout was at 45%, the several of your lecturers. Though highest in a national higher education I’m sure it was sent to try to reduce ballot since the formation of UCU. disruption to your studies, I suspect The UCU has also criticised UUK the effect will be the opposite - for not presenting a greater variety people do not in my experience react of alternatives, with its general well to coercion.” secretary, Sally Hunt, commenting Detailed guidelines on how on how “the employers’ response assessments would be affected for to the ballot was to insist that their all Mathematics modules were also proposals were the best that could be set out in the email, which includes achieved and they made it clear that provisions for lecturers to re- they considered the negotiations to be designate any assessed coursework over before they had even begun.” that were intended to form a small In response to the call for contribution of the overall course industrial action, Imperial College mark as “non assessed exercises”. London’s management sent an email Conversely, the email from Dr announcement to all UCU members Kristel Fobelets, the EEE DUGS, was in College on Friday 31 October, a shorter affair. It included links to which has since been released on student-targeted briefing statements the College homepage. Penned by drafted by the UCU and a link to the SPONSORED EDITORIAL Louise Lindsay, Director of Human College’s statement on salary cuts Resources, the announcement for union members who took action. 8 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX World News [email protected] News Editors Carol Ann Cheah and Kunal Wagle US Midterm vote disaster for Obama Kunal Wagle reports as Republicans are voted into control of the Senate

n Tuesday night the middle class.” Republicans took a majority The North America editor for the Oin the Senate in the mid- BBC, Jon Sopel, said in his analysis term elections in the United of the elections that “Barack Obama States. This, along with their didn’t exactly become history last strengthening majority in the House night, but he may have just stopped of Representatives, means that the being the man who sets the political Republican party now has control weather.” He also added that “The over both houses for the first time Republicans won. And won big. If this since 2006. The results will come as were basketball, then we’d be saying a hammer blow to Barack Obama, they had a slam dunk of a night.” who now faces an uphill battle to pass Other developments in the any legislation, including the budget, election included the first black through Capitol Hill. Republican female in the House of Republican Senator Mitch Representatives in Mia Love. George McConnell said the result was a vote P Bush, grandson of George H W against “a government people can Bush and nephew of George W Bush Antares Rocket taking off Photo: Associated Press no longer trust”. Mr McConnell, (both former Presidents), was elected who won a close (and key) race in the Texas Land Commissioner. Kentucky over Democrat Alison Michael Grimm, who is currently Lundergan Grimes, will now be the under federal indictment for fraud, Senate majority leader, which gives was re-elected to the House of him control over the legislative Representatives. agenda of the chamber. Voters in Oregon and Washington Speaking in his victory speech, Mr DC voted to legalise cannabis. Florida McConnell said: “I don’t expect the rejected a proposal for medical President to wake up tomorrow and marijuana, whilst South Dakota, view the world any differently than Arkansas, and Nebraska approved he did when he woke up this morning. increases in the minimum wage. He knows I won’t either. Mr Obama now faces a tough final “But we do have an obligation to two years in power, as he tries to deal work together on issues where we can with the worst midterm result for an agree.” incumbent two-term President since In a concession speech, current the Second World War. Majority Leader Harry Reid said that He was also sidelined during “the message from voters is clear – campaigning, as Democrats decided they want us to work together. I look that Hillary and Bill Clinton would be forward to working with Senator more suitable to plead the party’s case McConnell to get things done for the to the nation. Barack Obama faces a tough final two years in power Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP

Weird and wonderful stories from around the globe £1,000,000 ex-council lat sold in Chelsea TURKEY: A Turkish hair removal denied that the toilet exploded, company used an image of alleged saying instead that it was sinks in 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh the toilet. So, the question we are PHILIP KENT years (amongst other requirements) June Woodward, 61, who works as an Mohammed in their advert. The asking, is why was there human DEPUTY EDITOR can buy their property from the administrator spoke to The Sun on picture was accompanied by the waste in the aisles? Get your shit authority at a discounted rate. New Sunday about her recent property caption “That hair will not shed together Virgin Australia. homeowners in many cases still windfall: “The increase is incredible. itself”. Company representative remain liable for service charges Right to buy was a great way of Mehmet Can Yildiz insisted that NEW YORK: The CNBC Presenter flat on Kings Road, Chelsea, should they be in a block of flats. getting on the property ladder and it “We didn’t know he was a terrorist. Joe Kernen, when interviewing has become the first ex- The scheme is intended to help is leaving the family with £1million.” The guy is quite hairy, so we IDA Ireland boss Martin Shanahan, Acouncil flat to sell for near people make their first steps onto the The property, which has increased thought his body was a good it apparently “forgot” that the £1 million. The flat, which has three property ladder. in value by around 10 times in real for our ad.” The agency took the Republic of Ireland is not part of bedrooms as well as a communal Under legislation, local authorities terms, is one of many indicators of picture from social media. the . There was courtyard, was bought by its former are also required to replace every how the London property market has a discussion where Kernen asked owners under the “Right to Buy” property sold under a “like-for-like” behaved in recent months. A recent : A Virgin Australia Shanahan why Ireland uses the scheme in 1989 for the grand total basis, therefore ensuring that there study by estate agents JLL have flight from Los Angeles to Sydney Euro and not the Pound Sterling. of £48,000 (equivalent to around isn’t a reduction in council houses predicted a 30% growth in prices was forced to return to America He said, upon inding out that £110,000 in today’s prices), but has over time. by 2019 for the capital, with prices after a toilet “exploded”. Passenger Northern Ireland is part of the recently sold for £999,950. The former resident, who stands already having increased by 50% Julia Malley said “We could see United Kingdom, “you guys gotta Under the scheme, introduced by to make a near £950,000 profit on since 2008. it [human waste] go through the get it together.” former Conservative Prime Minister the sale, has previously lived in the Just over a mile away from aisles - it was very obvious”. A Margaret Thatcher in 1980, tenants property since renting it from the the property is the world’s most spokesman for Virgin Australia KUNAL WAGLE who have rented a property from Royal Borough of Kensington and expensive flat, which sold for £140 their local authority for a number of Chelsea since the 1970s. The resident, million last year. FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 9 Comment [email protected] Comment Editor Tessa Davey Free speech, censorship, and backbone for the easily offended

hy bother writing an article about free speech Wtoday in Britain? We no longer ban books – surely freedom of speech is a concern of the past. Unfortunately that is not the case. Just last month, the Barbican planned to launch an art exhibition based on a ‘human zoo’ of the type that were common for wealthy Europeans to view right up until just over a hundred years ago. It contained EMMA WILLS black actors chained and in cages, COMMENT WRITER who were to keep eye contact with the visitors as they entered one by one into the gallery. It was intended to be a reminder of the imperialism and slavery that were realities not so long ago in this country, as well as to start a discussion about the continued exploitation of Africa’s resources today. However, due to a protest and petition, the exhibit was seen as too offensive and never opened. Would anyone really have walked around what was clearly meant to be an uncomfortable and shocking spectacle and thought ‘yep, slavery was a great idea’? Who are these people who are so easily offended, or so easily led that an art exhibit they voluntarily signed up to see would have caused them to do anything other than reflect on Is this too offensive? Photo: Guardian some of the more awful parts of our history? prevent them finding followers, “foundational freedom upon which This is not a one-off example. It when anyone can have a blog, or get every other right we enjoy – from is true that we no longer have to access to some truly vile internet the right to vote to the right to fear government censorship, but communities where any horrible protest – is built. Without the censorship of a much more dangerous opinion you happen to be tempted by freedom to think, write, publish, kind is on the rise. We are censoring will be endorsed. depict, and debate as we see fit, all ourselves for fear of causing offense. Restriction of debate on any our political and social rights become This applies particularly to issue implies that what people are meaningless.” Universities. They are meant to be saying in opposition is so powerful A couple of weekends ago at places of discussion where all ideas or distressing or significant that it the Battle of Ideas, an event can be openly talked about. Instead, simply cannot be discussed. It implies that champions open debate, the National Union of Students and that the ‘acceptable’ opinion is flimsy WORLDwrites, a citizen TV charity, individual Universities themselves and cannot stand up to argument. launched a free speech helpline. It are regularly banning things that This is why we need to be sensible doesn’t offer sympathy or counselling they deem offensive, partly through in public life, at University and for those offended though - it is the No-Platform policy, which elsewhere, and trust people to be able intended for people who don’t want allows Student Unions to ban people to have healthy debates on difficult to be victims, and offers backbone. "...surely it with views they deem unacceptable issues. Helpline organiser Marisa Pereira from speaking at events around the This is a difficult topic. Most people said: “The Free Speech Helpline will would be better university. have a place where they would find encourage people to stand up for The idea of such a policy, no it easy to draw the line and refuse to themselves. The curtailment of free to challenge matter the good intentions behind it, hear other’s opinions – be it at the speech is so often justified today on completely misses the point of why idea of a pro-life stand at a Freshers’ the basis we are all too vulnerable to that speaker freedom of speech is so vital. Even if Fair, someone suggesting that a rape "...it is cope with it, especially women and the speaker banned was a ludicrous victim brought it on themselves, or minorities. But this does no one any openly rather sexist who came to the university someone tweeting abuse at Madeleine intended favours – it just drives backward to actively promote sexism, surely McCann’s parents. Accepting free for people ideas underground, leaving them than to push it would be better to challenge that "We are speech means that you are going to who don't unchallenged.” speaker openly rather than push censoring encounter the most horrific opinions. want Free speech does mean uncomfortable uncomfortable truths into the dark, ourselves However, censoring it, sending people encountering deeply unpleasant where they don’t go away. to jail for what is just an opinion can to be opinions, and questioning your own truths into the Some people are racist, sexist, for fear only lead to worse things. victims, worldview, but it’s the only option homophobic etc. Stopping them of causing As Spiked, an online magazine and offers there is in a truly democratic society. dark" saying it in some areas of the public offense" that runs a campaign for freedom The Free Speech Helpline is available isn’t going to stop that. It won’t even of speech says, free speech is the backbone" on 0208 525 7912. 10 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Comment [email protected] Comment Editor Tessa Davey Poppies will put them to sleep Christy Kelly examines whether poppies are an appropriate symbol of remembrance

ecall the scene from the analgesic applied to the wounds and Wizard of Oz where the sores of the civic body allowing the RWicked Witch of the West state behemoth to lumber onwards. hinders the progress of Dorothy Arguments about the evacuation of and company by sending them to (moral) responsibility which charity sleep in a field of poppies. Does this allows the state, or the general not encapsulate a basic – symbolic deficiencies of social palliatives are – truth about these flowers? Pace common enough and do not need John McCrae of In Flanders Fields reiterating here; I simply mention fame, the soporific effect of the plant them to indicate my broad sympathy has been attested to since antiquity with these positions. Nor do I want and has so associated itself with to dwell too long on Alan Bennett’s the drug that it wormed its way pithy remark about the cenotaphs into the Latinate nomenclature: and the respectful silences, those Papaver Somniferum. In fact, the great mute obelisks of reified grief: remembrance poppies are of a their true message is not lest we different species to their brethren – forget, but lest we remember. A source of the opiates – but forgive me minute of respect is easy enough, and if I dismiss this as pedantry (outside in return we are relieved for a year the field of botany where it is no of – in the words of Karl Marx – “the A sysmbol of rememberance, or a reminder of a chequered past? Photo: doubt important). traditions of past generations [which] For the poppy is today as anodyne weigh like a nightmare on the minds Wars. The First Opium War saw the the effects were not wholly negative: the first great modern conflagration, as the charities it represents. Who of the living.” Is it not ironic that most vulgar expression of British India’s trade surpluses were siphoned and as such it was a great leveller: seriously dismisses the heroism of the poppy serves as the symbol for gunboat diplomacy, ‘freely’ allowing off by the British through ‘Home the slaughter was, for the first time, the soldiers butchered in the great this collective dulling of our critical the Chinese people to consume this Charges’. These surpluses came from largely classless. European slaughter of a century consciousness? deadly drug. first from cotton and second from the We recognise the genuine trauma ago? Who can deny the living ex- Poppies, however, have a more Incidentally, the Opium War was opium – a state monopoly – which that this war caused on our historical servicemen and women their right chequered past. Heroin, of course, is certainly a necessary condition of ended up in China. consciousness; how could we not? But to support? Who, in a word, would still derived from its seeds, but surely the devastating Taiping Rebellion in How can we reconcile this deadly the poppy is an ambivalent symbol; refuse to buy a poppy? the greatest destruction wreaked by which some 20 million people died. legacy – and deadly it was – with the hecatombs of the poor of the And yet. When I say charity the plant. This honour goes to the The destruction caused by the drug the poppies’ pacific legacy? I would colonised ‘East’ are left faint behind is anodyne, I mean just that: an devastating effects of the Opium itself is incalculable. But fortunately simply suggest we can’t. WWI was the iridescence of the poppy’s petals. The Midterms: Why every red cloud has a blue lining

NATHANIEL GALLOP he votes have been cast, number of already present red seats; COMMENT WRITER the results are in, and brimming Republican campaign Tthe outcome is far from coffers; and an uphill battle against unexpected. The Democrats have continuous Congressional gridlock, been unceremoniously kicked out of the Democrats loss of the Senate Capitol Hill. and House was all but a political For Obama, Clinton, and their certainty. The odds, as they say, were supporters, the impending cession of never in their favour. control of both the House and Senate Now the ball is squarely in the to the Republican Party has been court of the GOP. They are in control akin to witnessing a train crash in of policy making in DC and the slow motion: they could do nothing brazen obstructionism that has been but stand helplessly as the caucus the clarion call of their previous A fight or a careful balancing act? Photo: CNN slowly and inexorably steamed years will help them no more. They towards its calamitous eventuality. It will have to suggest alternatives, much an easy stroll as it is a tightrope tiresome political paralysis that has "To begin with, was never a question of: “Are we going put through legislation, and make walk. They must balance the wishes plagued the Capitol Hill from the to win the midterms?” but rather good on their various threats of of the Tea Party and hard-line outset of the Obama administration, losing seats in “how badly will we lose them?’” impeachment and prosecution. conservatives with harsh political only now with a new party to direct Fortunately for the Democrats, In post-shutdown America, such realities and an ever-sceptical pool their frustrations at in two years’ Congress this losing Congress is not nearly as bad as grandstanding is likely to alienate of independent voters. Attempts will time. it would seem. potential 2016 voters, while failure be made to repeal the Affordable In the end, all that is left for the late in one's To begin with, losing seats in to do so would incur the wrath of Care act, to deport undocumented Democrats in the House and Senate Congress this late in one’s Presidency the Tea Party, who will not be truly immigrants, and to push forward to do is to sit back, relax, and gather Presidency is is practically a given. Since 1934, satisfied until Obama’s head is firmly with Keystone XL with the full political ammunition for 2016. The virtually every two-term president mounted on a stake on the steps of knowledge that every single measure Republican Party, whether they are practically a has lost seats in both the Senate the Capitol. is likely to fail. If they do not die on ready or not, will have to tread their and the House (with Clinton in The way road to 2016 for Boehner, Capitol Hill, then they will die on new political tightrope very carefully. given." 1998 being the sole exception). McConnell, and the remainder of the the desk of the president. The result It is, after all, a very long way Combine this with a significant Republican Party is therefore not so will be a continuation of the same down. FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 11 Comment [email protected] Comment Editor Tessa Davey Crime Scene: Memory Lane

recently took a stroll down the Fast forward sixteen years and online memory lane that is the we see the anti-social behaviour of IFelix archive, all the way back to Imperial students splashed across not the heady days of 1998. Times have only these hallowed pages, but also changed. the Evening Standard, , Back then it was acceptable to The Telegraph, and the Huffington Post. write in to Felix to announce that the Incidents that were commonplace Union President was “utterly, utterly, in days gone past are now occasional utterly fucked” at the Summer Ball. It scandals that threaten the reputation was also fine and dandy for ‘Colonel of our University and our Students’ Wicky, Sergeant M’Arse and Petty Union. Officer Jism’ to recount their attempt Any reasonable person can see that NICK FARMER to break into the Queen’s Tower at these incidents, past and present, are COMMENT WRITER 3am one morning. not acceptable. Today, firm sanctions Even the news stories were bizarre: are applied to those who engage in Like the time when rowing club’s these often-criminal actions, as is minibus ended up in the Thames; right and proper. But why didn’t the a pitched fistfight-battle after an same happen to our predecessors? Arabian society function over the There are a number of possible possession of a mobile phone; the explanations, but one of the most The Union Bar just isn't what it used to be. Photo: brianmay.com football club ripping the plumbing appealing is the inexorable rise of out of a pub in Hammersmith social media and 24-hour online news Nowadays, many of the people and us all to have the good name of our (getting all Imperial Students barred coverage. Before Facebook, Twitter Clubs who do stupid things like this beloved University dragged through in the process); and the time in the and Snapchat came along it was easy will even broadcast their activities the mud, the accountability of the old Southside bar when the Rugby for uncomfortable and embarrassing on social media, sending snaps, 21st century means that normal, Captain punched another player in events to stay out of the harsh glare tweets and statuses of things that responsible students are more likely the face so hard that he needed five that is the media spotlight. These they really shouldn’t want anyone to be able to enjoy a night out at a "...the Union stitches. stories spread by word of mouth else to see. Even the passers-by who Union bar or a sports club social These are just a few examples taken and through the printed page of would in the past have just muttered without getting into a fight, being President was at random from a small selection Felix, which would likely have kept to themselves and walked away now pressured into nude drinking games, of issues from the 1997-8 academic them broadly within the student tweets and shares their experiences, or in any other way being affected by utterly, utterly, year. The pages of Felix were chock community. Without any external making it impossible to keep these a toxic culture of antisocial, violent full of Union Bar nose-breakings, pressure, the path of least resistance embarrassing and often troubling and intimidating behavior. utterly fucked" punch-ups, and all manner of laddish is to forget about these events, incidents within the Imperial bubble. It’s a bitter pill for us to swallow, behavior, but no one seemed to care and not to take action against the Is this a good thing? Well, yes. Even but at the end of the day it is all that much. perpetrators. though it is deeply embarrassing for medicine.

Will the Labour-Conservative duopoly break? Samuel Bodansky discusses the theory behing political economic modelling

ne of the most common and modelling. various policies that overlap in terms complaints in politics is that In order to model in economics, of political alignment. In the case of Oall political parties seem the it is often necessary to make the Liberal Democrats, no one really same. Douglas Carswell has profited assumptions. For example, an has any idea at all. from the rise of UKIP by switching economist might assume that all Another assumption is single- alliances from the Conservatives, individuals have perfect knowledge peaked political preferences. This claiming that the far-right political of the market. Assumptions means that a voter will choose the party supports “fundamental change” help economists to model real- political party that is closest to their in British politics. However, the fact world systems by simplifying a view on the political spectrum. This is that extreme political parties have problem until it can be analysed assumption is also prone to issues; not fared too well in Britain. mathematically. we have seen the far-Right UKIP Surely, if UKIP and other parties A useful model was invented by taking away votes from Labour and of the far-Right could really succeed Duncan Black of the University Conservative voters in the 2014 in the UK, then similar parties of Glasgow in 1948, known as European elections. would have made also made it into the Median Voter Theorem. This Sometimes, one particular policy government. Nonetheless, since theorem states that the elected party will cause voters to move from the 1945 there have been only two will have a political view most similar centre to the wings. Voters also tend parties in Downing Street, with only to the view of the median voter; that to get disillusioned with one party Do all views fall in the middle of the political spectrum? Photo: IBTimes Conservative and Labour (apart is, the median individual in terms of and want change; voters can be fickle from other parties within coalitions) political views in the electorate. and swing their votes. strongly in elections. Perhaps a “Yes” Currently the results of the 2015 holding the majority. Both of these The first assumption in the model The median voter theorem has vote in the Scottish Referendum General Election are uncertain; parties are moderate, with the is that all the parties running in important implications: when voter would have changed the position of it could be the first time that the Conservatives on the Right and the election can be placed along a turnout increased in lower-income the hypothetical “Median Voter”, traditional Labour-Conservative Labour on the Left. One possible way single spectrum from extreme Left classes in 1960s USA, the Democrat taking Labour votes and increasing duopoly is broken. Whatever the of answering this question is through to extreme Right. This assumption party-who are supportive of wealth the power of UKIP, despite their result, economic models remain a the tool of political economic theory is not always true, as parties have redistribution-performed more relatively extreme standpoint. useful predictor of voting behaviour. 12 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Features [email protected] EditorFeatures Philippa Editor Skett VACANT The Comic Convention you’d be crazy t Xuan Chen dives headirst into the bizarre world that is London’s MCM Comic Con

hy would someone with no knowledge of any Wanime, comic books, and video games attend an event aimed at bringing these people together? Curiosity, that’s why. The MCM London Comic Convention starts much earlier than I anticipated; costumed attendees with bright hair and elaborate costumes board the Jubilee line at Westminster on their way to the ExCeL centre where the event is being held. The excited chatter describes their speculations on what they’ll see today and whilst the startling juxtaposition of businesspeople commuting to work and young adults dressed in tinfoil armour momentarily takes me aback, the cosplayers are oblivious to the judgement of the general public; this is their weekend and they arrive in blazing confidence, flooding into the DLR on the last leg of their incoming journey. I strike up a conversation with a young, glamorous singer with deep blue hair on the train. Sagey, 21, a London-based make-up artist, talks to me about why people enjoy dressing up as their favourite characters so much. “It’s a chance to become, if only just for a weekend, someone you really admire.” It doesn’t matter that the character is fictional; good fiction is always believable and is expertly crafted to arguably teach us so much more succinctly than real life role models. In fact, having a role model in the first place is a sign of humility and self-acceptance that there is something or some goal you aspire to be that you haven’t achieved yet. Sagey is dressed as a male singer from a long-named anime that I forget almost instantaneously. Her long white jacket is elegantly adorned with golden tassels and yellow rope, KILL... ME... Photo credit: P. Skett No, those shinys are still pretty worthless, sorry. Photo credit: P. Skett and the gold-and-black gloves and collar complement the purple-blue main hall of the ComicCon venue is sun emblazoned on his chest looks internet brands that draw the eye, hair in giving off a regal aura. best described as one which would inquisitively at a black one with a such as a giant inflated Pikachu I ask her what part of her costume give any conformist a heart attack. boar sigil and one arm as he walks by. hanging off the ceiling, clearly above took him longest to prepare, and she I was afraid that knowing nothing This is, beyond a doubt, one of the the Pokémon stall. replies, “The costume was actually "It's a about the convention would mean I was most amazing places I’ve ever set foot Video game brands such as Square made by a family friend – the make- chance to getting physically and mentally lost, instantly in. I simply stand there and try and Enix and Harvest Moon hang their up takes a while though; it takes but instead I was instantly trying to take in the extraordinary atmosphere recognisable banners from the maybe three hours to get ready, and I become, suppress laughter at the incredible trying to a little more. ceiling, and I notice some stalls usually come as a different character if only incredulity of it all. suppress After composing myself, I enter the belonging to apparent YouTube stars every day.” As well as layers of just for a Elsa from Disney’s Frozen walks laughter nearest hall and find myself facing an and other internet phenomena such foundation to change the colour of past me without a second glance with uncountable number of busy stalls, all as Cyanide & Happiness and Weebl’s the skin tone, the eyebrows are also weekend, a Batman and several Stormtroopers at the advertising colourful merchandise. Stuff. Famous hardware brands such purple and heavy eye shadow brings someone following her. A female Loki and a incredible Food stalls sat in the corner selling as Nvidia and Samsung appear too, to out Sagey’s large, dark blue eyes you really male pixie stop and have a chat with incredulity Western and Japanese style foods demonstrate their latest technology. I peering out innocently underneath Katniss Everdeen in the magnificent of it all. and other innovative treats, such as take a peek into a theatre and there’s special contact lenses. admire." white winged dress from Catching flavoured ice with fruit. There are an ongoing panel from RoosterTeeth The feeling I got as I entered the Fire. A white knight with a staring big trademarks and vaguely familiar who have also gained online fame FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 13 Features [email protected] EditorFeatures Philippa Editor Skett VACANT azy to miss but even crazier to attend dives headirst into the bizarre world that is London’s MCM Comic Con

year old student studying in London, tells me. “It’s 11am and I’ve already spend £170 on action figures. ComicCon isn’t about just about cosplayers; it’s about anyone with an interest in this side of the creative industry. We’re here to appreciate all the work that these artists, big or small, have put in into creating something they’re really passionate about.” And it turns out that people appreciate these events very much – the bigger the better. The London events now attract over 100,000 visitors, only around 30,000 fewer compared to the world’s biggest event of its kind in San Diego. There are visitors from all over London, the UK, and even Europe – a German Daenerys Targaryen and Shae from HBO’s Game of Thrones were very happy for me to take their picture. A different Daenerys, with an elaborate black dragon hovering over her, is accompanied by Melisandre and Queen Cersei, with Jon Snow hanging around the side. “We usually go to the Manchester events as they’re closer to home,” Cersei tells me. “There are events all over the country, but the London ones in May and October are definitely the biggest; it’s not just the MCM Expo – there are other conventions too.” When asked how long they spent on their costumes, they replied with, “About a few months, spending a little time maybe two days a week.” I begin to think that not all people make costumes for the character’s sake – they could be inspired by the costume designer themself when deciding what their next big project is. I leave as Melisandre gets her picture taken with a female White Walker who simply walks up and joins the group. About fifteen girls in matching cat costumes walk by and spoil the KILL... ME... Photo credit: P. Skett No, those shinys are still pretty worthless, sorry. Photo credit: P. Skett A rouge Deadpool picks out some new footware Photo credit: P. Skett first take. And so every once in a while a through popular humour. favourite animal. And it goes without of. There are teens and young adults hidden community emerges from the But the heart of all the saying that the immense creativity dressed as the same characters as general public: perhaps consisting of commercialisation is raised that goes into crafting, designing, parents with their children of five those not receiving a second glance high upon the shoulders of the and building your own costume years old. Female Captain Americas What on the street, or those too shy to voice independent creative artists and underpins the entire event. Total and male fairies pass by every two their opinions; to celebrate a place businesses who humbly come This struck me as immensely strangers minutes. Total strangers stop each kind of where anybody can put hard work in to events like these to sell their profound in the context of this stop each other in the corridor and compliment convention and gain recognition for their creative creations to avid fans. They make community. That such events totally other in the each other on their costumes. And conjoins work, regardless of the genetic lottery graphics tablets and drawing tools rely on resourceful and innovative Sagey’s costume was so convincing or any other prejudices of the English and marker pens; movies and comics artists speaks volumes about the corridor that I only found out that she was a a society society that still exist in the 21st and posters; action figures, trading people within this cultural subset and girl during a post-interview chat. of open- century. cards, plush toys, manga; leather – a non-judgemental, universally compliment After all, what can you pass minded, Perhaps some have dreamed of a fantasy boots and weapons, swords accepting attitude which doesn’t judgement against, when every utopia hidden within today’s societal and throwing knives, and shorts give a shit about what you look like, each other individual is so strikingly different? non- confines, but the answer may be and hats - I even witnessed a tail how old you are, where you’re from, on their Would I be singled out because judgemental surprising: what kind of convention shop (called TellTails), supplying what your costume’s like, or any costumes. I didn’t come as a character? strangers? conjoins a society of open-minded, detachable tails for roleplaying your discriminatory reason you can think “Absolutely not,” Liam, a seventeen non-judgemental strangers? 14 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Features [email protected] EditorFeatures Philippa Editor Skett VACANT Are you up to the Challenge? Pietro Aronica on taking on Paxman for Imperial pride

Spot the Felix cat chilling with the team from 2009. Fun fact, Amit was so amazing he made it into the national press AND he used to write for Felix Photo credit: Felix

hat is the capital of unable to brag about how they know but a minnow in artistic matters. In just short of the final. about flags instead of footballs and Kenya? Which is the who wrote “As I Lay Dying”. Unless 2011, for example, an unlucky cohort It’s been a while, however, since running. Wlargest moon of the Solar they are college students, of course, was defeated in the first round by the an Imperial team has made it to the The only thing that is missing is a System? Who is the only person to in which case they will probably try University of the Arts, and there’s televised portion of the show; the last little bit of local team pride, and we have been awarded two unshared to get on University Challenge. a real feeling of overspecialisation team, in 2012, left the competition hope to see soon an Imperial quartet Nobel Prizes?* A true British institution, the when the Imperials are all reading with the infamous “Inspector teaching those Oxbridge brats a For many people, the answer to popular quiz show has a little physics and biology and medicine Clouseau” moment, and for two lesson. those questions is “who cares?”, something for everyone, from those and whatnot but the opposing team years running no representatives of The tryouts for this year’s or, if they’re feeling charitable, who like to marvel at the vast range can also boast experts in geography, the College have had the pleasure of candidates are going to be soon. If “just google it”. For a select few, of knowledge to those who want to theology and literature. That’s being grilled by Paxman. you think you can wrestle with the however, being able to recall these challenge themselves to those who not to say that the Imperials are It is a great experience to go date of birth of Churchill and the nonessential bits of information just want their dose of a sarcastic, always hopeless in their quizzical through the whole process and sit longest river of Australia, give it a represents a cherished pastime. quipping Paxman. Some are proud endeavour: they have won the on those uncomfortable chairs, go. You may be next Imperialite to That’s right, we’re talking about the when they manage to answer at least competition twice, in 1996 and 2001, finger quivering on the buzzer, sweat have the honour of being berated by trivia enthusiasts. a question per episode, but some and reached the final again in 2002, pearling on the forehead, hoping Paxman on TV. These people pride themselves dream of getting on the big stage and where they almost accomplished a that the next question is on the * In case you were wondering, in knowing who the first Tory PM proving themselves on national TV. spectacular comeback victory going maximum mass of white dwarf stars the answers are, in order: Nairobi, of Great Britain was, or the atomic Imperial has produced a few teams from -10 to 185. In 2012 they made it and not on the architect who rebuilt Ganymede, Linus Pauling, the Earl number of Einsteinium, but their of such hopefuls, and the college has all the way to the quarterfinals, being Westminster Palace. It’s a thrill that of Bute, 99, William Faulkner, the skill is generally hidden or left for a reputation for being a juggernaut defeated by the eventual winners, is every bit as good as an athletic Chandrasekhar limit, Charles Barry, the odd pub quiz, and they are often when it comes to scientific questions and in 2010 an excellent team was competition, only with obscure facts 1874 and the Murray river. first birthday The h-bar irst opened its doors on 8 November 2013. We will be celebrating its irst birthday on 7 November 2014! Come down from 18:00 to join in with the celebrations. There will be cocktails on all h night and you can buy-get-one-free to toast the h-bar in style. Make sure you get there early to get a slice of birthday cake and balloon on arrival! buy 1 get 1 free! cocktails£4.50 16 07.11.12014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Science [email protected] Science Editor James Bezer & Lauren Ratcliffe The Lunatics have taken over the Asylum Lauren Ratcliffe reports on the highs and lows of designer drugs

he UK Misuse of Drugs Act dangerous, these new psychoactives introduced in 1971 is widely have been linked to 40 deaths in the Tregarded as the most epically last year and present a growing global failed governmental campaigns health concern. to prevent drug distribution and NPS can be sub-divided into three usage. By introducing complete types depending on their similarity prohibition it effectively promoted with other illegal drugs; synthetic an underground black-market in cannabinoids that, despite what you drug trade, condemned addicts to may expect, actually bear no relation conviction rather than treatment, to the cannabis plant and are instead and prevented any form of research chemicals blended or soaked into on the drug’s potential medical plant matter that act in a similar way benefits. Cameron even said himself to cannabis on the brain; stimulant- (and I kid you not): “Politicians type drugs with effects similar to attempt to appeal to the lowest amphetamines and MDMA; and common denominator by posturing finally, hallucinogenic compounds. with tough policies and calling for When mephedrone (‘meow meow’) crackdown after crackdown. Drugs jumped onto the scene in 2008, it policy has been failing for decades”. changed the designer drug game It’s interesting how this opinion forever. During a time when MDMA changed once he became leader of the was scarce and the quality of cocaine conservative party… was failing, mephedrone filled the Now, I’m not here as a typical gap in the stimulant market. For university student in protest to ‘free the first time, a drug was being used the weed’ just so I can smoke-up in globally, heavily publicised and stuck Packages of 'research chemicals' can be found sold at head shops. Photo: DrugScope my room with a clean conscience. around for 12-18 months before Instead, I want to talk about the being controlled. Five years later, misuse legislation is insufficient to ban where all head shops are closed; effects this policy has had on the it seems like appeal of this drug to deal with this designer drug problem, New Zealand, however, take a more emergence and increased prevalence clubbers has lost its spark, perhaps but what then should be done? There interesting approach for non-medical of legal highs. due the unpleasant paranoid sweat- are a few legislative options in place drugs whereby the manufacture Legal highs, designer drugs, new inducing side effects. But the story around the world; In the UK we have "What is expected to demonstrate that a psychoactive substances (NPS)… doesn’t end here. The problem is, as "[mephe- a generic model where a compound product proses minimal risk before it whatever you like to call them, they soon as one drug is banned, another drone] is banned along with any chemically happens can be sold. Clearly, these Heisenberg are all substances created for the sole one with similar effects is produced changed similar compound; in the USA next will wannabes are not going to go away and purpose of mimicking illegal drugs. which is legal, leading to a cat and the they have an analogue approach be purely current legislation is not up to scratch; Sold in ‘head shops’, they get around mouse chase between governments where a compound is banned along what happens next will be purely a UK law by claiming not to be for and ambitious drug makers. The designer with any other compound that a case of case of trial and error. human consumption and once they European Monitoring Centre for drug game has similar effects irrespective trial and What do you think should be done? have been bought it’s the customer’s Drugs and Drug Affiction (EMCDDA) forever." of its pharmacology; Ireland and error." Share your view: felixonline.co.uk/ responsibility. Untested and have explicitly acknowledged that Poland have an outright blanket science Discovering the Beauty behind the Mundane

PATRICIA POTHS ’ve often found it difficult to find Miodownik draws the reader into his with little to no scientific background the development of glass entrancing. SCIENCE WRITER a thoroughly engaging popular life and his mind, and explains why to those who may have been in a There’s even a chapter devoted Iscience book. the world of materials has held his scientific field for years. exclusively to the molecular I tend to find them either far too interest for so long. Each chapter begins with a rather attributes of chocolate! (That chapter elementary or with a writing style He begins with a funny anecdote of ingenious method of illustrating was mouth-watering as well as too stilted and formal to be a truly his first encounter with the various how reliant our world is upon the interesting) At the end, Miodownik engaging read. Those that can be properties of materials – namely, materials that are discussed in the devotes a chapter as an overview easily enjoyed while still remaining being stabbed as a schoolboy. book, and emphasizes how little the of the whole book to synergize the informative tend to be few and far Although this introduction average person tends to think about concepts discussed in the previous between. seems to be a hard act to follow, the how these vital materials came to be chapters, and allows the reader to take One book that manages this book continues with similar flair used in our daily lives. Miodownik in just how amazing the development seemingly impossible task is Mark throughout. Miodownik combines uses a picture of himself, sitting on of materials over the course of human Miodownik’s book Stuff Matters, amusing backstories with technical his rooftop, and isolates individual history actually is. which explores the fundamental explanations, maintaining the materials present in the picture for Stuff Matters is an exceptional read, principles behind the properties of affability and humor that engaged the each chapter. Miodownik animates the inanimate various materials that we see and use reader at the start while addressing After briefly introducing the world in such a way that you will in our everyday lives. Miodownik the material at a suitable level so as to history of the item in question never be able to look at even a staple takes the subject matter at hand be interesting. and the sentimental value, he then in the same way again. It is more and presents it in such an engaging No matter your level of knowledge jumps into the molecular and atomic than a book recounting the different manner as to keep any reader glued to in materials science, this captures behavior of the material that define properties of various materials. its pages. your interest without seeming either its crazy and unique characteristics. The book is a vivid, deftly written, While many books of this sort dull or aloof. Stuff Matters is a book In this way, he discusses everything and a humorous account of why we risk falling into a monotonous tone, which would appeal to an extremely from steel to paper, even managing should all be interested in materials listing properties and their causes, wide range of readers, from those to make concrete fascinating and science. FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 17 Science [email protected] Science Editor James Bezer & Lauren Ratcliffe Travelling to space on a budget? James Bezer looks at the future of commercial space light

Virgin Galactic's SpeceShipTwo under the carrier plane WhiteKnightTwo Photo: Wikimedia Commons

ot many of us have a spare of magnitude more money than they have set (massively over-)ambitious the most outlandish goals set out by quarter-of-a-million dollars know what to do with. deadlines to send people to Mars. Virgin Galactic seem quite trivial. Nto blow on a half-hour joy- Will future generations really see Dennis Tito’s Inspiration Mars is And yet, unlike those planning ride. this as the start of a new dawn in planning a 500 day return trip for missions to Mars, what both these It seems that nobody has told this spaceflight, or just a pointless and two astronauts to fly around Mars companies appreciate is that for space to Richard Branson. extravagant white elephant? in 2018. Mars One is planning to travel to progress, there must be a After the gleaming white craft he Branson’s unimaginatively named not only land people on the surface sustainable business model behind had hoped would one day take him SpaceShipTwo (operated by the in 2024, but also set up a permanent it. Since the end of the space race and to the edge of space came crashing inaccurately named Virgin ‘Galactic’) colony there, while filming it all the cold war, space has changed from to the ground, killing one pilot and has several significant innovations for a reality TV programme. Their the final frontier to be conquered to seriously injuring the other, Branson that make it rather different to budget is just 6 billion dollars, vastly something we can use and develop to pledged to press on with Virgin conventional space launch systems. less than the 100 billion estimated by improve our lives through enhanced Galactic — whis “grand project” that Instead of taking off using rockets, NASA for a similar project. communications and navigation. he hopes will give the “millions of SpaceShipTwo is first attached to a I don’t know about you, but I’m But as governments become people who would like to a chance to plane and released when it reaches a very doubtful that either of these weary of spending tens of billions slip the surely bonds of earth”. high enough altitude. projects will ever happen. of dollars on such huge projects, Branson sees himself as a From there it travels to space using One company though, has commercialising seems the only pioneer, democratising spaceflight, its own small rockets. When it’s time proven that private companies can way that humans will ever make eradicating the monopoly held by to come back to earth, the rear part successfully carry out space flight space travel truly sustainable and governments with tens of billions of of the wing folds up, slowing the craft in the long term. Founded in 2002 "For space affordable in the long term. Perhaps dollars to throw at their enormous "Will future down and avoiding the enormous by Elon Musk, the South African travel to we could finally achieve those lofty space programmes. Yet while the cost temperatures experienced by the heat billionaire behind PayPal, SpaceX ambitions of a permanent presence of a trip is certainly far lower than the generations shields of conventional spacecraft. has developed a successful rocket progress, on Mars, or mining comets for tens of millions that space tourists see this as This approach dramatically reduces and a spacecraft, Dragon, which has it needs a minerals that are rare on earth. have paid for a ride on a Soyuz to a pointless the costs involved, and mean that the already been used to launch satellites business I just don’t think the way to do this the International Space Station white entire setup is completely reusable. and transport cargo to the ISS, and is with the world’s most expensive (ISS), it still remains affordable Virgin Galactic isn’t the only is intended to be used in the future model roller coaster. only to celebrities and wealthy elephant?" company trying to commercialise to carry astronauts. What SpaceX behind it." Share your views at felixonline. business people with several orders space travel though. Two companies has already achieved makes even co.uk/science Union Page

Next week is Rep Week! Apply to become Next week is Rep Week, our campaign to ensure all students know a Student Trustee about the Academic Representation Network. Every student at Imperial has an Academic Rep who they can contact about teaching, resource, supervision or feedback issues. They’re contactable Academic throughout the year, and all students can find out who their Academic Rep is using our Rep A-Z tool on the Union website.

Come and tell us what you think about your course or department at our Rep stall from the 10 - 14 November, Sherfield Foyer, South We are a vibrant and dynamic charity Kensington campus. with a bright future, and we are always looking for ways to improve Find out more go to imperialcollegeunion.org/academicreps and to better serve our members, the students of Imperial College London.

A strong and active Board of Trustees Student Academic Choice Awards is essential for us as we endeavour to build on recent successes and continue to move forward. We recruit STUDENT Nominations open Student Trustees to our Board to help ACADEMIC CHOICE us do this. Monday 10 November If you’re interested in helping the AWARDS Union move forward, you can apply to be a Student Trustee. You can The Student Academic Choice Awards - or SACAs for short - are Imperial College Union’s flagship event for empowering find information on our website or students to recognise, reward and celebrate excellence among College staff. download our recruitment pack. Applications close midday 14 Launched in 2012 and awarded for the first time in May 2013, the SACAs enable students to reward excellence and November. innovation amongst Imperial’s academic and professional staff. We believe teaching and supervision are skills of equal worth and value to research, and we aim to build a community in which academics, staff and students all feel Find out more at empowered to bring forth new ideas. imperialcollegeunion.org/ trustee- recruitment Eight awards in total cover all faculties, departments and campuses, as well as all modes of study – undergraduate, taught postgraduate and doctoral research. Every student at Imperial will have the chance to recognise the innovation, skill, engagement and energy of the staff they learn with.

The SACAs cycle covers almost an entire academic year - nominations open soon after teaching begins, leading to a prestigious prize ceremony held in May of each year. Invites, certificates and the famous mug sent to each nominee are highly sought after by staff - as are the eight winners’ trophies presented each year.

Find out more about the SACAs at imperialcollegeunion.org/sacas International Higher Education Funding Survey Imperial International Imperial will be taking Over the next few months the Union will be forming its new stance on how Higher Education is funded. We’re looking place 10 - 14 November to celebrate particularly at Home Undergraduate Fees but we want to hear absolutely everyone’s opinion on how University should be culture and diversity here at Imperial. paid for. Some of our Clubs, Societies & Projects will have a variety of events If you could take a few minutes out of your day to fill out our survey that would really help as the more students that fill and activities on throughout the week. this in, the louder our voice will be when we come to lobby candidates and local MPs in the upcoming General Election You can find out more about all of our and ultimately the new Parliament. Clubs, Societies & Projects through the A to Z on the Union website or To find out more information about higher Education Funding go to our factsheet or let us know your thoughts by by going to our whats-on page to see participating in our survey here. how you can get involved.

Go to imperialcollegeunion.org/hef

imperialcollegeunion.org FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 19

[email protected] Tech Editors Jamie Dutton & Osama Awara A breath of fresh air in an old and stale industry Chrysostomos Meli discusses the revolution of automobiles lead by Tesla

Electric car enthusiasts appearing ecstatic at the unveiling of the first Model S at the Tesla factory in June 2012. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

ou don’t have to be a an entrepreneur who is no stranger S, the luxury sedan competing in a the car an acceleration boost that is petrolhead to know that the to innovation. He is currently valued market ruled by petrol giants such as treading into supercar territory. The Yautomobile industry hasn’t at $9.6 billion and his goal in life BMW and Mercedes. The base model top of the line Model S P85D is able been the most innovative over the seems to be to continuously push the is currently priced at £50,000 and to accelerate from 0-60 miles per years. Since the introduction of limits of humanity’s technological is capable of 285 miles per charge – hour in 3.2 seconds. To put that in the Model T in 1908, the car has ambitions. topping its predecessor’s record. perspective, this is the same time it remained largely unchanged. It might Tesla is very much one of those Despite the stiff competition, the takes the new Lamborghini Huracán have become faster, more reliable ambitions. The company was founded car has sold incredibly well across to reach 62 miles per hour from a and more efficient over those 100 in 2003 and its ultimate goal is every market it was introduced in. standing start. years but no radical new ideas have to produce an electric vehicle for It was even responsible for Tesla’s But insane acceleration was not the managed to take hold. the average consumer: Certainly a first ever positive quarterly revenue only thing Musk pulled out of his And why should they? People are concept easier said than done. Due report in ten years, bringing in profits hat that day. Tesla introduced the generally pleased with the way their to the infancy of their technology, of $11.2 million in May 2013. That most advanced autonomous driving cars work, and as a result companies batteries for their cars are sold at a might not sound like much, but from system you are currently legally able aren’t incentivised to change. But similar price to that of an average that point on investors have looked to use on the street. By retrofitting despite what consumers think, there petrol automobile. at the company as a market leader its vehicles with 3 different types of are fundamental problems with the As a result, the company, which rather than an outsider, helping its sensors, it is able to drive by itself way we get around: congestion, long unlike other automakers is at its core stock price to skyrocket over the last on the highway, monitoring and commuting, safety, and the biggest of a child of Silicon Valley, opted to year. responding to everything around it. all – fuel consumption. adopt a strategy that was very popular Tesla’s philosophy isn’t to sell This brings Tesla on-par with what Our addiction to fossil fuels is amongst tech companies: Start off battery-powered cars just because other manufacturers are offering for slowly but surely killing our planet, by selling high end products aimed they believe they are better for the "Tesla their cars with one exception – you but companies around the world are at the wealthier consumer and as environment, they want to sell introduced can get out of your Model S and it fighting to bring change and electric your technology matures and your battery-powered cars because they the most can park itself at your home. You can car company Tesla is leading the manufacturing capabilities grow, believe they are better… period. even hail it when on private property charge. release ever cheaper products aimed This couldn’t be more apparent advanced and it will come to you with the air- Understanding the logic and at the wider public. with Musk’s announcement earlier autonomous conditioning on and your favorite ambition behind Tesla requires that The company’s first car, the Tesla this month in California. The driving tunes playing on the stereo. you first understand its founder "[Elon Roadster, was a battery powered company is bringing some very Tesla still has a long way to go and CEO Elon Musk. The man sports car. Released in 2008, it was exiting changes to its Model S line. system before it convinces everyone that behind; PayPal, the company that Musk] is an the first of its kind and the very first The car’s top-of-the-line models now you are electric-powered cars are the way revolutionised digital payments; entrepreneur all-electric vehicle to travel more come with an extra D in their name, currently to go, but judging from the shear SolarCity, an energy provider trying who is no than 200 miles per charge. However, which stands for double motors - one legally able amount of electric vehicles coming to bring renewable energy into the looming over the car was a hefty price for the front wheels and one for the out from its otherwise petrol-driven mainstream; and SpaceX, a rocket stranger to tag of £86,950. back. This, coupled with a very fast to use on competitors, the smell of change, as manufacturer leading the way in the innovation" The same trend continued in 2012 digital power management system the street" opposed to burning petrol, is in the race to privatise space travel. He is with the introduction of the Model between the two motors, has given air. 20 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Games [email protected] Games Editor Max Eggl & Calum Skene Twitch Plays Pokémon: Alive and Kicking Tom Rivlin on the past and future of the internet sensation

emember that thing that Emerald. Then Fire Red, then Platinum, everyone cared about for one Heart Gold, Black, Black 2, and finally a Rweek in February? To a future game only a year old, Pokémon X. historian it’ll look like a weird mind With every game viewership virus infected everyone for exactly a dwindled. By Platinum they were week and then disappeared. Let’s talk averaging under 1,000 viewers at a about it again! time (so still tens of thousands a day If you missed it, in February a – the stream runs 24/7). The memes programmer created a channel dried up. on Twitch (a game streaming site) Despite constant new events and called Twitch Plays Pokémon to play stories, with fewer people watching Pokémon Red, the first Pokémon game. there simply weren’t as many people The twist? It wasn’t the streamer making memes. It got to the point playing the game, it was Twitch. where chat was slow enough for ‘chat There’s a chatbox by the stream leaders’ to emerge – people who knew where people can discuss it live. The what to instruct the rest of the players streamer (identity still unknown) to do to progress more quickly, whose had the simple idea of writing code messages could be read amidst the to make the game follow the chat’s cacophony. The only people left were commands. Along with regular people playing to ‘win’, and so by chatting, stream viewers could type Pokémon X the game was finished in “up, down, left, right” to move the six days. character in the cardinal directions By then a great community had and “a, b, start” to interact with emerged. People communicated over things. Skype, posted plans on the Subreddit, The result was a stream where (at The team that conquered all...you will never be forgotten! ALL HAIL LORD HELIX Photo: Joystiq and even talked about their work day its peak) hundreds of thousands of in chat. The people who stuck with the people were playing one single-player saviour the Helix as much as possible. And then people left. Clearly a lot stream had become friends, united game. The protagonist, Red, turned When the players miraculously used of viewers were just there for the by their desire to collectively move a into a schizophrenic lunatic. He the fossil for its intended purpose, novelty – just to see if it could be single game character from point A to walked in totally random directions. "Thousands ‘reviving’ it into the Pokémon done. Once vindicated, they saw no "Clearly a really far away point B. He’d check the menu every 20 of people Omanyte, it immediately became a reason to go on. Others were there part of the Twitch Plays Pokémon is like seconds. He’d discard useful items. wanted to deity, Lord Helix. to troll and derail the playthrough appeal of the Pokémon phenomenon on a He’d make terrible decisions. It was And then, amazingly, they won. (was winning really the ‘point’ of the shorter timescale. Both started off hilarious. say where After 16 days of stumbling around stream, though?), and got bored. You TPP was massive, with global media attention For about a week, it went viral. Red should caves/buildings and releasing were probably one of these people. nostalgia and cultural awareness, and both Everyone was talking about it – it go. Mil- (effectively killing) most of their But I wasn’t. I’m still watching. That’s – people gradually fell in influence, leaving even made BBC news! People called lions more critters, they beat the main game right – it’s still going. behind a core of dedicated fans it a ‘social experiment’ – could this story. The stream shut down for The Crystal playthrough happened, remember who want to do it again and again. many people cooperate in such an just wanted a while and then restarted with beating a much longer game in a playing Clearly part of the appeal of TPP absurd, ad-hoc way? Thousands of to watch minigames, but promising to return slightly shorter time thanks to the Red as a was nostalgia – people remembered people wanted to say where Red the chaos." soon with Pokémon Crystal, the sequel reduced trolling. Then a brief break, kid." playing Red as a kid. Not as many should go. Millions more just wanted to Red. then the next game in the series, people remembered Platinum, or Black to watch the chaos. 2 (which is only two years old), and When a new game comes out, it’s so in that respect this situation was a talking point for everyone who inevitable, but I’d argue not a bad plays it. When this began, everyone thing. was talking about the same game. What’s next for TPP? Currently We all grew attached to aaabaaajss they’re playing Pokémon Stadium, the Pidgeot and ABBBBBBK the which has no narrative and can be Charmeleon. (The game lets you played indefinitely. There’s a few nickname your Pokémon. The cursor hundred viewers at any given time. starts on A. You get the idea.) They It’s been like that since August – were our Pokémon. We were all beating all the games took 6 months, watching the same character get stuck roughly. There’s a new Pokémon in the same place. game, Omega Ruby, coming out this And of course there were the month, and they intend to play that memes, most prominently the fossil. ASAP, and the streamer has promised At one point the only item Red had various other Pokémon games and was the Helix Fossil, a semi-useless gimmicks afterwards. In other words, item you can’t discard. Incessant the future looks bright for the TPP spamming meant that Red would community, and in the streamer’s check his bag once a minute and try words: to use the fossil, leading many to joke “I like to think of it as seasons, that he was ‘consulting’ it. The fossil this (and the upcoming Omega Ruby took on mythic status overnight. run) has been the 2014 season of Within days it had formed a pseudo- TPP. There will be a 2015 season too, religion. The chat was filled with usually the second season is the best demands that we consult our lord and Red having a bit of an existential crisis when he visits the graves of Abby and Jay Leno. Photo: Wired one, right?” FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 21 Games [email protected] Games Editor Max Eggl & Calum Skene Godus? More like God-awful-us Maximilian Eggl doesn’t really feel like an omnipotent, omniscient god

£10.99 is definitely not that much. to me and give me their “Belief”, etc. In However, if you consider that we are fact 80 percent of the game consisted in the age of Steam sales, low-low of me waiting, because I couldn’t do prices and humble bundles, you may much without Belief. Even when I got understand why I was unwilling to pay to the mission bits, which involved not that exorbitant amount! waiting and actually doing something, Therefore it was quite fortunate they were all the same and I didn’t for me that this game did come up really see the point of doing them. on the humble bundle for a price I Even when I finally discovered actually could justify paying for it. I the other village, nothing really thought, for £2.99 how bad can it be? I interesting happened and all in all I felt mean, for that price I can’t possibly be incredibly cheated. It got so bad that I disappointed, right? actually left the game running in the It all started out alright. I controlled background and then going to watch two little people and had to bring a movie so something would actually them to the chosen land. On their happen. This is not what a game is way to doing this, I had to create supposed to be about. When you have landbridges for them to cross, I had to leave the game to really play it, the to level mountains and just generally creators have gone seriously wrong make their path passable. All quite somewhere. Twenty minutes to get belief? God, my worshipers suck Photo: Max Eggl satisfying, and I thought that as a This game was obviously made with tutorial it was all quite interesting. The a freemium model in mind. While you am a big fan of big overarching where you can not only control the graphics weren’t the best but hey, who do not need to pay any extra money in civilization sims. Not just the really little inhabitants of your world but cares about that kinda thing nowadays the PC version to play, you can tell that Ithe strategic ones which give you the entire world itself. In fact, fuck it, anyway? this was not what was intended. In fact, control over empires, huge armies I’ll just control the world and let the Once I hit the promised land, that’s "80 percent I have recently found out that exactly and the ability to control the entire villagers live and die by my decisions. where it all started going wrong. I the same game is actually a freemium world, but also the ones where you Thus when I saw Godus on Steam which thought that by this point I would be of the game on Android and iOS. Once I knew micromanage each individual citizen seemingly promised everything that able to unlock all my power and wreak game this, I wondered how I did not suspect of your realm, telling them to chop I wanted to see in my quest to finally "I was very havoc among my little worshippers, but consisted this before. The controls are obviously down this specific tree or mine that become a god. no, the tutorial wasn’t over. Some of the made for touchscreens, and not very ore. You start out with a tiny number of However, the two things that put me reluctant more epic powers were still locked. The of me comfortable on the PC environment. controllable units, which then expands off was firstly the fact that it was on to spend next big disappointment was the fact waiting, What I would suggest to you, dear into a huge city. However, the one early-access. I had been badly burned my hard- that there were timers on things! Who because I reader, is to get this game on mobile thing that I always found missing was before with early-access (damn you has timers in games? I had encountered couldn't first. You will be able to see what I am the fact that I was at the mercy of the Planetary Annihilation!), so I was very earned cash this kind of mechanic in freemium talking about. I just wish that Game elements/ the game that I always found reluctant to spend my hard-earned on a half- games before, to entice players to do much studios would stop trying to make kind of frustrating. cash on a half-finished game. Secondly finished spend money to speed things up. I had without money and actually try to create a Therefore I have always been on the there was the price. Yes, ok, it may game." to wait for my citizens to build their Belief." gaming experience worth paying for, is search for one of those total god sims, sound kind of cheap from me and houses, I had to wait for them to pray it that hard? Gone Home: A homecoming simulator

JAMES DUTTON entering every single room and objects are well crafted and written but it is well worth noting that GAMES WRITER investigating objects, learning more notes all have a personal feel about this game will certainly not be for about the recent actions of your them. In some ways it is a shame everyone. family members with every opening that the gameplay is limited to the To put a (not so long) story short, fter trawling the fairly of a door. You quickly learn that beautifully designed house. this game is about relationships non-exhaustive ‘Best Games despite being able, there is no point The game will take you about 3-4 and particularly how they are dealt Aof 2013’ lists, I came across picking up pens and other mundane hours and whether you will enjoy it with by different people in different a game which intrigued me – low objects. has very little to do with the simple situations. budget, first-person and heavily However, there is a lot to be learnt gameplay or graphics – Gone Home The game is somehow relaxed, but story based. Major reviews raved from your fathers’ own fiction books is all about a story. you’re always going to be on edge, about it, so I took the plunge on about JFK, old family mementos "Taking Taking such little time to complete not knowing what secrets your house Gone Home – the first effort of The and, in particular, your sisters’ it, Gone Home feels more like a will have to tell. What it lacks in Fullbright Company. possessions. such little short novel or long movie, where you thrills, it will compensate in heart- You play as Kaitlin Greenbriar, a With some of the items, your time to have control over which rooms are wrenching plot twists. fairly typical 21 year-old American sister’s voice comes out of nowhere complete explored and in what order. Without To summarise, this is the sort of girl just back from her year-long trip "Your to provide a bit of background it, Gone prior knowledge it would be easy to game that you will want to pick up to Europe. However, when you enter objective knowledge – which is a relief assume that this is a horror game, on the Steam Winter sale rather your (absolutely massive) house you considering you would hear nothing Home feels or at least would have some element than fork out £14.99 on. However, find it completely deserted; neither is to find else but the eerie storm outside and more like a of it – but any fright you feel is spend an evening on it and it will your sister nor your parents at home. out what the exaggerated creaking of your short novel going to be fabricated by your own likely not be one wasted. Your objective is to find out what the the hell has house’s floorboards. experiences of similar games and hell has gone on. Graphically, this game is amazing or long movies. Gone Home is currently available on The game mechanics are very gone on." considering the modest size of the movie." To give anything away about the Windows, Mac and Linux and will be simple: you walk around your house, company behind it. Manipulatable story would ruin your experience, released on the Wii U in late 2014. 22 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Welfare [email protected] Welfare Editors Diba Esbati & Chanon Wongsatayanont

Mental health When colours fade away helplines and resources Chanon Wongs atayanont discusses the effects of depression If you are concerned about your own his week, let’s move on from can also become your own malicious the sufferer is helpless to make mental health, or that anxiety to the more cheerful critic, sneering at and condescending themselves feel better, they often of a loved one, there Ttopic of depression. To the to everything you do. This is when turn to themselves and say “Why are people out there sufferers, it is the worst feeling in self-blame and self-hate comes in, aren’t you living your life like the world. But for those who have which can plunge you even deeper everybody else? You don’t even have you can talk to who never experienced it, it is hard to into depression and potentially put a reason to be sad!” Sometimes, they can give you advice, or truly understand how unpleasant or you in danger. I’ll elaborate more on are aware that they’re suffering an will be there to listen. disruptive it is, so this article will try this later. episode but there’s nothing they can to explain how it feels. As for duration, depression is do. Samaritans (24 hr First things first, I have to clarify chronic. Sufferers can be stuck in that Self-blame can turn into self- helpline) that being depressed is not just being mood for a few weeks or months. Or hate which can spiral down a dark Phone: 08457 90 90 90 sad. alternatively, it can last for a few days road very quickly, especially in Website: www. We use the phrase “I feel depressed” at a time, but will come back time more severe cases of depression. whenever we feel that things aren’t and time again until you can almost Fortunately, self-harm and suicidal samaritans.org.uk going our way but that is not predict when your next episode is thoughts are not common with depression, clinically so. Ask your going to be. depression, and those are the Anxiety UK medic friends who’s done a psych Depression is also irrational, even moments professional help may be Phone: 08444 775 774 module and they’ll tell you that if what they’re depressed about needed. (Mon-Fri 9:30 - 17:30) depression is a mood disorder that can seem perfectly rational to the But like most illnesses, recovery Website: www. disrupts one’s daily life and can be sufferer. In other words, a phase is always possible with the right anxietyuk.org.uk potentially life-threatening. might come out of nowhere, not treatment and support. Patient, However, because being sad is always in response to a specific understanding friends who are No Panic similar to being depressed, there’s problem. This is what makes it so willing to bear with the sufferer Phone: 0808 800 2222 a lot of misunderstanding that hard for others to understand why through the episodes is as helpful as downplays the struggle faced depressed people can’t just “pull any professional help. (daily, 10am - 10pm) by people with depression. This themselves together”. Depressed people tend to avoid Website: www. sentiment can be summed up with When you’re suffering from a low friends and relatives. Even when nopanic.org.uk the statement: “I’ve felt down before mood, you tend to feel better by approached, they can be irritable, but I can snap out of it, so why can’t making changes to your life, such gloomy and difficult. But you can Beat they just toughen up?” as resolving a difficult situation show that you care by listening, Phone: 0845 634 1414 What makes low mood different or getting more sleep. It’s not that appreciating them or just spending (Mon - Thurs, 1.30pm - from depression is its duration, simple for depressed people because time with them. By doing so, even 4:30pm) intensity and persistence. the sufferer often doesn’t feel any though they don’t show it at the time, Being depressed isn’t just feeling better no matter what they do, or they you are already helping immensely sad or experiencing low self-esteem; might not even find the motivation and they would say so once the Alcoholics it is often accompanied by a sense to do anything. Most of the time, it episode is over. Anonymous of hopelessness and the lack of simply takes time and support for the As for actively helping them, you Phone: 0845 769 7555 motivation to do anything, even sufferer to feel better. must be prepared to accept that (24 hour helpline) getting out of bed. You can probably This is why the sufferer often feels sometimes, you can’t in the same way Website: www. see how that can interfere with daily "What helpless and isolated since there is you’d approach your own problems. alcoholics- life. nothing they can do to change how Instead, it might be best to encourage anonymous.org.uk This sense of despair deserves makes they feel even if they’re desperately them to talk about their feelings a special mention since it can be low mood trying to ‘get better’. and get them to work out what they "It's like Narcotics Anonymous difficult to fully grasp. This can different I’ve once heard this description think is most likely to make them Phone: 0300 999 1212 range from losing interest and from from a sufferer. He said that it’s you've feel better. Website: www.ukna. pleasure in what you used to enjoy, like he is drowning in a stormy sea. taken a If, though, you feel that you are to an intensely blank state where depression He tries to swim to the surface and at a loss of what to do or you feel org everything in the world can be is its become happy again, but the waves step back that your friend is at risk of hurt summed up by the phrase, ‘Why do duration, always wash over his head, pushing from themselves, the numbers provided Student Counselling I even bother?’ It’s like you’ve taken intensity him back down into dark waters. life and in the column beside are there to Service a step back from life and become a Eventually, he just gives in and waits become a help you as well as the sufferers. Phone: 020 7594 9637 spectator, watching everything going and for the sea to calm. And I hope this article helps you e-mail: counselling@ on but feeling absolutely empty. persistence." I touched earlier on self-blame, spectator." understand this crippling disorder a ic.ac.uk Worse, rather than a spectator, you and this is where it comes in. Since bit better. Imperial College Health Centre Telephone: 020 7584 6301 e-mail: healthcentre@ ic.ac.uk You can also go to your academic or personal tutor regarding pastoral issues, especially if you think your mental health might be affecting your academic performance.

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FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 27 Food [email protected] Editors Carol Ann Cheah and Michael Chung

Red in my ledger What’s up with all these diets? CAROL ANN CHEAH SECTION EDITOR Michelle Tan explores both the longstanding and the faddy

I managed to get a trip down memory lane this week – well, this was when I was making a batch of The Food Editor's diet of choice has got to be the seafood diet: she sees food and eats it. Pics: Raw Kristina, Health Me Up red velvet cupcakes for our ed-in-chief’s birthday on Tuesday (happy birthday again Philippa!) Many moons ago, when I was a not-so-jaded fresher, I was owadays there seems to be Paleo like meat as part of our diet. As most actually known amongst some peers as the queen a host of diets that we have This is a slightly newer diet trend raw foods are naturally low-fat and of red velvet. I totally blame the South Kensington Nheard of but know nothing that has become popular amongst low-calorie, weight loss naturally goes outpost of the Hummingbird Bakery for this one; about. And yet, people still seem to health nuts, and is in some aspects hand in hand with it. they were the ones who sold me my irst red velvet think that these diets are good for our last-ditch effort to somehow There is no cooking involved so cake, and I fell in love. their health. But do we really know make our ‘growing’ population grow food prep can be incredibly quick My mum’s the baker in our family, so it’s not like I what we are getting ourselves into? a little less (sideways, that is). This and easy, and raw foodies like didn’t grow up around bread and cakes. However, she The media today is so means eating how cavemen eat: Kristina swear by regular use of hardly ever makes anything that uses food colouring overwhelmingly influential that it anything you could hunt or find, a blender in order to make their (she isn’t as keen about working with it) – which is can convince anyone to jump on you can eat, but everything else is raw smoothies and salad dressings. why I had never tried red velvet cake prior to moving the bandwagon. So now is the time forbidden. However, becoming a real raw foodie to London. My only niggle at the time with the HB to clear up all the rumours, debunk You might be thinking that the can sometimes be difficult. Cost is offering was that the icing was crazy-sweet, and some diets out there and find out “back-to-caveman-basics” association usually the key inhibiting factor that I wanted a slightly more pronounced chocolate what they are really all about. is a bit of a marketing ploy, but it – since everything you are eating is flavour in my cake, so the kitchen-hacker in me was dying to experiment – which I did, of course. does have some scientific basis. raw, followers tend to go organic as Cut to spring term in my fresher year, where I Gluten Free (GF) The average human back then was well (to minimize ingested nasties ended up making loads of red velvet cupcakes for It has gotten a lot of attention muscular, agile and fit – compared to like pesticides), which hikes up your a number of occasions: at least a few fundraisers lately for being a “healthier” diet, but the overweight, out of shape, stressed grocery budget. (ex-Felix Editor Kadhim’s Skeleton Fund and the MSF the main reason for the increased and sleep-deprived average human of Then there’s gadgetry. Dehydrators bake sales), a number of birthdays and potlucks, and hype is due to a spike in people with now. Paleo followers believe that the are another tool often used by raw during one bad low in my depression, “just because”. gluten intolerance; whether from difference is in the food we consume, foodies, but these can often take Sure beats being an unproductive blob in front of a coeliac disease, wheat allergies or and that our nutritional needs have forever to prepare a batch of food. How I Met Your Mother marathon. Thankfully no one non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. For yet to change from those of our Also, being a raw foodie when you has been poisoned by my bakes, so I think I’m okay...? clarification, only the first of these is cavemen ancestors – so why change like socializing and eating out with Since then I’ve deinitely moved on to add more an autoimmune disease. from them? friends can be inconvenient at times. cakes and sweets to my repertoire; however, red In recent years, food manufacturers As such, this diet consists of eating So yes, a raw food diet can be velvet’s deinitely got a special place in my heart, and one that I come back to now and again. Those who have jumped on this increased vegetables, fruits and meat - without potentially cleansing for the system, know me will know that there are very few desserts demand for GF food products, so any dairy, grains, sugar or processed but to go all out can require a that I make (semi-)regularly, as I’m always keen on now we find that there is a section in food (agriculture wasn’t a thing in substantial amount of money, effort trying new things; tiramisu (for family gatherings every supermarket containing GF the Paleolithic era, hence the ban on and time. It would be more practical in Malaysia) and créme brulée are the only others food. Some have been able to attract grains; fibre can still be obtained via to maybe try out a couple of raw apart from red velvet. It’s also encouraged me to purchases with a preconceived notion all sorts of fruit and veg). meals if you are feeling bloated, or experiment more and not be afraid of working with that they are somehow “healthier” It isn’t without its critics however, just need a mid-week pick-me-up! food colouring; anyone who’s seen my log cake with and “cleaner”. There might be some as health experts cite the increased my handmade fondant Pokémon will be able to tell truth to this, as some (especially risks of cancer that seem to be linked Conclusion you how far I’ve come since then. women) seem to find that lowering with higher meat consumption. These examples are only the tip The title of this editorial also has another meaning their gluten consumption helps to Nevertheless, if you are feeling of the iceberg. In most cases, proper (apart from being an Avengers reference as well keep bloating at bay. Whether this lethargic, living on 8 cups of coffee longstanding diets have one thing in – NEW MOVIE TRAILER LEAKED OMG MUCH is just a placebo effect has yet to be a day with energy levels near the common: balance and moderation. EXCITE!): often there are many who get conned into going broke, overhauling their diets to follow determined, though. In addition, floor, followers swear by the increase Your schedule might dictate that the latest fad, and just as many lament how it’s so cutting out gluten tends to mean in energy Paleo provides. Perhaps some ‘rules’ are more practical and expensive to eat healthily (newsflash: TV dinners leaving out a variety of wheat switch up just one of your meals in easier to follow than others, and that’s cost more!). This tends to be truer in America where products (which tend to be high- the day to Paleo – there’s no harm in fine as long as your body is healthy it can be cheaper to eat out (my foodie boyfriend calorie), so in most cases GF dieters eating more fruits and vegetables! and happy. spent two terms on an inal year project in Potsdam, do end up losing weight. Each diet has its own set of NY – every Skype convo had a lament about how high However, just because these Raw followers – whether you choose to fructose corn syrup was EVERYWHERE). specialist foods are labeled “gluten I’ve come across a YouTuber called go all out with one diet, or pick a few Either way, Michelle’s taken a look at some free” doesn’t necessarily mean they “Raw Kristina” who has eaten raw bits of each and incorporate them characteristics of the more-known diets in this aren’t loaded with sugar and other for almost 10 years, and has shown into your lifestyle, your health and week’s feature – we hope this’ll educate others a bit unhealthy ingredients. Nevertheless, her viewers that contrary to popular well-being are of utmost priority. more. Yes, there always is a leeeeetle bit of start-up cost when one makes some dietary changes, that for true allergy/intolerance sufferers, belief she isn’t nutritionally deficient. The most important thing is to be said, no one says you’ve got to totally change your these might be the only option. Proponents believe that applying adventurous and keep trying a variety eating in one go. For broke students like us, tweaking That said, any beneficial effects heat to food actually doesn’t have any "Each diet of new things so you don’t get stuck in bit-by-bit is probably better for both your wallet and of going GF are easily nullified if nutritional benefit (even lowering it has its any unhealthy ruts. for maintaining healthier habits long-term -– you’re you don’t supplement your carbs in some cases), except for preventing Have fun eating healthy and trying more likely to stick to it than if you made a crazy- with enough protein, fruit or veg - in us from getting food poisoning – and own set of out new recipes; if they happen to be drastic change. Enjoy, and I’ll see you next week! fact, it can be very easy to end up we wouldn’t get food poisoning in followers" gluten free, paleo or raw then that’s nutritionally imbalanced on this diet. the first place if we didn’t have foods an added bonus! 28 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Film [email protected] Film Editors Ellen Mathieson, John Park & Jack Steadman “Are you feeling horny?” Ellen Mathieson on Radcliffe’s latest venture, Horns

Director: many twists are genuinely surprising. Screenplay: Keith Bunin, Joe Horns marks yet another film Hill (novel) of Daniel Radcliffes done in an Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Juno attempt to distance himself from Temple, Max Minghella, Joe the character of Harry Potter, Anderson and he seems to finally be getting somewhere. His acting has only improved since Deathly Hallows, and I was fully impressed by the range he managed to show here. The main issue facing both him and co-star rom the very beginning, Horns Juno Temple is that neither can pull is a film that doesn’t really of a convincing American accent. Fseem to know what it’s meant Juno Temple could barely keep it the to be. I’m always suspicious of a same between lines, slipping back film that describes itself with more to her usual voice with a worrying than two genres, but when you are a frequency. Daniel Radcliffe was supernatural thriller incorporating better, only losing it majorly a couple elements of fantasy, comedy and of times, but still haunted by the romance, with a bit of drama to boot, fact that you are only able to hear it’s never going to go well. Daniel Radcliffe tries his best to look sexy Harry Potter when he speaks with his The plot in itself is fairly simple. British accent. When the long term girlfriend genres. It can be pretty jarring to purpose of showing just how in Technically the film looked lovely, (Juno Temple) of Ignatius Perrish have a massive genre shift between love the two of them were and but when your characters spend (Daniel Radcliffe) is murdered, Ig is scenes, especially as this seems to explaining exactly what happened half their time in a beautiful, mossy accused of her death. After drunkenly happen with every scene change. to Merrin. The romance is cute and forest, it is pretty much impossible smashing a few Virgin Mary statues, Perhaps if it has stuck to one genre it convincing. They met as children for it to not look good. The opening he wakes up with horns growing on would have been fine. Horror would and have been together even since. shot of Ig on the floor, beginning his head, and people telling him all have been a good choice, the inner A lot of the characters spend time upside down and twisting round as he their dirty little secrets. When he desires of people are some of the most trying to convince the audience how gets up, was a clever idea, but didn’t realises that people will do whatever "After a unpleasant things about the film, in love they were too. The probably really work in practice. The special he tells them, he decides to use this drunkenly with sex addicts, paedophiles and isn’t a named character who doesn’t effects budget was obviously all spent power to try and figure out who really smashing a the line “Stop being my son” already mention it, in a “how could you "The on the big scenes later in the film, killed his girlfriend. being in the film. Concentrating kill her” sort of way. As the film leaving any shots in the first half of Horns is based on the book by Joe few Virgin more on those might have helped progresses, the flashbacks get more opening the film looking laughably bad. Hill, and unfortunately it stumbles Mary with the issues, rather than comedy messy, and it makes the film hard shot...was Overall unless you are fan of the into all the pitfalls of a bad book statues, he that mostly falls flat and a secondary to understand at times, especially as a clever source material, or of this sort of film adaptation. It tries to be faithful to romantic subplot that I still haven’t the content of the flashbacks changes in general, or just really like forests, the source material, but in doing wakes up managed to figure out the point of. each time Ig learns something more. idea, but you’re not going to find much you so it stuffs in so much irrelevant with horns As the film is set after the murder The flashbacks also attempt to reveal it didn't like. You can tell that it tries hard to detail that you question the reason growing on of Juno Temple’s character, Merrin, most of the twists of the film, but really work make everyone happy, but in the end for whole scenes being in the film. his head" unsurprisingly there are a lot of most are so obvious you see them in practise." that just means that no-one is going Part of the issue is the overload of flashbacks. These have the dual coming a mile off. Maybe two out of to be satisfied.

This week at Imperial Cinema This week has a comic book theme month, Christopher Nolan’s The Miller consisting of both our termly chair’s Dark Knight is the landmark event Screenplay: Frank Miller choice as well as the hotly awaited of the genre which stretched what Cast: Mickey Rourke, , sequel to a cult classic. It’s extra it was thought possible for a comic Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jessica Alba exciting as The Dark Knight will be book movie. show on the original 35mm print, This epic crime saga sees Batman 2005’s neo-noir crime thriller Sin and if that’s not enough for you, battle against his greatest foe: the City was a critical and commercial each ticket comes with free ice- depraved Joker who will stop at no hit praised for its unique visuals and cream too. bounds to let anarchy and chaos sleek depiction of an urban dystopia. reign on the streets of Gotham. 9 years later Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill The Dark Knight A huge hit when it was irst For boasts the same enticing blend Director: Christopher Nolan released, this ilm has lost none of style and brutal violence. Screenplay: Christopher Nolan, of its charm. Heath Ledger’s Oscar Featuring an impressive cast of Jonathan Nolan winning performance as the Joker is returning characters alongside Cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, impossible to turn away from. newcomers to the dark streets of Old Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Showing 19:00 10th November. Tickets Town, Sin City’s sequel will remind Michael Caine are £3 for everyone. you why you loved the original. Showing 19:00 11th November and In a world where a new superhero Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For 19:00 13th November. Tickets are £3 for movie seemingly comes out every Directors: Robert Rodriguez, Frank members/£4 for non-members FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 29 Film [email protected] Film Editors Ellen Mathieson, John Park & Jack Steadman The Talented Mr Turner

Photo: huffingtonpost

Photo: christopherfowler Let’s Move

actresses are back to give it their all. all add up to Spall giving the most policies, certain powers that be are MR TURNER Marion Bailey is simply delightful as unforgettable performance you will FED UP actively trying to stop young children Director: Mike Leigh Turner’s landlady/later lover Sophia see this year. Director: Stephanie Soechtig getting bypass surgeries in the name Screenplay: Mike Leigh Booth in Margate, Lesley Manville Aside from his unusual personal Screenplay: Mark Monroe, of profit. Money is where the power Cast: Timothy Spall, Dorothy proves she can do just about anything life, Turner’s dedication to his Stephanie Soechtig is, and policy cannot be implemented Atkinson, Paul Jesson that is pushed her away, playing the craft, and his endless need to paint Cast: Katie Couric (narrator) without the necessary votes, which Scottish scientist/mathematician whatever fascinates him plays a huge are cast on popularity, and when Mary Somerville, and a part of part in the narrative. Interested in popularity is driven by those with the what makes the final moments so shipwrecks, fires and storms, there most cash, it becomes a problem. devastating is down to Dorothy is a particularly memorable, jaw- The film makes a clever link Atkinson’s wonderful portrayal of dropping moment where Mr Turner between the power the food industry JOHN PARK Turner’s forever-loyal housekeeper ties himself to a ship in the midst of JOHN PARK has in the American government, SECTION EDITOR Hannah Danby, who is suffering a storm. That he ends up with the flu SECTION EDITOR and the power that the tobacco from psoriasis, a disease progression afterwards comes as no surprise, but industry used to possess. Nowadays which is well captured throughout he gets a magnificent painting out of there are hardly any tobacco cclaimed director Mike Leigh the film. Turner does what he pleases it. And that, for him, is job well done. atie Couric is Fed Up. In this adverts on television for children has an array of impressive with Hannah, using her sexually Even in a very poorly state, he insists new documentary, which to see. If a character in a film lights Afilms to his name. And Mr whenever he feels like it, and yet on heading out to get a quick sketch Kshe narrates and executively up a cigarette, this automatically Turner is no exception when it comes she remains devoted to her master. into his book, despite objections from produces, we see the health epidemic triggers a parental warning sign to his expert craftsmanship. It is a What she receives in return is next to the concerned Mrs Booth. plaguing the lives of Americans. It with the Motion Picture Association hugely ambitious biopic, one that nothing, and she is constantly around Overseeing this all is Leigh spares no one, and a sharp increase of America to increase the age covers decades of an eccentric artist’s in her silent existence, which makes himself, who captures some brilliant in the number of children affected restriction. Similar things have been life, packing the narrative full with her role all the more heartbreaking. portrait-like landscapes that you by this in particular is what is so tried with toning down vigorous rich, colourful settings, memorable Even the young Joshua McGuire will be gobsmacked to learn are, shocking. Yes, it’s the much talked- promotion of unhealthy foods. But characters, and a deep, poignant view has his scene-stealing moment of in fact, captured on film. The film of issue of obesity. We’re at a point then food industry experts rise up to into the protagonist. the year, hilariously taking over the flows flawlessly from year to year, where more people will die of eating protest against this supposed nanny The title refers to J. M. W. Turner role of a pompous, over-privileged not having to give specific yearly too much than too little. Alarming state. Right wing Republicans (there (Timothy Spall), an English Romantic youngster who fancies himself as a timestamps of any kind, but instead statistics of how many Americans will is added footage of Sarah Palin for landscape painter, and Leigh chooses bit of a pretentious art critic, much relying on how the various characters be obese by year 2050 and how many more amusement) are the ones to focus the film on his later years. to the dismay of Turner, the painter have aged and changed over the children develop diabetes nowadays vehemently opposed to such changes, He is an eccentric figure to say the himself. course of the film’s running time. compared to the previous near non- and it is doubtful whether any type of least, and quite the contradictory But this truly is Spall’s show And yes, the 150-minute length may existent number should be a wake-up statistics, educational documentaries, one, too. His close relationship with through and through. In what seem like a lot to take in, but when call to us all. or any inkling of common sense, will his father William, (Paul Jesson) who can only be described as a career- anchored by such a masterful lead, it But that’s not all. The reason for make a difference. essentially acts as his assistant, is a crowning performance, his Cannes will be easy to be completely caught this sudden rise in obesity is not Fed Up makes me think of a quote family connection he cannot live Best Actor winning role should be up in the colourful, eventful life of Mr simply down to eating too much. As from Cloud Atlas, of all films. “Just without. This is put to the test when scooping up a BAFTA for sure, and Joseph Mallord William Turner. the film comprehensively shows us, trying to understand why we keep the old father eventually falls ill and if lucky, an Oscar nomination, which what we eat and the options that are making the same mistakes...over passes away. But when his mistress will be a first for the veteran actor available seem to be the main culprits. and over” says Halle Berry. There Sarah Danby (Ruth Sheen) turns up who has not yet had the exposure in The food industry that viciously are efforts being made to stop with their daughters, he refuses to the States that his talent deserves. He targets their advertising of fattening this epidemic. Individuals such as acknowledge them, despite their best reportedly practised painting and foods to very young children are Jamie Oliver, Michelle Obama and efforts to connect with their distant Turner’s mannerisms for two years. partly to blame, and would you many others, despite the obvious father. Sheen is terrific and ferocious, And with this he creates something believe that corporate chains such as restrictions that are placed on them and despite being in only two brief transcendent. It really is that good. McDonald’s and Pizza Hut are able thanks to a sizable enemy who is scenes, makes her mark with a Every grunting noise, crying face, to operate their businesses in school impossible to fend off, try their best stunning supporting performance. subtle movements of his eyes, his canteens as valid lunch options? to educate and reform. But it will be a In fact, a lot of Mike Leigh’s regular mumbling, grumbly voice, they Photo: When it comes to changing the long, tough fight for sure. 30 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Arts [email protected] Arts Editor Fred Fyles & Kamil McClelland

Editorial – The A Lesson in Punk & Style Style Week FRED FYLES KAMIL MCCLELLAND Fred Fyles gets a fashionable education from Blondie SECTION EDITORS

conic. It’s a word that’s thrown headline, commenting on the social Style. It’s different to fashion. around a lot these days. Defined situation in Iran, screams ‘WOMEN Fashion suggests something Ias ‘a person or thing regarded as a ARE JUST SLAVES’. Above the edge fleeting, with trends that slip by representative symbol, or as worthy of the paper, Harry stares directly like wind. Style, in contrast, is much of veneration’, it has today come to into the camera, a slight smile more constant. It evokes a timeless be used as a catch-all term for anyone playing around her eyes, as if she is ideal of chic-ness, a trend that will who is elevated even slightly above aware of the gross hypocrisy of the never go out of style; in other words, the general public. If there’s one mainstream media. a classic. person who truly deserves the title These photos not only show the This week’s issue is devoted to Style, icon in this world, it’s got to be Debbie versatility of Harry’s public image, and is the irst of our ‘Themed Issues’ Harry, the brilliant, bold, beautiful but serve as a history lesson of the which will be running throughout front woman of new wave/punk band 1970s punk-rock scene, at that time this term. We start off with a look Blondie, who form the central subject centred around down-and-dirty NYC: at Debbie Harry, who epitomises of Somerset House’s new exhibition: here she is grinning with a dapper, style in a new exhibition of photos Chris Stein/Negative: Me, Blondie, and bequiffed Bowie; here’s Andy Warhol at Somerset House. We then move The Advent of Punk, a selection of adjusting her hair before a photo swiftly on to The Photographer’s photos by Blondie’s guitarist Chris shoot; here’s Jean-Michel Basquiat Gallery, whose hallowed halls play Stein which, although small, has a serving as an extra for Blondie’s host to two fashion photographers lasting and powerful effect. ‘Rapture’ video, spinning records from opposing ends of the century: Taking the photos as mere objects, on a set of decks. From Joan Jett to Edward Steichen, the high priest the skill of Stein is immediately Photo: Chris Stein David Byrne, Iggy Pop to William of modernist fashion, and Viviene apparent; having trained at the S. Burroughs, it seems Blondie Sassen, whose confrontational School of Visual Arts in the mid-60s, deliberately sought out the company photos challenge traditional ideas of he did have some formal education NYC’s East Village; clad in head to toe of fellow icons. photography. in the discipline. However, Stein black, with her platinum hair shining Ultimately, this exhibition – Fashion is the next target in our approaches photography in much the like a halo around her head, she cuts although slight – is well worth sights, as we explore the links same way he addresses his music: with a striking figure, and everyone in visiting, especially for anyone with between clothing and power at a punk, DIY attitude. ‘Photography the photo turns to look as she walks an interest in the music scene of the Design Museum’s latest show, was distant and mysterious’, says past. In another, taken in 1978 while 1970’s New York, which the photos and analyse the long-standing Stein, ‘[it] was simply “there”, at the video shoot for ‘Picture This’, help consolidate into a near-tangible relationship between art and but undefined’. Within the she is illuminated from behind by a presence. As Stein himself says: fashion. composition of the photos, his starburst of studio lighting. Clutching ‘they ground the moment in some Of course, the theme is not the be all unique photographic eye is evident; a microphone in her hand, she stands semblance of solidity’; they bring the and end all. We also have a number Debbie Harry herself said that ‘the on a neon walkway, looking like an atmosphere of the era into the room, of other reviews of what is going on singularity of Chris’ eye view of the "Within alien beamed down from another "They and beam Debbie Harry directly into in London. If you’re into art, check world comes through in every shot’. world, here to save us from the today’s world. A bit more present, but out Kieran’s review of the Sigmar As the subject of many of the the photos, horrors of mediocrity. bring the every bit as iconic. Polke, or Elizaveta’s analysis of Egon photos present, Debbie Harry shines; Stein's Debbie Harry’s subversive nature atmosphere of Schiele’s nudes. If theatre is more not satisfied with one public persona, unique is also apparent, honed through the era into Chris Stein/Negative: Me, Blondie, your thing, then you can choose Harry shape-shifts throughout the years of making music in a heavily and The Advent of Punk runs until 25th from Max’s royal review of Charles exhibition, her cut glass cheekbones photographic male-dominated environment. In one the room, January, 10:00-18:00. Free Admission III, Jingjie’s take on ‘Tis Pity She’s A the only thing remaining constant. eye is amazing shot, Harry is reclining in beaming in Skate at Somerset House, the ice-rink, Whore, or or Mario’s short and sweet In one delightful photo from 1976 evident" the plush black leather seat of a train, Debbie Harry" will run from 11th November until 11th piece on The Cherry Orchard. she is walking down 14th Street, in clutching a copy of The Sun, whose January. Tickets are available online. Here’s to a stylish week... Too Many Firsts by Riyadh Rateme FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 31 Arts [email protected] Arts Editor Fred Fyles & Kamil McClelland Two Worlds of Fashion, Complete Poles Apart Fred Fyles visits The Photographer’s Gallery to see what’s trendy

n 25th January, 1955, the modernism. precursors of the modern cult of MoMA opened its doors to the The series of photos chosen in celebrity. Omost ambitious photography the exhibition are pretty evenly We have Joan Crawford, wrapped exhibition ever conceived. Titled split between portraits of famous in a black dress that drapes off her The Family of Man, the 503 photos personalities and glossy fashion body, haughtily looking down on the aimed to reflect the world around spreads for the magazines. world like an icy statue, her famously us, highlighting the similarities His approach to composition expressive eyes downcast. Elsewhere between vast numbers of people has helped form our idea of the Marlene Dietrich, that most alien who were just beginning to get their 1920s, with his photos seeming to of icons, is bathed in a soft glow; her postwar lives together, living in the perfectly encapsulate the bright eyes turned up towards us, almost as atomic shadow of Hiroshima. After young spark that drove the motor of if in pain, and her hand outstretched, its wildly popular run in New York, this roaring decade. With the most like an opium-eater on the verge of a the exhibition toured the world for modern fashions captured against come-down. 8 years, building up a staggering supremacist-inspired backdrops, There is a great deal of contrast attendance of 9 million; in 2003 its the models seem to be archetypes at play in Steichen’s work, not only historical value was recognised by of ‘liberated women’ – from flapper between black and white, but also UNESCO, who placed the exhibition girls to grand dames, artists to between the clothing and their in their permanent archives. The dancers, Steichen imbues each with environments. Particularly in his curator of this grand spectacle? their own individual quality. early work the women are weighed Edward Steichen – intellectual Steichen’s mastery of artificial down with repressive clothing, royalty, Academy Award winner, and lighting means that each and every completely at odds with the modern, one of the most influential fashion photograph, although taken in black almost Bauhaus-esque backdrops. photographers of his time. & white, seems to have its own inner It seems that even with complete Edward Steichen Actress Gloria Swanson, 1924. Photo: Steichen is also the subject of a new warmth that radiates out. control over the camera and the Vanity Fair, 1st February, 1924 retrospective at The Photographer's His series of actor’s photographs scene, the things Steichen could not Gallery, who eschew his earlier, are equally as impressive; having control were the clothes themselves. triffid-like blooms as opposed to pictorialist work, instead taking as spent his formative years in New Some portraits, however, are clothing; others see Sassen marrying their starting point 1923 – the year York photographing some of the startling in their modernism, sartorial realness with a sense of body Steichen was hired by Conde Nast to most famous artists of the time, it particularly his iconic portrait of horror, like the twisted offspring of be the chief photographer for Vanity seems Steichen had long since lost Greta Garbo: dressed all in black, her David Cronenberg and Guy Bourdin. Fair and Vogue. Over the next 14 years any trepidation that may accompany arms move up to push her hair back, Her irreverent and humourful he would revolutionise the fashion photographing – that most intimate revealing her clear-cut cheekbones attitude to fashion is clear: ‘for me, photography industry, dragging it of actions – innumerable stars. and almost pallid skin. Her body – fashion is one big playground, a place blinking into the bright world of These portraits of actors are early ensconced in a turtleneck – seems to experiment’. to dissolve into the bottom of the Unfortunately, her work is not photograph, while the two planes of given the opportunity to shine that light play against her skin, pulled it so sorely deserves. Taking on a taut against her skull. She no longer more conceptual form than the resembles an actor; she is an icon Steichen collection, Analemma is of modernity and death, a vision of exhibited as a 45 minute film, in Bergman’s Nordic blues. which 350 pictures are run on a Moving downstairs, we find a loop while a minimal soundtrack photographer whose work is the plays in the background. While complete opposite of Steichen’s: presenting content in such a way Viviane Sassen, a Dutch is certainly novel, and allows us to photographer who has forged really get an idea of the key themes strong links with i-D, AnOther, and in Sassen’s work, it doesn’t allow us Dazed and Confused magazines. The to experience its full breadth. It also difference could not be more striking: means that we are not allowed to while Steichen’s work is firmly spend long lingering over a picture rooted in depression-era Hollywood we particularly love, or skip those one glamour, Sassen’s is unquestionably finds boring; they all move past us at contemporary; while Steichen relied the same meandering speed. on traditional techniques of black The Photographer’s Gallery does & white silver-gelatin plates, Sassen very well to pull off these two shows, is happy to mess around with new highlighting a discipline that is "He would perspectives, digital techniques, much maligned in mainstream and photoshop; and while Steichen artistic culture. By showing us two revolutionise harnesses complete control over ends of fashion photography’s the fashion the multitude of greys that exist timeline, the viewer is able to chart photography between both ends of the spectrum, the development of the form, from Sassen’s eye-popping works are a medium focussed purely on selling industry, hypersaturated in vibrant, exuberant overpriced clothes to one that dragging colour. "There is a celebrates the artist’s vision and skill, it blinking What sets Sassen apart from her great deal while still trying to sell overpriced into the peers is her meticulous eye for detail, of contrast clothes. I guess some things never and a bold willingness to shift the change. bright focus away from clothes, instead at play in world of following her own singular vision. Steichen's Edward Steichen: The Conde Nast Years, Viviane Sassen In Bloom, Dazed and Confused, July 2011. Photo: Courtesy modernism." Some photographs have elements of work." and Vivenne Sassen: Analemma are on of the artist and The Photographer's Gallery surrealism, where dresses resemble until 18th January 2015 32 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Arts [email protected] Arts Editor Fred Fyles & Kamil McClelland Fashionable Women, But No Powerful Punch Can fashion be a force for liberation? Fred Fyles investigates marble statue; Joan Crawford, with free-form fashion popular, liberating her mad popping eyes, piercing a innumerable French women, but hole through the lens – are held up as how many Parisian charwomen could examples of women with power, and afford the prices? They exclaim that yet the control exerted over them by the opening of Selfridges in 1909 was the major studios is never mentioned, a boon for women, since it provided a curious omission for an exhibition an area where they could meet up themed around the liberation of and spend their leisure time, but as women. we have seen from the recent BBC 4 Other examples of men controlling series on shopgirls, such stores would how women dress are present only be a liberated paradise to those throughout the exhibition, tainting who weren’t shackled to drudgery. everything: A Beatles fan-mag whose The First World War, during which front cover promises to teach you women filled the vacuum in society ‘How To Make Him Like You’; photos of left behind by those at the front, is Sam Cam, that most insipid of public seen as a golden time for liberated figures, smiling dead-eyed in a M&S women’s fashion, but fails to shift; and innumerable names of male recognise that it was also a time when designers. women were recognised as a great From Pierre Cardin to John source of untapped capital. Galliano, it is difficult to move for Above all, it is this lack of nuance male fashion designers. Even Karl that is the downfall of the exhibition. Lagerfeld, whose feminist credentials Towards the back of the space, there are beyond belief (moving on from are a selection of outfits, chosen criticising Adele’s weight, his most by a consortium of 26 influential recent show saw emaciated white women, whose spheres range from women donning a horrific pastiche media, to politics, to global finance. of the Suffragettes’ legacy to shift On the surface this seems like a overpriced clothing), gets a look in. positive thing: a chance for powerful Even those female designers women, whose clothing choices are featured don’t come across that well; constantly under scrutiny, to have the most heavily featured designer a conversation about what fashion is – as you would expect – Vivienne means to them on their own terms. Westwood, that grand dame of However, to the side of this exhibit anarchy who continues to ensure that a series of pages detail interviews Scotland’s remaining tartan factories with the women, which serve to are kept in business. totally destroy any grand ideas However, in the description the the exhibition may have had. In Vivienne Westwood, the Grand-Dame of controversial clothing, is one of the women museum gives, Dame Westwood the opening to the exhibit a photo featured. Photo: Christian Shambenait is said to have evolved from her of Angela Merkel is sandwiched subversive origins as an engineer between Thatcher and Obama, and here can be no doubt size of just 19 inches; luckily the of punk into an internationally the description seems to lament that that the hand which first Victorians were lenient on expectant recognised champion of British fact that so much attention is paid “Tencloses the waist of a mothers – the maternity corset design and identity. This description to the most powerful woman in the girl in these cruel contrivances, giving the wearer a comfortable does little justice to Westwood, who world’s clothing. In light of this the supplying her with a fictitious 24 inches of breathing room. One continues to be a subversive force of interview questions seem weird: why support, where the hand of God long-line Edwardian corset employs seismic proportions well into her 8th should we want to know how many has placed bones and muscles that a ‘wide border of satin, embroidered decade. pairs of shoes Anna Hidalgo, mayor ought to be brought into vigorous bows, tapered boning in the back That being said, there are some of Paris, has? Are we really interested action, lays the foundation of bitter casing, and four strong rubber moments of clarity and vision within whether Camila Batmanghelidjh has suffering.” Thus spoke Charlotte grip suspenders’; it’s described as the exhibition: a highlight is the a personal shopper? I think not. Elizabeth Tonna, a popular novelist, ‘lightweight’. section on the Suffragettes, whose Women. Fashion. Power. Three on the pretty prisons that are corsets. Surely things have changed for the approach to uniform could be seen big themes, which could fill The year of the declaration? 1841, better? Perhaps. Trends in women’s as the first modern-day example of countless textbooks and essays, making it a fitting start to the Design fashion have certainly changed, but brand awareness. Choosing white, are crammed into this small space, Museum’s retrospective of the this exhibition does little to convince purple, and green as their colours, whose horrifically confusing layout relationship between women, clothes, "Examples the viewer that it has played a key "It seems a the members of the WSPU dressed in – designed somewhat embarrassingly and feminism, succinctly titled role in feminist liberation. The smart formal wear, so that the public by Zaha Hadid – does it no favours. Women Fashion Power. of men ‘flapper’, whose typical dresses are bit gauche could not dismiss them as riff-raff. As In order to fit in the last 150 years of Beginning with a hall of feminist controlling displayed in the 1920s section, was by to feature was to be expected, public reaction to women’s history, the Design Museum icons that range from the obvious how women and large a male invention. No doubt these these soldiers of suffrage was largely have had to remove any nuance they (Joan of Arc) to the contemporary actual, liberated flappers did exist – negative, and the exhibit includes may have had, swapping political and (Michelle Obama), to the questionable dress are Louise Brooks and Josephine Baker designers a series of cartoons deriding the ethical discourse for photos of Jane (Margaret Thatcher), the exhibition present are two notable examples featured – at the movement. Fonda, a decision that works against aims to chart the developments in throughout but the trend was engineered largely expense of Unfortunately, the Design Museum the exhibition. Ultimately, the show women’s fashion, linking it to the the by patriarchal society, which used the less well seems to conflate ‘Power’ with features a lot about women, and a lot changes in their social situation. ‘flapper’ as another example of the ‘Money’; perhaps an easy mistake about fashion, but lacks a powerful It begins with the aforementioned exhibition, flippancy of women. known to make in our capitalist society, punch. corsets, the cruelty of which is tainting Similarly, the icons of the golden women but one that robs the show of any apparent from their dimensions everything." age of Hollywood – Marlene Dietrich designers." possibility of nuanced debate. We Women Fashion Power runs at the alone. Some of them have a waist staring down the camera like a are told that Coco Chanel made Design Museum until 26th April 2015. FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 33 Arts [email protected] Arts Editor Fred Fyles & Kamil McClelland When Art and Fashion Collide: An Exploration of the History of the Relationship Between Fine Art, Fashion, and Commerce by Fred Fyles

012 was a good year for Japanese may make you screw up your eyes, artist Yayoi Kusama. With a you can console yourself with the fact 2career that spans more than six that in 2008 one of her works sold at decades, and ranges from painting Christie's for $5.1 million, setting a to performance art, her hard work record for living women artists. But was rewarded with not just one, but even if the bag represents a good deal two retrospectives, held on either in comparison, it – along with many side of the Atlantic. The Whitney other such collaborations – leaves a Museum in New York City played bad taste in my mouth. host to a number of her polka-dotted In order to understand the creations, while the Tate Modern’s relationship between artists and exhibition proved to be one of the fashion designers, a meshing of highlights of that summer. "In order to ideas that can be both symbiotic and Not only did she garner critical destructive, we need to go back to the acclaim that year, but she also understand swinging sixties. 1965 in particular; released a range of handbags and this the year that French designer Yves accessories in collaboration with relationship Saint Laurent released his celebrated fashion brand Louis Vuitton, a ‘Piet Mondrian’ dresses that went somewhat odd move for an artist we need to on to define an era. Taking their who was so crucial for the formation go back to inspiration from the Dutch founder of the Feminist Art movement. The the Swinging of Neoplasticism, Saint Laurent price for one of these customised Sixties" stitched together patches of colourful handbags? $3,600. While the price wool jersey, separated by thick black The 2012 Collaboration between Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama and Louis Vuitton. Bag pictured is priced at $3,600 Photo: Louis Vuitton

lines, evoking modern masterpieces. Damien Hirst, that enfant terrible However, as much as people may laud 90s hangover, whose work manages to this as the beginning of collaboration, be both ‘aggressively confrontational’ Mondrian died in 1944, when young and still completely marketable. Saint Laurent was only eight. In Last year saw a collaboration actuality, he was merely ‘inspired’ by between Hirst and the fashion house the paintings of Mondrian, and no Alexander McQueen, resulting in a formal collaboration took place. range of scarves costing up to £715. Fast-forward to 1974, and we find And yet this is not the worst example Yves Saint Laurent tangled up in of the gaucheness of Hirst’s output; another collaboration, this time more that dubious honour would belong to authentic. It was this year that Andy his relationship with Beck’s Beer, for Warhol, whose involvement in the whom he designed a special edition world of fashion and industry was bottle in 1995 as part of their Art almost a given, created a silk screen Label campaign. The campaign was painting of Saint Laurent, pensively launched in 1987, with the first label staring out of the canvas in candy- designed by British duo Gilbert & floss tones. From then on the die George; what did Beck’s do to deserve was cast, and the worlds of fashion this fine honour? They sponsored a and fine art aligned, coming closer retrospective at the Hayward Gallery and closer, until they seemed to that same year. The relationship spectacularly crash together. between art and industry is so By the 1990s the line between obvious it would almost be amusing. creativity and commercialism It was not just Gilbert & George was destroyed – perhaps thanks to "It is hard and Hirst who took up the mantle of the legacy of Thatcher’s economic Beck’s. Numerous artists, including policies – making art as disposable to find a contingent of the YBA group – as quick fashion; evidence of cultural the worst Tracey Emin, Rachel Whiteread et awareness was no longer about what example al – agreed to design labels for the you read, but what you wore, and bottle, and in the process reduced fine artistic appreciation became as simple of Damien art – quite literally – to a consumable. as buying a new coat. Hirst's I understand that the artists have a It is difficult to find anyone who gaucheness" right to choose what art they make, Yves Saint Laurent - Andy Warhol. 1974 Photo: Creative Commons encapsulates this trend better than and with whom, but these kinds of 34 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Arts [email protected] Arts Editor Fred Fyles & Kamil McClelland

the idea of ‘purchase equals pleasure’ pose less of a problem for me. When fundamental to a capitalist economy. Cindy Sherman collaborated with Rather than a democratisation of art, Comme des Garcons in 1995 it didn’t instead what happens is culture, by seem like a big transgression, but and large, remains accessible only to rather a natural extension of her a select few, a plutocracy, operating in work. Similarly, Juergen Teller’s 16 the upper echelons of commerce. year collaboration with Marc Jacobs So why do I feel this way about can be seen as a source of art, even if artists, and not other disciplines? his bright, high-flash style has since Why is it that the idea of Jeremy been tainted by Terry Richardson, Deller, last year chosen to represent the high priest of sleaze. the UK at the Venice Biennale, The crux of the issue for me designing the interior of a Louis comes down to inevitability: the Vuitton store in 2009 makes me roll relationship between architects or my eyes, but architects get a free pass photographers and fashion houses designing the exterior? Perhaps it is seems like a direct consequence of because such a relationship seems their structure. The house creates inevitable. Fashion houses have garments, images of which need to be always needed stores; physical spaces circulated around society, whether in which, if their goods are not sold, that is through print or digital they can at least be admired by those media; similarly, a space is needed who can’t afford them (think of the in which to present the objects, sheer amount of glass plating used by and the building itself is a neutral the fashion industry). construction. But there’s no necessity If someone has to design these for artists to do this. The artists who buildings, it might as well be a good do so would still be able to pay the architect. Zaha Hadid’s Chanel bills if they refused – it is not a case Pavillion, designed in 2008 and of do or die. Through expanding resembling a low flying cloud, is just their bank balance they destroy the as beautiful as her other buildings; beauty and importance of art; a Yayoi Herzog and de Meuron's 2003 Kusama print becomes something to Prada store in Tokyo is undeniably stitch into clothes; a George Condo a beautiful building, with its criss canvas mutates from a terrifying, cross patterning and bulging glass neo-surrealist nightmare into decor facade. The building as a structure can for a Birkin bag. Art becomes just be honest, even if what is contained another commodity, to be consumed, inside is not. digested, and ultimately thrown Similarly, photographers seem to away.

Another example of the Kusama/LV collaboration. What does it say about the nature of art and commerce? Photo: Louis Vuitton things still leave me feeling angry. to those in other disciplines, such It’s a gut reaction, something that as the Red Hot CDs, which also raise happens when I see such blatant money for HIV/AIDS, and whose cheapening of what I love. latest release draws on the work of I feel like everyone should be American musician Arthur Russell. able to have access to art, but not Both help to promote charity, and through a beer bottle. It is especially perhaps expose more people to works jarring when such schemes do little of art they would otherwise never see. to help anyone bar the artist and the However, one of the main problems industry. I’m not suggesting that that I have with the issue is the way it Emin gives up her entire income; contributes to the commercification after all, her dedication to the cult of of fine art. Walter Benjamin, writing mammon is well documented: as well in A Small History of Photography, as very public declarations in favour talks about the ‘aura’ of art, a term of the Conservatives and against high that refers to its fetishization within tax rates, Emin owns properties in culture. A work of art exists only London, St Tropez, Miami, and NYC. in one place, and can only be seen Such behaviour should therefore not in that place at any one time – be surprising. this uniqueness within space and Not all collaborations are bad. time means that the work of art is Some, though far from all, help not accessible to the masses, and to raise money for philanthropic therefore becomes desirable. causes. An example would be the You may argue that the relationship relationship between the Keith between art and industry helps Haring Foundation and Tommy break down this aura. After all, Hilfiger, who in 2010 designed a "Not all by releasing a range of designer "Everyone series of trainers featuring prints such ideas handbags, Kusama ensures that her should by the late American artist. The are bad; work is not only present in galleries, have access proceeds went to the Foundation, but also out on the streets! This view, to art, which provides grants for children some although optimistic, is also naive, in need and those affected by HIV/ help raise ignoring the economic aspect of such but not AIDS, the disease that eventually money for collaborations. The vast majority of through a went on to kill Haring in 1990. In charity" works produced in these processes are beer bottle" The 1965 "Piet Mondrian" collection, from French designer Yves Saint essence, such projects are no different extortionately expensive, following Laurent Photo: Creative Commons FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 35 Arts [email protected] Arts Editor Fred Fyles & Kamil McClelland ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore – Shakespeare’s moral dilemma Jingjie Cheng raves about the Globe’s new production of a classic

espite being written almost one by one as Annabella’s incestuous 400 years ago in a society pregnancy is revealed and the Dvastly different from our own, vengeful adulteress Hippolita’s plot this Renaissance classic still evokes comes together with the schemes visceral responses. There is something of each suitor – culminating in the deeply attractive about a story of mistaken murder of Bergetto in passionate love between brother complete darkness. and sister, vengeful adulteresses and With three layers of performance corrupt cardinals which all end in a space, the story is presented with bloody birthday party. exciting visual variation, where This production, in particular, was a visitor can walk in on a heated an especially immersive experience discussion happening on the main due to the wonderfully intimate space stage from a lower entrance while of the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Annabella and her housekeeper looks Opened in January, this smaller, on from the balcony above; and at Fiona Button as Annabella and as Giovanni in Michael Longhurst's production. indoor sister theatre of the Globe the same time other characters sing Photo: Simon Kane gives the characters extraordinary a chorus on the sides and someone freedom to embrace the audience into slams open the doors and walk on interludes and live music. The the siblings holds a kind of warped the deliciously hypocritical, bloody "There is stage. absence of ostentatious sets and innocence, only to have everything and of course, incestuous world of In my view, this production’s showy props brings out the fine acting spiral out of control as Giovanni is 17th century Italy. something achievement was to make excellent of Fiona Button as the passionate, gripped by obsession and vengeance. The candlelit setting lends itself to deeply use of the unique space to highlight vivacious Annabella who simply Blood and death ends the play with the clever play of light and shadow, attractive the play’s unbridled passions. follows her heart, and Max Bennett as the cardinal remarking coolly that all while its small size allows characters Despite that, the play refrains from the stubborn and arrogant Giovanni, "Excellent possessions of the dead will be taken to come up close and the audience about a making a judgment on the incest or who insists on justifying his love with use of the away by the church. becomes part of the set – at one point, story of the corrupt society where it happens, verses from the Bible. unique ‘Tis Pity is a fascinating theatrical Anabella’s dim suitor Bergetto falls passionate simply making it plain to the There are also delightful comic space to journey that makes classical theatre over the railings and into an audience love audience and allowing us to decide for interludes from James Garnon as the accessible and enjoyable for the member’s lap. Intimate scenes are ourselves. “dunce” of a suitor, who transforms highlight modern audience and is definitely played with the candle lights lowered between There is an interesting balance into a corrupt cardinal later in the the play's not to be missed. to cast gentle shadows on faces, which brother between simplicity and grandeur, play. Amid the materialistic, amoral unbridled are then elevated in the more public and sister." with the almost minimalist costumes society the characters live in, the ‘Tis Pity is on at the Sam Wanamaker scenes. The lights are extinguished contrasted with the classical choir transgressive relationship between passions." Playhouse until 7th December

A Twentieth Century Russian Tragedy Doing The Polka With Sigmar Polke MARIO LEPORE values and so many deemed the KIERAN RYAN response. ARTS WRITER play to be Chekhov’s commentary ARTS WRITER Or maybe it says something on a society unwilling to adapt to a more, like pieces without context, modern Russia, primarily through or without giving your viewer ’ll give you my cheek you’ll want my his depiction of Lady Ranevskaya hat is a Sigmar Polke? You something to grab onto, without breast. I’ll give you my breast you’ll and her downright refusal to save the are first exposed to strange creating some middle ground Iwant my badger. You’ll work your country estate. Wdrawings, soon giving way between artist and person looking at way down and nothing will stop you’. The play is stolen by Gawn to intense dotted portraits, where art, where a conversation can happen, Grainger in his portrayal of Firs, an eyes become mere dark recesses, their a bunch of dots is just a bunch of dots. Opening on the 10th October, elderly and frail serf who has worked superficial happiness running thin. And maybe it equally says look a bit director Katie Mitchell returns to for the family for many years. Now Buildings at night that are made of longer, person looking at art, because The Young Vic in a production of barely able to walk, his years of melting ice cream, a supermarket you haven’t taken any risks here – Russian playwright Anton Chekhov’s devotion and dedication to the family full of Supermen, an office worker you get to go move on and go home final play, The Cherry Orchard. Set in make the final tragedy of loneliness about to shoot himself in the head at will, so shut up and look and think 20th century Russia, the play follows all the more painful. with a catapult, collages of things not a bit longer. Maybe it says neither of an aristocratic Russian matriarch and Whilst scattered with light disincluding porn, and a really, really these things. Maybe I just snuck up her family in the midst of losing their comedic moments, an overwhelming big Chairman Mao’s head. Blurred, and talked about abstract art a bit. beloved country estate along with its darkness predominates. Stephens has nearly ethereal photos of homeless To visit the Tate’s Sigmar Polke immense cherry orchard. considerably shortened the play, 2 guys. You know those times when you exhibition, you must wade through Initially devised as a comedy, the hours in all, which serves to avoid any remember that capitalism is built on all his sarcasm, wondrous depictions play’s original director, Stanislavski, moments of dullness. false promises? This kind of brings of materialism, other things we’re saw it more as a tragedy and it is The play is ideal for both Chekhov you to that point a bit quicker. never going to get, the corruption this interpretation that influences virgins and veterans alike and the Polke as a drug. Pulverised Polke in and the weird slides and the actually Mitchell’s current portrayal. The "The set is hard-hitting conclusion is sure to a glass pipe. Probably one appropriate "To a bit disturbing videos, and look set is cold and gloomy with the once linger in your mind whatever your response to life is to take the piss. at the last four paintings, opposite grandiose house now haggard and cold and experience. Extension of the planet system by visit the The Illusionist, which are like poorly illuminated. gloomy, a 10th planet: …Uranus, Neptune, exhibition nebulae, like blizzards, supernovae Chekhov explores many themes in with the The Cherry Orchard (Dir: Katie Pluto, Polke.” Maybe all day you you must and foetuses all at the same time, the play: nature, modernity, personal Mitchell) is on at The Young Vic until see art that’s like a bunch of dots, presented with iridescent paint and identity and the effect of social once 29th November. Monday-Saturday, or some random lines, or all white wade black backgrounds, and maybe some change. grandoise 7.30pm, Matinees on Wednesday and with the top corner painted black. through uncovered sincerity. Several works of the period house now Saturday. Maybe a sarcastic title “Higher beings all his commented on the clash of old Tickets are available online, priced from commanded: Paint the upper right sarcasm" Alibis: Sigmar Polke 1963 - 2010 is on Russia and ‘modern’ Western haggard" £10-35 corner black!” is an appropriate at the Tate Modern until 8th February. 36 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Arts [email protected] Arts Editor Fred Fyles & Kamil McClelland King Charles III – Princely Propaganda or Royalist Treat? Max Falkenberg asks if this play glosses over an important issue oyally entertaining…”, (sometime around 2022 apparently). problem is simply trivialised with “stimulating comedy”, “a A little too enthusiastic about his some stupid joke about Camilla’s Rvictoriously vulgar piece of newfound “ceremonial” powers, and horse-face. light entertainment.” Not so fast! all too eager to leave his mark as The performances of those That’s what the popular, royalist Britain’s greatest ever monarch, the characters playing serious roles in press of this country has been saying country is left in turmoil following the show were exceptional, with about this year’s must-see show, King Charles’ refusal to sign a new bill. Lydia Wilson as Princess Kate Charles III at the Wyndham Theatre. Although the likelihood of such being a particular stand out. But Of course, for a huge proportion an event taking place nowadays again, poor casting and unfriendly of the British population, the Royal is (hopefully) extremely remote, writing meant that regardless of Family are, quite literally, the the play does raise serious and performance quality, several of the crown jewels of this great country. uncomfortable questions about the casts smaller roles felt stunted and Unfortunately, I’m not one of those role of the British monarchy were unfortunately performed with people, and so it shouldn’t surprise Bartlett’s play unravels like a little conviction. you that I was not quite as “royally Shakespearean epic and touches on all I must admire Mike Bartlett’s entertained” as some other parts of the facets of these alarming questions attempt in writing a play about such a the admittedly jovial audience. A as part of a stunning new play. touchy issue, but I can’t help but feel great play maybe, but a shocking case If Bartlett’s script had been left like he lost his way somewhere. of trivialising a scarily dark issue. this, maybe it’d be the best new work Yes, the show is gripping I may not have found King Charles of the year. But like all the great royal throughout. Yes, the cast is great. III particularly funny but I cannot stories, Harry’s so-called girlfriend is "A real, Yes, the pretty red steps on the blank deny that Mike Bartlett’s new play is portrayed as a ditsy, pretty, not very serious stage provide a perfect framing for an exceptional work. opinionated slut (not my ideal choice problem such a show. But the next time I go Usually performed by Tim Pigott- of words but it’s how it comes across), is simply see a show about real people and real Smith, Charles’ understudy Miles and for some reason Diana’s ghost issues, don’t get a clown to prance all Richardson stepped up to replace him decides to glide across the stage every trivialised over the stage and make the whole with an exemplary performance (even now and then, in a ridiculous, panto with some idea look ridiculous. if he does look a good twenty years style joke. stupid That’s not to say it wasn’t a great too young), supported by a superb cast It wasn’t a huge issue, and it show, but you better be a royalist for (less one or two theatrical dunces). certainly didn’t spoil the show, but joke about it not to annoy you. Directed by Rupert Goold, the play it is a real shame that whenever the Camilla's centres around Charles’ role as king Tim Pigott-Smith as King Charles III. Photo: Johan royals are spoken about, what would horse-face." King Charles III is on at Wynham’s after his mother Elizabeth II dies Persson otherwise be considered a real, serious Theatre, until 31st January.

Voyeur at the Courtauld: Schiele’s Radical Nude Impresses

ELIZAVETA TCHEBANIOUK solely dark, deathly tones in others. paintings, the figures demonstrate ARTS WRITER These nudes are even further from Schiele’s characteristically alien and traditional, conveying not only a far unnatural gestures, which despite from idealised image of the human being expressive, seem to hold some mention of sex in any context, form, but one moreover dark and mysterious coded meaning. really, is usually enough to get diseased. Schiele’s friends called this This analysis could be applied to all Apeople excited (pun intended). style “the death beneath the skin”, of Schiele’s work, which is perhaps After all, to quote Oscar Wilde: and it is one the artist used often to why their legacy has lasted for nearly “Everything in the world is about sex, further complicate the eroticism of a century. In the history of the nude except sex. Sex is about power”. the nude with a Freudian conflict of – an artistic canon that stretches It is clear to spectators of The desire and death. from the Venus of Willindorf, Radical Nude – the first solo exhibit These nudes are clearly alive, but through Da Vinci, and all the way to of Egon Schiele’s nudes in the UK – at the same time are also dying. This contemporary artists like Tracy Emin that in all of the paintings, whether dichotomy, which runs through all – Schiele’s work stands out as bold, dark tones or vivid bright colors, of Schiele’s work, is what gives it unique, and visceral. there is an unexpected sense of the its wonderful, heady tension, and It is perhaps the elusive nature of power of the imperfect naked human syphilitic energy. Schiele’s nudes more so than their form. And so, in that sense, Schiele Though bordering on pornography sexual subject that captivates the revolutionized the traditionally and enough to certainly raise a few audience. For a moment one manages fragile and limp take on the nude. early 20th century brows, Schiele’s to grasp the intention behind the pose With his “radical nudes”, Schiele nudes are never mindlessly erotic, and colors and lines but the moment is equally successful and scandalous but rather sophisticatedly sexy. passes, and the meaning evades in breaking both the artistic "Though The works at The Radical Nude are . The nudes cannot be conventions and social taboos of his bordering on often psychologically symbolic and fully understood (much like Schiele time. Paradoxically, there is a kind philosophically suggestive. himself) and that is perhaps why they of unnaturally natural and softly pornography, For example, in Two Girls Embracing continue to fascinate generation after aesthetic beauty in the way the sharp Schiele's (1915), Schiele paints one woman generation. angles, inorganic colors, and awkward nudes conventionally while the other poses complement each other and appears more as a doll with dull point Egon Schiele: The Radical Nude, is form the total work of art. are never eyes. This detail gives the painting a on at The Courtald Gallery, located While Schiele employs mindlessly further symbolically dynamic depth in Somerset House. It runs from 23rd unconventionally bold colors to erotic, but beyond the - at that time scandalous – October until 18th January. animate and charge some of his rather sexy." lesbian implications. Tickets are £8.50 for adults, £7.50 for nudes with sexual energy, he uses Two Girls Embracing (Friends) 1915. Egon Schiele Moreover, in many of the exhibited students. Free for members. FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 37 Fashion [email protected] Editor Cecile Borkhataria Wedding Dresses: An Exhibition at the V&A Cecile Borkhataria takes a look at dresses from 1775 onwards

oday, brides of many faiths and nationalities wear white Tto celebrate their marriages, even in countres where it is not traditional to do so. The globalisation phenomenon and the influence and strength of the wedding industry have contributed to this homogenisation in wedding trends. The white dress has become the universal symbol of the bride. However, this wasn’t always the case. The wedding dress exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington showcases over 80 extravagant wedding gowns from 1775 up to present day. Displayed chronologically over two floors, the outfits displayed were mostly worn in Britain. The exhibition also includes the ac- cessories worn by the brides. Some of the higlights of the exhibiton include Kate Moss’ wedding dress, designed by John Galliano, the Duchess of Cornwall’s coat and headpiece worn at her marriage to HRH The Prince of Wales, and the bright pink Dior dress worn by Gwen Stefani on her wedding day to Gavin Rossdale. The opening section of the ex- hibiton features early examples of bridal fashion, notably a silk brocade gown and petticoat, worn with a silk covered straw hat and silk satin shoes, worn by Jane Bailey for her marriage to James Wickham in 1780. In the 18th century, most royal and arisocratic bides wore silk gowns woven with gold and silver, whilst other brides at the time wore fabrics patterned with flowers and other motifs, as these designs could be worn again after the wedding. Bridal hats were also a big trend at the time, as the preserved modesty. It was only in the 19th century that white dresses became more fashionable. In fact, a significant moment in wedding dress history took place when Queen Victoria wore a white dress for her marriage to Prince Albert in 1840. This cemented the white dress and the white veil as the dominant tradition for weddings for the next 200 years. The beginning of the 20th century saw a radical change in bridal Silk brocade gown an petticoat, silk covered straw hat and silk satin shoes, 1780. Photo: John John Galliano wedding gown, worn by Kate Moss fashion, which became influenced by Chase Photo: Victoria and Albert Museum historical costumes. By the 1920’s, bridal fashion became heavily in place, brides had to be practical would reduce Paris’s dominance of entranced by the designer’s luxurious the mezzanine level features wedding influenced by evening wear. Dresses with the types of fabrics they used the international fashion market, style. styles from the 1960’s to 2014. The were no longer diaphanous and full, for their wedding gowns. Some but Christian Dior’s debut collection By the 1960’s, ready to wear mezzanine collection includes some instead, they were slim-hipped and borrowed or hired dresses, whilst in 1947 only solidified Paris’ place clothing began to challenge the of the most up to date bridal designs made from rich, beaded fabrics or others used non-rationed fabrics such as the fashion capital of the world. dominance of couture designers. by Jenny Peckham and Temperley satins. Lace, pale gold, pale pinks and as upholstery, net curtaining and At the time, the British government Innovative styles were marketed to Bridal, as well as celebrity gowns. velvet became common styles for even parachute silk. Alternatively, criticised the new Dior look for being young clientele, and this married well The exhibiton is showing at wedding gowns in the roaring 20’s. some women chose to wear a smart too impractical and luxurious, with with the cultural and style revolution the V&A until March 15th 2015 During the Second World War, the day dress or service uniform. its long full skirts not in line with that took place at the time. (Travel Partner Kuoni, supported ‘austerity look’ arose. When clothing During this time, the British fashion austerity measures. Despite these The ground floor of the exhibition by Waterford Crystal and Monsoon restrictions and rationing were put indsutry had hoped that the war criticisms, British women were still features styles from 1775-1950, whilst Bridal.) 38 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Travel [email protected] Travel Editor Yung Nam Cheah The highlights of Berlin Yung Nam Cheah shares her favourite spots in the German capital

t has been almost thirty years since the fall of the Berlin Wall Iwhen the capital of Germany finally became whole again. Left with gaping wounds on their landscape, the city has been reborn in an extraordinary way in the last three decades whilst embracing its cultural heritage. On one hand you have the centuries old Berliner Dom built in Renaissance style next to the river Spree, then there is the sprawling Memorial to the Murdered Jews, a tribute of over 19,000m3 of concrete From left to right: Enjoying a local Berliner beer with a book during the blocks commemorating the tragedy day, visit the romantic beach bar Deck 5 during sunset to make the most of WWII. of the day. Photo: Yung Nam Cheah Having spent a month in Berlin, I couldn’t help but fall in love with this profile events such as the Berlin biergarten on my first day in Berlin – metropolis complete with its multi- Marathon and the Popkomm (during the relaxing, friendly vibe had drawn national inhabitants. Despite my best Berlin Music Week) were also held me in like a moth to flame. Equipped Escaping the overcrowded Mauerpark fleamarket on the hills efforts, I couldn’t visit everything I there. with an expanse of chairs scattered overlooking the park Photo: Yung Nam Cheah wanted to, but here are some of my The only downside of this park is across a courtyard, there will be a bar top five most frequented hangouts: that it’s not easy to reach from; you serving all kind of beers imaginable, street artists performing next to the a indoor market that is a true foodie’s have to walk quite a distance with from the local Berliner to a refreshing market. heaven every Thursday evening when Tempolhofer Park no signs to direct you. Therefore lemon beers . The eastern entrance leads you an international throng of street food A former airfield that was still in it’s recommended that you studied There is usually a snack stand too, straight into the busiest, more stalls congregate to sell their mouth- use until 2008, this endless stretch of your route or print out a map in selling wrusts (German sausages) and professional part of the market selling watering goods to eager diners. criss-crossing tarmac paths is now an preparation for your visit. chips. There is an endless parade of handmade jewellery, homemade As you meander through the gaggle unofficial park beloved by Berliners. biergartens throughout Berlin and honey in variety of flavours, printed of people browsing the variety of food With over 300 hectares of ground, Tempelhofer Field, 12099 Berlin some even have their own brew for shirts and drawstring bags. on offer, you will be wishing you can it is pretty safe to say that you won’t Station: U6 Tempelhof or U7 the beer fanatic in you to try. The best parts of the flea market grow a second stomach so you can have to worry about not finding a free Südstern Despite my inability to figure out are the ever changing second hand savour all the deliciousness on offer. spot. With the fenced off terminal at Free entry why Berliners are so obsessed with stores further in. It is a true treasure Be it Chinese hand pulled noodle, the side and numerous abandoned sand, beach bars are admittedly a hunt as you browse from stall to stall, Korean Kimchi burgers, Taiwanese planes scattered around, there’s Biergartens and Beach Bars marvellous idea. haggling with stall owners for that pulled pork bao or a New York plenty for you to explore. It would be a shame for you to visit Often situated next to the river, gorgeous vintage skirt or stumbling Pastrami burger, you will inevitably The best way to do so is to Berlin and not indulge yourself in the or in some cases on a rooftop, you upon a pair of retro roller skates that buy more than you have money for rollerblade or cycle; it’s not every favourite drink of the nation. will find rustic wooden benches and is just your size. and ended up stuffed beyond belief. day you get to whiz down an airport Whilst unfortunately biergarten deckchairs scattered across sandpits Further on are rows after rows of Yet you won’t regret it for the runway, or have a barbeque while you is not a place where beers grow out and raised platforms, not unlike antique wares lined under tents, and world and will vow to yourself you watch people paraglide. of the ground and nor are beach bars those you find in popular seaside stalls selling sunglasses or fridge will return next week, and again, and The park also hosts various pop-up actually next to the beach, they are destinations. Some of the more magnets with quirky quotes. Unless again. events; during my visit there was a favourite hangout spots for locals dedicated bars even have a hot tub for you go into the market with nothing Except you can’t, so you can only modern art mini golf installation, who flock there on sunny afternoons its guests and in those next to a river on you, it is a true feat to emerge settle for buying a cup of fresh mint right next to a horticulture corner to chat and gulp down a few pints. or a lake many of the punters would without spending any dosh in this fruit tea to pacify yourself. run by a local University. High I had accidently stumbled into a venture in for a swim in the summer place. months. It is very easy to feel claustrophobic Markthalle Neun, Eisenbahnstraße and if you need to refuel or 42/43, 10997 Kreuzberg Cassiopeia Biergarten escape, there’s plenty of food store Station: U1 Görlitzer Bhf. Address: Revalerstr. 99 10245 around selling Nutella crepes and Open: Thursday 17:00 – 22:00 Berlin Currywrusts and you head over to the Free Entry Station: M13 Simplostraße/ U empty green space next to the market Warschauer Str to enjoy the music from Maurerpark Humanas at Frankfuter Tor bearpit karaoke, or up the hill to enjoy Technically speaking this isn’t an Deck5 the graffiti and swings. attraction at all, but part of a second Address: Schönhauser Allee 79, hand chain store. Why is it on my 10439 Berlin Address: Bernauer Straße 63-64, list then, you might ask. Well the Station: U2 Schonhauser Alle 13355 Mitte answer is that I have been to this shop Open: 10:00 – 00:00 Station: M10 Wolliner Straße, U2 three times, and every time I ended Eberswalder Straße or U8 Bernauer up spending hours in there scouring Mauerpark Fleamarket Straße through the racks and scouring a One of the largest scale flea markets Open: Sun 8:00 – 18:00 good buy. that I have ever seen in my life, there Free entry If your not adverse to the idea of is no doubt that this is my favourite second hand clothing and harbour an place on Earth, hands down. MarkhalleNeue Street Food inner hipster shopaholic inside you, Open every Sunday, this place is Thursday then this could be your salvation or completely swamped with tourists Located in the hip district of your downfall, depending on how you Tempolhofer Park on a sunny afternoon. Photo: Yung Nam Cheah and local alike, as well as a plethora of Kreuzberg, this hall transforms into look at it. FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 39 Travel [email protected] Travel Editor Yung Nam Cheah

With five whopping storeys of vintage and second hand fashion that won’t break your budget, you will be running around getting your mitts on anything that catches your eyes. Whether you are in it for the trend or simply because it is way more affordable than high street shops, the individuality and variety is a good alternative to get a unique souvenir of Berlin.

Address: Frankfurter Tor 3, 10243 Berlin Station: U5, Tram 10 / Frankfurter Tor Open: Mon-Sat 10:00 – 20:00 Tel. (030) 422 2018

Even if you’re only in Berlin for a Sarting clockwise from top left is the MarkhalleNeue interior, Chinese few days, all these locations are worth style hand pulled noodles, Pastrami burger and Taiwanese pulled pork visiting, so make your way there if The enormous warehouse style store at Frankfurter Tor Photo: Yung Nam bun . Photos: Yung Nam Cheah you can! Cheah

Local Highlight of the Grecian Myth – Santorini week – Nomad Cinema Yung Nam Cheah Emmilyn Yeoh tells us the ups and downs of this popular island TRAVEL EDITOR

single mention of Greece Donating 100% of their proit to the Sustainability would bring squeals Institute, this pop up Cinema gives you the perfect Afrom the general public excuse to attend its showings all over London in the considering the fact that it is typically name of charity. With 12 locations from the Middle described as a true heaven by most Temple Gardens to the Hoxton Hotel, you can catch tourists. I don’t know about you, a spooky Halloween screening of the Blair Witch but it definitely makes me wonder Project, enjoy Frozen with your family for Christmas or sometimes, does it actually live up to revisit the classic It’s a Wonderful Life. its reputation? I therefore decided to pay a short visit to the Greek islands: There’s nothing more pleasant than attending an Santorini to testify to its postcard outdoor screening during the summer, however beauty and Crete, to check out the bear in mind that seating is not provided but you are dark horse. allowed to bring in your own food. The show will go I spent a total of five days in Greece, on come rain or snow – unless severe weather occurs, two days in Santorini and three days The infamous sunset at Oia that has tourists flocking to this island. Photo: Emmilyn Yeoh of course. Seating is provided at the indoor venues in Crete. Admittedly, Santorini can unless otherwise stated, and rest assured that toilets be depicted as all the words that are mentioned are Perivolos, Perissa, yourself sitting on a quaint maritime will be available at all sites. synonymous with picturesque, it is Kamari etc also known as the black sail ship reminiscent of Pirates of swift on sweeping you off your feet; sand beach, red beach. I know, such the Caribbean that brings you to an You can check them out on their website and follow Crete on the other hand is something catchy names, don’t you think? Please active volcano. From the peak of the them on twitter: else, it slowly grows on you and just do not be fooled like I was. Thinking volcano, you get spectacular views of www.whereisthenomad.com/ leaves you dazzled with delight. that the beaches might be able to offer the Aegean Sea and a quick soak in the twitter.com/thenomadcinema When I first set foot on Greek soil, a redemption, I drove to a couple of hot springs nearby. I was frankly a bit disappointed. them in high spirits. When I got to I’m sure those who have been You have to purchase tickets on the WeGotTickets I’ve spent months gaping at all the the black sand beach, I quickly left to Santorini are just waiting for website and they are dificult to transfer (but doable beautiful pictures of Santorini on my sandals in the car because I was the mention of the famous Oia – log onto WeGotTicket website and relocate), but my friends’ Instagram and Facebook indeed a tad too eager to sink my feet sunset. Tourists flock to this village refund or resale are impossible. profiles. I was under the assumption into some soft sand. Lo and behold, every evening just to catch the sun that the whole of Santorini looked the sand felt prickly, a complete let drowning in the horizon. There are a Having attended the Halloween screening of the like Oia, the only part of Santorini down of the visuals of warm sand that few ways to have an unforgettable and Blair Witch Project completed with a glass of izz and that occupied a big chunk of your slips around your feet I had in mind. desirable sunset experience. Greek style food wrap on arrival at the Lookout, Hyde romantic dreams. Little did I know With every bad thing comes a good One should make a reservation with Park, I would have to say the £25 I spent wasn’t really that only 10% of the entire island side, and vice versa. I hope I haven’t the restaurants on Ammoudi Bay and that worth it; although irepits were set up where looked like the pictures on the completely ruined Santorini for you near the cliffs that offer a spectacular you can roast marshmallows and the spooky setting internet! If you rent a car and drive just yet. There is the most amazing "The most dining experience which comes with a in the middle of a park at night did make the entire along the island, you’ll discover the gyros pita (Greek version of kebab) view of the sunset. experience more eerie. true landscape of Santorini – which store called Obelix that will change amazing Alternatively, you could join a is a desert of nothing! The ground is your perception of kebabs for the rest gyros pita sailing trip or rent a private yacht to Have you got some local expertise on that sort of literally screaming for moisture, the of your life. (Greek appreciate the beauty of the island lesser known venue that you think our readers grass so dry that it would have driven Did I mention that it’s easy on the and see the sunset with unobstructed will like? Or are you planning on jetting away over away any kind of herbivore and this pocket too? Most things on the menu version views. Christmas to somewhere hot and exotic, or cold and was not exactly the sight that I signed cost less than 3 euros, what a way to of kebab) Unfortunately, the word limit exciting, and fancy sharing your stories? Get in touch up for. stick to your budget! Additionally, store called does not allow for a Greek island with Felix Travel: [email protected] and If you speak to the locals about the the boat trip to the nearby volcano is Obelix..." showdown. I would have to save my share your stories! beaches, the ones that are commonly definitely one for the books. Imagine Cretian experience for the next time! 40 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX

HANGMAN [email protected] KnitSock SUSPENDED after drunken rampage

hock this week as the otherwise one of the slower freshers, irritating highly reputable knitting society some already shocked TfL passengers. Shas been closed down by the By the time the train pulled Union after drunken debauchery was into Hammersmith, most of the RAVAGED on the people of London KnitSock freshers had managed to by the club. get themselves moderately clothed. KnitSock – a portmanteau of However the intensely loud clacking ‘Knitting’ and ‘Society’ with a ‘pun’ of needles and boorish chanting of the twist – were out on their way back KnitSock committee had overwhelmed from one of their notorious “Crochet most of the passengers on the service and Clunge” yarn crawls from Betty’s and the train terminated early. Wool Emporium in West Hounslow Unperturbed, the team then when the first of the incidents marched through Hammersmith occurred. shopping centre chanting “Get your Whilst riding the Piccadilly line the Knits out for the Lads” before boarding Knitsock First XV began playing their a number 9 bus for the union. Whilst infamous “Sew Sexy” initiation with on board, the out-of-control crafters the freshers. The first year students cross-stitched “Bus Wanker” onto were ordered to strip completely the hat of the conductor and a heated NUDE and forced out of the train at argument between two 3rd year Osterley station, where they had to students over the merits of Cables vs Knit themselves some pants whilst on Bobbles resulted in one threatening The Knitsock president expresses their displeasure at being banned from the Liberty's haberdashery section the platform. the other with a hammer and a window (Artist' Impression) Next, at Boston Manor, the initiates was smashed. were forced to then attempt to create When Hangman tried to contact Fast, Die Warm” written across the President (Clubs and Societies) for society would be allowed next year but some trousers for themselves. Some of Aloysius Stich, the team captain, we palms. the Union’s opinion on the future suggested that, in terms of captaincy; the ICKS XV held the doors open for received a pair of mittens with “Knit We approached the Deputy of the club. She reassured us that the A. Stich would be dropped.

Second Year latmates already hate each other

ix second years have realised that animosity is brewing between two of living in your own house for the the first floor residents: Raheela and Sfirst time is not living up to their Jessica. “She’s just the worst person expectations. Nearly five weeks in to in the world to share a bathroom term and the fun of having their own with,” Raheela, who had an en-suite flat has started to wear thin. The first room in halls, told Hangman. “She’s three weeks were spent having house got this thick ginger frizzy hair and parties, working out a cleaning rota I’m pulling about 4kg of it out of the that everyone stuck to for 3 days and sinkhole every morning when I want then ignored, and spending 4 hours on to have a shower.” hold to Virgin Media trying to get the Meanwhile Jessica has found that broadband sorted out. Now, however, her toiletries keep disappearing, tensions have begun to show. telling this correspondent “fucking The first flatmate to realise things hell, Raheela keeps stealing my might not be all amazing was Ellen, a exfoliating body scrub and I swear to physicist. “I was having the time of my god that stuff is so expensive. She’s life really, living outside of halls with a such a brat, she thinks she’s entitled to load of people I thought were cool, but everything, I’ve had enough already,” I’m beginning to realise it’s a pain in this opinion was echoed by Dave, the fucking arse,” she told Hangman. who had seen her drinking his orange “Things were going okay but then juice a week previous without asking Dave just started walking around beforehand. the whole flat in his boxers and, well, Currently feelings towards Yannis, they’re not even nice boxers”. — who hasn’t left his attic room When approached for comment by after the first housewarming party, Hangman, Dave told us “God the flat during which he stood in a corner One of the sources of contention between the slovenly jerk and the stuck-up neat-freak was really cool but now Ellen starts and would only talk about Bitcoin — whining if you leave your plate in are ambivalent. His only annoying Jasper Toff-Woodhole, a boorish to everyone,” Dave said. Jazzy was emailed a link to the others. Raheela the kitchen sink for like five minutes act so far so far is installing the 25 Medic who is driving them all insane. unreachable for comment as he’s is staying late in the library to avoid without washing it up. It’s ridiculous.” metre long internet cable from the “I can’t believe how inconsiderate he currently in A&E getting shards of bus the inevitable row that was going When pushed on the pants issue he modem that snakes up both staircases is” Jessica confided. Dave reported that window glass removed from his hand. to break out and is complaining to replied “Well she just pushes her bike and under his door. However when Jasper — or ‘Jazzy’ to his insufferable “He’ll probably pass it off as banter,” all her increasingly bored friends straight through the flat to the yard the first electricity bill arrives in twat friends who turn up at 11 pm and Raheela said, about the window about it. Yannis’s participation in a out back without caring about the January and the others realise that shout to him from the street — has incident, but if he wasn’t paying so deepweb hacker circle has them all mess she makes in the hallway, so if he’s running a mining rig in his room a terrible habit of not knocking on much more rent for the slightly larger under observation by GCHQ, whose she can treat it like she owns the place, costing them £3,400 in electricity a doors. This resulted in an awkward room then we’d kick him out in an operative have just analysed a photo why can’t I?” quarter, feelings may sour. situation when he walked in on Jessica instant. sent to their flat whatsapp group Further to the strains between Dave Whilst they may not talk to each and her boyfriend during the second At the time of going to press, Dave by Jazzy of his blood soaked hand and Ellen, who both have rooms on other anymore, the five former week. “I think Jess would’ve forgiven had found that Jessica was tweeting with the caption “#Lad”. They are all the ground floor of the terraced house corridor friends from Wilkinson are him eventually if he hadn’t then got bitchy stuff about them all from discreetly asking their friends if any of just off Fulham Palace Road, further unified in their hatred of the sixth: his phone out and sent a snapchat an anonymous account and had them have any spare rooms. FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 41

HANGMAN [email protected]

Diary Of a Fresher, aged 18 3/4 NEWS WITHOUT Saturday 1st November Dear Diary, I think I blew it with Dorothy last night. She came round after the fancy dress party to see THE NEWS if i was alright but I was still so upset about Jennifer that I sort of defi nitely cried onto her shoulder, and then my zombie spiderman facepaint ran everywhere. She looked kinda confused and left really quickly. We’re going to the fi reworks tonight though so I’ll try twice as hard to look cool.

Sunday 2nd AM I CURSED TO NEVER HAVE SUCESS WITH DOROTHY?!? We were on the bus to go to the fi reworks when the KnitSock team got on board. I have no idea went on and where this hammer came from but there’s a ton of broken glass and we both got arrested because we were wearing Imperial Hoodies.

Monday 3rd Today me and Dorothy went to the JCR for a romantic lunch to patch things up after the 3 hours we had to spend in custody yesterday, she went for the Moo pie. She’s so classy I think I love her.

Tuesday 4th Dear Diary, today I’ve decided to do something about all those emails I signed up for at fresher’s fair so this afternoon I’m going to join the Badminton team. I’ll let you know how my practice goes.

Wednesday 5th Yeah so Diary it turns out I’m not really built for this physical exercise thing. Who knew badminton was so diffi cult? My racket fl ew out of my hand and smashed a window. Two broken windows in a week what even is this? I got an APS back this week just scraped 60%, I’m wondering if I’m actually any good at science either :(

Thursday 6th Me and Dorothy went for lunch again today. She laughed when I said i was so bad at Badminton, it was going okay until I may have told her I loved her. I tried to pass it off as me saying I loved the A.B.C sandwich i was eating but I think she heard. Oh gaaawd what am I doing. EVEN MORE FUCKABLE HOROSCOPES WHEELER BRO FOUND CANCER TAURUS GEMINI VIRGO ARIES LEO

Today is the first day of the This week Taurus you’re all This morning Gemini you This afternoon Cancer you This morning you decide to This evening Virgo is the most rest of your life, Aries! You can about dat bass, bout dat bass, should strive to be the change decide to troll a load of biologists give up on your lab report and important of your life: all the achieve anything! Instead you sit no treble. But then you think you want to see in the world. by making jokes about how their go for a walk the park. Whilst versions of Tropico are bundled in the library café and wonder to yourself, why not be about Unfortunately the change degrees are just colouring in. The there, you get attacked by a herd together and are half price on why you just paid like 3 quid the treble also. You decide to you want to see in the world biologists have a go at you for of swans who mistook you for Steam. You order 14 pizzas off for a jacket potato. Things don’t embrace the treble too. Do not is getting a job in finance. You not understanding how difficult the raven king. You look down dominos and your flatmates look good for the rest of your limit yourself to the Bass-Treble attend the careers fair and their course is. Then some at your legs and realise that you never see you again. What you life being interesting. Or in fact Binary. Staves are a social sign up for a load of graduate geologists come over and beat have in fact turned into a raven. achieve in the digital realm has the proceeding years of your construct. You shave your hair schemes. Conversation with you up for taking the piss out The crown sits heavy on your no bearing on real life. You fade life either. You eat your potato and become a baritone. Your you mostly involves risk of colour in. They bloody love head. You cry out, but all anyone away into nothing. But perhaps in silence, alone. As you always parents disown you. diversification. You cry alone in colouring in. hears are squawks. there was nothing there in the were. your BMW 3 series. first place. CAPRICORN SAGITTARIUS AQUARIUS SCORPIO PISCES LIBRA

This week you become This week you’re a bus window. This week, group project teams Today, Capricorn, you will Upon waking up this morning The alignment of Jupiter and convinced you’re A$AP Rocky. Oh how joyful and fun it is to get announced. As was to be experience fortune in the face Aquarius, you will find that Mars is fortuitous for you this You’re not. You’re a second year be a glorious sheet of glass, so expected, you’re the only person of adversity. All that’s going your flatmates has glued your week, Pisces. Not for astrological mathematician with atopic clear and completely intact in in your group able to speak to happen is you’ll get a bit belongings to the ceiling. This is reasons, but because you are dermatitis. Drake wont reply to one piece. What a nice morning English to a remotely passable of peanut butter out of your particularly galling as you live in fact an interplanetary space your tweets. In fact, you don’t it is to be a pane of glass, some standard. Unfortunately you teeth that you’d been trying to alone, having moved out of your probe attempting to make a even have a phone, how are you boisterous but well-intentioned suffer galloping incontinence work free for ages. Still, better last flat because of their pranks. Jovian orbital transfer. You tweeting? Your tutors all agree, rugby playing medical students when speaking in front of than nothing. I’m not one of They broke in just to do this. You swing around the red planet but the pressure and stress of second are on board the bus that you are crowds. On the day of the those horoscopes that give you wished people would put this the gravity slingshot is too large year must really be getting to part of. Nothing can go wrong presentation you wet yourself. false hope; I’m a keep-it-real much effort into making your and you crash into Uranus. you. for you. Your team-mates look on, horoscope. A Bro-oscope, if you life happy. They don’t. Lol. Uranus. uselessly. will. 42 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Puzzles [email protected] Puzzles Editor Michael Faggetter

Quick Crossword Ben Harvey & Jamie Dutton

Across Down

3. Furniture shop chain (4) 1. 2012 Super Bowl winning team (9,6) 7. Scents (6) 2. _____ Love, lead singer of Hole (8) 8. Polynesian Island Nation (6) 3. Children’s game (1-3) 9. Unit of digital information (8) 4. Microsoft Office software (5) 12. Run of a horse (6) 5. Sentimental/romantic song (6) 13. European mountain range (4) 6. Fairy tale antagonist (15) 15. Adored person/object (4) 8. Pulls on, jerks (4) 16. Legwear (6) 10. German word for please (5) 17. Similarity of word sounds (5) 11. Aimed at, addressed (8) 18. Military trainee (5) 14. Childlike, irritable (8) 20. Daughter of Paul McCartney (6) 18. ____ Bruni, model and wife of 21. Contest for the ball (rugby) (4) Nicolas Sarkozy (5) 23. Garden of God (4) 19. Gregor _____, tennis player (8) 25. Merchant, salesperson (6) 22 .Thin piece of toast with savoury 26. Underwater city (8) topping (6) 28. Italian city (English form) (6) 23 Greek god of love (4) 29. 28 across (Italian form) (6) 24 Ambitious, willing and ready (5) 30. Latin word for bear (4) 27 ____ Headey, actress (300, Game of Thrones) (4) Benedict Cumberbox Acrostic Grid Paul G. FUCWIT The solutions to each pair of clues are anagrams of one another, but only one of them belongs in the grid. When the correct solutions from each pair have all been entered, the first column will give a part of the human body. The FUCWIT puzzle league is heating up. Don’t get left behind! Send in a scanned copy of your completed puzzles to [email protected]. Points are awarded for each correct solution. Bonus points (in brackets) are awarded to the first correct answer! Quick Crossword 2 points (+3) Word Search All 30 fish: 5 points (+2) Acrostic Grid 20+ fish: 3 points 4 points (+3) 10+ fish: 1 point Chess Nonogram Easy: 1 point 2 points (+2) Clues Hard: 3 points (+2) 1. Medal || Number giving position 2. Sexiness || Type of projection 3. Classical Greek or Roman authors || Example 4. Correctly positioned (two words) || FUCWIT leaderboard Long-billed aquatic bird Individuals: 5. Skin disease || Solid figure Teams: 6. Mythological creature || Wash off soap 1. Adam Stewart 30 1. Aerodoku 2 7. Celebratory event || Seaweed 2. Catmelon 24 8. In the past || State of India 3. Jem Ong 4 9. Event host || Unit of length 4. Gabriel Quek 2 FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 43 Puzzles [email protected] Puzzles Editor Michael Faggetter

Nonogram Stephen Ball Chess Max Eggl

Complete this weeks nonogram reveal the second pre-historic animal! Shade in cells according White to mate in 2 moves. to the numbers at the end of the rows and and columns. You might find this one slightly easier than last week. Easy Hard

2 3 2 1 2 1 8 5 2 1 1 4 3 1 1 11123458882821210 2124141 2 12 1 1 1 7 5 4 4 5 3 3 5 5 11 2 7 6 2 6 1 4 8 3 2 1 3 1510 1 2 5 3 2 2 1 2 3 4 5 1 5 1 6 1 10 7 3 13 2 2 2 15 2 6 11 3 1 1 1 9 3 6 2 1 8 10 2 1 7 10 3 1 5 4 3 1 3 1 6 6 2 3 1 6 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 3 11 7 3 11 5 3 5 5 1 5 4 5 3 7 Last week’s solutions 5 2 1 9 Sincere apologies to everyone who attempted the hard chess puzzle last week. There was a 7 1 1 11 mistake and the puzzle was unsolvable. The puzzle king should have been positioned on 1 1 1 4 3 1 1 the square f2. 2 1 2 1 4 3 1 2 2 2 1 3 1 1 1 2 Quick Crossword Nonogram 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 2

GoneName:______Fishing______Date:______

U E N A N U T S A I L F I S H

F H E D S R A Y H E R R I N G

B S A U E L O S C L O W N D T This wordsearch contains the names of A I A C M O N K F I S H I O R 30 different types of R F N A A L E R E K C A M C O fish but I’m not going to tell you what they B T G R H I A R A K R I A S U are. A A L R N P T R R C E E I A T However, I have been

I C E A A P U N E O C E I R S kind and only placed Chess P E R B R I B I P L I K O D S words on Once again, apologies to all who attempted the hard chess puzzle last week, which was horizontal and unsolvable. A S F C I K I L P L A R O I A vertical lines. L A I A P E L R A O L A O N B Key: Easy: 1. R4b6+ ; Ka7 Can you find them all? Rows=1-8; Columns=a-g 2. R8b7# I L S I O K A A N P P H A E A

T M H U A A H M S R I S T T E K=King; R=Rook; B=Bishop; Hard: 1. Qh4 ; Kh3 or Kh4 or Kh5 Q=Queen 2. Bf5# E O O L E E C I R T C E L E S or 1. Qh4 ; Kf4 E N O H S I F G N U L P R A C 2. Qd4#

PIKE SOLE ANGLERFISH BARB TROUT SHARK BARRACUDA CATFISH Acrostic Grid Word Ladders SEABSudokuASS COD CARP ELECTRICEEL HALIBUT LUNGFISH MACKEREL MARLIN PIRANHA POLLOCK RAY SARDINE LOCAL HERO SNAPPER SAILFISH CLOWN HERRING 1. LA (AL) TI L AEasyPIA S A L M O N Gentle K O I ModerateTUNA Tough PLA ICE MONKFISH 2. ORC (ROC) FOOD FOOD FOODCITY CITY CITYBIKE BIKE BIKE

3. CHIN (INCH) 6 9 6 8 9 5 8 3 5 2 3 1 2 4 1 7 4 7 7 6 7 8 6 2 8 4 2 9 4 1 9 5 1 3 5 3 4. AIMED (MEDIA) FOND FOND FONDCITE CITE CITEPIKE PIKE PIKE 7 1 7 5 1 6 5 8 6 4 8 9 4 2 9 3 2 3 9 4 9 5 4 3 5 7 3 1 7 6 1 2 6 8 2 8

3 4 3 2 4 1 2 7 1 9 7 8 9 6 8 5 6 5 2 3 2 1 3 6 1 8 6 5 8 9 5 4 9 7 4 7 5. LIKENS (SILKEN)

4 8 4 6 8 7 6 2 7 3 2 5 3 9 5 1 9 1 6 2 6 4 2 9 4 1 9 7 1 8 7 3 8 5 3 5 FIND FIND FINDLITE LITE LITEPINE PINE PINE 6. HUSTLES (SLEUTHS)

9 2 9 1 2 4 1 5 4 8 5 3 8 7 3 6 7 6 1 7 1 9 7 8 9 5 8 3 5 2 3 6 2 4 6 4 7. ESTRANGE (REAGENTS) 5 3 5 7 3 9 7 6 9 1 6 2 1 8 2 4 8 4 5 8 5 3 8 4 3 2 4 6 2 7 6 9 7 1 9 1 BIND BIND BINDLIKE LIKE LIKEPINT PINT PINT 8. RESIDENTS (TIREDNESS) 2 5 2 4 5 8 4 1 8 7 1 6 7 3 6 9 3 9 3 5 3 2 5 1 2 6 1 8 6 4 8 7 4 9 7 9

8 6 8 9 6 3 9 4 3 5 4 7 5 1 7 2 1 2 4 1 4 7 1 5 7 9 5 2 9 3 2 8 3 6 8 6 9: OPPRESSING (POP SINGERS) BINS BINS BINSLAKE LAKE LAKEPANT PANT PANT 1 7 1 3 7 2 3 9 2 6 9 4 6 5 4 8 5 8 8 9 8 6 9 7 6 3 7 4 3 5 4 1 5 2 1 2

44 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Clubs and Societies [email protected] C & S Editor Ben Howitt Massive, Small Change Wilkommen, Bienvenue... BEN HOWITT SECTION EDITOR Shiladitya Ghosh & Marcus Bishop on opportunities with EWB Welcome to the second C&S section this year. any people in our world Lots of content from the dance societies this week, face severe challenges just with reviews of PoleSoc’s irst aerial class and Belly Mto live and get by each Dance’s trip to Arabic Night. day, though we may not see them We also have the second article this year from around in our privileged lives as Engineers Without Borders, and a teutonic tour students at university. Engineers report from Underwater. Finally, to launch the Union’s Without Borders UK is a charitable International Imperial week, starting next Monday, organisation that believes access to we have Katherine Chio’s London: A Survival Guide for engineering and technical know-how International Students. can help overcome many of these Exciting things happening over the next week challenges. include various offerings from the International Our work aims to demonstrate Societies, the irst Cosmopolitan Café, and the link between engineering and Raincatcher Imperial’s Water Race 2014, a team humanity, a connection that is often treasure hunt across London carrying 20L of water. neglected in our education and in This is running tomorrow (Saturday 8th), and looks to practice. be highly entertaining at the very least (it’s also for EWB Imperial, a branch of EWB charity). UK, is a well-established society More on this in the next issue, as well as the inal providing opportunities for Imperial results from RAG’s Jailbreak. students, local school children and As ever, we are on the hunt for articles! If your club our international partners. We are has done something, or you fancy writing about a gathering of environmentally and something new you’re doing, just get in touch at felix. socially conscious engineers and non- [email protected]. engineers, engaging in meaningful projects which create Massive Small EWB answers the big questions. Photo: Engineers Without Borders Change both locally and abroad. developing countries actually help Now at Imperial, there are a you acquire the tools to finance, plan International Development?” with address the problems they face?) plethora of different ways to and deliver a successful overseas Louise Bloom from the Refugee Following this, on 27th November we get involved with International project. Imperial Horizons also run Studies Centre at Oxford University, have representatives from Black & Development (ID), with groups the EWB Challenge for 2nd years, and our next talk, which was matter- Veatch, a global infrastructure and focussing on fundraising and covering similar themes to LfD, and of-factly titled “Fundraising” with "... there engineering company, visiting us to awareness such as UNICEF-Imperial culminating in a design submission to Abi Taylor from Student Hubs. speak about “Project Management & and Imperial Hub, as well as others the National competition. There are still seven more LfD are a Sustainability” in an ID context. preparing and organising teams of The 3rd LfD talk of the season has talks lined up for this academic plethora You shouldn’t fear having missed volunteers to go around the world to now taken place – “Cross-Cultural year. Next week on 13th November, out on these past sessions (and help out first-hand in critical areas, Communication” with Ruth Fuller, a we are welcoming Doug Harper, of ways past years’). Every talk has been such as EWB-Imperial, Raincatcher, volunteer with EWB-UK. In previous the CEO of EWB-UK no less, to to get documented on our dedicated Kenyan Orphan Project, e.quinox, weeks, students across the College host a debate on what Effective blog including pictures and full and Water Brigades. have attended our introductory Aid really is (for example: does involved" presentation slides. The challenges faced during ID session-come-mingle “What is sending your old shoes or clothes to The next talk starts at 6pm in ACEX projects are quite different from any you might experience on your course. One must observe, interact and consult with all the local stakeholders to gain a complete understanding of the barriers to development. Many engineers are able to work through the technical aspects of a project, however only a handful have the range of skills necessary to overcome linguistic, political and practical obstacles and create positive change. These skills are highly transferrable to a working environment, and have enabled previous EWB members as well as those from other ID societies to make a bright start to their chosen "We... careers. Many employers hold application processes which look for create people who will be responsible and have indicated their commitment Massive beyond involvement in technical Small projects. To this end, EWB Imperial is Change running a programme of scenario- both based workshops called “Leadership for Development” (LfD) in locally partnership with Imperial Hub. and Running for the 3rd consecutive year since their inception, these sessions abroad." are given by experienced researchers and professional engineers, to help This tip is also useful in life. Photo: Engineers Without Borders 45 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Clubs and Societies [email protected] C & S Editor Ben Howitt Never really knew that he could dance like this Yasmin Malik and IC Belly Dancing gets close and personal with Sunny the Shake Boy

rabic Night is a monthly The dancers themselves were not Middle Eastern dance lacking in variety, with one coming Ashowcase in central London all the way from Russia, others not and is a regular favourite of the so far away in Birmingham, and a Imperial College Belly Dancing few London circuit regulars. The Society. Last Sunday around 15 of acts were full of glitz, glam and us headed to the fancy Moroccan sparkles, and offered a variety of and Lebanese restaurant Maison Middle Eastern cultural references; Touareg, located in the heart of Soho. from traditional Baladi style to more After getting extra cosy with the modern Arabic pop music, with other society members due to the one dancer even pirouetting along lack of appropriate seating for the to a song featuring Snoop Dogg! over-sold show, we tucked into We were treated further with some various delicious mezze dishes. Let wonderful Indian fusion belly dance me tell you – there’s something "...full from Monica and Heena, which was rather satisfying about gorging of glitz, a lovely, introspective break from yourself whilst watching professional glam and the cabaret spectacle of the previous dancers of all sizes athletically (yet dancers of the night, which I feel still gracefully) twirl around an sparkles" epitomised the sheer versatility of the impossibly small stage. London belly dancing community. Sunny the Shake Boy at Arabic Night. Photo: Meilin Sancho

The night also featured live tabla whipped up a raucous atmosphere in drummer Sallam, who could be the restaurant as he introduced each seen skillfully tapping away all act, and he even challenged me to a evening with a cheeky smile. He belly-off in the interval. Belly Dance even provided the rhythm for society members will be pleased to several entertaining improvisational know that I did my best to compete! dances by Arabic Night organizer Arabic Night is an excellent way Sarah Malik, making the best of a to get an authentic taste of Middle potentially awkward situation when Eastern dance culture, and the the sound system went down. atmosphere is that of a big welcoming By far the most entertaining act family. I sincerely recommend of the night was Sunny the Snake this event for anyone looking for a Boy, male belly dancer and compère fast track induction into the world "...he even extraordinaire. His act involved of belly dancing. The evening was challenged dancing on the tables, stealing one enjoyed by new and old members, and belly dancing society member’s by men and women alike. me to a phone and shoving it down his The next Arabic Night will be held on skirt (yep, you read correctly!) and the 14th December at Maison Touareg, belly-off " twerking on various members of Soho. For more info, contact the Belly Society members join in with the professionals. Photo: Meilin Sancho the audience. He single-handedly Dancing Society at [email protected]

Barracuda, the World Cup, and suspicious GoPros

MAX KEECH Fortunately everything went the C AND S WRITER right way and we ended up with very happy guides. There were a variety of dive sites t midday on a Monday six with fantastic visibility meaning that Imperial College Underwater all the sites could be seen in all their AClub members met at glory. A huge amount of wildlife Stanstead Airport. Some having was seen including many octopi, already passed through check in cuttlefish, barracuda, fire worms, the rest of us hurried to security, shoals of sardines, and eels. which was to delay us for far longer There were also several varieties than anticipated, with one member of coral; one green one looking like having to have their bag unpacked "The an upturned Christmas tree was and swept not once, but twice, due to weather particularly striking. The weather a highly suspicious item… a GoPro and water and water temperature of a warm handle (apparently they look like they "apparently It is rumoured that one of the divers in this picture was celebrating a temperature 21°C were a pleasant change from the contain liquid on X-ray). they look world cup result. Photo: Ryan McCartney ... were a Easter trip to Cornwall. A long but uneventful flight like they One member also completed their later, we arrived in Fuerteventura and our vast quantities of kit to our as well as watching the world cup pleasant online work induction for a job to be greeted by two of the more contain accommodation, where we dropped semi-finals and final. Diving at a change from starting on the Monday after the trip. eccentric staff of the Deep Blue Dive liquid on an our stuff and went in search of food. German run dive centre, the results the Easter Many thanks to the staff at the Centre, which was to be the base X-ray" The next five days were spent were far more important than I had trip" Deep Blue Dive centre for making it a of our diving. They then drove us largely sleeping, diving, and eating, anticipated when planning the trip. fantastic trip! 46 07.11.2014 THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON FELIX Clubs and Societies [email protected] C & S Editor Ben Howitt

Who’s Doing What: You want me to put my hands where!? C&S Events Alisha Wong tries out the newest circus class to hit Imperial BEN HOWITT SECTION EDITOR

the hang of it. Diego was great – he Monday 10th November had everyone perform the move in Japanese Society – Origami Taster Session, SAF RM121, front of him and helped you and gave 1-2pm advice so you could master it. Ahmadiyya Muslim Students’ Association – Seekers Our next moves on the silks were Corner, Chaplaincy, 5-6pm the straddle and the pike. They’re both similar moves – you have to Tuesday 11th November stand in front of the silks, wrap your Bangladeshi Society – Carrom Tournament, SAF 119- arms around the silks and grab on. 120, 6pm You then jump up and throw your legs over your head [see below – sec. Wednesday 12th November ed]. Technically, the jump was a little Cosmopolitan Café – Chaplaincy, 3pm cheat move that Diego let us get away with, as we were all beginners. Thursday 13th November In reality you would have to lift Palestinian Society – Documentary showing: ‘When your legs up and move them up over the Boys Return’, SAF LTG34, 6pm your head with just your core strength EWB Imperial – Effective Aid Debate, ACEX LT2, 6-7pm – no momentum to help you! GSU – Pub Quiz (International Imperial week special, The latter half of the class we had H-bar, 7pm a go with hoops, which I personally believed was easier than silk purely Friday 14th November because it was easier to hold the hoop. Australian Society – Film showing: ‘Danny Deckchair’, Diego taught us how to climb onto SAF 119, 6pm and sit on the hoop – which again involved pulling ourselves upside Saturday 15th November Diego coaching a new student through a straddle. Photo: Facebook down. This time, we had to hold on Kung Fu – Introductory taster session, Union Gym, with our knees, before swinging up 6-8pm ast Wednesday, in typical called a French climb, a way to get up and using our momentum to come gloomy and rainy weather, the silks without doing pull ups. to sitting. Thankfully, Diego was on improved the atmosphere of the Lmyself and eleven other Of course, as with any instructor, hand to give everyone step-by-step class. It was more cosy and friendly, Imperial girls from ICU Pole Dance he made it look absolutely effortless. instructions. Once on the hoop, Diego compared to the industrial, steel trekked over to Hammersmith for Our attempts to climb up the silks, as had us balance sitting on the hoop rigging, cold and empty room I the society’s very first Aerial ‘taster’ you can probably imagine, were not without using your hands to grab it imagined in my head! session. as graceful as Diego’s. – this was a lot more difficult than it For more information, contact Aerial is a form of acrobatics, which Although I didn’t think I would get sounds, as there’s a fear of falling off [email protected] about our classes. is becoming increasingly popular as a head start with learning Aerials, I the hoop! a fitness craze, and not just amongst was under the impression that the After a few practices, he taught women! It’s a full body workout, acrobatic sport would utilise the same us a hoop pose, where you sit on the incredible for your core strength and muscles and technique as pole. I was hoop and turn slightly to the side, flexibility. It’s also been featured on quite wrong. The first difference with straightening one leg while bending BBC’s Tumble, shows by Cirque du silks is how intensely your hands the other. It was a very acrobatic Soleil and adverts for Sony’s PS3. and feet have to grip the fabric. With pose that, once again, was a lot more We arrived at Aerialand, and were pole you have an advantage with difficult than it sounded! The last greeted by a bubbly instructor called your skin, which is great for gripping move was a hoop spin whilst hanging Diego. He led us through a thorough against the pole even if you do get off the hoop, not sat on the hoop. This warm ups and stretches, and then some (many) friction burns here and was a fun manoeuvre to finish off "there’s we started with silks – two strips of there. However, silks is about how with and after this, we stretched out. coloured fabric suspended from the "It's well you can tighten your hand and I had a really great time at the a fear of ceiling. clamp the silk between your feet, class, and genuinely had plenty of Having a year’s worth of experience a full and your ability to master a looping fun, especially because Diego was so falling of pole (albeit on and off with body action with one of your legs to get the chatty. The other girls were also all off the coursework, exams, and summer), I fabric in the right place! very supportive, helping each other wasn’t sure what to expect with silks. workout" For a first move it was challenging, improve. The room was not a large hoop!" Ok, so pole and aerial aren't that The first move Diego taught us was but after a few practices everyone got room and I think this significantly different. Photo: Facebook London: a survival guide for international students

KATHERINE CHIO It is, no doubt, a valuable experience traveling once the term starts, but it there is no Cosmopolitan café, there advise you too! If you are keen to INTN’L LIBERATION OFFICER in life as you now have the chance to will be nice and relaxing if you can will be different kinds of events on improve your English literacy, there explore new places and experience spend an afternoon away from your weekdays afternoons and evenings are also a number of free English different cultures. During my first work and participate in different trips such as walking tours, karaoke, courses provided in the Centre o you remember what it was year in London, I had spent most of and events at Imperial. museum tours and Christmas events for Academic English at Imperial like when you first arrived my leisure time traveling around International Student Support is both inside and outside London which you can join and improve Din London? Did you find the UK, visiting different towns and running its first ever Cosmopolitan which you can join and explore communication skills, both in an it challenging to live in a foreign tourist attractions. The beautiful Café this year. It is a free fortnightly different parts of the UK. academic and social context. country or did you find it difficult to scenes and historical architectures in event taking place on Wednesdays Also, if you have any questions International Student Support will also communicate with people in English? the UK interest me a lot and motivate afternoons where you can relax and related to student visas, immigration be running their Cosmopolitan Café on From my experience, moving into me to explore more. socialise with the other students from and welfare issues, International Wednesday the 12th November, in the a foreign country can be challenging. Of course there will be less time for all over the world. On weeks when Student Support is here to help and Chaplaincy from 3pm. FELIX THE STUDENT PAPER OF IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON 07.11.2014 47

Sport Editor: Kunal Wagle In case you missed it in the world of sport Kunal Wagle takes a look at what’s been going on outside the BUCS League n the Champions League board, after the West Indies players’ Arsenal blew a 3-0 lead to only strike led to a premature end to the Idraw against Anderlecht at Windies’ tour. the Emirates. Liverpool’s game This weekend marks the beginning at Real Madrid was the source of the Autumn International of much discussion, as manager season in Rugby Union. Wales face Brendan Rodgers opted to field a Australia, Ireland take on South much changed eleven against the Africa whilst the pick of the action Galacticos. The Reds lost 1-0. will come from Twickenham, where Lewis Hamilton won the United England will attempt to topple the States Grand Prix to extend his All Blacks. England have suffered a World Championship lead over setback, as lock Joe Launchbury has Nico Rosberg. In doing so, Hamilton been ruled out of the autumn Tests. surpassed Nigel Mansell to take the In Rugby League there was British record for most grand prix controversy as England lost to wins. Australia 16-12 in the Four Nations. Misbah ul-Haq created history Ryan Hull seemingly went over the by scoring the fastest Test fifty and line and touched down in the last equalling Sir Viv Richards’ record for minute of the fixture, only for the the fastest Test hundred. Misbah’s video referee to rule it as not a try. Pakistan destroyed Australia to Andy Murray has been drawn in complete a dominant whitewash the same group as Roger Federer in 2-0. India has demanded £26m in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals damages from the West Indies cricket at the O2, which starts on Sunday. We won't know until December if Brendan Rodgers' Champions League gamble pays off Photo: Colin Lane

Is Formula 1 on a track to disaster and uncompetitiveness?

HENRY LAMBLEY at the end of the 2012 season. The Marussia received around £9million the championship in 2013, Ferrari sport. SPORTS WRITER potential for an even smaller grid for this year whilst Caterham, for are believed to have been paid Formula 1 is suffering from a of cars is a realistic possibility as finishing 10th, received about double £125million with almost half of that managerial crisis that is preventing other teams have been struggling that. This is in comparison to the being paid just for turning up on the the smaller teams from having ormula 1 touched down in with finance during this year – most estimated £75million required to grid. The difference in net income their voices heard whilst the largest Austin, Texas, on Sunday for notably Sauber Ferrari and Sahara fund a midfield team. between teams means that it is almost teams use their power to maintain Fthe 17th race of the season at Force India. Some of the disparity between impossible for the smaller teams to the unfair nature of spending in the the Circuit of the Americas. The race The sport cannot afford to lose these values can be made up through out-develop the larger teams and sport to benefit their title chances. was saturated with on-track action teams in the way it has in recent sponsorship deals and private hence overtake them in the world Undoubtedly Formula 1 is too with wheel to wheel racing and daring years. It damages the level of investment but a team at the back championship. To compound this, expensive for teams to survive on the overtakes commonplace. The final competition and will dent the of the grid will rarely attract big only the largest teams sit on the board little money that they are given. result had Lewis Hamilton atop the attendances at races accordingly. sponsors. that decides on team spending with Unless this problem is resolved, the podium for Mercedes followed in Smaller teams also provide a stepping The distribution of money is also the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes grid risks losing even more teams and by his team mate Nico Rosberg and stone into the sport and often find very uneven. For finishing third in vetoing proposed cost caps within the becoming even more of a procession. Red Bull Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo. the greatest talent. For example, 2007 One noticeable difference to previous World Champion and Ferrari driver races this season was the reduced line Kimi Räikkönen started his career at up of just 18 cars as opposed to the Sauber. Another issue is the contracts normal 22. Backmarkers Caterham in place for the races which state that and Marussia were not present at Formula 1 will provide a minimum the Grand Prix after both teams fell of 16 cars for each event. This means into administration during the two that if the problems are not resolved, week break after Sochi. While their some teams may be obliged to run a absence did not have a large impact third car, once again narrowing the on the outcome of the race or the competition. excitement of the spectacle, it has The underlying problem is that served to highlight the extremely the amount of money received expensive nature of the sport and the by the smaller teams from fine financial margins that teams, Bernie Ecclestone’s Formula especially the smaller ones, work to. One Management company is Sunday’s field of cars was the significantly less than the amount smallest seen at a Grand Prix since required to run a competitive team. Monaco in 2005 when the British The sum of money that each team American Racing team (were serving receives every year is dictated by a ban for infringing the regulations. their finishing position in the All three of the new teams introduced constructors’ championship of the to the sport in 2010 have since previous year. The amount of money disappeared from the grid with HRT given to each team is not disclosed having been unable to find a buyer to the public but it is believed that Marussia and Caterham have gone into administration. Could more follow them? Photo: James Moy/PA Issue 1587

[email protected] Sport Editor: Kunal Wagle

Positive start to the season for Women’s Rugby Charlie Stephens reports on games against RVC and rivals UCL

ith the graduation of so debutante Emily Moran playing in the the posts, leaving the final score many of our senior girls centre, who after some strong rucking 27-7 to us. Back of the match went to Wlast year, this season was by the forwards and some quick ball Eimear Nolan, after her two superb always going to be about rebuilding broke through the line to score. This tries especially given it was her first and bringing new players into seemed to settle the nerves for IC ever game, with forward of the match the squad. With that in mind we and balls started to go to hand more. going to Charlie Stephens. thought it important to get a new This gave our Gaelic football convert With barely time for the bruises to coach. We were pleased that we Eimear Nolan the chance to show off fade from our first match, we faced hired Stewart Mcguire who, with age her skills scoring twice more in quick UCL three days later for the start of grade international caps for Wales succession. Towards the end of the our BUCS campaign. Confidence was and Ireland and currently playing first half we were camped on their still high after RVC, meaning even for London Scottish, has brought line again but they had the put into more girls were eager to get stuck into enthusiasm and a lot of fun to the scrum after a knock on. With the their first game, and we were able to training. scrum going well, one went against take a full squad of 22 for the first To our delight we had a great the head which enabled our number time in years! turnout to our taster session with 8, Charlie Stephens, to rumble over We started reasonably well with over 30 new faces giving rugby a from a few meters, leaving the half Frederike Jaeger scoring the first try try. In the sunshine at Harlington time score 22-0. of the match with us dominating everyone seemed to be getting really The second half gave us the territory and possession. stuck in and enjoying the basis of the opportunity to bring on even more Unfortunately we were struck Photo: IC Women's Rugby game. This was followed by a BBQ new girls and move people around in by injuries to key players with our where new and old faces chatted and their positions a bit. This provided number 10, 12 and 13 all going off through our captain Kath Fok, who has been a good start to the season for got to know each other. them with great experience and within the first 25 minutes, meaning saw they were slow to re-organise women’s rugby. The defence of our Our first match of the season came enabled people to find out where we had to completely change our their defensive line after a penalty. LUSL title has started well and we are along two weeks later against Royal their best position would be. In the back line, putting people out of She tapped quickly and ran half the confident that, with a bit more luck Veterinary College in LUSL. Being first 20 minutes of the second half, position and bringing new girls in length of the pitch to score again for on our side, we will be able to take the earlier than we would have expected. IC. next game against UCL when we play We competed well upfront and won Our final score of the match went to them in January. nearly every scrum regardless of Charlie who picked and went off the Our next match sees us taking on who put the ball in, meaning we were back of some solid rucking, making the unknown of St. Marys in BUCS, still on top with the territory and the final score 36-21 to UCL. Back where we hope to put the loss of UCL possession. of the match went to Hannah Scott, behind us. Handling errors and turnovers who ended up playing nearly every We always welcome new players at seemed to be our nemesis and when position in the back line at some any point in the term, whether you they got it to their back line their point, but handled it really well, have played before or not. experience showed with their 13 with forward of the match going to So if you fancy giving women’s and 14 both scoring twice, with Charlie. rugby a go email Mona our club their 11 and 10 having a try each. All in all, even with the president (mona.hussein10@imperial. We managed to hit back, firstly disappointment of the UCL match, it ac.uk) for more details.

Photo: IC Women's Rugby undefeated in LUSL last year put a bit RVC upped their intensity, with of pressure on the new girls who were no-one gaining much superiority in still getting to grips with the game. any aspect of the game. However, one However, after some good training sloppy kick from their number 10 under their belts, nine new players gave our full back, Sammy Ardi, the felt confident enough to play their chance to counter with a searing run first match for IC. through their disorganised defence People were clearly nervous in the to score under the posts and break first ten minutes or so with a few the second half sale mate. They hit dropped passes and minor errors. back and after a couple of missed The first try of the season went to tackles from IC they too were under Photo: IC Women's Rugby