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March 2017 brignews.com @brignewspaper

astrid smallenbroek Union President • Matt Adie re-elected • Jamie Grant wins VP Comms • Rebecca Blair triumphs in four rounds Full coverage p4/5

News

2 Brig | March 2017

Total number of extension requests in Autumn Semester: 3300+ Dan Vevers Editor-in-chief

he university recorded at least 3300 extension requests from students last semester, Brig has learned. Among these, the Arts and Humanities Faculty accounted for over 1300 of these, a figure the faculty is worried is “unsustainable”. Meanwhile three other faculties – the School of Management, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, and the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport – only accounted for around 300 extension requests each. The second highest was the Faculty of Social Sciences, which filed over 1100 extension requests during Autumn semester. There are over 12,800 students at Stirling, including around 9450 undergraduate students and 3390 postgraduates. Brig obtained the figures through freedom of information, but was denied a breakdown of the requests by division and department and by reasons given due to cost. They claimed that the expense of collating all the requested information would cost nearly £2000

in staff time. According to the university’s policy, on assessment and academic misconduct, a faculty record must be kept of extensions granted. Extensions can only be given in exceptional circumstances, such as unavoidable detention elsewhere, like a hospital or court visitf, as well as medical grounds or compassionate grounds, such as the death of a loved one or serious mental health problems. Other exceptional grounds are considered on a case-by-case basis. VP Education Matt Adie said: “At present, a student in POLU9CR could apply for an extension given a certain circumstance and be granted a week’s extension, whilst a student, citing the exact same reason on a different module, could be given one for only three days. “As part of this, it was highlighted that Arts and Humanities had received over 1300 extension requests and they were concerned this would be unsustainable going forward. “Part of the outcome of this was that the university agreed to adjust the regulations for course

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work-only modules – allowing students to submit coursework beyond the end of teaching – which was previously not allowed. “Standardisation around the granting of extensions is being picked up in the ongoing review of the ARUA.” ARUA stands for the Agreed Record of University Adjustments, which is an outline of adjustments that tutors should make to an individual’s learning experience, to better support their needs. A spokesperson for the university said: ““Extensions for coursework may be granted in exceptional circumstances and are agreed by module co-ordinators in advance. “The university may consider granting an extension on medical or compassionate grounds, and students can access additional support in these circumstances. “An extension may also be granted when it is mandatory for a student to be away from campus. “This can apply to students who are representing the University, including scholars who participate in national and international sporting competitions.”

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Well hello there. So this is it. My last hurrah. The last print edition of the academic year - and my final one as editor-inchief. As such, I now feel it’s time to give you the news, the salacious gossip, that you’re not getting. For example, Jess Logan secretly has a slap-up steak dinner in her bathroom every Sunday night, and Dave Keenan is in a love triangle with Nick Manton and Alban Dickson. For the avoidance of doubt and lawyers, I’m joking. I made a funny. But what we do have in this month’s edition of the paper is some cracking coverage of the things that matter to you, from Union elections, to alpacas, to Keenan’s rent deal, to the Clansmen storming to another final. In politics, we’re taking a closer look at the upcoming French elections - will last year’s seismic electoral events, Brexit and Trump, continue be-

ing replicating across the continent? Indyref2 is on, we know now: in my final print artcle for beloved politics, where my time at Brig began, I look at the new vote’s potential pitfalls for Nicola Sturgeon, only six months after she came to our campus to announce her “listening exercise” on independence. Our comment section asks - with the election results now in - whether sabbs can really effect meaningful change. In features, we’re look-

ing at feminism and international students, among other things, while our Culture section is chockfull of content, from Ed Sheeran to Logan to our definitive guide on dating apps. Our smashing website brignews.com continues to go from strength to strength, with recordbreaking traffic in February and a strong likelihood we’ll be breaking records again this month. So please keep reading us across all platforms! Dan Vevers

News

3 Brig | March 2017

Rent deal: Poorest students to benefit Premium halls rise, most heritage from new housing ‘enhancement’ fund halls frozen, polwarth cut

Warren Hardie

new hardship fund will be available next year for students struggling with their rent payments, Union President Dave Keenan has announced. The new ‘Accommodation Enhancement Fund’ will have a budget of £125,000 for the next academic year, and will act as a subsidy of total rent costs. Rather than providing students with additional income, the fund will instead be paid directly to accommodation. Applications for the fund will be means-tested; however the Students’ Union has yet to divulge further details on what this testing will involve. Keenan said: “This fund is designed to benefit students from poorer backgrounds and will be the first time we have rent subsidies. “This fund is groundbreaking and innovative and to the best of our

knowledge, no one else seems to be doing this. It is effectively a housing benefit. “The deal we have struck with the university is the biggest victory on rent we have had to date and the Enhancement Fund will make lasting changes to those who need it. “It will make the university more accessible to poorer students and it is the first step on our way to securing further rent subsidies.” Figures received from the university show that the existing discretionary fund of £50,000, which was secured by thenUnion President Andrew Kinnell, has only seen about half of its budget spent. Receiving an average of £911 each, only 31 students have applied for the fund so far – with 22 applications successful and the other 9 still pending as of February 13, 2017. Unlike in previous years,

students will have the option to apply for the new fund during their application for accommodation, a move which the Union President says will help inform students that the funding is available. However, even if the £125,000 fund was used up in its entirety, going by the 2016/17 average funding, it would only be able to assist a total of 137 students. Going by figures obtained on university accommodation occupancy, Brig calculates there are 2673 students presently in uni-owned facilities – meaning the new fund would only help around 5% of students. The Union’s own Big Rent Survey, the results of which were released in January this year, found that 26% of students in uni accommodation are left with less £50 a month after paying for essentials, while 17% of those questioned said they were left

with nothing. On the future of rent campaigning, Keenan told Brig: “The way forward is getting more money for this fund to increase the capacity for rent subsidies. “The work we have done this year has opened the door for future sabbs to make even greater strides toward more affordable accommodation.” Keenan also said that the Big Rent campaign has been shortlisted for the National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland ‘Campaign of the Year’ and that NUS UK are interested in adopting Stirling’s model for their own practice. “We have done a substantial amount of work and have made greater inroads than other institutions,” he added. He believes the new fund will make Stirling University’s accommodation “amongst the most affordable in Britain”.

Warren Hardie

ent prices for Stirling University’s premium accommodation will rise next year, but a freeze will remain in place for the majority of heritage buildings. The new accommodation buildings – Willow, Beech and Juniper Courts – will see a 2.5% rise in their rents. Due to financial obligations, the rent costs of these halls will continue to rise annually – with the yearly cost surpassing £6000 a year by 2021/22. Most of the university’s ‘heritage’ accommodation will also have their rents frozen for a second consecutive year. These buildings include on-campus accommodation such as Alexander Court, as well as off-campus halls such as John Forty’s. But students living in Polwarth House will see a 1% reduction in rent prices for the next academic year.

However, students based in Andrew Stewart Hall – whose rent was frozen this academic year – will have to face a 1% rise next year. This amounts to largely the same deal on rent prices as then-Union President Andrew Kinnell struck last year. Keenan, who conceded earlier this year that he would not be able to achieve the wholesale rent reductions he pledged to fight for while he was a candidate, has focused most of his attention on establishing the new ‘Accommodation Enhancement Fund’ to help the poorest students living in university accommodation. The Union President

hailed the new agreement as a “massive victory for students”. He said: “The deal we have struck with the university is the biggest victory on rent we have had to date and the Enhancement Fund will make lasting changes to those who need it.”“It will make the university more accessible to poorer students and it is the first step on our way to securing further rent subsidies.” Stirling Students’ Union has also announced that the university has agreed to map out a ‘long-term Accommodation Strategy’, with more details to be announced soon.

Credit: Stirling Students’ Union

Possible plans for the ‘Gannochy Hub’ Craig Paton

The redevelopment of the university’s sports facilities is set to cost £17m, Brig has learned. A presentation given to University Court sets out the plans and reasons for the redevelopment of the Gannochy. It is important to note that these plans have not yet been confirmed by any party and that the consultation phase is not yet complete. The plans suggest that the fitness suite will be moved to a second level, above a studio that appears to be intended for classes.

IN BRIEF

Changing rooms are to be moved downstairs for both indoor and outdoor sports. On the pitch side of the new development there will be a cafe area, including a balcony that will look out over the fields. Patrons will enter through a new foyer area, into the reception and artist’s renderings appear to show that there will be a social area within before reaching the studio, which will be surrounded by floor to ceiling windows, to allow a panoramic view of the campus. The plans refer to the main Gannochy centre as the “Gannochy Hub”. The presentation also contained a slide that outlined other options for further development, which showed the possi-

phase in a more full redevelopment of Stirling’s sports facilities. A slide shows plans of the current Gannochy facilities, highlighting 2100 square metres that have

ListenAgain recording to be made compulsory

he university has passed a proposal to make the recording of lectures compulsory in all rooms in which it is possible. It follows a unanimous vote of support at a recent General Meeting by the student body for the proposal, which has been spearheaded by VP Education Matt Adie. Adie said: “A few weeks ago, the university agreed to make the recording of lec-

tures through ListenAgain a mandatory requirement in all lectures where recording is possible”. Use of ListenAgain has faced opposition from some members of staff, with copyright and lecture attendance the most common objections. Staff will be under obligation to upload lectures as soon as practically possible. Work will now begin on drafting a formal policy.

been deemed “poor”, which makes up most of the main Gannochy facility, and excludes the current games halls and gym facilities. The presentation out-

bility of adding a further three sports pitches and another outdoor multiuse area. The plans seem to show that the revamp of the Gannochy is just the first

Building the Lego brand brick-by-brick

he Chief Financial Officer of Lego, John Goodwin, gave a lecture on March 13 on building the Lego brand. Goodwin joined Lego in 2012, and has seen the company continue to grow despite it turning 60 in 2018. In 2015, Lego was hailed the world’s most powerful brand, and has received renewed popularity following the Lego Movie and Lego Batman Movie in 2014 and 2017

respectively. The lecture marks one of Goodwin’s last appearances as Lego CFO, as he will be stepping down from the position in June. He said: “The last four-plus years have been wonderful from my professional career perspective. I have a deep passion for the LEGO brand, company, my peers and the organization, so it has not been an easy decision.

lines how the redevelopment would positively benefit the university, particularly focusing on the goals of the Strategic Plan. The five-year plan aims for the university to break into the top 25 in the UK, raise £50m in income and increase the research profile by 100%. In terms of pushing Stirling into the UK’s top 25, the redevelopment is intended to enhance the student experience, help the university’s recruitment and turn the sports centre into a “social hub” for students. To satisfy the raising of £50m, it is hoped the development will increase the number of memberships from students and staff, as well as from the wider community, and

attract large events to the university. The redevelopment is also intended to help position the university as a leader in health and fitness and allow for collaboration with researchers to look into issues such as aging and dementia, according to the presentation. Another slide featured a photo of the view of the current facilities to people as they pass the sports centre, under the heading “Impression on arrival to campus”, pointing to the difference between the look of the current facilities and the renderings of the possible development. Sports President Jess Morris declined to comment while the redevelopment was still in the consultation phase.

Stirling Council fined £10K in asbestos scandal

tirling Council is under pressure after it was found it put employees at risk for nine years by ignoring asbestos condition at its headquarters. Staff were not given protective clothing when cleaning and moving furniture in rooms laden with the hazardous material. Surveys were carried out in 2003, 2010 and 2011, which all found asbestos in the 1935

building to be a “high priority risk” – and nothing was done. The Stirling Sheriff Court heard a “deep clean” was carried out in a high risk area, and employees were given no warning about the risks. One council employee said:”The best way to describe this is an omnishambles. It’s horrendous”. The council was fined £10,500.

4 Brig | March 2017

Election 2017

Union Election results announced: Craig Paton Elections Editor

strid Smallenbroek has been elected Union President, defeating Searlas Mac, with a resounding majority in the first round. Astrid took the victory with a substantial margin of 398. Smallenbroek spoke throughout her campaign about the need to revamp the university’s Student Services Hub, improving both waiting times and confidentiality, as well as hiring another counsellor. In the other VP races, Jamie Grant took the VP Comms position, Rebecca Blair was elected Sports Union president and Matt Adie was reelected VP Education. When asked how she felt about her victory, Astrid said “fantastic, I don’t know what else to say. I thought it was

going to be really close, Searlas ran a great campaign.” Brig asked what she would do next, Smallenbroek said “I think the priority is definitely hiring another counsellor, I know that’s something the Union is already pushing for, so I’m confident that we can hopefully get that done before the students come back. “Then try and also work on the Student Hub before the students get back so there’s confidentiality there.” Adie was re-elected 807 votes to Natalie Smith’s 515. Speaking after his victory, he said that he wants to work with Smith, saying that “she had some incredible manifesto points that can’t be left to disappear. “I want us to work together to create a combined vision for educa-

tion.” Rebecca Blair triumphed in the final race of the night, beating out three other candidates in a race that went to the fourth round,. It was as close as one vote between Lindsay MacDonald and Alex Duke in the second round. Afterwards, Rebecca said “Wow. Absolutely fantastic. It was such a close race, and to go to the fourth round is amazing.” First on Blair’s agenda was made clear from the start, “get those facilities sorted! Our budget is cut, and we need to make sure every student’s voice is heard.” Jamie Grant took the VP Comms race, winning in the final run off against James Fitzsimons, eeking out the victory by 47 votes in the final round. Grant opened his

speech by jokingly thanking the academy, and then paying homage to his campaign team, who were sat in the crowd. Speaking to Brig afterwards, Grant said he was “shocked more than anything, James ran an excellent campaign, Alasdair also ran a very well managed campaign.” When asked the first thing he would do Grant said “no rest for the wicked. I’m going to be at Parliament tomorrow and at the next General Meeting I will be chairing a motion for a new Housing Officer, and seconding Ryan Collins’ motion to have audio recording of GMs.” Voter turnout was up by 2.3%, compared to last year, with 2,095 students casting ballots. All executive officer positions were run unnoposed and filled successfully.

Astrid Smallenbroek • Protect the rights of internationals students in a time of political turbulence • Fix the lack of confidential-

•

ity and the long waiting times in the Student Hub Promise to hire another counsellor, says that the University’s marketing

Union candidates attend anti-sdl counter rally

Credit: Vote Alasdair Ibbotson for VP Communities/Facebook

Warren Hardie News editor

undreds took to the streets of Alloa as the Scottish Defence League and a counter-protest clashed - including three candidates in the Union Elections. Accompanied by a heavy police presence, less than 50 members of the SDL and various far-right groups conducted a ‘static’ protest on Alloa high street. The SDL were holding the rally in opposition to Clacks Council’s decision to provide social housing to refugees fleeing warzones such as Syria and Iraq. The rally was held after a petition created by a member of the SDL, criticising Clacks Council, attracted more than 2000

signatures before it was removed from Change. org. This was the first SDL march since a small number protested against the government’s decision to accept refugees in George Square last summer. Handfuls of SDL members made their way from Alloa train station to the top of the high street where they planned to hold their rally. A speaker for the group made a speech criticising the anti-fascist protestors, claiming that his organisation represented the ‘real’ people of Alloa, and falsely accused Clacks Council of “pushing out” local residents in order to house refugees. As a second bus of protestors arrived, the tone of the rally took a considerable shift. In solidarity

with the SDL, an organisation which referred to itself as ‘Scottish Dawn’ joined the demonstration, brandishing flags with overtly neo-Nazi insignia. This group mainly consisted of young men clad in balaclavas and sunglasses in order to hide their identities. Leader of the UK National Front David Macdonald, a holocaust denier who sits on Aberdeen Community Council, was also in attendance. A local activist who follows the far-right informed Brig that some of those in attendance were formerly members of now-banned neo-Nazi group National Action. A spokesperson for Scottish Dawn referred to the council’s refugee policy as “white genocide”, and urged the crowd which

had amassed nearby to join their local white nationalist organisations. The speaker, who was forced to use a megaphone as they were unable to get their PA system working, condemned Europe’s acceptance of refugees, and said Britain needed to “send them back”. The bellicose rhetoric of the speakers received a mixed reaction from Alloa residents, with some nearby applauding enthusiastically, whilst others looked on in disgust. At the opposite end of the high street, more than a hundred anti-fascist protesters held their own rally in support of refugees. Vastly outnumbering the SDL, the counterprotest often drowned out the speeches being given by the far-right group – much to their ire. Attending the counterdemonstration were both Stirling SU presidential candidates Searlas Mac Thoirdealbhaigh and Astrid Smallenbroek. Losing VP Communities candidate Alasdair Ibbotson, who also took part, said: “Today I and your two candidates for Union President stood against the racist SDL in Alloa. “Defending our international members is not a partisan issue.”

Alpacas were brought in to increase student engagement with the elections, but they distracted t

Rebecca Blair • Continously represent the views of students on the redevelopment of facilities. • Look for more cost effective transportation

Campaign in Review Craig Paton Elections Editor

he election is now over, I’m sure you’re thrilled to hear. No more cynical Brig diatribes from yours and no more candidates desperately throwing paper in your general direction and begging you to vote for them. Or dressing in pyjamas and a crown, I’m looking at you James.

•

methods for clubs Create an ‘Opportunity for All’ campaign that will increase sports engagement across the university

We have our new presidents and VPs, and in case you can’t tell from the tone of this article, I do not know who they are, because it’s currently 3.20pm the day of the results. We have to get a paper out, get off my back. The most surprising race of this years elecion is Sports Union President. Up until the last minute, it was too close to call, all of the candidates had a very good chance of winning, and they would, by

in large, do a good job. In past years, elections have been dominated by the issue of rent, while this was a major factor in the race again, the university’s lack of counesllors and the high waiting times has been brought to the forefront of the campaign. Hopefully we can expect big things in mental health, in the next year. Social media has also really taken off in this campaign. The campaign

Election 2017

5 Brig | March 2017

Smallenbroek elected President •

•

Jamie Grant

Commission a housing report for students, so they are aware of all of their options. Connect subject based

•

clubs with their respective departments Increase student engagement with his OPEN programme.

the candidates beyond measure. All election photography by Stuart Graham.

•

videos that have been made have been dissiminated online, and the candidates have grasped all they can from technology. Almost all of the candidates have created social media pages for their campaigns, youu know, they’re the annoying ones that we’ve all been bombarded with. They used them to share their campaign videos, which includes a shooting star meme, R.E.M’s Everybody Hurts, and a VP

Matt Adie

Push uni to invest in amount and quality of study space Push for the uni to devise a long term strategy on car parking, given that the

Comms candidate in their boxers. Not all in the same video. Unfortunately. We’ve also had some wonderful gimmicks this year. Craig Bathgate decided that he was going to wander around in a banana costume, simply because his name begins in B. James Fitzsimons wore a paper crown and pyjama trousers during the two campaigning days, for literally no reason. However, the award for

•

student population is set to increase. Continue the work of Jess Logan on graduation costs

best gimmick has to go to the Union, who employed the help of a group of alpacas to get more people voting. If you vote, you can pet an alpaca. It reaks of a Union that’s clutching at straws, but still, alpacas. And so we come to the end of our election coverage for this year, you are now free, enjoy it. We will be back next year, and we hope to see you then.

brig speaks to the man behind the scenes of three campaigns for union president Dan Vevers Editor-in-chief

call him the communist Malcolm Tucker. Or as he puts it, “like Steve Bannon but an actual Leninist”. Meet Wullie Cunningham. Of course, he laughs off any notion of himself as a puppeteer behind the scenes. But it is true is that he managed Séarlas Mac Thoirdealbhaigh’s insurgent, albeit unsuccessful campaign for Union President this year, was involved in Dave Keenan’s campaign last year (although by his own admission, not that much), and very involved in Andrew Kinnell’s the year before that. We meet in Venue on Monday, shortly after voting opened and as the intensive two final days of campaigning were beginning. He was cautious about Séarlas’ chances. “Séarlas is a bit too laid-back about a lot of things… he wasn’t worrying too much about posters and stuff yesterday, and I realised, I need to actually control this – not to be like a controlling arsehole campaign manager – but I had to be like, ‘We need to get all this sorted, we’ll probably be here all night getting this done but it’ll be worth it.’” Unfortunately for Wullie and Séarlas, it now seems some of the concerns may have had foundation, as they tasted defeat on Tuesday night at the hands of new Union President-elect Astrid Smallenbroek, who claimed a decisive victory. Stirling’s got a habit – in which they are, of course, hardly alone among universities – of electing radical lefties as Union President. Before Kinnell, there was left-winger Amy McDermott and prior to that Johannes Butscher, who was a Green. Séarlas’ campaign was aiming to tap into this apparent radical instinct on campus – but faced an opponent who, unlike losing candidates in the last two years, was arguably as left-wing as he is, despite the perception of Astrid as more of a continuity candidate. What does Wullie think of my thesis that Stirling always elects a radical? “Things aren’t the way they were, even last year,” he responds. “For example, the SSP society only

got its tenth member in February. When Andrew was elected, we did have upwards of 20 members – it was pretty massive. “The issue is you have a lot of the Left working with Astrid as well. There’s a lot of people who were very vocal… backing Astrid’s campaign, because she is Left herself, and she’s only ‘moderate’ because her opponent is Séarlas. “So, it’s a strange one compared to the other two.” He adds: “With (the Kinnell) campaign it was mostly personality, to be honest with you, that won him that one. As well as a lot of good policy from Andrew. “It was the first campaign we had folk sticking posters on their chests and stuff, it worked out pretty well. There’s something I’ve learned and am using still, because it still works.” Stunts, he feels, are key to getting engagement and pushing candidates. Séarlas had an ill-fated idea to put a massive sign on a hill overlooking the uni but as Wullie explains, managing finite resources – especially time – is key. “I’ve worked as an election agent in an actual council by-election and that was less stressful than this,” he notes. With no exit polls, there’s a lot of anxious guesswork done by candidates in the two days of voting before results are declared. They all deal with that pressure differently, says Wullie. “With Andrew he was just so laid-back – he wasn’t worried. With Dave, he just channelled it into campaigning, he was just really active himself over the two days. “Obviously with Dave I was much less involved than I was with Andrew, and way less involved than I’ve been with Séarlas, but with Séarlas he’s a mix of the two: he’s been laid-back but he’s also been active.” Why was he drawn to Séarlas? “For me the last three years, the reason I backed all three candidates has been rent. “That’s the heart of it. That is the overarching issue we’ve had since we’ve been here, and it’s been atrocious, especially with the new builds coming in. “That’s one of the things we’ve been pushing, but

this time Séarlas is going about it a different way.” Indeed – the proposed referendum on an alliance with other trade unions to strengthen the student union’s position against future cuts or price hikes. In a short campaign, it has proved a distinctive lead policy, one that his opponent Astrid also said she’d look into. “I’m surprised it’s something I never actually thought of myself, because it is an absolutely brilliant idea,” says Wullie. However, he is a little concerned the pledge could backfire. “I’m worried it might work against us because it’s not as clear on the posters, it just says referendum, so I’m worried people might pick this up as an NUS referendum (on membership, following a campaign towards the end of last semester against the organisation). On the broader elections, we talk about the heightened use of social media by candidates and has generally been impressed. “You’ve had some very strong campaigns this year. The big thing is you only have the one incumbent (re-elected VP Education Matt Adie). I guess that was the same last year but it had a different feel to it, because I think everyone was expecting Jess (Morris) to win automatically. “There’s a general vagueness from some of how they’d carry out policy, that’s the only issue. But there’s a lot of very good ideas there.” He also points to Brig’s “massive role” in the elections this year, praising our coverage. He’s right – we’re amazing. “I think we’re going to get a bit of a higher turnout than we did last year, and Brig is one of the reasons why.”

Amy Beveridge Comment Editor

ell, Astrid Smallenbroek said she could do it, and she has. The first female president since Amy McDermott was elected for the 2014/15 term, hopefully Astrid will make a refreshing change from the white, male and, let’s say politically interesting presidents of the past few years. So what’s going to change now Astrid’s at the helm? And how is it going to help you? First up - mental health. increasing the number of councillors available for students from two to… well, three (I guess it’s a start) should see students benefit from support through the stresses of assignments, work and life. Another issue is study space. Every student has experienced that sense of dread when they go to the library and it’s full to bursting with stressed students. Astrid proposes to create a website or an app that shows free study spaces. This would be a godsend, especially during exam time. What also deserves a mention is Astrid’s policy on First Bus. Yes, that company we all love to hate that makes us late. She wants to pressure the council to negotiate more punctual and frequent bus times that will actually be better for students. These are just three ideas from a manifesto that is filled with innovate ways to make our university better. But only time will tell if these will actually come to fruition. Best of luck to Astrid. Looking at the ‘success’ of past presidents, you may need it.

Credit: Wullie Cunningham/Facebook

News

6 Brig | March 2017

brig exclusive: a sneak peek at Clubs & socs awards nominations B

rig has been given an exclusive sneak peek at awards for next month’s hotly-anticipated Clubs & Socs Ball. We have had a look at the longlists for four of the thirteen categories: Best Alumni Engagement, Best President, Best Committee and Lifetime Achievement. It is important to note that these are just the longlists (the clue is in the name) and not the final shortlist, which the Union will announce in due course. Nonetheless, don’t let it stop you getting excited if you are in any of these clubs. The long list for Best Alumni Engagement are: Brig (woohoo!), Pool, Law, Drama, Wizarding, Politics, International, Musical Theatre, Shazam, Rock, Computing, Teaching and LGBT+. For the category of Best President there are nearly twenty candidates on the longlist, which will likely be cruelly whittled down to four or five. But among the nominees so far are new Union President-elect Astrid Smallenbroek (GEM), Simron Kandola (Volunteering), newly-elected communities officer Rachel Bradshaw (Labour) and losing VP Communities candidate James Fitzsimons (Air3). Up for Best Committee are: GEM, Volunteering, Pool, Drama, Brig

(woohoo!), SUDS, Politics, Doctor Who, International, Shazam, Musical Theatre, Paintball, Rock and Law. In the running for the coveted Lifetime Achievement award are fourteen people, including this year’s clubs & socs officer Heather Marr, Astrid Smallenbroek, Scott Mackay, new VP Communities-elect Jamie Grant and Brig’s own Ross Brannigan (woohoo!). VP Communities Jess Logan said: ““Here are the longlists for four of the thirteen awards in contention for this year’s Clubs & Societies Awards Ball. “Full details, and shortlists, will be revealed in due course – keep an eye on the Students’ Union social media and Brig for updates.” She added: “It’s been a fantastic year for clubs and societies and It’s been really touching reading all the nominations. “Some make you laugh, others make you cry but it’s amazing to hear about all the memories which have been made over the past year. “I can’t wait to see so many people enjoying themselves and coming together, especially at the ceilidh!” The Clubs & Socs Ball is being held at Stirling Court Hotel on campus on Monday, April 3. Limited tickets are still available from Union reception.

Credit: Hannah McNicol

ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

PRESIDENT

BRIG (WOOHOO!), POOL, LAW, DRAMA, WIZARDING, POLITICS, INTERNATIONAL, MUSICAL THEATRE, SHAZAM, ROCK, COMPUTING, TEACHING AND LGBT+.

SIMRON KANDOLA, RACHEL BRADSHAW, JAMES FITZSIMONS, DAN VEVERS, MARIA MURDOCH, RYLEE BINNS, RACHEL KINNAIRD, AINE TAYLOR, LAUREN MITCHELL MATTHEW GLASSFORD, DORA WALKINGTON, RACHEL SWEENEY, SCOTT MACKAY, LIZZIE SMITHARD, SOPHIA STEINDAL, NATALIA GRIEM, ASTRID SMALLENBROEK, STEVEN COCHRANE

COMMITTEE

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

GEM, VOLUNTEERING, POOL, DRAMA, BRIG, SUDS, POLITICS, DOCTOR WHO, INTERNATIONAL, SHAZAM, MUSICAL THEATRE, PAINTBALL, ROCK, LAW

HEATHER MARR, SIMRON KANDOLA, JAMIE GRANT, SCOTT MACKAY, KANE NEEDHAM, ROSS BRANNIGAN, TOM WADSWORTH, KAI MACKAY, CALLUM DERRICK, DANIELLE ANTON, ASTRID SMALLENBROEK, KIERAN SKELTON, SCOTT BILSBROUGH, RYLEE BINNS

8 Brig | March 2017

Politics

Stirling’s new political society: a step in the ‘right’ direction?

Gregor Ironside

had the opportunity to sit down and get coffee with the founder of the University of Stirling’s newest political society: Stuart McLuckie is the interim president and the driving force behind the Libertarian Society. Libertarianism is a concept that I’m not hugely familiar with, it’s one of those words that is often

The Libertarian Society is the newest political society at the university, created by Stuart McLuckie. Credit: Stirling University Libertarian Society.

only mentioned in the context of American politics. I find this idea of the society particularly interesting. McLuckie said: “It was at that point we knew, something’s wrong here”. The idea to start a society, Stuart tells me, came from witnessing universities across the globe demonise students who think differently. Often times on campus

if you don’t think a certain way, your voice won’t be heard. He cites the recent neutrality motion as an example, submitted at the first Stir it Up meeting. This was a motion designed to take politics out of the Student Union. Instead, McLuckie said, it resulted in people getting shut down and called names before the meeting even started, and when the meeting did start it

culminated in ignoring those who thought differently. Stuart goes on to say that ironically accusations of bigotry and extremism were levelled at people trying to pass a neutrality motion of all things. He said: “These people are so used to having their own way, they are not used to hearing the other side of the argument, that becomes extreme.” Libertarianism at its

heart is an idea devoted to promoting freedom of speech and the free market, however this is not the only objective of the society. Stuart’s goal is to create a “support network” for people who have views that don’t satisfy the campus norm. Stuart explains that people are being discouraged from speaking up, through fear of being shouted down. He said: “There’s a lot of ideologues who do things not because it’s fair, not because it’s right but because it benefits their point of view more.” Despite everything Stuart went through, he is positive about the Union and the role they play on campus. Already he says that the Union is moving more towards the centre-ground; a step in the right direction. This is largely down to the Union President, who he credits highly in shifting the approach of the student body. There is more to be done he says, with paltry turnout at elections and Stir it Up meetings, to engage students effectively. I do however think some people will boil this all down to a left vs right ar-

gument. You can feel this vibe around campus, we’re surrounded by everyone flying their political and ideological flags high. That said, wouldn’t it be a chronic disservice to misinterpret the message that Stuart and the society are trying to promote? Stuart mentioned as a matter of fact that on the interim committee he has members from across the political spectrum, including members of both the Greens and the SNP. This was surprising, as until this moment I had thought this was a right of centre movement. I soon learnt that I was wrong, this society is not a movement anchored in the traditional political conflict. Rather it is a movement that is open and forward about free speech, a free market and above all defence of democracy. I for one am excited to see where this society goes and how they impact university politics. You can get in touch by emailing Stuart personally on: stm00133@ students.stir.ac.uk or the society’s official email: stirling.libertarians@gmx.co.uk

Battle of the two Donalds: Trump VS the European Union What could the new US Presidency mean for the neighbourhood of the North Atlantic?

Donald Trump and Donald Tusk go head to head. Credit: Dominick Reuter & Oliver Hoslet

Angelo Bakoulas Politics Editor

he political environment in the European Union is not far from that of the US right now. Elections across Europe are promising to show us the widest support for populist, extremist, and Trump-like movements – these are three different things by the way – that the continent has not seen in a very long time. As if that were not enough, the first divorce for the organisation is definitely not settled yet. Meanwhile, Europe’s

chaperone since WWII - the United States of America - are losing credibility by the second as their leader makes headlines about his cable news watching and tweeting habits more often than his policies do. And even when his presidential actions are featured in what he has labelled as ‘fake news’ media, they are usually deep-fried in controversy. Sounds like the perfect match, right? Well, no. Just after Donald J Trump took office in January, European Council president Donald Tusk declared him a

threat to the EU, highlighting the new Commander-inChief’s random statements of aggression towards some of the most controversial actors in international relations right now, including China and Russia. Of course, while he mostly links the former with sharp blasts of hatred, the latter seems to mostly be looked at favourably, as the US President seems to really like strong men, constantly expressing admiration for Vladimir Putin. But let’s not go into that now. While Tusk’s comments could be seen as burning bridges, and while other

leaders seem to want to cover ideological, and basically moral, differences for the sake of common interests – yes, I mean Theresa May – Trump has not exactly tried to keep the Union by his side. He loves Brexit. Like most things Trump loves, Brexit is great, and Nigel Farage is too. In fact, he got one of the coveted Trump Tower meetings – alongside Kanye West – during the transition period between US administrations. And yes, Theresa May went to the White House, but Nigel was still first to have

Trump’s ear. And then there is the man tipped to be US ambassador to the EU, Ted Malloch. Mr Malloch recently recalled the last time he had moved to Brussels and said to the BBC: “I had in a previous career a diplomatic post where I helped bring down the Soviet Union. So maybe there’s another union that needs a little taming.” While senior members of the EU have urged member states to block the likely nominee, in an unprecedented and hostile move, even Trump’s thought to send a person with such

views as a nominee to Brussels is not really an act of friendship. Oh, and I almost forgot about NATO. And, yes that is not the EU, but NATO has been Europe’s safety blanket for decades. Trump’s comments on the US being ripped off, in terms of contributions to the organisation, by many members, are again a red hot alarm for the Brussels group. While what will happen is left to be seen, it is safe to say that we are off to a strong start. Even when Trump’s environment tries to reas-

sure the EU of his positive sentiments towards them, neither of them like each other and the consequences will definitely be part of international politics sooner rather than later. I guess, in the end, it all comes down to a question that many ask when thinking about many different things. Will Trump ever grow up? Or, at least, will he ever be kicked out of the White House?

Politics

9 Brig | March 2017

What happened to French politics? Comment editor Claire Keraudren looks at the 2017 presidential campaigns in France, which have tended to focus more on marriage and corruption than on policy. What will happen next? The French presidential candidates. Credit: The Telegraph

Claire Keraudren Comment Editor e the French are nearing the first round of the 2017 presidential elections. As a first-time voter in the general elections myself, I have found that my civic duty is quite different from what I’d expected. There’s a fresh new atmosphere in French politics after a sorry – some would say quiet – five

years for President Hollande. His victory in 2012 was due more to weak adversity than to his political merits. He was a candidate confident in two things: that he would be the 7th President of the 5th Republic, and that change in the country was necessary. Or, so he’d campaigned. Whereas his mandate went by nearly unnoticed, his personal life – like that of his predecessor – was

featured in international publications. He had shown a lack of morals in his love life and, because he’d not actively brought his programme to reality, the media fed off his relationships. He cannot be faulted for that. Far be it for world leaders to be discreet about their love lives. Former Minister of Economy and independent candidate Emmanuel Macron was similarly exposed for his unconven-

tional marriage. He had met his girlfriend at a private school in Amiens, France, when she was his literature teacher. Gathering information to choose the candidate I believe in, I realised morals would stunt my decision. Republican candidate Francois Fillon (Prime Minister under Sarkozy) has his campaign under fire after satire paper Le Canard Enchaîné exposed

his embezzlement and sexism. As Senator, he’d paid his wife to carry out administrative duties in an office whose employees say they’d never met her. His children had been hired while in law school. His daughter was succeeded by his son, who was paid 27% more than her. Macron’s relationship was illegal, and while his wife is the legal criminal, he is the public figure nor-

malising it. Front National (FN) candidate Marine Le Pen has been to court after using European Parliament funds for her own campaign, including car hires and luncheons. Some would argue one’s programme is key, but politicians have begun selling their campaign. The idea of politics being an object to sell has been suggested by the Ile de France region’s FN Vice-President Jean LinLacapelle. The former Commercial Director for L’Oreal, Le Pen hired him when she felt her party was plagued with an outdated reputation for racism and needed a revamp in the campaign. He said, “Today, a political party is an enterprise (...) we have seven million consumers (…) and we need to recruit more. (…) I’ve been hired to [motivate our] salespeople.” Meanwhile, Macron’s programme is a light one which reflects heavier tones of populism than it does political intent. He has endorsed feminism and has said the Algerian War was an era of crimes against humanity which the country should move past. He believes Africa is the future of world economy

and wants to work alongside it, though his manifesto does not elaborate on this. Predictions regarding the next French President were heavily rightleaning, and current polls confirm this idea. Socialist Benoit Hamon has now been endorsed by the Green Party’s Yannick Jadot, who has dropped out of the race. Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Mélenchon persists, with little promise to be elected. My working knowledge of French culture is limited to news outlets. I am therefore aware of how the candidates are progressing in the polls. My understanding of the general appreciation for the Left may be affected by what I’ve read, but it seems as though the Right have the Elysée wrapped around their finger. What matters now is who will take it. The options are simple: fascism, elitism, or an improvement of education, women’s place in the workplace and re-instating France as an international business hub.

French writer Gabriel Beltran throws in his two cents on the upcoming elections in his home country, and which parties and personalities to keep an eye out for...

s with the absurd US presidential race we witnessed throughout last year, the French presidential campaign has offered us quite a few surprises. Marine Le Pen is the candidate who will, most likely, win the first round (yes, there are two rounds!) of the elections. Many blame it on the media which have given her a huge platform to gain votes through her pro-French national rhetoric and anti-immigrant policies. Others believe she has gained huge popularity by considering herself nonestablishment - just like Trump - but that is not without irony since her

father as well as her niece are both established in politics. There is also the conservative candidate FIllon who has been drowned in scandal, allegedly paying his wife taxpayer’s money as a parliamentary assistant over 15 years (no surprise there). The second runner up after Le Pen is Emmanuel Macron, the liberal-democrat with the very probusiness program. People see him as a fresh face in politics, which is never a bad thing. Yet, Macron would give the key of l’Elysee to the business elite of France and that’s exactly what we are trying to escape. The socialist candidate

Credit: France 24

Gabriel Beltran Benoit Hammon is unlikely to get past the first round as he will not gain enough votes since the independent left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon refuses to form an alliance. Hammon’s - not very socialist party is tainted by Hollande’s five years in power. Overall, it is a very messy and personal campaign which has been dragging on for quite a while now. We don’t know what to expect in this first round on April 23 but we definitely want it to be over... Vive la République et Vive la France !

10 Brig | March 2017

Politics

Credit: BBC News

Jeremy Corbyn is too weak for government

Rebecca McCurdy Politics Editor

hen Jeremy Corbyn first became leader of the Labour Party his progressive stance seemed like a breath of fresh air. But the longer his leadership lasts, the less Labour look like opposition

to the Conservatives. He had a turbulent first few months as leader, having to fight off competition from his own MPs. His backbench MPs scrutinised his left leaning stance for being unelectable. Although it is this which was particularly appealing to Labour voters. The leadership contest portrayed Corbyn favour-

ably against his Blairite challengers but now it’s looking like he really is starting to struggle. Earlier this week, Jeremy Corbyn spoke out on Scottish independence. He said that it would be “absolutely fine” for Scotland to hold another referendum. Problem is, this defies everything Scottish Labour have been saying for the past few years and was bound to cause major issues. So what do you do when you find you’ve made a massive hiccup like this? Blame the media of course. In a fake news type of backtrack, Corbyn now has reverted back to Labour categorically opposing Scottish inde-

pendence and probably confusing everyone in the process. One of his biggest flaws comes from Labour’s stance on Brexit. It is particularly shocking because Corbyn cannot really hold the government accountable when he favours leaving the European Union. Corbyn announced in January that the party would not oppose triggering Article 50. Labour MPs were urged to vote for in favour of Brexit after the government lost its case in the supreme court. At the time, he said: “It is very clear. The referendum made a decision that Britain was to leave the European Union.

“I’ve made it very clear the Labour Party accepts and respects the decision of the British people. We will not block article 50.” It is easy to see how this would cause problems. Many of the constituencies that Labour MPs represent voted remain and may feel they are no longer being represented. On the other hand though, Corbyn is representing the majority of the British public who voted to leave the European Union in the referendum last June. In doing so though, the lines have been blurred and it can definitely seem like Labour no longer seem fit to be the main opposition party in the Westminster government.

Labour’s stance on Brexit will no doubt have alienated many voters on the left and they’ll have to really work to gain this treat. Notably, former supporter of Corbyn, columnist and author, Owen Jones recently condemned Corbyn for his Article 50 ruling. So how can a weak opposition expect to form a strong government? YouGov released figures showing that if there was an election tomorrow, only 25% would vote for Labour while the Conservatives look strong at 44%. Whatever Jeremy’s been doing, it’s not working. Even Stephen Hawking criticised Corbyn’s lead-

ership earlier this month and if the physicist can take time out of his busy schedule to call you a “disaster”’ you’re probably doing something wrong. The general election in 2015 saw the Labour suffer its worst defeat since 1987, winning only 232 seats. In selecting a leader to replace Ed Miliband, Labour needed someone who could bring the Labour Party back from the dead. Corbyn might have been that guy at the time, but he’s looking less like that now. If Corbyn remains Labour leader for the next general election in 2020 we should just look forward to another five years of Tory rule.

Indyref2: Nicola Sturgeon’s gamble of a lifetime

Dan Vevers Editor-in-chief

t is on. Game on. Indyref2: Electric Boogaloo. Indyref2: Judgement Day. Bloody hell. YES!!! Just a fragment of the responses I’ve seen on my Facebook since Nicola Sturgeon bit the bullet and announced plans to hold indyref2 next year or early 2019 – although it’s not called #indyref2 anymore, it’s called #scotref. A spin-off rather than a direct sequel. Unfortunately, that won’t be enough to make everyone forget about the last one – which, sure, had the awakening and politicisation of an entire generation going for it, but also laid the foundation stones for the deeply polarised body politic we see in Scotland today. And I say all this as a Yes voter and campaigner back in 2014. As such I have a raft of friends and old comrades who are thrilled and hopeful, but while I do think there are some grounds for optimism for the indyinclined, the case is not as good as they think. Let me tell you a quick story. Two things, ultimately, persuaded me to back independence back in 2012. The first was an emotional gut-response to what I perceived as David Cameron’s attempt to dictate the terms of indyref1. Not only was he broadly unsuccessful, the former PM managed to foment a groundswell of support for the SNP and independence from people tired of lectures from on high. People like me. The next stage of my

conversion was a matter of the head. It came from GERS. For those of you not down with the political kids, GERS stands for Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland. It amounts to as close a look as we’ve been able to get at our public finances, lots of technical caveats notwithstanding. These figures revealed during the last campaign show Scotland was a net tax contributor to the UK – that we paid in more to the Exchequer than we took out. This buoyed me throughout against constant scaremongering and prophecies of financial doom. Of course, these positive figures were built on one thing – and only one thing, to be truthful. Oil. When the price of oil is high, our oil-producing economy does well. And yes, this is hardly rocket science. But try as I might to brush it off, one question has dogged me since 2014’s No vote – because I am not an existential nationalist; indeed I don’t consider myself much of a nationalist at all. That question is as follows: What the hell would we have done had we voted Yes, launching our first independent budget last year with oil revenues having crashed through the floor and a deficit possibly as high as £15bn? Seriously, what would we have done? There are no good options – absolutely none. Whether we had tried to cut or borrow our way out of it, either economic approach would have needed to be taken to recklessly extreme levels. That is the

cold reality. Now we are told that the GERS figures – despite being the only thing we have – are now no longer that important or exact. They don’t really show what an independent Scotland would look like, goes the mantra. It only shows what devolved Scotland looks like. Fine. Whatever. As I said, caveats apply. But it takes some brass neck to have trumpeted the positive GERS figures to the moon during the last campaign, as the SNP and Yes campaign did (and indeed, as I did too), only to now poke holes in them as unreliable. Not least because the Scottish Government itself publishes them. There is supposedly a fairly orthodox (or at least popular) historical view among the SNP’s top brass, past and present, that it is easier to campaign for independence when the economy is doing well. This makes sense to me. The last Yes campaign was able to make legitimate claims that an independent Scotland would be one of the wealthiest countries in the world. But only very generously could that description still be applied now. Another, more recent, perceived orthodoxy was that the SNP under Nicola Sturgeon would only call a second plebiscite if the Yes vote was consistently polling in the 55-60% ballpark. Neither of these are true, but Nicola Sturgeon has called the referendum anyway. In many ways, she didn’t have much of a choice, and had imprisoned her-

self with her own words after the EU referendum. You can’t keep preparing your troops for war indefinitely with firing the starting gun. But she is often noted for her cautiousness, especially compared to her bombastic predecessor Alex Salmond – who Sky News have tweeted was twisting her arm into the announcing the vote because “sources”. Personally, that sounds like a lot of hooey to me – the referendum, I am quite sure, was her choice and hers alone, and our current First Minister has deviated much in terms of method and manner from the last one. But she has taken a Salmond-like gamble here, and one that is boobytrapped with potential pitfalls. The new campaign is inextricably tied to mem-

bership of the European Union, despite the fact around a third of Yes voters in 2014 voted Leave in 2016. This is also with absolutely no foreknowledge of what the first postBrexit elections taking place in Europe this year – from Holland, to France, to Germany – will mean for the continent’s political map and the European project. The populist right is on the march and aiming to tear that project asunder. She is also gambling that the public will be engaged like they were last time, as opposed to the present reality, which to my eyes is a public increasingly turning away from politics once again, while the pro-indy/pro-union sides have dug themselves into trenches in a shouty, alienating, boring war of attrition.

This is an electorate who, if we have indyref2 in 2018, will have had to go the ballot box eight times in nine years. But overwhelmingly, the gamble is on the economy. With the starting gun fired at Bute House, the campaign has begun; unofficially or not doesn’t matter. I’ve already had Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Greens emailing me today asking me for their support and telling me they “need” me, which is very touching. This means at least eighteen months of this, which will see countless newspaper and website articles, radio discussions and televised debates – on the deficit, on oil, on public spending, and everything else. No short, sharp campaign like the EU referendum, where lies and nonsense weren’t held under

the microscope for long enough. Nope, this time we have the polar (and just as needless) opposite – another year or two intensive campaigning on independence, on top of the two years we had last time. The question has consumed our politics, utterly and to its detriment. Perhaps it’s time it was put to bed once and for all. Perhaps Yes will win. But if they don’t, it’s difficult to see how Nicola Sturgeon could remain in post, or how the SNP could remain a party of government after the 2021 Holyrood election. Hello First Minister Ruth Davidson, perhaps. And it’s near-impossible to see how the question could be put to the Scottish people again in any timeframe shorter than an actual “generation”

Nicola Sturgeon announced a national survey on independence at the universiy in September. Credit: George Vekic/ The University of Stirling

11 Brig | March 2017

Comment

We bombed Syria. Now what?

the middleman in the ive million exter- complex Washington-Danally and six million mascus relationship. If used masterfully, his internally displaced Syrian citizens, a six-year- double leverage – Syrian long disastrous war, and gratitude and US respect 5000 years of cultural for him – can go a long heritage turned into rubble – would this be enough to convince world leaders to revisit their strategy and reflect on their mistakes in war-torn Syria? As obvious as the answer is to the average person, in the world of anarchic international relations, it’s easier said than done. Unfortunately for millions of Syrians who have lost their homes, relatives and lives, the people who have the power to turn things around for them are those least willing to cooperate. Even if they were, www.hajjajcartoons.com what’s the best course of way in making sure a conaction and who’s to define sensus between the two sides is reached eventuit as such? It’s no coincidence ne- ally. The problem with Pugotiations often take longer than conflicts and as tin, however, is not how much as we, as witnesses, he’ll manage to make othlike to think resolving war ers cooperate, but who’ll disputes is simple and manage to make him cooperate back, and more straightforward, it is not. Let’s have a look at what specifically, with Washseems feasible, useful and ington. No one is naïve enough reasonable for everybody to think that Putin, being involved to do. the ‘ballot-stuffing’ leader he is, will hold Assad to account if he’s not presRussia’s late engage- sured to. ment in the civil war has However, the only leverproven valuable at the ne- age the Syrian opposition gotiating table and gives and the US have right now Putin the potential to be – the territories they con-

Asya Filipova

Russia

trol - will soon vanish into thin air. The latest developments make it clear the war in Syria is unofficially over and the silent victors are Putin and Assad… but

how long will their silence last? It is strategically the best time for Washington and the opposition to propose a complete withdrawal from rebel-held territories in exchange for the rebels’ post-war security and its guaranteed enhanced presence in the People’s Council – Syria’s legislative branch. This wouldn’t have been possible five years ago, but the new Syrian constitution of 2012 has made it theoretically achievable - it’s up to the US to put it into practice. Another logical part of the deal would be for As-

sad to allow the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to examine the claims he’s still in possession of chemical weapons – which he has done in the past - and if

he is, to dismantle them. At this time, Assad and Putin wouldn’t dare to reject the deal and protract the end of the civil war even more, but it won’t be long before they manage to end it themselves.

Syria

President Obama’s initial caution about funding rebels in unstable Syria turned out to be justified. What started as a collective of peaceful like-minded individuals fighting to advance civil liberties and democracy in Syria is now affiliated with terrorist groups, and has

regularly committed barbaric crimes and blocked humanitarian aid access to civilians. The opposition is too fragmented and decentralized to offer reliable leadership and too radicalised to restore peace and order. It is also too weak to keep control over current rebel-held territories without seeking assistance from radical groups, or financial and logistical support from the West. The former option would completely and utterly discredit the moderate opposition, while the latter is – well, not likely to happen. The West simply isn’t ready for such commitment. Polls show the public is increasingly fed up with throwing their tax money at prolonged, fruitless conflicts. The moment has come for us all to admit that the most viable option for governance in Syria is Assad. This confirms what we’ve known all along, but so stubbornly refused to admit. Middle Eastern politics often call for choosing the lesser evil. The opposition must retreat and start efforts to advance their interests in more democratic ways and enable the government to unify what’s left of the country. It is then up to the in-

ternational community to hold Assad’s grip on state power into account.

The US

After yet another fiasco in the Middle East, the US must accept the reality that abolishing authoritarian regimes is seldom a bloodless surgery. It often helps spread the disease rather than contain it. Toppling dictators is Washington’s guilty pleasure but is it worth enormous human loss and the dangerous power

Polls show the public is increasingly fed up with throwing their tax money at prolonged, fruitless conflicts. vacuum it leaves? Syrians need homes, food and medical help before they need civil rights and liberties. The US can still make a difference by assuring Assad that American weapons deliveries to rebels will be cut off (which they will have to be) in exchange for Syrian opposition representation in the government. For reputation’s sake, Washington will have to compromise its fight against Daesh.

Previous negotiations sparked efforts to initiate cooperation between Russian and American air strikes but they were later abandoned. The two countries’ uncoordinated air offensive has often resulted in unwanted incidents. Joining efforts with Russia to push radical Islamists back might be the key to restoring permanent order in Syria and the Middle East as a whole. Critics of the idea have pointed out Russia’s air aggression often leaves a number of civilian casualties behind. Is there a better way of holding the Russians to account than sharing intelligence and coordinating operations with them? If all this doesn’t look good to anyone – it’s because it’s not. It is, however, the best we have. Luckily or not, it doesn’t even make a difference – it’s now only up to the aforementioned sides to find a way to work together and bring peace to a war-torn country and its citizens. Let’s hope they manage to reach a solution before there is no problem anymore. Sources verfiying the facts the author uses can be found in the online version of this article at brignews.com.

Keep politics out of the Oscars Claire Keraudren Comment Editor

wards season has come to an end, leaving all those involved thoroughly exhausted. Others were rather worn out by the political turns of the final ceremony. Hollywood had spoiled spectators this year. A modern musical to escape the current realities of life, an animated film about a Polynesian princess sailing through high water to reach her destiny, and the difficult life of an African-American man raised by a drug addict as he discovers his sexuality. Among the titles was also a political biopic that left people perplexed by the Oscar criteria for a nomination. Following the traditional steps; read card, hand

award, and hear speech, viewers were privy to a mishap Best Actress winner Emma Stone dubbed “the craziest Oscar moment of all time.” 79 year-old Bonnie and Clyde actor Warren Beatty was handed a card unrelated to that of “Best Picture”, and confusedly handed it to Faye Dunawaye, his Bonnie co-star, who ended up announcing the wrong winner. For those not in the know, the La La Land crew was handed the statuettes and relinquished them to Moonlight midspeech. Amid the conspiracies, the contributions of other artists and the strange excitement of it all, the mistake left a bitter aftertaste. While Moonlight is an important film for any

decade, La La Land was as worthy of its nominations for very different reasons.

litical message of its own, it was what a film should be: a moment to release oneself from the worries

to remain vigilant, for to turn away was to take one’s privilege and scoff at those less fortunate.

Barry Jenkins and his crew deserved an Oscar night. Image: MarketWatch.

It entertained, allowed for dreams and featured an invigorating soundtrack. Although it sent no po-

of real life. Instead, militants complained about its lack of activism. Online, one was told

Somehow, an awards show about entertainment and the ability to write a good story turned into a softer version of the

Pulitzer Prize. Society makes it difficult to forget the less comforting leaders of the world, to continue living without being reminded that our hopping on a bus for an activity we do not wish to attend (because our mental health is wearing us out) is a sign of blatant privilege next to those praying to be saved by White Helmets (winner for Best Short Documentary) in Aleppo. We are indeed fortunate to live a life of education, hard work and partying to dance it all away. We are extremely privileged to be able to choose what we eat, when we eat it and whom we eat it with. Globally, we are the lucky ones. It is not our responsibility, however, to use any

non-working hours to scrutinise the media and listen to bigots trying to cut women’s basic rights. Party leaders addressing upcoming referendums a year too late, or journalists omitting subtle details of inflammatory speech. Our responsibility, as modern citizens, is to ensure we are in the right mental state to battle these harmful elements of life during organised protests and social gatherings. If we have the luxury of resting between rallies, we should do it not because we are complacent to history as it unfolds, but because those who rely on us deserve worthwhile statements which were put together with care. We are only human.

Comment Can sabbs enact real Some nationalists are more divisive than others change? Yes

12 Brig | March 2017

Ryan Peteranna

Image: Huffington Post UK

ationalism is a dirty word. It seethes from the mouths of many a political figure with a quiet venom. Common criticisms of the ideology based on constructing an independent country revolve around it causing unnecessary social separation, its irrelevance to everyday problems and being, by essence, exclusive. One descriptive term that keeps cropping up is ‘divisive’. At the spring conference of the Scottish Labour Party, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan - praised for rising above the dog-whistle politics of his main opponent in his election campaign -seemed to play the race card when trying to discredit Scottish nationalism: “Now’s not the time to play on people’s fears, or to pit one part of our country, or one section of our society, against each other. “In that respect, there’s no difference between those who try to divide us on the basis of whether we’re English or Scottish and those who try to divide us on the basis of our background, race or religion.” Remarks like this are not only wrong but offensive to me, as a white Scottish nationalist who has great admiration and respect for the UK and its multicultural citizenry, especially in London. How that is meant to persuade people away from the Scottish National Party and back to Labour, who are also dividing society up on the basis of nationality by refusing to hold a second independence referendum, I do not know. When I pointed out how ‘apples and oranges’ Khan’s comparison is, to coin a phrase, a friend of mine responded by say-

ing “Scottishness is as arbitrary a distinction on which to build a nation as whiteness is”. The narrative of nationalism being nasty and divisive is, of course, nothing new. In a Northern Ireland Assembly election debate last month, unionist DUP leader Arlene Foster seemed to enter a vacuum while trying to discredit the nationalist Sinn Féin. “They will use their mandate to go to our own [UK] government and argue for a border poll, for example, which I think would be hugely divisive and destabilising for Northern Ireland,” she said. “We’ve seen the way it has destabilised Scotland, this constant issue of independence, and I think it would be wrong for Northern Ireland if we had that as well.” Just as well the issue of nationality never comes up in the top bit of Ireland, then. Although the independence question does get complicated, and some people exclude ‘traitors’ to their cause, let’s not pretend the issue as a whole causes major societal fractures here. The Scottish independence referendum of 2014 could have chosen not to allow England-born citizens to vote, just as most EU-born citizens were not allowed to vote in the UK’s EU referendum of 2016. But it didn’t. Figureheads of the Yes and No campaigns of 2014, like John Swinney and Alistair Darling, could have chosen not to attend a reconciliation church service together. But they did. Another friend told me nationalism “creates a proxy war over nationality rather than looking at the real problems”. On the contrary, people on both sides of the divide in Scotland have

discussed issues like healthcare, the economy, education, the environment, energy and international affairs, with a view to ensuring the Scottish people got the best possible outcome from these. In general terms, with some exceptions, the debate was constructive and inclusive. However, the divisiveness question has reared its head again, including right here at Stirling. PhD student Claire Heuchan, who did not mention she previously campaigned against independence, decried what she sees as the parallels between Scottish nationalism and racism. Just because a trade unionist’s friends do not make racist remarks, she says, does not mean racism does not exist. That is true, although it is also true to say that means they turn a blind eye to racism, and refuse to give it credence it does not deserve. To her credit, she is right to say the narrative of Scottish exceptionalism often ignores its colonial past, and that nationalism relies on something of a ‘them and us’ mentality. However, nearly all politics is like that. By this logic, Labour must close down for trying to divide people by social class. Crucially, Khan was painting the entire nationalist movement with the same brush, not just fringe elements of it. That’s what I take exception to. The problems of racism and intolerance to difference of opinion will always be there, irrespective of which country one is in, irrespective of what one believes. Certainly, looking up someone’s address because you disagree with them is unacceptable, and I condemn attacks on people’s race or religion.

However, in the broadest sense, the concepts of unity, separation and threats are regularly used as political devices. Remind me who it was the Conservatives stoked fears about at the last UK general election? Remind me how Labour responded to UKIP’s immigration rhetoric? And now, remind me what this nation’s First Minister said to our fellow EU citizens after 2016’s Leave vote? Scottish Government Transport Minister Humza Yousaf takes a rather different perspective on things, as you might imagine. “When Sadiq Khan was subject to racist dogwhistle Mayoral campaign from Tories, I was amongst the first [to] publicly back him and condemn it,” he said on Twitter. “To have him accuse SNP of being [a] racist party is deeply insulting and of course untrue. “The first BME (black and minority ethnic) MSP was from the SNP - Bashir Ahmad. “The SNP also appointed [the] first BME minister to government. “We are pro-migration and are leading the fight to protect rights of EU citizens. “So [I] will take no lectures on politics of division from a Labour Party that sold ‘controls on immigration’ mugs.” Ahmad, incidentally, set up Scots Asians for Independence in 1995, and that year made the distinction between civic nationalism and ethnic nationalism clear, famously stating: “It’s not where we came from that’s important, it’s where we’re going together.” As for the question of where we go from here, one might say opinion is divided.

Ross Brannigan Deputy Editor

nion elections have long suffered from poor turnout. This year, despite a highly publicised campaign – thanks to Brig’s extensive online coverage – turnout was still pitifully low for an election which has a lot of bearing on the learning and teaching at the university. In my first three years at university, I saw the Union as, quite frankly, null and void; they didn’t affect how I went about doing things, and I couldn’t see tangible evidence of their work. However, this year I have been a Faculty Officer, and it has opened my eyes to the exceptional work the sabbs do for the student body. At the end of the day, you must look at what the Union’s remit is: It is a union, a representative body of the students on matters relating to learning and teaching, support, and a whole raft of other matters. They are not a government, and so their ability

Amy Beveridge Comment Editor

t really does feel like no time at all since the last set of Union elections. So much so that I still refer to Dave Keenan as the ‘new’ Union president. But soon he will be gone, and a new overeager student will be elected to take his place. So here we are again on this merry-go-round of campaigning, debating and, quite frankly, flopping. I’ve never seen the appeal of standing for a sabb position myself. You come up with some good ideas on how to make the university better. You spend all that time campaigning, and fending off tough questions from Brig, and for what? You get your cushy paid position, but on the knowledge that those lovely shiny manifesto promises you made

to enact sweeping changes is very much reliant on their ability to debate and compromise with the university and its bureaucracy. And that is one way to describe the university system: Bureaucracy. I remember last semester learning about all of the different committees, subcommittees, steering groups, levels of committees – the talk lasted around an hour, and that was a streamlined discussion on the responsibilities given to each sector. Yet, we are in a bit of a dilemma. For me, I would suggest cutting the bureaucracy to encourage more student engagement. The trouble is, students are apathetic and don’t know about the pervasiveness of the bureaucracy that exists within the university structure. Nevertheless, despite this rather futile talk, strong representatives are critical to the student body’s ability to be fairly represented at an institutional level. To criticise the sabbs for being unable to enact change, or to suggest they get a cushy number, is an uninformed belief. After

working closely with Matt Adie this past year, I have been astounded by the amount of work and time he dedicates to his position. Who was it who pushed for staff to display their feedback process and contact hours on their doors? Who was it who pushed for ListenAgain to be made compulsory? Who is it who ensured PolSoc didn’t get stranded in Amsterdam after their flights were cancelled? Who is it who safeguards students with ARUAs, and their rights that come with those? Who is it pushing for classes to end by 5pm so students with caring responsibilities are not ignored? Ultimately, the university has the last say, but it is the sabbs who make sure the student voice does not go unheard, and who represents students across all brackets. The work that goes into being a sabb is not for the fainthearted, and choosing a capable, responsible, accountable, and determined team to lead the Union has an enormous effect on your experience at university.

will never actually be enacted. I’m sure they try. They’re students too, and they want what’s best for our university and their fellow students. But how successful are they going to be? The University of Stirling has its fair share of problems, from car parking to lack of study space. But the real clincher is accommodation rent prices. It was a key manifesto point of the last two Union presidents. This has been an issue for years – you would have thought some improvement on the issue would have happened by now. But instead the problem just became worse. The rent costs of the most expensive halls - Willow, Juniper and Beech – are going to go up by 2.5% yet again. So much for those promised rent reductions. It’s clear that the real power lies with the university. Of course, some

policies will have to go through to give the illusion of student power. Things like gender-neutral toilets – which is a great idea, and pretty easy to enact – are unlikely to be rejected. But on the real and important issues, the ones that get students talking, nothing is likely to be done. So much for democracy. And speaking of democracy, only 18.5% of the student population – that’s 2048 students – voted in last year’s election. With so little of the student body actually casting a vote and getting represented, it does all seem a bit… well, pointless. But I am unsurprised that students have lost interest. Students are elected, nothing happens, and then a new bunch of students are elected. The only way to re-engage the student body is to actually make sure that change happens. And fast.

Image: Stirling Students’ Union

Music

14 Brig | March 2017

iconic edinurgh venue shuts its doors

brig investigates the closure of edinburgh’s electric circus peter stewart

cotland is set to lose another grassroots music venue as Edinburgh’s Electric Circus announced that it will close its doors on March 25. Electric Circus, situated on the doorstep of Waverley Station, was originally expected to remain open until 2019 before being converted into an extension of the neighbouring Fruitmarket Gallery. However, the venue announced on March 1 that the closure would now be happening in just a few weeks. In a post on its Facebook page, Electric Circus thanked bands, customers and gig-goers, and explained the shock development: “Due to the recent news regarding the eventual closure of the venue and the expansion of the Fruitmarket Gallery we feel as a business it is best if we go out with a bang.” Brig has learned that until the original announcement in December, the closure was not due to financial reasons. While

Electric Circus had privately agreed with the Fruitmarket Gallery and Edinburgh City Council that nothing would happen for two years, the council went public with the decision. This had a devastating effect on business for the venue, which doubles as a nightclub. Speaking to Brig, Electric Circus owner Dennis

In contrast to many other music venues forced to close, Electric Circus had not struggled for business in its seven years of operation. With the council’s announcement, however, the situation changed. “Trading got more difficult. There were less bands, managers and agents looking to book us,” Chester said. “Too many venues have

Wetherspoon, despite a petition of 13,000 signatures. The same year, The Bongo Club was forced to relocate after being narrowly saved by University of Edinburgh students, while The Venue on Calton Road hosted its last gig in 2006. The continued losing battle to save music venues in Edinburgh reflects national trends, with the Music Venue Trust estimating

cluding the Music Venue Trust, maintain that the government help afforded to art galleries and concert halls should also be granted to small, independent venues. “No one has decided yet that contemporary music venues will be subsidised. I think that’ll change,” Chester told Brig. Ongoing technological advances have further

IMAGE: ELECTRIC CIRCUS OFFICIAL WEBSITE

Chester explained why the situation was out of the venue’s hands. “We were very upset that Edinburgh City Council publicised it (the closure and the gallery’s expansion). We were ‘outed’ as closing when in fact, we weren’t closing in the near future at all.”

effectively gone bankrupt. I was determined that when we closed, we weren’t going to be in that situation.” The news comes four years after Edinburgh’s famous HMV Picturehouse was closed and redeveloped by J.D.

that London lost 40% of its venues between 2007 and 2015. “Too few bands and too many venues is a terrible recipe,” Chester says. “Live music in small to medium venues is actually totally unviable.” Many in the industry, in-

implications for venues. The recent ubiquity of live video streaming on sites such as Facebook and Instagram has seen many artists broadcasting rehearsals, sound checks and even gigs to social media fans. Chester had seen this as an opportunity for Elec-

tric Circus, rather than a threat. “I wanted to do Iive streaming from our gigs. I wanted to get bands who would come us and be seen by 250 people there, but by a couple thousand streamed.”

Brig spoke to Andrew Stears, of Edinburgh band Indigo Sixteen, to gauge how another closure could impact local artists and the grassroots scene. “Electric Circus was an ideal venue for acts that had an established a fan base at a local level, and for touring bands,” Stears told us. “This loss will definitely be felt as Edinburgh, whilst producing multiple great acts and shows, can be seen to be struggling in comparison to Glasgow to create a vibrant, exciting music scene.” Comments on social media have lamented the fact that Electric Circus will become a gallery. “Since when was music not an art in itself?”, one user offered. Stears agreed: “Edinburgh has a number of galleries already open, and to sacrifice one type of art and entertainment in order to expand another comes across as rather unfair.”

Revenues from live music shrank by £20m to £904m in 2015, reversing three years of growth, industry body UK Music found. The figures paint a grim nation-wide picture for live music, but there is hope yet in Edinburgh. La Belle Angèle, ravaged by the Cowgate fire of 2002, reopened in 2014 and has since hosted both local acts and established names, such as Twin Atlantic. Blair Street’s Cabaret Voltaire also closed in 2012, but was since bought by G1 Group and now thrives as a club and gig venue once more. While these venues will continue to promote and represent live music in the city, it is the end of the line for Electric Circus. A celebration is planned for the final club night on March 25, but the owner is reflective. “I’m struggling with the concept of celebration when it is, in fact, quite sad that we’re going. I’m going sad, but proud.” “We almost broke even, and in the world of live music, that is an achievement.”

album review: ‘different creatures’ by circa waves IMAGE:CIRCA WAVES OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

guitar-based sound. It’s not just the sound that has changed, though. The lyrics have grown from being about embracing youthful freedom to love, loss and angst. The title ‘Different Creatures’ couldn’t be more apt in terms of their redevelopment as artists.

JAMIE HARRIS

nglish indie rockers , Circa Waves, adopt a darker tone for their sophmore album ‘Different Creatures’.

With the follow up to their 2015 debut ‘Young

Chasers’, Circa Waves frontman Kieran Shudall said that the Liverpoolbased band wanted to make a massive change from the indie songs they’re known for.

Opening track and lead single ‘Wake Up’ starts as they mean to go on with heavy guitar riffs that are commonplace for a large proportion of the rest of the album. There’s a lot of guitar and some belting choruses throughout the album that feel designed for the upcoming festival season to have crowds chanting along.

They’ve certainly achieved this, stepping away from the upbeat vibes of tracks such as ‘T Shirt Weather’ and embracing a darker,

Some of the best moments on the album, though, are the quieter tracks. ‘Out on my Own’ is a highlight as it shows a different tone to Shu-

dall’s voice alongside grand production so it sounds like a song that would fit well in a movie soundtrack. It is a fiveminute epic of a track about male depression and is definitely one of the highlights.

lyric “I can’t believe I’m still walking to the petrol station at five in the morning”. The album has a whole seems to have very deeply personal lyrics like this that are full of regret and sorrow. One of the best tracks is

the acoustic ‘Love’s Run Out’, which contrasts beautifully with the more brash tracks before and after it. This would’ve actually worked better as the closing track for the album, much like ‘She Lays Down’ on The 1975’s sophomore album

Title track ‘Different Creatures’ sounds like it harks back to 80s bands like Duran Duran during the verses before its belting chorus, which makes it sound oddly uplifting given that the lyrics are about people growing apart. Listening to the lyrics of these tracks, there seems to be a lot of anger and regret. In ‘Stuck’, the band seem in despair of modern society and its attachment to “poisonous TV” and living our lives through screens. The final track on the album, ‘Old Friends’, has Shudall singing the

last year. ‘Old Friends’, the actual closing track, seems to sound a bit like lightweight Arctic Monkeys, with Shudall’s voice even being somewhat reminiscent of Alex Turner. This is not to say it’s a bad song by any stretch but the album seems to go out with a fizzle rather than a bang because of it. Circa Waves’ second album is certainly a significant departure from the sound that they were known for, so it may alienate some fans. But it may be a risk worth taking as they have begun to artistically mature with an album that is much less throwaway than their indie-pop debut.

Rating: 3/5 ‘Different Creatures’ is out now. IMAGE:CIRCA WAVES OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE

Music

15 Brig | March 2017

Adrian Sherwood 17-Mar-17@King Tut’s Glasgow jake miller 18-Mar-17@O2 Academy Glasgow The sherlocks 20-Mar-17@O2 Academy Glagsow The early november 20-Mar-17@King Tut’s Glasgow drake 22,23-Mar-17@SSE Hydro Glasgow rat boy 25-Mar-17@O2 Academy Glasgow Mallory Knox 29-Mar-17@Liquid Rooms Edinburgh craig david 3-Apr-17@SSE Hydro Glasgow melanie C 4-Apr-17@O2 ABC Glasgow Amy MacDonald 5-April-17@Usher Hall Edinburgh the who 7-Apr-17@SSE Hydro Glagsow bruno mars 12,13-Apr-17@SSE Hydro Glasgow ed sheeran 16,17-Apr-17@SSE Hydro Glasgow

Interview with mallory knox frontman Brig chats to alt rock singer mikey chapman Cameron Watson

ameron Watson speaks to Mikey Chapman from Mallory Knox about their latest album ‘Wired’ and what to expect for their upcoming Edinburgh gig.

What can people expect from the new album? So the next record is a bit of a solid step forward for Mallory. We’re a few years older and a few years wiser and I think we have crafted a record that reflects those lessons we’ve learned over the last few years. I think we’ve put a lot of effort and time into recording it the right way and the way we want it to so it’s got a rawness and an edge that we have been looking to achieve in our sound for a long time. I think you’re going to hear a lot closer to what we conceive to be us now. ‘Asymmetry’ was a nice window into us a

few years ago; this is a fantastic representation of sort of where we are as people and musicians in 2017. Are you looking for this to break the top 10 or are you more excited for the fans to finally get hold of new music? I mean that’s the crux, first and foremost. The priority is the fans. The reason we do it is to entertain, to make people happy. Getting the music out there is exactly what it is about. People have waited patiently for long enough now and it’s about time we got some feedback too. I’d love to know what the fans think. Some record executive can blow smoke up our a**e all day but yeah, if we’ve got fans online speaking truthfully and honestly about the songs, that’s the real value of where the music comes from. That being said - there’s always a dream to have a top ten record or to even make number one. The nature of our industry is from week to week - one week there’s maybe barely anything

out and you can sell a small amount of records and make the top ten, the next Monday AC/ DC bring out their back catalogue and they sell tens of thousands of copies. So I never put too much hope in that

ed to write in a specific way. The only one I can think of off the top of my head would be ‘Black Honey’ by Thrice. The lyrics are absolutely stunning and think it’s the best thing they have ever done. It was on

Good question. What I love about this record is that there are moments that exist throughout the record. I love a good moment. You can go through some energetic, hard, powerful songs then into a lowkey, emo-

IMAGE: CHUFF MEDIA

WHAT’S ON

- not because I don’t believe in the record because the industry can be very competitive. But, of course I’m absolutely hopeful and it will certainly be a tick off my bucket list. What were your musical influences for this album? There wasn’t any specifically. We never sort of sat down and intend-

a lot while we were in the studio. There’s a lot of Brit rock influences as well on the record. James is massively, almost dangerously into Oasis and all that kind of element and threw in a few influences there unknowingly. What’s your highlight of the album and what songs can you not wait to play live at gigs?

tionally driven sadness. It takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotion. Most lyrically, we have a song called ‘Saviour’ which has a social, political message which we don’t do a whole lot of but, I think it cried out for it. It’s one of the better songs we have written as a unit. I’m really looking forward for people to get their teeth

stuck into that. I think there’s going to be some wicked songs that people are going to vibe off of - and I’m really looking forward to seeing if people vibe off ‘Better off Without You’. It’s had such a fantastic response so far and everyone seems to be really enjoying it, just the tempo and the nature of the song should bring some good times at the shows. What can the Scottish crowd expect from Mallory Knox live? Much of the same really. We love the buzz the Scottish crowd gives us, we vibe off that and feed off of it and it really improves the show and makes it that much more exciting and intense. I’m really looking forward to rekindling that relationship that the live scenario gives you, especially with the Scottish crowd. Mallory Knox’s latest album ‘Wired’ is out now.

ones to watch

BRIG MUSIC RECOMMENDS saint petersburg & The world/inferno friendship society

IMAGE: SAINT PETERSBURG OFFICIAL FACEBOOK

Cameron watson

ack in 2014 I unwittingly heard the last song by a beautiful band called The Ratells before they decided to pack up shop and call it quits. I was pretty pissed to say the least as they were one of my favourite small alt-rock bands that had ever existed (not just because they sent me a Christmas card in 2013, but that was pretty cool of them).

So when their Twitter started teasing that they were back recording I nearly wet myself with happiness and on March 5 the newly formed Saint Petersburg raised from The Ratells’ ashes unleashing ‘Lies’ as their first single. It is an amalgamation of everything they learnt as the original four-piece, and it is simply stunning. Catchy chorus, great verses and a bridge that is heartfelt and raw. A story of love gone wrong may be typical as hell and done to death but they man-

age to make it new and near flawless. Saint Petersburg are here and are going to be great this year. If you’re wanting to check out some of The Ratells’ music to get a flavour of what the band is about, I’d personally recommend ‘Legacy’, ‘Cecelia’ and ‘Cold Water’ which you can find on both Spotify and YouTube.

Saint Petersburg’s debut single ‘Lies’ is out now

fierce spirit wrapped up in a tailored suit, supposedly because it throws off the cops, The World/ Inferno Friendship Society combine punk energy with elements of swing, waltz, and show tunes to create a kind of phantasmic cabaret. They’re often referred to as a ‘gang’ rather than a band, with

a huge ensemble of members that swap in and out constantly; it’s not uncommon to see their stages filled with brass and string sections to accompany the rock side of the band. Always constant is the enigmatic Jack Terricloth, the lead singer and leader of the gang. Jack and his entourage burn with elegence, charm and fury, leading WiFS’s shows almost like a religious procession, as shown by the enthusiasm of the crowds at their annual Halloween gatherings in New Jersey.

The band’s latest album, This Packed Funeral, was released in 2014, and apart from touring they’ve been relatively quiet since. However with America’s current political uproar, the band’s punk rock teeth are begining to show again, equal parts grinning and snarling. The band have made their leanings clear, showing solidarity with marginalised groups and making waves about issues of race, gender, sexuality, and equality; you’re just as likely to find these guys as part of a protest as you are to see them on stage.

IMAGE: TW/IFS OFFICIAL FACEBOOK

tom wadsworth

Film & TV

16 Brig | March 2017

THE NEW GOLDEN AGE OF HORROR?

Over the past decade, the horror genre has been slated for being solely reliant on found-footage, torture porn or just being about beautiful teenagers being picked off one-byone by a generic serial killer. However, in the past couple of years the genre seems to have been going through something of a renaissance. Going back five years, Paranormal Activity was the biggest horror franchise in the world, spawning four sequels and a spin-off. While the first film was heralded as being original for its simplicity and sheer terror, every film that followed was slated for being more derivative than the

last. The same applies to franchises including Saw. If that wasn’t bad enough, there were also all the pointless remakes of classic horror movies such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Friday the 13th, none of which were heralded as holding up against the original classics whatsoever. However, we have one thing to thank that lame generation of horror for - the birth of Blumhouse Productions. The production company, run by CEO Jason Blum, was started up after the initial success of Paranormal Activity. It now produces some of the most original pieces of filmmaking of recent years, most of which is in the realm of the horror genre. Some of the great horror titles produced by Blumhouse include The Visit, The Gift, The Purge movies, Split and the forthcoming Get Out. The latter has been praised for its deft sym-

bolism of race in modern day America. It is interesting to see that the horror genre is branching away from simply being unrealistically attractive people being slashed to death and instead embracing political issues to

Film Review: Logan Mae Trumata

Source: http://desktopwallpapers.us/logan-poster-4k/

Logan sets itself in the year 2029 where the idea of living mutants is scarce, and the well and beloved characters of the main X-Men series are nowhere to be found. The famed Wolverine, Logan, now goes by his real name James Howlett. He is a run down taxi

lent role in the film with a very loud and powerful message, just by her use of facial expressions. Every slash and stab that Laura performs is heavily outlined with storytelling, the killing intent evident in her eyes. But she is also able to express wide eyes of wonderment, confusion and

forth a very average fight sequence between the heroes and the lacklustre assembly of what seems to be the film’s villains, only carried by the wonderful stunt work and acting done by Hugh Jackman and Dafne Keen. The ending, however, will leave everyone in shock, and quite possibly tears,

franchise is long time idol and co-worker, Sir Patrick Stewart, who plays Charles, claiming that: “There is no more perfect and beautiful way to say au revoir, goodbye, adios, than what has just happened. So, I think it is the end for me too.” The film itself is the perfect send off. Its success is measured through critic reviews, earning a 92% approval from the website Rotten Tomatoes, the highest ever given to the franchise, taking over the 91% reign that X-Men: Days of Future past held since 2014. It is a truly magnificent film that has not only raised the bar for the overused genre of superheroes, and comic to

“One of the most attractive

as one realises that the seventeen years of childhood heroes and an era of X-Men films has flashed and ended, right before their very eyes. With a reference to a classic, the film ends with both the grit and the elegance of something no other film of this genre has ever achieved.

present them to a wide audience. This hasn’t been the only source of the resurgent horror genre, though. Horror auteur James Wan has directed some of the best horror movies of recent years,

namely The Conjuring movies and Insidious. M. Night Shyamalan has also made a return to form recently with the aforementioned Split. Sometimes all a genre needs is filmmakers with original ideas to breathe new life

“The

sequences. The use of CGI, although not as cleanly cut, is not overexaggerated; it is rather the surface of a very human story of family and friendship that struggles through the many the questions of life and death, brands of right and wrong, and tainted innocence of chil-

film i t s e l f i s t h e perfect send off” screen adaptations, but daintily makes its own mark as a standalone film. It is beautifully stripped back of all the energy and pep, with a desperate, but much needed, slap back to reality. One of the most attractive features of the film is its incredible soundtrack that not only sets the tone for the overall film, but adds more to each fighting sequence, to each silent moments between the characters, and to the characters themselves which are defined in a way in that words could never do. The film is also every bit as modern as it is western, not just in its gritty and hard acoustic soundtrack, but also in the resonating neon vibrance in its opening sequence that carries subtly throughout the rest of the film. It is a cool contrast against the dusty and yellow filters of the grim desert scenes, and the harsh cold greens and blues of the forest

Source: http://www.imax.tt/

James Mangold’s third and last instalment to the Wolverine film series has come at a time where its genre has become tired and jaded, giving us something akin to hope in a film that ends it all.

driver trying to get by with just that little bit of cash, caring for an ageing Charles Xavier whose powerful mind is just as broken as his heart. The story introduces us to a young girl named Laura, who has more than one thing in common with the character Hugh Jackman has portrayed for over 17 years. Jackman has stated that it will be his last performance as the clawed and flawed mutant, honouring his exit with a pay cut to ensure that he is able to perform the character at his most gruesome and violent, and as mostly true to the comic portrayal. Accompanying him in the bout to leave the X-Men

thriving on television. Shows such as Bates Motel, The Walking Dead and American Horror Story, which have put fresh twists on more traditional psychological thrillers and gore-fests. Though some of these shows may be new adaptations of source material, they’re putting new spins on old stories. While there may still be the odd dud, like Rings, it’s exciting to see the horror genre coming out of the doldrums and finding fresh ways to reinvigorate itself thanks to new original storytelling and filmmakers with new ideas (even if they sometimes rely on some old tropes for fun).

Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lists/15-anticipated-horror-movies-2017-watch-trailers-960506

Film & TV Editor Jamie harris

into it, and that appears to be what is happening right now. Not only that, but there have been some real gems in the independent film circuit that have broken out in the past couple of years. These include the likes of It Follows and The Witch. Smaller films like this are vitally important to any genre as they are not constrained by studio demands. As a result, the often upand-coming directors can have complete creative control over the material to tell stories that are often surprisingly human and honest for a genre renowned for its reliance on jump scares and gore. In addition, horror is still

features of the film is its incredible soundtrack that not only sets the tone for the overall film, but adds more to each fighting sequence” dren. Credit is given to the amazing Dafne Keen who plays Laura, also known as X-23, as she not only steals every scene she’s in, but also takes on a si-

innocence, creating multiple layers to her already complex character. Of course not everything is perfect, with a few loose twists in the plot, as the third act brings

Rating: 4.3/5

17 Brig | March 2017

Film & TV

Coming soon in 2017 (March - May): The Fate of the Furious, Guardians Vol.2 and more

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/

Another highly anticipated release hitting screens at the end of March comes in the form of Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. Based on

after a betrayal from within - throwing wrecking balls, tanks and even a high speed submarine in the mix as some fan Viagra to keep their “OTT action arousal” at maximum levels. With a A-lister cast list to rival that of a MCU ensemble film - with Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron and Jason Statham to name a few - and a mul-

Jay Asher’s novel of the same name, the show follows a teen finding the tapes that his crush had recorded before taking her own life, explaining the 13 reasons why she killed herself. The 13-part Netflix series comes from the director 2016’s Best Picture Oscar winner Spotlight, Tom McCarthy, and stars young rising star Dylan Minnette as main character Clay Jensen – who, I assume, will function as the narrator as we follow through the story.

ti-million dollar budget to boot, The Fate of the Furious looks to be one of the most intense, explosive additions to the franchise to date.

The Fate of the

proving surprisingly divisive is the Netflix series adaptation of 2014 satire film Dear White People. The film’s original director, writer and producer, Justin Simien, shall be returning to take lead for this 10 episode series that satirically follows a group of African American minorities in a white majority Ivy League college as racial tensions begin to escalate. This is yet another show that will have some Oscar winning talent behind it, with Barry Jenkins, director of Best Picture winner Moonlight, coming on board to direct a few episodes. The Youtube trailer for the show has caused great uproar over allegedly being “anti-white” and even prompted an attempted Netflix boycott campaign.

Dear White People will be available Netflix libraries from April 28. Also in April we see Star Source: http://torrentsmovies.net/

So far I think it’s fair to say 2017 has been rather impressive on both the big screen and the small. The Lego Batman Movie had an incredible reception and is currently sitting on a box office gross of 150 million dollars; while Taboo saw UK viewing figures of 4.8 million on the premier episode alone, already receiving a go ahead for a second season. But looking back can wait until the end of the year - right now it’s too early for that tosh. With most of these big releases being something to look forward to when deadlines and dissertations are behind us; looking forward at what is to come seems more fitting for this, our last issue of the academic year. A movie that has had debate surrounding it since the casting is sci-fi manga film adaption Ghost in the Shell. I’m not about to get all political about whether, in fact, the film is Western culture white washing the Japanese source material. But the controversy around the casting of Scarlet Johansson has made the film hard to ignore. Whichever side of the fence you sit on, I personally think it is undeniable that the film’s visuals look incredible, as well as the premise being one you can’t help but be intrigued by - even if ScarJo seems to be reprising her newfound Black Window/Lucy typecast. Set in a mid-twenty-first century dystopia, Ghost in the Shell follows the counter-cyberterrorist organisation Public Security Section 9, led by The Major, who is portrayed by Johansson.

Ghost in the Shell crashes, guns blazing, onto UK cinema screens on March 30.

Source:http://anoncraft.com/ghost-in-the-shell-2017

Film & TV editor Stuart Graham

13 Reasons Why is added to UK Netflix libraries on March 31. Moving on to April, all you motor heads and random unexplained explosion fans out there have The Fate of the Furious to look forward to. Functioning as the eighth addition to the Fast and the Furious franchise, this film sees the “family” that has formed over this time become divided and turn on one of their own

Furious speeds (ayyy) onto UK cinema screens on April 12. April also sees two TV series air that have already generated a lot of dispute, both online and offline. The first is Peter Capaldi’s and show runner Steven Moffat’s final season of Doctor Who. The time travel show has had some turbulence recently with UK viewing figures not quite reaching that of the Tennant/Davis era, so for many this last series for Moffat and Capaldi couldn’t come sooner, but for others it will be a sorry goodbye.

Doctor Who’s tenth season will premier with the first episode on April 15 and will feature new companion Pearl Mackie. The next show that is

Lord, Gamora and the gang of universe savers return in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2. Now, I could go full nerd and do a full scale analysis of the trailers released and what that tells us about the film’s plot, MCU’s third phase and everything in between, but this article is not quite the right time or place for said nerd spiel. All I will say is that it looks like the team and its members will see some physical changes and additions with previous rival Nebula possibly joining the group of comically reluctant space avengers; along with another memorably nostalgic soundtrack .

The Guardians sequel will get you back hooked on the feeling on UK cinema screens on April 28. Now, May is the month I’m really gearing up for -

getting my Tango special ice blast out from under my bed and putting on my cinema-going blanket (yes, I did just say I have a cinema-going blanket, what about it?). With the academic year coming to an end, the cinema is where I’m going to be spending a great deal of my time with the list of blockbusters and other cute releases hitting the big screen. Firstly is yet another chapter in the iconic sci-fi horror Alien series, which had hype building exponentially from the release of the first teaser trailer. The new instalment, Alien: Covenant, sees Michael Fassbender return to the series to take on yet another Xenomorph while trapped on board yet another dark, eerie spaceship - where, of course, no one can hear you pish yourself. Now cinema urination and Freudian psychoanalytic interpretation aside, this recent instalment looks to be returning to the high suspense excellence achieved in the franchise’s first two films. Although I’m not a fan of horror in any manifestation, Covenant is a film I will happily make an exception for.

The Xenomorphs will be jumps c a rin g b ack on t o your s c reen s on May 12. May 12 will also see the US release of Everything, Everything; another starcrossed teen romance novel adaptation. The film, based on Nicola Yoon’s novel of the same name, focuses on a teenage girl with Immunodeficiency (more commonly known as “Bubble Baby disease”). This means she is allergic to so much in the world that she has to exist purely in her custom build sterile home to stay safe and healthy. The narrative, however, takes a turn when a new boy in the neighbourhood takes an interest in her, and a complicated romance begins to blossom - much to the dismay of her anxious protective mother. Although Everything, Everything’s UK release date is yet to be announced, May seems like a likely time given its US distribution schedule. Another big May blockbuster that will surely bring in audiences by the

millions is the return of Captain Jack Sparrow and his piratey eccentricity. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (or as online whispers dictate, the UK release name of Pirates of the Caribbean: Salazar’s Revenge) sees the franchise lift its anchor and raise its sails again after a six year break; with Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Geoffrey Rush all returning to their parts for another chapter in their swashbuckling adventures. Not very originally, this story follows a group of alive pirates trying to avoid being killed by some not-so-alive-anymore-but-still-walkingabout-and-stuff pirates – with the writers probably thinking along the lines of “if it ain’t broke, keep repeating it till it is”. I hope for the sake of the franchise that they take some risks with story and character in order to keep the formula fresh, but from trailers it seems like tropes are just being repeated with mildly different circumstance -– an example being the large sea-chasm the ship has to avoid falling into, drawing far too many parallels to Calipso’s whirlpool finale from World’s End.

Revenge) lands on British shores on May 26 with a yo ho ho and a bottle of Fanta Fruit Twist (BEcause let’s not encourage

a l c o h o l consumption). As for the small screen, May will also see the launch of new Netflix series Anne. Based on the novel Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery, this new series centres around an orphan living in 19th century Nova Scotia. Little is known about how rigidly Anne is sticking to the source material and what the series will have as its overarching narrative, but the show does seem like a bold indie choice for media giantsNetflix.

Anne will appear on the Netflix catalogue on May 12. w e l l - k n o w n shows returning with new (and IN SOME CASES final) seasons INCLUDE The Get Down (April 7), Sense 8 (May 5), AND Unbreakable Kimmy Schmitt (May 19).

Dead Men Tell No Tales (or S a l a z a r ’ s

Showing @ the Macrobert Vicroy’s house - March 17-23

Trespass

Against

March 17-23 The Lego Batman Movie March 18-26

I, Daniel Blake - March 22 Elle - 24th - March 30 Sing - 25th - March 30 Reel Rock 11 - March 28 Beauty and the Beast March 31 - April 13 The Boss Baby - April 1-17

Who’s Gonna Love Me Now

(Special live broadcast with the London Gay Mens Choir) - April 2

Arts

18 Brig | March 2017

Theatre review: sharp and daring Hamlet @ Macrobert irina nakon

hakespeare didn’t write novels, he wrote plays. This obvious fact needs to be reiterated here, because we often forget that his works are primarily meant to be seen, not read. Icarus Theatre Collective’s new production of perhaps the most frequently-staged play in human history, Hamlet, is a prime example of how differently the Bard’s work glints when performed live versus perused on a flat page. The modest cast of nine has brought an explosive and gripping performance to Macrobert on March 2. Fast paced and

multi-tiered, this production was advertised as ‘Shakespeare for the Game of Thrones generation’. Slightly puzzling at first, as the character of Hamlet is famous for being the antithesis of action, but a few minutes in, the chosen blurb made perfect sense.

The crisp sword-fighting battles waged onstage were numerous, and as sharply choreographed as the authentic glistening implements involved in them. The weapons collection was spectacular, with everything from longswords to sneaky daggers contributing to

the realistic duels. A particularly poignant standoff between Laertes and an unknown soldier was a deadly dance, featuring a long red ribbon attached to them both, which they pulled and twisted, along with their opponent, in a gloriously executed sequence. And one cannot forget the carnage of the play’s final scene - Horatio kneeling among a literal pile of bodies. Following the frenzy of the build-up, comprised of duels, poisonings, suicides, desertions and swordfights (which were performed topless, making the extensive blood

wound stabs all the more impressive), this silent conclusion was awe-inspiring. This was not the only pointy motif onstage, as Hamlet’s state of mind was quick, and sharp as a whip, without a shred of insanity. Showing the character’s progress from angsty teen to raging warrior, Hamlet here became a bona fide man of action - a version you do not often encounter. The original script was revamped, with many dialogue sequences abridged, and soliloquies being performed out of order. This incongruence proved refreshing and kept the fast-paced cues on point. Each actor played mul-

tiple parts, which made for quick transformations from prominent character to member of the omnipresent ‘soldiers’. Reminiscent of an ancient Greek Chorus, the soldiers were anonymous onlookers and alter egos. They would mimic or echo lines, be the voice of reason or vengeance for some characters, physically pushing or restraining others. Something so ambiguous should have created confusion, but the pacing of the flow was so impeccable that this abstraction added a fantastic edge to the fluidity of the actors’ lines. Astoundingly, there was also great comedy. The humorous interplay be-

Cream of the crop at macrobert HAYLEY BANNON ARTS EDITOR

A WEE DoLLOP OF MACROBERT SECRETS kirsty macleod arts editor MacRoberts’ lovely Marketing and Communications manager, Esther Currie, gave me some insight into how the Macrobert’s performances are brought to life. Here are some of the secrets of MacRobert: 1) Its main in-house production each year is the panto and they manage all aspects of it. Work on this goes on throughout the year, such as - commissioning the script - appointing a director - contracting the costume, lighting, set designers - auditioning for the cast - recruiting and auditioning for the young cast - creating design concept for all marketing materials - rehearsals for the young cast have to be during the school holidays where possible so these start in the summer - the set build begins at the start of November and the whole building is taken up with panto and their other Christmas show throughout

Nov and Dec (excluding films in the Filmhouse and Playhouse) - Tickets go on sale at the start of Feb for the next panto (6 Feb 2017 for Chick Whittington in Nov/Dec 2017) - they’re already planning for our 2018 panto (and beyond) - It takes a vast number of people to deliver the panto (and that doesn’t even include core MacRoberts Arts Centre staff) 2) They co-produce and work in association with other companies and artists on a number of productions in any year. In 2016 this included being co-producers of Shark In The Park (with Nonsense Rooms), The Rise and Fall of Lucas Petit (with Sleeping Warrior Theatre Company and Showroom) and Invisible Army (with Terra Icognita). They were ‘in association’ on Democracy (with Rapture Theatre). The contributions for these partnerships vary, but to give you an idea Julie co-directed Shark in the Park and our technical team also supported the production, they offered rehearsal space and

supported the press and marketing activity for Lucas Petit. 3) Macrobert also acts as a receiving venue for a large proportion of the events they programme. However Julie, their Artistic Director, works hard to create a varied, engaging and balanced programme of events across the year that entertains, inspires and challenges a wide range of existing and new audiences. This part of their work is also about supporting local, national and sometimes international artists and companies who create and tour a selection of quality event. 4) Swan Lake is one of the productions that they programme, with the production created and managed by the company Ballet West. MacRobert offers a huge variety of activities with over 400 live performances, including comedy, dance, family friendly, music, opera, and art exhibitions. You might as well take advantage of the facilities that are right on your doorstep.

Uni is almost over but never fear - Brig is here to guide you through the best on stage and theatre screenings at Macrobert. Out of This World is a show set to revolutionise theatre as we know it. Mark Murphy’s surreal light, projected film and choreographed show is about coma patient Ellen who has to defy time and space when she discovers a terrible truth from watching her life in film. Often described as ‘genre defying’ in its blending the boundaries between theatre and film, Out of This World is something you’re unlikely to have experienced before. It runs at the Macrobert on Friday 21 - Sat 22 April. The show contains strong language and the use of strobe lighting. She may be small but

don’t underestimate the belly-full of laughs Susan Calman can give an audience. Over the last 10 years she has been on TV count-down and quiz shows. For one night only she will be gracing us with her tiny presence on Thursday 27 April in her show The Calman Before the Storm. I’ve got my ticket. After the success of their 2016 show Democracy, Rapture Theatre Company are back, this time to recreate Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? A double date ends in disaster - a hangover is the least of Martha, George, Nick and Honey’s worries as secrets are spilled. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf is on Wednesday 3 and Thursday 4 May. Opera fans are in for a treat as the Macrobert cinema will be stream-

ing Punnici’s Madama Butterfly. The tale of lost love has been recreated by Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier on a backdrop of 19th century Japanese inspired art. A livestreamed screening will take place on Thursday 30 March at 7:15 pm and a second encore showing will be on Wednesday 5 April at 7:30 pm. Tamsin Greig is Movila in Simon Goodwin’s version of Shakespeare’s classic comedy Twelfth Night. Complications, mistaken identity and love triangles ensue in the kingdom of Illyra when Viola takes on the appearance of her brother Sebastian assumed to be lost at sea after a shipwreck. Twelfth Night will be streamed live on Thursday 6 April at 7 pm. It’s all about the stars in theatre productions

tween Rosencrantz and Guilderstern, the latter’s trips and falls, the portrayal of a shy virgin in the play-within-a-play, and the astute comedic timing of the witty oneliners had the audience in confused giggles, amidst all the bloodshed. Which is a reliable indicator of the calibre of the production. The production has the perfect pacing for both tragedy and comedy, both of which it notably contains, the script and character interpretations were refreshing and plausible, and the abstract additions gave it a needed bite. A very bold and powerful performance, which indeed surprises. this season. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter, The Woman in Black) will be starring alongside fellow Brit actors Joshua McGuire and David Haig in last year’s 50th anniversary of Tom Stoppard’s play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are travelling companions who stumble across a promiscuous theatre troop called the Tragedians and enter into a game of chance filled with comedic consequences. The show will be streamed live on Thursday 20 April at 7 pm. It’s never too early for a pantomime themed show. Sally Cookson’s version of JM Barrie’s Peter Pan will stream on Saturday 10 June at 1:30 pm. With an adult cast, flawless choreography and arty backdrops, this will be the story of the boy who never wants to grow up with a twist.

Theatre review: The Unexpected Guest @ Macrobert KIRSTY MACLEOD ARTS EDITOR

Under the direction of Ainé Taylor, producer Jessica Taylor, and stage manager Michael Mullen, Stirling University’s Drama Society definitely put their own twist on Agatha Christie’s ‘The Unexpected Guest’ and it was, quite frankly, hilarious. If anyone is unfamiliar with the plot of the Agatha Christie play, it is a murder mystery set in the wealthy estate of the horrendous Mr Warwick moments after his murder. The mystery element was one of the most entertaining parts of the play. There were multiple points where I

thought, “Yes, it is definitely them”. However, two minutes later a line would be said and throw my theory completely out the window. It definitely made the play more interactive between the cast and the audience, which was a fun element. The highlight of the play was the outrageous Inspector Thomson, perfectly portrayed by Jonathan Anderson it was brilliantly hilarious. Additionally, the physical comedy and one-liners between Johnathan Anderson and Daniel McCrorie, who portrayed Sergeant Cadwallader, was a special element and the humour was at

a high, even when discussing the grim topic of murder. The comedy, however, was not necessarily done by dialect - it was more physical comedy. With the likes of Julian Farrar (portrayed by Kris Cummins) the facial experiences were just classic, and all the emotions were perfectly timed. Of course, we cannot have a review of ‘The Unexpected Guest’ without discussing the unexpected guest of Michael Starkwedder, portrayed by Connor McLaughlin. The character brings a sense of normality and sanity into the play, but also that tad of mystery.

Although I have not mentioned each individual, each actor put 100% into the play. I was highly entertained and intrigued by this performance with the physical comedy, and the chemistry, between all actors and it just worked. Once again, the SUDS production did not disappoint me in the slightest it was hilarious and wellpaced. The actors each gave their own personal spin on their characters which was an element that sets this play apart from the original Agatha Christie play.

01786 466 666 I www.macrobertartscentre.org MacrobertArtsCentre

@Macrobert

macrobertartscentre

Fri 21 & Sat 22 Apr, 7.30pm The development of this production is supported by Beaconhurst and Arts & Business Scotland

You Said... You said you wanted a wider choice of vegetarian and vegan meal options on campus.

We Did

Weâ€™ve made Venue entirely meat-free and extended our range of both vegetarian and vegan options to help support your dietary requirements.

Food

21 Brig | March 2017

Vegetarian venue - A step in the right direction

Credit: Stuart Graham

Stuart graham

The observant among you might have noticed a change in the food menu in Venue, downstairs in the Student’s Union, and the even more keenlyeyed will have noticed that the menu contains no meat. That’s right people, we’ve got a Vegi Venue (cue deafening in-

ternal cheering). As a semi-committed vegetarian (by which I mean I avoid eating meat or food involving animal death, but continue to eat avocados despite the recent study showing their farming is killing animal habitats) the prospect of any meat-free food

Gabe’s Diner - Snug, tasteful and quick food editor irina nakon

n the traditional American connotation of ‘diner’, a place is meant to be friendly, open from morning till late at night, have quick service and traditional, simple dishes served in a bright, albeit basic, environment. Stirling’s Gabe’s Diner, lo-

cated on Forthside Way, right next to Vue cinema, does indeed have the friendly welcoming atmosphere of a diner, but it surpasses all the other parameters mentioned above. The ambiance you encounter upon entering is

tempt at capturing the taste of whatever meat it is trying to emulate, but in this dish, by being combined with the salsa and the Mexican flavours, there was actually a lot of taste there. Another thing in cuisine that is easy to get wrong is salsa. However, Venue pulls it off, achieving the tomato taste without it overpowering the other great flavours in the salsa. It has the consistency just right in that it avoids being to dry or too runny for the wrap. One thing that could be improved upon is the quality of the cheese. You know when you taste something with cheap cheese in it and you just know it is cheap - that’s how I felt eating the Mexican wrap. The cheese was there in consistency, but not in taste, which really took away from the overall

I am, and always will be, a diva for my cheese

not one of the expected modest ‘diner’. Gabe’s is cozy, intimate and colorful, tastefully minimalist but warm, courtesy of the log fire. The dishes are also far from simple, with even the most traditional dishes having unique flavour twists. Fruit and citrus additions are often incorporated into dishes you’d think they would be incompatible with, such as risotto or Caesar salad. The mango salsa is also a tangy, refreshing twist you can add to jazz up any traditional dish. I highly recommend the fillet steak sandwich, served with a creamy mushroom and terragon sauce. The flavours are sensational, and all the dishes are multinationally inspired. We also tasted, and were equally impressed with, the Pollo

pizza, the homemade macaroni and cheese, and the lamb burger. There are lots of vegetarian and gluten-free options, including fantastic desserts. Gabe’s is also open for early-ish daily breakfast, as per the diner tradition, with delicious options ranging from french toast to delicious poached eggs Bearnaise or the more creative Breakfast Tortillas. The prices are also reasonable - our party of three spent just under £50, including both starters and main courses. There is a picturesque outside seating area as well, where one can enjoy fantastic cofee or a homemade milkshake on those rare sunny days. For the majority of these bleak days, though, I recommend sitting close

to the logfire, with a hot drink, and experimenting with the varied cuisine. For your sweet tooth, make sure to try the Rich Dark Chocolate Brownie and the Lemon Drizzle cake, or check out the daily home-baked goods.

the atmosphere is inviting, and the food is fresh and varied. So definitely check Gabe’s out for a drink or a cozy, creative meal for a reasonable cost, either before or after a cinema outing, or as a treat on its own.

So Gabe’s Diner is definitely more bistro than diner. The service is friendly and courteous,

Opening times: Mon, Tues 9am-9pm, WedFri 9am-10.30pm, Sun 10am-9pm Photo credit: Gabe’s Diner

For the fudge cookies: -1 cup (115 grams) walnuts or pecans -1/2 cup (60 grams) flour -1 tsp flour -1/4 tsp salt -1 tsp instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder (optional) -450 grams bitter/ semisweet chocolate chunks -1/4 cup unsalted butter -1 3/4 cups (350 grams) white sugar -4 large eggs, room temperature -1 tbsp vanilla extract -1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips -1 cup (170 grams) white chocolate chips

ly brown. Let nuts cool and then chop coarsely. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder. Melt the chocolate and butter in a doubleboiler (make-shift). Remove from heat and let it cool. Beat the sugar and eggs until pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla extract. Fold in the dry ingredients to

the chocolate batter and mix only until incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the batter until firm, about 30-60 mins. Drop batter (using ice cream scooper) onto baking trays. Press to form about 3 inch rounds. Bake for about 10 -12 mins. The tops of the cookies will be cracked and shiny. Photo credit: Foodcrafter

Ultimate comfort food: homemade chili con carne and choc fudge cookies nour khalfan

ere’s two great pick-me-ups for those rainy eve-

nings.

-500g lean minced beef -2 medium onions, chopped -3 garlic cloves, finely chopped -1-2 tsp chili powder -2 tsp ground cumin -2 tsp ground coriander -150ml red wine -300ml beef stock -1 can (400g) canned tomatoes -1 can (400g) can of red kidney beans, drained

and rinsed -3 tbsp tomato purée -1 tsp dried oregano -1 bay leaf -sea salt, black pepper Place a large non-stick saucepan over a medium heat and add the beef and onions. Cook together for 5 minutes, stirring the beef and squishing it against the sides of the pan to break up the lumps. Add the garlic, 1–2 teaspoons of chili powder (depending on how hot you like your chili), and the cumin and coriander. Fry together for 1–2 minutes more.

You may call me a dog with a bone here, but I am and always will be a diva for my cheese, and I want my cheese on point, thank you very much. I did, however, enjoy the southern fried Quorn addition to the pizza and the more rustic stonebaked-esque base to the Venue pizzas outdo the pizzas from upstairs in Studio every day. Overall, the new menu is a welcome change from the mainly carnivorous options previously available all over campus, and its the kind of food I want to be eating when I decide to splash out on a nice lunch when I’m on campus. However, work still needs to be done.

establishment right here on campus excited me greatly and since its recent opening I have visited said establishment a worrying amount of times, and now have formulated an opinion on what they have to offer. Upon my first visit I was excited by the prospect of some more international flavours hitting the Union, so I went all out and ordered the Mexican Wrap, which contains QuornTM goujons, cheese, salsa, sour cream and lettuce. Now my expectations of the university capturing “world flavours” weren’t exactly the highest after some previous visits to other outlets, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good the Mexican wrap was. QuornTM is something that can sometimes hold very little flavour apart from the mild at-

Slowly add the wine and then the stock, stirring constantly. Tip the tomatoes and kidney beans into the pan and stir in the tomato purée, oregano and bay leaf. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a simmer then cover loosely with a lid. Reduce the heat and leave to simmer gently for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mince is tender and the sauce is thick. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve. If sauce is too thick add half a glass of water and reduce.

Preheat oven to 180C. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, until light-

Mexican flavour they were aiming for. (One final note, it could be improved dramatically by addition of guacamole, even if it means paying 50p - 1 pound for the addition.) On my next visit I was in a pizza mood, but still found myself stuck for which one to go for, which makes a pleasant change from simply selecting from the Vegi and Margarita. Again, another strong criticism I have of this was the quality of the cheese.

Cocktail of the month

Irina Nakon

he Mint Julep - a refreshing concoction of bourbon, sugar, water, crushed ice, and fresh mint, is today considered to be of southern American origin, associated particularly with the Kentucky Derby. Most cocktails are attributed as being invented and documented in the States. In most cases though, the Mint Julep not excluded, a cocktail’s history starts beyond the American continent. Centuries ago ‘Julab’ was an Arabic drink made with crushed ice and rose petals. From there, it traversed into the Mediterranean, where the residents replaced the rose with mint and sugar, and so the ‘Mint Julep’ grew in popularity throughout Europe, with each region experimenting with mixing it with their locally preferred spirit. Once it reached the southern US, the locals augmented the recipe via American Bourbon. This was cemented by the drink’s overwhelming popularity in the agricultural areas, as the dawn-waking farmers preferred the Julep to their morning coffee, for a spirited startof-day energy boost. This, combined with the Julep becoming the Kentucky Derby’s 1st of May tradition, solidified its (partially false) American heritage. The Julep is one of the classics, an ancestor of many spin-offs, and, as with most cocktails, derives its cultural heritage from a diverse ethnic background. All this aside, it’s a pretty refreshing, easy-to-make drink. To prepare it yourself, simply crush some mint leaves with a teaspoon of sugar (or golden syrup) and a bit of water in a glass, fill the glass with crushed ice and add a shot of bourbon. Finish it off with mint. To have a good Julep prepared for you, head over to Cook’s of Stirling. They’ve also got two-course lunch options for under £ 10. Above all though, they do a decent Julep. Photo credit: festen.dk

Lifestyle

22 Brig | March 2017

Dating apps put to the test A Anne stoop

lways wondered if the online dating world might harbour your future bae? Here are five of the most popular dating apps put to the test, helping you on your way to that church wedding. OkCupid

Let’s start off with one of the biggest dating apps out there. If 30 million others clicked the download button, why shouldn’t you? Besides filling in some standard information about your gender and age, you get a few more personal questions. After that you are on your way. You will soon find out you have made a gross mistake. The potential partners OkCupid sent my way were, to say the least, not my cup of tea. While the personality match is a nice feature, it would help if

you could find people who you’d actually like to match with.

Tinder

The Justin Bieber of dating apps, you kind of love it but do you have it for others to see? The concept of Tinder is easy and to the point. You swipe left if it’s a no no, you swipe right it’s a hell yeah. The array of possible candidates is diverse, but not hopeless. While it might take you at least 20 minutes of intense swiping, you will stumble upon that one cutie you’d love to drink a cup of tea with. Only problem? For some reason, actual conversations hardly ever happen. The ‘keep playing’ option is just too tempting. You never know if there might be something better out there.

Happn

Bumble

What we have right here is a diamond in the rough. While Scotland has not picked up on

Do you tend to be attracted to pretty people? Read no further; since the number of

sofie karlsson

eaving everything you love behind to go to university is hard, but it can also lead to amazing experiences, so don’t let homesickness hold you back from getting the most out of your time at uni. Speaking from my own experiences with homesickness, the best thing you can do is to surround yourself with people who you can trust and who care about you. It can be hard to find those people at the start but they’ll come along eventually. But just because you meet new amazing people doesn’t mean you have to forget about those back home. Talk to your family and friends occasionally and tell them about all

this app yet, other European countries have embraced its unorthodox ways. Instead of finding matches based on proximity, you find the people you’ve crossed paths with. For instance, that day you drooled over that gorgeous creature picking up parsnips in the grocery isle? If set creature also owns a Happn account you will see them pop up on your feed. Feed you say? Yes, instead of swiping left or right you get an overview of all the people you have crossed paths with. Giving you all the time you need to make up your mind. Only negative aspect of this app? For one, you need to leave your house. Secondly, hardly anyone in Scotland seems to use it, leaving you with little to no possible matches.

Photo Credit Refinery29-

breathtaking humans on this app is suspiciously high. The only catch? Girls always make the first move and they should do so within 24 hours. Breaking gender roles has never been this easy. If you are however a man who likes the chase or

the girl who loves to be courted, you might want to skip this one. Small insider tip for the ladies; there are a whole lot of available doctors and lawyers in the Bumble atmosphere.

The final verdict

Plenty of fish

Instead of saving the best for last, I give you the worst. Not only were my possible suiters surprisingly unattractive, there was just no way of stopping them. While all the other dating apps required you to match with someone before messages could be sent, POF gave everyone a free pass. While the majority got really creative with a groundbreaking “Hi”, some others used more colourful chat up lines. Some of my favorites are “Did I see you walking to Pathfoot today?” to “Do you want to be my girlfriend?” That last one was repeated nine times, since I didn’t respond. You know the best part? Plenty of Fish does not allow you to delete your account within 24 hours. Meaning this terrifying bombardment of messages lasted 1440 minutes which I’ll never get back.

OkCupid

Tinder

Happn

Bumble

POF

Dealing with Homesickness

the new things going on in your life. This makes it feel like they’re closer to you than they are and whenever you feel alone, just give them a call. It’s easy to identify homesickness. You feel down most days and the mental symptoms you usually experience are depression, anxiety and lack of concentration, according to nus.org.uk. Being homesick is very common and it does not mean you’re weak. Most people suffer from it at some point in their lives, whether they want to admit it or not. Many people turn to alcohol when they’re feeling down but par-

tying and drinking an insane amount of alcohol won’t solve anything. Alcohol can make you happy and make you forget about your problems for the night but drinking yourself unconscious will not make it better in the long run. You should not let alcohol numb the pain you feel. It’s better to talk to someone, such as a friend, who is going through the same thing as you. There are a lot of international students coming to the UK to study and I guarantee they’ve felt homesick at some point. This is not strange at all. As mentioned earlier, coming to uni is hard but adjusting to living in a foreign country is even harder.

No one speaks your language and everything feels and looks different. This can be exciting at first, but when reality sets in, homesickness will too. Therefore, you need to get out there and explore the country you’re in as much as possible. This way you’ll familiarize yourself with your surroundings. Plus, you’ll have plenty of things to share with your family and friends back home and you’ll feel like your time in the UK was worth more. There are so many places to visit and things to do, especially here in Scotland, and you don’t want to miss out on it. It’s also good to keep yourself occupied with

Photo Credit

hobbies that you enjoy. If you like to read then do that, if you like to exercise then do that and so on, because there are more to life

as a student than just uni work. You should of course do your best when it comes to uni but writing a great essay is NOT more important

than your wellbeing. If you start to feel down, just remember that you will see your family and friends again soon.

Lifestyle

23 Brig | March 2017

Turn your fitness up a gear Ross Brannigan

Photo Credit Self Magazine

You will get mega fit

Spin is a highly intense workout, meaning your heartrate is at a much higher level than it would be on a steady ride. Do not fear, though, you are there for a lot less time, but pushing your body into the red will make you faster and stronger, whether it is for cycling, running for a bus, or jumping. You burn fat, even after the session is finished

pin classes can seem an awfully scary place to approach; sweaty people grimacing at an instructor they

are slowly starting to loathe with every passing second, but (mostly) loving every second of it. As a spin instructor myself (he of the loathed

position), here are my five reasons to get stuck into your next spinning class.

You are all in this together

The great thing about spin is there are 10 to 20

people doing and feeling the exact way you do. It might be tough, and you might want to give up, but as long as the person next to you is pedalling you cannot lose face.

If you go for a gentle cycle, the calories you burn are confined to that workout. For instance, if you burn 500 calories on a pleasant cycle that is all you burn. With spin, the high intensity bursts mean your metabolism can be sky high for hours after the

session is finished. Exercise = happiness

You might not think this as you plough through a 30 second sprint, but you will feel an immense sense of accomplishment after the session is over. With grit and determination, you can get through the class and feel great afterwards, because exercise releases endorphins, which in turn help you feel better.

come across any obstacle, no matter the challenge. These are my top five reasons you should give spin a shot. At the end of the day, spin is for all ages and abilities. Every night I will have a person in my class who has not been to a spin class before, and they leave wanting to come back for more.

Your determination will be boosted big time

Getting through a 30 or 45 minute spin session is hard, I am not lying there. But it does teach you discipline and give you a new sense of determination to complete the task. This mental benefit is extremely handy when you

interested? Classes are on mon-sun at the uni gym

Steal that Trend: The “IT” Girl JackeT

or the past few months it has been clear what the top styling piece has been - the aviator jacket. I first saw it in the window of an All Saints store in Glasgow and since then it’s been popping up everywhere. It’s been seen on almost every blogger, celebrity and off-duty models at fashion week and it is clear why. WORN BY BLOGGERS The aviator jacket is so understated in its styling it is a surprise that it has made such an impact on the high street. But its effortless look and minimal details essentially makes for the perfect everyday jacket, so no wonder super-vlogger Zoella has been seen wearing the piece in a majority of her vlogs. Although we’re getting into spring it’s still pretty chilly here in bonnie Scotland, so I think this piece is going to be following us right through to the start of summer and, of course, due to its minimalistic style it is most likely never going to go out of style.

Gabrielle holden WHERE TO GET IT So I’ve been scouring the internet for some affordable options for you to lay your eyes on. The one I have from Missguided is the ultimate jacket in my opinion. Despite being faux fur it is the softest faux fur I have ever felt, and since Missguided has been doing some amazing student discounts recently it’s all the better for us. Another similar option is from BooHoo and has more of a leather look to it, as well as a more slouchy fit. And finally from ASOS is a bit of a different style with a white lining instead of a black lining. This is actually similar to the first aviator jackets I ever saw and if you like a more soft look then this is the one for you! All of these jackets were under £100 and all of these websites offer a student discount, so you’ve got the extra luxury of some money off!

MY OUTFIT

Phote Credit: ASOS

FOR MORE FASHION TIPS & TRENDS VISIT GABRIELLE’S WEBSITE WWW.WHATWOULDGABRIELLEDO.COM PICTURES BY Andrew Finlayson

Phote Credit: Lydia Millen

Phote Credit: BooHoo

After looking at all the styling pictures on Pinterest, I fell in love with all-black outfits using the jacket because it just looks so chic! I know Anna Wintour is completely against all black. Despite her being my role model, I’m afraid I’m gonna have to go against her on this one. Plus black looks amazing on everyone. The aviator jacket I found is from Missguided - it has a fix suede material and a faux fur lining with buckles on the hems and the cuffs. I paired it with a simple black polo neck, black jeans and some black leather sock boots, however the simpleness of the outfit makes sure not to distract from the jacket which I love! Since I am a silver lover I was obsessed by how the silver buckles looked with the silver chain bag and all of my rings. But if you’re not a fan of all black don’t worry because this jacket also looks amazing with super girly outfits and helps to add an edge. I’ve also been wearing mine with blue denim pieces, as well as with smart pieces like white shirts and trousers which also looks amazing. Basically this jacket looks amazing with everything!

25 Brig | March 2017

Comment

Nostalgia traps progress Claire Keraudren Comment Editor

he majority of Brig readers are leaving adolescence and entering into adulthood. If you were born in the 90s, we share a trait which seems to be a poison of growing up: nostalgia. In itself, the feeling is but a bittersweet reminiscence of all the things we once thought eternal, now gone with age and progress. Like any feeling, it only has the power the beholder gives it. Comfort can be a strong component of it, thinking how much easier things were and how peaceful times were. “Back then” things fitted into boxes, and what

didn’t work was arranged by parents like an iron smoothing over a fold on a clean shirt. Today, as adults, it is up to us to clear up whatever mess we are presented with, and sort things into their appropriate boxes. With that responsibility comes the power of understanding and rising above others. As we watch them ask for help, jealousy boils up in our stomachs that assistance is granted and these people move forward. They made the effort necessary to grow and it seems they’ve left us behind. From years of perpetual comfort, we had indulged in a form of self-righteousness, which has no place in modern politics.

Holocaust denier David Irving, currently based in Inverness, is living proof of this. After decades of progress, moving past degrading stereotypes and

it seems politicians have given nostalgia its very own seat in parliament; we must undo this. Minorities are offered a helping hand to provide them with well-deserved

Let the efforts of the past not be hindered by extremism. Image: Socialist Worker

accepting the new despite senior reluctance,

positions in the workplace, to help them feel

“The summer is what you make of it”

Rebekah McVey

he moment most of us have all been waiting for is fast approaching. When we can forget about the burdens of university for four whole months. No essay deadlines, no exams and certainly no readings to catch up on. When it feels like you’re drowning in course work, nothing seems more appealing than having absolutely nothing to do. Before we know it we’re back sitting in a 9am lecture. It seems like we never left Stirling and summer was just a dream. For those fortunate enough to travel and embrace other cultures, it very much seems like they made the most of their time off. However, if a holiday to Thailand isn’t within your budget right now, you can still have a summer to re-

member. We’re all guilty of saying we’ll meet up with friends and never do. With work and other adult responsibilities, sometimes it’s hard finding a time when everyone is free. In four months, we can surely squeeze in a couple of days to spend time with the people we care about. One day, we’re bound to regret passing by opportunities of making memories with friends when we weren’t as busy as we thought we were. To quote Jojen Reed from A Song of Ice and Fire: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.” In the summer, there’s plenty of time to experience different lives in fictional realms. University can steal the joy of reading from the most eager book worm. However, when we’re on holiday it’s possible to re-

kindle the love we thought we’d never feel again. There’s no need for critical analysis or referencing, just reading for enjoyment. A lot of people don’t always appreciate where they come from. However, there’s something waiting to be discovered everywhere in Scotland. It could be a pub or a restaurant, an ice cream parlour or a nearby castle. There’s also plenty of hills to climb if you can find a pair of hiking boots. Volunteering for a local charity is also something worth considering. It’s a great way to meet new people while helping a good cause. As students we’re constantly being reminded to make our CVs stand out, and voluntary work can help make that happen. Whether it’s for a hospital radio or a charity shop, it’s something you won’t

regret. There always seems to be an abundance of festivals in Scotland during the summer. From Eden to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, there is something for everyone. The fact that they aren’t available all year round means they are something to look forward to and they guarantee a fun weekend. There’s no denying how great it would be to pack our bags and not come back to Scotland until September. Though it doesn’t mean it will be the worst summer ever if we don’t. If we spend each day wondering why life is so boring, it is more likely to suck the joy out of our time off. It may sound like something your parents would say, but the summer is what you make of it.

“I am ready for this summer”

Heather Marr

ver the past year, I have discovered an irritability towards two words: ‘dissertation’ and ‘graduation’. And, thankfully, there is some solace to be found in that I am not the only fourth year who thinks so. I remember the moment it hit me that I was coming to Stirling – truthfully, I cannot remember receiving my offer or accepting my place – but I can remember the day I realised I was going to university. It was that sort of sum-

mer night where the heat wraps around you like a blanket, when even the breeze feels warm. We were walking from our local pub back towards my house, the sunburn on my nose was itchy and my stomach ached from cider and laughing. The sun was still hanging low and the sky was streaked with colour over the fields. Someone turned around to me and said that they had met their conditional, they were going to Stirling – that we were going together.

secure in a neighbourhood, to work through the problems they have internalised. This is not our coddling a generation of “trigger warnings” and sugar-

We laughed and hugged each other, but at that moment something changed. Stirling was not just something I had created in my head, it was a real place where myself and my friend would be spending the next four years of our lives. Little did I know that Stirling was not going to merely be someplace I would be studying in, it would become my home and morph me into the person I am today. And today, I need that growth that I have acquired here to decide

where to go next. Somewhat ironically the hell that my dissertation has created has started to feel comfortable, it’s what I know. Once it’s handed in that path ends, and that’s when the bigger, more daunting choices must be made. Do I work? Do I do a Masters? Do I take a break from studying? And as summer is fast approaching I can feel myself worrying more and more. It feels like I am taking a jump; university was an

coating. Instead, it is those with power work-

ing to right the wrongs of those before us. Indeed, the times our grandparents may cherish of their communities and traditions feel repressive and exclusive to those not straight, white, or male. Their simple, systematic educational structures would be disastrous for the generation following ours. Technology may be perceived as the reality of machines taking over humanity and turning our brains to a substance no more powerful than cream, but their role in society is only rooting itself deeper. Because of this, it is important to adapt our social infrastructures; impressionable young people will not put their mobile phones away because

of a rule implemented by authorities they already deem out of touch with what they are experiencing. Youths are growing up with the ideas we give them, elders can only learn from us if we let them reach out. Communication is a vital tool to a functional society, and it is one we have cast aside for division and political polarisation. Nostalgia must be transformed into a will to progress together, albeit with varying priorities. Those in a position of comfort could broaden their minds, if only one provided them with a fresh perspective on current issues. That is our role.

An ode to the summer

Image: RTHS PTSO

inevitability for me, it felt like the natural progress in life, the next step. Now, I feel like I am floundering in an ocean of uncertainty. But over the past few weeks I have come to the realisation that a raft is not going to magically appear on the horizon offering me a direction. I must swim and make my own journey. And after realising this, I got a little excited. For the first time, I am getting to choose something, not because it’s the done thing, but because I

want to. So now I am finding myself in my spare time looking at Masters in Europe, internships in America, jobs in Canada, brushing up on my foreign languages - and I can feel the ecstasy blossoming. Suddenly I feel ready to start a new chapter in my life. The thought of graduating has become less intimidating. Leaving Stirling will not be easy and I will miss it, but I feel I have taken all I can from here. I have learned so many

extraordinary things, created some truly precious memories that I treasure for the rest of my life, and experienced far more than I ever thought I possibly could. Stirling has helped to build me into a person that feels ready to walk into life and seize all opportunities. Although I have never felt younger in my whole life it is simultaneously the most prepared I have ever felt. I am ready for this summer, and whatever else happens after that.

Features

26 Brig | March 2017

International Talk: Why Study Abroad in Scotland Désiree Schneider

Credit: Desiree Schneider

Many people spend one or more semesters at Stirling University, do an exchange program or even do their whole degree program here. But what draws young people to study abroad in Scotland? Here are some answers from current international students on their experiences here in Scotland and on campus:

“I took it as an adventure to emerge into a different culture and had no fixed expectations. All I knew was that the university’s campus looked nice and there were lots of sheep. Now I know there is more: I love meeting new people, travelling the country and all the opportunities for jobs and education that Scotland offers. The Scottish have their own culture - it is so different from the English in the way they talk and engage with each other, the food and their way of living. After being here for four years, I feel like I am part of the culture and Stirling feels like home.”

“I am very much of an Irish soul; a part of my family comes from Ireland. I kind of expected Scotland to be exactly like it is. Like the weather: A bit of rain is nice, it is overcast, cold and windy, very refreshing and unpredictable. The weather gives me peace. It is also refreshing that everybody is so friendly. And what can be better than to walk by a golf course, a small castle and a loch just to get to your classes?”

Henry, 21, Massachusetts, USA, English with the focus on

What is Scotland for you? “Doing my study abroad semester in Scotland was a good choice. I wanted to go to a native English-speaking country to improve my English and have something to experience while travelling. And here it is: beautiful nature, various landscapes, nice people and even different weather. It is a totally new experience - I met a lot of cool people and international students from different nationalities. That is exciting! I already went on a trip around Scotland with Heartlandtravel and discovered even more of it on a road trip with my friends during reading week. Luckily, we had sunny weather. But even when it rains all day, just perfect to read a book or two. Leisure time.”

Melina, 20, Germany, Journalism and Business Communication

“Actually, Scotland was not been my first choice for study abroad due to the weather. I rather like it sunny and warm and Stirling University is well known for its sports, but I am not good at sport. Despite all of that, I am really glad I came here. I fell in love with this place and the nature - everything is so green and natural. Humans do not seem to modify nature, instead they live with it and change their need according to it. That is impressive. And the people are super friendly and so polite. Since I came here I use the words “sorry”, “thank you” and “please” a lot more. I feel like it makes me a better person. My family will be surprised when I get home for sure. But the Scottish people at university are really shy - that is not what I expected but I will continue trying to make small talk. After all, I love getting to know new people.”

Sandra, 23, Czech Republic, Account-

ing and Finance “Since I was a child it has been my dream to come and see Scotland. Now I am here and super excited. The landscape is beautiful, even though I have not been to the Highlands yet. The weather is cold but the people are warm. Scotland is really different from Italy. I love their culture, tradition and history. Scotland is a small country with a love for their nation. I was sure that I would miss my family, friends, my dog and my country. But now I do not miss anyone apart from my dog. It is my home now.”

Carolina, 23, Italy, English literature

“I wanted to go to an English-speaking country to improve my English and do something new, something I have not done before. I have been to the United States, but never to Scotland. And I have always been fascinated by Scotland and its nature. I like the mountains, lakes and the feeling that it is still untouched. I enjoy the different views in the Highlands like Glencoe and the Isle of Sky: beautiful weather, the sun was shining and I looked out at the sea and there was blue as far as I could watch. Combined with the cliffs and everything, it was amazing.”

Rebecka, 25, Sweden, teachers program for History and English Moments that define the students' Scottish study abroad experience.

“It is already my second study abroad semester here at Stirling University. The first one was just to see how it would be and how I liked it. That is why I decided to come back. I came to Scotland because of the university. It has a good educational program and high teaching standards. I want to spend my Erasmus learning something and the work here challenges me. I did not know anything about Scotland before I

Diego, 20, Spain, Economics

“I have been to Scotland before on vacation, but living here is a once in a lifetime experience. I came here so that I could be in a different country, somewhere I can see a notable difference from back home. I also feel Irish in a way - my last name has Irish roots. It feels better than in America. I like the way it looks here and the way people talk. People care about each other and other countries, they are not self-centred. And I really appreciate the Scottish humour, their sense of irony.”

Danni Martin Features Editor

“

I’m a feminist. I’ve been a female for a long time now. It’d be stupid not to be on my own side.” Maya Angelou International Women’s Day is more than just a hashtag on Twitter or that quote “Be bold for a change”. A celebration, yes, but more than that, a day to remember that we are still fighting - 2016 and 2017 have shown us that. A study was done by the Fawcett Society a few months ago declaring that only 9% of women describe themselves as feminists. Not only is this disheartening, but con-

gerous thing”; he claimed that “I do own Miss Universe. I do own Miss USA.” and the infamous comment to “grab ‘em by the p****”. A president who is trying to limit the choices that women have on her own body. Then there’s the extremely sexist MEP, Janusz Korwin-Mikke, who argued in the European Parliament that women should be paid less as they are ‘”smaller, weaker and less intelligent” and that “International Woman’s Day is a communist invention. The Left want to promote women because the women like to be protected”. Adding to that, there was

other with.” It’s a world where catcalling is okay. Where the way you would refer to a dog is the way that you “attract” a woman. One in 11 British women like being catcalled according to a study done by VoucherCodesPro, and 39% of these women say they actively encourage it. They like to be dehumanized and seen as an object, like to be uncomfortable and scared of the reaction when you ignore the ‘compliment’. A world where we have very far to go. According to the World Economic Forum, the gender pay gap won’t close until 2186 which is an added 63 years from 2015. That’s

the accusations towards Emma Watson questioning her as a feminist because of a photoshoot with some bare skin. “She complains that women are sexualised and then sexualises herself in her own work. Hypocrisy” said radio presenter Julia Hartley-Brewer on Twitter. Are women not allowed to be more than one thing? She is in a place of power - feminism is about choice and if that’s her choice, then does that not follow the beliefs of feminism? As Watson says herself: “Feminism is not a stick with which to beat

170 years until there is equality. However, a new survey, done by the Girls’ Rights Charity International UK, revealed that twice as many young people consider themselves to be feminists versus their parents’ generation. There have been marches against Trump, as well as a march held on the 5th of this month for The Care International joined by Annie Lennox, Bianca Jagger, Helen Pankhurst as well as the London Mayor Sadiq Khan. The world is evolving - even more so if we are “bold for a change”.

Amanda, 19, Pennsylvania, USA, undeclared

I am myself a study abroad student at Stirling University. I am currently in my second year of my Journalism and Business Communication studies. And I have to admit, I fell in love with this country. Scotland surely is enchanting. I have already been here several times on class trips or on family vacation, but I only visited as tourist. Now it is like I can experience the real Scotland and actually be part of it. This is all thanks to the amazing people I met here, no matter if they are other international students, regulars, teacher, the nice lady at the grocery store, the crazy guy who jumped into the cold waters of Loch Ness with me, my amazing flatmates, all the nice people who volunteered for the interviews or my best friend I came here with. They are the ones that inspire Scotland and made me fall in love with it, besides the stunning nature, which is unarguably Scotland’s embodiment: strong, wild, unpredictable, independent, manifold and yet astonishingly tempting.

fusing. Feminism, true feminism, is the belief in equality and fairness for women. It is not degrading men or believing that women are better, but that we should all be treated the same. A woman should not be paid less, a woman should have rights over her own body

"Are women not allowed to be more than one thing?" and women should not have to fight for a voice. Maybe it’s the word. Feminism does have negative connotations to many. That feminists hate men, for starters. They conjure images of aggressive women who make unreasonable demands, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We have evolved since the first International Women’s Day which was, arguably, in 1909 but if you look at now we still have far to go. We have an American president who has called women “Fat. Pig. Dog. Slob. Disgusting animal.” He has said “putting women to work is a dan-

Source: Tim Walker/Vanity Fair

Chiara, 22, Italy, Economics and Marketing

creative writing

We need feminism more than ever

Source: https://hipnewjersey.com/international-women/

anked first for its campus environment and its quality lecturers by the International Student Barometer 2016, Stirling University is definitely popular for overseas students. With 80 partner universities across Europe, the USA, Asia, Australia and Canada, the university is easily accessible and well-advertised.

came here for the first time. I looked at the university website’s photos - they looked promising and people back home highly recommended it to me. It was my first time coming to the UK, which is totally different from Spain and the first time I travelled so far from home. But now I can say that all promises were kept. The people here are nice, polite and very helpful, the snow in the Highlands was impressive and Edinburgh became my favourite city.”

27 Brig | March 2017

Features

A contraceptive journey: my experience with the implant

Anonymous Contributor

began my contraceptive journey last year when I got together with my boyfriend. Hooray! I was in love. Boo! I had to think about things like protection and the pill. I was never going to take a chance. I am a student in my early twenties, and I’m not sure if I want to ever have kids, let alone have them now. I needed to make a decision on how I was going to keep myself baby-free for the next few years - and beyond. I was suddenly plunged into a world that I never had to think about before. Sex ed was a very long time ago, and even then you were just told to always use a condom. You were never taught about options for long-term

contraception. After some research, and a chat with my boyfriend, we decided that for now anyway - the pill was probably the best option. It’s got a pretty high success rate (99% if taken correctly) and if you experience any of the scary side effects, such as mood swings, weight gain, or loss of libido, then it was as easy as to just stop taking them. I made a sexual health appointment, and nervously went along to the campus medical centre. After asking me a few embarrassing questions about my sex life, the doctor gave me some brightly-coloured leaflets describing each of the different types of contraception available. We discussed why I wanted to go on the pill, and then she

wrote me a prescription and that was that. I took it every morning for three months and never had a problem. Until disaster struck. Winter came, and myself and my boyfriend both came down with a nasty vomiting bug. I knew there would be no point taking the pill if I was just going to throw it up again. After reading the pill’s instructions (the leaflet was the size of an Ordnance Survey map), I took the missing pill the next day as instructed and forgot about it. But then my period was late. That was my first time experiencing The Fear. The Fear that all women get from time to time; the fear that our contraception just isn’t enough. Men don’t get this fear, but for us it’s always pre-

healthista.com

sent in the back of our minds, waiting to pounce. It’s not a pleasant experience. Neither is taking a pregnancy test for the first time. My hands shook as I took the plastic stick out of the box, peed on it, and waited for the lines to appear. There was just the one – it was negative. I have never felt so relieved in my life. My period came a few days later, but The Fear remained. The pill had worked fine up until now, but I realised that I needed a form of contraception that wouldn’t be affected if I got ill, or if I didn’t take it at the same time each day. So out came the brightly-coloured leaflets again. There’s a lot of choice – if you’re a woman that is. At the moment there are twelve options for women, and just two for men: condoms, which aren’t a permanent solution, and male sterilisation, which is a little too permanent. There’s been recent reports of a male pill becoming available, but this could be several years away. I needed an option now. I narrowed down the twelve options to just two – the implant, and the IUD (intrauterine device). Both of these methods don’t have user failure,

which means that they do not depend on you remembering to take or use them. This is exactly what I wanted after the pill fiasco. The IUD is a device which is inserted into the uterus, and it works by stopping sperm from reaching an egg, and by stopping a fertilised egg from implanting in the uterus. This was my preferred option - until I did a little research. It turns out there is a small chance that the device can perforate the uterus during insertion. That small chance was too big for me. So my mind turned to my other option – the implant. This is a matchsticksized rod that is inserted under the skin of your upper arm. It stops pregnancy by stopping ovulation, thickening cervical mucus to prevent sperm reaching an egg, and thinning the lining of the uterus to stop an egg implanting. The current brand used, Nexplanon, lasts for three years, and after that time is up, you have a small surgical procedure to remove the tube. Then you can either get another implant fitted, move onto another type of contraception, or try for a baby if you so wish. This seemed perfect for me. I could get one and then forget about it

for three years whilst remaining protected from pregnancy. And if it didn’t work out for me (the side effects are similar to those of the pill) I could go back to the doctor and get it removed with no fuss. It was a no-brainer. This meant another sexual health appointment. My boyfriend came along to support me – and for good reason. The implant is inserted through an ‘injection’ into your arm. I’m not exactly scared of needles, but I’m not too fond of them either. However, I wasn’t getting my little implant just yet. I explained to the doctor why I wanted to change contraception, and she took me through the procedure and what I could expect. This also gave me the chance to ask any questions I had, which put my mind at ease a little. I even got to feel a squishy ‘fake arm’ to demonstrate how the implant would feel under my own skin. It was bigger and longer than I expected, but wouldn’t be visible to the eye - only noticeable by touch. The doctor announced that they would be able to fit me in for the procedure in two days’ time. I was surprised it would be done so quickly, but also relieved: I wanted it out of the way so I wouldn’t

have to worry about it any more. I had worried enough already. Soon I was back for my appointment to get the implant fitted. To be honest, I was scared, but my boyfriend was fascinated more than anything. The nurse instantly put my mind at ease, chatting about the weather and this and that. My boyfriend was allowed in, but first the nurse made him promise that he wouldn’t faint – she had had people faint before, and it wasn’t always those actually getting the procedure! I answered some questions and filled out a form, but my hands were shaky. I felt sick. Was I ready for this? But I knew that once I had the implant I would be free from uncertainty for three years. I knew it was worth it. Next thing I knew I was lying down on the bed with my boyfriend holding my hand and the nurse hovering over my other arm. I’m right-handed, so it made sense to get the implant in my left arm. It would be tender for a few days, so I wouldn’t be putting too much extra strain on it. First an anaesthetic was injected into my arm... Read the rest of this article at brignews.com

Aunt Em-ployability: Here to answer all your career questions

elcome back to my Career Advice feature and thanks to all of you who have contacted me with

your career questions. For the student (let’s just call him ‘J’) who contacted me, I would just like to point out that this isn’t that kind of problem page but I would definite-

ly recommend seeing your GP as that doesn’t sound normal... or comfortable. Moving on… it’s the time of year when the days are getting longer, nights are

getting lighter and you start to think about plans for the summer and beyond. We have had quite a few questions from students about what they can do

over the summer to make the most of their time. There are so many options, such as travelling, volunteering, part-time work, or internships, that it’s difficult to know what to do for the best. My advice would be to try and do something that you enjoy, but that also enhances your skills or experience in some way. Summer vacations are a great opportunity to try out different things - find out what you like, what you don’t like and start to form ideas about the kind of organisation you would like to work for once you graduate. One great way to do this is to undertake an internship. Internships give you the chance to work in a professional setting, enhance your skills and strengthen your CV. You should always get paid for an internship – if you are working set hours, have a manager and are expected to perform specified tasks then you are legally entitled to a wage. There is more information at www.internaware.org The Careers and Em-

ployability Service runs the Stirling Internship Programme where you have the opportunity to work with a local organisation and gain valuable experience while getting paid. Unlike other internship programmes, most of the opportunities are open to students from all years rather than just 3rd or 4th year students. Further info and current opportunities can be found at www.stir.ac.uk/stirlinginternships. If you are looking for part-time work then the Careers and Employability Service are just about to launch a brand new vacancy system called Target Connect. This will be replacing our old system and will be more user-

friendly. It will have all the latest graduate, part-time and voluntary opportunities as well as the facility to book appointments to see a Careers Consultant. Look out for the launch emails towards the end of March showing you how to register. Another question I have had from a final year student, Simron Kandola, is ‘How do you make yourself stand out from the crowd when the graduate market is so competitive?’ Now there are lots of ways to ‘stand out’… like this for example:

…but you should make sure you stand out for the right reasons! This is something a lot of students worry about, especially when faced with headlines about ris-

ing unemployment and recruitment freezes. My advice is to try and do as much as you can with your time at university to show employers you have something extra to offer them. Join a club or society, volunteer, get involved… you can find more information on the Student Union website: www.stirlingstudentsunion.com It’s not just about what you do, but also how you articulate this to employers. You can have all the experience in the world, but you need to be able to tell employers how this has impacted on you and more importantly, how it will benefit them. Try practising some interview answers using Interview Stream https:// stirling.interviewstream. com. The more you practice, the more natural it will feel answering any question that an employer might throw at you! I hope this has helped some of you when thinking about what you are going to do with your time over the summer and let’s all hope that J’s “situa-

tion” has improved by the time the warmer weather comes around! Remember if you have any questions just email

emma.hill@stir.ac.uk

E m m a

i s

the Student Engagement and

Events

Co-ordinator for the

Careers

Employability Service at the University Stirling

28 Brig | March 2017

Features

Brig speaks to two amazing students Meet Student of the Year nominee Simron Kandola

Ross Brannigan Deputy editor

f you haven’t heard of Simron Kandola by now, you have probably been living under a rock whilst at Stirling University. From founding the Stirling University Volunteering Society, Simron has been building his name

as a STEER Intern, Treasurer for Tedx University of Stirling Society, and now a Volunteer Recruitment Assistant at Kids Run Free. Now in his final year as a Human Resource Management and Law student at Stirling, Simron was last month shortlisted for Student of the Year at the NUS Scotland Awards. “I didn’t even know that someone within the Stir-

ling Students’ Union had shortlisted me until the shortlist was announced two weeks ago, which took me by surprise and was an absolute shock!” he said. “It feels fantastic to be recognised through this award. It shows just how valued students are at the university, and how each person’s individual contributions within the Union can make such a mas-

sive difference within it”. The NUS Scotland Awards are an annual event to commemorate the work done by Scottish universities and their Students’ Unions, as well as individuals who stand out from the crowd. Simron said: “I think I was given this nomination due to my outstanding dedication towards volunteering, and being an active member within the Union, as well as directly helping the local community. “This includes me being an active member of the F Team (Freshers Team) and the V Team (Volunteer Team) for the last 2 years, as well as being employed as a Barista within the Union and being able to co-found four new clubs within the Union the Barnardo’s Society, Doctor Who Society, Sociology Society & Volunteering Society”. Simron’s voluntary work has made a huge contribution to the local com-

munity. As president of the Volunteering Society, he has overseen the society raise over £3000 for local charities in the last two years, and made over 4000 food donations to Start-Up Stirling, the local food bank. The nominee shortlists for the NUS Awards are selected by a panel of experienced individuals in the education sector and beyond. Nominations can can be made by any student of staff member at the university, nominating a member of staff or student who has had a positive effect to the community. Also nominated in the other categories is Stirling’s Students’ Union in the “Students’ Association of the Year” category, and the Union’s Big Rent Campaign for the “Campaigns Award”. “The NUS Scotland Awards are very important in raising the awareness of Student Unions

across Scotland, and the positive difference they are making at their universities, as well as recognising the achievements that certain individuals, student officers and Unions have made within their universities”, noted Simron. He added: “Students should make the most of this award, and be able to nominate a fellow student, their Union and school officers to raise the awareness of the positive impact the Stirling Students’ Union has made over the years, including the changes that are yet to come in the future”. Often students are unaware of the work done by NUS and their won Students’ Union. Simron believes these awards go some way to promoting and recognising the work done by these organisations, which have such a huge influence on the learning and teaching experienced by students. It is about recognis-

ing “unsung heroes” and success stories, and celebrating the difference Unions make to students throughout Scotland’s universities. Simron said: “I would like to say a special thank you to Alban Dickson, Jess Logan and to all the Sabbatical Officers, Student Officers and staff within the Union and at the university for all their help, support and guidance over the last few years, and for helping me get this nomination. “I would also like to say thank you to all my fellow friends, students and flatmates at Stirling, and to my amazing Stirling University Volunteering Society committee team members (Cameron Reid, Caroll Ewen and Leah Howells) for all their help and support. “Also, thank you to all our student volunteers over the last three years. Thank you all so much.” The winners will be announced on Friday March

Angela Reed: The student who met Apple CEO Tim Cook Credit: Angela Reed

Dan Vevers Editor-in-chief

t was entirely by chance that Angela Reed, a fourth-year social policy student at Stirling, met one of the most famous CEOs in the world. Apple boss Tim Cook made a stop at the Buchanan Street store in Glasgow earlier this month when Angela, 45, just so happened to be there. Angela, who lives with cerebral palsy, wanted to pass on her thanks to Mr Cook for the pioneering work Apple has done in making its products accessible to people with disabilities. She uses her iPad and iPhone as tools to help her communicate, due to having difficulty with communicating verbally, and can also use these along with her iMac to control her home. Speaking to Brig, Angela said: “I was in the store when he arrived to I asked my store assistant to pass on my thanks, but he got a manager to get me to see him.” After that, a bit of a media frenzy ensued.

“The Scotsman wanted some details,” Angela explained. “I wasn’t mentioned on the Wednesday but then on Friday there was a big item about me specifically.” The Scotsman ran a feature on their website on February 10 with the headline ‘Apple boss Tim Cook takes inspiration from Scottish student’.

Angela asked the worldfamous CEO: “Are you aware just how much Apple have done for disabled people?” She said Mr Cook was “lovely” in person, adding that he thanked her and said “it meant a lot to know that what they’re doing is actually making a difference”. Apple - the world’s most

valuable company - has blazed an innovative trail in accessibility technology, including Siri, an intelligent voice-command virtual assistant on all Apple smartphones which help speople with visual impariments, and VoiceOver, a groundbreaking screen reader that allows people to use smartphones without see-

ing the screen at all. Angela, who lives in Clydebank, uses her Apple technology to help with her coursework, coming into uni one day a week. “My supervisor is happy to let me work at home,” she explained. Her dissertation is an analysis of how newspapers are reporting on working age disability

welfare reforms. “People don’t know that support is being cut, such as access to work that provides equipment so employers don’t have to,” Angela said. “There is a rise in hate crime aimed at us because of ‘scrounger’ rhetoric. “I am comparing between tabloids and broadsheets across the political

spectrum.” Even before starting her course, Angela has been a regular face around campus for years. “I’ve been here forever!” she said. Angela has lived with celebral palsy all her life. “I’ve never known any different,” she added. “So I don’t know what to compare it with.”

Sport

32 Brig | March 2017

Scotland’s first ever Stirling University football ‘touchtennis’ Varsity Cup to players to run camp for be launched at Stirling deprived children in India Peter Lynch

Dan Vevers Editor-in-Chief The first ever ‘touchtennis’ tournament for Scottish university and college students is going to be held on campus at Stirling. Organised by a group of MSc Sport Management students, the ‘Varsity Cup’ will be held at the Gannochy National Tennis Centre on Sunday, March 26. Entries are open now and will close on March 17 – the organisers are looking for mixed teams of two boys and two girls. Touchtennis was founded in 2002 by a man called Rashid, when he set up the game in his back garden to entertain his daughter. From there, the sport has grown and become very popular, with a Varsity Cup England tournament played in London at the end of last year. As part of an event management module, the MSc students - Nicole Petursdottir, Stephanie Smith, Nick Mckelvey, Graeme Hope, Kamran Khan and Gao Yile – wanted to try and replicate the event’s success north of the border. Touchtennis is a simplified version of actual tennis, with smaller equipment and court sizes and softer balls.

Photo Credit: touchtennis.com

One of the organisers’ event objectives is to increase participation in recreational sport, and believe touchtennis something anyone from beginners to elite professionals can play. The tournament will consist of a group-stage round robin format, followed by knockout rounds. There will also be fundraiser activities, including raffle prizes to win. Cash prizes, medals and trophies are also up for the teams who finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The organisers also say if students are only able to form a team of two or three, they can still enter. Anyone can enter as long as they are a student at a Scottish university or college. Anyone interested in representing their university at the event can go to a touchtennis workshop on Monday, March 20, from 1-3pm. To enter or volunteer, please email info@scotunitouchtennis.com So far the organisers have had interest from Stirling University, Queen Margaret University and Abertay University, and are hoping to secure more interest over the new few

weeks. Command and control event officer Nick Mckelvey said: “Touchtennis is a great fun way to get people involved in sport, who wouldn’t normally get involved in the competitive side of things. “The recreational competition side of the sport is something that we really want to promote and it has allowed us to turn a serious competition into something a bit more fun and engaging for all levels.”

A group of six generous students from the football club are heading to Bangalore this summer to take coaching sessions for deprived youngsters in the area. The young men will co-operate with the Parikrma Foundation to organize and run a three-week football camp. On May 22, Joe Greig, Tomos Jones, Matt Corfield, Liam Grimmer, Rhys Swierkot and Joe Heraghty will make the adventurous 5000 mile trip to southern Asia. The foundation specifically provides quality education to less fortunate children, and so the university footballers will work in unison with the foundation to assist those from traditionally poorer backgrounds. The camp will run from May 22 to June 9, which coincides with the summer holidays of the foundation, when the children typically have no access to the facilities. The typical day will consist of morning coaching sessions for up to 50 kids from 7am onward and again in the evening, split by a well-deserved break in between. Meals, snacks and water will also be provided for the chil-

dren each day, required to combat the extreme temperatures and differing climates that the continent will offer. Fourth year Joe Greig jumped at the chance to participate in such a rewarding project, saying: “When Matt approached me to go to, I knew it was an opportunity I wouldn’t be offered again”. He added: “Everyone’s really looking forward to it, so it will certainly be a great experience.” The foundation will provide costs for running the camp, while the students are currently aiming to raise money to help pay for essentials such as food, water, equipment and pitch hire. After a challenging yet highly enjoyable three weeks, the boys hope to travel for one week to see the incredible sights that the country has to offer. It will be the experience of a lifetime, yet also an important insight into the different way of living that the students are familiar with. With their flights and hotel booked, and a couple of important fundraising events yet to come, this exciting and selfless trip is rapidly approaching.

Cash prizes, medals and trophies are also up for the teams who finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Photo Credit: Daily Record

“We have a FIFA tournament approaching, and a seven-asite football tournament also in the coming weeks.”

To support this fantastic cause and help the students reach their total, go to gofundme. c o m / stirling-unisfc-india-trip

33 Brig | March 2017

Cup fever hits ladies football Andrew Baxter Another year, another successful season for ladies football. Two cup finals and a league title marks a fantastic year for the ladies football club. The 1st team reached their first ever national BUCS Trophy final, as well as winning the Scottish 1A title. The cup run began with a convincing 4-1 win down at Wolverhampton, before two successive trips to Nottingham saw them beat both Nottingham Trent and the University of Nottingham. Those results saw the side progress to the semi-finals of the competition, where they faced an Edinburgh side battling with Stirling at the top of Scottish 1A. After a scrappy start to the game, Stirling took the lead near the end of the first half. Edinburgh came back into the game after the restart but Stirling resisted the pressure and grabbed a goal on

Stirling’s only BUCS defeat so far this season was at Edinburgh earlier on in the season, but 9 out of 10 wins in their league campaign was enough to secure the league title. As for the 2nd team, they also have reached a cup final. They’ve progressed to the final of the BUCS Scottish Conference Cup in Dundee. The side haven’t conceded a goal yet in their cup campaign. They kicked off the cup run with a 4-0 home win over St.Andrews, following this up with another 4-0 away at Glasgow Caledonian. Their semi-final was a tightly-fought game at home to Strathclyde, which Stirling won 1-0 to send them through to the final. They face an Aberdeen side who are (at the time of writing) still in contention for the Scottish 2A title. It will be a tough game but again, Stirling will fancy their chances. Unfortunately they could not

Photo Credit: Stirling University WFC

the counterattack with just a few minutes to go. That goal sealed a 2-0 win, and they face Loughborough 2nds in the final- down at the “Big BUCS Wednesday” in Bath. Loughborough are in the same division as the two Nottingham sides dispatched by Stirling earlier in the season as well as Wolverhampton. With Stirling already beating sides of that quality so far in this cup campaign, the girls certainly fancy their chances in the final. In the league, they saw off a strong Edinburgh side to win the Scottish 1A title on goal difference.

replicate the league form of the 1st team, narrowly missing out on the league title. Despite this, a strong 3rd place position in Scottish 2A gives them a solid foundation for next year’s charge at the league title. The club wants to build on their successful season, and they hope to be able to field a third team next year. With a good intake of freshers in September, there is no reason why this can’t be the case- and Stirling may even get three ladies’ football teams to cup finals next year…

Sport Dumyat Hill Race A word from entries now open Brig’s sport editor

Harry McArthur

Peter Lynch

Dumyat Hill Race. Photo Credit: University of Stirling

Entries are now open for the 2017 Dumyat Hill Race. The popular hill running event, which doubles as the Scottish Student Sport Hill Running Championship, will take place on Wednesday May 3. Online entries for the event are well underway, while there are a limited number of spaces available on the day on a firstcome-first-serve basis. Beginning at the pedestrian crossing near the entrance of the university, runners must then follow the intense track towards the summit. There is no respite, however, as participants are required to re-trace their steps and make the laborious journey back down. The physically and socially demanding challenge tests both endurance and physical ability, with a 390m climb over a distance of 8km. The race record, set by Murray Strain, currently stands at an impressive 32 minutes and 23 seconds. The women’s record was set with a fantastic time of 36 minutes and 36 seconds by former World Mountain Running Champion Angela Mudge. University of Stirling undergraduate Ryan Murray is taking part in the exhausting event for the first time this year, but is looking forward to the challenge. “I cycled it a few times last

year, but running will be an even more gruesome task,” said the third year journalism studies student. His tiring training regime requires a lot of time and effort, and often involves specific practice in the form of hill running. This is admittedly a difficult task, as he explains that “it’s very hard to fit it in with all the university work I have at the minute.” He gives rational reasoning as to why he’s taking part in the famous University of Stirling event: “I’m doing it because I want to test my fitness level, while challenging myself against quality competition.” He knows the exceptionally high standards set in the event through the years, but has set his sights on competing with the very best. “Last year I cycled Dumyat, but this year I want to run it competitively, trying to get as close to the 32 minute record as possible.” Route details and previous race results can be found at the University of Stirling website, along with more information regarding the event. Online entries can be made through the same website, while registration opens at 5:30pm on the day of the race. Don’t be late if you want to break that record, and bring suitable footwear!

e would like to send our thanks out to everyone who has watched, supported and contributed to Brig Bleeds Green this academic year. We were hoping that it would be a success but we were overwhelmed with how many people got in-

volved and supported our weekly show. We have another two episodes left for the rest of semester, one of which will be an extended special with captains and presidents of sports clubs who won a league or trophy. This will air on Wednesday April 5.

Pool win first ever BUCS medal Harry McArthur

n the weekend of February 27th ladies Pool team made history for the University of Stirling, becoming the first team to bring back a BUCS medal for the sport. The women’s first team; a trio of Kerry Cruickshanks, Laura Kelly and Anna Cullens, who is the current Scottish Women’s Pool champion, made the trip down south to compete in the BUCS Pool Eight Ball Championships. The venue for the competition was in Greater Yarmouth, the most Eastern point in the UK, and from Stirling it is well over a seven hour drive. After making the long trip the girl’s managed to finish in third place, earning them a

bronze medal. They beat out all Scottish competition so can confidently claim their stake as the best team in Scotland at the moment. The Stirling performance was a shock for the competition, they have only recently become a competitive team for pool, and started off the competition strong when they defeated the reigning champions, Lancaster, knocking them out at the group stage phase. The podium finish earned the university 20 BUCS points and gained the Pool team a healthy cash prize for the pool society. Keep an eye out for this team wo have started out strong, and are focussing on continuing to improve.

34 Brig | March 2017

Sport

Competition melts away as Elena takes first round of Scottish Enduro Series Photo: Ross Bell

Year of success for SUDC. Photo: SUDC

‘Our team’s hard work paid off as we’ve won 14 trophies over 3 competitions’

Heros Lubangu

he Stirling University Dance Club – also known as SUDC – have had a year of brilliance as their hard work has earned them many awards this year. SUDC also competed at the LJMU Dance Competition 2017 in the Liverpool Lighthouse Theatre. SUDC had their most dominant performance in Liverpool. SUDC had their first entry in the wildcard category, the wildcard category is for other special forms of dance like solos, Irish dancing, belly dancing which doesn’t fit into the existing dance categories. Which resulted in the wildcard team earning second place. In the end, contemporary and jazz joined the wildcard team with second place, ballet and lyrical earned first place in stunning fashion, with hip hop claiming third place. Lyrical won an award for having the best choreography and hip hop for having the best costume. SUDC competed in the DUDC Dance-Fest 2017 which took place in Dundee’s Whitehall Theatre. As easy as “one, two, three” the lyrical dance team earned first place, with hip hop being second and ballet earning third. Lyrical also earned an award for best choreography. As always, great success isn’t always easy to achieve without facing some issues, Lauren McMillian, President of SUDC said that SUDC did experience some issues this year. SUDC occasionally lack rehearsal space as they don’t have specified areas for the club – although frequent support from the Student Union ensured that it wouldn’t be a

problem for them. McMillian stated that the problem of not having rehearsal space is a recurring problem that has occurred for several years. “Our dance girls have been very supportive and have maintained participation even through this issue of lack of space…” McMillian stated. “We have successfully improved our interclub relations…” McMillian said, SUDC have collaborated with several other Stirling Sports Union teams to host events, which gives an opportunity to develop a strong chemistry among the dancers and with other clubs as externally. “The club would not be the same without any of them.” McMillian said, SUDC has around 60 dancers and the team’s large pool of talent have been pulling their weight efficiently which, as a result, was heavily rewarding as SUDC end their competitive season with 14 trophies. SUDC are proudly representing the University of Stirling and with the frequent dedication, determination and drive of everyone apart of SUDC, they are defiantly a team worth crediting for an amazing year. In the 6th April, SUDC host their annual dance show in the MacRobert Art Centre – more details will be available on SUDC’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Ross Brannigan Deputy Editor

Photo credit: Jacquetta Clark

lena Melton claimed victory in the women U21 class at last weekend’s Fort William Enduro Race for the second time. Elena took the win over one minute ahead of her nearest rival Mikalya Parton, and fell from the top spot in just one of the five stages at the classic venue. The time meant she came second overall in the women’s class in the first of the sixround Scottish Enduro Series. Elena, a first year BSc Sport and Exercise Science students, said: “This was the first race of the season for me, so it’s really hard to know your form going into the race. “I had a tough season last year coming back from injury, having a lot of mechanicals and crashes at races, and being on a massive learning curve. “Although I’ve been training really hard this winter, I was super nervous going into the race not knowing what was going to happen. “It’s nice to have a positive start to the year”. Enduro involves several stages across the day, often far more technical than cross-

country mountain bike racing, and containing more climbs than pure downhill racing. Elena added: “When I first started racing Enduro, I was often the only one in the U21 women’s category; now there’s always some serious competition at all the races. “This is pretty amazing as these races are extremely tough, technically, physically and mentally. “Us U21 women have to do the exact same course as the best male riders in the country. “We raced 5 completely different stages, and one of the stages was described by many of the elite men as one of the hardest stages they’ve ever raced”. Elena is hoping to continue the good form throughout the rest of 2017, as the mountain bike seasons kicks into gear. She aims to race the full Scottish Enduro Series this year, and to ultimately win the women’s U21 class. The next race will be held at Pitfichie, near Aberdeen, on April 15 and 16. You can read the full interview with Elena at brignews.com.

Hannah McNicol covered Waterpolo Ladies on their last game of the season

Scottish enduro series calendar Fort William March 12-13 Pitfichie April 15-16 Dunoon June 17-18 Innerleithan August 12-13 Wolftrax September 16-17 Dunkeld October 14-15

35 Brig | March 2017

Sport

Footballers heading for trouble

Chris Bond Sports Editor

s a footballer, and a centre back, I love heading a football. Strikers get satisfaction from scoring a goal, midfielders from getting assists. But for us defenders, who occupy the tiniest sliver in the pie chart of game glory, joy is found in more prosaic ways. The crunching tackle, the last-ditch slide in to deny a striker who is clean through on goal and even the perfectly-

Photo Credit: Hannah McNicol

executed offside trap. For me, though, nothing beats winning a towering header: timing the jump, beating your opponent and feeling the ball thump against your forehead and flying out of danger. However, last October researchers from the University of Stirling explored the true impact of heading a football and they identified small but significant changes in brain function immediately after routine heading practice. The study from Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence published in E-Bio Medicine was the first to detect direct changes in the brain after players are exposed to everyday head impacts, as opposed to clinical brain injuries like a concussion. It has since lead to many calls for the FA to follow the US Soccer and ban heading for U10’S and limit the amount of heading 11-14 year olds are subjected to. If we can ban tackles from behind to save players’ legs,

can we ban what are effectively tackles in the air to save players brains? There is no current legislation in the Fifa Laws of the Game on how brain injuries should be treated, only guidelines, which leaves the welfare of the player in the hands of his coaches and medics. The FA – in fairness - announced rules in 2014 concerning the treatment of brain injuries. Any player in England who falls unconscious, or even appears to, is no longer be permitted to continue in a match. Any player suffering a head injury undergoes an assessment on the pitch and those who suffer two such head blows will be sent for psychometric testing. The decision of whether or not a player returns to action, moreover, belong to club medics and not members of the coaching team or the player himself. But most of us are still stuck in a way of thinking which dictates a player with an overstretched leg muscle is substituted but one who’s had his brain jostled around his head to the point of confusion and memory loss shakes it off and stays in the game. What is not in doubt is there would be fewer cases of players suffering brain traumas - as well as sub-concussive blows caused by heading the ball - if there were fewer aerial chal-

Photo Credit:University of Stirling

lenges. The study conducted at the University of Stirling involved football players heading a ball 20 times, fired from a machine designed to simulate the pace and power of a corner kick. Before and after the heading sessions, scientists tested players’ brain function and memory.

Increased inhibition in the brain was detected after just a single session of heading. Memory test performance was also reduced by between 41 and 67 percent, with effects normalising within 24 hours. Played by more than 250 million people worldwide, the beautiful game often involves intentional and repeated bursts of heading a ball. In recent years the possible link between brain injury in sport and increased risk of dementia has focussed attention on whether football heading might lead to long term consequences for brain health. I interviewed the brains behind the study, cognitive neuroscientist Dr Magdalena Letswaart from the Psychology department at the University of Stirling: Firstly, what made you want to carry out the research in the first place? “There is little to no science out there about what football heading does to the brain. One of the main reasons for this seems to be that it is very difficult to show brain changes after concussion, so it’s even harder to show brain changes after even milder head impacts that we call sub-concussion. In my basic science lab I have a brain stimulation technique called TMS that we thought might be sensitive enough to pick up the small brain changes we expect after ball heading, and this turned out to be the case. This is really helpful because the technique allows us to give really direct answers to the issue and look at the actual brain processes in a direct way.” Were the results better than you expected? “We were pleased that the first time we did the experiment we saw very clearly the brain changes after ball heading. These are small but significant brain changes that have direct relevance to brain health.” Are you planning on carrying out any further research into the matter? “Absolutely, we have not yet got out of the starting blocks really. What is needed is a big

research drive to really understand how heading the ball affects the brain. We now have the neuroscience technologies to give really quite direct answers to these questions, but much more research is needed.” Are you in favour of a ban on younger children heading the ball, like in America? “While we need to protect footballers who will be experiencing small, but significant short-terms changes to their brain chemistry after they head a football, we need to be able to pinpoint what stage this may be having the biggest impact and uncover at any age the mechanisms that relate to brain health in the long-term, before we can make any concrete decisions about the game among young players.” In the long term can you see heading being eradicated from the game completely? “From what we understand about the brain, it is the frequent heading drills that we are particularly concerned about. One header is not going to give you brain damage but we don’t yet know what happens when you disrupt the normal balance in the brain over and over again when participating in regular heading practice. We want the brains of the millions of players worldwide to last as long as possible so it’s important to know whether heading the ball increases the risk of dementia, for example, and that is something that we now may be able to start to answer using the research techniques of modern day neuroscience that we have here at Stirling.” What’s the next step? “Now that we have this sensitive but robust way of detecting brain changes with our neuroscience technology, we hope to cast some light on the safe limits on football heading. At the moment there are no known safe limits for football heading because there is no science to give answers. We are particularly interested in players in their late teens and early twenties when the front

part of the brain is still under construction. If any students are interested in taking this research forward by volunteering to take part, than please get in touch with me via StirlingBrains.org. The more people we can recruit to take part in our research, the more we can do and more answers we may be able to offer the sport.” After showing a group of footballers this information I asked whether or not they think banning heading for younger players would be a good idea and whether or not it would affect their decision on heading the ball themselves in the future. Northborough FC Centre back Ollie Waghorn said, “I think it’s an awful decision to remove heading. I think the older heavier leather balls would have had a greater impact than the lighter balls used in today’s game. I think the game wouldn’t be the same without it and would cause more bad tackles and injuries due to people trying to control the ball in other ways I.e. high

Photo Credit: Hannah McNicol

foot. I hope that heading is never removed from football.” A key issue which many academics are keen to point out is that heading a football shouldn’t necessarily be dangerous. But if you head away thunderbolt shots or goalkeeper’s clearances regularly there is a risk that the brain can suffer several sub-concussive injuries – those impacts with no readily observable symptoms that can cause injury to the brain. What next? First and fore-

most, the academics believe there needs to be much more research in this area. That won’t surprise people. They’re academics after all. That’s what they do. But few would dispute we need a better understanding of these risks from junior level, where brains are growing, to the professional game. And greater awareness too. A major problem is that with sub-concussive injuries people don’t realise they have damaged their brains. And so they keep going. You can bruise any other part of your body and it feels sore, but when the same thing happens to your brain it doesn’t have the pain receptors to tell you to ease off for a few days. Already this calendar year there have been high profile head injuries; If Ryan Mason, Hector Bellerin or Fernando Torres were boxers and were carried from the ring in the manner they were carried from the football field after suffering their head injuries this year there would be widespread calls for something to be done. No one could fail to have been moved by the sight of those stricken players; Hull’s Mason hooked up to an oxygen tank, in a neck brace, being rushed to hospital for emergency surgery on a fractured skull. Bellerin – whose momentum carried his exposed head into the thrusted elbow of Marcos Alonso – held his arms outright unnaturally and crashed to the turf flat on his back, spark out. It is no exaggeration either to say many feared the worst for Torres a few weeks ago. Gabi – Torres’s team-mate – reached into his friend’s mouth to ensure his tongue did not slip back in his throat. For some reason in football traumatic brain injuries are considered some sort of occupational hazard. This needs to change.

Sport

March 2017

Clansmen storm through to fourth consecutive National Final after winning North Division

Stirling Clansmen Squad 2016/17. Photo Credit: Katie Stepek

Harry McArthur Sports Editor

ollowing a disappointing 1-2 start to the season the Clansmen won four of their last five games to top the division with a record of 6-2. Despite losing on the first occasion against Durham Saints that match result was changed to a walk over victory for the Clansmen, as there was a player on the Saints who was found out to be breaking league regulations and was using performance enhancing drugs. The Saints were penalised for all matches the involved players participated so finished the season with a 2-6 record. After the slow start it was looking to be a gloomy season for the Clansmen, especially off the back of such a narrow defeat in last season’s national

final. However they recovered from the slump and started to look the dominant side that all opponents dread to face. The offense became more explosive, as this year’s starting QB Alex Crowe grew more comfortable in the scheme and running back Campbell put up sensational numbers throughout. On defence the line was threatening as always, with club captain Bence Kovacs leading from the line and free safety Ashley Hopkinson inspired the defensive backs with his elite performances and demonstrated his on the field leadership. As the season has progressed the team has continued to look stronger and stronger, and now find themselves in the semi-final of the BUCS championship, facing off against

Derby Braves. The team will be full of confidence going into this matchup as they have put up 88 points in the two previous encounters and the defence are currently on their most stringent run of form since winning the 2015 Championship. Following the January break the team has only conceded 54 points across a five game span, including a shutout in the quarter final against Bath. Going into the match the Clansmen had won three out of four of their most recent encounters with Derby, and put up 40 or more points on three of those occasions. Despite losing the first game of the season 43-40 the Clansmen were solid favourites due to their 48-14 thrashing the last time these two divisional rivals faced off. The Clansmen ran out 27-

21 victors, in a match that was almost too close for comfort. It took an interception in the endzone from cornerback Josh Penny to put the game at ease. After a poor first half which saw the Clansmen down 18-6 after the second quarter, the team bounced back excellently and showed their resilience. This victory confirmed the squad’s fourth consecutive national final and the team will face off against their bitter rivals; the Durham Saints. In the most recent matchup between Stirling and Durham the latter triumphed by two points, scoring a touchdown at the death to win 14-12. However there was no field goal on that field meaning that neither team could opt to kick a PAT and the Clansmen failed to convert on both two point conversions. In what should be a great game

between the two best university teams in Britain the Clansmen will feel they have the edge heading into the final. Since the PED scandal Durham have been playing with a vengeance, however their productivity has declined significantly. This was highlighted in their semi-final victory over Loughborough, which they only won 7-0, the lowest scoring BUCS playoff match in over 3 seasons. Despite playing solid defence consistently throughout the Saints offensive issues may come back to bite them, especially when facing a Clansmen team who has produced seven turnovers in their two playoff games so far this season. The weapons the Clansmen have on offence always

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seem to up their game when facing Durham. Wide receiver James Lightbody will be one to keep a close eye on, he scored the game winning touchdown against Derby and terrorised Durham consistently over the past two seasons. The running back duo of Campbell and Bawa will also be prominent and the Saints defence may struggle to contain them. The dynamic pairing always find a way to move the chains and keep drives alive, stopping the run seems near impossible when facing these two. The final will be played at the Sixways Stadium in Worcester on the Sunday of March 26th. The Clansmen will be hoping to make it three titles in four years but Durham will be doing all they can to stop them and claim the trophy for themselves.

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