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InQuire 5 June 2014

UKC: Top 20 ranking Sarah Osborne Website News Editor

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he Guardian has once again released its annual University League Table for 2016 and, according to the recent rankings, the University of Kent (UoK) has secured its 2016 position as one of the top universities in the country.

“It is also further recognition and endorsement of the hard work and dedication of our staff, all of whom are determined to provide our students with a stimulating academic experience and invaluable preparation for the future.”

The University finished higher than many other big city, research led institutions, such

was a tight race between UoK and Oxford, with Kent scoring 72.6 and Oxford only scoring a 70.8.

UK universities were ranked on course satisfaction, teaching satisfaction, student to staff ratio, spend per student, average entry tariff, value added score, career after six months, and finally on the Guardian’s

Religious Studies and Theology 8th; Economics 9th; Drama and Dance 10th and Politics 10th.

Its top 20 are: American Studies 11th; Anthropology 13th; Art 17th; Biosciences 20th; Classics & Ancient History 14th; Design and Crafts 18th; Forensic Science & Archaeology 19th; History 15th; Law 17th; Modern Language

Issue 11.2

Grace Beard TEDx talks at the University See Page 3

Manon Charles and Jessica Duncan How to celebrate your summer See Page 11

Annie Trafford Summer at the Marlowe Photo by Daniel John

In the last 2015 rankings, UoK ranked 20 out of 119 universities, but according to the new statistics Kent has risen by four positions and now stands at number 16 in the country – the University’s highest league table position to date.

UoK scored an overall 75.5 out of 100, rising from 71.9 in 2015.

Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow, the University’s Vice-Chancellor said: “This excellent news confirms Kent’s position as one of the best research and teaching universities in the UK.

as Leeds and Birmingham, but the top ten positions were still dominated by Russell Group institutions.

Cambridge and Oxford, again, claimed the top spots on the league table.

In some areas however UoK beat the Russell Group’s top two universities.

In student to staff ratio, Kent scored a 13, with Cambridge only scoring 11.3 and Oxford trailing behind with a mere 10.6. In feedback satisfaction there

own score.

The UK universities were further rated by all subject areas.

10 of Kent’s subjects achieved a top 10 position in the league tables, and another 15 subjects ranked in the top 20.

The University’s top ten subjects are: Architecture 3rd; Film Production and Photography 3rd; Social Policy 4th; History of Art 6th; Journalism 6th; English and Creative Writing 8th;

& Linguistics 15th; Pharmacy (Medway School of Pharmacy) 18th; Philosophy 17th; Social Work 18th; Sociology 19th; and Sports Science 14th.

Jack Lay, Kent Union Vice-President (Education), commented on Kent’s improved position: “the ranking is great news for the University and for students who study at Kent. It is however important that the University continues to work hard to improve teaching, learning and the student experience to maintain and hopefully exceed 16th in the tables.”

See Page 17

Henry Sandercock Does Kent County Cricket Club require a revamp?

See Page 22

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News Editor’s Note

Hello to all InQuire readers, The term is drawing to a close, and with it, your exams (unless, of course, you are the lucky ones to have already finished and are instead celebrating your new found freedom).

In this issue we have our top tips and guides to help you survive the end of the year and all that it entails, along with your usual source of all things Kent.

If you’re returning to us in September, or are leaving Kent forever, we hope you have a fantastic summer and have loved every minute here.

I hope you enjoy this final issue of the academic year and have a wonderful summer, Ruby InQuireLive InQuireMedia

2014/2015 Editorial contacts: Natalie Tipping- Editor-inChief chairwoman Ruby Lyle - Newspaper Editor newspaper.editor Natalie Turco-Williams Website Editor website.editor Newspaper: Nic Weatherill - News newspaper.news Comment newspaper.comment Jessica Duncan - Features newspaper.features Shalyia Arumagathasan Culture newspaper.culture Bethan Stoneman Entertainment newspaper.entertainment Sport newspaper.sport Website: Sarah Osborne- News website.news Otto Ilveskero - Comment website.comment Holly Welch - Features website.features Max Beckett - Entertainment website.entertainment Julia Mitchell - Culture website.culture Patrick Kamalu - Sport website.sport Fraser Whieldon Distribution distribution Promotions and Events events Photography and Design design add @inquiremedia.co.uk

Sustainability and students Lora Christy

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he first Student Sustainability Summit took place on 23 March 2015, with The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges. This took place in collaboration with the National Union of Students and People and Planet, as part of its annual conference which was held at the University of Leeds.

The day began with an opening keynote speech from anti-tar sands activist, Crystal Lameman. She is a member of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada, whose community, the Beaver Lake First Nation, has been affected by fossil fuel extraction.

She told students: “If there was a prize for unsustainable development, tar sands would be the clear winner. Your role as young academics is to build skills and understanding. Be the change because you are the change. You have to want something different.”

Several interactive workshops

ran throughout the morning and afternoon. Amongst these was a session delivered by the World Wide Fund for Nature

Photo by Intel Free Press

(WWF) titled ‘Nature loss: Turning a losing planet into a living planet’ which explored issues such as conservation of biodiversity, use of renewable resources, and reduction of pollution in order to protect and sustain the natural world.

Participants then formed

KU Democracy Review Ruby Lyle Newspaper Editor

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emocracy at Kent Union is to change, following the success of the Democracy Review proposal at a campus wide referendum.

The referendum concluded on 21 May, passing with 566 votes for the change, and 79 against.

Union President, Tammy Naidoo, said: "We were really pleased with the voter turnout and the overwhelming majority that the "For" campaign achieved. It just shows how much we needed change in our structures, and we're hoping that the model that we have proposed will improve the democratic engagement at Kent and make it easier for all students to get involved."

The review shall make changes to Kent Union’s constitution, which will go live for the 2015/6 academic year. These changes mean that the Union Council and Democracy Zones shall instead be replaced with a petition and feedback system, as well as an Executive Committee for by-law changes.

small groups and pitched sustainability ideas to WWF, with the most convincing idea winning its team members

Furthermore, the role of Union Chair shall be scrapped in favour of a paid, appointed position for a student who shall chair Executive Committee meetings and the Union’s AGM. Other alterations include the Union President taking responsibility for making constitutional interpretations, and Officers are to be held to account during KTV Question Time broadcasts.

When asked about the reasons behind the Democracy Review, Megan Wells, VP Welfare, said: “We need a system that actually works. Over the last twelve months we have not been able to pass a single piece of policy due to ineffective and inquorate meetings.

“This democracy review will allow all students to have their say, no matter where these students are studying. Kent Union’s democracy should be for 20,000 students, not just 20.”

The proposals for improved accountability and engagement within the Democracy Review should be implemented and felt by the student body shortly.

prizes such as t-shirts and keyrings.

Shirley Wang, a Kent student who attended the workshop, said: “My group pitched the idea of ‘Meat as a Treat’, which I really liked, as not many people are aware that cow ‘emissions', a direct result of meat-eating, are more damaging to the planet than Co2 from cars.”

Students were also encouraged to take selfies and upload them to social media platforms with the hashtag #FishFace in order to promote Earth Hour, a global annual event where millions of people switch off their lights to show their commitment to caring for the planet.

After the morning workshops,students were given a lunch break, with food provided by The Real Junk Food Project. The project is a collaborative initiative between catering professionals and activists, set up by founders and co-directors, Adam Smith and Johanna Hewitt, in response to the 15 million tons of edible food wasted in the UK each year. Smith and Hewitt suggest that such waste is due to “stringent and confusing food safety legislation” and argue that these laws “need to be revised”.

As such, they developed Pay As You Feel cafés, a concept that removes monetary value from food in line with their vision: “Our system transcends monetary transactions and liberates people to use their skills and attributes, as well as money to pay for their meals.

By making people think about what they wish to contribute for their meals, the idea is to get society thinking about how they value food as a resource.”

The second set of workshops took place in the afternoon, and included a talk by Sara Parkin, founder and director of Forum for the Future, an independent not-for-profit organisation that works globally with business and government to solve complex sustainability challenges.

Parkin delivered a presentation titled ‘Population: A Tale of Sex and Money’, encouraging students to think about population growth as an underlying cause of all major sustainability issues: “The last report from the intergovernmental panel on climate change had lots to say on energy policy, but not a word on population. Yet at the current rate, the UN anticipates there could be 16 billion people in 2100, more than double the number alive today.

“The impossibility of this at all levels appears very obvious – the hopes of young people, the lives of women, social justice and the resilience of countries, the impact on the planet’s capacity to provide resources and absorb the pollution. So, why is population a no-go policy area?”

Parkin then delivered a closing keynote speech to delegates, projecting her vision for a future in which students will take the lead and make positive progress on fundamental sustainability issues.

Fiona Pedeboy, Environment Officer for Kent Union, offered her thoughts at the conclusion of the summit: "Attending the conference was a great opportunity to share thoughts and ideas with like-minded individuals all gathered for the same purpose.

“It was an inspirational day thanks to Crystal Lameman’s talk on the harmful nature of fossil fuels for indigenous peoples; her passion and drive to save her land and her children was amazing. I also enjoyed learning about the pioneering initiatives of the Real Junk Food Project.

“Overall, the day provided an opportunity to remind ourselves that people do care and that there is hope!”

News

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TEDx talks at the University Grace Beard

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he University of Kent hosted their first ever TEDx event at the Gulbenkian on Saturday 30 May. The event, organised by students, consisted of nine speakers whose talks encompassed a diverse range of topics, from tax avoidance to human rights.

The talks addressed the theme of ‘Milestones’, in accordance with the University of Kent’s 50th anniversary, with each speaker interpreting the theme to suit the topic of their talk.

Becci Fearnley discussed the milestones of healing mental illness through the use of poetry, while Dr. William Rowlandson, a professor of Hispanic Studies at UKC, spoke about the instalment of a John Lennon statue in Havana as a milestone in Cuba’s recent history.

Event director Alex Lamarque, a final year student, said: “We wanted to bring TEDx to Kent this year to celebrate the University’s 50th anniversary, while also inspiring local communities to talk about great ideas. TEDx events create a great platform to do so, because the talks are shared not only in the community but

nationally and internationally.

It’s put the University of Kent on the map for sharing ideas that don’t necessarily belong to certain departments or paid conferences.”

With only 100 seats available, the all-day event sold out within a few days of the

speakers. It’s nice that it’s being hosted at my university and it’s a great way to end my time studying here at Kent.

“My favourite talk was Becci’s.

I love her use of poetry, and I can relate to her problems with anxiety, having suffered from it myself. I felt a connection, and

throughout the day. Speaking to InQuire, Jenna said: “My brain is frazzled from all the information. I love it. You can come and get such a diverse range of knowledge from so many different backgrounds.”

A wine reception followed the talks, giving speakers the

Photo by Adam Latham

tickets going on sale. During intermissions, the Gulbenkian café was transformed into an engagement area, with interactive activity boards and the opportunity to liaise with speakers.

Srimathi Aiyer, a final year student, said: “It’s been a very good day, with a great range of

the way she spoke about it was clear and engaging.”

Between talks, the audience were treated to big-screen projections of popular TED talks from around the world.

The event was hosted by final year student Jenna Wild, whose various anecdotes and enthusiasm kept spirits high

opportunity to relax, answer questions about their talks and discuss their ideas further.

Rebekah Simon, a second year student at the University of Kent, who delivered a talk on human trafficking, expressed her gratitude at being part of TEDx: “It’s quite a prestigious event, and such an innovative

idea of talking for a short amount of time, getting your idea out there and then having the opportunity to discuss it.”

Asked whether she was nervous, Rebekah said: “As soon as you get over the nerves of the first five seconds, you just go with the flow. The audience were great, and it was nice to establish a friendship with the other speakers.”

Gilberto Algar-Faria, who delivered a talk on the urgency of human rights, expressed a similar sentiment: “We all had a really good rapport by the end. We wanted each other to do well and in most cases people thought they did better today than in rehearsal, so we’re very pleased about that.

The organising team have been amazing. There’s been a wonderful atmosphere all day.”

With the success of this year’s event, director Alex is already organising for a new team to take over and bring TEDx back again next year. Asked how he thought the day went, Alex said: “It went really well, the speakers were great. People took home a lot of messages. We’re generally really pleased and it would be great for TEDx to be an annual event here at the University.”

Up & Go at Kent Southeastern strikes disrupt travel Bethan Stoneman Newspaper Entertainment Editor

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p & Go have erected what they have described as “the world’s biggest and bounciest Sydney Harbour Bridge assault course” on the UKC campus.

The apparatus has come to Kent as a marketing scheme in order to promote the UK launch of the new range of Up & Go breakfast drinks, which come in a variety of flavours, from sultry chocolate to sweet strawberry.

The mammoth assault course, which was set up outside the

Templeman Library, featured a host of exciting obstacles for those brave enough to take on the challenge. Students who tried the ‘Up & Go’ put themselves in the running to win a Go-Pro camera.

Among the daringly brave challengers, Kent Union VicePresident (Activities), Tom Currie, stepped up to the plate and took on the giant apparatus, in the process dislocating his arm. Although Tom is reportedly fine, it is unclear whether any other injuries have been caused by the assault course.

Photo by UpandGoUK

Photo byR~P~M

Nic Weatherill Newspaper News Editor

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tudents traveling on trains in June could face severe disruption after the National Rail announced industrial strikes.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) Union, a group around 1,600 strong, have planned two strikes: a 24hour strike on 4 June, and a 48-hour strike on 9 June, both starting at 17:00.

The strikes have been called in reaction to a wage dispute between the Union and the Government; Union representatives met recently

to discuss the latest offer but it was rejected, leading to the announcement of fresh strikes.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said the strike action was “unnecessary and unreasonable” while disrupting the live of “millions of hardworking people”. He added: “Over the past four years Network Rail staff have enjoyed pay rises eight times higher than other public sector workers. By any measure RMT members already get a fair deal.

“It is very disappointing that RMT has now rejected a deal delivered option” but to start the industrial action, “our rail staff deserve a fair reward for the

high-pressure, safety-critical work that they undertake day and night and the last thing that we need is a demoralised, burnt-out workforce living in fear for their livelihoods and their futures and the message has come back loud and clear that that is exactly how they feel about the current offer from Network Rail.”

RMT have claimed that they will be paying £30m compensation through Acas talks that the Union’s leadership agreed was a reasonable offer. “The government will do everything it can to help keep people and goods moving during the strike.”

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News

Blatter: the dark prince of football Website Comment Editor Otto Ilveskero comments on the controversy surrounding FIFA President Sepp Blatter and his recent involvement in the bribing scandal.

Photo by Tai Gray

Your News

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epp Blatter has resigned from his post as FIFA president only four days after having been re-elected for his fifth term in the midst of a corruption scandal that set the world’s football governing body in crisis.

On 27 May, Swiss authorities arrested seven senior FIFA officials in Zurich at the request of the US Department of Justice, which is investigating members of the organisation over accusations of corruption amounting to over $150 million (£97m).

The arrested officials are facing extradition to the US where they will, alongside seven other defendants – including North and Central American FIFA officials and US sports marketing executives – face charges over racketeering, wire fraud and money-laundering dating back to 1991.

While the US Attorney General Loretta Lynch will be leading the process across the Atlantic, the Swiss Office of the Attorney General has opened a separate corruption inquiry into the bids of Russia and Qatar for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively.

Since awarding the 2022 competition to Qatar in 2010, the construction of which has already seen an estimated 1,200 migrant worker deaths in five years, FIFA has been

increasingly under scrutiny over accusations of accepting bribes and kickbacks. Especially loud have been the dissenting voices of UEFA (the European Football Association) and the United States.

Before his resignation, Blatter, a man who has served as the FIFA President for the last 17 years, had repeatedly dismissed these allegations as antics of sore losers as England, Spain, the Netherlands and the US were among the candidates bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

Following his most recent re-election Mr Blatter swore to reform the organisation – a task he says he is able to perform now that it is certain he will be leaving his position.

“I shall be able to focus on driving far-reaching, fundamental reforms that transcend our previous efforts,” said the most powerful man in the world of football, during his resignation speech.

Mr Blatter’s successor will be chosen at an extraordinary general meeting of FIFA. The organisation remains under pressure to solve its reputation problems from its large multinational sponsors and UEFA, its wealthiest regional organisation, which is demanding a quick reform.

It is yet unclear who will succeed Mr Blatter as the president of FIFA, but the UEFA boss Michel Platini is said to be one of the favourites for the role if he decides to run.

Other candidates will likely include Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, who stood against Blatter in last week’s election, former Portugal international Luis Figo, and Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmad, President of the Association of National Olympic Committees.

Blatter will remain as the President until his successor is elected between December 2015 and March 2016.

Your Comment

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he US has done it again.

The world police has once again dethroned an authoritarian regime and showed the world the true meaning of liberty – except this time most of the world seems to actually agree with the Americans on toppling a despot.

Joseph “Sepp” Blatter – “the dark prince of football, the godfather, Don Blatterone” as one Swiss newspaper labelled him – was hardly facing his first scandal as the president of FIFA. During his 17-year tenure, Mr Blatter oversaw an international football mafia that regularly faced allegations of organised corruption, bribery and money-laundering, as well as personally suggesting that women’s football should be made more popular by requiring the players to wear shorter shorts.

Although Mr Blatter did finally accept that he is “not perfect” in his fifth winner’s

speech, and recognised in his resignation speech that maybe not everyone in football supports him after all, the actions of him and his minions have nonetheless done serious damage to the world’s most popular sport.

Perhaps more than any other deed, the decision to allocate the 2022 World Cup to Qatar seemed like an attempt to test how far FIFA could possibly go before it got caught. Choosing a country where daytime temperatures can exceed 50°C and whose national football team probably consists of the same passportless Nepali slaves who are building nine new stadiums required for the competition over candidates such as the US, Australia and Japan was so bizarre that it was bound to raise questions.

Since that night five years ago, a countdown clock has been ticking in every football follower’s mind, counting down to the unveiling of FIFA corruption.

Yet, even if the 2022 World Cup is reallocated, it might

be too late to take the 2018 competition away from Russia. This means that UEFA really needs to think about whether it still wants to organise an alternative World Cup in 2018, in which case I would personally like to see UEFA adopting a Eurovision strategy that would see not only Australia, but also the US, Brazil and Japan joining the next Euros.

Many have asked why Sepp Blatter waited until after the election to announce his resignation. The answer is simple: during the minimum of six months that it takes to select his successor, the current executive level has time to go through all the closets for possible skeletons and to shred all questionable accounting folders from the last two decades.

Meanwhile, as Mr Blatter prepares to leave the stage, the world of football should try to make sure that the reforms are not only skin-deep and hope that his resignation was not influenced by Nigel Farage.

Photo by Number 10

Comment

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Street marshals patrol Canterbury Your News Henry Sandercock rom September 2015, uniformed marshals will patrol student hotspots in Canterbury in a move designed to improve student safety and to crack down on anti-social behaviour.

The marshals will patrol the high street and residential areas close to both universities between 11pm and 4am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

They will be given limited powers that will allow them to take names and addresses and to radio for police back-up in case it is required. They will also be able to tackle house party noise if it is deemed to spill out into the street.

The scheme, which is being joint-funded by the University of Kent and Canterbury

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Your Comment Natalie Tipping Editor-in-Chief earing the news of the decision to up the security around town was never going to be anything other than unsettling.

When I started at the University of Kent in 2011, Canterbury was widely regarded as one of the safest university cities in the country, a fact which helped to quell the nerves of my mother as she left her daughter “so far from home”.

Over the past year however,

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Christ Church University, will be implemented for an unspecified trial period, beginning in Freshers’ Week.

It comes in the wake of recent violent attacks in Canterbury that have raised student’s security fears. These have included a stabbing in Westgate Gardens and the maiming of two men in Dane John Gardens, earlier this month.

It will also appease local resident’s concerns over antisocial behaviour. During this year’s Freshers Week, the St. Michaels Road area reported 42 student-related incidents, 15 of which were due to house parties.

The initiative is similar to one that was introduced last year in Royal Leamington Spa for University of Warwick students. That scheme, which cost the University a reported

£50,000, provided pastoral care and reminded students to be respectful of local residents on their way home.

Speaking about the marshals scheme, Kent Union VicePresident (Welfare), Megan Wells, said: “The Street

we’ve seen an increase in incidents on campus where people have been sexually assaulted, and there has also been an increase in violent attacks in Canterbury City Centre, most notably in Dane John Gardens recently.

The increase in security does however seem to suggest that Kent Police simply don’t have the man power to protect people in the city anymore.

Surely the point of a police force is that they protect citizens and that they prevent crime? Isn’t that what they’re paid to do?

Although this idea shows that The University of Kent

and Canterbury Christ Church are interested in protecting the safety of their students, I can’t help but feel that this should be a matter which is handled by a proper police force.

The idea of a random person who hasn’t been through proper police training stopping people on the street and searching them, handing out fines or even taking their names and addresses seems a bit fishy to me. The temptation to go mad on power would probably be too much for me, let’s just put it that way.

Marshal Scheme is a positive step towards improving safety in Canterbury. The scheme isn’t about policing what students do off campus, it’s about making sure that everyone, especially students are safe when walking home late at

night. This year we’ve heard loud and clear from students that they are concerned about their safety and this is one of the initiatives to address this.”

The street marshall scheme shall be hitting Canterbury in the next academic year.

Photo by Manhattan Research Inc

Photo by Simon Moores

InQuire’s favourite Kent earthquake reactions:

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Comment

What grinds my gears Ellesse Cooke

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People who break your things and don’t own up to it.

This goes out to whichever one of my housemates broke my electric can opener. I’m no genius (why do you think I’m so reliant on an electric can opener) but I’m pretty sure you’re not supposed to wash electric things in the sink. Now own up to your stupidity god damn it.

Inconsiderate slow walkers.

There’s a reason I don’t drive - besides me not having a licence - if there’s traffic, you just have to sit there and slowly progress down the road. Luckily when you’re walking, you can just side step the traffic. Unless it’s a group of people taking up the whole pavement.

When the bus has to drop someone off/ pick someone up at every.single.stop.

I almost feel bad about this one because it’s only annoying when it’s my fault.

In other words, if I’m trying to get to a 12:15 film at 12 o’clock and you’re the person getting off at the fourth stop of the journey, I will deep sigh like only an entitled blonde girl can.

Procrastination.

I like to think everyone has this problem. Does anyone else just get genuinely annoyed when you get to the end of the day and you haven’t done any of the work you kept putting off?

But see I don’t have to feel guilty about this one because I don’t blame anyone else. I blame Netflix.

Forgetting to buy (insert food item of your choice here).

Come on, I can’t be the only one with this problem. It’s 7am, I was up late revising, I just want my damn cereal.

Then I realise I don’t have any milk, let alone cereal.

Yeah, if it’s at the wrong time, that is literally soul destroying.

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EU Referendum 2017: Should under 18s be allowed to vote?

Two InQuirers debate under 18s being able to vote in the 2017 EU Referendum.

Against Karisma Indra

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ritain has always been regarded as an ‘awkward’ member of the EU, so the high levels of Euroscepticism at the moment are not shocking. David Cameron has promised to hold an ‘In/ Out’ Referendum on EU membership in 2017. There have been discussions as to whether those under the age of 18 should be allowed to vote in the aforementioned referendum. It is my belief that this should be a resounding “no”, simply because I feel that at 16, voting privileges are a little premature.

Personally, I believe that everybody deserves to have a voice, it is after all, a pivotal part of democracy. In fact, we would be hard-pressed to argue a situation where not having a voice is good for the quality of democracy. There are however many fundamental reasons

why under 18s should not vote.

At 18 I would consider myself to be relatively politically aware, but most people of my age or younger find very little about politics interesting.

By allowing those under the age of 18 to vote in such an important referendum, you are giving an awful lot of power to a group of individuals who simply do not understand the true importance of the topic of the vote.

Many see the only true issue with the EU as the case of free mobility across borders. Here in the UK the main problem we have with the EU is the immigration problem,

something which has bothered us for at least a decade, if not longer. With those under 18 having very little interest or knowledge of the EU however, is it truly safe for them to be allowed to vote on such a serious matter?

It is hard to argue that this topic is not an important one, just as important as having the ability to vote in a general election. This has been discussed many times, but has always been rejected, mainly due to the belief of many that people are not ready to vote at that age.

It has often been said that age is but a number, and

For Dave Cocozza

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t’s no surprise that David Cameron recently announced that the Conservative government we face for the next five years has decided not to allow votes at 16 for the EU referendum. He knows that age group would overwhelmingly vote to stay in the European Union because they’re not blinded by the Rupert Murdoch controlled media that disenfranchised so many and ‘forced’ them to vote his government in out of fear, prejudice and belief in his narrative. It’s simply another way the ‘self-servatives’ are attempting to control everyone.

But I, for one, do not fall for it and will continue to campaign against it.

The Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014 showed that if young people are given an issue that matters to them, one that can change the future of their country and their

Locking Photo by Nicolas Raymond them out livelihood, of voting is they will come patronising: it relies on out in force and vote for out-dated views about young it. We ask our youth to choose people’s capacities. If we have their career path at 16, by deciding on their A Levels, give a lower age limit, why don’t we introduce an upper age limit to them the chance to be part of voting? If young people can’t our armies, ask them to pay be trusted to vote, then why taxes on their earnings, and so should a 90-year-old be? much more, yet we don’t ask 16 and 17 year olds today them to actively participate in are ready to engage and the democracy of our country. participate in our democracy.

In fact, at the age of 16, you We have youth parliaments, can also give full consent to youth councils, and elected medical treatment, consent reps at further education to sexual relationships, colleges. When the Electoral get married or enter into a Commission last consulted civil partnership, become a the public about extending the member of a trade union or a right to vote to 16 and 17 year co-operative society, become olds, 72% were in support. a director of a company, and change your name by deed poll. What’s stopping Parliament

indeed this is true. I’m not sure however if many of those who have been to university, or even work in this country, have a full understanding of the situation at hand or the benefits and detrimental effects that the EU has on the UK. Subsequently, allowing those under the age of 18 to vote as well seems foolhardy at best.

I agree with the fundamentals of democracy where everyone has a voice and a vote, I just feel that it would be more prudent to have the knowledge and foresight to back up voting in referendums. This is not a direct attack on those under 18, rather a well thought out precaution against often apathetic and uninformed teenage rebellion in elections.

Whilst it is not fair to tar the entire generation of those who are 16 or 17, it seems fair to allow the same rules for voting in referendums as in general elections. Thus it seems that for now only those 18 or over should be voting. ending this injustice?

Other countries around the world have given the right to vote at 16, including Austria, Brazil, Germany, Argentina and the Isle of Man. It’s time our country woke up and put some belief into our young people, but unfortunately, you won’t get that from our government who are one-track minded and continue to put the burden of blame on the young, the marginalised, the poor and the immigrants for the failings of the financial markets and the bankers. Though, if you read Murdoch’s media empire, you probably won’t believe that.

Let’s stand together and fight for our young people to decide the fate of our country in the EU. Recognising that the important issues equally affect young people, acknowledging they are capable of making decisions, and encouraging them to be part of society those are the reasons why 16- and 17-year-olds should be allowed to vote. So let’s just allow it.

Comment

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Canterbury Council calls for ban on legal highs The Queen’s speech at the opening of Parliament proposed the Psychoactive Substances Bill, which would prohibit the production, distribution and sale of legal highs in the UK. Two InQuirers look at the pros and cons of such a bill.

For Annie Trafford

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s a student, the temptation to try drugs whilst at university is often too much for people trying their best to adopt the ‘student lifestyle’.

I’ve definitely been tempted, but have never tried it, and probably never would. This isn’t just me being a goody goody, it’s me thinking that alcohol and cigarettes are probably detrimental enough to my health, without adding other forms of narcotics into the mix.

The recently proposed Psychoactive Substances Bill, which I must say sounded a bit odd being proposed by the Queen, seems like a good idea to me. If substances are harmful to people’s health, they really shouldn’t be legal. The bill proposes that all substances that are “intended for human consumption that is capable of producing a psychoactive

Against Ron Turner

I

can’t even begin to explain all the reasons why we shouldn’t ban legal highs. Not only do they provide welcome relief from the trials of everyday life, which let’s face it, with the re-election of the Tories, isn’t going to get any better, but also as a way of preventing people from wanting to access other drugs.

It’s easy to say that a blanket ban across all psychoactive and narcotic substances (other than the super healthy substances tobacco and alcohol of course) would mean that more and more people would be tempted to experiment with substances, some of which would be substances that were illegal even before this new bill. This just isn’t true, at least I don’t think it is.

Students and young people are prone to experimentation with substances during their time at university, but I’ve never been tempted to try ‘proper’ drugs.

Figures from the Kent branch of addiction charity Addaction showed recently that young

effect” should be banned, and anybody found to be operating in breach of this bill would face a seven year prison sentence.

Thankfully for people like me who tend to thrive on a diet of alcohol, caffeine and cigarettes, it was quickly clarified the three don’t, in this instance, count as psychoactive substances.

Thank goodness for that.

Julian Brazier, MP for Canterbury and Whitstable, has consistently called for bans on legal highs over the past few years, with his campaign gaining momentum following the unfortunate deaths of Daniel Lloyd and Hugo Wenn in 2012, when the two men drowned in a pond off Tennyson Avenue in Canterbury whilst high on methoxetamine.

Methoxetamine was at that time regarded as a legal high, but has since been banned.

Incidents such as these are more than unfortunate, they’re also, as long as legal highs remain available, unavoidable.

If people are able to access legal highs, experimentation with drugs is only going to snowball from there (no, I didn’t mean to make a cocaine pun there, but enjoy that one on me). I don’t think allowing legal highs to remain openly available would be a good thing by any stretch of the imagination.

Speaking about his backing of the blanket ban, Brazier said: “I am pleased that the Government is taking notice of medical, police and local government advice to propose this legislation. With further powers for the police to seize these substances, this could provide further legal footing for Kent Police and Trading Standards raids on head shops such as what we saw last July, to take these substances off our streets.

“I’m also sure that everyone will be pleased to hear that alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, food and medical products, and other controlled drugs wil be

excluded from the scope of offence.”

The raids which Brazier was referring to took place last year on city centre shops such as Third Eye and Skunkworks, which were both known to sell legal highs, and were raided by the police, who seized many substances from the premises and banned them.

I know you might be reading this and thinking ‘well what does she know?’, and the truth is, not very much, but I do think that the pros of banning legal highs well out-weigh the cons. The safety of the public should always be a priority for any government, and I’m not a #YoungTory, but I do think this is a good decision.

people in the South East thought that legal highs are actually more dangerous than illegal drugs. This is simply ridiculous. Why would legal highs be legal if they were actually more dangerous?

Surely the Government isn’t that stupid. Surely...

I’m not going to say that tobacco, caffeine and alcohol should be banned, but to be fair, if you’re going to ban all substances that have

are capable of producing a psychoactive effect on the human mind or body, why not go the whole hog? That would really make people show their true colours, the whole country would descend into anarchy.

Banning legal highs wouldn’t stop people from using drugs, it would just put people in more precarious or dangerous positions while precuring them.

I’d much rather go to a shop like Third Eye and buy an over

the counter legal high than go to some dark alleyway and meet a guy who literally looks like he could sell my eyeballs on the black market.

Realistically, it’s much easier to control the consumption and sale of drugs if some substances remain legal.

Let’s face it, Canterbury is a relatively safe city, but there are definitely some dangerous characters around, and I can’t help but think that the banning

of legal highs will increase the number of people who use the sale of narcotics and psychoactive substances as a means of making money.

I mean, come on, this isn’t the 1920s, let’s not create a new prohibition era where secret clubs pop up all over the country for people desperately trying to get high. Don’t ban legal highs, it’s only going to open the floodgates for a whole new issue.

Photo by epsos.de

Photo by Byung Kyu Park

Photo by Global Panorama

iq

Procrastination puzzles

Spot the dierence There are eight differences to find - I checked

Hard

Sudoku

Easy

Medium

Photo by Jeff Hoyle

Last issue’s solutions Easy

Medium

Photo by Jeff Hoyle

Colouring in Noughts and crosses

Photo by Ben Jordan

10

Features

Don’t leave me! All by myself on campus Scarlett Roberts

A

fter the hectic social life of university, going home can sometimes feel anticlimactic. We go from being around people 24/7, to spending a lot of time on our own. But with a long summer looming ahead of us, what can we do on those days when all of our friends are busy? Here are some tips on how to avoid going stir crazy over the holidays.

There is no better time to explore than during the three months off before returning to uni. Whether you’re lucky enough to get the chance to explore a foreign country or are stuck at home, there is always something to see. Sometimes we are unaware of how many things are on our doorstep.

Do some research and you might be surprised at what you can find. If it gets you out of the house for a day it can’t be all bad, right?

Photo by Patrick Barry

The summer is also the perfect time to pick up a new hobby or learn a skill.

You could do anything from learning to juggle, to learning to knit. The possibilities are endless! With so much free time, you have no excuse not to

pick up a hobby.

They drive us crazy, but after months away from home, spend some time with the family. Whether it be a sibling date to the cinema, or chilling with the parents, make up for lost time by dedicating a few days to the family.

With so many blockbuster films being released over the next few months, there is no better time to go to the cinema. If, like me, you struggle to find someone to accompany you (seriously, why is there never anyone available to take me to the cinema?), go by yourself.

Though it may be daunting at first, you’ll be sat in darkness for two hours, so immersed in the film that you won’t even notice the empty seat next to you.

Another bonus, you don’t have to share your popcorn with anyone. I seriously think that everyone should go to the cinema alone at some point in their lives.

If you want to avoid going stir crazy without even leaving the comfort of your room, binge watch a TV series (the more seasons available the better).

You’ll be so invested in the lives of the characters that you won’t even realise that you’re bored.

If all else fails, go job hunting. Even if you’re not successful in your search, applying for jobs is time consuming enough and it will trick everyone into thinking you’re a contributing member of society.

Hopefully these tips will tide you over until you return to Canterbury in September and are reunited with people who are always around and up for doing something, even it is mostly nights out!

Manon Charles

P

icture the scene, everyone has gone home for summer, everywhere is deserted, the library is finally empty, and only rabbits populate campus.

What would you do if you had campus to yourself?

The first port of call, for any self respecting UKC student, would be The Venue. Imagine having the whole place to yourself, whether you are more of a #Trend person or a seasoned Soap goer, you could be your very own DJ and run your own night. The bonus of an empty Venue? Access to the bar without competing with other people for attention.

Once you’ve tired yourself out busting moves on the dance floor, head upstairs to have a lie down on the sofas before getting back up and partying once again. There’s no rush, the night is yours. Once the night is well and truly over, it’s time to head to Essentials for a little post-night out snack. Nothing tops a night out in Venue quite like a chicken burger from Essentials, and because you’re the only person on campus, you would be both server and customer, but hey, at least there’s no chance the food will run out by the time you reach the front of the queue.

The morning after the night before, and there’s only one place to eat: Rutherford Dining Hall.

There is nothing quite Photo by Jean-Jacques Boujot

like a fry up, and Rutherford provides just that. Coupled with an impressive looking hall and a breathtaking view, make the most of the emptiness by sitting wherever you like, ‘reserved’ signs be damned.

Is it just me, or is our campus really big? Especially when you have to get from Keynes to Darwin in the space of five minutes (thanks for that timetabling office!). But imagine if you had campus all to yourself, you could use the Unibuses as your own taxi service. In Origins and fancy going to Woodys? Commandeer a Unibus to get you to your destination in style, whilst also finally making the most of that overpriced bus pass.

Make the most of the empty campus in the best way, with a rampage in Essentials. Savour the moment of an empty shop because that is something that doesn’t happen often! Whether you prefer bakes, or chocolates, or fruit and veg, most things are available in Essentials (including some overpriced stationery if that’s your thing). But the best thing about it? No queue. That’s right, there would be no queue in Essentials. Mind blowing.

When life gets a little much and having campus all to yourself becomes a little overwhelming, take a moment to relax on Tyler Hill. With arguably the best vantage point on campus, there is no greater place to sit and contemplate life whilst having your own personal view of the Cathedral. Of course, on this deserted campus there would be no construction work (we can only dream!) and so the view would remain untainted.

The sleeper’s guide to success Keanu Gee

W

ith exam season at its peak and the 24/7 library in full effect, many students will be putting their biological necessities to one side in favour of revision.

While Rustlers burgers can save precious moments better used for study, there is little that can replace the eight hours of invaluable inactivity called sleep. A dozen 39p energy drinks or a few litres of coffee will provide short-term relief, but after your fifth library all-nighter, your hands will turn into numbers as a sleep deprived hallucination renders the keyboard pillow the opportune napping spot.

I love sleep and, being a humanities student, I get plenty of it, so it’s surprising to me that in a 2007 study 71% of students reported sleep problems and more than half of the

students exhibited clinically poor exactly why we sleep. sleeping habits. It would seem that Sleep is a far more complex behaviour students are less sleep indulgent than simply resting the brain and than we are famous for. Considering reserving energy. Some processes such the strong correlation academic as the release of growth hormones, performance has with sleep, we may tissue repair, protein synthesis and consider nudging UKC to follow muscle growth occur mostly, if not the lead of the University entirely, while our mind is busy of Manchester with the dreaming. Sleep also allows installation of a space age our brains to reorganise, sleeping pod in the library replay and restore the that allows the sleepy memories made that day by scholar to steal a potentially strengthening the synapses critical twenty minute between neurons for more Photo by Allan Ajifo useful information making it snooze.

Sleep is a crucial component more likely to be remembered. of life, all birds and mammals The restorative function of sleep in one form or another. A resting our favourite circadian rhythm is period is crucial to human health, so supported by a 2013 study on rats that demonstrated that while snoozing, the much so that you could survive for space between brain cells increases by longer without food than without sleep, up to 60%, allowing cerebral spinal and yet sleep has baffled scientists for fluid to flow between them, which centuries, who still remain divided on

flushes out toxins. Sleep, then, is like a jet wash for your brain, cleaning out waste proteins that accumulate through the day and contribute to neurodegeneration.

A library all-nighter can prevent the effective removal of these toxins and explains sleep deprivations intense and immediate consequences on our mental well-being.

There are more aspects to the purpose of sleep than one book or article can summarise. Dr. William C. Dement, a leading authority on sleep science, condenses the inexplicable purpose of sleep best by saying simply, “we sleep in order to not be sleepy”.

So, as pre-exam day looms, make sleep a priority, get those external zeitgebers in order, trick your suprachiasmatic nucleus into tiredness, sink into your bedroom duvet nest and let your brain do its thing.

Features

11

Throwing the best party 10 Useless Facts Manon Charles

N

ow that exams are over, it’s time to start celebrating (or commiserating). Whether it be a graduation celebration, a leaving party, or a good old knees up, here are some of my top tips for hosting a successful garden party.

Location is key when planning a party. Whether you opt for an indoor or outdoor venue, make sure it’s big enough to host the desired number of people.

Now that summer has come around again, garden parties are becoming increasingly popular. This could be because they offer more options than a regular house party, it’s almost like having two venues in one! Depending on your budget and the occasion, hiring a small marquee will ensure that guests stay dry in typical British summer weather.

Once you have the location sorted, the next step is decorations. To make the party more fun, implement a theme (superhero, vintage, white party), this can often make the process of decorating easier for the host, as it is more straightforward.

If you want to host a traditional British garden party, you can’t go wrong with

bunting, in fact, the more the merrier! biscuits and all sorts of sweet treats. If Whether you go for the patriotic your party is an all-day affair, a BBQ option with mini Union will keep everyone happy. flags or for the cutesy While considering Photo by Guillaume Duveau flowery option, they’re the catering for a nice way to spruce the party, don’t up an otherwise forget the drinks. boring venue. These Whether you can be bought from provide the high street shops drinks yourself such as Tiger or or make it a even supermarkets.

BYOB (bring If your party is your own booze) taking place well party, make sure into the night, invest you don’t run dry in some fairy lights halfway through. and lanterns to give The music sets the place an ethereal the tone for an feel and create a lovely event. Whether you atmosphere, whilst want jazz music in the also providing a prime background, or some old Instagram opportunity. school classics, creating Arguably the most the right playlist ensures important part of any party the night will be successful. is getting the food right, it is essential Start it off with some mellow, summery for the success of the event. Finger songs and as the party goes on and the food means that people can eat while drinks get flowing, make the transition standing up and can pick and choose into more upbeat tunes. This will whatever they like. Some classic guarantee that your party is a hit. party foods include sausage rolls, With these tips, your party will be the mini quiches, crisps, and the all-time talk of the town and everyone will be favourite, finger sandwiches. These can angling for an invitation to the next be followed by little cakes, party rings, soirée you throw!

Summer garden party games Jessica Duncan Newspaper Features Editor

N

ow that your exams are over, it’s time to celebrate your summer.

If you’re already throwing a garden party, maybe some traditional summer games with a student twist may be appropriate. Here are my suggestions.

Croquet: A typically classy game can be altered to be student friendly, using balled up socks, a broom and some chopsticks pushed in to the grass! The aim of the game is simple: get the ball through all the hoops in the least hits possible, much like miniature golf.

Swingball: A childhood classic brings back memories of attempting to hit

Photo by Rev Stan

Dizzy broom: All you’ll need for this game is a broom and friends you don’t mind making an fool of yourself in front of. The aim is to hold the broom above your head whilst spinning around for 20 rotations, before putting the broom down and jumping over it - sounds simple but give it a go, especially after a few summery, chilled glasses of Pimm’s.

your friend around the face with a ball on a string. Whilst this wasn’t actually the aim of the game, as much as we tried to convince our parents, the target was to rotate the string towards either the top or the bottom, depending on which you were allocated.

Another version of this involves a football, for those who are worried

about losing their deposit over broken fence panels.

Egg and spoon race: One from sports days past, this requires medium effort and equipment but brings out the competitive side in everyone involved. If you’ve got old, out of date, eggs, floating around at the back of the fridge, this is a great way to dispose of them in a fun way.

Boules: A traditionally French game, this traditionally social game is perfect for those who aren’t particularly active, not involving much movement, and would be great played with round fruits such as apples or oranges. With the aim to be the closest to throw their ball to the small marker, it is a game of judging distances and skill at throwing.

Dangling doughnuts: This is a great game for both people who are hungry and want to earn their afternoon treat.

By stringing up doughnuts and not allowing players to use their hands, mess is a certainty with players coming away covered in sugar and jam.

Tin can alley: With all those leftover cans from nights out (yes you with the collection in the window) why not line them up and turn it into a game of tin can alley, attempting to knock them down - making sure they’re all empty of course.

Karisma Indra

1. You can get a rough estimate of the temperature in Fahrenheit by counting the number of times a cricket chirps in 15 sections and then adding 37.

2. One of our favourite summer fruits is the watermelon, but apparently it can be classed as a vegetable.

Photo by Ron Doke

3. Children grow faster in the springtime.

4. Butterflies (a staple of British summertime) taste with their hind feet.

Photo by Sunny_mjx

5. Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

6. A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.

Photo by Ana_Cotta

7. Grapes explode when you put them in the microwave.

8. Owls are the only birds who can see the colour blue.

Photo by M.Shattock

9. All female bees in a hive are sisters.

10. Almonds are a member of the peach family.

Photo by Harsha K R

12

Features

Savouring your university memories

Jessica Duncan Newspaper Features Editor

A

s your time at university draws to a close and the adult world beckons for some, the last of our student budgets can allow for a last minute blow out to celebrate all the fun times you and your friends have had together over the last three years.

For some, graduation is a while off, but birthdays

roll around faster than we think, so here are some gify ideas for those who struggle to get it just right.

One way of preserving your time at university is a memory box or collage. Those tickets from cinema trips and formal events can make for a great collage, or for those who don’t feel creative enough, these bits can be collected in a small box which can be taken with them to reminisce with when they’re feeling

nostalgic.

Another idea is a basket full of their

favourite things, especially for those leaving for a year abroad who will miss the home comforts. There are many websites which can make these parcels, but often a more personalised version is better. If you’re making a

parcel for a friend, knowing that they love Cadburys more than any chocolate they’ll find in America, or that they can’t start their day without marmite on toast and a cuppa can make their time away that much easier.

Rather

Photos by Daniel John and Ruby Lyle

than getting the typical photos and chocolate idea, if you’re looking for something you and your friends can do together to make one last memory, an experience day would be perfect. Things such as photo

shoots, driving laps in expensive cars or a day wine tasting make for something interesting and unforgettable.

Similarly, if you want to get your friend something but they aren’t specific about what they want, you can always try stalking their Amazon wish lists. We’re all bad for adding things we want but can’t afford at the time, but by pooling your money together with others you may be able to

get a few items. Whilst it might be a little expensive at the time, it’ll be worth it for the look on their face.

The term and maybe your time at Kent is coming to a close, but friendships and memories last a lifetime. Collages, care packages and experiences are just some ways to help you and your friends smile through the long summer.

Summer technology must haves

Shalyia Arumugathasan Newspaper Culture Editor

S

ummer is approaching and there are many apps out there that can improve your summer experience.

Not only can you track where you travel, but there are plenty of fitness apps to help you gain that summer body. I have tried to narrow down some of my favourites which I

Photo by Highways England

think you should try. Here are my top five apps:

1. Been - this app allows you to track and note down all the places you have travelled to. You can put in all your past holidays and city breaks, along with anywhere you are planning to go this summer. This is perfect for long trips for all of you travellers out there, it can help you realise all the places you are yet to visit.

2. Fitstar Yoga - For all of you who are fitness obsessed and don’t plan on taking a break from your strict exercise regime, this app is perfect for you.

This is a good way to still do some sort of workout but with less cardio intensity. It provides yoga sessions every few days which focus on specific areas, but also has longer sessions which you can do at any time. It is a great way to get in shape but not over work yourself.

3. Uber - This is probably one of the

best forms of transport I have come across, especially if you are going to be dipping in and out of London this summer. It is a faster and far more efficient version of a taxi and, although you are probably expecting otherwise, it is not expensive. This is a nice speedy way to get around town.

4. Mixvid - So I am presuming most of you have Instagram and along with that comes a plethora of photo editing apps. But this is purely for videos; say you are going to a festival or have loads of footage left from a night out, this app lets you put them all together.

5. Lastly, Soundcloud - I feel most of you would have heard of this and probably use it. But then again, lots of you probably haven’t thought to give it a try. This app gives you access to so many different types of music and a lot of current songs out there. It is great to have during parties or a picnic in the park. The app usually contains the majority of music you want and still plays when you leave the app, which I think makes it even better.

Features

13

Easy student recipes for you As the BBQs begin to be dusted off and Dad’s take over meal times, here are some fresh, summer ideas for foodies.

Manon Charles

Natalie Tipping Editor-in-Chief

Iced Mocha Serves: 1 Prep time: 5 minutes

Mango and Caramelised Red Onion topped Chicken Breast, with Linguine and Asparagus Serves: 2 Cooking time: 45 minutes

Ingredients 3/4 cup Milk 1 tsp Vanilla extract 3 tsp Sugar 3 tbsp Mocha coffee mix 1 cup Crushed ice Method 1. Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Pour over extra ice to serve, and enjoy as a refreshing treat on a hot summer’s day.

Photo by CurryPuffy

Jessica Duncan Newspaper Features Editor Raspberry Brioche Serves: 6 Cooking time: 30 minutes Ingredients 1 Brioche bread 300g Frozen raspberries 500ml Creme fraiche 200g White chocolate 3 Eggs 1 tbsp Vanilla essence

Photo by Kat Martinez

Jessica Duncan Newspaper Features Editor

Method 1. Cut loaf into squares, put half at bottom of bowl and sprinkle half the raspberries on top.

2. Chop the chocolate into chunks and sprinkle half on top of the raspberries.

Repeat steps one and two.

3. Mix eggs, creme fraiche, and vanilla essence in bowl, pour over the bread and chocolate.

4. Cook for 20 to 30 minutes on gas mark 6, until the top goes crispy and brown.

5. Leave to stand for 10 minutes.

Honey Roasted Potatoes Serves: 6 people as a side Cooking time: 5 minutes Ingredients 200g New Potatoes 1tbsp Grain Mustard 1 tbsp Honey Method 1. Boil the potatoes until they start to soften.

2. Mix the honey and mustard (for a little kick, add a tablespoon of soy sauce).

3.Coat the potatoes in the mixture and put onto skewers.

4. Cook on the barbecue for two or three minutes, turning regularly until crisp.

Photo by Sacha Fernandez

Photo by Patti

Photo by Chrissy Cupcake

Photo by Katrin Morenz

Moonira Mamoon Niçoise Salad Serves: 2 Cooking time: 10 minutes Ingredients 200g New potatoes 2 Eggs 100g Green beans 1 Lettuce 8 Cherry tomatoes 1 Tuna can 2 tbsp Mayonnaise Method 1. Boil the potatoes and eggs, taking out the eggs after seven minutes.

2. Leave in the potatoes and add the green beans. Cook both for a further four minutes.

3. Drain all three and run under cold water.

4. Peel the eggs and cut the lettuce and potatoes.

5. Scatter the beans, potatoes, tomatoes and eggs over lettuce.

6. Flake and scatter the tuna on top.

7. Mix mayonnaise and a tablespoon of cold water until smooth and drizzle over the salad.

Ingredients 1 large mango, cut into small dice 1 red onion, cut into small dice salt and pepper 1/2 tsp of lime zest 2 chicken breasts 2 cups of linguine 6 asparagus spears 6 rashers of prosciutto or parma ham Method 1. Season the chicken breasts, place them on an oven tray and put them in an oven, preheated to 200 degrees.

2. Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan, then add the red onion. Cook on a medium-low heat until the onion is softened.

3. Wrap each asparagus spear in a rasher of prosciutto or parma ham, and place on an oven tray. Sprinkle salt over the spears to make sure the ham crisps up.

4. Once the onion is softened, add the mango and the lime zest and stir to combine all of the ingredients. Season to taste.

5. Put a pan of water on the heat to boil.

6. Put the asparagus into the oven, along with the chicken.

7. Once the chicken is almost cooked through, add the salsa to the top, coating it completely.

8. When the water in the saucepan is boiling, add the linguine, along with a splash of oil. This oil stops the pasta from sticking together due to the starch.

9. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and serve into two bowls.

10. Take the chicken and asparagus out of the oven, and arrange in the bowl with the linguine. We suggest you also serve any salsa which has dropped off the chicken on top of the pasta, as the flavours really compliment each other.

Photo by Natalie Tipping

14

Entertainment

Artists not to miss this summer Bethan Stoneman Newspaper Entertainment Editor

E

very summer, arenas across Britain are hit with a whole host of amazing musicians, suitable for lovers of each and every musical genre. But which bands are touring this summer, and who should you be sure to see? Let me tell you...

5 Seconds of Summer Over the past year, 5 Seconds of Summer have been slowly establishing themselves as the newest and most exciting boyband in the music industry, challenging the title held by heartthrobs One Direction. With the release of pop hits such as “She Looks So Perfect” and “Don’t Stop”, the band have grown a fan-base of dedicated fans that are sure to be flocking to the group’s UK tour this summer.

Starts: 30 May at the Belfast Odyssey Arena.

Finishes: 12 June at the London SSE Arena, Wembley.

Ariana Grande This pop songstress rose to the big time last year when her single “Problem” featuring. Iggy Azalea debuted at No. 1 in the UK charts. This

Dates for the diary Cinderella- 6-13 June, The Gulbenkian Theatre London Road Live Film Premiere- 9 June, The Gulbenkian Theatre The Gutter Brothers- 13 June, the Marlowe Theatre The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness- 21 June, The Gulbenkain Justin Hayward- 12 July, The Marlowe Theatre Kevin Bridges: A Whole Different Story- 13 July, The Marlowe Theatre Jimmy Carr: Funny Business- 14 July, The Marlowe Theatre From The Jam: That’s Entertainment Acoustic- 17 July, The Marlowe Theatre Mark Thomas: Tresspass- 18 July, The Marlowe Theatre The Marlowe Comedy Cabaret25 July, The Marlowe Theatre Tim Eriksen- 30 July, The Marlowe Theatre

summer, Ariana Grande is bringing her sunny pop hits to the UK with her ‘Honeymoon Tour’ hitting arenas across Britain in the coming months.

Starts: 1 June 2015 at the London O2 Arena.

Finishes: 9 June 2015 at the Birmingham Barclaycard Arena.

One Direction One Direction have had their fair share of big UK arena tours throughout their time as a boyband, however the recent departure of heartthrob Zayn has left fans wondering how the now fourpiece will function on stage. If you’re interested in seeing this new dynamic this summer, or just want to stare at the boys’ faces, there is only one show left of their ‘On The Road Again’ tour with tickets. The support act for this very show is a one-off appearance by supergroup McBusted, and tickets are selling like hot cakes.

Only tickets left: 5 June at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium.

Ed Sheeran 24 year-old singer songwriter Ed Sheeran has been dominating the UK charts this year with his perfect blend of pop, hip-hop and acoustic music that has made him a household name in just

four years. This summer, Ed is proving just how huge his music has become, as he is headlining Wembley Stadium for three nights running in July. In addition to being the biggest solo shows the young artist has ever performed, they are sure to be some of the most exciting nights of the year for music fans, as Ed’s music has led him to be hailed as one of the brightest musicians of the moment.

Starts: 10 July- 12 July: London’s Wembley Stadium.

Taylor Swift When Taylor Swift announced her 1989 World Tour in November, excitement was felt across the country.

The songstress, who rose to fame back in 2008 with her release of the countrypop smash “Love Story”. Since then, the last year has seen Taylor develop her sound and image into that of a truely talented artist, with the release of her fifth album ‘1989’ marking her full transition into the world of pop and marking her as one of the biggest and most successful superstars on the planet.

Starts: 21 June at the Glasgow SSE Hydro Arena.

Finishes: 30 June at the Dublin 3Arena.

Songs on Repeat Bethan Stoneman Newspaper Entertainment Editor Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar- “Bad Blood” Taylor’s hit album ‘1989’ featured a whole host of amazing and catchy songs. This new release is arguably one of the best tunes on the album, with Taylor reportedly singing about ex-friend Katy Perry on the single. The video for the song is also a must-watch for any Swift fan, as an array of Victoria’s Secret models and singers come together to make the ultimate girl-power music video.

YouTuber of the month Marina Plummer

T

he invention of YouTube in 2005 has changed the way modern music is made and has provided a platform for aspiring artists to release their talent into the world, leading to the discoveries of world-dominating artists such as Justin Bieber. Now, as the YouTube powerhouse grows evermore popular with four billion videos watched on the site every day, it appears to be the only place for an aspiring musician to get their voice heard in today’s media.

One particular artist who is slowly making waves in the music industry is 22 year-old London-born Ebony Day, who has been uploading covers to the video site for six years. With her long brunette hair and polished make-up, Ebony already looks every bit the star as she puts her own twist on current chart hits and edits her videos to a professional standard.

Day’s voice is sugar-sweet and girly as she shows her vocal range by belting out a variety of genres, from Rihanna to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, with her 340,000 subscribers encouraging the singer to upload a new cover weekly.

Her most popular video, a cover of Clean Bandit’s number one “Rather Be”, has acquired an impressive 3.6 million views and is the stand-out cover on the young artist’s channel, leaving viewers

in awe of the performer’s versatile vocals and ability to hit Mariah Careyesque high notes.

Although currently unsigned to a music label, the singer has had her small share of success as 2012 saw her perform at Stoke 2012 Live alongside chart-topping girl-band The Saturdays, and in 2013 she was voted MTV’s Best New Artist. Day also appears to have famous friends, as she is often seen gracing the videos of fellow popular YouTubers such as internet pranksters ‘My Name is Chai’ and ‘Callux’, whose subscriber count boasts more than one million people.

Despite the singer’s growing popularity, Day has faced set-backs in her YouTube journey as her attempt at becoming the next winner of the UK’s 2014 ‘X Factor’ saw the singer unceremoniously booted out by music mogul Simon Cowell at the ‘boot camp’ stage of the show. Nevertheless, the artist appears to be fighting her way back into the music business, as 2014 saw her performing on stage at the O2 Arena alongside boy-band Union J, and release her first EP ‘The Beginning’.

As her vocals continue to develop in strength and her confidence continues to grow, Ebony Day is a name to watch in the music industry as the sweetvoiced young performer is sure to be gracing televisions and radios all over the world in the years to come.

Photo by Ferro Biansa

Charlie XCX- “Famous” You may remember Charlie for her massive summer hit of 2014 “Boom Clap”, which was featured on the soundtrack of the tear-jerker The Fault in Our Stars film. Now, Charlie is back with a new summer smash that is sure to be dominating the airwaves when the sun is shining.

David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj“Hey Mama” David Guetta is the master of addictive and catchy hits, and his new single is no different. The producer has recruited rap goddessof- the- moment Nicki Minaj for his newest hit, and it promises to be the only song we’re going to be hearing this summer.

George Ezra- “Did You Hear The Rain?”

In 2014, the young George Ezra exploded onto the music scene with his massive single “Blame it on Me”, which everybody in Britain loved.

Now, Ezra is back with his deep voice and authentic sound, this time hoping to crack that ellusive ‘Song Of The Summer’ title.

Entertainment

InQuire roasts: Meghan Trainor Cecily Rowland

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ou would have to have been living under a rock these past years to have missed the growth in popularity within popular culture for songs, to put it lightly, with morally questionable implications.

There is little denying that in the past, the music industry hasn’t exactly gone the extra mile to place itself at the forefront in the promotion of Feminist or equalist values. Off the top of my head, the masculine dominated genre of hip-hop more often than not has boiled down to nothing more than a misogynistic effort at peacocking.

Yet even the distasteful remarking at love-making in rappers’ songs seems to have at least an inch more dignity than the multiplatinum singles of late, with their active and alarming promotion of issues, both sensitive in and damaging towards society.

Meghan Trainor’s debut hit All About That Bass first graced our ears in the summer of 2014, and I’m sure I speak for a lot of young women when I say that it was in no small way refreshing to hear a song by an unconventionally attractive woman speaking up about encouraging women to embrace their imperfections.

Yet it’s difficult not to become increasingly uncomfortable, as someone with perhaps a little less booty to hold at night, when hearing Trainor’s misplaced

venom towards “all the skinny bitches”.

It strikes me that what the artist ought to have remembered is that positive body image should not be something reserved for the select few, for one or the other.

that she had never had the strength to develop an eating disorder, as if it was merely a question of being in the possession of self-discipline, an actual positive personal attribute.

Trainor has received yet more criticism for her newest single Dear Future Husband, in which she yet again bases her self-worth as a woman on the acceptance from men, whilst simultaneously encouraging outdated gender expectations. Ergo, it’s just generally offensive on all fronts, to both men and women.

But all’s not lost. In projecting herself in such a shallow manner, her songs manage to bring to light the importance of personality and morality in young girls today. So I suppose it’s hats off to Trainor in one way.

Photo by Cara Difabio

In Trainor’s case, as someone who I assume was inspired to write the song, if she did in fact write it herself, after being made to feel ashamed of how she looked her entire life, you’d have thought she would steer clear of belittling an entire portion of the population for that very reason.

Perhaps Trainor was in some way trying to dig herself out of the hole she’d gotten herself into by proclaiming in an interview with Entertainment Tonight

Photo by Disney ABC Television Group

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You should follow...

Anna Kendrick @AnnaKendrick47 The shining star of Pitch Perfect and Twilight is the hottest actress around at the moment, and her hilarious tweets provide a running commentary on her life which anyone can relate to.

26 May: “oh God. I just realised I’m stuck with me my whole life”.

Ricky Gervais @rickygervais It’s impossible to have Twitter and not be familliar with the trend of ‘bath selfies’ that Ricky Gervais has created. In addition to his comical photos, Gervais uses his tweets to raise awareness of animal cruelty in the media.

26 May: “sometimes, I want to stop the world and get off”.

Lena Dunham @lenadunham 2014 was an incredible year for actress and writer Lena Dunham, as her hit show Girls topped the TV chart, making her a household name.

Her tweets document this incredible success, as she voices her opinions on fellow celebrities.

22 May: “Kim K has super cool nipples”.

Underrated comedians you need to be watching Rachel Green

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n the world of comedy, there are many rising stars. These are InQuire’s ones-to-watch over the coming months.

Katherine Ryan Katherine Ryan is the 31-year-old Canadian comedian who is making a name for herself in the male-dominated world of comedy. The comedian has taken the UK comedy scene by storm as, in the last couple of years, she has appeared on popular comedy panel shows such as Mock the Week, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Ryan began to be recognised as a strong female figure in the comedy world through her memorable how to

In a band? Making a movie? Fancy yourself as a comedian? We’re interested.

Contact newspaper. entertainment@ inquirelive.co.uk for more details.

be Beyoncé routine on the stand-up show Live at the Apollo, which left the audience in stitches as she taught them how to impersonate Beyoncé’s facial expressions, instructing that “there’s a bad smell and you’re angry about it”.

2015 will see the comedian reaching new heights as she is set to replace Steve Jones as the presenter of the TV show Hair on BBC 2.

Where to catch her: touring from 3 June all over the UK. Tim Vine You may recognise this British comedian as he is best known for his role as Tim alongside Lee Mack in hut comedy sitcom Not Going Out. Before he got his defining role however, the comedian was well-known for his hilarious stand-up shows where his one-liners and classic jokes would have comedy fans across Britain in hysterics.

In 2012, Vine quit Not Going Out in order to focus on his stand-up career, a move that proved successful as he won the award for Best Joke at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2011, 2012 and 2014. The comedian won the latest festival with the joke “I decided to sell

my Hoover… well, it was just collecting dust”.

If you fancy a laugh this summer, you can catch him all over the UK, as he is touring until 31 October.

Aziz Ansari This 32 year-old American actor and comedian is most recognisable for his role as Tom in the hit show Parks and Recreation, which he played for six years alongside fellow comedian Amy Poehler.

2015 has seen Ansari become one of the breakout stars of comedy, as his sharp wit and genuinely funny persona come through in his stand-

up performances, a trait that did not go unnoticed by the entertainment industry, as the comedian was chosen to host the 2010 MTV Movie Awards.

Ansari is proving to be a multitalented comedian as he has now turned his hand to writing, as his book, Modern Romance: An Investigation, which provides a comical commentary on the terrifying world of dating, is available to buy from June.

Ansari is not currently touring in the UK, but if you fancy getting a taste of his stand-up performances, you can watch his previous, hilarious show Live at Madison Square Garden on Netflix.

Photo by Taylor Herring

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Entertainment

Pitch Perfect 2 review: the pitches are back

Ellesse Cooke

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o, I went into this film with very low expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the first film. Heck, I’m still trying to find someone I can force to start an acapella group here. But that didn’t change the fact that some fans thought the sequel wasn’t as good. So, with a trailer for the latest Nicholas Sparks cliché under my belt, I waited in hope that this film would exceed my expectations.

The Good Now, any film that begins with two A Capella commentators (Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins) singing the Universal theme tune is off to a pretty good start in my book. As seen in the trailer, Fat Amy (Rebel Wilson) winds up flashing a whole audience of people,

Photo by Dario Reyes

including the The Bad President, midWhere the film performance, falls flat is Becca’s leading the (Anna Kendrick) Bellas to be storyline. It’s not disbanded unless because it hangs they can win the on the ‘girl gets an A-Capella world internship and has tournament. potential but one Fat Amy really criticism makes makes this film. her start doubting Besides being the herself’ cliché. It’s High Priestess that it is blown up Photo by Eva Rinaldi of one liners, into a big secret Fat Amy also for the weakest of gets a love interest. You remember that reasons, that being that Chloe (Brittany arrogant twerp Bumper who left to work Snow) has spontaneously become a for John Mayer? Yep. But honestly, control freak since the previous film. watching Bumper try to be romantic is Fortunately, when Becca is found possibly one of the sweetest, strangest out, it’s resolved within two minutes things I’ve ever seen. Besides the of hilarity instead of five minutes of returning cast, we also get a couple of moping. Plus, some of the characters delicious antagonists in Flula Borg and at Becca’s internship get a laugh once Birgitte Hjort Sørensen as the leaders in a while, notably her boss (Keeganof European acapella champions, Das Michael Key).

Sound Machine.

Then there’s the new Bellas. Emily And they are an extremely good Junk (Hailee Steinfield) is a shy little A-Capella group. Their whole sound thing who is also the daughter of a and image is very intense, so unlike the former Bella and writes songs, the Barden Bellas, but so watchable. Even problem being that A-Capella groups if they do strangely turn every ‘the’ they don’t sing original songs. sing into a ‘da’. Both they and the Bellas I accept that a fair few of the Bellas are are great, but the best performance of clichés. But the others always seemed at the film goes to the five muscular guys least somewhat self-aware. Emily is just singing “Bootylicious” in the exclusive too squeaky clean to be in this film to riff off. not be mocked for it. The other newbie,

Flo, is a Guatemalan student, who frequently references her experiences with poverty. But the shock comedy value is lost because we already have Lilly (Hana Mae Lee) saying similarly shocking things, but better.

Fortunately, these things are bearable because the film isn’t about the individual Bellas, it’s about the sisterhood that joins them together. If you’re looking for a fluffy sequel with a slightly different taste, get your pitching self to this film.

Top 3 Lines “All my teeth are from other people” Lilly “It’s A Capella only! So prepare to meet a lot of sexually confused guys”- Fat Amy. “You are physically flawless but that doesn’t mean I like you”- Becca

Photo by David Shankbone

In defense of Geordie Shore My fantasy live-action Disney film Cecily Rowland

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ational phenomenon Geordie Shore was brought to the UK by American television giant MTV in 2011 as an effort at an English counterpart to the stateside hit that is Jersey Shore.

The show follows the antics of a group of young lads and lasses living under one roof for three weeks in a theoretical agreement to carry out ‘work’ in exchange for living expenses.

Qualifications are optional, but boozing and fulfilling the Geordie stereotype is mandatory.

My love story with Geordie Shore began upon visiting a friend at university in Newcastle and much to my excitement, despite not actually knowing who they were, brushing shoulders with a cast member in a club. As a TV addict, there are only so many American sitcoms one can endure before getting a hankering for a different flavour, so I came to the conclusion that the time had come for me to jump on the bandwagon. I quite honestly haven’t looked back since.

As a History of Art student whose course is 100% coursework based, you can imagine how much time I’ve had on my hands of late. Some hard-core Geordie Shore binging sessions have

gone down and I’ve actually managed to learn a lot about life from the youngsters. For example, who knew you could get a fish cremated?

Now, in no way, shape or form can it be said that the cast members are role models to the younger generations, as in most scenarios, they show themselves to be ungrateful and lazy. There is, however, a certain charm and sincerity to be found in the little Geordie Shore family which is quite frankly lacking in most other reality series.

In a way, the series is almost an extreme Made in Chelsea, with a side order of fake tan and false eyelashes, and a sprinkling of Northern character.

In their most basic form, both shows are based around the premise of getting entertainment from watching young people going out and having a good time, spending money which they haven’t earned.

Although it’s not exactly okay to act in such an irresponsible manner, these people shouldn’t be judged for enjoying themselves, because I think that in a similar situation, a lot of us would act the same way.

Ultimately, if my daughter turned out to be as much of a nutter as Charlotte Crosby, I wouldn’t exactly be disappointed.

Karisma Indra

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n recent years, it has become popular to convert the loveable Disney animation films to live-action versions.

Some of these versions differ from the original Disney classics, such as Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman, whilst others are more traditional, like Lily James’ princess in Cinderella. Now, with a re-boot of Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson in the pipeline, it seems like the perfect time to make commercially successful live-action versions of Disney films.

Every little girl dreams of being a princess, and I distinctly recall myself loving Cinderella. As I have grown older however, I have been drawn to the story that I found most scary as a child, that of Sleeping Beauty. There is something beautiful about Princess Aurora’s tale, and I love the many ways in which the evil fairy Maleficent has been portrayed, from Angelina Jolie in Maleficent to the liberties taken with the Thirteenth Faerie in Kaye Umansky’s Wilma’s Wicked Spell.

Although I think that the script makes a film what it is, I will attempt to formulate the perfect cast for the liveaction version of Sleeping Beauty.

Perhaps the most important fairytale characters which are adapted into live-action films are the villains. I feel that for live-action films, the actress must portray a more traditionally ‘evil’ character for Maleficent, which is my reason for choosing Helena Bonham Carter as the character.

The role of Aurora is much simpler: Hayden Panettiere would be a good choice, as she encompasses both Aurora’s innocence and beauty.

The three ‘good fairies’, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather would be played by Rachel Weisz, Helen Mirren and Jenna Coleman.

The last main part to cast is the prince.

Princes are handsome and brave, so the role would go to someone young and dashing like Armie Hammer, who resembles Prince Phillip from the Disney classic.

It would be interesting to see Daniel Craig as the King, as I can’t recall seeing him in any film without a patented Bond smile. His counterpart could be played by Nicole Kidman who certainly has the grace of a Queen.

Whilst my casting may not be the best ensemble cast in history, I look forward to the live-action Sleeping Beauty, even if the actors do not resemble my ‘ideal’ cast.

Culture

Read and Avoid Natalie Tipping Editor-in-Chief

Read The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath This semi-autobiographical novel looks at mental illness and depression in a way that was completely new at the time of its release. Esther, the narrator and lead character of the novel suffers with depression and that feeling that we’ve all experienced of not quite fitting in.

I studied this novel at A-Level, and must say that at that time I didn’t understand how Esther felt at all, but that’s the reason why everyone should read this novel, it teaches you about something that I hope nobody reading this has ever/will ever experience, but that is more common than you know.

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Preview: summer at The Marlowe Annie Trafford

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he Marlowe Theatre is always a great place to go for the best theatre, comedy and dance performances. Here’s a look at the best upcoming stuff for what looks set to be a fantastic summer period.

T:24 Presents: The Ladykillers When: Thursday 11 and Friday 12 June Price: £8.75 T:24 always put on a great show, and this is sure to be no different. The play, which follows a group of criminals as they attempt to carry out a heist whilst disguised as musicians, is a great laugh.

Oklahoma!

When: Tuesday 16 - Saturday 20 June Price: £23.75-£39.75 Not the best-known musical for younger people, you’d probably be surprised how many of the songs you know from this feel-good musical, and the live orchestra is sure to make this production a memorable experience.

Barnum When: Tuesday 23 June - Saturday 4 July Price: £33.25-£52.25 This touring production has become a huge hit, receiving rave reviews from multiple national newspapers. The production comes to Canterbury for two weeks at the end of the month, and is sure to be a big hit here too.

Dead Simple When: Monday 6 - Saturday 11 July Price: £22.25-£33.75 This stage production of Peter James’ multi-million selling novel of the same name follows Michael Harrison, who has everything he wants, until a stagnight prank which goes horribly wrong, and leaves him alone. Perfect for lovers of thrillers and suspense.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) When: Wednesday 23 and Thursday 24 July Price: £10.75

The Canterbury Players present all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays in under two hours in this fun and fast production. Sure to be a good laugh and to teach you all the necessary stuff about Shakespeare, with none of the unneccessary details.

Dirty Dancing When: Tuesday 4 - Saturday 22 August Price: £29.50-£75 Are there any girls who haven’t seen this movie? I didn’t think so. The stage production is sure to be an incredible show, and quickly became the fastest selling show in West End history. Go along and have the time of your life.

Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap When: Tuesday 1 - Saturday 5 September Price: £20-£38.50 The longest running show of any kind in theatre history, The Mousetrap is a must-see for any theatre fan. A classic murder mystery by the queen of crime fiction, this show is part of the 60th anniversary tour of the production.

Photo by Marlowe Theatre

Misogyny at the Cannes Film Festival Shalyia Arumugathasan Newspaper Culture Editor

Avoid Northanger Abbey - Jane Austen Before I start receiving hate mail from all of you Austen fans out there, let me get one thing straight, I really like Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility are two of my favourite books, so when I had to study Northanger Abbey last year I was really looking forward to it.

I would say however that Northanger Abbey is easily the worst Jane Austen book.

Unsure as to whether it’s a parody of the gothic genre or something evolved directly from it, I became more and more annoyed by this book the more I read of it. And don’t even get me started on the adaptation of it featuring Felicity Jones. You’re so much better than that Felicity.

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t seems that misogyny has decided to make a comeback, and it has selected one of the biggest events of the year to do so. This year’s Cannes Film festival was rumoured to have had denied some women access to screenings and red carpet entrances because they were wearing flat shoes. Obviously, this has caused quite the controversy among celebrities and the female community, and for a good reason at that.

Although the hosts of the festival have denied that heels were an obligatory attire requirement for the guests, it seems their staff may have thought otherwise. It is presumed those declined entry were around the age of 50 and were not wearing heels because of medical reasons. But is this the only reason as to why women shouldn’t need to wear heels?

Well the 1940s called and they want their attitude back, as I don’t quite remember when the rule that women

should wear heels all the time got reinstated.

I am not trying to come across as the most prominent feminist of the 21st century, but I feel Cannes has brought up some important questions about women’s fashion.

I was under the impression we were living in a world where converse and vans were becoming a regular day-today accessory for women, and a nice luxurious and pretty pair of flats were acceptable under the terms of formal wear.

I myself love to get dressed up for an evening out, heels and all, but I do love having the option of not having to. When choosing an outfit for an event such as Cannes Film Festival, an elegant couture dress is definitely on the list, and it is presumed that a high pair of shoes to match should be on that list too. But what if a pair of flats look better?

Should women be subjected to wearing uncomfortable, blistering shoes when pretty pumps will work just fine?

I am quite tall, so sometimes a pair of high heels are just out of the question, if I wasn’t allowed into a party or club for an equally nice flat pair of shoes I would most certainly kick up a fuss.

I understand why trainers aren’t allowed in a club and formal wear means smart and presentable, but taking it to the extent where certain shoes are a requirement is just oldfashioned.

Men of today wear shoes where the sole is raised to make them taller, is this not the same concept? Surely a man’s masculinity would have come into question years ago with regards to this height enhancement.

Fashion is a funny thing.

Although heels are seen everywhere in all sizes and styles it is not and should not be a necessity for women.

They are glamorous, sure, and, of course, exaggerate a woman’s sexual appeal by elongating her legs. But men don’t seem to have to comply to any similar social obligation or objectification.

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Culture

Culture blogs to follow Shalyia Arumugathasan

Photo by Lauren Sedgwick

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he blog I have selected for people to keep an eye on this summer is one about travelling, called thestudenttravels.com. Funnily enough it was created by a former Kent graduate, Lauren Sedgwick.

Lauren graduated last June and since then has set off on an amazing adventure visiting various countries and cities, and most recently she has settled in Melbourne, Australia.

This may seem like your standard blog, but it certainly isn’t.

This is not just a gap year of travelling as she herself has stated, this is a “Gap life” which she is setting up for herself.

Lauren provides us with hot spots she feels are essential to visit in each place, be it museums or cafes.

She looks at affordability and provides tips for aspiring travellers such as myself. Not only does it make you want to go and travel but provides you with all the reasons as to why it’s such a great idea to explore new places.

Her crazy adventures have only just started and her blog can only flourish more, it is definitely one to keep up to date with this summer, especially if you are planning any trips in the coming year.

London hotspots to visit this summer Irina Gneusheva

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eing so close to London definitely has its perks, especially at this time of year when you’ve finished uni for the year but aren’t that keen to move out until the very last day of your contract.

Why not head up to the capital for the day and check out some of these great new places?

1. Expand your taste This summer you will be able to dip into the life of a film star, dedicated humanitarian and idol of many people in the exhibition “Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon” which will be displayed in the National Portrait Gallery. More than seventy photos of Audrey Hepburn from leading photographers of her time have been used in the exhibition, including rarely shown pictures of certain people such as Richard Avedon, Angus McBean, Irving Penn. You will be able to see her life both on and off screen, for example covers an array of fashion magazines and some personal pictures from family collections.

When: 2 July – 18 October Price: £9

Photo by Jose Antonio Gelado | Flickr

A

Photo by Lauren Sedgwick

2. Go secret Are you into conspiracy and star wars?

Then you must go to the secret cinema this summer. Secret Cinema is showing Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

The location and the specific details are, of course, under cover. However, you can expect costumes, decorations and everything allowing you to teleport into the atmosphere of the film. For the most dedicated fans, the secret cinema have prepared a special Star Wars club.

The location of which can only be found out by ticket holders by calling a secret number. Last year’s event hosted Back to the Future, and if it’s going to be anything like that, then be prepared for an epic adventure and festival.

When: from 04 Jun till 27 Sep Price: 78.00 Galactic Credits 3. Unlock the garden Explore magical gardens on one single weekend of the year. This is an opportunity to visit gardens which are not available on other days. With over 200 gardens to choose from, you can even visit the most exclusive ones which have won garden design awards. You can explore them on your own or sign up for the guided tours which help you to connect your fascinating gardening experience with the details of London’s rich, vibrant history. Whether you want to look into the new fad of organic

gardening or majestic gardens designed by famous gardeners for the inhabitants of the Victorian houses, you are granted an opportunity to search for hidden gems in suburban London. Maybe you will even be able to find your secret rabbit hole.

When: 13 June -14 June Price: £10 if being bought before the event and £12 on 13 & 14 June

Photo by JR P | Flickr

Photo by Ayca Wilson| Flickr

My cultural icon: Audrey Hepburn Natalie Tipping Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Lauren Sedgwick

Photo by Secret Cinema

udrey Hepburn is so much more than just that woman who was in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. She is a style icon - granted mostly due to Breakfast at Tiffany’s - who has inspired generations of women to love their bodies and to always add a touch of glamour to any outfit.

This may seem unbelievable for many people reading this, but Hepburn didn’t always dream of being an actress. She was the daughter of a Dutch aristocrat, and spent much of her early life travelling between the Netherlands and Britain. She could speak English, Dutch, French, Spanish and Italian - if that isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is. Rising to fame in Roman Holiday, which is incidentally better than that other film everyone always goes on

about (and I’ve gone on about already), Hepburn quickly became much loved around the world, with her cute pixie cut and doe eyes stealing hearts and making her an international icon.

Hepburn never became absorbed by her fame, and was always willing to give back to people less fortunate than herself. She became a Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF in 1988, and was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work with the organisation.

Her style may have seemed quirky at the time, but has become iconic over the years, and she is now widely regarded as one of the most stylish women in history - being a style inspiration for many girls and women around the world.

I think the biggest reason why Audrey Hepburn is a cultural icon is that she died two weeks after I was born but she

has still influenced my style and outlook so much.

Photo by fervent-adepte-de-la-mode

Culture

Eight books to read this summer For all you students who’ve been unable to even get through your course reading, nevermind anything else, we feel for you. Here are eight books to read now you have the chance to do so?

Karisma Indra

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here are very few better ways to spend your summer then curled up at home or lying on a beach reading a good book. Here are my suggestions as to the books you should be reading this summer. From a range of authors and genres, there’s something for everyone in this list, so give it a read and you’re sure to find something you like!

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe This is a perfect read for those who enjoy adventure books. This is a book that was gifted to me many years ago, but I never found the right time for it until recently. Who doesn’t like the story of a man marooned on a desert island, trying desperately to survive?

Go Set a Watchman

by Harper Lee This book is not yet published, but this is Lee’s second ever novel and after the success of her debut novel To Kill a Mockingbird any lovers of Scout will be more than happy to give this a read during the summer.

The Swallows and Amazons series

by Arthur Ransome This is for anyone that has thought of being a pirate or a young Robinson Crusoe. The characters worm their

way into the hearts of the readers. A must read series for those who wish to become adventurers.

Storms of War by Kate Williams This is a book that captures the hearts and minds of anyone that likes historical romance or ‘Downton Abbey’.

Set at the eve of World War One, it follows the story of the de Witt family, and their trials and tribulations during the war. Perfect for a pool side read.

Dracula by Bram Stoker This is a gothic classic that is a must read for anyone who likes this particular genre or even horror. After all of the glittery vampires of ‘Twilight’ fame, it’s good to go back to the roots that are Count Dracula, Remfield and of course everyone’s favourite slayer, Van Helsing. This is certainly a book I’ll be revisiting over the summer, it is the dark foil to the copious amount of chick-lit that seems to characterise the summer season.

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult There’s always a book that you don’t want to come back to, but always do, and every summer, without fail, this is mine. There is something inherently heartbreaking about this story, but then again, every now and then it’s nice to have a bit of reality thrown in whilst tanning on holiday. This is a story for anyone that likes tragic stories which still have a notable silver lining.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm This is for any person who likes the true fairy tale stories, the ones with grit and real pain and suffering. These are not all happily ever afters, like in Disney movies. Disney is great but these are better for an older and slightly more jaded audience, perfect for young adults.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith With so many of us being surrounded by a multicultural society, Smith’s novel combines different narratives to form a cohesive tale of selfacknowledgement and acceptance.

This book is good for any reader, but especially for those who enjoy multinarrative stories.

What do you want to read this summer? Email website. culture@inquiremedia.co.uk and we’ll compile a list of our favourites for inquirelive.co.uk/ culture!

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Cultural Calendar Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man Marlowe Theatre Running until Saturday 6 June T:24 Presents Much Ado about Nothing The Gulbenkian Theatre Tuesday 9 and Wednesday 10 June Royal Opera House: La Boheme (Live) The Gulbenkian Wednesday 10 June Summertime Swing The Gulbenkian Wednesday 10 June Milton Jones and the Temple of Daft Marlowe Theatre Thursday 11 June T:24 Presents: The Ladykillers Marlowe Theatre Thursday 11 and Friday 12 June Oklahoma!

Marlowe Theatre Tuesday 16 - Saturday 20 June Home and Away: Eduardo Paolozzi’s General Dynamic F.U.N & photographs of South East England by Tony Jones Beaney House of Art and Knowledge Running until Sunday 23 August Andrew Cross: Timacade Turner Contemporary, Margate Running until Sunday 28 June Generation ART: Young Artists on Tour Turner Contemporary, Margate Running until Sunday 6 September Grayson Perry: Provincial Park Turner Contemporary, Margate Running until Sunday 13 September Canterbury in the Age of the Magna Carta Beaney House of Art and Knowledge Saturday 6 June - Sunday 6 September Claudia Molitor: Sonorama Turner Contemporary, Margate Saturday 20 June - Sunday 13 September Christopher Alexander Exhibition Turner Contemporary, Margate Tuesday 30 June - Sunday 6 September

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Editorial

The pre-graduation breakdown: it’s coming for you all Natalie Tipping Editor-in-Chief

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hat photo (up there ^^) was taken in happier times, back when hopes were high, and life worth living. Now all I have is doom and gloom surrounding me, the days are all a blur of either drunkeness or being hungover, and I have nothing to fill my days with.

Sorry Frankie, but I just can’t relax anymore. Since finishing my degree three weeks ago, I’ve discovered that I literally did nothing other than student media and my degree. And this issue that you’re reading now is the last one until September.

What am I supposed to do?

A few months ago I turned to my friend Tom, and asked him how it was already four in the afternoon, when I felt like I’d only been on campus for about 20 minutes, and I’d

achieved nothing with my day.

He replied that he didn’t know, but that the look on my face had genuinely worried him.

In his words, I looked like “I’d realised my own mortality”, and he was right.

The truth is, I honestly feel like I’ve had a bit of a mental breakdown since finishing my degree, and although I’m staying on for another year to do a Masters (in Journalism no less, so hopefully this is making some sort of sense as an article), I feel like I’m suddenly aware of how much of a nonstudent I’ve been.

Since finishing my last exam, I’ve stolen a traffic cone, for no other reason than I hadn’t ever done it before, I’ve been going out way more than I ever did before, and I’ve been making some very questionable decisions.

The worst bit is, I don’t even think I’m the only one.

In fact, I’m sure I’m not. The pre-graduation breakdown

is coming for you all. Fair warning.

I can’t help wondering if it would be better or worse if this was in fact the end, if I wasn’t staying on for my MA. If I was being propelled into the world of work, or, more probably, the world of unemployment.

I definitely can’t face moving home and living back with my parents. But boy are they trying to convince me that that’s the best option.

No. Just no.

I’ve got so bored recently that I’m quite tempted to start learning shorthand in preparation for the course next year, I bought a textbook and everything. But I think the worst feeling is the feeling that I’ll leave Canterbury - maybe this June, maybe next (I don’t want to live in Gillingham, help) - and there will be stuff that I haven’t done that I’ll wish I had. I think that’s honestly the only way I’m going to make it through this

whole graduation nonsense, I’ll have to write a list and tick everything off.

Whatever you might complain about during the course of your degree, this experience is ultimately one of the best you’ll ever have. The majority of you are living away from home for the first time, this university gives most students the opportunity to do years abroad (I lived in Paris for a year for Christ’s sake), and you’ll experience things you could never dream of experiencing before - traffic cone theft not included or advised. Mainly because it’s just cluttering up my room now.

I feel like this editorial has really taken a turn from the sarcasm at the start into darker, more depressing and preachy territory, but seriously kids, enjoy this while it lasts, and maybe you’ll be even more sad than I am to leave.

I also woke up with a trout in my bed the other day.

Photos by Natalie Tipping

Spotted: pervs, sexists and ignorance at Kent University Natalie TurcoWilliams Website Editor

D

uring exam season it’s great to know the Spotted Overlord is on hand to make us laugh or cheer us up when campus life gets that little bit too stressful. For those who don’t know about the Spotted Overlord - he, she or they are the anonymous force behind the Facebook page ‘Spotted: Kent University’, where anyone can post anonymously on the page by simply sending them a private message.

Normally the posts are brilliantly funny, capturing some of the crazy and just plain weird things about student life at Kent, but sometimes there’s a lot more to the caption and image than just the LOLs. Underneath the ‘innocent’ postings can be a lot of abuse, especially when it comes to gender, leaving the question: should the Spotted Overlord be posting whatever we message?

Surely there must be a filter for offensive, discriminatory and sexist content. From looking at last year’s posts this doesn’t even seem close

to being true, especially when it comes to sexism. One post that was quite horrifying was a picture of a girl eating a banana with the caption “Practice makes perfect”, implying girls are only good for blowjobs.

What makes this post worse is that the girl probably didn’t know someone had illegally taken her photo until it was posted with this caption.

Just imagine checking your Facebook one day to find that your face is now plastered across 11,000 plus news feeds with a derogatory comment like that. Luckily, Spotted removed the photo in February after the Facebook page ‘Spotted: Sexism at Kent’ posted about it, but that doesn’t undo the amount of views it had already received.

Most think that sexual harassment is when you get groped or wolf-whistled at, but sexual harassment doesn’t necessarily just apply to the physical world. In fact sexual harassment happens a lot more online than what you’d initially expect. These Spotted posts are the equivalent of online sexual harassment and, because they’re anonymous, nothing can be physically done besides reporting the post to

stop it. With anonymity there is also the issue of whether these comments are actually from students submitting them or whether they’re being created by the Spotted Overlord for a reaction and as a way to boost the page’s followers. But with the page’s workings remaining a mystery, unfortunately we’ll never find out.

Although Spotted is great for sharing those funny moments of student life and putting out your feelings for Kent to read, there is clearly a dark side – not just in the anonymity of the online abuse,

but also in encouraging ‘lad culture’. By posting this sort of content you’re making it seem acceptable and normal to have this mindset, encouraging this behavior. As the page is often known as a platform for jokes about campus and its students, it means that posting sexist and discriminative things amongst its regular content sends the message that it’s okay to have this attitude towards people – when it’s not. Sexism can come in many forms, in this case in the use of derogatory name-calling, sexual advances and harassment. It’s one thing

to post a comment about a hot girl or guy you fancy, but it’s another to call them a slag after being rejected or to only comment about banging them. Just because the page is online and anonymous doesn’t make it okay to say things you wouldn’t say in real life. But even with users submitting the content, the comments should be filtered for offensive content rather than their comedic value. Last time I checked, the page was called ‘Spotted: Kent University’, not ‘Spotted: Pervs, Sexists and Ignorance at Kent University.’

Photo by everydaysexism.com

22

Sport

Five niche sports to try this summer Manon Charles

I

t’s that time of year again when the shorts, shades and flip-flops return from dormancy. I’m here to give you my top new sports to try out over the vacation period.

Zorbing I feel like this should be something that everyone tries at least once in their life.

Imagine yourself rolling down the hill wrapped in a massive ball of bubble wrap.

This is essentially what zorbing

is. Sounds amazing, right?

Another version of this is water zorbing, and the same principle applies, but instead of running on ground, you are literally rolling on water. This sport offers endless possibilities for a fun day out!

Paintballing Okay, so this is a bit of a classic activity, but it never gets old! Whether you play it recreationally or competitively, it is brilliant fun, especially when enjoyed with your friends.

This is a great idea for a

birthday celebration or even if you’re bored over the summer.

So grab your gear and get ready to run!

Laser Tag The concept is similar to paintballing, but without the mess (and the bruises). As opposed to shooting each other with paint, you take down your team members with laser beams.

This is best played with a big group of people, as you can split into two teams and go against each other. It is a stealthy game

that will test your stamina as well as your alertness, so make sure you keep a watchful eye!

Arm Wrestling This one requires very little equipment, just an arm and a flat surface (and an opponent obviously).

This is a chance to show off the results of all those hours spent lifting at the gym (or lifting your textbooks).

To make things interesting, start a tournament amongst your friends and implement a small monetary/confectionary

buy-in. The winner goes home with the lot! Remember, sun’s out, guns out!

Hula Hooping Re-live your younger days by dusting off your old hula hoop and taking it for a spin.

The best thing about this activity is that you can do it in the convenience of your back garden. While it may sound easy, hula hooping is a sport that requires a lot of practice and skill, so keep those hips moving and you will be a pro by the end of the summer!

Photo by Mustafa Khayat

Photo by Steven Kiyoda

Does Kent County Cricket Club require a revamp?

Henry Sandercock

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rom the Keynes bus stop, if you know where to look, you can just about make out the towering floodlights that loom over the St. Lawrence Cricket Ground.

This vantage point perfectly highlights the issues surrounding Kent County Cricket Club at this point in time. The one-time giants of the County Championship currently find themselves languishing in the Second Division with just one win in five games. The problem? The commercialisation of cricket.

The floodlights encapsulate the kind of business that firstclass cricket has become. They are in place to illuminate the pitch for 20-20 cricket fixtures; 20-20 being the most crowdpleasing form of the game due to its intense and short nature.

Some counties saw the rise of the shorter forms of cricket coming and pumped cash into large stadiums and star-studded teams. These same counties

now engage in annual bidding wars to secure international test matches. Those matches are the real money-makers in the modern game, particularly because they attract large TV revenues.

Due to its size and location, the St. Lawrence Ground simply cannot host tests and the county has suffered as a consequence.

Kent have punched above their weight in spite of this.

They won the 2007 equivalent of the Natwest T20 Blast, were runners-up the following year and have had some strong seasons in the competition since then. They were relegated from the first division of the County Championship (2008) for the first time in their 166 year history however and found themselves finishing the 2011 season in second-to-last place in Division Two. It is not all bleak however.

Although they have started this season slowly, winning just one game in five, they are heading in a positive direction.

They have exceptional young

players in the form of Sam Billings and Daniel BellDrummond along with a new Kent Cricket programme that will only churn out more future stars.

In Jimmy Adams, they also have a coach committed for the long-term and who has signalled his intent to get

Kent back where they belong.

Through these three important facets, they have learnt how to get by without the cash-flow of county clubs like Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire.

Kent also has an exceptionally strong and talented women’s side that contains current England captain Charlotte

Edwards, batsman Lydia Greenway and all-rounder Laura Marsh. They are currently sitting third in Division One and are unbeaten in the women’s professional era. It will still be a few years until Kent can emulate the days of Colin Cowdrey and Derek Underwood, but they are certainly on their way.

Photo by kentcricket.co.uk

Sport

Five ways to stay fit during exam season Manon Charles

A

s the stress of exams looms and students enter hibernation, here are some tips on how to stay active without a trip to the gym.

With exam season underway, revision often becomes more important than anything else, including exercise. But leaving the books and working up a sweat can be a great way to calm the nerves. Here are my top tips for staying sporty during revision: Textbook weightlifting This is the time of year that textbooks really start to pile up. Whether they are extremely useful or have never been looked at, they take up a lot of room. So how about putting them to good use?

Find two textbooks that are roughly the same weight and get lifting. This can be a cheaper alternative to the gym, with the added bonus of being able to lift in your pyjamas. Lifting a little everyday will get rid of the bingo wings in no time.

Templeman sprints If the library is your revision location of your choice, add some easy exercise into your day

with the Templeman sprints.

Regular breaks are necessary for effective revision, so how about some sprints to really get the blood flowing?

Find the nearest staircase (or empty row of books) and get moving. If you can’t handle running, start off slow with some power walking.

Remember, anything is better than nothing!

Squat’n’revise If you want to get a Kardashian

bum for summer, this is the exercise for you! Place your revision on the floor and squat down to read it. Repeat as necessary.

To make this move slightly easier, put your notes on a table in front of you or even blu-tack them to the wall. You’ll have buns of steel in no time!

Revision paper toss This is a game of skill and endurance. What better way to get rid of revision notes than

Photo by Province of British Columbia

through a fun game of paper toss. Place your bin on the other side of the room, as you work through your revision and rip out pages, or get rid of notes, simply scrunch the paper into a ball and toss.

This sport doesn’t require much movement, simply concentrate on your shooting abilities. To really get your heart pumping, place the bin in a harder to reach place and get creative.

Run away from revision If all else fails in getting you active, this is something that everyone can do. Whether you run awam y mentally or physically, sometimes a break from revision can do a world of good!

Of course, do try out all of the other options before choosing this one!

How are you staying sporty during your exams? Let us know by emailing Patrick at website.sport@ inquiremedia.co.uk, and we’ll publish our favourites on inquirelive.co.uk/sport

Need to blow away the exam cobwebs? Head out for a Parkrun!

Percival Kleft

T

his is undoubtedly the most stressful time of year

for both students and staff across the University of Kent’s campus, but there is one good way of blasting away the exam

angst.

The Canterbury Parkrun is part of a nationwide Parkrun scheme encouraging people to

Photo by Canterbury Parkrun

get out and go for a run around their local area.

It is an event that takes place every Saturday at 9am and is free to take part in, so long as you register beforehand.

Runners are issued with a barcode, which must be printed out before reaching the start line, so that at the end, they can be given their run time.

The route, which often starts at the Pavilion near the pitches at Parkwood, is a 5km run, but is one designed for enjoyment, regardless of ability.

Chris Heron, UKC student and runner in these events said: “There’s something mildly masochistic about running 5,000 metres first thing on a Saturday morning, but there is nothing quite like the satisfaction of finishing.”

If you would like further information about how you can get involved, visit www.parkrun.org. uk/canterbury or email canterburyhelpers@ parkrun.com

23

Sports to watch out for on TV Natalie Tipping Editor-in-Chief

T

here really isn’t anything better in the summer months than turning the TV round to face the garden, pulling up a sun lounger, lazing in the sun with a cold drink and watching the best of summer sport on the TV. Here are my picks of what to look out for in the coming months while you’re topping up those tans (hopefully not burning to a crisp).

Wimbledon I’ve been an avid Wimbledon viewer since I was a kid.

In fact, I was so into it that neighbours used to call my sister and I Venus and Serena, because we’d watch a match then go and play tennis in the street outside our house. The BBC coverage of our home tennis grand slam is always fantastic, and will be on from 29 June - 12 July.

Le Tour de France Sadly not including Yorkshire in this year’s route, Le Tour will instead start in Utrecht, and will cover routes around northern and southern France, before finishing, as always, in Paris.

Running from 4 - 26 July, the ITV coverage of this great contest is always great.

British Grand Prix I’ll admit it, I’m not a huge Formula One fan, but I must say that when I do watch it (never at ridiculous times of the night), I really do quite enjoy it. The British Grand Prix is perfect for those of you like me, who don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night but still enjoy the thrill of the cars going round the track so fast, and the pure adrenalin of the race. The Grand Prix will take place on 5 July.

Rugby World Cup Okay, okay, granted this isn’t really happening this summer, but I’m too excited to care! The Rugny World Cup will take place from 18 September - 31 October, and will be held right here on our bonny isle. Pretty cool, huh?

InQuire sport www.inquirelive.co.uk/sport

UKC win tough Athletics Varsity

Photo by UKC Athletics and Cross Country

Chris Heron

T

he summer term brought with it the prospect of exams, insects and the belated Athletics varsity match, down at the Canterbury Academy track.

Unlike the Canterbury Varsity from March, two trophies are fought over at the Athletics Varsity. The University Varsity trophy between Kent and Christ Church and the City Varsity trophy between the two universities and Invicta East Athletics Club, who hosted the tie.

Kent’s squad had been depleted after a series of drop outs due to the looming pressure

of the exam period. A significant proportion of the club were in the midst of training for the 300 mile Cants2Dam charity run in mid-June. As such, much of their training suited much longer distances, namely the aforementioned 300 mile trip between Canterbury and Amsterdam. Christ Church’s squad was the strongest it had been, threatening to prevent Kent retaining the trophy for the fourth year in succession.

And so, on a sunny Sunday afternoon on 17 May, the varsity spirit was restored once more on the track and field.

There were some notable victories for Kent throughout

the day, including Daphne Ries throwing a 9.15m Shot Put, over two metres ahead of her nearest opponent. Alex Evelegh ran a brilliant 200m in 23.09, securing a 1-2 with Kent with Sean Valand in second with a time of 23.50. Ben Wilson ran an impressive 9.27 in the 3,000m and Beth Grimsey won the high jump with a height of 1.40m.

Christ Church and Invicta were not short of victories either, with the former women’s squad proving to be particularly strong. Invicta athletes won both 100m sprints, while Christ Church athletes took victory in the women’s 100m and 400m

hurdles, as well as the 1,500m and the men’s javelin.

The day was not short of controversy or drama either, with disqualifications on the side of both universities during the relays. One Christ Church athlete pulled a hamstring midsprint, while Kent’s Athletics and Cross Country President Matt Prior badly sprained an ankle in the steeple chase, cruelly ruling him out of running for a considerable period.

In the end, Kent ended on a high note, defeating Christ Church in the men’s 400m relay. The run confirmed a comfortable victory for Kent, retaining both trophies for the

fourth year in succession.

“There was a lot of pressure, as Christ Church get more and more competitive each year.” said Ellie Mason, Kent’s Track and Field Captain. “Both teams seriously wanted to win, but Kent remained one step ahead of the game consistently throughout the day.”

“Some athletes had never run on the track before, but everybody did fantastically and we won by a fair margin. UKC are undaunted!”

Kent’s winning Athletics record remains unblemished.

Commiserations to Christ Church and Invicta, providing an incredibly competitive day.