InQuire Issue 10.7

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28 November 2014

Issue 10.7

: S E O R E H N IO T OPTHEERWA INTER FUNDRAISER

9’ TEXT ‘SNAP4 MOUNT AND YOUR A TO 70070

Alasdair Lawrence Is going abroad for charity selfgratifying?

See Page 5

Julia Mitchell Review of awardwinning Grounded at the Gulbenkian See Page 18 Photo by Ruby Lyle and Natalie Turco-Williams

Arch-enemies, InQuire Boy and InQuire Live Girl, join forces to take down M.U.R.D.O.C.H.

UKC gains £75 million loan

Shalyia Arumugathasan

T

he University of Kent will be receiving a £75 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to go towards improving the University’s facilities. The loan will be repaid over the next 25 years.

This loan was formally agreed on 13 of November,

and the funding will be going towards the University’s £211 million five-year estates capital investment plan.

The University have announced that the loan will be bettering facilities on both the Canterbury and Medway campuses. The funding will be supporting the development of the Templeman Library as well

as plans for a new building for the business and mathematics schools.

Students have also shown interest in what they think would be most beneficial with the loan. Kieran Shirat, a Politics and International Relations student, stated: “The loan can be used for educational purposes better if they split it

between departments equally.”

Other facilities are going to be developed which will also directly benefit the students.

Planned is a student administrative building, where the students will receive a one stop shop service Staff at the University are also supportive.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

Alice Bryant The Return of Jamie T and his “cheekychappy appeal”.

See Page 17

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News Editor’s Note

Hello, Have you got the November blues? Pick up a paper and enjoy our Charity Special. Read about SNAAP, why we’re fundraising for them and keep an eye out for anyone walking around campus in superhero costumes over the next week.

Otherwise, beware of spiders in Features, read about recent Christmas ads and Band Aid 30 in Entertainment and the December Theatre Round-up in Culture.

Best, Emma InQuireMedia

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Photos by Emma Shelton

Emma Shelton Newspaper Editor

C

hristmas has arrived in Canterbury.

The Christmas lights were turned on in St George’s Street in Canterbury on Thursday 20 November.

The evening was hosted

by DJ Andy Walker from KMFM. The night started with a performance from the Canterbury Community Gospel Choir, followed by the cast of this year’s pantomime at The Marlowe Theatre, Aladdin, who did the official countdown.

The evening finished with a set from Canterbury’s own Coco

and the Butterfields.

Adding to the entertainment were elves milling through the crowds, a Father Christmas near Café Rouge, various pop up stalls and the launch of the Christmas market in Whitefriars.

The Lord Mayor of Canterbury took to the stage shortly before the lights were turned on to thank people who supported the initiative and were part of ensuring the city was lit over Christmas.

The Christmas lights were possible this year as city businesses voted for a Business Improvement District (BID).

This provided the funds for

projects, including Canterbury’s lights.

This came as a result of Canterbury City Council’s decision that from Christmas

2013 to cut all further funding for lights in the city, a decision taken by many councils in Kent.

The Whitefriars market will be up until Sunday 28 December.

Coco and the Butterfields

Russian website hacked 584 homes Ruby Lyle Newspaper News Editor

A

n unknown location in Canterbury has become a matter of controversy after it was revealed that a Russian website has gained access to live feeds across the world through unsecured cameras connected to the internet.

The website has been available for a month with 584 live feeds featuring the UK. The incident occurred as many webcams are either inadequately protected or entirely unsecured.

Kent Online has reported that one place shown is a pub on Canterbury High Street.

The website states: “[it] has been designed in order to show the importance of the security settings.

“To remove your public camera from this site and make

it private the only thing you need to do is to change your camera default password.”

The problem is not an uncommon one, but the case has been very well publicised due to both the scandal of the website as well as the necessity in helping the public to retain their privacy. For instance, in August last year, a couple discovered their toddler was suffering verbal abuse from a hacker who had gained access to their baby cam.

Experts have taken this opportunity to emphasise the need for individuals to improve the security on their devices.

Will Gardner, the Chief Executive of Childnet International suggested that covering your webcam may prove to be good practice in case it has become infected in order to avoid a third party being able

to see anything through it.

One UKC graduate, Noor Franssen, has chosen to take this course of action after learning of this website. She said: “I might as well since I’m not using the webcam normally so it’s not an inconvenience.

That’s also why it’s a simple extra precaution that might be born out of paranoia, but can only pay off in the end.”

The UK Information Commissioner, Christopher Graham, advised the public to set strong passwords.

He continued: “This isn’t just

the boring old information commissioner saying ‘set a password’. This story is an illustration of what happens if you don’t do that. If you value your privacy, put in the basic security arrangements. It’s not difficult.”

Despite the website being the focus of various international watchdogs, the website has yet to be taken down. Graham explained: “It may take longer to get the site taken down. It is not within my jurisdiction, it is not within the European Union; it is Russia.”

Photo by Maik Meid

News

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UKC gains £75 million loan Your education CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE Professor Dame Julia Goodfellow said: “We are delighted that our track record in delivering extensive and large scale development projects.” It is clear that UKC staff feel it will be beneficial for the University as a whole in the future.

The importance of this loan towards bettering the higher education of UKC students is supported by Jonathan

Taylor, EIB Vice President who stated: “The significant new developments at the University of Kent backed by the European Investment Bank will build on the institution’s strengths.”

Furthermore the University has shown how the funding will also be beneficial for the local community, with money being put towards the Kent Law Clinic and especially the University’s pro-bono advice service.

Subsequently, there have also

been worries from students about the distribution of the loan. Ellie Weaver, an English and American Literature student, said: “I hope the University will be using the loan towards long term plans rather than short term investments to benefit the University in the future.”

The funding will be going towards many new investments for the University and to ongoing projects.

Poor food UCU boycott ends hygiene in Canterbury

Ruby Lyle Newspaper News Editor

C

anterbury currently houses eight food outlets which have only one star for hygiene, according to the Food Standards Agency (FSA)website.

Businesses are evaluated on how food is handled, the conditions in which the food is prepared, and how food safety is managed and documented.

The one star businesses are: The New Inn, The Cherry Tree, Masala Gate, Lotus House, Olive Grove Restaurant, Spice Master, Jalsha, and 555 Pizza Company Limited.

In response to this information, Soap Canterbury said: “Better stick to the fish finger sandwiches guys!”

AlphaBEATs warned: “Watch out where you’re getting your munch guys!!”

The display of food hygiene ratings is optional in England, although it is mandatory in Wales. Ratings of all 1,258 premises in Canterbury can be searched on food.gov.uk/ ratings.

Despite these poor ratings, 270 businesses in Canterbury have a rating of five stars.

If you have a complaint, contact Trading Standards at 0845 4040 506, Canterbury City Council, or the customer care division of the company you purchased food from.

Photo by Quinn Comendant

Ruby Lyle, Newspaper News Editor, gives you your guide to what is going on right now in universities across the UK.

Tougher regulations for universities The consumer body, Which?, argued that failing universities should lose their ability to award degrees to students more easily.

A survey by the company of 1,023 students revealed that a third rated their course as not good value for money, 30% rated their university experience as poor, and 45% said that seminars were not worth attending.

Which? believe that universities should have tougher regulations to encourage higher standards, provide more information to applicants, set standards on handling complaints, and offer students contracts on what their courses entail.

The Chief Executive of the Quality Assurance Agency, Anthony McClaran, said: “As students take on higher levels of debt to complete their studies, the need for independent, robust quality assurance working to protect their interests becomes even greater.”

Elected chairs in Scotland It has been proposed that university chairs in Scotland should be elected to their position to increase accountability.

These reforms to the Scottish system have been put forward by the SNP following the Von Prondzynski Review.

They have also called for university governing bodies to include students, directly elected staff members, and alumni.

The legislation may also include a clarified role of principals and for 40% of university boards to consist of women.

Gordon Maloney, the President of NUS Scotland, said: “For universities to be delivering the greatest public benefit, we need to see a legislative basis for fair representation on our governing bodies, greater transparency of senior university officials’ pay, and a requirement for universities to fulfil their wider social responsibilities.”

Photo by secretlondon123

Chloe Bryer

U

niversity of Kent students have been informed on 20 November that all staff industrial action governed by the Universities and Colleges Union (UCU) has been suspended in relation to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) dispute.

According to Jon Pink, the assistant registrar, suspension of the strike will “allow a period of further negotiation with the aim of seeking an agreement on pension reform”.

Further discussions will be held after the 15th of January 2015.

Staff who were involved in the strike action will resume marking as normal and address any backlog of assignments.

Initially, students were anxious about the staff action.

Many were unsure of how long the boycott would last and how it would affect their academic

progress.

Rose Lawrence, a second year student, said: “Not having an assignment marked on time is a bit annoying, but in the grand scheme of things it hasn’t had a massive effect. I would much rather that our lecturers sustained a good working environment than were squeezed out by yet more cuts.

We’re all facing cuts right now and we have to stick together and support each other”.

Although many students have been affected by the marking boycott, the brevity of the strike action had meant that academic life is resuming as normal.

The Union members and the USS are due to attend further conferences early next year.

Union action was put forward after calls to abandon pensions that are based on final salaries.

This would mean that many staff would lose thousands of pounds worth of pension funding.

UK students head to US The number of UK students moving to study in the US has risen by 8% (10,000) in 2013-4, according to the Institute of National Education.

The UK currently has the highest rate of students going to the US in Europe.

This rise is not isolated to the UK however. China’s rate has risen to 17% (274,000 students), and Chinese, South Korean and Indian students currently compose half of the US’s international students.

While there has been a rise in UK students studying in the US, the opposite is also true with 36,000 Americans attending British universities.

Photo by Ali Eminov

Photo by Ady Negrean

Photo by Ewan McIntosh

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Comment

What the Lena Dunham case tells us about child sexuality Alice Barraclough

O

ver the past weeks, arguments and accusations have been trending in both the pop culture world and the general public, over the way that director and writer Lena Dunham, creator of HBO’s Girls, depicts a childhood scene in her new memoir, Not That Kind of Girl.

It appears Lena Dunham is innocent of both abuse and molestation. This incident, however, has raised larger questions regarding glossing over abuse and using the fact that she is a privileged, young white woman as a shield to any kind of criticism.

In Dunham’s book, she describes masturbating next to her six-years-younger sister, bribing her sister to kiss her, and looking inside her sister’s vagina.

These events took place

when Dunham herself was just seven years old – still only a child herself. Developmental psychologist Ritch SavinWilliams, director of the Sex and Gender Lab at Cornell University, told Slate Magazine that: “This is clearly not a case of abuse […] Children have been doing this stuff forever and ever and ever and ever, and they will do it forever and ever and ever”.

Perhaps this is why Dunham decided to include these vivid descriptions within her memoir, because it is a part of growing up and ‘coming of age’; to be intrigued by the unknown and want to explore the unfamiliar in a completely harmless and innocent way.

Furthermore, according to John V. Caffaro, a professor at the California School of Professional Psychology, and an expert on sibling abuse, touching and looking at

siblings’ genitals is “normal, common” behaviour in kids ages two to six. He says: “To be clear, sexual curiosity in children is normal. All children explore their bodies and may engage in visual or even manual exploration of a sibling at times. This is one way that children discover sexual differences between boys’ and girls’ anatomies.”

But why, if the experts maintain it was not abuse, are people still going on about it? Perhaps the fact that Lena Dunham decided to deal with this controversial issue with an outpouring of heated comments on Twitter has something to do with it...

By tweeting: “The right wing news story that I molested my little sister isn’t just LOLit’s really fucking upsetting and disgusting” just draws more media attention to the story and highlights how

insensitively she deals with such a serious topic.

Lena Dunham is renowned for creating scenes that push social barriers and take people out of their comfort zone.

So what’s the real difference between directing a show that pushes the boundaries, and writing about them? Memoirs

are supposed to be personal outlets, to deal with the past and claim a sense of identity.

Surely Lena Dunham is just finding an outlet to come to terms with her childhood and give a voice to the voiceless regarding how difficult and challenging growing up as a girl can be.

Photo by Mrrabbit

Photo by David Shankbone

“6% gap in earnings”: is the class system dead?

Malika White

I

t’s no secret that those lucky enough to receive a private education are at a great advantage in terms of career prospects. But recent research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has shown a 6% gap in earnings between privately and publicly educated alumni. This is in spite of them coming from identical institutions, having the same degrees, and entering the same sector.

This research supports the widespread belief that those lucky enough to receive a private education are at a great advantage throughout their adult lives. A private education is not only said to be more favourable academically, but indicates a privileged background and enables pupils to access preferred social networks. These factors may then be viewed as advantageous to employers.

Dr. Claire Crawford, a research fellow at the IFS, adds that

as well as providing a better standard of schooling, private institutions may equip their pupils with more “noncognitive skills” which could be attractive to employers.

I am of the view that employers should be less concerned about what a candidate has done as a child, but should focus on what they have managed to do as an adult. This should include gaining a place at a good university, obtaining a high degree class and managing to get experience in their chosen industry. Surely, if two candidates have worked equally hard towards the same career goal, one should not be paid more because of an advantage during their childhood they had no say in.

Speaking from my own experience here at UKC, going to a good university equips students with noncognitive skills that are suited to the world of work, such as organisation and planning

gained through attending talks and joining societies. I would imagine that developing such skills during university life would be of much more benefit than developing them during childhood, as students can use these skills in the world of work. Also, I would presume

attending top universities gives students access to networks similar to those at private schools, as many private school alumni attend the country’s top universities.

Perhaps employers presume students from privileged backgrounds expect to be paid

more, maybe this group are more ambitious, or it could be that some applicants demand higher pay because they come from wealthier backgrounds. A good unversity education does not level the playing field for students from different walks of life as it should.

Voluntourism:

Comment

5

Is travelling abroad for charity just a way of making us feel better, Alasdair Lawrence asks...

A

id Tourism or ‘Voluntourism’ is a big deal. Every year, thousands of young westerners fly out to areas of the world suffering from chronic poverty or recent disaster with projects in mind.

These include building homes for victims of hurricanes, tsunamis, or other natural disasters.

It almost seems like a winwin situation: helping less privileged communities around the world whilst simultaneously satisfying that slightly more selfish desire to travel. Everybody wins, right?

I’m not so sure.

I should preface my opinions by saying that there are of course always exceptions and some volunteer projects have been unambiguous forces for good and positive change.

However, the phenomenon on the whole seems shallow and self-serving and I feel it diverts attention away from solving the problems of international poverty.

In 2009 I was fortunate enough to travel to Peru. Our goal was not to better Peru - we were simply there to travel, hike, see the landmarks and have our horizons expanded.

Nonetheless, there was one week of our month-long schedule where we spent time in a Peruvian village and were tasked with helping the local school by building bookcases and painting a mural.

We immediatly ran into problems. The wood was too flimsy and, for the mural, we were given thick, cheap paint - the kind used to paint breezeblocks, not pictures. We ran into language difficulties we did not understand that the reference image for the picture was from the school’s only copy of their alphabet book. The picture was covered in paint by mid-week and by the end, when we discovered they needed it back, we couldn’t even find it; someone had lost it.

Photo by Moyan Brenn In addition, we had covered their patio in paint drips and flecks. I have no idea how thankful they were, if at all, and I don’t even know the name of the village - none of us remembered to ask. We bumbled in, ‘helped’ and left, forgetting everyone’s names and taking with us only a dumb sense of satisfaction - “I helped”.

We were very young, stupid teenagers, attempting unfamiliar tasks in an alien environment. It would be unfair to equate all volunteers with us, but I feel the underlying message is the same: we are, all of us, unaware foreigners walking among these communities with our privileged upbringings, university educations and smartphones. We barely speak the language, we do not understand the culture and we know nothing except that these ‘poor people need our help’.

Furthermore, most voluntourists are young adults with no practical skills - our ‘helping to build a school’ or ‘digging a well’ is marred by inexperience and clumsiness.

It’s a straw man, perhaps, but the enduring image of voluntourism is the triumphant westerner in aviators and expensive walking boots standing amongst a crowd of smiling African children who ‘touched my heart’ and whom ‘I will never forget’.

There is a superficial relationship of western ‘givers’ and third-world ‘receivers’ which is built on very little and it makes me uncomfortable.

How deep is the engagement between locals and volunteers?

How much of this is actually helping local communities, and how much is an ego trip? To what extent is voluntourism an unwitting foray into ‘spiritual fulfilment’ instead of practical accomplishments - quelling

Photos by Alasdair Lawrence a western sense of ‘privilegeguilt’ where we feel bad for living on the fortunate side of the equator?

These days, people are against ‘sending aid’ to the third world.

It doesn’t matter how much grain, water or medicine you send - the government gets it. And, even if it doesn’t, the problems haven’t been solved, the supplies run out and they need more again.

The new philosophy in charity is putting solutions in the hands of the communities with the problems: training them in construction, agriculture, medicine and more. It seems

the trend of young people hopping on a plane to go build a single well somewhere, runs counter to this new approach.

In the end, the question boils down to this: how much of voluntourism is about really making a lasting difference to the impoverished abroad, and how much is it about making ourselves feel better?

If you have opinions on this piece that you would like published, please email newspaper. comment@inquiremedia. co.uk

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Comment

Think twice before you buy Christmas gifts on Amazon Ginny Sanderson Newspaper Comment Editor

O Photo by Wikimedia

What grinds my gears Francesca Brindle

1

Tit for Tat Politics, where every interview we see Conservatives blaming Labour for current debt or problems and vice versa, rather than objectively discussing the issues.

2

The behavior of some MP’s during Prime Minister’s Questions. All parties are guilty of throwing personal insults, shouting at each other and generally behaving like excited schoolboys.

3

Myleene Klass going ‘Paxman’ on Miliband, defending her right to be rich and claiming it’s only “little grannies” who would be affected by the Mansion Tax. She said £2million wouldn’t even get you garage in London, well probably not in Mayfair, Mylene.

4

The New Band-Aid Track has caused a lot of stir for its generally demeaning depiction of Africa with ‘death in every tear’. Another condescending Geldof comeback, with his taxavoiding best pal Bono.

5

Boris Johnson’s £1billion development deal with Chinese bid APB, after bid supporter Xuelin Bates donated £160,000 to the Conservative party. APB has been accused of ‘unethical’ practice and forced demolition of people’s homes.

Great choice Boris, I hope that pocket lining keeps your hands warm this Christmas.

ver the years, I’ve had a lot of time for Amazon.

Yes, I thought someone in Luxembourg was stealing my money when they started charging for Amazon Prime.

But, overall, Amazon have been a pretty good friend to the English Lit student.

Apologies, Waterstones and Blackwells, but I can’t buy all my books full price and first hand. I’m not the Wolf of Wall Street. On Amazon, I can buy a good condition of the book The English Patient for 1p (not including postage and packaging, or a melancholy Ralph Fiennes, unfortunately).

But, here is the catch: Amazon don’t pay their workers enough, and they don’t pay their taxes.

Let’s start with the taxes. In 2012 the company made sales of £4.3 billion, and paid less than 0.1% of tax. To many, taxes are the equivalent of being stuck in a lift with Nigel Farage. To the public eye, it would seem tax is still going to the Sheriff of Nottingham and

lining Prince John’s pockets.

But, Amazon is not Robin Hood.

Sorry to burst the bubble, but the hugely successful company is not taking money from the rich to give to the needy. It is taking money from the average consumer (you, for instance) and hoarding it like fucking Smaug.

In reality, tax goes to public services: healthcare, welfare, education, the police, etcetera.

By not paying the correct amount of tax, Amazon is taking money from these areas and keeping them in the private sector. Without these public systems, tax-avoiding companies wouldn’t be so

Photo by Nic Taylor

successful. Without police, they’d probs be overrun with hackers. Without healthcare, how could they have any employees to underpay?

Which leads me on to peoples’ next beef with the company.

“They don’t pay their workers a living wage” says Amazon Anonymous, the leader of a campaign to veto the retailer.

Indeed, according to an investigation by Carole Cadwalladr for The Observer, who landed a job in one of the company’s warehouses, workers are paid minimum wage and taking on 50 hour weeks, in what stretches the “limits of the EU working time directive”.

Photo by Jes

Additionally, if a worker takes three sick breaks in a three month period, they are eligible for a sacking. If UKC followed the same rules I’d hazard a guess that we wouldn’t have any freshers left.

In her article, Cadwalladr sinisterly predicts a “future in which multinational corporations wield more power than governments”.

Amazon took 3.5 million orders in ONE DAY last year. And they are only growing. When a corporation is seemingly raking in the mullah, it seems bizarre that they can only spare pennies for their workers, or for the country that is making them so much money in the first place. It is plain old greediness, and it ought to be protested.

Remember the Smaug simile?

Let’s all be like Bilbo Baggins.

This Christmas, let’s bother the king under the mountain.

In Amazon’s busiest time of the year, campaigners are boycotting the website to make a statement. Take your studenty business elsewhere, and maybe the fat dragon will be forced to listen.

What Ched Evans taught me about Twitter Faye Field

“Y

ou are a stupid cunt. I hope he rapes you.”

“Hope Ched Evans gets you you little slut” These were among the tweets sent to Jessica Ennis-Hill when she publicly stated she would remove her name from a Sheffield United stand if the convicted rapist, Ched Evans, was re-signed. Besides the bizarre premise of threatening someone who speaks against rape with rape, what makes these trolls feel so entitled to share their violent opinions?

Ah yes. “Freedom of speech mate...I’ll say what I want when I want!” said @ RickeyLambert07, before deleting his account. Well yes, yes you can. And you can consequently be judged for

being a consummate arsehole.

But it was not just Jessica who was charmed by the internet on this incident.

Jean Hatchet, who started the petition to remove Evans from the football team, has received up to 500 abusive tweets a minute. These include the fabulously original rebuttals ‘get back to the kitchen’ and ‘do the ironing’. Another Twitter user mentioned how he and his friend would like to hold her down and rape her.

It seems the Evans situation has created a delightful solidarity among would-be rapists.

But let’s forget about Ched for a minute. Remember his victim, the woman he raped?

The individual, who has lifetime anonymity according to law, was named on Twitter.

She was then threatened online and forced to change her identity and move cities, uprooting her entire life.

You may dismiss this Twitter abuse as online trolling, something that is ultimately harmless and will never go away. A seemingly obvious solution to anyone receiving death or rape threats online is to log off or delete your account. But should anyone have to? If this happened to everyone who got threatened, the internet would be a no man’s land of angry, and presumably sexually frustrated, teenagers. You can’t have the entire internet, trolls!

What’s more, the assumption that because these threats are online they are therefore in a magical space outside of real life is not convincing. As the

trolls are real people jabbing away at their keyboards, this attitude is not exclusive to the digital world. At an away match, fans of Ched Evans recently chanted: “He’s coming for you, He’s coming for you, women of Bradford, He’s coming for you.”

People need to be held accountable to what they say online. Ultimately, attitudes such as this bleed into reality.

Freedom of speech is all well and good, but if you threaten to rape or kill someone IRL you will be arrested.

And the people who are receiving these torrents of abuse are REAL people who are going to be upset and – in Evans’ victim’s case, their life may be changed - by a million throwaway, ejaculatory comments.

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8

Features

Why is the weather so temperamental?

Emily Martin

W

inter is fast approaching, and with it, the knowledge that torrential rain will undoubtedly become more common, so how may we be affected and more importantly, why?

Last winter we witnessed some of the worst floods in years as hundreds were forced to evacuate their homes, flights were cancelled, rail services were disrupted and at Christmas thousands of families were left without electricity and water. Large areas remained flooded for months as high rainfall kept occurring and in January the levels of rain were double the expected average in many regions.

The South-East has been issued a terrifying number of flash flood warnings already this year, so could we be preparing to face a water-logged

Christmas again?

The Environment Agency believe there are at present 2.3 million homes and 185,000 businesses at risk of flooding in England and Wales. This amounts to the staggering damage costs of over £200 billion if these were to be hit by floods.

These floods have been linked to global warming and are predicted to occur much more frequently in the future, calling for better flood defences in Britain. There is much speculation that increased rainfall is a result of rising temperatures.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it is about 0.75 degrees warmer than it was at the beginning of the century.

Warm air is able to hold a greater concentration of water, so this increase means during heavy downpours, more

rain is falling than in previous years.

This leaves an excess that is bursting our river banks, and it doesn’t look like temperatures are falling any time soon.

In March, the IPCC Working Group II report was published, which examined increasing temperatures as a global risk. It was compiled by more than 300 expert authors from 70 different countries and concluded that flooding is one of the key threats to mankind caused by global warming. They highlighted Europe as being one of the most vulnerable areas. In June, the Met Office issued a statement saying that the probability of floods will rise significantly in the next 85 years as the climate heats up.

Researchers at the University of Oxford discovered that freak events, such as flash floods, would have been expected once every 100 years prior

to global warming but now occur once every 80 years, meaning that the likelihood of extreme winter floods has increased by 25% on pre-industrial levels.

Ultimately it is difficult to ascertain the exact effect global warming has on flooding, but if increasing temperatures are resulting in higher precipitation levels, we need to take action and ask ourselves what can be done to prevent them. We need to look at how we can adapt our homes and lives to extreme weather.

Steps need to be taken to protect ourselves from risk, especially in coastal areas; flood defences need vast improvement, development of housing needs to cease in flood-prone regions and forests and wetland areas need to be maintained as a buffer zone to soak up the water.

Photo by João André O. Dias

The winter is coming...and so are spiders Sarah Osborne

T

here have been numerous spider warnings in the past few months; a shock for British citizens who usually only hear of horrific spider stories in warmer countries. Recently, a killer spider was found in a family’s Waitrose shopping, having been shipped abroad in the delivery boxes. Other Black widow and False widow spiders have also been found in the UK, and it seems as if these horror stories are getting increasingly common. But fear not!

Here are some tips to outsmart these critters.

The most obvious way to start is to remove any webs and debris from the outside, such as leaves, garden mess, and empty containers as this should discourage the spiders from trying to find warmth and secluded spots.

Some people suggest that placing conkers by your window is one way of deterring the spiders; by positioning

them in corners of rooms and behind furniture, the spiders will avoid slipping through cracks. Although this is considered folklore, the Royal Society of Chemistry is offering £300 to anyone who offers persuasive evidence of this theory working.

Other tips focus on deterring tastes and smells. Some claim that spiders hate peppermint and citrus scents such as lemon; by spraying this around, not only will you keep your room smelling fresh, you’ll also be keeping them at bay. If you are a smoker, tobacco has also been used in the past by sprinkling it outside the edges of the house; although this of course is an expensive option. Another method is using vinegar.

If using the power of smell is not what you fancy, another suggestion is cedar shavings in cupboards and using cedar mulch: shreddings from the bark of a cedar tree. It is commonly used to repel insects. Sprinkling some outside

your house will warn off insects and arachnids.

As you may have noticed, light seems to attract many insects and in turn this draws in spiders, who are looking for a tasty meal. I would advise you to close your window when your light is on during the evenings.

Hoping that the winter chill will kill off

the spiders is wishful thinking; spiders will immigrate to homes where there is warmth and protection.

There are many more suggestions online that can be tested, but if all else fails you will just have to resort to the old method of plucking up the courage to catch spiders with a cup and card.

Good luck!

Photo by James West

Features

9

South East students put on most weight Manon Charles

H

eavy drinking + late night takeaways = student life, but at what cost?

The student lifestyle is hardly the perfect breeding ground for healthy living, so it comes as no surprise that the American phenomenon known as the ‘Freshman 15’ (the 15 pounds that students put on during their first year at university) is now posing a problem for British students.

According to an article in the Independent, students in the South East (particularly Oxford, Reading, Brighton and Kent) put on more weight during their first year at university than any other region. Reporting on average, a weight gain of 11.8lbs.

Most stereotypes portray students as lazy, living off beans and pot noodles, but is there any truth to this?

A study found that nearly half of students (47%) began university on a diet of pizza and white pasta.

The student diet, laden with refined carbohydrates and sugar not only affects body mass but can also many other areas, such as concentration levels.

A student commented: “On a diet consisting mainly of pasta and potatoes, I felt sluggish and unable to concentrate

during lectures, however after increasing my intake of vegetables I feel much more energised”.

Many students away from home for the first time are overwhelmed with the freedom that university brings, and throw themselves wholeheartedly into university life, relishing in their new found independence and are so busy trying to cram various activities during the day that they do not have enough time to spend making a decent home-cooked meal that is balanced in carbohydrates, fat, fibre, protein, sugar

and minerals and vitamins.

Although easy microwave meals often lack the nutrients that your body requires or the value for money that your wallet needs.

Cooking doesn’t have to take up much time either. You can cook for the week ahead, by preparing your meals and storing them in the fridge or freezer.

The best meals to cook in batches are curries or stews. This takes away some of the pressure of having to cook after a long day and will prevent you from making unhealthy choices.

Photo by Matt

The student lifestyle often involves spending most of your time sat down at a desk on the internet. Lack of exercise is also a key factor of weight gain, so get off your laptop and do some exercise.

This does not have to be time consuming or expensive. You can also join a sports society and get fit with others. There are a range of sports societies on campus to suit all tastes.

You need not join a gym and 30 minutes a day is enough to improve your health. One of the best exercises in losing weight is running. Just put on your trainers and go for a jog outside.

If sports isn’t your thing, there are still ways of getting active, instead of taking the bus, why not walk onto campus or into town? With so much to do, the student lifestyle does not always allow enough time for sleeping.

Between socialising with friends and upcoming deadlines, sleep is often the thing that is put on the back burner.

However, it is important to ensure that you get enough hours of sleep. Studies have shown that sufficient sleep and a regular pattern helps control weight levels.

With essay season coming up, your mental wellbeing is as important as your physical wellbeing so make sure the student lifestyle doesn’t let you down.

Are e-cigarettes really a better alternative?

Chloe Bryer

D

uring recent years ,there has been a steady increase in the amount of people using the e-cigarette, and now ‘vaping’ has branched back into the realm of TV advertising. Why are e-cigarettes so popular, and what makes them so different from normal cigarettes?

Firstly, e-cigarettes have been a ‘thing’ since the 1960s with the first generation resembling a tobacco cigarette, although today the model tends to look like Doctor Who’s sonic screwdriver with a range of flashing lights. The current model was invented by Hon Lik and released officially in 2003. Lik states that his e-cigarette is similar to the “digital camera taking over from the analogue camera”.

Many people will view these e-cigarettes as a harmless alternative to smoking a tobacco cigarette: it is essentially nicotine without the accompanying toxicants and carbon monoxide, and vapour is released rather than smoke. Yet in 2013, there were 43 incidents including earlier this year in August, 62-year-old David Thompson was killed when his charging e-cigarette

exploded.

Some people claim that health warnings are not an e-cigarette problem and only a battery and charger problem instead. Indeed, as demand and popularity rises for these devices, a wider market will too, which may mean illegal and uncredited e-cigarettes will be bought at a cheaper price.

Many organisations, such as the British Medicine Association and the World Health Organisation (WHO), want to ban these devices as there is not enough evidence to support the claim that they are safe. The WHO has warned that the vapour released from the products will have hidden dangers, already there have been severe cases of throat and mouth inflammations, vomiting, coughs and nausea. A friend of mine at university said, “I’m not smoking, but I’m still pumping rubbish into my body”.

Although cigarette smoking has been banned from British television since 1965, recently David Levin, co-founder of VIP e-cigarettes released a sensual TV advert which depicts a woman ‘vaping.’ The same woman was in an earlier advert, which presented VIPs but was soon banned after being deemed

too sexual. The new advert runs post watershed and does have to adhere to certain rules. For example, it cannot appeal to children or under 18s and not claim that it is better than normal cigarettes. But many people are furious that the rules appear more relaxed and Health Minister Mark Drakeford states the ads are “glamourising and re-normalising smoking.” In 2016, the advert will be taken off air as new EU laws come into action which re-classifies e-cigarettes as “tobaccorelated products”.

Although the risks and benefits of the product are uncertain, Deborah Arnott,

Chief Executive of anti-smoking charity ASH, claims that “Vaping is safer than smoking but it’s not harmless.”

E-cigarette smokers should be wary that they are inhaling chemicals and the need to buy their device from an approved company. However, it is not harmless in the sense that it normalises smoking or vaping. But it could prove revolutionary if smokers take a step away from tobacco.

Turn to Culture to read about how e-cigarretes have even affected our vocabulary.

Photo by Jonny Williams

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Features

Recipe

Would you cheat at university?

Maisie Golding

Banrika Gill

Emergency Deadline Pudding

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As we are near the end of the term those deadlines are approaching fast and the winter is starting to set in. At this time I recommend you treat yourself and this warm pudding will do the trick. This yummy recipe has been passed down through my family from my Great Aunt Sheilagh; it was often something she made for her three daughters and contains things you typically have in your food cupboard.

Ingredients 60g butter 145 ml cup milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 150g cup caster sugar 140g self-raising flour 1 tablespoon cocoa 1 tablespoon cocoa for topping 150g cup brown sugar 1 tablespoon cocoa (extra) 450ml boiling water If you don’t have cocoa powder hot chocolate powder works just as a well.

Method 1. Preheat your oven to 180◦C 2. Melt the butter with the milk in a saucepan. Do not let it boil.

3. Remove from the heat when the butter has melted completely.

4. Stir in the vanilla extract.

4. In a bowl mix the flour, cocoa and sugar together.

5. Make a well in the centre and pour in the butter and milk mixture. Mix until smooth.

6. Transfer the pudding mixture into a greased ovenproof dish.

7. Sift brown sugar and extra cocoa on the top and gently pour the water over the mixture.

8. Bake the pudding for 40 minutes and stand for 5 minutes before serving.

TIP: Since your deadlines are near, go and write some paragraphs, do some reading or work whilst its in the oven. Then reward yourself with the pudding you just made.

Photo by Maisie Golding

he BBC news website featured an article on why some students feel it is their right to cheat. A student, Pratap Singh explained that for some students, they felt that it was their right to cheat.

He said: “Cheating is our birth right” and that “it is our democratic right!”.

Professors can make money from poor students’ desperation or rich students can simply use money to get results, allowing them to reap the benefits whilst doing no work. Cheating is not only done by students as Pratap Singh said: “Students bribe to get admission and good results. Research students get professors to write their dissertations. And the professors cheat too, publishing articles in bogus journals”.

It is also not confined to university culture either, as in a country where the top universities like Lady Shri Ram College for Women can ask for a minimum average score of 95% in what is equivalent to A-levels, students may feel that there is no other choice, and this cheating culture is continued onto higher education.

It’s not only corruption that aids cheating, as with the growth of the Internet, it has become easier to look up model answers and essays.

The Telegraph carried out an investigation regarding cheating at universities by comparing numbers between the academic years 2005/06 to 2009/10. Results show the University of Kent had an increase from 66 cases to 181. These growing figures are extremely alarming, especially when understood along the total of 16,000 cases of cheating in 2011 from all universities, reported by the Independent.

Greenwich University was found to be the worst with 900 cases of “academic misconduct”. In Scotland, more than 1,600 students were caught breaching academic conduct rules in 2012/13.

Tessa Byars, an advice services manager at Anglia Ruskin University Students’ Union, blames increased tuition fees saying that they will “increase pressure and anxiety to get a good degree”.

This is also true of Indian Universities, where the poorer students are faced with higher pressures due to their families’ expectations of social mobility. And if they feel that failing is not an option, they will cheat. Moreover, if they are up against students who cheat because they can afford it, then how do they face a fair chance of success? This leads to the belief that it is their right to

cheat, making the education system increasingly unfair.

Universities need a stricter policy to tackle cheating. There have been attempts, the University of South Africa (Unisa) has previously barred students from studying for a number of years and expelled individuals involved in buying or selling exam papers.

Some universities are less drastic; the University of Johannesburg has chosen to focus on prevention and advocacy instead of conviction. Both approaches have their benefits and downfalls but what should be clear is that cheating should be- and- is unacceptable.

As Geoffrey Alderman, professor of history and politics at the University of Buckingham says, “it is fraud and it devalues the currency of all degrees”.

Photo by Steven S.

Keep your cool for the end of term Jessica Duncan

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he period for relaxation is over and now it’s time to crack on with your essays or consider revising for those end of term tests. But don’t stress, we’ve got some top tips to help you survive this tough time and stay healthy (and sane!) along the way.

photo by Giuseppe Savo

1. Plan ahead Despite being the most obvious thing to say, it is key that you don’t wait to start planning and writing until the last minute. When reading the texts for your course, it is a good idea to bear in mind the essay questions so you know what to look for. Annotating and highlighting is also good for finding those notes quickly and easily in the large textbooks. For those who are visual, mind maps are great for

collecting ideas and grouping them together.

2. Sleep well, get up early All-nighters may seem like the thing to do at uni, but a better idea is getting a good night’s sleep and waking up early when your concentration levels are best, although you may find that it is easier to work when your noisy flatmates are in bed! If you struggle to get an early night, make sure you turn off all your electronics at least an hour before considering going to bed.

Reading is a great way to switch off so take time out to read something for pleasure.

3. Snacks Chocolate and crisps may seem like the ideal snack to have within reaching distance of your desk, but fruit, and especially blueberries help improve concentration. Smoothies are great at getting both your intake of fruit and fluids. Whilst it might be easier to put on a microwave meal and use the time saved not cooking on your essay, it may not help in the long run when you feel run down and tired from not eating properly.

4. Plenty of water It’s easy to forget to drink water, especially when you’re relying on

energy drinks to keep you going, but it is essential that you stay hydrated. A glass of ice cold water can perk you up and give you that wake up you need, saving you money on energy drinks!

5. Don’t panic You’ve still got 24 hours until the deadline and another 1,000 words to go, but a lot can happen in that time! Relax, remove all distractions (especially phones), and focus.

Stressing will make everything worse and is a waste of your energy. Whatever you are writing about, you will have studied in detail in seminars, reading and lectures, so go back over your notes - it might be all you need to get that epiphany moment!​

Photo by Johan Larsson

0070 7 O T T N U O R AM U O Y Y B D E LOW L O F ’ 9 4 P A N TEXT ‘S

#SNAAPINTO ACTION

N O I T A R E P O : S E O R E R H E S I A R D N U F R E T N I THE W SATURDAY 29TH NOV EMBER -

FRIDAY 5TH DECEMB ER

* RAISING MONEY FOR SNAAP.ORG.UK

FIND OUT MORE AT JUSTGIVING.COM/SNAAPINTOACTION

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Features

Operation Heroes: The Wint

In the lead up to the Charity Fundraiser Week at UKC, Dave Coc Coordinator for SNAAP, about the origins of the charity, what If you could explain in your own words a little about the charity SNAAP:

SNAAP (Special Needs Advisory & Activities Project) started 11 years ago, and it’s for disabled children aged 0-19 years old

SNAAP is a charity that supports families with disabled children in the Canterbury area - primarily servicing Canterbury, Whitstable and Herne Bay. We provide activities and services to the local community such as running school holiday family events such as coach trips to Legoland and the Thames Valley accessible playground.

SNAAP is unique: there are no other local organisations which provide the extensive range of services to children with every kind of disability, aged from 0-19 years, in partnership with parents.

The focus of the services is upon all of the child’s needs including educational, social, developmental and emotional.

SNAAP needs £180,000 to fund their services. £10,000 goes towards Winter Wonderland.

Due to the financial climate, the charity needs to raise their own funds.

All donations truly have an impact and go a long way.

We focus upon the whole family and not just on the child with disabilities.

We also provide support by giving families the access to a Family Support Worker who visits them at home to help families through school issues, DVLA forms and for any other issues they face.

Where did the idea behind SNAAP come from?

The project was developed by Contact a Family in response to parents and carers feelings of isolation and frustration. A consultation funded by the Canterbury Children’s Fund, highlighted a lack of support and information and also very little leisure opportunities for children with disabilities or special needs.

30% the ch and youn are on the spect

Features

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ter Fundraiser with SNAAP

cozza took some time to chat to Hester, the Leisure & Events services they provide and how successful they have been.

As a needs-led organisation, SNAAP’s services are developed to meet these needs. At the heart of SNAAP lies our fundamental belief in informed parental choice, empowering parents to access the very best services and support to ensure that their children achieve their goals in life.

% of hildren ng people e autistic trum

What have been the reactions by families that have accessed your support services?

People tell us that the consultations we offer and the activities we put on have been a lifeline to them, and that they are so pleased with what SNAAP has offered. One of the families we support once said “Life is a fight, and SNAAP takes away that fight” which

has been perhaps one of the best quotes we’ve ever heard.

A lot of people say they don’t know what they would do without SNAAP, and so any help we can get in continuing to ensure our activities can remain is amazing.

Is there anything you would like to say to the Kent students involved in our charity project for SNAAP? For everyone that is involved, SNAAP is so, so grateful for your support. If we didn’t receive funding from people just like you, we wouldn’t be able to offer the services that we know are so desperately needed. I’ve worked for SNAAP for five years now and I’ve seen the amazing progress SNAAP has gone through, and the more help we can provide the better.

Thank you so much for your help!

Current services include: -Family Support Service -Specialist Toy & Book Lending Library -Regular Sport and Youth clubs -School holiday activities: Youth Holiday Scheme, Short Break days out

Comic by Natalie Turco-Williams. All photos taken from snaap.org.uk.

#SNAAPINTOACTION

What is Operation heroes?

Every year the student media groups at kent (ktv, inquire, and csr) combine forces to raise money and awareness for a different charity - this year we’re fundraising for snaap, a special needs advisory and activities project that runs throughout the county of kent. snaap provides invaluable advice, resources and respite for families of children with special needs, and also delivers activities and entertainment for the children to enjoy

FRIDAY 5TH DECEMBER @ MUNGO’S BAR FROM 12 NOON TO 12 MIDNIGHT ON 05/12/2014 WE’LL BE TAKING OVER MUNGO’S BAR ON THE UNIVERSITY OF KENT CAMPUS, WITH LIVE ENTERTAINMENT THROUGHOUT THE DAY FOLLOWED BY LIVE MUSIC + A DJ ALL NIGHT. .

COME ON DOWN FOR FREE ENTERTAINMENT + MATES RATES ON THE BAR . . . & FOR EVERY SALE OF THE HULK SMOOTHIE, THE BAR WILL MAKE A DONATION TO THE FUNDRAISER!

TEXT ‘SNAP49’ FOLLOWED BY YOUR AMOUNT TO 70070

FIND OUT MORE AT JUSTGIVING.COM/SNAAPINTOACTION

Entertainment

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Clever or controversial? We decide.

Memory or marring? War in adverts Do we want to know it’s Christmas?

Photo by warhistoryonline

Hannah Lewis

C

hristmas is a time for sharing – The tagline for Sainsbury’s 2014 Christmas Advert. It recreates the extraordinary events that occurred on Christmas Day 1914. Unofficial ceasefires took place and two armies met in no-man’s land to exchange seasonal greetings and even play a football match. It remains one of the most famous and enduring moments from World War 1.

The advert has sparked controversy, with some believing it to be a stroke of genius and others an exploitation of war during its Centenary year.

The 3min 40sec long advert, which premiered on 12 November feels very similar to a short film. The supermarket has partnered up with the Royal British Legion (RBL) to reconstruct the trench scenes and shows British and German soldiers coming together. After hearing German troops begin festivities, singing the enchanting ‘Silent Night’ and venturing out towards the barbed wire, both sides start to emerge and two soldiers from opposing sides shake hands. After the iconic football match is played, the British soldier subtley gives his new companion a gift. Once he has returned to the German battlefield, he

Photo by maximumpop

Photo by kirky29

finds a bar of chocolate placed in his pocket and smiles in acknowledgement.

The ad follows on from the heartwarming public reaction to the artwork exhibition of the thousands of poppies placed around the Tower of London that in recent months has attracted thousands of visitors. Both have contributed to a remembrance of the fallen 100 years on from Christmas 1914.

However, some have suggested that using war as a commercial tool to sell is distasteful and disrupts the sentimental consensus felt by many during this Centenary year. Sainsbury’s has, however, agreed that all profit made from the chocolate bar sales will be donated to the RBL, who they continue to share a long-running relationship with.

Although the advert has provoked some negative responses and has been deemed controversial, the positives seem to outweigh the negatives with over 10 million YouTube views and a sense of a shared historical memory. In fact, many have said that Sainsbury’s has even beaten biggest competition John Lewis (who portray a childpenguin love story) this time in the bid for the number one Christmas ad of 2014.

April Yeung

W

hen something gets rehashed, not just once, but four times, there are definitely some creativity issues. As a fundraising effort towards the Ebola crisis, the fourth rehashing of “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid 30, the latest reincarnation of Band Aid (originally created for fundraising towards ending poverty in Ethiopia), is as uncreative as it gets. It also shows a lack of sincerity in this so-called ‘charitable action’ – they can’t even be bothered to come up with a new song for charity.

To be fair, slight changes have been made to the newest version. To match the intention of the release, the lyrics were altered to reflect the Ebola crisis in West Africa, and the beat has become slower and more sombre. However, as The Independent pointed out, Band Aid 30 has unfortunately dropped the best lyrics of the original song, “well tonight thank God it’s them instead of you”.

This line, sung by Bono, was considered the best as it did not sound “phoned in”. This is a valid stylistic point as well as a political one. Reflecting the usual Western stance crises and tragedies happening on a different continent, this song – asking poor, starving Africans

Photo by Eirik Helland Urke

whether they know what or when Christmas is, despite a lot of them being Christians – is a problematic mix of patronizing condescension and Western neo-imperialism.

What’s more problematic is the tagline behind this ‘new’ song: ‘buy the song, stop the virus’, which seems to imply that common folk like you and I can stop this virus simply by buying the song, ignoring all the efforts of Médecins Sans Frontières and Disasters Emergency Committee.

With its synthesized tunes and generic drumming, this bland and unoriginal version of the song certainly reflects the mediocre ‘good intentions’ of Band Aid 30. In fact, with the music video showing the various (some of them even unfamiliar) artists having a good time in the recording studio, it’s more like another feel-good act for westerners to believe they are helping the poor people of Africa. It’s boring, insincere, and even potentially harmful to Africa.

Feel free to buy the song and give to charity, but don’t think that you will actually stop Ebola and ‘heal the world’ by just doing that.

Have an opinion? Have your say and get in touch with one of our editors.

Dapper Laughs - Who’s laughing now?

Alasdair Lawrence

T

he rise and fall of Dapper Laughs has been fun. Journalists, comedians and the general public have all been having a field day mocking him on social media and in print. Dapper Laughs is everything which is wrong with ‘laddish’ culture and ‘banter’. He’s a dinosaur of misogyny, immaturity and that fatally teenage combination of promiscuity and arrogance.

Or is he? Perhaps he is not a unique beacon of incorrectness and ignorance so much as he is something far more common in comedy - a misjudged joke.

Dapper Laughs is, thankfully, not his birth name. Daniel O’Reilly created the

Dapper Laughs character for a series of Vine sketches which quickly took off, garnering him over half a million fans on the video-hosting media site.

“I kind of got a little bit carried away”, said Mr. O’Reilly on BBC Newsnight, “it caught on really quick…that type of humour was really popular for a certain demographic”. He insisted that his aim from the start had been parodying, not promoting, the ‘lad’ mindset. “I thought these people can [sic] see that…that’s not real, I don’t think that…I’m taking the mick out of what I thought men think”.

What began as a parody perhaps warped into reality as O’Reilly attempted to maintain the character’s

popularity - getting more and more ‘outrageous’ with every video to stay fresh and exciting to his audience. “I was really pushing the boundaries because it was popular”.

The suggestion that people would follow Dapper Laughs’ guidance, such as demanding women to lift their shirts at knifepoint, is perhaps accrediting too much influence to six-second videos.

Shock humour has been a mainstay of comedy for generations. It was only a few years ago that Mock the Week was pulled before Newsnight’s critical gaze after Frankie Boyle made jokes about the Queen’s sex life. Comedians who rely on shock for effect spend their careers dancing on the edge of

acceptability. We get a rush out of seeing them not quite go too far. In this case O’Reilly went too far. The constant positive reinforcement of his character’s antics encouraged him to take bigger and bigger risks with what he could get away with. His downfall is nothing special - he was a comedian who took one step too far and ruined the joke.

Comedy is often a very personal art form - it requires one bares his or her soul before an audience with no shame.

It is an inherent risk in all comedy that we might put ourselves on show, as O’Reilly has done, and discover that ‘saying what everyone else is thinking’ is not, sometimes, what everyone is thinking.

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Entertainment

Hungry for more after Mockingjay Megan Weal Newspaper Entertainment Editor

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hen a movie has two predecessors that stand before it, another to come and the actual Hunger Games are officially over anyway, what exactly does The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 have going for it? I thought there wouldn’t be much. I sat with my popcorn, anticipating some dry acting and a lack of action. But I was very pleasantly surprised; Mockingjay Part 1 is the best of a good franchise.

Don’t get me wrong, this movie is quite a far cry from the strong action of the first two movies, but it has something more, something that engages an older audience and places it out of arms length of the rest.

This was the cleverest Hunger Games movie so far. The most intriguing storyline within the narrative is the consistently fiery competition between the opposing PR campaigns.

Mockingjay Part 1 reaches further into reality than any other current fantasy thriller I’ve seen. It takes a severe look at the role of propaganda in brutal civil wars and leaves the viewer questioning the political agendas behind them.

The intense look at politics through a

pop culture lens is transferable to our own political PR workings – a feat that is hard to work into a movie that strad-

Photo by nam fullbuster

dles the fantasy, thriller and science fiction genres. Katniss is trained and

trimmed to be the leader of the revolution – a figure that people can aspire to and follow. It’s an endearing and eyeopening peek inside politics – something I wasn’t expecting from a movie adapted from a young adult novel.

The movie focusses on manipulation and justification. And how nothing is what it seems. Don’t get me wrong, it’s unnerving, but in the best way.

With more seriousness than its predecessors, Mockingjay Part 1 allows quality acting to come to the forefront.

Jennifer Lawrence does it again with a stellar performance, but perhaps it’s not that hard when one kick-ass woman is playing someone equally as kick-ass.

My only reservations came with the confusion left by Peeta’s character.

Having read the books, I knew this was purposeful. But yet the sheer amount of information that is thrown at the audience, paired with the totally under-developed character is quite a lot to handle for those going in with no Hunger Games foresight.

Mockingjay Part 1 did what it needed to do, and more. It left questions unanswered and viewers with a bitter distaste for characters that they were supposed to love. It’s left me waiting in eager anticipation for Part 2.

We are never getting back together Like, ever. Rob Linden takes a look at the feud between Taylor Swift and music hot-shots Spotify.

T

aylor Swift is no stranger to controversy. Derided in her earlier career for writing numerous songs about previous relationships, and alienating and enticing old and new fans alike with her change from country to pop, Swift is back in the public eye.

Joining the ranks of Thom Yorke, The Black Keys and a growing number of disillusioned artists, she has pulled her music from the Spotify streaming service. In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, Taylor claimed that Spotify “doesn’t… fairly compensate the writers, producers, artists and creators of [her] music.”

Taking the economics into account, figures are unspecified, but estimates for a single ‘play’ on Spotify nets an artist between 0.03p and 0.34p.

Conversely, a single download from iTunes offers estimations ranging between 6p to 20p.

Whilst neither sum is particularly enticing for an artist, especially those new to the industry, Swift may have grounds for complaint: are multiple streams on Spotify going to add up to the price of a single iTunes download?

It must be considered that 1.2 million

copies of 1989 sold within a week of its release, figures that may have been hampered had the album been made available on Spotify – even before her catalogue was dropped, her new album wasn’t made available for streaming.

It is pretty evident, however, that this rather astonishing figure can be attributed to her immense popularity as an artist, rather than any clever marketing campaign. It may even be the case that Swift had planned to abandon Spotify, and the absence of 1989 merely foreshadowed it.

It has been argued that many lose

Photo by Rylie Trott

out on money through Spotify, but countless other artists have kept their music on the streaming service - there may be other factors at play in the Swift case. Composer Zoë Keating made £28,000 from iTunes sales with a five month period – netting less than £190 within the same period.

In this light, it seems that Swift is denying countless numbers of fans the opportunity to appreciate her music – fans who, undoubtedly, bought her new album anyway. Whilst fears of music piracy are still rampant in the industry, the absence of 1989 may have led to a surge of thievery; instead, Swift experienced a surge in sales.

Besides, an artist as rich, successful and undeniably influential as Swift, complaining about the economic benefits of Spotify, comes across as pretty insincere.

Myriad bands and artists literally earning pennies are highly grateful for the publicity and the access it allows them – does Swift really have that much to gain by denying faithful (1.2 million!) fans access to a back catalogue which may not even be bought in the wake of her genre change and release of 1989?

Albums on the Go Jack Hadaway-Weller Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2

Possibly the best hip-hop album released this year, Run The Jewels (the gangsta-rap duo El-P and Killer Mike), have followed up their eponymous debut with another solid release. Their second record boasts a significant plethora of guests including Zack de la Rocha, Diane Coffee and Travis Barker.

Run The Jewels 2 (RTJ2) contains an array of complex instrumentals which marry neatly throughout the 11 tracks. Lyrically, the pair tackle US political issues with dark and explicit imagery, extraordinary freneticism and expert precision.

The album is up for free download on their site. So, what are you waiting for?!

Marmozets – The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets

The Marmozets’ debut record came out little over a month ago and is one of the loudest rock records of this year. Marmozets pack a startlingly ferocious sound with heavy yet intricate riffs and a pounding percussive backbone.

This instrumentation is the perfect companion to the idiosyncratic vocals provided by Becca Macintyre, which flip from soaring and anthemic, to brutal and aggressive.

Marmozets sound a bit like if Paramore stopped being a pop band and started using Mathcore bands, such as The Dillinger Escape Plan, as a key influence. This is an excellent example that British heavy music is still alive in our generation.

Slipknot - .5: The Gray Chapter

This release, which is the first without both Joey Jordison and the late Paul Gray (the latter of which the album is dedicated to) shows Slipknot returning back to the heavier, more aggressive and almost thuggish sound present on their first two records. The nontet successfully manage to convert the emotion of losing a friend into pure anger and frustration, which they display through both the instrumentals and abrasive vocals. In places, the group chooses to display the softer side of their sound and this works to their advantage as it merely strengthens the heavier offerings on the record.

It’s definitely a welcome return from the Iowan metal titans.

Entertainment

Songs on Repeat

The return of Jamie T

Jessica Duncan

Alice Bryant

Tom Odell - “Real Love”

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Odell’s cover of the John Lennon original ‘Real Love’ currently features on the Christmas advert for John Lewis and is full of emotion, accompanying the heart warming story of the lonely penguin portrayed on screen. Getting everyone into the Christmas spirit, Odell does the original true justice.

Man without country “Sweet harmony”

Another cover, this time originally performed by The Beloved, brings the track up to date, with an electronic, dreamy sound. Having recently featured on Made in Chelsea, the song, as accurately described by band member Tomas Greenhalf, “pays homage” but doesn’t “totally revamp the original.”

Photo by E. Christian Wallace

Kaiser Chiefs - “My Life”

Despite their drummer and song writer leaving the band in 2012, the third song taken from their album, Education, Education, Education and War, sounds as though it could have been taken from one of their earlier albums, retaining their original sound. As though they never left the charts, the band have released tickets for a UK tour in early 2015, and this upbeat song promises to be a hit in the stadiums with its memorable chorus.

Jack Ü feat. Kieza - “Take Ü There” Formed of Skrillex and Diplo teaming up to create this force not to be reckoned with, this song is edgy and catchy. With the help of Kieza providing the vocals in just one night, the track recently reached number 16 in the charts, a strong start for this dynamic, chart topping duo.

17

amie T has been gone for five long years.

Back in 2009, my feet hurt so much that I had resigned myself to sulkily slouching in a clump of mud just outside Glastonbury festival’s John Peel stage, it was pissing it down, but I still remember happily humming along to “If You Got The Money” and thinking perhaps my lot in life wasn’t so bad after all.

Back then, Jamie was raw and raucous. His crowd was full of shortback-and-sides and low slung skinnyjeans, Fred Perry T-shirts and fists in the air.

Now, at 28, Jamie hasn’t lost any of his fervour or cheeky-chappy appeal.

He’s perhaps a little less vitriolic, and a little less coarse and candid — he very sweetly reveals to the crowd that his parents are watching the show from the side of the stage, his sheepish grin betraying just how much that means to him. We cheer and coo and ‘awww’, and the next song begins like a punch in the jaw.

Speaking of which, the crowd were absolutely bloody mental. I had politely and delicately edged to the front of the arena with my housemate, securing a standing spot one row away from the front barrier. Nobody disturbed us during Hollie Cook, the first support act. She had a gorgeous voice and her hip movements were mesmerizing, but unfortunately all of her songs blurred into one long sexy bluesy slumber.

Then Slaves (make note, they’re from Kent) came on, and the crowd filled.

The lead singer (also the drummer), yelled lyrics that were sometimes impassioned, sometimes self-effacing, and sometimes just plain non-sensical.

One song, ‘Where’s Your Car Debbie?’ was about being chased by a Sasquatch and trying to find a car to get away in from said Sasquatch. They were angry, energetic, and charismatic — and so were their songs. It was garage punk at its best, and it was perfect to warm the crowd up for Jamie T. Paramount to its success, a kid of questionable age, high on MDMA, started trying to neck every girl within the vicinity, and two fights broke out to our left.

When Jamie T came on, everybody seemed to get a bit unhinged. I

got to the front and clung onto the rail for dear life. A girl hit me repeatedly in the head, tried to lasso her legs around mine in order to get my spot at the front, and even poured water (God, I hope it was water) onto my head, but I held strong and resisted the urge to damage her vital organs.

Jamie played immaculately and bounced around the stage, revealing enough of himself to make the show interesting, but still remaining just a bit of an enigma. Where has he been?

Who is Jamie T, these days?

The set-list was performed perfectly, but I missed the crudeness of his first album. Songs like “Brand New Bass Guitar” and “Pacemaker” spoke to a generation who grew up on Skins and MySpace — kids who went to house parties that weren’t nearly as good as they promised to be on Friday nights. An element of playfulness has disappeared in his new material; it’s more polished, it’s more clean, and its more grown up. “Peter” verged dangerously on reminding me a little too much of the Arctic Monkeys, but he retained some of that essential ‘Jamieness’ in the choruses of songs like “Rabbit Hole” and “Zombie”.

His performance of “Emily’s Heart” brought such a sense of solidarity to the crowd that it led even the girl who had been hitting me on the head to briefly pause in order to sing and smile.

He finished the show with “Sheila”; crowdsurfers toppled like lemmings over my shoulders as we sang and screamed the words, our voices raw from overuse and our arms aching from self-preservation.

Photo by Kate Yang Nikodym

Photo by Janusz Jasinski

Photo by ATL (Across the Line)

Photo by David Wala

Photo by David Wala

Photo by Stewart Fullerton Photography

Photo by music like dirt

Head to InQuirelive.co.uk for more entertainment.

Got a story? Get in touch with one of our editors.

18

Culture

Society Spotlight Matthew Prentice

Tinker Soc:

Kent’s Maker Society TinkerSoc was formed in 2008 to encourage and teach students about engineering, programming and making; to help others achieve the satisfaction of building something and it working.

Our members have built many awesome things, including bottle rockets, an arcade machine, and old school headphone tube amplifiers.

More recently, our members have been getting interested in amateur radio, a hobby that lots of people around the world enjoy.

As radio amateurs, our members are entitled to make use of huge sections of the radio spectrum to enable projects such as satellite communications, moon bouncing, weather balloons, or simply talking to people.

Grounded visits the Gulbenkian Julia Mitchell Newspaper Culture Editor

G

ate Theatre’s award winning production, Grounded, arrived at the Gulbenkian theatre earlier this month, showing for just one night only.

And you know what? It was the perfect way to spend my Sunday evening.

The story features one hotshot fighter pilot who lives for the rush of flying and fighting in the US Air Force. After falling pregnant, she finds herself relocated from the sky to a trailer in Las Vegas, flying unmanned drones in a war that she will never see with her own eyes. As a woman who returns every night from battle to her waiting husband and child, this fighter pilot has been truly grounded, and longs for a return to ‘the blue’.

There’s no doubt that this character’s

straight from the mind of our fighter pilot. As she speaks, we’re painted pictures of her daughter, her husband, of flying, and of her life. Lucy builds us a whole world, despite not taking one step outside of this box.

I love how this enabled us to imagine the characters and landscapes for ourselves, making the performance unqiue in the minds of every single member of the audience.

The cast may be only one actor strong, but this is far from a one woman show.

Photo by Iona Firouzabadi

You can catch Grounded for yourself on their current tour at various dates across the country, right into the beginning of the new year. If you get the opportunity, don’t make a mistake in turning down the chance to see this extraordinary performance.

OED choose Word of the Year 2014 V

Want to see your society in this space? Contact newspaper.culture@ inquiremedia.co.uk.

Featuring around 200 sound cues and a plethora of different lighting techniques, this play took a lot of work, from a lot of different people, to bring to life. It’s a combination of fantastic writing, bold acting, and an effective use of technology that has culminated in this incredible performance.

This is a production that tackles love, war and the monotonous tones of everyday life. We’re forced to question not only the familiar patterns of our own lives, but also the culture of surveillance that the world is facing every day.

Photo by Iona Firouzabadi

Ann-Katrin Daflis

Amateur radio has a long history at the University of Kent. Starting in the 1970s, they were fairly successful, operating under the call sign G3UKC until 1995 when its popularity went into decline.

In 1999 the club and its “radio shack” were officially disbanded, until now.

tough, but bit by bit, we slowly see her start to unravel, as the reality of her new life sets in.

The pilot’s entire world is constructed through the portrayal of one actress, Lucy Ellinson, the show’s lone cast member. Acting from inside a gauze box, which is transparent only from the outside, Lucy delivers the entire story

ape is the new Word of the Year (WOTY) chosen by the Oxford University Press editorial team.

Following in the footsteps of the previous WOTYs omnishambles and selfie, vape was chosen out of a shortlist of words including terms such as bae, normcore and slacktivism.

Vape is the abbreviated form of vapour. It can be used as a noun or a verb, either depicting the e-cigarette itself or the action of using such a device. So far, so good.

But what does this say about our society? First of all, it indicates that we use the term quite frequently. According to the Oxford English Corpus data, in the last two years the use of vape has doubled and the chance of a person coming across the word has become thirty times more likely.

This increase can be explained by the opening of the first vape cafes and

debates about whether or not people should be allowed to use vapes indoors, leading to protests in New York in April 2014.

Photo by Kendra Miller

Still, there remains the question, does the popularity of the word show about our society’s values? Generally, the Oxford lexicographers and other consultants of the WOTY committee consider words that show our society’s “mood, ethos or preoccupations” and at the same time promise to have a lasting cultural significance.

Casper Grathwohl, president of the Dictionaries Division at Oxford University Press, even went so far as to say that over the year vape has “served as an insightful window onto how we define ourselves.” You may or may not agree with him on that point. However, only time can tell if the Oxford team’s predictions of a lasting cultural significance will be confirmed.

Just in case you didn’t recognise a few of the words I’ve mentioned, here are a few definitions: Omnishambles = comprehensively mismanaged situation, characterised by a string of blunders and miscalculations Normcore = trend of wearing unfashionable clothing as a deliberate fashion statement Slacktivism = informal actions performed via the Internet in support of a political or social cause but regarded as requiring little time or involvement.

Bae = term of endearment for one’s romantic partner

Culture

Film to theatre adaptation wishlist Sarah Osborne

L

ionsgate Studios have recently announced that the well-known blockbuster film franchise, and best selling trilogy, The Hunger Games is to be made into a stage play, which will debut in summer 2016.

Photo by Kendra Miller

When I hear the word ‘theatre’ I think of musicals and greek classics, but hearing now that this actionpacked movie is being taken to the stage, it completely flips my original

judgment upside down. The Hunger Games’ films, laden with fight scenes and heavily reliant on setting, will be tricky to reconstruct in such a limited theatrical space, but with the construction of a new theatre, it will be interesting to see how the film is portrayed on stage, in comparison to on screen.

This opens new, exciting prospects for other popular movies that could potentially be made into stage plays.

Films I’d like to see take to the stage include Underworld, X-men or The Matrix.

It would be interesting to see movies such as The Matrix trilogy on stage, as they could give an entirely new theatrical experience for audience. The films rely on special effects to create a realistic world, the movie setting itself is literally another fictional world in itself.

It’s intriguing to think about how the setting could be portrayed in such a small space, particuarly scenes such as portal jumping between settings, or one

character, Neo, falling down a highrise building. Although there’s a limit on what effects and techniques can be used, the theatre itself brings with it a sense of intimacy.

G

oing to the theatre is always a great way to relax, whether you do it on your own or with others. Let’s see what to look out for at the theatres here in Canterbury this December.

Laid Bare Cabaret – 5 December 2014 at 10pm Marlowe Theatre Student ticket: £10

Ever fancy watching a cabaret show with fire, acrobatics, and burlesque in the dignified-looking Marlowe Theatre?

Well now you can!

Laid Bare Cabaret will showcase various acts from aerial acrobatics, to burlesque on the fine stage of the Marlowe Theatre this December. Sam Beedle, local award-winning magician and illusionist, and Vicky Butterfly, one of the UK’s top burlesque artists, will feature in this cabaret.

It definitely sounds like a good night of entertainment, though don’t bring your little brothers or sisters along if they’re under 16, as it contains adult themes.

Three Half Pints present A Christmas Carol – 5 & 6 December 2014 at 7:30pm Gulbenkian Theatre Student ticket: £6.50

It’s not December without a good Christmas story, and one of the most iconic ones is A Christmas Carol.

Three Half Pints are coming to our very own Gulbenkian Theatre to give a modern and slapstick twist to

this Christmas classic. Their website promises that you will be able to hear Charles Dickens turn in his grave, though whether that was figurative or literal might be a bit ambiguous.

But one thing is for sure: there will be tinsel.

John Cleese: So, Anyway – 15 December 2014 at 7:30pm Marlowe Theatre Ticket price: £29.50

John Cleese from Monty Python and Faulty Towers is coming to Canterbury to share tales from his new autobiographic book So, Anyway.., in what looks like a night of great comedy and fun.

So, anyway, if you want to catch a glimpse of the star, reminisce about the good old days when humour was Monty

Words of Wisdom From The Hunger Games trilogy...

“It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”

-Finnick “You don’t forget the face of the person who was your last hope.”

-Katniss Everdeen

Photo by Jeremy Nobel

If they could produce it so that the fight scenes between Neo and Agent Smith take place around the audience, rather than just on stage, being in the same room as these actors alone could make the whole experience a magical and memorable moment.

December theatre round-up April Yeung

19

Python, and get his book as well (ticket price, though pricy, includes the book), head along to the Marlowe Theatre.

Aladdin – 28 November 2014 to 11 January 2015 Marlowe Theatre Student ticket: £8

What would Christmas be without a good pantomime? This December the Marlowe Theatre is showing Aladdin, the magical tale involving magic carpets, romance, and adventure!

Canterbury Times describes this pantomime as “the funniest, most magical panto you are likely to see”.

Promising to be spectacular, we’re expecting Aladdin to be a fun-filled evening for the whole family, with a talented cast, West End-style production and funny one-liners.

“Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear.”

-President Snow “Aim higher in case you fall short.”

-President Snow “The sun persists in rising, so I make myself stand.”

-Katniss Everdeen “May the odds be ever in your favor!”

-Effie Trinket

The Weird Word Challenge Can you slip these unusual words into every day conversation?

Anguilliform: resembling an eel Ensourcell: to enchant or fascinate someone Netizen: a habitual or keen user of the internet Winebibber: a heavy drinker Goodfella: a gangsta, especially a member of the Mafia family Erubescent: reddening or blushing Boffola: a joke that gets a loud or hearty laugh

20

Culture

Read and Avoid Rebecca Fatharly

Read

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Bookshops: what’s in the future?

Cecily Rowland

I

ndependent bookshops have in recent years become a somewhat endangered species on the high-street.

With an increasing amount of indie stores closing each year, a third of the amount of stores that existed the UK in 2005 have closed shop since.

They have become somewhat a commodity, although this hasn’t seemed to stop even the most die-hard book fanatics from flocking to their overly competitive sibling Amazon in hopes of getting a better deal for their dollar.

Although on further research, the

of the smaller book-selling institution comes from the campus bookstore Blackwell. Even this is the brainchild of some academic in Oxford, and is housed in numerous other educational establishments around the country.

For a city so steeped in literary history, think Chaucer and Dickens, and so full to the brim of young students attending university to further broaden their knowledge, it is almost absurd that Canterbury hasn’t taken the forefront in the retailing of books from a countless number of sources.

But perhaps this transformation of independent bookshops from a run-

late, a steady decline in the physical publication of all forms of media in exchange for their online counterpart.

With such a great wealth of online sources offering all forms of literature at

Photo by johncatral

Never Let Me Go, written by our very own alumni Kazuo Ishiguro, is the book to read if you are into a hybrid of genres.

The story is told through the eyes of Kathy H, a student at Hailsham School where all of the fictional characters are educated. However, there is a dark twist to the novel as you discover the origins of the students and what their true purpose is once they leave.

Avoid

Pamela by Samuel Richardson

Photo by Alexandre Duret

existence of a handful of independent retailers within Canterbury has come to light, it seems that for most of us attending the University of Kent, the closest we come to the retail experience

of-the-mill establishment to a rarity surrounded in almost a mystique is to do with the natural evolution of a store.

In fact, with the growth of technology in the modern day, there has been, of

lower if not non-existent prices, we can all guiltily admit to conforming to the view that one simply cannot compete with free.

However this technological surge that we’re experiencing hasn’t been all bad for books. In fact, second hand retailers seem to be thriving on their new found ability to actually create an inventory of products and therefore work out their actual value, as opposed to simply selling books willy-nilly, at prices based on a rough estimation.

And with Britain being a nation that takes such pride in its traditions, it seems doubtful that the print publication industry will come to a standstill altogether.

Although the decline in indie bookstores is undeniable, perhaps this merely means that we are able to treasure the ones remaining to fight another day.

The books that made my childhood Banrika Gill

I Written in the 18th century

by Samuel Richardson, this is a book that should be avoided.

Full of melodrama and a girl that just does not stop fainting, it is enough to make any reader roll their eyes. The ridiculous portrayal of a ‘love story’ between Pamela and her employer is creepy at the best of times, and gradually gets worse and worse.

remember going into a bookshop and pretending it was a library, by reading as many of the beginings of books as possible, before I could choose one to buy. I gave my friends books on their birthdays because it was what I enjoyed and I couldn’t stand the idea of others not loving them as much as me.

I have only been in Canterbury for two months, yet half of my book collection are books from my childhood. The Enchanted Woods series by Enid Blyton was a gateway into the fantasy world.

Enid Blyton had caused me to fall in love with happy endings without me even realizing.

I wanted characters that could be wonderful, yet still learn a lesson somewhere along the line.

I got more than just happiness out

of Blyton’s books, and my heart was always satisfied. The Enchanted Woods drew me in and made me feel reminisent of home.

My interest allowed me to discover one of the best-kept secrets: The Chalet School series by Elinor Brent-Dyer.

The series consists of 66 books based around an all girls boarding school, which saw characters enter, grow and leave a mark.

The 11 books, that I read from the series at my school library, made me think about the various kinds of people I might encounter in my life. It highlighted the universal behaviours and values that can make an individual’s own personality more worthy.

I fell head over heels in love with every single book I have read from the series and am yet to surface for air.

THIRD HIGHEST SCORE IN THE UK T for overall student satisfaction* (NSS, 2014) *of publicly funded multi-faculty universities p y y

KENT KENT

STUDENT SATISFACTION

ENHANCING YOUR STUDENT EXPERIENCE www.kent.ac.uk/ student/experience

Created by Corporate Communications, University of Kent

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STAY WITH KENT/DISCOVER THE WORLD Remain part of a top 20 world-leading research university with a global outlook and discover its European postgraduate centres and specialist programmes.

Canterbury

Medway

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Benefits: • Discounts and scholarships for Kent graduates • £8m postgraduate scholarship fund • The Graduate School’s Global Skills and Researcher Development programmes • Remain a member of your clubs and societies

Want to know more?

Book now for the Postgraduate Open Day on Saturday 29 November for information about all Kent’s programmes, locations and funding www.kent.ac.uk/pg

22

Sport

Money, money, money: the finances of F1 Kent rowers surge to victory Henry Sandercock Website Sport Editor

T

he past month has been extremely turbulent for Formula One both on and off the track.

Whilst Bernie Ecclestone’s flying circus has been distracting people with one of the best seasons in recent memory, a driver is lying in a medically induced coma in Japan and over 400 people are out of work.

How has this come about?

Well, the seeds were sown five years ago when three new teams signed up.

Hispania Racing (now defunct), Lotus (now Caterham) and Virgin (now Marussia) all joined the Ecclestone show in the hope of speedy success.

They were wooed with the promise of cheap engines, discounted transport to races and financial rewards.

Yet the death knell for these teams began to toll in November 2012 when HRT

Racing dropped out due to a lack of financial support.

This slipped under the radar very quickly however and until this year’s Japanese Grand Prix, Formula One was racing along in a fantasy world where the paddock appeared to be untouchable.

Jules Bianchi’s horrific accident tore that illusion to shreds.

Not only did it remove some of the financial backing from Marussia, his team, but it also laid bare the lack of safety and lack of financial equality that plagues the sport.

We now know that engine prices trebled in five years from £5 million to £15 million thanks to the complex, new energy recovery systems.

We also know that the other original promises were not kept and that the financial rewards for the bottom teams are not adequate enough.

Whilst the top teams Mercedes, McLaren, Ferrari and

Red Bull - all have enormous financial backing, the rest of the grid rely heavily on sponsorship and prize money, two things that are not always easy to come by.

This situation is only worsened by the fact that the prize money allocated to these ‘bottom’ teams is minimal.

There are also some rather bogus financial rewards. In 2013, the ESPN sports network revealed that Ferrari get $100 million a year because they have competed in every season since 1950. To put that in perspective, that is Caterham’s estimated annual budget. The small teams were always going to lose.

So, what can Formula One do?

It could split rights, money and prize money a little more equally, which would not go down well with the top teams.

Or it could allow the bigger teams to run a third car.

Either way, we are a long way from seeing a financially equal Formula One, where smaller teams can thrive.

Photo by Caterham F1

Alex McKinney UKC Rowing

O

n the 15th of November Kent rowing travelled north to the River Cam to partake in the Cambridge 2500m winter head race. With boats needing to be on the water by 9am, an early start was on the cards for all involved.

Last year, Kent’s highest position was second place to Kings College London, and with KCL amongst the competition, there was real incentive to achieve this time around.

We arrived in Cambridge on time and were greeted by a strong local display.

UKC’s intermediate Women’s four were first to compete, a strong performance with a time of 11:52 and managed to achieve sixth place in a tough category.

Next up was our first Men’s novice four, who led the pack for the majority of the day, and rowed with weaponlike precision obtaining a solid time of 10:01.

They finished in second place: but what was even more impressive was that they clashed oars whilst ploughing through a boat they were overtaking; an incident which unfortunately prevented them from breaking

the ten-minute barrier.

In division four, we had two crews, our Women’s novice four and Men’s intermediate four.

Again up against stiff competition, both crews performed extremely well, with times of 12:03 and 10:09 respectively, placing both crews in third position.

Last up was our final Men’s novice four, who already knew they needed to beat the time laid down by UKC’s previous entry in Division Three.

With four boats in the category racing in this same division, nothing was guaranteed.

A clean race from the crew provided them with a time of 9:46, which was enough to earn first place and the coveted prize of five engraved hipflasks.

With the flasks collected, the boats packed and the team onboard, there was nothing to do but chance the M25 and head home.

For more sport news check out our website at www.inquirelive.co.uk Got a sport story?

Email: newspaper. sport@inquiremedia. co.uk to pitch your idea.

Photo by Cantarbrigian Rowing Club

UKC Women’s rugby come up trumps against QM University at BUCS Claudia Hill UKC Women’s Rugby UKC 22 - 5 Queen Mary

G

oing into our second match of the season after the loss against King’s College 2nds 2 weeks ago we were fully pumped up and ready for the game.

Most of the team were again, first years’, and we hoped enough had been done to secure the win.

The game remained 0-0 for some time, with all of the game play taking place towards our try line.

After much hard work from the team, the first try

of the match, and her first try for UKC, was from third year Gemma Simpson.

The next points on the board were unfortunately scored by Queen Mary, but failed to convert the try making the score 5-5.

This was followed by a try from Captain Becky Bryant meaning the score going into half time was 12-5.

The third try of the match came from Sally Lo, who took advantage of a weak wing to make a fantastic run to our try-line from behind the halfway line, chased by four players from Queen Mary.

The final try of the match, which

came after it was announced a win would mean a stop at McDonald’s on the way back to campus, was well executed

by Captain Becky Bryant.

This 22-5 win has taken us to the top of the 2B league.

We look forward to our

Photo by UKC Women’s Rugby

next match, which will be our first home match being played at Parkwood Pitches on the 26 November at 2pm against Canterbury Christchurch University.

Forward of the match went to Jocelyn King.

Back of the match went to Becky Bryant.

Tackle of the match went to Leonie Bell.

Special mention to Katie McGowan who played a great match as scrum half.

To join, or for more information about our fixtures, find us on Facebook: www.facebook. com/ukcwomensrugby.

Sport

23

Essex University get shuttlecocked at home by Kent University Women Simran Matharu UKC Women’s Badminton Kent 7 - 1

W

omen’s defeated

Essex Badminton Essex

University 7-1 on Wednesday the 19th of November.

The journey was long for us all but worth it for the win!

The first on to play was Kent Team Captain Simran Matharu against

Photo by Lovette

Essex’s first singles player.

The 1st set went well with Matharu winning 21-16.

In the second set Matharu lost 21-17 and the pressure was on.

The opposition engaged in more net play; it was a true test of technique when Matharu took on the third set.

It was a tense one; she started off 4-10 down and was losing momentum.

The team cheered wildly in the background to keep their leader going. With a change of tactics, she managed to win 21-18.

Lucy Rider, the second singles player, took on the first singles player from Essex.

After the game against Matharu, the Essex opponent was on her guard.

Rider was unable to hold off against a revitalised Essex but put up a very good fight.

The overall scores were

19-21 and 16-21 to Essex.

However, Rider was still full of energy and ready to take on her second singles player.

She played well and pushed her opponent past their limits with an overall win of 21-7 and 21-8.

Simran Matharu of Kent came back to the court to take on the Essex’s second singles player, ending with an overall score of 21-10 and 21-5.

Helen Baldwin and Ellie Wainwright put up a good fight on court in their doubles match and successfully beat Essex’s first double’s pair to 21-9 and 21-6.

The opposition were obviously weak and their technique was lacking.

Baldwin and Wainwright were quick to realise this and were able to play this to their advantage.

They worked well together as a newly formed doubles pair and won both of

their doubles matches.

They then took on the second doubles pair and walked away with yet another win.

The scores were: 21-8, 21-10.

After the win they were able to provide good feedback and tactics to Emma Brooksbank and Alice O’Reilly on how to tackle their opponents as the second doubles pair.

The feedback proved successful and produced two more wins for Kent!

Brooksbank and O’Reilly succeeded in their matches too and proved a strong doubles pair, with scores of 21-12 and 21-16 against the first pair.

They defeated the 2nd doubles pair to 21-13 and 21-13.

They were able to play and recognise the weaknesses of their opposition.

Overall, a very successful BUCS game for Kent!

How does involvement in sport make graduates more employable?

Nina Mehmi Vice President (Sports)

S

ome of you may have seen me out and about on a Wednesday, bugging you for a photograph with a whiteboard. There is a reason for me doing this.

My main aim this year in office is to get the University to recognise the benefits of being involved in sport. For many here at Kent, sport is a way of making friends, trying something new and having something to do outside of lectures.

It is important that we show the university that sport is more than having a great gym. Sport makes us more employable, helps with our academic achievements, and keeps us healthy.

Photo by UKC Women’s Rugby

The majority of our sports clubs play on a Wednesday afternoon, however we have begun to notice that lectures and seminars on a Wednesday are beginning to increase.

This is a massive barrier to those wanting to get involved with sports, or anything extracurricular.

I have been working with Jack Lay, Vice-President (Education), on a free Wednesday campaign, as we both believe that there is so much more to be involved with at university than just your degree.

With the rise in academic fees, universities need to begin to recognise that students are coming to university for more than just a degree; they are here for the whole experience.Sport offers that! Taking part in a sport

at university makes you more employable than your peers.

According to the research carried out by BUCS. On average they would earn between £4,264 and £5,616 more than their peers in the first years of employment.

BUCS highlighted that employers were mostly interested in the volunteer aspect.

They were especially interested in the leadership and teamwork skills that are developed from being involved in a sport.

These are skills that are mostly developed outside the classroom, and allow you to stand out from the crowd.

Major companies, such as Deloitte, recognise the importance of university sport.

Deloitte primarily look to hire students involved in sports through their graduate schemes.

They recognise that students involved in sport show resilience and it is these skills that are easily transferred into graduate life.

Deloitte noticed that through sport, individuals suffer defeats, set-backs, trials and tribulations, but they never give up.

Sport ensures that students manage their time well, and are able to work well within a team.

This is why it is important to get involved, and this is why it is important that universities recognise that sport is more

than just a drunken student on a Wednesday night.

My job as your Vice-President (Sport) is to represent your voice to the university. To really shout about the great things we do, to lobby for greater funds, to lobby for more grass pitches, to get recognition for all the amazing work that you do. Fundamentally, until universities recognise the benefits of being involved in sport, we will always be the last on the agenda, if we even manage to get on it at all. So help me, to help you, and change how the university view sport.

To find out more, or get involved you can either find me in the Student Activities Centre, or email N.Mehmi@kent.ac.uk

Photos by Nina Mehmi

InQuire sport www.inquirelive.co.uk/sport

Kent Knights Annihilate UCL Yetis

Photo by Adam Jay Webb

Damien Theuveny Kent Knights Ice Hockey Kent 10 - 4 UCL

T

he Kent Knights had drawn all three games so far and the UCL Yetis had come away with two losses from their first two games.

Both teams were looking to claim their first win of the season. The Knights had a very short bench against at big Yetis squad going into the game at Streatham.

Just over 10 minutes into the game, a sequence of plays saw the Knights hold possession and connect a

few passes in the UCL zone.

Kent’s #15, Damien Theuveny, capitalised on a rebound to put the Knights ahead.

The Yetis pushed back through the rest of the period and eventually forced a mistake out of the Knights’ defence.

A delay of game penalty was assessed and #98 Chris Fox of the Yetis tied the score during the resulting powerplay.

Early in the second period #15 Torey Korsunsky put the Yetis ahead after skating around the Knights defence, outwitting Kent #31 Sarah Mills.

Only a minute later Kent #16 Joseph Willingham put the puck past the UCL

goalkeeper after making a very similar play to Korsunsky to get around two defenders.

The goal was, initially, disallowed by the referee who didn’t see the puck cross the goal line. Members of both teams consulted the referee and the decision was overturned after good sportsman, UCL’s Chris Fox, persuaded the referee that the puck did in fact cross the line.

The last six minutes of the second period saw a succession of quick goals from both teams.

First Chris Fox of the Yetis put one past Kent’s Sarah Mills. Less than two minutes later, Kent’s #7 Scott Connors found an open net after the Knights connected

a few passes in the UCL zone.

Kent’s #19 Max Boon made no mistake when a rebound of a shot from the UCL defence landed on his stick.

A penalty against UCL led to #16 Joseph Willingham scoring late in the ensuing powerplay.

The neck and neck gameplay through the first two periods left the score at 4-4 going into the third period.

A huge burst of scoring in the last 20 minutes resulted in Kent coming away with the win and a final score of 10-4. The go ahead goal was scored by Theuveny after an unusual play on the blue line by #91 Samuel Halko that put #15 on a breakaway.

The demoralised Yetis crumbled defensively, while their offence tried to tie up the game. This breakdown led to #16 Joseph Willingham and #15 Damien Theuveny both scoring their third goals of the night.

The Knights’ defence had their share as well with #58 Magnus Jansaker putting two more in the net and #3 Myles Chapman putting in a final goal.

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