InQuire Issue 10.8

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12 December 2014

Issue 10.8

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Britain’s Got Talent at UKC Natalie Tipping Chair

UKC supports the Warwick protest

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reliminary auditions for ITV’s hit talent show Britain’s Got Talent were held in the Kent Union Student Media Centre on Tuesday 9 December.

The auditions were run by producers for the show, who were out to leave no stone unturned in their search for the best talent that the South East had to offer.

In the three hours in which the auditions were held, the Media Centre was filled with performers, from singers to comedians, and dancers to magicians, all vying to get to move on to the next round, which will be in front of the infamous BGT judges.

Speaking about the audition process, Executive Producer of BGT, Amelia Brown, said: “Britain’s Got Talent has an amazing record of celebrating talent and changing people’s lives. [...] We can’t wait to see what Canterbury has to offer.”

The show’s arrival also gave Kent students the opportunity to get involved with a nationally recognised show, and an international franchise, with students taking part in the organisation and scheduling of auditions.

Speaking about the opportunity to host the auditions in the Media Centre, Student Media Co-ordinator Dennison Packer said: “A casting researcher from Thames TV came to me and I saw it as a perfect opportunity to empower our media volunteers. Fingers crossed we’ve found the next Ellie Goulding.”

Manon Charles, Rebecca Fatharly, Alice Yeung Christmas Special See Page 12

Karisma Indra and Chloe Bryer Photo by Imogen Paternoster

Georgina Coleman Website News Editor

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tudents held a peaceful protest in support of free education and in solidarity with the students at Warwick at 1pm on Wednesday 10 December at UKC. The protest was organised by students and members of the Young Green Party, and took place outside Essentials and the Library before marching to the Registry building where the Vice Chancellor’s Office is located.

Catherine Peckham, Chair of the Canterbury and UKC Young Green group and co-

organiser of the event, said: “I strongly believe in the right to free education. The actions of the police in reaction to a peaceful protest by students were unacceptable.

Police repression, used to suppress forms of dissent, has no place on a university campus and we want to hold this protest today to show our solidarity with the students who were protesting.”

Students at the University of Warwick were peacefully demonstrating on campus when the local police force intervened, allegedly using tasers and CS spray to disperse the peaceful crowd who were in occupation on their campus.

“We are standing in solidarity with those affected and we condone such strong force on a peaceful protest”, said Dave Cocozza, co-organiser of the demonstration and Mature Students’ Officer for Kent Union.

“Our education system is coming under attack from cuts, increased tuition fees and a new post-graduate loans system which is deeply unfair to mature students.”

An open debate on the funding of higher education is planned for after the march.

For more information on the story and recent updates, head to inquirelive.co.uk/news.

Pantomimes: Do you love or hate them?

See Page 17

Lucia Ennis I won’t ask for much this Christmas, I promise.

See Page 15

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News Editor’s Note

Hello dearest friends, Christmas is nigh, so even as deadline season seems bleak, have a read through InQuire and get into the festive spirit.

Head to Entertainment for your pick of Christmas films, a review of the Christmas market in Features or to Culture to hear people’s opinions on the pantomime - maybe you’ve seen Aladdin?

Merry Christmas everyone, and have a restful holiday!

Emma InQuireMedia

2014/2015 Editorial contacts: Natalie Tipping - Chair chairwoman Emma Shelton - Newspaper Editor newspaper.editor Emily Adams - Website Editor website.editor Newspaper: Ruby Lyle- News newspaper.news Ginny Sanderson - Comment newspaper.comment Katyanna Quách - Features newspaper.features Julia Mitchell - Culture newspaper.culture Meg Weal - Entertainment newspaper.entertainment Fraser Whieldon- Sport newspaper.sport Website: Georgina Coleman- News website.news Dave Cocozza - Comment website.comment Cerys Thomas - Features website.features Grace Beard - Entertainment website.entertainment Natalie Turco-Williams Culture website.culture Henry Sandercock - Sport website.sport

It’s the most wonderful Honorary time of the year degree Banrika Gill

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he Christmas Market is now open and is being held in Whitfriars Square in town.

There are over 35 traditional British-made wooden sheds displaying products from local, national and international sellers.

The market includes a stall selling mulled wine and mince pies, stalls presenting bespoke stocking fillers, and personalised gifts from a woodwork stall specialising in plaques.

A tourist exploring the market, Markus Oja, commented: “The market promises a little

something for everyone.”

A popular attraction is a Santa’s Grotto experience.

Children will be able to decorate a gingerbread man, listen to a story from Mrs Claus, and meet Santa himself. The children also receive a certificate and a gift suitable for their age.

Santa’s Grotto is open from 10am to 5pm, between 22 November and 23 December.

The admission is £4.00 per child. Visits must be pre-booked via the Whitefriars website.

The market shall be open from 10am to 6pm during the week, 9am to 6pm on Saturdays and 11am to 5pm to Sundays. It shall close on 28 December.

list 2014

Photos by Ruby Lyle

Mark Padmore Padmore is a Tenor who shall recieve a Doctor of the University degree for his contribution to music.

Zameer Choudrey Choudrey is a philanthropist and the Chief Executive of the Bestway Group. He will recieve a Doctor of Civil Law degree for his services to public life and business.

John Simmonds Simmonds is the Deputy Leader of Kent County Council, and until July, the Chair of the University of Kent’s Council. He will gain a Doctor of the University degree for his contribution to the University.

Harry Hill recieving his degree, July 2014 Photo by the University of Kent

Volunteering with CHEDRA Tom Edwards, a second year Anthropology student, talks with Ruby Lyle, Newspaper News Editor, about volunteering in Uganda.

Kent students have the opportunity to volunteer with CHEDRA, a non-governmental organisation. The group was created by Ugandan youths who wanted to help combat the impact of HIV and AIDS.

How have you been working with CHEDRA and what are your plans?

This summer, I went to Uganda with fellow UKC students to volunteer.

When we were out there, we did a week of HIV testing. We also worked in a school, playing with the kids and taking our own lessons.

We went out into the more

Irene Antoniou Distribution distribution LaShanda Seaman Promotions and Events events Tina Stavarianou - Design design add @inquiremedia.co.uk

Photo by Tom Edwards

rural villages and built facilities, such as water taps. Another opportunity was to visit a UNICEF run refugee camp and work in an orphanage.

What are your plans now?

Following a successful trip, we are looking for students to go again next summer.

I want to lead a group of 10 volunteers to help with grassroots projects such as teaching and HIV awareness.

This is an opportunity not to be missed as you volunteer in one of the most beautiful countries in Africa! It will boost your C.V and allow you to make memories, as well as friends, for life.

So what can you tell me about this volunteering opportunity?

The program normally lasts four weeks while you stay in the volunteer house which

provides breakfast and dinner.

The weekends are yours to do with as you please. We strongly encourage independent travel afterwards so you really get to explore Uganda and immerse yourself in its culture.

How can Kent students get involved?

Please take a look at our website for more information: chedra.org.uk, and check out the Facebook page, UKC goes to Uganda, to keep updated.

There will be an informal meeting with others from the organisation on 12 December at 4.30pm in the Red Room next to K-Bar. This is a great opportunity to ask any questions and to find out a bit more about the organisation and the projects they support. Pop along to find out a bit more about what Uganda has to offer.

News

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Have you heard Philanthropic Studies at Kent about Julia’s new T job at UUK? Aodhan MacGregor

Dave Cocozza Website Comment Editor

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ame Julia Godfellow, the University’s ViceChancellor, has been elected as the first-ever female President of Universities UK (UUK), the advocacy organisation currently at the centre of the academic staff pension dispute with the University College Union (UCU).

part in negotiations with UCU and the Higher Education (HE) Committee regarding the pensions dispute currently ongoing within the higher education sector.

This new appointment follows the second highly visible glass ceiling she has broken after she was appointed CEO of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (which funds scientific research projects at British universities),

“I am honoured to have been elected as the next president of UUK” UUK, which began life as the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom (CVCP) in 19th century, is tasked with supporting the work of universities and promoting their interests, as well Photo by the University of Kent as playing a major

the role she held before becoming the VC of Kent.

Dame Julia will hold her twoyear term of office at one of the most crucial times within higher education, and is set to face a far-ranging spending review, the possibility of major new HE legislation, and tuition fee caps potentially changing.

Dame Julia begins her two year term of office from August 2015.

he University of Kent is set to establish the first ever dedicated course in philanthropy within the UK, thanks to a £150,000 donation from the Pears Foundation.

The first cohort of philanthropic studies students will start in January 2016 and will have full use of the latest technology to study via distance learning, as well as at study days on the Canterbury campus.

Although established in the US since 1970s, philanthropic studies is a new field of study in the UK. Director for the Centre for Philanthropy, Dr Beth Breeze said: “Many people want to work in the charity sector, but there is very little higher education provision to prepare them for that career.”

The Centre is not, however, a new addition to the University, offering voluntary modules for both undergraduates and post graduates in volunteering and fundraising since 2008.

“We would be happy to expand the courses we offer through the traditional classroom method, but believe that the primary demand for the new courses will come from people who either live far away from Canterbury and Medway or have jobs, so

a distance, online learning [system] will suit them best”, Dr Breeze added.

The centre is currently staffed by three full-time lecturers, including Dr Breeze, Dr Eddy Hogg and Dr Trinoa Fitton, but there are plans to include associates and honorary fellows within the wider philanthropy sector.

The UK charity sector is a major and growing source of employment, with 765,000 employees, which constitutes 2.7% of the total workforce, a growth of 40% since 2011.

Dr Breeze hopes that with this economic encouragement the centre will thrive and gain further recognition.

“Our new courses in philanthropy and fundraising will help to professionalise the charity sector and will equip Kent students with a qualification that should set them up for a rewarding and interesting career.”

Photo by Howard Lake

Keynes welcomes new duck pond Jess Tamplin

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competition to redesign the duck pond at Keynes College was held in the summer term.

An awards ceremony was held for shortlisted students on 20 October Led by Keynes College Master Sian Stevenson, the event aimed to congratulate the students behind the five shortlisted pond designs which have been framed and displayed. All five of the students were awarded with a prize.

Each of the four runner-up designs, plus one chosen as the overall winner, were drawn up by students of the Kent School of Architecture, who entered

the competition towards the end of the last academic year, and have since been eagerly awaiting the results.

Designer of the winning entry, second year student Edward Powe, explained how the significance of the area as an escape from the pressures of study inspired his design.

He said: “This competition has given me the rare opportunity to have a visual influence on a place which has been so important to my student life.

“Being a resident of Keynes College, I was aware first hand of the site’s importance as a space for social interaction, but more importantly as a place of tranquillity amidst nature, away from a frenetic daily

student life.”

His design will focus on the different uses of the duck pond, involving an open and sociable area towards the entrance to the college, leading down to a quiet and individual space at the water’s edge.

Also included will be an oak tree, planted to commemorate Bruce Webster, a former key member of Keynes College staff.

He was described by his wife, who spoke at the prize giving ceremony, as highly popular amongst fellow staff and students alike.

Surveys and examinations of the duck pond area are currently underway, with rough plans to begin the rebuild within the next year.

Photo by Edward Powe

Photo by Tina Stavrianou

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News

What are the other parties saying?

Labour

The word on everyone’s lips: Ruby Lyle, Newspaper News Editor, explains the immigration policies of the main parties.

What is going on?

IMMIGRATION

Lucia Ennis

D Photo by The Department of Energy and Climate Change

• Count people in and out at the border.

• Reinstate fingerprint checks at the border.

• Close loopholes exploiting short-term student visitor visas.

• Ban recruitment agencies from hiring only from overseas.

• Anyone working in the public sector and interacting with the populance will have to speak English.

• Every firm must hire someone from outside the EU. • Have six months residency before EU migrants can claim benefits.

Green Party

• Reduce UK immigration controls.

• The family of UK residents to join speedily. A person’s right to stay will not be linked to families. Partners will not be refused entry if it is believed the purpose behind the relationship is to enter the UK. • Illegal migrants in the UK for over five years will be allowed to remain.

• Will not shut o u t non EU migrants.

Photo by Steve Eason

avid Cameron delivered his long-awaited speech on immigration in Staffordshire on 28 November. The speech came just a day after the Migration Statistics Quarterly Report announced an increase in annual migration to more than 260,000 people, a dramatic leap from the previous year’s figure of 182,000.

Cameron’s promise that his

party would cut immigration by tens of thousands of people by 2015 has clearly fallen through.

The migration increase, a large proportion of which are EU arrivals, is one of the largest that has ever been recorded.

As the public’s flirtation with UKIP draws close to electiontime, Cameron’s speech was constructed on winning back dissatisfied voters by delivering a series of policies that would axe migrants’ inwork benefits. EU migrants tax credits, housing benefit, and entitlement to social housing would all be affected.

Under Cameron’s pledge, employed EU migrants would

only have access to welfare benefits after working in the country for four years. Other policies would bar child allowance for children who do not reside in the UK, and would deport EU nationals who are unable find a job within six months.

Cameron’s pledge has not been met with universal popularity. On 2 December, Poland’s deputy foreign minister Rafal Trzaskowski declared his opposition to Cameron’s plans, stating that the proposed policies are against “all the existing laws of the EU”. Trzaskowski continues that it is an “absolute

red line” in EU law that there should be no discrimination on “grounds of nationality”.

David Cameron’s insistence that he has no intention of “pulling up the drawbridge” to immigration is still likely to remain a huge problem for Brussels - it has widely been reported that Angela Merkel only recently rejected Cameron’s plans to put a cap on unskilled migrants.

For his slightly reformed package to go through, Cameron would still need a treaty change at the EU, meaning that all 28 countries would have to agree with the proposal.

UKIP

• Leave the EU. • Immigrants to support themselves and dependents for five years. This includes private healthcare, education and housing.

• Points-based visa system.

• Time-limited work permits.

• Proof of private h e a l t h insurance prerequisit for immigrants and tourists to enter the UK.

Photo by Icars

Your comment Otto Ilveskero

I Photo by The European Parliament

Liberal Democrats

• Introduce exit checks to identify who leaves the country and who runs over t h e i r visa.

Photo by The Liberal Democrats

’ll admit it. I am a foreigner.

I’m here to take all the jobs of the honest and hard-working Britons while simultaneously stealing all their tax money as a practicing welfare tourist.

But do not fear, dear Avalon, David Cameron has finally come to put this to an end.

Or not. It is hard to say, because the polarisation of the immigration debate has left the man in Number 10 following the far-right Eurosceptics, while at the same time desperately reaching for the EU reformist side for understanding. He has pledged to reform the EU and to leave it, whilst promising to cut net migration before stating that the UK should celebrate its openness to immigrants.

Cameron’s November did indeed end in a downfall, with net migration booming over his promised cuts and Angela Merkel blocking his “emergency brake” immigration cap. What’s more, Twitter’s thunderous keyboard warriors launched the #CameronMustGo hashtag, calling for the Prime Minister’s resignation, which has since gained a million mentions in tweets. And in modern society, you know you’re done when Twitter gets angry.

“I believe the role of politicians is to cut through the extremes of this debate and approach the subject sensibly and reasonably”, said Mr Cameron in his speech on immigration in 2011. How times have changed. The foreign-population in the UK has higher education rates than the native population; a UCL study calculated £20bn gains from EU migration

between 2000 and 2011, and, furthermore, immigrants coming to Europe as well as the migrants within Europe actually prefer Germany. The current debate is nothing but extreme, unreasonable and ignorant, and politicians are the ones leading this approach. In my opinion, the debate can be summarised in two simple points: in Nigel Farage’s hunger for power, and in David Cameron’s will to stay in power.

Cameron’s pledge to cut net migration to “tens of thousands” failed miserably.

It was impossible to begin with, and on top of this, net migration actually rose by tens of thousands; by 78,000 people to be exact.

The Prime Minister’s proposals in his following speech only managed to highlight the fact that he is willing to continue tilting at the windmills of immigration in the fear of UKIP.

Comment

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Let’s talk about sex baby Restrictions have been placed on porn in the UK What is going on?

Sarah Osborne

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variety of sexual acts that occur in UK produced pornography have been censored by the government to an ammendment to the 2003 Communications Act. The new porn law means that various acts are now banned from UK porn.

Strangulation, face-sitting and fisting are banned as they are deemed “life threatening”.

Spanking (beyond light), caning, aggressive whipping, penetration by any object

associated with violence, physical or verbal abuse (regardless of if consensual), role-playing as non-adults, restraint, humiliation and female ejaculation are now also not permitted. Urolagnia (watersports) is restricted.

The new law focuses on acts deemed as “unacceptable”.

Studies reveal that a third of children have accessed online pornography by the time they reach ten, and six out of ten parents say they are worried about their children seeing violent and sexual material on the web. This is thought to be the main reason for the amendment.

David Cameron hopes that these reforms help to shield

children from websites that ‘corrode’ childhood.

Cameron plans to enforce this amendment by blocking online porn for every householder connected to the internet, unless they ask to receive it.

Britain’s four biggest internet service providers will implement default blocks on adult content by the end of this year.

British porn consumers will be most affected by the change; however, those wishing to access videos featuring the banned sex acts are still free to watch porn films from abroad.

The amendment is expected to take place immediately.

Photo by Max Sat

“As a politician and as a dad, the time for action has come. This is, quite simply, about how we protect our children and their innocence.”

Your comment Fraser Whieldon

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hether or not masosadism (the act of making yourself look like a prat in front of a large group of people for no discernible sexual advantage), will be part of the raft of sex acts banned by the British Board of Film Classification, is unclear.

David Cameron made the slip-up at Prime Minister’s Questions, the day after it was revealed that acts such as spanking, strangulation and female ejaculation (but not male ejaculation - that’s still kosher) are now banned from UK pornographic films.

The British Board of Film Classification views such acts as potentially life-threatening and as such has banned the inclusion of such techniques in British-produced films.

However, the ban will not apply to material produced outside of the UK. How female ejaculation is considered life threatening is unclear. I have yet to hear any medical professional come out and say so and the measure

itself could be considered as applying prudish and conservative double standards to women whilst men are still allowed to ejaculate whenever and wherever they please.

In addition to this particularly silly measure, many have questioned how acts such as spanking and face-sitting could be considered unfit.

Interviewed for Vice UK, professional dominatrix Itziar Bilbao Urrutia said that the reality is much tamer than societal perceptions may believe, with performers often being fully-dressed. The most enticing part of the act being

that the woman is on top rather than the woman smothering the man.

So, despite the dangers associated with strangulation and spanking, the effects are more psychological than physical.

Writing in The Independent, professional adult film maker Erika Lust also raised the point that these measures may hurt the adult industry with different levels of censorship between British products and foreign products. With internet porn already causing great damage to the British adult

industry, with performers taking the biggest hit, these measures could be the straw which broke the camel’s back.

Perhaps the government and regulatory bodies could spend their time better, tracking down and arresting those involved in the production of child pornography and those involved in the production of pornography

which is really dangerous. Not those involved in consensual acts of Bondage and Discipline, Sadomasochism and Dominance and Submission and unusual (not dangerous) sex techniques performed by two consenting adults, subject and obedient to existing rules and regulations.

David Cameron’s remarks (however strangled - no pun intended) demonstrate how

even he must realise the futility and stupidity of outlawing schoolgirl scenarios and videos which involve urolagnia and don’t blame me for what you find).

Photo by Dollen

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Comment

The rise in food banks reflects on society Sarah Osborne

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n a capitalist society like ours, it’s not surprising to hear that there has been a rise in emergency food aid across the UK. But how significant this rise is, is the real shocker.

It has recently been recorded

by The Trussell Trust, a major food bank, that almost a whopping one million people have been given emergency food in the last year, as opposed to around 25,000 in 2008.

Unsurprisingly, people are blaming the current government. In the words of Nelson Mandela: “poverty is not natural, it is man-made”.

Who would doubt Mandela’s claim when the public are aware that some fortunate individuals are on six figure salaries, while others struggle to earn two figures.

The Trussell Trust said that the food they have given out in the last year has been given to repeat visitors. But they have also seen a shocking 51% rise in clients to established food banks. A main cause is due to benefit payment delays, but another is blamed on low income.

The government, quick to defend their position, have argued that there is no evidence to suggest a link between welfare reforms and the use of food banks. Their welfare reforms ‘promote work’ and so lift millions of people out of poverty.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions has argued that “there is no robust evidence

that welfare reforms or benefit administration are linked to increased use of food banks”, and that the time taken to process payments has improved. The government are currently spending £94bn a

a big issue since the welfare changes were introduced. Chris Mould, the Chairman of The Trussell Trust claims that; “In the last year, we’ve seen things get worse, rather than better, for many people on low

to the government calling the situation “terrible”.

I agree that poverty is manmade and that this current situation is the fault of capitalism. I disagree however, that it can be fully blamed on

it’s hard to imagine capitalism ever disappearing, unless, over centuries. For as long as capitalism exists, poverty is to be expected.

We hear every day that overseas many people live in poverty, much more drastic than poverty we see in the UK. However, we often dismiss the suffering of those overseas because we cannot see it.

Hopefully this tragic national epidemic will open our eyes and turn our ignorance into proactive awareness.

The facts - 4 million in the UK are at risk of going hungry - Half a mIllion children are in families which can’t afford to feed them - Benefit delays, an income squeeze and expensive utility bills are the cause of hunger in the UK. - The reliance on food banks has almost quadrupled since 2008.

Photo by SamPac year on working age benefits to provide safety for those of low income.

Disputing the claim, The Trussell Trust argue that benefit payments have been

incomes.”

The clergy from all major dominations have called upon ministers to co-operate with an inquiry into the causes of hunger and have sent a letter

the current government, but on centuries of government decisions. Although governmental choices influence our society, we are living in a global capitalist world, and

- This increase in food bank use is similar across Europe and the US Information from the BBC.

All I want for Christmas are cheaper tampons Rebecca Fatharly

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urrently at most universities around the country, sanitary products are sold as ‘luxury items,’ meaning that they are sold for a higher price than wholesale price. Sanitary products are not luxury items. Almost every girl needs them as a necessity every month. It is not fair on women that items of necessity are so expensive, especially for students whose loans can barely cover the rent.

However, the University of

Photo by imjustkimmie

East Anglia has changed this for the better, after the Union Council motion was passed with an almost unanimous vote. This means that outlets on the UEA campus will sell sanitary items at a much lower rate. The government currently have a 5% VAT rate on such items, which they deem as ‘luxury, non-essential items.’

Children’s clothes and nappies are not taxed, so why should sanitary products? As most of the government is made up with a majority of middle-class, older males, (there are 148

female MPs out of 650) who have no experience of monthly ails, they do not see how essential these products really are for women.

Personally, I think that Kent Union should definitely follow in the footsteps of UEA. It is unfair that half of the population should have to pay such an expense each month, and I am sure every woman who buys sanitary products will agree with me. For instance, it costs £3.50 for one pack of 20 regular tampons, which for some women does not cover a

whole period.

It is a win-win situation, as female students will get more for their money, and Kent Union will ultimately gain more revenue at Essentials, since women will want to buy their products there rather than at supermarkets, where the rates will be higher.

I am not surprised that the vote was almost unanimous – I know this is one issue that will have all the women around the country in agreement, no matter what their stance on feminism is.

Comment

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Black Friday: your thoughts It was “hardly appropriate” for Christmas season, says former Archbishop of Canterbury. Are his comments accurate or snobby?

I Disagree Natasha Tulett

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s a whopping 8.5 million online transactions were made and an estimated £360,000 spent on credit cards per minute, Black Friday swept the British nation with shops across the country offering up to 70% off items in stores and online.

As mega company Amazon experienced its busiest day on record, this year’s Black Friday resulted in remarkable profits and a much needed economic boost; providing a great

opportunity for both shopper and retailer with hundreds of discounted prices just in time for Christmas.

A nation that is obsessed with a bargain, it is unsurprising that we have adopted the American tradition to mark the start of the Christmas shopping season and festivities to come.

However with it, came reports of brawls and chaos as police were

called to many supermarket stores, sparking controversy over the effect that these offers had. With the former Archbishop of Canterbury equally denouncing Black Friday as “hardly appropriate” for the Christmas season, and many criticising Black Friday shoppers as common and lower class, it seems the argument of ‘appropriate’ behaviour stems from a much larger issue surroundings social class.

It is easy to judge when you can afford full prices but for those on tighter budgets, discounts are extremely beneficial. Criticisms such as these highlight an unhealthy attitude within our class system and a prejudice that is both derogatory and inaccurate. Anyone has the right to take advantage of a good deal without having their class identity labelled, no matter when or where they shop.

Have your opinions heard by joining InQuire and emailing Newspaper. comment@ inquiremedia.co.uk with any resonses to the articles in this section.

I Agree Emily Adams Website Editor

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t’s Black Friday; it’s half price; it’s the last TV in the shop and you’re not the only one who wants it. What do you do?

You fight to the death. You don’t leave that shop until you’re dragging that TV out the door with your bloodied teeth.

carcass: water, life and food.

We fight over TVs, mobile phones and iPads.

And what’s worse is that I wonder how many of those crazed shoppers know the real origins of ‘Black Friday’.

One highly debated, but common understanding of the phrase is that this day after Thanksgiving used to be when slave traders would sell off their slaves for a discount.

Half-price sale doesn’t have

“We’re completely consumed by desire and greed” Right?

Well the scenes of Black Friday would certainly make you think so.

It’s the latest unwelcome tradition from across the pond and apparently we’ve fallen head over heels for it. We all love a good bargain; I’ll be the first to admit that. But this.

This was unbelievable. And there’s never any excuse for such barbaric behaviour.

I watched countless videos of human beings morphing into animals, and the most unevolved ones at that, brawling over electricals. Lions and cheetahs fight over the watering hole, over their next mate or over the remains of a

the same meaning now does it?

Essentially, by buying into this craze, we’re advocating a racist tradition and reducing the value of a human being to the value of a trivial material possession. It’s just plain offensive.

And so what if you can’t afford a full priced TV? Who needs a TV to survive? Look around; why not have a conversation with the people sat with you instead. Watching scenes of people clambering to discounts they didn’t need, it felt like we’d taken another step towards becoming completely consumed by desire and greed and I for one refuse to follow.

Issues that really grind my gears this winter season Emma Richards

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Unwanted music You know that person who, wittingly or not, shares their music with the world whilst wearing their headphones.

What were those devices invented for, anyway?

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People referring to ‘X who suffers from autism’ As if our life is an inevitable misery due to our neurological differences, and the attitudes of others play no role. I do not ‘suffer’ from autism any more

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than someone may ‘suffer’ from not being straight, or from being a person of colour etc.

Government money mismanagement Relentless cuts to public services and ever increasing student debt whilst ministers splurge our money on luxury limos: No wonder disillusioned people are voting for UKIP.

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The media’s representation of women Between constantly being constantly judged by our fashion choices (or lack thereof) and bombarded by information on ‘how to look slimmer’ and ads for ‘Beauty Essentials’.

It seems we are never allowed to be happy with our natural appearance.

1 Photo by Scott Beale

Ukraine being ripped apart between East and West. The crisis, caused by long standing disputes over whether Ukraine should favour integration with the EU or create stronger ties with Russia, is a stark reminder that the Cold War

was never really resolved.

Ukraine nationals include both ethnic Europeans and ethnic Russians- why should they be forced to choose ‘either’ ‘or’?

Surviving with Mental Illness Clare Phelan is a UKC student like any other, a daughter, a friend. She is also living with a mental illness. Read her remarkable, moving story.

F

resher’s was meant to be a hedonistic period where I could meet new people outside my West London bubble whilst studying a subject I was passionate about. My Fresher’s is not what I’d envisaged. I am undressing under my bed, showering thrice a day, and taping towels to the bottom of my Becket Court bedroom door.

Up until now, I was conversationally paranoid. By this I mean “paranoid” in the way the word is thrown about as if it’s slang. “Clare, you’re being paranoid, of course she doesn’t hate you” is a typical example of daily conversations I’d have during my A-Levels. So here I

tracked as a result of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, along with OCD attributes, body dysmorphia and severe depression. To give some context, in the summer succeeding my AS exams, I was the victim of a violent sexual assault outside my family home, this was my “trauma”. From this point onwards, I felt I had changed, friends I’d had no longer liked me but took pity on me, and I was no longer clean.

It’s important to state the attack was probably a catalyst for a pre-existing mental health condition rather than a cause.

With talk of being institutionalised

After two months and freed from restlessness, the time had come to leave my family home for more than an hour at a time. A local Irish pub hired me and my confidence began to return, it is this job that saved my life. There is nothing more beneficial to someone who has no confidence than having to talk to strangers.

Upon my return to university my Student Support Officer and Wellbeing Support created my Inclusive Learning Plan enabling me to have my own examination room and to opt out of seminars. I see a counsellor at the Medical centre and have monthly

Photo by imgkid.com

am, not being a Fresher. I am the true definition of a hermit, even avoiding stepping outside for my beloved cigarettes.

I was convinced that the whole campus knew of me and took offense at my presence. I was certain the University’s hospitality team had placed surveillance cameras in my room to monitor me and provide comedy to my fellow students.

Following one of my floormates asking me out, I was more than ready to kill myself. I knew he only wanted me to come out of my room to parade me around as the joke that I was. I had become a clown. Having fallen to 45 kilograms, skeletal-looking for someone of 5”7, I anxiously made my way to the Medical Centre to seek help for my depression and assistance in reducing reasons for everyone to discuss me.

I was diagnosed with psychosis, fast-

on the table, I opted to intermit whilst receiving constant help from the East Kent and West London Early Intervention teams.

The next two months of my life were what I call the “guinea-pig” months.

I tried varied anti-depressants and anti-psychotics. Being highly sensitive to medicine, the first two combinations led to constant restlessness. The only way of being able to combat this was timing each period I sat down to five minutes followed by a ten minute stroll.

During this period, conversation was equally restless. I could barely speak, or think, I was anxious, wary of others and exhausted.

Finally settled on my medicinal concoction, my only major side effect was fourteen hours of sleep a day. As an insomniac for the previous two years, I initially welcomed the sedation.

check-ins for my medicine. It’s obviously not been an abrupt and immediate turnaround. Whilst I have not suffered from more than a dozen of sensory hallucination periods since seeking help, my paranoia remains intact inevitably followed by depression.

Maybe once a week, I still need an off-day where I deliberately reduce contact with others. This said, each day does get easier now that I’m on the right medicine and frequently in communication with mental health professionals.

Whilst the benefits of medication are many, the side-effects are difficult to manage. Memory loss has manifested its way in to my daily life. Conversations are easily forgotten, laundry can be a nightmare and I can come across as rude to recent acquaintances.

Ironically, the memory loss’s toll is

most dangerous when it comes to taking medicine, without a diary I could very simply overdose. As a contently grumpy individual, too much serotonin means a too happy and emotional me, two attributes I am not yet prepared to have.

This fear is what reinforces me ensuring to take note of when I have taken medicine.

I still shower at funny times of the day but it’s nowhere near as excessive as it once was. I no longer believe that everyone knows who I am or is laughing at me. I finally feel that I am capable of maintaining friendships out of who I am, not out of pity. I have not survived my illness and I probably never will. What I have done is learn to cope and take the illness under my stride. The stigma of mental health is more prevalent than ever and I hope my openness regarding my diagnosis with others plays a small part in lowering the taboo subject. My illness makes me self-aware but more significantly, more aware of others. Subsequently, I have become more caring and rounded in my thinking, characteristics I pride myself on.

With internships and graduate opportunities being created for those with disabilities (which a mental health condition factually is), my future is no longer a bleak concept. Frankly, I couldn’t have thought of anything worse than living. I am proud of my survival so far. I can queue in shops again, I’m able to attend cinema screenings, I can sometimes get the tube alone and even have my beloved cigarettes before my morning shower.

Without my school’s office, Medical Centre, Student Wellbeing and Early Intervention teams, I would probably not be here writing this article today.

I was fortunate enough to have truly loving and supportive parents and great friends, the aforementioned University’s bodies are equally life-saving support groups. If anyone reading this feels that my last few years echoes parallels to theirs: please, please talk to someone.

This article fi rst featured on InQuirelive.co.uk. Follow this QR code to see the original and have your say on this issue.

10

Features

Student traction to the 24/7 Library Shalyia Arumugathasan

T

he time has arrived when the Templeman Library is finally open 24/7 during term times, but don’t forget to bring your student card from 9pm8am. We will no longer have to wait for the exam period to start those late night work sessions.

This new perk is beneficial for all students, firstly for those of you who can’t really focus during the day, but find themselves high on energy in the evening. You can laze about when the sun is up and go crazy doing work when it goes down.

It is perfect for those last minute risk takers who are working down to the

deadline – all night essay party –no entry fees or queues.

Also let’s not forget there will be the all day studiers, those who can’t pass a minute outside the library, this way they can do a.m. to a.m. with no problems.

Morning breakfasts? Don’t mind if I do. And finally, the occasional drop-ins, they don’t rival the library regulars but pop in when they need to and now they can do this at whatever time they like and use a book whenever they need to.

I think the library will be more popular than ever with the new opening hours as living the full life of a student requires working late into the night. It is nice to see that Kent has accommodated for this.

It’s great that you are now able to work there all day and continue without having to stop your sudden burst of creativity.

Gone are the days where you had to pack up and journey home to continue; you can just work till your work of genius is done.

So, we have already established that the library is obviously going to be used for studying purposes. But with the library being open all night, what else can be it used for?

With the Venue being just around the corner, we must wonder whether drunken students are going to wonder into the tranquillity of the library, and to say the least cause some disturbance.

Maybe in their state of drunkenness, they might take a fancy to poetry or want a warm corner to snuggle up in before the hangover headache arrives.

Although hoping the library being 24/7 will have a positive effect, we can presume there will be the occasional funny disruption in the study zones.

Requiring your student card past 9pm will hopefully be a deterrent for those heading home from a fun night out, but searching endlessly for your student ID is not ideal after a wild night out in Canterbury.

The library opening hours seems like it will be both beneficial and an interesting journey for all the students at the University of Kent.

Photo by Stephen Train

Thinking of postgraduate education?

Ginny Sanderson Newspaper Comment Editor

Y

ou may be able to afford a postgrad now! Sound the victory bells, unleash the morris dancers, let’s celebrate!

George ‘convenient timing’ Osbourne has announced a new postgraduate loan system, available from 2016.

The Chancellor, well known for his philanthropy and regard for the working class, remarked that currently, the cost of Masters and PHDs “deters bright students from poorer backgrounds”.

Thus explaining the motives for his random actions, announced in the Autumn Statement. Wow, thanks G! Some may wonder if it is logical for the taxpayer to pay for their masters in heteronormativity in the Harry Potter series. But it’s a loan, it will be paid back. And 10,000 more (the approximate number of people able to take a post-grad due to this scheme) knowledgably-rounded individuals in our country can only be a good thing – economically and socially.

But, and there is a but, not everything is all sunshine and daisies with this announcement. Of the approximate

40,000 students this may benefit, none will be above 30. Womp womp. What a fart in the face to mature students.

I’m also cynical about this announcement (and, don’t get me wrong, it thrills me) because the government has waited until NOW to make it. Were they unable to conceptualise post-grad loans four years ago? Oh, I remember, there’s an election coming up.

Photo by Grace Jacobs

FOR: Grace Jacobs

Photo by altogetherfool

“Although this scheme is not applicable for students over 30, the majority of Masters students are younger. There isn’t enough money to provide loans for every student, so even if it doesn’t help the minority, it is beneficial to the majority”.

Photo by Sam Allard

AGAINST: Emily Adams

“Any scheme that offers financial supports to students is worthwhile as education is such an important thing.

However it’t not fair if it doesn’t support matures students over 30, because they are as equally as important as the rest of us”.

Features

Train Dreams Georgina Coleman Website News Editor They say dreams are always alleged to reveal The hidden fears and anxieties we subconsciously feel.

So what was the implication of my recent dream, Just what did it imply, convey or even mean?

I boarded a train: everything initially appeared normal, Full of London commuters dressed rather formal; When suddenly, the train departed faster and faster The reason for which, I was unable to master.

It sped along - and then abruptly hovered Yet other passengers did not seem in the least bothered By the intermittent stop and then start That resumed the rapid palpitations of my heart.

As well as the speed, the train began to ascend!

A sharp incline followed an even sharper bend We were heading upwards, towards the sky, And I watched helplessly as clouds began to pass us by.

It was not dissimilar to a rollercoaster. “Let me off!” I began to hark Had the driver mistaken the Charing Cross train for Thorpe Park?

The driver suddenly steered left, and we continued on a track, Whilst my vision began to blur; everything turned black.

Like an aircraft, the train began a gradual descent, Whilst commuters continued their daily crosswords, content.

We approached platform 6 and I was consumed by disorientation.

Had I been dreaming in my dream, was it all imagination?

photo

by Krystian Photo

by Yen HOlszanski Nguyen

11

Cocoa shortage by 2020 Sarah Osborne

A

s a nation of chocolate lovers, hearing Barry Callebaut’s prediction that there will be a cocoa shortage by 2020 is a horrifying thought. The immediate reaction might be denial and a wide eyed shake of the head at the audacity of this Barry Callebaut. Who is he? And why is he lying?! However, Barry Callebaut isn’t a man, it’s a company, in fact the world’s largest chocolate manufacturing company.

They are responsible for selling cocoa to hundreds of companies, including many beloved brands such as Hershey’s and Unilever which owns Magnums and Ben & Jerry’s.

There are several reasons that may lead to the cocoa shortage, first and foremost - climate change. 70% of cocoa is produced in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, which has had an increasingly dry temperature over the years.

This leads to evapotranspiration, where water is transferred from land surface into the atmosphere due to it evaporating from the soil. This water shortage in the soil means that trees are unable to draw water and sufficient nutrients in order to grow to their highest potential, and so this results in a smaller yield of cocoa.

Another problem is a disease called ‘frosty pod,’ a fungal disease that has devastating effects on the cocoa plant.

It is estimated to have wiped out about 30% - 40% of cocoa worldwide. Cocoa farmers have turned to other crops, such as rubber to make a profit instead of relying on an unreliable crop. Since a lot of cocoa is sold at rock-bottom prices to manufacturers that are aiming

to make the highest profits, farmers are more unwilling to take the risk with cocoa.

If the current situation doesn’t improve, then we may never see the farmers returning to cocoa. Jack Scoville, a senior market analyst at Price Futures Group in Chicago claims that “it has a potential to be a huge economic disaster for that part of the world”, as for farmers it is their livelihood on the line.

This decline in cocoa growth means that we are eating more chocolate at a faster rate than it can be grown and this means it is no longer sustainable.

Cocoa is not only used in chocolate bars; we can now find it in increasingly surprising places, such as in gourmet savoury dishes, vodka and gin, cereals, and new products such as the chocolate covered potato crisp recently released in the USA last year.

It seems as if we have been exploiting the abundance of chocolate, but luckily there are ways to prevent the chocolate shortage.

Firstly, look for an alternative – carob.

It is a chocolate substitute made from the pods of the carob tree which can usually be found in health stores and should definitely be taken advantage of. The carob tree is usually grown in the Middle East which, unlike the Ivory Coast, is not being affected by the same dry weather.

Secondly, manufacturers should be willing to pay higher prices for the trade of cocoa, so farmers are more likely to plant the trees.

On a brighter note, the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) argue that Barry Callebaut’s claim is over exaggerated and that there are sufficient stocks of cocoa for the next five years that will cushion supply deficits. In an attempt to combat the shortage, the government has also bought in reforms that have upped the wages of cocoa farmers and this year’s crop was the largest in West African history at nearly 1.8m tonnes of beans.

Companies will continue to closely monitor the situation, but at the moment they believe there is no cause for alarm. Phew!

Photo by Rebecca Bollwitt

InQuire Sudoku Too cold to go outside? Stay in and complete these puzzles!

12

Features

It’s starting to feel a bit lik

It’s nearly Christmas, and it is the time to get into the festive spirit and what better place to begin than Canterbury

Photo by Daniel John

Photo by Daniel John

Photo by Daniel John

Photo by Daniel John

Manon Charles had a look around the Christmas stalls on offer in Canterbury this year, and gave InQuire her festive thoughts.

T

he festive season is upon us once again, and Whitefriars has been taken over by the Christmas Market.

Located in Whitefriars Square, the market is bigger and better this year with over 35 colourful cabins selling products perfect for the Christmas season.

The market spans across Whitefriars and even winds down side roads so make sure you do not miss any wonderful cabins. It is the perfect place to get gifts for the whole family, including everything from a good old

Christmas jumper, to jewellery, candles and wind chimes.

Not only are there plenty of opportunities to indulge in some retail therapy, but there’s also the chance to create some memories. Be sure to head over to the festive photo booth (located in the Whitefriars Arcade) to have a giggle with some friends and even create the perfect image for your own personalised Christmas cards.

If you want to recreate your youth, go and visit Santa in his Grotto which has been created right in the centre

Photo by Daniel John

Photo by Manon Charles

of the market. Although it is aimed at children, head on over and you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the big guy himself.

If shopping is not your thing, it’s worth heading to the Christmas market just for the food! There are many cabins selling foodie products such as olives, chillies and chutneys and jams (many of which offer free tasters!).

On the other hand, if you just want a bite to eat, visit one of the many food stalls, which boast options from juicy burgers to frankfurter hotdogs to

homemade soup, perfect for this winter weather. You must try the skinny fries that are delicious -crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside with a sprinkle of salt and rosemary.

And after a long hard day of shopping, there is nothing better than a mince pie and a glass of mulled wine to warm the soul.

If you want to have a look for yourself, make sure you go before 28 December.

If you’re not the type for crowds, then maybe avoid visiting at the weekends because it gets extremely busy.

Photo by Manon Charles

Photo by Daniel John

Features

13

ke Christmas in Canterbury

y. Read on to find out more about the Christmas market and the cosiest pubs to make this time of the year special.

The cosiest winter pubs in Canterbury April Yeung

W

inter has arrived, deadlines are closing in, and it gets dark way too early. It’s really not the weather to get dressed up for a night out, but if you would like to find a nice place to wind down after a long hard day of lectures and studying, Canterbury does have pretty decent pubs for a student town. A previous housemate once said that a good pub is like a second home, so here’s a list of potential second homes for us students residing in Canterbury.

The Shakespeare Pub Despite having no resident bard inside this pub, The Shakespeare has a cosy environment to relax in, with long benches covered with snuggly rugs and wooden tables. It does get quite busy

on weekends; sometimes there are even strobe lights turning the place into a pseudo-disco. Does the pub inspire any aspiring bards or poets? Probably not, but the posters on the walls that depict various titbits of history and interesting facts (usually about the art of brewery) might be a good spot for those looking for some quirky inspiration.

The Miller’s Arms The Miller’s Arms is a pet-friendly pub, so if you’ve got a dog, don’t be shy to bring it along. It’s a big pub, so there are quite a lot of tables to choose from.

There’s a drinks-only side, with comfy armchairs and a fireplace, and a dining side offering decent food if not just a tad bit pricey. It’s a good place to take your parents when they come to visit; the only flaw is that they don’t have a garden for those rare sunny days.

Canterbury Tales There’s always a nice fire burning away inside Canterbury Tales, protected in a grate of course – we wouldn’t want the place to collapse.

Candlelight is the way to go in the pub; it’s like they have an obsession with fire. There’s an old-fashioned jukebox with a good selection of songs that

you can choose for a couple of coins.

Some nights there is a group of people with banjos and other quaint musical instruments jamming up the place. It gets busier as the night deepens, as it’s one of the rare pubs in Canterbury which closes later than usual.

The Foundry The Foundry is a nice, quiet place to have a meal and a drink. It offers quite a variety of drinks, from the usual stuff to its own brews, as well as the most potent spiced apple cider there is - just what we need to light up a cold, dark weekday.

The Parrot

a nice, albeit small, beer garden, and plants wind around the wooden ceiling structure of the pub inside. They offer a nice selection of food, especially seafood, so do get there early to grab a snack with your drink.

The Three Tuns I wouldn’t exactly use the word ‘cosy’ to describe The Three Tuns, but it’s an affordable place with lots of seating and decent drinks and food. It probably needs a bit more lighting, and some updates to the décor, but it’s warm and quite comfortable inside. You can usually find a table, unless a game is playing that night. There’s a separate room with a pool table, and rumour has it that if you can beat the manager in pool, he’ll treat you to a free drink.

All photos by Rosa Furneaux

Tucked away in a little street at Northgate, The Parrot used to have a live parrot, hence the name. It’s got

How to have some festive fun on a student budget Rebecca Fatharly

C

hristmas is often a time of great joy and merriment, but to students who sigh as they scrape together what remains of their student loan at the end of term, it can be hard to get excited.

However, there are many ways to have a fun Christmas with your flatmates on a budget.

The first thing you can do is Secret Santa as a group. You all pull a name out of a hat and buy a gift for the person you receive. The group then sets a budget, of around £5-£10 which means you only have to buy a gift for one person, whilst still having a group atmosphere when you all open the gifts together.

Depending on how well you know the person in the group, you can even throw in a hand-made gift, such as a knitted bauble.

The second thing that is important for any Christmas festivities is the decorations. For a cheaper alternative to supermarket decorations, hit the charity shops or try Poundland and Aldi. Again, set a budget with your

housemates and you can pick up a lot of good decorations to make your home feel like a Christmas grotto.

For a fun activity, you could even make your own decorations. There are kits for paper chains, or you could cut out snowflakes.

If you live in a cold house, you can create the illusion of warmth by drawing a fireplace onto sheets of paper stuck together and have stocking pockets to fill small gifts with.

Lastly, the house Christmas meal. You don’t need to have a huge turkey from M&S to have a great meal. The tip is to pick up cheap deals early in December and freeze all the food so you are ready, and have all you need when it comes to the day of cooking.

For good deals, Aldi and Iceland do great small turkeys and extra sides that are fairly easy to prepare and cook.

However you celebrate Christmas, there is nothing better than spending nights curled up in your living room with your friends and watching Christmas movies, looking around at the grotto you have created in your own home.

Mulled Wine Recipe

Paper Snowflakes

Ingredients 1/2 bottle of red wine 50g brown sugar 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 1 orange sliced

1. Cut your paper into a square shape.

2. Fold this in half diagonally two times to get a triangle shape.

3. Fold your triangle into three smaller triangular sections.

4. Wrap the right corner over the middle smaller triangle and wrap the left corner over this.

You should end up with an arrow shape.

5. Cut this at an angle to get rid of both corners. You should now have an isosceles triangle shape.

6. Cut your snowflake pattern, making sure to not completely cut along the side you folded. This will be an arm of your snowflake.

7. Unravel the paper, you should get a six-sided snowflake with a symmetrical pattern.

8. Stick onto your windows or walls.

Photo by Noema Pérez

1 lemon sliced Method 1. Pour the wine and put all the ingredients into a pan.

2. Heat the mixture gently, making sure that the wine doesn’t boil.

3. Serve and share with your housemates.

TIP: To make your mulled wine spicier, include two cloves and some allspice.

Photo by Leonora Enking

14

Entertainment

A refound classic: The World Ends With You April Yeung

T

he World Ends With You (TWEWY) is the best game I’ve ever played.

Everything about the game is brilliantly done, from the gameplay, the storyline, the visuals smd even the music.

Originally developed for the Nintendo DS by Square Enix, TWEWY was the first RPG to fully utilise both screens of the DS. Players control the main character Neku, who finds himself in Shibuya, Tokyo’s fashion and shopping hub, with no memory of what happened or how he got there. He’s got a mysterious pin that allows him to read people’s minds, though they can’t see him or the strange monsters, called Noise, roaming around Shibuya.

Missions arrive through text messages and Neku has to pair up with a partner in order to win The Reapers’ Game, or face erasure.

There are some interesting twists in the storyline and there is an eclectic mix of characters. But the battle system is what makes TWEWY so unique. During battles with Noise, players control both Neku on the touch screen with the stylus, and the partner on the upper

screen with the D-pad.

Neku uses pins that have special powers, which are activated through specific pen motions, such as swiping up and down, while the partner’s powers are activated through completing combinations on the D-pad. It’s a deliciously complex system, and it’s quite difficult to learn. But once you do, you’ll appreciate how much diversity it gives to battles, which are not the monotonous turn-based ones you find in RPGs these days.

Design-wise, the game is stunning and immaculately detailed. The story is mainly told through manga-style speech bubbles, and the artwork has

Become the Pokemon master Natalie Turco-Williams Website Culture Editor

L

ast month saw the long awaited release of Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, the 3DS remakes of the iconic Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire (2003).

The remakes follow the same plot as the original, which has players starting out in the back of a moving van and arriving in the Hoenn region to start their adventure in becoming a Pokémon master.

Back in the day, the graphics of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire had a lot of fans in awe, and with the purposes of the remakes being to improve the game play and bring it into the 3DS era, Game Freak’s new and immensely improved graphics, which resemble a mix between your basic MMO and anime style animation, really come into their own, leaving you even more speechless the second time around.

What’s really clever is how Game Freak developed the starting sequence for when you begin a new adventure.

As you start a new game it begins by showing you the original graphics of Professor Birch talking you through the ‘world of Pokémon’, then as the moving van jerks, your character looks away from what is revealed to be a tablet, unveiling the new astounding graphics.

For returning players and loyal fans, the

intro really brings back memories and hopefully will be one of many nostalgic stops during your adventure.

Although the graphics better those of the last generation, Pokémon X and Y, Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire lacks the exciting character customisation features that really brought the 3DS generation of Pokémon games to the modern gamer.

The only customization the games really offer are the return of the secret bases, a feature that really won over the fans of the Ruby and Sapphire games.

Just as the original, players are able to make ‘bases’, such as a one-room house in trees and mountains that you can to decorate with Pokédolls and furniture.

However, unlike the original, these remakes allow you to build from scratch and invite friends with StreetPass or QR codes, which is the first time in its history that the franchise has granted players such power.

One feature that has been continued from the epic X and Y, is the use of Mega Evolution. Fans of the original games can now see their Pokémon grow even stronger, which not only gives you the advantage in the daunting Elite Four challenge but makes every battle sequence look incredible.

Even with its few disappointments, the game is great for returning Pokémon fans, newbies and those who have gotta catch’em all.

strong street culture influence. The game is set in a surreal Shibuya, with real-world landmarks stylized in bright colours and graffiti. The soundtrack is a fine selection of J-pop, rock, and rap.

Elements of Japanese youth culture permeate the game – for example, fashion plays a big role in the game, with brands having the ability to influence Neku’s attack power. Battles are animated very well and there is a variety of attacks – it is enjoyable just to watch a battle.

There are also iOS and Android versions of the game now, but they have slightly different gameplay due to the single screen. If you don’t own a DS, it would be worth it to get these versions, because even though the battle system has been altered, overall the game still has a high playable and replayable value. It is a bit pricey, but it’s well worth the money.

The World Ends With You crosses the bridge between action RPG and casual games such as Temple Run, with lots of content, an interesting story, the eye-popping visuals, and sophisticated gameplay. This is definitely a musthave.

Songs on Repeat Elliott Bayliss

Bastille/Haim - “Bite Down”

Lifted from their upcoming mixtape Bastille VS. (Other People’s Heartache, Pt. III), top 40 behemoths Bastille collaborate with US Rock’s Haim sisters for a quintessential pop track in the form of “Bite Down”. Danielle Haim’s vocal talents compliment those of Bastille’s Dan Smith across the song, though she is only limited to a backing vocal role until the sisters harmonize on their outro “I’m not gonna try” as the song trickles out.

With an unambitious instrumental and catchy chorus, it’s a track primed and ready for the charts.

Photo by Matt Vogel

A Better Tomorrow Elliott Bayliss The hip hop heavyweights Wu-Tang Clan return for their first collaborative effort in seven years, with long-awaited A Better Tomorrow, flexing their lyrical muscles again to prove they are still relevant in the music industry.

Gritty “Pioneer the Frontier” sees the clan return to their early 2000 sound, whilst title track “A Better Tomorrow” demonstrates that the group’s rap talents can be translated to the optimistic, gospel inspired instrumental.

However, the album is not without its flaws. Tracks like “Preacher’s Daughter” clumsily samples and paraphrases Dusty Springfield’s “Preacher Man”, while the sentimental track “Miracle” seems out of place on a record from the collective who released “Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers” in the early ‘90s. Implementation of cheesy R&B hooks in tracks “Keep Watch” and “Ron O’Neal” undermines their intelligent production, whilst the hooks of “40th Street Black/We Will Fight” sound like a sample from the musical segments of Disney’s Mulan.

Despite this, the group’s collective rap talents are showcased frequently enough to sustain the strength of the album and maintain Wu-Tang Clan’s position at both the forefront and foundations of contemporary hip hop.

Only Real - “Yesterdays”

In new single “Yesterdays”, London lad Niall Galvin, better known by his pseudonym ‘Only Real’, fuses Hip-Hop inspired vocals with pop riffs for an irresistibly upbeat track. The first track from his debut album expected early next year, “Yesterdays” maintains Only Real’s unique sound: Lo-Fi guitars that spill over a steady drum beat. Rapping witty lyrics in a West London accent across each verse, Galvin’s track oozes charm and appeal, whilst each harmonized chorus lazily drifts through the track littered with “oohs” and nostalgic sound bites from TV and film. Only Real again demonstrates why he’s one to watch out for in 2015.

Circa Waves - “Fossils”

British guitar-rock’s current poster boys Circa Waves return with yet another addictive track “Fossils”.

Fast paced drums maintain the high tempo for the track whilst parallel running guitar melodies continue throughout the song. At under three minutes in length, Circa Waves compress their raw energy into the catchy choruses and punchy guitar riffs of the track. A song filled with memorable lyrics and infectious melodies, Circa Waves present a sound that easily translates from indie-rock to chart success.

Entertainment

15

I won’t ask for much this Christmas Lucia Ennis

C

hristmas is a time for giving. So if anyone’s stuck on what to get me this year, I’ve compiled a short, reasonably do-able, list for you to pick and choose from. Because if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

What I really want is the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future to visit Justin Bieber. Violently moved by this harrowing experience, he dedicates the rest of his life to raising Alpacas in Bolivia. In his twilight years he learns to harness Alpaca wool and completes a series of complex knitting projects that render him a local hero.

I want Sandy and Sandra from Gogglebox to announce their intention to stand as MPs for Lambeth Central.

They will win with a landslide majority in the coming election. Channel 4 is

jubilant in its victory. ITV cowers in obscurity.

Ariana Grande will realize her life’s ambition is to become a life-size Christmas tree fairy. Decorated with a tinsel embellished half-ponytail and a space-age outfit, she will make this transformation perched on top of the famous Rockefeller Christmas Tree in New York. Crowds will flock. Mariah Carey will sneer.

Can somebody invite Emeli Sande to a Christmas party so she can have a riotous time? She’ll no longer write about not being invited to parties. She becomes the party. The party is she.

Then, I want Prince Phillip to say something absolutely ridiculous. Also, Prince Harry to do something utterly absurd.

I want a Christmas movie where Rihanna wakes up on Christmas

morning in the body of Queen Elizabeth II. Drake stars and it’s directed by Mark Waters, whose credentials incidentally include an unknown film called Freaky Friday, the plot of which I have in no way plagiarized. Any resemblance to this plot is merely coincidence. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. All rights reserved.

Wherever he is in the world, I want Macaulay Culkin to wake up secure in the knowledge that he is the undisputed King of Christmas. He retreats into his fabulous wealth in a state of unparalleled serenity. Harry and Marv let him be.

Upon hearing about my ambivalence towards Christmas pudding, I’d love it if Mary Berry dedicated the entire month of December to baking me an assortment of delicious festive treats,

handcrafted and personally delivered to my doorstep by Mel and Sue. And finally, in all seriousness, I want us all to wake up on Christmas morning to a Rihanna album in our stocking.

For the love of God, where is the Rihanna album? Where is it, Rihanna?

The tracklisting for R8 is rumoured to contain collaborations with some big names, from Eminem to Nicki Minaj, and her old pal Drake. Maybe, in the name of Christmas spirit (and an eager Christmas market) we can expect this album to drop Beyoncé-style in due course. But maybe not. Who actually knows?

Is this too much to ask?

Head to InQuirelive.co.uk for more entertainment.

The best and worst Christmas movies for 2014

With Christmas around the corner and long nights of procrastination ahead, Anne Suslak shares her best and worst Christmas films.

The Good

The Bad

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) Christmas is a time for nostalgia.

While new films are released every year, the classics are still the best. It’s a Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey, a man who considers suicide on Christmas Eve before an angel called Clarence appears, showing him how miserable his community would be without him. Although the premise sounds cheesy, the dark themes of suicide and untimely death prevent the film’s message, that everyone’s life is worthwhile, from becoming too cloying. It’s a Wonderful Life incorporates magic into everyday life, and the uplifting, tear-jerking ending establishes this Christmas classic.

The Holiday (2006) It’s a guilty pleasure, but the story of Cameron Diaz’s wealthy American and Kate Winslet’s (supposedly) impoverished Brit swapping houses for Christmas is entirely ridiculous.

Without wishing to spoil too much of the plot, Cameron Diaz’s character has not cried since she was fifteen, which means most of the film is spent waiting for her inevitable tears. The idyllic locations of this film are perhaps the most ludicrous, with Kate Winslet living in a fairy-tale cottage, Cameron Diaz in a Hollywood Mansion, and Jude Law in a farmhouse with his own cow. The clichéd stereotypes of Britain and America, while entertaining, make the story implausible.

Rise of the Guardians (2012) Technically, this is a film for all major holidays, as it follows Jack Frost, Father Christmas, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy as they stop a villain from submerging the world into darkness. This film contains one of the most unique, and geographically accurate, depictions of Father Christmas, as an imposing Russian voiced by Alec Baldwin. The wintry setting for the film is beautifully realised, opening with Jack Frost rising from a frozen pond. While this film is an epic adventure, it’s also lighthearted. This is a unique and magical story which I would have loved as a child, but which can appeal just as much to adults.

Photo by Larry White, Jr.

Photo bPeter Rowland

Photo by carinejeane

Photo by heartlessale

Photo by canburak

Nativity! (2009) Perhaps I saw this film when I was too old to appreciate it, but the story of two competing primary schools performing rival nativity plays felt like it could have been better executed. Martin Freeman does a good job as teacher Paul Maddens, but the childlike teaching assistant Mr Poppy is more annoying than entertaining. Perhaps nothing can top the novelty nativity play in Love Actually, with its lobsters and Spiderman face-paint, but the children’s performances feel over-the-top. Good Christmas films should appeal to adults as well as children, but here, the jokes feel forced and the plotline contrived.I wanted to like it but left dissapointed.

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Entertainment

The sound of 2015 Talented or trashy?

Photo by Mark Cox

Jessica Duncan

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he highly anticipated long list for the BBC Music Sound of 2015 award was announced on 1 December.

Consisting of 15 artists, including Kwabs and Years & Years, the award supports and showcases artists chosen by a panel of industry experts who they believe will do well in the coming year. After a week of counting down the top 5, the award will be given on the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show next year, and we can expect big things from the recipient, with previous winners including Adele, Jessie J and Sam Smith.

A unique new artist, George the Poet uses spoken word in his music to, as he says himself: “provide thoughtful social commentary.” His alternative style, likened to hip hop, has also resulted in him being shortlisted for the Critics’ Choice category at the 2015 BRIT Awards. Having already opened for The Rolling Stones and toured with Hozier, James Bay’s acoustic style with his gravelly voice and relaxed style, has already resulted in him being compared to Ed Sheeran and George Ezra. The BBC Introducing artist is also the winner of the Brits 2015 Critics’ Choice award which will be awarded to him on 25 February.

Kwab’s sound, soulful synth&B, has been likened to 90s Soul and R&B singer Seal, with Adjepong himself

Photo by Andy Sheppard

describing his music as “ultimately soul, but it’s music that throws back and throws forward”. His hit “Walk” featured on the FIFA 15 soundtrack, gaining him a large following.

Recently featuring on Bombay Bicycle Club’s single “Luna”, and having also performed with Clean Bandit, Rae Morris has a classically ballad sounding voice, demonstrated on her recently released popular hit “Closer”.

If you combined Kings of Leon and Mumford and Sons’ sound, you will get Sunset Sons. With pop-rock style and emerging from their time as a cover band, the band have a cool, surfer vibe about them.

Years & Years, inspired by 90’s R&B, have supported acts such as Clean Bandit and last year’s award winner Sam Smith. The frontman, Olly Alexander, has previously appeared in Skins and the musical God Help The Girl before joining the band.

Other artists in the running include Lâpsley, Novelist, Raury, Shamir, Shura, Slaves, SOAK, Stormzy, and Wolf Alice. More about them can be found on their profile pages on the BBC website. Keep your ears to your radios, as the artists will be getting a lot of air play on Radio 1, with a few doing Live Lounge performances, such as Rae Morris in the first week of December, and the award itself culminating in January.

Photo by Ryan Schude

Karisma Indra

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s someone who is not overly fond of talent shows, I find myself wondering just what the appeal is of these many programmes that seem to circulate all around the year across our TV screens. From Britain’s Got Talent to I’m A Celebrity, this culture of talent shows seems to permeate our lives. Then again, they have great entertainment value, and that is what television is all about.

Most people find these programmes riveting. However, they seem to be repetitive, for example Strictly Come Dancing and their biggest television rival, The X Factor, have been gracing our television screens for over 10 years.

For me, the novelty certainly wore off a good five years ago: the ideas for these programmes were certainly good ones, but they need reinventing to keep my interest.

Likewise for Alan Sugar’s The Apprentice, which relies on you actually liking Sugar, these shows aren’t about talent, they’re about boosting the celebrity of Sugar and Cowell, the talent takes a back seat.

Certainly ‘talent shows’ have become increasingly popular over the past few years, but they seem to be less about talent and more about entertainment.

Take for example the most recent series of The X Factor, the final 16 included

Photo by Buh Snarf

Blonde Electra who were not the best singers in their category but were very entertaining. Similarly, on Britain’s Got Talent, David Walliams used his ‘golden buzzer’ to send through Christian Spridon. This is not what you’d consider ‘talent’ in the traditional sense of the word: perhaps, you could call it a ‘talent’ to be absolutely awful at something.

Admittedly, perhaps I am being a bit harsh on talent shows. They are purely for entertainment, not to be dissected for every ‘questionable’ decision the judges make.

Although I still find it hard to understand the appeal of such shows, they are certainly a good way to pass the lazy evenings when you don’t want to do anything of particular value.

I have to admit that I have found myself laughing along to Simon Cowell’s rather horrific comparisons on The X Factor, so I suppose that these ‘talent’ shows perhaps are more for entertainment than they are for actually finding talent.

Have an opinion you want to share? Have your say and get in touch with one of our editor or join us for meetings on Monday’s in KLT6 at 6.15pm.

QI to be hosted on Canterbury campus in 2015 Megan Weal Newspaper Entertainment Editor

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t was recently announced that a special edition of the popular television show QI will be performed live in Canterbury. The performance is scheduled for 9 February 2015 and will be hosted in the Colyer-Fergusson Hall on the University’s Canterbury campus.

‘Quite Interesting’, more commonly known as QI, will be hosting a special edition of the hit television show as part of the University’s 50th anniversary celebrations. The international show is based upon the view that everything is interesting if approached in an optimistic, and very often hilarious, way. Its popularity has been consistent

over its 10 years of broadcasting and has resulted in a National Television Award and numerous BAFTA nominations.

The show has also led to books, weekly podcasts and the BBC Radio 4 show ‘Museum of Curiosity’.

The panellists on the evening will

include regular contestants Alan Davies, Jo Brand, Phill Jupitus and Sandi Toksvig. They will be joined by QI creator and producer John Lloyd and the University’s Senior Lecturer in Drama and Theatre, Oliver Double.

Producer John Lloyd commented:

Photo by University at Kent

“I genuinely can’t wait to put this on.

We’ve got an unbeatable line-up of panellists, a fabulous venue, the whole QI research team behind us and it’s all for an excellent cause. What’s not to get excited about? It’s going to be an absolute hoot.”

All profit from the ticket sales will be placed into the Kent Opportunity Fund. The University based fund supports students through scholarships, extracurricular projects and activities and funding bursaries for students.

Ticketsfor the live event have sold out but Students and University alumni are planning to host exclusive live screenings across Canterbury campus, including one showing at The Gulbenkian cinema - tickets are £10.

Culture

Looking back: the best show I’ve ever seen Anne Suslak

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went to see Nicholas Wright’s adaptation of His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman in early 2004, at the National Theatre in London. I was 12, and a huge fan of the bestselling fantasy trilogy. Even though I’d been to the theatre with my parents many times before, I had never seen a performance on this scale.

The plot of the trilogy was too long to be condensed into a single performance, so the audience could see the play in two three-hour sections. I saw the first half one Saturday, and the second half the following week, which meant double the excitement of a single trip to the theatre.

I was most impressed by the portrayal of the daemons. In the world of His Dark Materials, the human soul is outside the body in the form of an animal, which changes shape during childhood. While seemingly impossible

to portray on stage, the production used puppets operated by actors dressed entirely in black, who quickly switched puppets whenever a daemon changed form. The transition was so seamless and the performance so absorbing that I immediately forgot the puppeteers were there.

Due to the huge number of scene changes in the play, the stage was a giant rotating cylinder. The set would disappear, rising into the sky like a lift, or revolving to reveal an entirely new set. This enabled the play to stick closely to the novel without sacrificing the plot.

Anna Maxwell Martin and the now-famous Dominic Cooper were convincing as Lyra and Will, the two twelve-year-old protagonists of the books.

“The performance was far more absorbing than the disappointing 2007 fi lm adaptation.”

At the time, I was concerned that seeing two adults in the roles would be off-putting, but I needn’t have worried. Patricia Hodge and Timothy Dalton were equally excellent as adult characters Mrs Coulter and Lord Asriel.

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Words of Wisdom Christmas “I love the excitement, the childlike spirit of innocence and just about everything that goes along with Christmas.”

Hillary Scott “My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?”

Bob Hope

Pullman’s trilogy was so complex that I couldn’t imagine how it could work on stage, but despite the limitations of the theatre, the performance was far more absorbing than the disappointing 2007 film adaptation. The stage adaptation of His Dark Materials remains the most ambitious and enjoyable play I have ever seen.

“One can never have enough socks,” said Dumbledore. “Another Christmas has come and gone and I didn’t get a single pair. People will insist on giving me books.”

J.K Rowling

The Pantomime: do you love it or hate it?

Love it: “I would be sad to ever see it go”

Hate it: “It’s predictable and lacks originality”

Karisma Indra

Chloe Bryer

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he Christmas season is upon us and with it, the return of pantomimes.

I remember quite clearly the feeling of this time of year when I was younger, this season always brought with it pantomimes.

It is easy to say that pantomimes only make the Christmas season for children, but they also have a wider appeal to adults. Admittedly, the bright colours and the exaggerated expressions and reactions of both the cast and the audience can be a bit garish, however, the Christmas season appears to mellow us all.

Perhaps the reason for the Christmas tradition of pantomimes is because we feel much more inclined to spend time as a family, so what better way to do that than visit the theatre?

Pantomimes seem to appeal to even the grinches amongst us, they are funny and light-hearted, some of the jokes even make the adults chuckle, whilst entertaining kids.

There is something inherently festive about the tradition of visiting pantomimes, whether it is for the

children to see a fairy-tale, or for the grown-ups who enjoy the innuendos and the other shenanigans of the cast.

It is hard to say why the pantomime is so successful and why it will continue to be so, or even why it is so Christmassy.

Pantomimes have been around for many generations during Christmas, and I hope to take my own children along one day, much like my parents

E

ver since I can remember, I happily went along to the annual festive pantomime. It was a family celebration, a time to be brought together through the silliness of men dressed up as dames, and seeing my friends dance in the background to Westlife instrumentals.

did for me. The fact of the matter is, However, despite the heart-warming pantomimes are a part of our Christmas songs between two distressed lovers, tradition, and I, along with many who obviously have to overcome an evil others, would be sad to ever see it go. power to be together, the predictability

and lack of originality became painful.

Despite the icebreaking chuckles from cousins I see once a year, by the time we were 12, we just wouldn’t laugh anymore.

Today, what I really don’t understand, aside from the overbearing-in-yaface jokes, is the excessive storyline of damsels in distress who are weak, fragile, and whose only aim in life is to marry Prince Charming.

Why can’t they go and find their Prince rather than just await him helplessly in some villain’s dungeon? Or better, be the character to rescue their friend instead?

Although I do understand the appeal of a male dancer prancing around in tights, each time I am subjected to the comedic absurdity of a panto I can’t help but think, why is the female the victim again?

We have now reached the era of Brave and Frozen, where it is the family love, strength and loyalty that restores peace and happiness, not male desire inspired by one glance in a village square.

So come on pantomimes, it’s time to “let it go” and embrace a new era of comedic equality.

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Culture

Read and Avoid Chris Heron

Read

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Sometimes, a slightly oddball book is the best to read.

Imagine an Agatha Christie novel, with magic thrown in.

Fantastic characters, extensive footnotes, adventures with the Duke of Wellington, what more can you want? Well, luckily for you (and me), a BBC adaptation is being released in 2015. So go and peruse this long but incredibly enjoyable novel.

Avoid

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le Carré

The Beaney’s Winter Exhibition Rebecca Fartharly

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he Winter exhibition held at the Beaney, the Arts capital of Canterbury, began on Saturday 22 November, and runs until Sunday 18 January. There are 40 selected works from across Kent, which are all for sale if you have the money spare to splash out on a piece of winter artwork.

Artists in the exhibition include Adam De Ville, Janet Darley, Kate Baker, Maddy Swan and many more. There are many artists exhibiting their works, with the hope of selling and reaching a wider audience.

There is a vast variety of artwork, from paintings of stark landscapes to collages created from shredded newspaper and other materials.

As I walked into the exhibition room, I was immediately hit by the ice blue and white tones that were emitted from the work. It is not really surprising that these were the predominant colours, since the theme of the exhibition is winter.

However, one thing that did surprise me was the lack of Christmas imagery.

One would think that an exhibition about winter would encapsulate some of the Christmas spirit, but the artists tended to stick to how the landscape changes in the coldest season of the year.

Wandering around, I picked a few

to emphasise the dogs’ fluffy fur, with a cold, harsh blue background to show the isolation of the winter wilderness.

Photo by Tom Russell

flowing behind it. Another piece I liked was Richard Want, whose painting ‘Rye in March,’ burst out of the cool colour scheme and depicted a drippy landscape made up of yellows and browns, with bursts of white to show sunlight.

This piece was one of the largest in the collection, and was certainly one of the most expensive at £2000.

Vikki Furse’s ‘Greenland Dogs Running for Home’, was a painting with strong, firm, flicky brush strokes

Lastly, Fiona Spirals’ ‘Topiary of the Wind’, marked at £250, caught my eye due to its differences from the other works.

The piece was a collage of a landscape with mountain magazines and newspaper articles about county activities to make up the sky and foreground.

I liked how the articles were about the landscape they were a part of, rather than just random articles that could be picked up anywhere.

Has technology changed the art world?

Rebecca Fartharly

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rtists like Van Gogh and Michelangelo would marvel if they could see how widespread their artwork has become, thanks to the advancements of technology in the last century.

I hate writing about books to avoid. Pretty much all literature has its positives. I mean, I just love reading! But if I need to pick one, I’ll just say I was disappointed by this book, probably as I just wasn’t expecting the writing style to be so difficult. It’s a heavy read, and I wouldn’t recommend diving in just after watching the (brilliant) film, which I suspect gave me lofty expectations.

favourites that stood out to me. The first was Mark Welland’s ‘Symetree’, which showed a tree with an ethereal light

This allows people to gain knowledge about culture in a way that has never been accessible to them, which means that they become educated and gain an interest in something new.

For instance, in schools, it allows children to develop an interest in the arts that they want to learn about,

Photo by Moyan Brenn

You can log on to the Internet and type in any artwork or artist and the information will appear within seconds.

particularly for children who become bored by galleries. Technology allows art to become interactive, through the

use of different mediums.

If people cannot afford to travel to places, such as the MET in New York or the Louvre in Paris, technology means that people can access the art in the comfort of their own homes.

Obviously nothing can compare to viewing the actual piece in real life, but it gives people the option to gaze at the work and to not miss out on the history surrounding it.

Artists of the digital age have a great medium to share their work.

Websites such as Deviantart and Tumblr allow artists to project their work and obtain an international audience.

By having a worldwide community dedicated to art, it means that artists can come together and share their art to receive feedback on their work to improve.

The work may not be widely known, but all artists have to start somewhere, and technology allows the beginners of today to become the great artists of the future.

Just because their work is not in a gallery does not mean that one day it won’t become a renowned masterpiece.

Culture

Top book titles published in 2014 Attiat Abuseif

T

here’s been an array of different good books in 2014, but this was the year of the feminist, the new novelist and the bloggers.

Unspeakable Things – Laura Penny Author of the blog Penny Red, Laura Penny tells her graphic experience about her rape at the age of 19, her struggle with eating disorders and her time as a burlesque dancer. Penny underlines important issues of modern feminism, including online sexual harassment and the problems with feminism being dominated by white women.

Bonita Avenue – Peter Buwalda Buwalda’s debut novel is a whirlpool of sex, revenge, black humour and tragedy. The book is about a maths professor who, having just broken off an affair, turns to pornography, in which he discovers his favourite star is his stepdaughter. The story does not stop there: it then increases in drama with schizophrenic boyfriends, murderous sons and mathematical equations. This originally Dutch novel is a fast paced, page turning read.

In the Light of What We Know – Zia Haider Rahman This remarkable debut novel, released this spring by Zia Haider Rahman,

is a gem that I accidentally stumbled upon last month. The novel explores the failed life of the protagonist Zafar through financial crisis and her divorce.

The book bounces between London, Islamabad, New Jersey and Kabul, tackling the themes of religion, politics, class and history.

A Girl is a Half Formed Thing – Eimear McBride It apparently took years to find a publisher for this book, that is now on the Telegraph’s top list of books for 2014, won the Baileys Women’s prize for fiction and has given the author the title of “genius” by the Guardian. This novel is narrated by a young Irish girl

growing up in a Catholic family with a disabled brother and an uncle that molests her. The narrator then goes on to college, and she gets caught up in a series of bad sexual experiences while the health of her brother deteriorates.

This book is short, heartfelt and intense.

Every Day is for the Thief – Teju Cole Teju Cole travelled back to his home town Lagos, Nigeria for the first time since he was a child. Every Day is for the Thief is his combination of 30 blog posts turned into a novel. Cole describes the corruption, violence and anarchy in Nigeria.

“Twas the night before Christmas”. The five year old in you bubbles up and you suddenly decide that being in your hristmas songs are playing from twenties is no reason for you not to everything with a speaker put out a mince pie and carrots for (some more welcome than Santa and his reindeer. others), the Christmas market For about three years now, in town is making you feel some poor unfortunates like a small child as you spot will receive a text from Santa when weaving through me as the clock strikes 12, the abundant stalls, and sending them the first few when you settle in at home lines. Thinking about with a hot chocolate as it, I really ought to be the rain lashes down, you sending them earlier in reach for a book. But the day… which one? Something I’m pretty sure I’m that will keep you supposed to put a in the Christmas bit of Dickens on spirit, that’s for this list, but if you certain, but maybe refer me to ‘A not all of these Christmas Carol’, reads are strictly I’m only going to traditional. think of Donald The most Duck (in the important story 1983 Mickey’s to me each year Christmas is A Visit from Carol) and St. Nicholas. that episode Sure, it’s a poem, of Doctor Who but without fail I with the Gelth (the Photo by Dennis Hill get excited each time I read gas creatures back with

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Society Spotlight Amy Hendry

T24 Drama Society

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24 Drama is one of the longest-running societies at Kent and takes both work and play very seriously!

As such, we perform four shows every term with opportunities for students to direct, act, construct sets, and every other part of theatre.

This term we are looking forward to our final show, a series of short Chekhov comedies.

Photo by T24 Drama

Photo by Moyan Brenn

My favourite Christmas reads Ruby Lyle Newspaper News Editor

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Eccleston). Instead, I’m going to go with Peter Pan. This is my The Great Escape, something that I’ll habitually pick up each Christmas time, even if it has no apparent link to Christmas whatsoever.

It’s full of childlike wonder but is just as incredible to read as a ‘grown-up’ as it is a kid. The rich, evocative text and the surprisingly (if you’ve only been watching the Disney version) dark tones keep you enamoured.

My final Christmassy read would have to be Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. It has it all! Drama, action, chess, and a missing toad!

How can you not pick up the book and feel Harry’s delight as he receives his presents? Just a jumper from Mrs Weasley, sweets from Hermione, a flute from Hagrid, a lousy 50p from the Dursleys, and a mysterious cloak.

Christmas at Hogwarts might be the best one yet.

So, to best enjoy this festive season, make a visit to your bookshelf and pick out an old favourite.

Whether it is Hogwarts or Victorian London, nothing beats a good Christmas read.

Next term we are very excited to produce Noises Off at The Marlowe Studio, The Diary of Anne Frank at the Gulbenkian, A Clockwork Orange and Christie In Love.

Auditions for all these shows will be on 17 and 18 December for those who love to perform, who are interested in trying something new and everyone inbetween.

More of a backstage person?

We are always looking for help with stage management, set, and publicity - again, no huge experience necessary!

Alongside the shows, we provide workshops in every aspect of theatre and, very importantly, regular socials and events for members to meet and enjoy!

Being such a large society, we have so many opportunities that we hope you will join.

Stay up to date through our social media channels: Facebook: https://facebook. com/T24DramaSociety Twitter: @T24Drama Instagram: t24drama Want to see your society in this space? Contact newspaper.culture@ inquiremedia.co.uk.

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Editorial

Student media saves the day Georgina Coleman Website News Editor

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ast week saw the Student Media groups of the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church collaborate to help out at Operation Heroes: The Winter Fundraiser, assembled to raise money for a charity in Kent. The chosen charity this year was SNAAP - the Special Needs Advisory and Activities Project – which seeks to provide services and support to children aged 0 to 19 years, suffering from any kind of disability. SNAAP is based in Herne Bay, but encompasses further areas across East Kent.

To help raise money for the charity, Student Media decided upon a superheroes theme: a fun subject that

captures the interests of many children. The week witnessed a range of diverse events, all of which saw amusement and fundraising combined. Ranging from Sunday, 30 November to Friday, 5 December, the week began with a simultaneous quizzes at the Lounge at Christ Church and in Woody’s at UKC on Sunday night.

The rest of the week included bucket at collecting and mask selling during the afternoons (you may have seen some of our members outside Essentials in superhero outfits!), to movie nights on Monday and Thursday, Ruby Tuesdays and a joint media social on Tuesday, and an informative Women’s Campaign talk on Wednesday, which discussed the representation of women in superhero films.

The week culminated in a twelve hour long live stream on Friday, whereby CSR

(Community and Student Radio) broadcasted non-stop, incorporating a fun medley of games on air that assisted in raising money for SNAAP. Friday night truly ended in style with the occurrence of Student Media Tries Dancing – our own parody of BBC’s famous ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, which took place from 7 to 9pm in Eliot Hall. Filmed by KTV (Kent Television), Student Media Tries Dancing saw the charity week end in a bang as the hugely entertaining dance contest featured impressive routines by couples who are members of the Student Media groups: InQuire, CSR and KTV. The dances brimmed with diversity, including classic dances such as the tango and paso doble as well as vastly different styles, like belly dancing. Umpired by four judges and voted for by members of the public, the

winners were Charlie Gardiner and Jenna Wild.

Following on from the dance extravaganza, CSR hosted a live music event from 9pm onwards in Mungo’s which saw an audio feast of different singers and musicians.

Ranging from soft acoustic guitar melodies to louder pop and rock songs performed by a full band, the music provided a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere to enjoy a leisurely drink after a week buzzing full of activities.

Operation Superheroes: The Winter Fundraiser was a great experience to be a part of and was a real success. The effort and organisation that was required into hosting the weeklong event was truly worth it.

What a fantastic way to end the year!

Student Media will be doing more events in the course of the year, so keep an eye out for us and keeeeeeeep donating!

Photos by Rob Linton

Bossy is bossy. It’s not gender specific Meg Weal Newspaper Entertainment Editor

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pparently, calling a girl bossy is a bad thing.

Feminism hit 2014 hard really, really hard. It was constantly on my timeline and I read so many corresponding and conflicting articles about it that I was unable to steer clear of it.

The other day I was hanging out with a group of friends and someone called me bossy. I wasn’t offended, I know I’m an authoritative person and I stick to my guns. But the room fell silent and people expected me to recoil in offence.

The incident reminded me of a video I saw earlier in the year. While many girl nodded their heads and clicked the “share” button as they indulged in Sherry Sandberg’s trending video “Ban Bossy,” it made me shake my head.

The one-minute clip circulated social media in an attempt to ban the word “bossy” from the playground.

Through her organisation “Lean In,” and partnered with Girl Scouts of USA, Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, wants to eradicate the “bossy” stigma that makes girls and women hesitate when striving for a leadership position.

According to the “Ban Bossy” website, “when a little boy

asserts himself, he’s called a ‘leader.’ Yet when a little girl does the same, she risks being branded ‘bossy’”.

Consequently, girls are shying away from leadership because of this stigma.

I agree that bullying and stereotyping shouldn’t be condoned in any shape or form. And do I agree that girls should be given the same opportunities for success as men? Of course.

But bossy is bossy. It’s not gender specific. It’s not even a character trait that falls as a consequence of power. It’s an ugly trait that instills the idea of dominance.

Shouldn’t we be telling boys not to be bossy, too? If we were putting more effort into

formulating a template of the defining aspects of quality leadership, then the word bossy would be eradicated altogether.

The video concludes with the statement: “I’m not bossy. I’m the boss.”

Exactly. This is the message that matters. Any sort of demeaning treatment from someone in a dominant position of power is unacceptable and hinders anyone from expressing themselves with full confidence.

Banning a word isn’t going to solve any problems. It’s just vilifying and generalizing while enlarging the void that girls are trying to jump over. But the actual message got wrapped up and warped during social

media crusades and ignorant tirades where we share views on subjects that we haven’t properly researched.

As well as being the year of feminism, 2014 also seemed to be the year of ignorance. Social media is amazing. It’s opened a multitude of doors, but it also allows people to voice their opinions that are more often than not, based around common misconceptions. It eradicates the original meaning of movements or events and trivializes serious issues.

More importantly, unless you do your research, you’re very likely to make yourself look like a tool. So, I’m being bossy and telling you to think before you post.

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22

Sport

Lacrosse put Christchurch in their place with resounding win Max Biddlestone UKC Men’s Lacrosse

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ver its six years, the University of Kent Men’s Lacrosse club has grown massively. Starting from just 10 members, it has since formed two BUCS teams, an intercollege cup, a community outreach programme and won Club of the Year Award.

For all teams here at Kent, there are rivals, but none as big as Canterbury Christchurch University (CCCU).

For some, CCCU are a team that they only face in Varsity; for others, like Men’s Lacrosse, the competition is drastically tighter, facing them in their BUCS league as well as the BUCS Conference Cup. Before their latest fixture, the cohabitants of Canterbury were battling for the top stop, with Kent only holding the top spot thanks to goal difference.

CCCU had already asserted their dominance by destroying the Kent second team 14-0 earlier on in the term, so the unbeaten Kent Firsts were uneasy to say the least.

Photo by UKC Men’s Lacrosse Heading up to the fixture with two key players injured but with fire in their eyes, Kent wanted to win.

As the whistle blew for the initial face-off, it was clear that the game could have gone either way.

However, in what felt like the shortest quarter ever, Kent snatched up four impressive goals, with thanks to tactics that their rivals simply could not handle.

This clean score sheet and predominantly attack quarter reassured Kent.

The second quarter commenced, and Kent maintained the upperhand, looking for another clean-sheet quarter.

With opportunities being blocked across the board, Kent was struggling to deliver the amount of goals that they were aiming for.

Captain Sam Perry

started to shoot behind the back, but to no avail.

Finally, Kent managed to score, but the celebration was shortlived as Christchurch managed to win a face-off and then a fast break that led to their captain putting a well-placed shot behind Kent keeper Jacob Farr.

As the half ended, the score was 8-1 to Kent.

A strong score, but victory was not guaranteed.

With the second half under way, Kent fought for goal difference to heighten their lead in the league.

The defensive trio of veterans Tom Neilly and Oliver Morgan, alongside fresher Ed Sandilands, maintained their stunning display, making sure that Kent kept the ball in attack.

Again and again the Christchurch keeper consistently kept the ball out of the net.

Goal scorers Ian Hopkins, James Cugley and Sam Perry managed only one more each, with other Kent players struggling to find the net. At the end of the third quarter, Kent held a strong lead of 11-1.

As soon as the final quarter of the game picked up, it was clear that Christchurch were not going to go down without a fight and within seconds, another goal had been clawed back.

Compared to an otherwise dominant game in all sectors, with strong face-offs by both Ryan Johnson and ViceCaptain Ian Hopkins, this quarter was unrecognisable.

Christchurch managed to score another goal against the clear victors. Kent managed to claw one more shot back thanks to a redeemed Captain using the sloppy terrain to his advantage, bouncing a shot into the bottom corner.

With an end score of 123, Kent had managed their best ever score against Christchurch, as well as their best unbeaten record ever.

Kent Firsts’ are looking to face Christchurch two more times this year, with Varsity (which will also be the semi-final of the cup) and a second visit in the league.

With promotion in their grasps, it’s looking like a big second term for top-of-the-table Kent Firsts.

The Magic of Quidditch on the pages of the books and in the real world Karisma Indra

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or someone who enjoys the worlds of fantasy and literature as opposed to playing sports, I find myself seeing the magic in fictional sports in books. Fictional sports are much more interesting than the everyday ones which I was forced to participate in in P.E. lessons, simply because they use imagination rather than physical skill.

In the case of Quidditch, this magic is quite literal.

J. K. Rowling’s world of Harry Potter is one of the most popular in literature history, having sold millions worldwide. Due to this popularity, Quidditch is probably one of the best-loved literary sports in existence, surpassing many other fictional sports, such as pod-racing from the Star Wars franchise.

Admittedly, even the most reticent to sport would love to have a go at Quidditch. The appeal of Rowling’s invention is that like most things magical, it sounds amazing.

As children, we all dream

Photo by Spielbrick Films that we will be able to fly.

This dream sometimes manifests itself by jumping off furniture in our attempts for flight, but Quidditch includes the power of flight, albeit with the help of a broom.

Quidditch removes all the stereotypes of broomstick

flying; no longer is it home to the green-skinned witch with warts but it also allows for a brand new type of sport.

Quidditch has everything you could look for in a sport: it has hoops like in basketball, it has a Keeper like in football, it’s fast paced and an adrenaline

rush. What’s not to like?

In fact we like it so much that there is now Muggle Quidditch.

So not only do you get to imagine playing a fictional sport, I can actually play it, which I have.

Quidditch is certainly an experience, I mean it was a little bit of a let-down when I

realised that there was going to be no chance of my feet leaving the ground. Nonetheless it is an incredibly fun game to play.

Muggle Quidditch is certainly safer to play, which I am sure is a relief to those who value health and safety. For me that did detract slightly from the game, because nothing screams Quidditch as much as nearly swallowing a Snitch or having your arm broken by a rogue Bludger.

Despite my reticence to actually be a part of sport, there was something great about playing a game which was invented as part of the world of magic.

Playing Muggle Quidditch makes you feel like you are a part of the magic yourself.

To be fair, Muggle Quidditch is a little uncomfortable given the nature of the brooms. On the other hand, the mere notion of being able to play Quidditch, a fictional sport that lives on in the heart of millions, is amazing.

Fictional sports are things that spark our imagination and leave us wanting more, and Quidditch certainly does not disappoint.

Sport

23

Following the death of Phillip Hughes, should sports be as dangerous?

Banrika Gill

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year ago at a Christmas fair at my school, my brother, the captain of the rugby team, was playing for the U-19 trophy.

The team was pulling ahead with a try. They had remained undefeated all season. With an audience of parents and students, they had one last game of the season.

My brother had the ball in hand and was past the half way line. He was tackled by a number of people. He went down and stayed down.

There was blood pouring out of a deep cut just above his eyebrow. We could see the bone.

Someone’s rugby boots’ studs had hit him. So yes, sports can be dangerous, but something like that can also be an accident.

The death of Australian cricketer, Phillip Hughes was caused by a rogue cricket ball.

News outlets like CNN are calling it a “freak accident” after the bouncer that hit the side of Hughes’ neck split his vertebral artery.

Similar to that situation, on 29 November, an umpire, Hillel Oscar, died of a head wound after being struck by a ball when standing in an Israeli league game in the city of Ashdod as reported by Reuters.

Such instances, whilst rare, are a continuous reminder to individuals on the need for safety and protection.

Stores in Australia have reported an increase of sales of cricket helmets by 70% over the last week, according to The Telegraph. However, it should be acknowledged that contact sports are always going to have a higher likelihood of having more reported injuries. Which is why when the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) issued its latest report on sports injuries requiring hospital treatment for 201112, Australian rules football had the highest cases at 3,128, followed by football at 2,962 and cycling at 2,917 cases.

Some might find cycling to be an odd one to have so high up before motor racing or any other

Photo by P J R high-speed sport. Whereas, off-terrain cycling can be extremely harsh on ligaments and also, due to high speed any obstacles can have a more detrimental effect if thrown of

the bicycle than just city riding (as I learnt from my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award).

Therefore, whilst sports can be physically harming, precautions can be taken in order to avoid

them, because it is no fun when you have to sit out of a game, be it rugby or volleyball, cricket or football, because you didn’t wear your mouth-guard , helmet or ankle brace respectively.

UKC Taekwondo put the smackdown on Imperial College at tournament UKC Taekwondo

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wo times gold, two times silver and one bronze medal: UKC´s very own Taekwondo team had a quite successful trip to London, as they participated in the Imperial College´s annual IC Open tournament on 29 November.

During the first round in the quarter finale of the male -80kg division, the fight between UKC´s black belt Nishan Gurung and Exeter´s Jonathan Tse had been dominated rather by caution on both sides, resulting in a 3:2 score for Exeter.

However, in the second round Tse quickly changed pace and directly scored a point with a precise 45-degree kick countering Gurung´s failed high front kick attack.

Though UKC lost this match with an end result of 6:7, eliminating Gurung from the competition.

Still, the highlight of the second round was Gurung´s very well timed jumping back kick, earning him four points and preventing Tse from scoring two consecutive points with his double kick attack.

All in all, the outcome of the matches was often uncertain until the very last second, keeping everyone on their toes.

While green tag Conan Laurie´s match against Bucks New University´s Sajan Rai ended in an astonishing 24:25 score in the men´s -68kg division, UKC´s black belt Lorena Chua missed the gold medal by one point after

beating Sadia Sawari from Brunel and Georgia Ingram from Goldsmiths University, 11:5 and 10:7, respectively, in the women´s -57kg division.

But it was Katie Meads from Brunel University who beat Chua with 12:11 points in the end.

In the women´s -73kg division, green Tag Aliaa Mokhtar showed great persistence against Anglia Ruskin

Photo by UKC Taekwodo

University´s Luana Freeman.

After their second round resulted in a 13:13 score, it was the third round eliminating death shot Freeman that won her gold, earning Mokhtar second place.

In the same category UKC´s Shelly Chan came in third place, bringing home bronze.

By the end, only Warren Tetsola and Matt Gabriel brought home gold for Team Kent.

Their tactics couldn´t have been more different.

Whereas Tetsola´s previous Karate experience came in very handy, putting up an almost unconquerable defense, blue tag Gabriel convinced with his “kicking tornado” technique.

Although his first opponent from Bristol University, Alistair Anderson, was a red tag, Gabriel did not show any signs of being intimidated.

As soon as the bell announced the beginning of the ninety-seconds round, Gabriel was unstoppable, attacking Anderson with one 45-degree kick after another, followed by a headshot.

Anderson´s attempts of countering this with a turning

and a front kick both failed.

Only fifteen seconds into the fight, UKC led by stunning 10:0 points after Gabriel scored another 4 points with an impressive double turning kick to the head. Both his fights were shutout victories in the male -80kg division, the results being 15:0 and 13:0 against Anderson and Imperial College´s Zhebin Huang, respectively.

Matt Gabriel later admitted “I was quite surprised about the scores, really.

“This was the first time for me [competing] in the intermediate category and I was competing against opponents who were both at least a grade higher than me… I was expecting it to be a lot harder, but because of the extra training I was prepared and could go into the competition quite confident.”

When asked if he had high expectations going into the competition, he answered: “I personally didn’t [have high expectations], though some people from the club were expecting me to do really well.

I don’t go in thinking ‘I’m going to win.’ I’m thinking, ‘I’m going to do my best.’”

InQuire sport www.inquirelive.co.uk/sport

UKC Archery Blast Away Competition

Photo by Kimberley Challen Kimberley Challen UKC Archery

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n 22 November, the University of Kent’s Archery Club (UKCA) had its first competition of the year as part of the South Eastern Archery League (SEAL).

The competition was between Kent, Essex, Sussex and East Anglia and was hosted here at the University Sports Centre.

There were eight shooters: consisting of four experienced shooters and four new novices from each university.

They shot 60 arrows in a what is called a Portsmouth round, the scores of which would go towards their standings in the entire league of 12 universities.

The shooting lasted about two hours, with tension rising towards the end as the two highest shooters of the day were neck and neck with around a five point difference In the end, UKCA’s President, Alannah Garnham, took first place on the day with 541 points out of a possible 600, beating Sussex’s top shooter, Jennifer Mankin by just one

point.

In third place was Joshua Burton from Essex with 526 points, knocking East Anglia out of the rankings by just three points!

All of the novices performed fantastically. Bruno Ferrarini from Essex took first place with an incredible 493. Dann Abbott, from East Anglia, took second-place with a score of 420.

Finally, Bruce Clark nabbed third place for Essex with a score of 370.

Overall our senior team came

in second place on the day and our novices came in third, with many people scoring new personal bests.

UKCA’s senior team are now 7th in the league, and our novices are 10th. Many thanks go to Abi Francis, our judge of the day, for running the session and resolving all the score disputes.

Our next competition is on 6 December when our team will be travelling to the University of Sussex to compete for victory once again.

If you want to give archery a

go and get a chance to compete with us in competitions like these, look us up online or find us at the Refreshers’ Fayre after Christmas.

Inside: • Quidditch • Taekwondo • Lacrosse • Danger in sport