Palatinate 786 - Freshers Edition 2016

Palatinate

Wednesday 5th October 2016 | No. 786

Affordable education special

The cost of being a student in Durham

www.palatinate.org.uk | FREE

& Indigo’s ultimate guide to Durham

A new generation

The problem with single-sex schooling

Freshers’ Edition 2016

Photograph: Thomas Hudson

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Editorial Our commitment to the issues that affect you of these founding principles.

Holding the University to account is an additional purpose I’d like to add. In an age of clickbait media and with the costs of studying and living at University greater than ever, good student journalism is essential, particularly in Durham.

Durham has emerged into a microcosm of many of the ills of students nationwide. A summary of a paragraph from News’ focus on accessible education (p.4-5) summarises the scepticism regarding the university’s commitment to accessible education:

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Durham has been subject to criticism for increasing college fees to over £7,000, raising tuition fees to £9,250 and the decline in the Durham Grant.

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To avoid plagiarising Drake, if you’re reading this it’s not too latecongratulations you’ve passed the trauma of UCAS and finally made it to Durham, welcome!

Durham is a wonderful place; you will never tire of the endless cathedral views or the bends of the Wear. Durham offers a unique experience: the academic rigor of Oxbridge, the sporting excellence of a champion University and a 70% chance of finding your future spouse!

We wanted to emphasise in this Freshers’ edition the joyous excitement of starting this wonderful new journey- Sport celebrate Durham’s “crown jewel”- college sport (p.20), Profile interview GBBO star and Van Mildert Student Michael Georgiou (p.12), and Indigo have a great guide on what’s going on over the next couple of weeks (i .8-9).

However as a newspaper in this first edition of the year we, also felt that we had to present some of the hard truths of being a student in Durham. Palatinate holds many purposes: to facilitate creative expression; to prompt debate; to provide an information resource.

Famous faces such as Jeremy Vine, Harold Evans (see p.13) and George Alagiah have passed through the office doors since Palatinate’s creation in 1948 and I am proud that we have an editorial board consisting of some of Durham’s most talented writers who are as resolute on the importance

esting suggestion of what more the accessible education movement can do on page 10. While far from a hotbed of radicalism, there are plenty of opportunities to engage with student politics during your time here.

But that is for you to decide on.

Our commitment to you each fortnight in our print edition and our website, is to report on the issues that affect you as students at Durham. This commitment reinforces our pride of being students at Durham and the importance that others have access to the same opportunities.

We are not always despondent with the pressing issues of the day, however, with almost twenty sections we’re a diverse and fun bunch. You can test us on that as we’re hosting a welcome drinks with plenty of free wine. It’s a great opportunity to see how you can get involved with Durham’s student newspaper.

Most importantly we hope you enjoy your time in Durham- you are at the start of a very exciting journey, and as a finalist I am very jealous!

Olly Mawhinney

You do not need to be in Durham for long to establish that Durham performs woefully in its representation of students from comprehensive schools and lower-income households. .

Daniel Pettingale offers an inter-

Wednesday 5th October 2016 | PALATINATE

Inside 786

Editorial Board

News pages 3-7 Comment pages 8-10

Editors-in-Chief Olly Mawhinney and Charlie Taylor-Kroll editor@palatinate.org.uk News Editors Ryan Gould and Emma Pickard news@palatinate.org.uk News Features Editor Holly Bancroft news.features@palatinate.org.uk Deputy News Editors Hugo Harris, Sophie Gregory and Anna Tatham Politics Editor Mason Boycott-Owen politics@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Politics Editor Kate McIntosh and Profile Editors Lily Boutler and Jack Reed profile@palatinate.org.uk Science and Technology Editor Luke Edwards and Tommy Pallett scitech@palatinate.org.uk Comment Editor Adam Cunnane comment@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Comment Editor Scarlet Hannington Sport Editor Kieran Moriarty and Nick Friend sport@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Sport Editors Reece Moore and James Martland Indigo Editor Yongchan Chin indigo@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Indigo Editor Olivia Howcroft deputy.indigo@palatinate.org.uk Features Editor Isabelle Culkin feature@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Features Editor Sophie Paterson Food and Drink Editors Divya Shastri food@palatinate.org.uk Travel Editor Charis Cheesman and Naoise Murphy travel@palatinate.org.uk Fashion Editor Victor Schagerlund fashion@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Fashion Editor Emma Denison Film and Television Editor Simon Fearn film@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Film and Television Editor Eugene Smith Stage Editors Sofya Grebenkina stage@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Stage Editors Alison Gamble Music Editor Rory McInnes-Gibbons music@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Music Editor Beth Madden Creative Writing Editor Anna Gibbs creative.writing@palatinate.org.uk Books Editors Ellie Scorah and Aaron Bell books@palatinate.org.uk Visual Arts Editor Jane Simpkiss visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Visual Arts Editor Lolita Gendler Chief Sub-Editor Marianna Mukhametzyanova sub-editing@palatinate.org.uk Sub-Editors Harriet Cunningham, Jack Heeney, Inka Karna, Grace Long, Ollie Mair, Ciara Murphy, Violet Nicholson Online Editor Kat Hind online.editor@palatinate.org.uk Web Editor John Morris Photography Editor Grace Tseng photography@palatinate.org.uk Deputy Photography Editor Dai-Khue Le Duong and Max Luan Illustrations Editor Faye Chua illustration@palatinate.org.uk Advertising Officer Sian Round advertising@palatinate.org.uk Social Media Officer Elizabeth Watson Digital Coordinator Craig Bateman

Profile page 12-13 Politics pages 14-15 SciTech page 17 Sport pages 18-20

indigo

Editorial page 2 Features page 3

Food & Drink page 4-5

Travel page 5-6 Fashion page 7

What’s om page 8-9

Film & TV pages 10-11

Music pages 11-12 Books page 13

Visual Arts page 14

Stage page 15

Creative Writing page 16

Join the team!

Want to get involved with Durham’s independent student newspaper?

We are hosting a Welcome Drinks reception on Thursday 13th October in Durham’s Students’ Union. See page 11 or email editor@palatinate.org.uk for more information.

The best of Palatinate Online www.palatinate.org.uk

COMMENT: Is Middlesbrough really the worst place in the UK to be a girl?

POLITICS: Labour’s identity crisis

SCITECH: How do I board a deep sea research cruise?

FILM & TV: The Bake Off blog

Following a recent report, Georgia Dodsworth questions whether her hometown of Middlesbrough is the worst place to be a girl in the UK.

Jonathan Murden argues that until the Labour Party establishes its identity in a world without unions it will be inefficient in its pursuit of change.

SciTech Editor, Luke Andrews quizzes PhD Student, Kirsty McQuaid on her time on a deep sea research cruise earlier this year.

Film & TV Editor, Simon Fearn continues his weekly reflections on soggy bottoms, Mel and Sue’s innuendos and the Paul Hollywood glare.

Palatinate is published by Durham Students’ Union on a fortnightly basis during term and is editorially independent. All contributors and editors are full-time students at Durham University. Send letters to: Editor, Palatinate, Durham Students’ Union, Dunelm House, New Elvet, Durham, DH1 3AN. Alternatively, send an e-mail to editor@palatinate.org.uk

PALATINATE | Wednesday 5th October 2016

Union President’s Column

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@PalatinateNews

As you may or may not know, I’ve now been in post as Durham Students’ Union President for three months, and I’m so excited to be welcoming returning students back and meeting a whole new cohort of first years and postgraduates. If you fall into the latter category, good luck with your first weeks in Durham and beyond – it’s a great place to study, and here at the Students’ Union we’re committed to helping you make the most of it.

Over the summer there has been a lot going on at the Union.

We heard lots from students last year about what they wanted from our building and our website. In response we’ve gone on something of a revamp campaign through Dunelm House -there’s fresh paint, new furniture and a Starbucks – make sure you come and check it out!

The website has had a facelift too, have a look at durhamsu. com! All of these changes have been really exciting (and a little scary at times) but have helped the new Officers and the Union get really clear on who we are and what we’re here to do. As part of the big changes going on at the SU, our new strategy will be launched soon, sharing our vision and plan for Durham Students’ Union, focusing on how we can support students, whether it be through groups, colleges, individuals, student representatives or more, to have the best experience possible at Durham.

As President, over the next year I’m focusing on several areas that I believe will really make a difference to our students. I’ll be working with Colleges to better understand and provide the support and amplification of voice that helps them be the best home for students they can be. With the move of Queen’s campus, I’m also focusing on making sure affected students still get the quality student experience they deserve, supported by their colleges, academic departments and the Unions’ services during this period of change. My third focus is on how the University and Union understand students’ opinions and keeps us informed and active on the issues and challenges we face. I look forward to meeting you all around Durham over the next year!

Alice Dee is President of the Durham Students’ Union

Picture of the week: A postcard of Durham Cathedral c.1930

Photograph: Raphael Tuck & Sons/

Universities look to dampen freshers’ week hedonism Anna Tatham Deputy News Editor

Universities across Britain are steering away from the traditional, hedonistic activities of freshers’ week, and instead are focusing on consent workshops.

The move has come in the aftermath of an inquiry launched by former Business Secretary Sajid Javid last year into sexual harassment at university, as well as numerous complaints and evidence of harassment and intolerance raised by students themselves.

Research by ICM, carried out for Drinkaware, found that just under half of students (49%) say they really enjoy going out to get drunk, and a troubling 54% of women aged 18-24 stated they have experienced sexual harass-

ment on a night out, with 17% of men expressing experiences of similar, unwanted behaviour.

Universities are hoping to combat the traditional “shameful boozefuelled scenes” (The Express) which commonly paint the landscape of freshers’ weeks, by instead offering both compulsory and voluntary workshops on sexual conduct and welfare.

Durham University is offering training to all Freshers’ Week reps and has also hired a member of staff to support students solely with sexual violence and misconduct.

The University said in a statement that “Induction Week is a time for our new students to settle in to their new home in college, to familiarise themselves with their academic department and to find their way around so they are ready to start their studies as

soon as academic term begins.

“Effective induction is a crucial first part of ensuring that students are supported throughout their time at University. Their academic induction introduces them to the study skills and methods of learning and teaching relevant to their academic disciplines.

“The college induction fosters a sense of community amongst new students and covers the various sources of support, guidance and information available to them.

In addition, there is a range of social activities for students to enjoy and where they will form new friendships.

Other establishments are also taking action to change the alcohol-fuelled activities of freshers’ week. UCLU, University College London Students’ Union, has released a guide to drinking responsibly, which advises students

“there’s nothing wrong with waiting until you’re out to have your first alcoholic drink — mocktails are a great way to start the night.”

Newcastle University’s campus policer officer is set to deliver a workshop on “vulnerability” as part of the student induction process.

Oxford, Royal Holloway, York, and Lancaster universities are also working alongside their Students’ Unions and the NUS to educate students on the importance of consent and safety.

However, the initiative has not been met with unanimous positivity. Ella Whelan, of the International Business Times, has labelled university actions as “mollycoddling,” and others think curbing students’ alcohol intake is denying students’ ability to make their own choices, as well as their own mistakes.

The work of Palace Green’s Library has been shortlisted for an Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community award due to its schemes to engage local people with both scholarly collections and research within the University.

The programme was launched in 2013 with the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition in 2013 — a result of the library’s development of high quality

exhibition facilities.

The second award is for Durham Business School’s commitment to engaging students with employers. The work to offer solutions to employers and to enable organisations to maximise engagement with Durham postgraduate business students and alumni has resulted in the Business School being shortlisted for the Outstanding Employer Engagement Ini-

tiative award.

The final award is for Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology.

A chemistry research group led by Professor Jas Pal Badyal FRS developed liquid-repelling nanocoatings that have been applied to more than 100 million smartphones, 75% of the world’s hearing aids, and three million pairs of footwear.

Durham shortlisted for three national awards Sophie Gregory Deputy News Editor Durham University was shortlisted for three prestigious national awards over the summer, with the results being announced on 24th November.

The University has entries in three categories of the Times Higher Education Awards 2016.

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“We should be able to welcome anyone to D

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It’s been very difficult to receive clear information from the University, and this is something that needs to change.

“On key decisions that affect every student’s experience, such as accommodation and the Queen’s Campus dissolution, tuition fees, and the cut in financial support for students, the University have not done enough to consider student views,” George said.

“During our campaign, Durham for Accessible Education have encountered staff who have refused to engage with our concerns or explain their decisions. This isn’t the strong leadership Durham deserves and it takes students for granted.”

The University said in a statement that it is “committed to encouraging the very best and the brightest students, regardless of background, to come to Durham, as set out in our Access Agreements.

“For the 2016/17 academic year, we are investing over £10

million to help students meet upfront costs and to deliver access, student success and progression activities.”

Durham for Accessible Education have further condemned the University for using a 2015 MoneySuperMarket study, which found Durham to be the most affordable university out of the top twenty in the UK. George told Palatinate that the MoneySuperMarket survey “placed equal measure on the price of beer, weekly rents, crime rates and the cost of insurance, and from these results Durham was rated as the best value university.

“This study does not truly represent what it’s like to be a student at Durham. We spend far more on our rents than on beer and many of us don’t have cars.

“The University have repeatedly used this stat in local press instead of engaging with real issues of affordability. This shows a misunderstanding of a real student experience and complacency when there is far more work to be done.”

When asked by Palatinate about the broad issue of the cost of living in Durham, the University referred to the same 2015 MoneySuperMarket survey, stating that it “strives to offer good value for money to its students.”

George went on to describe the impact that financial changes are having on the University as a whole, insisting: “I think these decisions can only make Durham a far less diverse, less inclusive place.

“I know prospective students who felt that Durham was too expensive for them, and we as a community are missing out on their wonderful talents and skills.

“We should be able to welcome anyone to Durham, irrespective of their financial background, but

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We should be able to welcome anyone to Durham, irrespective of their financial background...

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As the higher education sector booms, the cost of a university education is also booming.

With tuition fees set to rise to as high as £9,500 per year, universities across the UK are trying harder than ever before to attract and maintain the attention of the world’s brightest students.

But it is not just tuition fees that are rising. The cost of living in many of the UK’s university towns and cities is rising so exponentially that students from poorer backgrounds are facing the prospect of effectively being priced out of education.

These developments have coincided with unpopular government decisions to scrap the maintenance grant for students starting university in the 2016/17 academic year, which offered those with a household income of less than £25,000 an amount of £3,387 per year.

Although the grant has been replaced with higher loans, available to the value of £8,200, the idea of adding to the increasing debt has not been warmly received by students. Education experts have warned that this will discourage those from disadvantaged backgrounds from applying to university at all.

Durham University has been subject to criticism amongst existing students for increasing college accommodation fees for the 2016/17 academic year to over £7,000, for raising tuition fees to £9,250 ahead of a Parliament decision on whether or not to remove the current tuition fee cap of £9,000, and for the steady decline in value of the Durham Grant over the past five years.

Student reactions against these economic changes have resulted in the University being widely condemned by Durham Students’ Union and its president Alice Dee, Durham University Labour Club, and the Durham Left Activists, formerly known as Trevelyan College Left Society, who organised the “Funeral for Accessible Education” in December last year.

Most recently, George Stanbury, a third-year English and Spanish student at Grey College, founded the group Durham for Accessible Education after petitioning Professor Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor and Warden of the University, to reverse the latest increase in tuition fees.

The group aims to ensure that Durham is a “welcoming” and “diverse” place for all by campaign-

ing, petitioning, and communicating with the University about financial issues and other forms of student support.

“Coming to Durham is getting more and more expensive — the cost of living in college has gone up by almost 25% in four years and a standard room is now over £7,000,” George told Palatinate.

“In that same period, new students from low income backgrounds are receiving £2,000 less every year in bursaries than those who started in 2012. It’s clear to see that Durham is a much less accessible place than it used to be.”

George cited that the University’s ambivalence in responding to student concerns about and challenges to cuts in financial support warrants the need for greater, more effective communication on these issues.

“It’s been very difficult to receive clear information from the University, and this is something that needs to change.

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Emma Pinckard & Ryan Gould News Editors

the lack of action to make Durham more accessible and affordable is

Palatine Centre

Tuition fees set to Ryan Gould News Editor Tuition fees at universities across England are set to rise for the second time within a year, with fees expected to surpass £9,500 for students beginning their studies in autumn 2018.

The decision by the government follows a previous announcement earlier in the year that fees will increase to £9,250 in autumn 2017 in line with inflation for universities that “meet expectations” under the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

Durham University, along with the universities of Kent and Royal Holloway, already lists the £9,250 figure on its website for 2017/18 starters, despite the proposals having not yet gone before Parliament to lift the current cap of £9,000.

The government has said that any increase in higher tuition fees will be linked to the quality of teaching.

However, the plans released last

week suggest that the increase will apply regardless of a university’s standing in the quality banding system.

The Department of Education said that the tuition fee increases for 2018 will be a second “trial year” before a system with differentiated fees based on teaching quality — the Teaching Excellence Framework — is implemented.

“Universities will not be able to increase their fees unless they pass rigorous quality standards,” a Department for Education spokeswoman told the BBC. “We have always been clear that as the framework develops it will become increasingly robust, with additional criteria, such as university’s retention and graduate employment rates, introduced into the judging process.”

The Department for Education says that the TEF will classify universities according to three categories — gold, silver, and bronze.

Yet the proposals state that for courses beginning in autumn 2018, “all those achieving a rating of

PALATINATE | Wednesday 5th October 2016

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Durham affordability

Durham, ” affordability campaign group says

Photograph: Durham University

rise above £9,500 bronze, silver, and gold will receive the full inflationary uplift.”

The Office for Budget Responsibility has forecasted inflation for 2018/19 at 3.2%, possibly pushing tuition fees above £9,500.

A gold standard university “achieves consistently outstanding outcomes for its students from all backgrounds, in particular with regards to retention and progression to highly skilled employment and further study.

“Optimum levels of contact time, including outstanding personalised provision secures the highest levels of engagement and active commitment to learning and study from students.”

Institutions classified in the bronze category will be of “satisfactory quality,” but they are “likely to be significantly below benchmark in one or more areas.”

Students would be “occasionally engaged with developments from the forefront of research, scholarship or practice, and are occasionally involved in these activities.”

Universities Minister, Jo Johnson,

said: “By setting out clear incentives for universities, the framework will drive up quality in the sector at the same time as improving student choice and crucially, graduate outcomes — so that we can be confident we have the skills employers need now and for the future.

“The framework will also give students clear, understandable information about where the best teaching is on offer and for the first time, place teaching quality on a par with research at our universities.”

“It is too early to comment on the reported fee increases across the sector,” a spokesperson for Durham University told Palatinate.

“We await more information on the TEF and its implications.”

The news comes after Durham fell in this year’s publication of the two most respected world university rankings.

In the QS World University Rankings, Durham fell by 13 places to 74th. In the THE World University Rankings, Durham dropped 26 places to 96th.

most 2,000 students.

“The University also offers approximately 100 Supported Progression scholarships every year which are worth up to £5,500 annually for students who come from the North East, Cumbria and Yorkshire and the University envisages spending approximately

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The University will provide extra hardship funding for UK undergraduates... where the annual household income is below £42,650.

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stopping this and it’s unacceptable.”

Durham for Accessible Education has published a series of anonymous testimonials by students on their Facebook page as part of their “Out of the Red and into the Purple” project, which emphasises the impact of financial strain upon individuals.

The impact of extensive financial change across the board at Durham is beginning to show its mark, George says. “Students are really feeling the squeeze with such a steep increase in rents and withdrawal of support.

“We’ve heard time and again from students that feel unable to participate in the many clubs and societies in Durham because they can’t afford to, and this often leads to them feeling isolated and even depressed.

“During summers, some students are turning down internships due to financial concerns, harming their employability. Most worryingly though, students are borrowing large sums of money from their parents, placing their families in debt and causing acute stress.”

In order to alleviate some of the challenges faced by poorer students, Durham for Accessible Education will continue to lobby the University on issues like rising tuition and accommodation fees.

“We are campaigning for better financial support for students, and have a petition calling for support to be where it was in 2012, tripling support for people who receive the maximum student loan and giving £1,000 a year for those who used to qualify for a maintenance loan,” George said.

“We also want to work with the University to look into more flexible accommodation options, providing more affordable rooms for students who are being priced out of coming to Durham.”

When asked about its intentions to increase the amount offered to low income students through the Durham Grant, the University told Palatinate: “The Durham Grant Scheme is reviewed on an annual basis and the value of the Durham Grant Scheme bursary for 2016 entrants remains at £2,000 (a minimum amount of £1,800 was agreed with the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), but the University is maintaining the £2,000 level). This is given to UK undergraduate students where the annual household income is below £25,000.

“For the academic year 2016/17 nearly £4.5 million will be paid out by the University to support its Durham Grant obligations to al-

£1.5 million on Supported Progression students in 2016/17.

Highlighting its contingency plans following the cessation of the Access to Learning Fund (ALF), the University “will provide extra hardship funding for UK undergraduate students where the annual household income is below £42,650.”

Durham’s Academic Registrar, Dr Michael Gilmore, said in a statement that “Durham is a highly selecting institution with demanding degree programmes.

“The University works hard to identify those with the greatest merit and potential amongst applicants from all backgrounds and to ensure that financial support is available to those with a low household income.”

George drew attention to the fact that decisions made now will harm the environment of the University.

“I think we’re at a really crucial time for the future of our university and it’s so important that everyone does their bit to make sure Durham remains an affordable, accessible university.”

Illustration: Sapphire Demirsöz

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University finalises Ustinov College move Hugo Harris Deputy News Editor For all the optimism associated with the start of an academic year, students at Durham’s Ustinov College will begin 2016/17 with a profound sense of trepidation.

It was confirmed last month that the University’s exclusively postgraduate college will be relocated from its current Howland’s Farm site to a new home at Sheraton Park, near Neville’s Cross, for the start of the 2018/19 academic year.

At a meeting on Tuesday 20th September, the University Council agreed to enter into a contract with the owners of the Sheraton Park Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) scheme.

Justifying their decision to authorise the move in a statement, the University Council drew attention to “two key priorities” of its developing Estates Strategy, citing the move of John Snow and Stephenson Colleges from Queen’s Campus to Durham City, and the planned growth in new student numbers in Durham City.

Professor Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor and Warden of Durham University, stated: “In order to ensure a sustainable future for the University and to compete on a global scale, we need to build on our success and make changes where they are needed, including growing our student numbers in a carefully planned way.

“We are committed to working with staff, students, residents and other partners to ensure we deliver the best possible strategy, which in turn delivers the best for our city and region.”

However, conciliatory words are unlikely to pass without criticism, despite the views of Durham Students’ Union and representatives from five of Durham University’s colleges being consulted at the September meeting.

Most Ustinov students have long opposed their college’s relocation, with one survey conducted

by Ustinov’s Graduate Common Room (GCR) indicating that 86% of the college disagreed or strongly disagreed with the initial relocation proposals forwarded by Durham’s University Council.

A series of town hall meetings held over the summer, where students and the University’s Executive Committee (UEC) met to discuss Ustinov’s future, highlighted the considerable split of opinion between Durham’s postgraduate community and the University’s governing bodies.

Concerns were raised with regards to the actual buildings that will comprise the new Ustinov and over the processes involved with the college’s relocation.

Howland’s Farm from above, the site currently occupied by Ustinov College Though the UEC argued that the 418 new high-quality study bedrooms built in closer proximity to the University would compensate for the 30% decrease in live-in accommodation at Ustinov, accusations were made by students that Ustinov was being “downgraded.”

The UEC was unable to specify what facilities currently available at Ustinov’s present site would be built at its new home.

Moreover, after the UEC was unable to share details of Ustinov’s relocation until July “for reasons of commercial sensitivity,” concerns were raised about the scope of the University’s consultation process.

At the time, Thom Addinall-Biddulph, Durham Students’ Union Liaison Officer for Ustinov GCR, told Palatinate that the GCR remained “deeply concerned” by the University’s proposals.

He said: “We were given very few clear answers and a number of patronising responses suggesting that we don’t understand the situation and that if we just use our imagination the new site can be everything we want it to be.

“We can’t imagine a bar and the other facilities we would lose at Sheraton Park, nor can we use our imagination to ignore the site’s problematic proximity to private residences.”

“As part of the development of our new University Strategy we are considering the best use of our

current and future student accommodation,” Professor Corbridge said in a statement to Palatinate last week.

“In any decisions taken and changes made through the development of this Strategy, we are committed to maintaining an excellent student experience and to providing all possible support to our students.

“It is always our intention to share information and listen to feedback from students and staff at the earliest opportunity.

“We necessarily have to adhere to the University’s governance processes and on occasions respect the constraints of commercial confidentiality, but we are fully committed to more open and better communication with all members of the Durham University community.

“We know we can improve.”

The University Council, as part of its statement on its decision to enter into a contract with the owners of the PBSA scheme, has confirmed that “negotiations with

Queen’s Campus, above, will be repurposed as a foundation college

Photograph: Durham University the PBSA provider will be finalised and a Howland’s user group will be established to determine facilities requirements for the site.”

It is the University’s intention that a new site at Mount Oswald will open as new college accommodation in 2019/20, with either John Snow or Stephenson inhabiting the new space.

The final location of both colleges will be determined following further student consultation.

Photograph: Durham University

PALATINATE | Wednesday 5th October 2016

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Consent Workshops and College Events A Freshers’ Week Overview

Holly Bancroft News Features Editor

The time has come upon us. The first-years are flooding the cobbled streets of Durham and a new year begins. Whether you look back on your Freshers’ week with nostalgia or embarrassment there’s no denying it’s the most cram-packed, redbull-infused week of the year.

Aside from the socialising and going-out, 2016’s Freshers’ week heralds further positive steps to tackle the problem of sexual vio-

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Hopefully the university follows the steps colleges have taken and implements the recommendations of the Sexual Violence Task Force

These workshops and their universal approval shows Durham University’s correct attitude to the seriousness of claims of sexual abuse and of abuse itself. This however is not something found at all universities, as this week students in York staged a walkout of their university’s first ever consent workshops saying they were being ‘patronised unfairly’.

A scary response, seeing as statistics still show that if you are a woman starting university in the UK in 2016 there is a 1 in 3 chance that you will be sexually assaulted before you graduate.

Consent workshops will also help to debunk myths about assault. If you are attacked, there is a 90 per cent chance it will be by a friend or someone you know.

The goal is to help people establish a culture which agrees on what is unacceptable behaviour.

Through airing issues related to assault, people are hopefully quicker not only to spot it, but also to talk about it. With effective training it looks to be yet another fantastically well-run Freshers’ week.

At Durham, each college is known for its own distinct personality, whether that be sporty Collingwood, or arty Trevs. Fresh-

ers’ week plans are an opportunity to showcase what makes each college great. Different colleges often have their own unique Freshers’ traditions.

However the concern as a firstyear to survive your own college events makes finding out about the other colleges’ plans a bit hard to do. Palatinate have done the hard work for you and found the most interesting Freshers’ events across the colleges.

We start with Castle, who are making the most of their jawdropping architecture by having a movie-night sleepover in their 13th century Great Hall. Castle Freshers’ week also includes its traditional Castle Hike around Durham’s beautiful countryside, complete with Buzzfeed-famous welfare dogs.

They are rounding the whole week up with ‘Freshtival’. Their final and largest event of Freshers’ Week is open to the whole college, where the castle is transformed to resemble a festival site.

The smaller St Chad’s are making the most of their family feel by holding a Cheese and Wine Night on the Friday of Freshers’ Week, combined with the MCR community. This is to make sure the Freshers meet as many of

the college community as possible. The Freps are hoping for five courses of wine and cheese to taste throughout the evening.

An annual tradition which is being continued is the ‘Engaged and Inspired’ Chad’s Freshers’ Lecture, designed to engage students with important issues.

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The Freps are hoping for five courses of wine and cheese to taste throughout the evening

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lence amongst students.

The introduction of the ‘It Happens Here’ consent workshops has put awareness of abuse at the centre of Freshers’ Rep (Frep) training and hopefully will have a huge impact on the incoming fresher year as they work to stamp out a negligent view of issues related to sexual abuse.

Dan Fox, head Frep at St Cuthbert’s Society, speaking to Palatinate said: “Hopefully the University follows the decisive steps which Cuth’s and other colleges have been taking in this regard and swiftly implements all the recommendations of the Sexual Violence Task Force.” Each college is being required to carry out their own consent training for students who are ‘frepping’. This signifies a growing link between the University and the students around issues of sexual violence and will hopefully enable the University to best manage responses to cases in the future. Similar ‘Active Bystander’ training workshops were offered to the Freps by the Studnets’ Union last year.

Finola Southgate, joint head Frep at the College of St Hild and St Bede, commented, “we both believe that it is key that everyone understands the importance of consent and what consent is”.

Illustration: Faye Chua

This year they’ve lined up Stuart Corbridge, the University’s ViceChancellor, to speak. His chosen title is “Stones Dropped in Ponds”, as it is expected to be a talk on his background and career. There is even more integration afterwards as the talk is followed by an informal meal where the JCR, MCR and

SCR mix together. In addition to a Cheese and Wine night, St John’s college have also cashed in on the benefits of being a small college by inviting all the returners back for their first-years’ last Freshers’ event which will be a ‘Night at the Oscars’. Trevelyan college have kept the events quite classic with an ‘Around the World’ themed Bop on Monday night and a ‘When I Grow Up’ bar night on Wednesday.

The most exciting event however is happening on Thursday, which promises an open mic night with performances from the Frep band.

They also are keeping to Durham roots and putting on a ceilidh after their academic formal on Saturday.

Hild Bede have opted for a traditional Gatsby formal saying, “Think live jazz with the roaring 20’s backdrop for just a taster of the evening”. Summing up the freshers’ hysteria, Finola Southgate, joint head Frep at Hild Bede, said that first-years can look forward to “the best way to kick off the next few (and probably best) years of your life: A week filled with so many opportunities to meet people, get your fancy dress on point and settle into life at Durham”. Big words indeed.

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Illustration: Sapphire Demirsöz

Experience: Working with charities in Durham Alexandra Fitzgerald

Charities such as the Halo Project help bridge the university/local community divide.

It’s no secret that Durham is a bubble; a small toy town in the North of England, where everyone knows everyone yet the student body remains strangely separated from the outside community.

Some love it, some find it immensely claustrophobic. I fall into the latter category and have found becoming involved in local charitable projects to be the solution.

I struggled enormously with the feeling of disconnection from society, coming into contact with many highly privileged people who could not seem to understand that their situation was not the norm. I believe that a huge divide exists between the university and the local community and found this hugely problematic and troublesome.

The town-versus-gown mentality that is harboured amongst students is completely counterproductive to the desire to deepen one’s education as it stems, to a certain degree, from an unwilling-

ness to understand and be involved in the lives of the local population.

This appears contradictory to the broad concept of a university education, which is to widen your understanding in every way and come out the other end a more rounded, educated individual.

This is why I want to actively encourage as many people as possible to become involved in local charitable projects, as it breaks down this division and allows for university students to actually contribute in an incredibly meaningful way to the community in which they have chosen to further their studies. It allows you to break through the bubble and be involved in projects that will broaden your education, all while making a social impact.

A great example of a project that allows you to bridge the gap between the student and the local population is the Durham University Halo Project. This has stemmed from the Halo Project, a charity based in Middlesbrough whose aims are to help victims of honour-based violence, forced marriages and FGM by providing appropriate advice and support, as well as doing advocacy work for victims of these crimes based in the North East of Eng-

land. If not prevented, these abuses of human rights can lead to abduction, serial rape and murder in extreme cases.

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It is so easy to remain sheltered within the bubble throughout your time at Durham but to break it reaps so many rewards

”

I had not fully grasped how much of a widespread problem these human rights violations were before becoming involved in the project and it became a truly eye-opening experience; there are as many as 12 reported honour killings every year in the UK (the police estimated 12

in 2002) and this does not include the many unreported cases where victims are taken abroad.

The Durham University Halo Project’s goals are to raise awareness of these taboo subjects amongst the student population.

We achieve this through campaigning, holding events and producing media material to spread the message through different forms, thus reaching as wide an audience as possible.

The project’s slogan ‘Break the silence’ is incredibly apt due to the issues remaining unspoken about. This is where part of the problem lies; as long as there is no discourse, victims will not know where to find help and the general population will continue to deem it a problem that does not concern the UK population as it ‘only happens abroad’.

The lack of discourse effectively permits the perpetrators to continue committing these heinous crimes and get away with them; the offences remain hidden.

The project aims to help reveal them and bring light to them.

Universities are in a unique position in which discourse naturally flows and students tend to want to respond to said dialogues, thus representing the perfect audi-

ence. The project consequently has a natural home in which it has been allowed to flourish and take form.

Being involved in this project has been without doubt the most rewarding experience throughout my time at Durham.

It has allowed me to become involved in an incredibly worthwhile project and as a consequence, my education has been broadened along the way, as I have learnt about these cultural taboo issues.

Moreover, the skills that students acquire at university, such as communicating effectively, can be engaged and used to benefit the local community.

Consequently, not only can skills be learnt but previously obtained ones can be used for good.

It is so easy to remain sheltered within the bubble throughout your time at Durham but to break it reaps so many rewards that it would be complacent not to, especially as there are so many opportunities to become involved in projects linked to local charities.

To learn more about the Durham University Halo Project, please contact a.j.fitzgerald@ durham.ac.uk and like our Facebook page, The Durham University Student Halo Project.

PALATINATE | Wednesday 5h October 2016

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Freshers’ is certainly unique, but might not be the best week of your life Katie Allen

Freshers’ week is certainly unique; it is full of firsts which bring with them a certain excitement and novelty: maybe it is the first time you are completely independent; there is the first time you see your room; the first time you wear your black gown, wondering if you have actually ended up at Hogwarts!

It is your first opportunity to try out the city’s cafes and/or clubs, as well as the delights of college food in all its glorious novelty!

You also leave and gain many first impressions of yourself and others, as you meet new person after new person after new person.

These experiences all contrib-

ute to the buzz and uniqueness of Freshers’; however it is good to be realistic about the challenges that come with uprooting your current life to come to a new city and start at university. Furthermore, the fact that these significant changes are to be faced without all previously known emotional support systems - those of friends and family back home - only increases the unfamiliarity of the situation.

Therefore it is no surprise that for many people there are times when Freshers’ week can seem a little overwhelming and loneliness can kick in.

Developing new friendships takes time! In my opinion clubbing is not an ideal method of friend-making.

For one, it is hard to chat with the music drowning out your conversations. Once courses, clubs

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and societies kick off these provide easier means of bonding

Do not feel weird if you find Freshers’ week more challenging than you were expecting; you won’t be the only one

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with people, many of whom you will have more in common with.

Plus, did anyone ever mention that Freshers’ is tiring? Talking to so many new people is mentally draining and a string of late nights can lead to exhaustion.

The university drinking culture can bring new social pressures with it which can be uncomfortable and intimidating.

However just be yourself; you do not have to do anything you do not want to. Plus there will always be others who feel the same as you, they just may be too scared to say!

So take courage and stick to what you feel happy with.

Do not feel weird if you find Freshers’ week more challenging and less dreamy than you were expecting; you won’t be the only one.

The university recognises the huge upheaval that moving to uni-

versity is and has a great number of support systems in place.

Each college has an enthusiastic team of Freshers’ Reps (Freps), as well as friendly students who run the college welfare systems.

They give up their time to be available for a chat; so make the most of them. ‘Nightline’ operates every night, which is a helpline manned by trained students who are there to listen to any concerns; they are only a phone call away.

In order to combat any feelings of failure or deflation it is helpful to go into Freshers’ week with the right expectation: in my opinion will not be the pinnacle of your university experience, rather a little taster of better times to come.

If you’re finding Freshers’ tough, just know things get better.

Lucy Godridge

I’m naturally quite shy, and tend to lack confidence in large social groups if I don’t know anyone.

In addition to this social handicap, I don’t drink, which can be somewhat isolating at the best of times, but in Freshers’ Week is the equivalent of being at the World Cup Final with no interest in football. Add to this the strain of being away from home and family, and you have the recipe for an incredibly stressful, uncomfortable and miserable week.

Nevertheless, over the course of the week I did force myself to attend many of the college events, largely by making deals with myself – if I went to the pirate night, film night and Freshtival, I could hibernate in my room on toga night and nineties night. There were even moments when I started to relax a bit and enjoy myself.

But for the majority of the time, I was counting down the minutes until I felt that I could reasonably make an excuse and leave without being questioned about my apparent antisocial tendencies.

Freshers’ Week left me exhausted and drained – with what my sister would call a ‘social hangover’.

One of the worst things about

the entire Freshers’ Week experience was that everyone else seemed to be having the time of their lives. I felt like a freak.

How on earth was I going to find the lifelong friends that I was expected to make when everyone else’s idea of fun was my personal idea of hell?

However, as I was to find out, hiding away in many of the other rooms around my accommodation block – many mere metres from my own – were other ‘misfits’ like myself. The introverts, the homesick, the non-drinkers, and the people who just prefer a night of cracking jokes and sharing music tastes over a cup of tea and one too many packets of biscuits, to a night of drinking games, Klute, and leaving dubious splatters on the window of our kitchen.

I’m happy to say that once the clamour of Freshers’ Week had subsided, the atmosphere began to relax.

Before long, I had made friends, and we were drinking endless cups of tea in the kitchen, and laughing at how few questions we could get right on University Challenge. At our college’s autumn ball, with friends I was comfortable being myself with, I had a fantastic night. I had been really worried about the prospect of finding housemates for second year, but that too just seemed to happen.

All in all, I can look back and honestly say that this has been the best and most fun year of my life, despite starting with quite possibly the worst week.

So, my advice to Freshers who aren’t having the time of their lives in Freshers’ Week: let yourself hide in your room for the evening if you’re feeling really panicked.

Don’t be ashamed to be tucked up in bed with a hot chocolate and Netflix when everyone else is setting off to Klute – it won’t be long before you’re the one accidently staying up until 5am…

Most importantly, if you decide not to join in, you are not a failure.

At the same time, do try to join in on some evenings.

You can pick the events that sound the nicest to you, and you don’t have to stay for long. It’s completely okay to return to the safety of your room if you aren’t having fun.

Don’t expect friendship-at-firstsight. It takes time to get to know people, and very few people are really themselves in Freshers’ Week.

You might meet your best friend on the first day and not know it until a few weeks later. Once the dust has settled, most people return to their normal selves. You are also probably much more likely to make lasting friendships over a cup of tea in the kitchen than across a crowded club.

Drinking games play a key role in many a Freshers’ week

Photograph: Evil Sivan via Flickrsöz

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Wednesday 5th October 2016| PALATINATE

What can Pride Parades teach us about accessible education?

We must not stop talking about the fact that education favours the rich Daniel Pettingale

The most recent stir in the House of Commons has been that the Government has published plans to reintroduce grammar schools. It could have made for an interesting session of Prime Minister’s Questions, with the leaders of two opposing parties locked in a debate over the fundamental purpose of one of the most important institutions in the modern world. But, like many things that could make for an interesting debate, this argument devolved into an exchange of sound bites, of which my personal least favourite was Corbyn constantly calling the grammar school policy “segregation at the age of 11.”

There are some nuances to the policy that can answer some of his main arguments but which May never mentioned, for reasons best known to herself. In fact, it hardly matters. Good school places are all very well, but the crucial thing for the sort of children who would go to grammar schools is that their strengths are academic, and so their goal will be university. However, some of the children who are to be considered in any education policy are those from lower income families, and for them there is a rather more pressing problem than social stigma or school selection when it comes to getting a university place: they’re far too expensive.

A new student arriving at Durham University this year could be charged over £16,000 if they are living in college (fees plus standard catered accommodation). That does not include any other maintenance support (for which the grant has now been scrapped, meaning another loan). They also know that another two years of study will cost a further £18,000 just in fees, plus potentially another £14,000 more from the college, or whatever they can get from a nearby estate agent. In other words, any student taking a standard, 3-year course at Durham University knows right from the start that they are in at the very least £27,000 of debt (more for students arriving in 2017), assuming that their parents can help pay for rent and maintenance. Bearing in mind that we are considering low income families, that seems unlikely, so we have to assume that either they have to find a paid job and save up

(thus either forcing them to wait or piling on more work during term) or we assume that they will have to take out larger maintenance loans, meaning even more debt. And yet with all this, we are told that the university is still having financial problems, and with the even tighter squeeze we are told to expect from Brexit, there seems no real prospect of the fees going down anytime soon.

Just with those numbers readily available to me, it is fairly obvious that neither reintroducing, nor rejecting grammar schools is an entire solution for making education less the preserve of the rich. Neither indeed is changing social attitudes. It may be desirable, but no matter how much university professors may want to be more inclusive of potential students from lower income families, that will not help anyone if those same students cannot afford a university degree and the university cannot afford to make the degree cheaper. That argument, however, is hardly news, and there lies the rub. Grammar schools can cause a stir among the press because they have become an event: something specific and identifiable happened in a short enough space of time for us to see it all at once and for it to cause a shock. In a word, it was news. The numbers that I have just quoted were also news, in their time, but once the increase was made, they

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The problem for accessible education, then, is to keep the fact that education favours the rich in the news.

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The gay pride parade might offer a good model for this. Legislation on homosexuality has ceased to be front page news for some time: gay marriage is legal and so believing in it is no longer rebellious enough to cause a stir. If anyone doubts this, I invite them to ask themselves: what do they imagine being bigger news? A politician declaring themselves in favour of gay marriage, or a politician saying something homophobic? However, the gay pride parade is an event. It cannot go unnoticed in any community; it commands attention; it is news.

Hence, something as uninteresting as the education secretary having a girlfriend manages to reach the news

simply because it is attached to an event. That happened two years after the introduction of gay marriage. If we care about accessible education, that is the sort of effect we want: an issue that has been around for some time and an opinion that has long been socially acceptable, still being news. To do that, the core issue must remain at the forefront: the grammar school debate will cease to be news; a particular increase in fees will cease to be news. The principle will never cease to be true, and so the best thing to do to make it a working reality in the modern world is to make sure it stays in the public eye.

“

Neither reintroducing, nor rejecting grammar schools is an entire solution for making education less the preserve of the rich.

”

ceased to be news: the events were over, the immediate shock was passed. The problem for accessible education, then, is to keep the fact that education favours the rich in the news.

Illustration: Mariam Hayat

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Michael Georgiou: Durham’s Star Baker Durham student Michael Georgiou talks to Palatinate’s Reece Moore about taking part in The Great British Bake Off and what is next for Durham’s most successful student baker in secondary school that his true passion started to emerge. His main inspirations were his mum and gran, “seeing them bake regularly inspired me”. He now bakes nearly every day - lucky for his housemates!

Another question for Michael was how he thinks it is going to feel when he gets back to Durham, following his fantastic summer experience.

He is excited to get back to Durham, though he is “not sure what the reaction will be” and is hoping that “people will be as excited about the show as [he is]”.

Watching Michael build a fantastic gingerbread structure, any student would question how he manages to find the time to practice and stretch his student loan to do so.

So we tried to get an answer to that question for all the budding bakers here in Durham. Michael said that he did not find it easy at first. However, he went on to say that “being on a budget actually helped and once I got into a routine you work out you do tend to have a lot of time to bake especially when you only have a few

Reece Moore The Great British Bake Off is compulsive weekly viewing. It attracts more than 10 million viewers every Wednesday evening and is very much part of the British summer schedule. This year’s series has been particularly special not only because it will be the last on the BBC with Mel, Sue and Mary but also because of Durham University’s very own Michael Georgiou .

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Being on a budget actually helped and once I got into a routine you work out you do tend to have a lot of time to bake.

”

Michael Georgiou is a 20-year-old Politics and Economics student here at Durham University. He attends Van Mildert College and recently became the co-president of Van

Mildert’s Hockey Club, though he was presented as a football player on Bake Off – much to the hockey team’s disappointment. I am glad to say that I played alongside Michael last year for Mildert and I can tell you that he is a very genuine and friendly person – unfortunately the team haven’t yet had the pleasure of tasting some of his baking!

Following Michael’s announcement that he would appear on this series of Bake Off, he became an instant Durham celebrity, attracting a lot of attention and support on social media. We thought that it would only be right to interview Bake Off’s youngest contestant.

We asked Michael why he became interested in baking and what he liked most about baking. Michael told Palatinate his interest for baking developed “when [he] was young making cookies and muffins with [his] mum” but that it was only

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No longer are we people who merely buy microwave meals, but are now really trying to cook and bake.

”

hours of lectures a week!” So do not worry, there is plenty of spare time for baking during term-time.

We all know the stereotypes about students and cooking: ready meals, noodles and takeaways, all

washed down with plenty of alcohol.

Though this is true for some, the millions of Bake Off viewers have seen a different side to students from Michael’s participation on the show. We asked Michael about this and he believes “people have now begun to get a different perception of students” longer are we people who merely buy microwave meals, but are now really trying to cook and bake.’

In an attempt to find out more about Michael’s baking preferences, we asked him what his favourite bake was, his favourite thing to eat, and the hardest thing to bake.

Michael informs us that he enjoys baking Danish pastries, which “are difficult to make but very tasty” and he loves eating savoury pastries, “like quiches and especially pies’” Michael finds cookies very easy to bake, but the biggest challenge is perfecting a soufflé: “getting the rise on them and the middle to remain molten is really difficult..

Baking is not just a hobby for the Mildertian; he has moved away from this way of thinking now seeing it as something he could pursue professionally, “either in journalism or opening a baking business”. Leading on from this we asked him to make a choice, more difficult than Sophie’s choice itself: ‘if you had to choose between a degree or baking which one would you pick?’ Michael did make a choice, despite it being a “tough one” and said that he would live without a degree – not that we were too shocked about this!

On the Bake Off experience, Michael gave a special mention to Hannah, a member of the behind the scenes team who would always find something funny’. It is great to know that it is not only Mary Berry that

can make the bakers smile.

Seeking out to benefit from Michael’s expertise, we sought out to find if he had any secret family recipes, and he added that there were a few that had been passed down. However, he did show what a Durham degree is teaching him when saying that “if [he] shared them, they wouldn’t be a secret anymore!” As you can tell, Michael is not just a pretty face.

There you have it, Palatinate’s insight into Durham’s most successful student baker. Michael has made Durham University immensely proud, and is no doubt an inspiration for many of our fellow students bakers So when you’re thinking of going to Klute on a cold miserable night, just stop for a second and think ‘what would Michael Georgiou do?’ Then make a quick batch of cookies, and by the time you have completed the next day’s long walk of shame, they will be nice and cool.

Photographs: BBC/ Love Productions/Tom Graham

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Harold Evans reflects on his journey from Palatinate to The Sunday Times Editor Editor of The Sunday Times, founder of Conde Nast Traveler and author of several successful books, Harold Evans talks to Jack Reed about his time at Durham and how it shaped his career

Jack Reed Profile Editor

Editors of Palatinate often go on to achieve great things after leaving Durham and Harold Evans is no exception. Following a career which included fourteen years as Editor of the Sunday Times, Harold Evans has every reason to brush over his time as Editor of Palatinate. But he doesn’t. In fact, he sees his time at Durham as “indispensable for a career in journalism.” From somebody who has achieved what he has achieved, these are meaningful and powerful words, something each prospective journalist joining Durham should hold onto throughout their time here.

Evans seems to have rather blurry memories of Freshers’ Week, what with the trials, tribulations and revelations that come with every student’s experience. Yet, what he did hold onto were the friendships made. He reveals that “the friends I made in Freshers’ Week are still friends now,” and, while Freshers’ Week is notoriously a week of carnage and chaos, this alumnus sees it also as a time of fraternity and friendship.

His tremendous career within

journalism all started at Palatinate, working his way up from initially, “pasting proofs in the paper.” Talk-

“

When you’re on the greasy pole of a career, grab anything. All big shots in Hollywood began in the mail room. All of them say they did, and enough of them did to make it unwise to challenge the fable.

”

ing of working one’s way up, Evans refers specifically to the ‘greasy pole’ of journalism; the cut-throat arena that draws many comparisons to the brutality and selfishness of the political scene.

“When you’re on the greasy pole of a career, grab anything. All big shots in Hollywood began in the mail room. All of them say they did, and enough of them did to make it unwise to challenge the fable.”

Evans did it, those before him did it and anyone wanting to follow in his footsteps will have to do it too.

His career effectively started on the humble cobbles of Durham and, to many fellow journalists and onlookers, his career was made when he became Sunday Times editor in 1967, a post he held until 1981, a remarkable achievement that yielded incredible results for Evans. But, interestingly, he doesn’t see this as his biggest achievement; when questioned, he said that, “working with terrific people to win the thalidomide victory in the European Court of Human Rights,” was what he was most proud of. A tremendous feat and perhaps the skill refined at Durham to “find things in books” proved rather useful throughout his career.

For Evans though, Durham wasn’t

just a stepping stone for him on his journalistic journey. No, in fact, it is a place he describes as “magic.” He recalls Durham fondly, saying, “this amazing, historic peninsula awakens dormant senses. Who could not be thrilled, and changed, by the learning, the music, the debates, the architecture, the companionship”.

Simply, Evans sums up the very essence of being a Durham student;

“such is the quaint and small nature of the city, you not only become a student here, but an integral part of the community.

“It is a place of great and wonderful history, fitting for such a prestigious learning institution. Don’t miss your chance – go and grab it.”

Hawes attributes much of the success in his career to his experiences at Durham, both on a personal level and a musical level; “I always hoped conducting would remain a part of my life, but less predictable was that I would become a composer.”

Through his own hard work and

determination, Hawes was able to branch into roles he hadn’t previously seen himself in, eventually becoming Classic FM’s Composer in Residence.

This isn’t to say Hawes always had it easy; “When I decided to take the leap into full-time composing, life became more challenging – financially and emotionally. Despite some very low periods I stuck to my guns, achieving a breakthrough with my debut album Blue in Blue.” Hawes is clearly somebody whom every new Durham student can learn something from; it doesn’t matter who does it first, it matters who actually works hard, battles through their tough times and achieves what they want to achieve. Hawes has done this and provides hope that goals can be achieved.

Photograph: Creative Commons

Patrick Hawes: a torchbearer for the English music tradition Jack Reed Profile Editor

He has written music for the 60th birthday celebrations of HRH The Prince of Wales, made his mark as a torchbearer for the English music tradition and is recognised as one of Britain’s finest musicians and composers. Yet, like many of you joining Durham this week, Patrick Hawes also experienced the first day nerves, the series of dance floors, scary-sounding drinks and mindnumbing hangovers that many en-

counter during Freshers’ Week.

Hawes’ memories of Freshers’ Week are filled with the university societies “vying for new members,” the vast number of new people to meet and the impending sense of fear that you are all alone and your parents aren’t around to take care of you. Nevertheless, if you are somebody who has been consumed with worry and doubt over joining university, Hawes addresses this very simply: “to the freshers, I would say make the most of this once-in-alifetime opportunity. It is so impor-

tant to create a momentum to your university career in these first few weeks.” And if you think Patrick is gifted with natural confidence, think again. He talks about how he was “really quite unconfident and unsure of his own abilities” when he joined Durham. Here Hawes strikes on an important point that many people seems to underestimate; university changes people in ways that they initially cannot predict. Coming to university with an open mind and a fresh attitude will not only enable you to settle in quickly, but also make the most of opportunities available.

Speaking about his time at Durham, he reveals, “I nearly left after the first term.” When asked what made him stay, he states it was his life-long passion: music. “I suddenly found my feet and threw myself into a whole range of musical activities. I conducted the Mikado in the Assembly Rooms and ended my first year by being appointed Conductor of the University Chamber Choir.” Hawes again dispels another Freshers’ myth: that all new students settle in immediately and have established friendships within the first week.

It doesn’t matter how long it takes you to settle in. But, as Hawes aptly points out, you will only get out as much as you put in.

“

To the freshers, I would say make the most of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is so important to create a momentum to your university career in these first few weeks.

”

Patrick’s next album, Revelation, will be released on the Naxos label in February 2017. For more information visit www.patrickhawes.com.

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Wednesday 5th October 2016 | PALATINATE

Politics

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Welcome to Palatinate Politics Mason Boycott-Owen & Kate McIntosh Politics & Deputy Politics Editor In Palatinate’s Politics section you’ll find analysis, comment and debate. We publish a full range of political views and insights and provide opportunities for you to share your own version of events.

This year we plan to expand the section’s remit and use it to launch a campaign to step up political engagement in Durham. Students are among the least likely to be registered to vote, so we’re leading a cross-party group seeking to boost voter registration here in Durham.

Across the page, the chairs of some of Durham’s biggest political groups explain why they vote.

Take a look at our News In Brief section to see what fellow stu-

dents are saying about today’s biggest political stories. Also in this edition we’ve featured a time line of changes in higher education, as well as analysis of Corbyn’s second victory in a Labour leadership election.

In the next few months we’ll be launching our voter registration drive; a section for women in politics; BAME representation at Durham; the US Election; BREXIT Britain and much more...

To get involved, join the Palatinate Politics Facebook group by scanning the QR code below.

You can also submit articles and join our mailing list by emailing politics@paltinate.org

We’re always looking for more contributors as we take the section forward.

Owen Smith & The Cure: ‘Boys Don’t Cry’

by Lizzie Greenwood

The Durham Bubble: Politics News in Brief UKIP 2.0

Grammar Schools May Be Back

The Lib Dem Fightback

Tories come to Birmingham

EU Tackles BREXIT

Joseph Costello

George Walker

Sam Courtney-Guy

Oliver Mawhinney

Marie Louise

Like it or not - UKIP are a hugely influential force in British politics today. In Nigel Farage they have been three times led by the most important politician in Britain since Tony Blair. And his potency will be impossible to replace. But where they lose character, in Diane James they have found a unifier.

UKIP will now look to continue to shape the debate on immigration, grammar schools and fracking.

King Midas may be departing but the golden touch looks certain to remain.

In a sadly predictable move, the Conservative Party has reached again for the only silver bullet they seem to know – Grammar Schools.

With the idea of selective education resurfacing with the support of Theresa May, plans have been unveiled for around £50 million per year to be invested in expanding existing Grammar Schools and opening new ones. The key claim behind the pledge is that new Grammars will help create “a true meritocracy” and help bright working-class children achieve their potential. As was swiftly stated by outgoing Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw, such assertions are quite simply “nonsense”.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron attempted to make the best of the Labour party’s near-meltdown in his party conference speech.

Aside from a cringe-worthy homage to Blair’s ‘early work’, offering Labour centrists a safe haven, Farron’s bid to woo disgruntled Labour voters was aimed at exploiting fears that Jeremy Corbyn will not fight for a soft Brexit. Though Labour’s cryptic backtracking on immigration policy at its annual conference does lend weight to Farron’s predictions, he underestimates the tribal loyalty of his target Labourites, who will feel buoyed by polling data suggesting that Owen Smith won amongst pre-2015 Labour members.

As party conference season nears its climax, this weekend marked the return of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

With a heavy police prescence and up to 20,000 protests estimated, the scenes mirrored the Conservatives last conference appearance in Birmingham in 2014. Anti-Tory protestors were using the opportunity to largely protest about Conservative austerity measures and cuts. Meanwhile in the conference hall Theresa May announced that she will trigger Article 50 by May and Chancelor Philip Hammond marked a change in Government policy not following his predecessor’s aim to balance the books by 2020.

After the result of the EU referendum, most Europeans reacted with disappointment, anger and worry about the future of the EU – the first stages of grieving. In a poll conducted by Ipsos Mori, only Russia had a majority that believed the UK made the right decision. Even in Italy, a country whose media is quick to criticise EU, the majority did not consider the Brexit a good political decision.

Politicians in the EU may prove the Italians right as they affirm not to go easy on the UK in negotiations.

However, groups like those in the Netherlands started calling for their own EU referendums, none of which have been approved yet.

Photograph: UKIP pix via Flickr

Photograph: Richard Harrison via Flickr

Photograph: David Spender via Flickr

Photograph: Reuters via flickr

University and Politics - Why do we pay tuition fees?

Joseph Costello Tuition fees are as much a mainstay of the university experience as hangovers, pot noodles and damaged self-worth. How did a country that gave free eduction to Newton, Hawking, Blair, Cameron, Fry and Laurie change its mind?

Photograph: European People’s Party via Flickr

David Blunkett, the first Labour Education Secretary in 17 years, steam rolls backbench opposition.

The Teaching and Higher Education Act is introduced. £1,000 is to be paid upfront for tuition.

New Labour election manifesto pledges not to introduce top-up fees. David Blunkett states that “there will be no levying up fees”

Sir Richard Sykes, head of Imperial College London, releases a report detailing the gross underfunding of universities in Britain.

Former NUS president Charles Clarke announces plans for ‘topup’ fees. These give universities the opportunity to charge up to £3,000. The loan is payable for graduates who earn more than £15,000. Conservative leader Iain Duncan-Smith pledges to end the ‘tax on education’ and scrap tuition fees.

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PALATINATE | Wednesday 5th October 2016

Politics

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Durham Student Voices - ‘Why I Vote’ Saul Cahil Co-chair DULC

The reason I vote is simple. When

I was born, my mother worked in Burger King and nobody in my immediate family had went to university. Thanks to the work of a Labour government in widening access, my mother was able to go to university and become a midwife.

Thanks to a Labour government, I grew up thinking of a university education as something attainable in a way generations past had not.

Voting empowers us to take control of our lives, shape our futures and brings us together to build a country that works for the many, not the few.

Daniel Cohen President DUCA

Christian Round Chair DULT

Democracy is the worst form of

In order to function, all democra-

government except for all the others”, so said Winston Churchill. Like all democracies, Britain’s has its own flaws. However, it does has a genuine representative function, and your vote really can make a difference. We are extremely fortunate to live in a country which has such a proud history of parliamentary democracy, and it should be incumbent upon all of us to exercise the British peoples hard-earned voting rights.

Being able to vote in free and fair elections for a party we feel offers us the best chances in life is surely something we should never take for granted.

cies rely on an informed, active electorate. Voting is a crucial part of correcting the balance of power between individuals and states in any stable society. People remark about how voting doesn’t matter, or doesn’t allow your voice to be heard. I’ve always been amazed at the power of the ballot box. Take Brexit, by merely voting, millions of allegedly voiceless people who felt ignored by the political establishment have brought about the greatest constitutional change of our generation. The system may not be perfect, but if you won’t stand up an be counted on the electoral register, why should your governments stand up for you?

Jeanette Fogstad President DU PolSoc

I am a young woman doing a de-

gree at one of the finest universities in the UK. I vote because I believe that my opinion deserves to be heard and more importantly for all the people in history who have fought for me to have this right.

Voting is our most direct way of getting involved with the system and letting the government know whether or not we are happy with their policies. I do not wish to waste such an opportunity. When I have the choice to vote, whether it is for DSU or General elections, I feel a civic duty to educate myself enough on the matter to make an insightful and calculated decision.

We should not pass up on this opportunity we have been given.

Ted Lavis Coward President DU LGBT+a

Democracy is important on a na-

tional scale but I find myself investing my time campaigning in university politics. I represent LGBT+ individuals here at Durham. Through our various elections and referendums it is clear that the minorities have a voice within the university. As President of the association I was elected to express LGBT+ concerns within university politics, which was highlighted during the NUS referendum when all of our members had a unified stance. It seems minorities are harder to ignore in a smaller, university environment, and substantial change can be implemented before I even finish my degree.

Caesar Lives: Labour Coup Fails to Oust Corbyn

aims to significantly boost the renewable energy sector, with plans to create jobs, apply full EU environmental legislature and banning fracking.

Corbyn also commits Labour to building at least half a million council homes, and introducing rent controls. As with many on the left, Corbyn opposes the academisation of schools, the reintroduction of grammar schools and tax-w free childcare. Corbyn is in favour of an Universal Basic Income, and

dramatically raising the minimum wage. At the party conference in Liverpool, shadow chancellor John McDonnell spoke on a minimum wage of £10 per hour.

Jeremy Corbyn has raised political engagement to record highs. The Labour Party has over 550,000 members and supporters as of mid-September 2016, with some growth expected following Corbyn’s election. His biggest appeal is allegedly the ‘new’, ‘kinder’ politics, writes a member who vot-

Tony Blair breathes a sigh of relief following the ‘top up’ fees vote.

Having faced huge opposition, the Prime Minister wins by just 5 votes.

Fledgling Conservative leader David Cameron backtracks on tuition opposition. “The money has to come from somewhere” quips the Eton educated Oxford graduate.

Liberal Democrats and Conservatives form the first British coalition government since the second world war. The Lib Dems are forced to withdraw tuition fee opposition. Mass protests end with violence and arrests as tuition fees rise to £9,000 per year.

Maintenance grants for the poorest students are scrapped and replaced with loans. The cap on tuition fees is abolished and the level rises to £9,250. Durham University announces plans to raise fees (before the bill has passed through the House of Lords).

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Photograph: Garry Knight via Flickr

nomic policies are as counterproductive to the progressive, fairer, modern Britain he calls for. Income taxation levels as proposed

by Corbyn will result in a lower amount of tax collectible, providing the state with even less money needed so desperately for reform.

Jeremy Corbyn has centered many of his political positions on rallying against the Westminister establishment; the career politician.

The uncomfortable truth is that continued hikes in tuition fees are inevitable. Due to the cap being replaced with inflation-level rises, many expect the cost to reach £10,000 before the end of the decade. The question is, where is the next DIckens or Newton coming from? Only time will tell if we are getting our moneys worth.

“

He’s offering 1980s solutions to 2016 problems.

“

Jeremy Corbyn was re-elected as Labour Leader on Saturday 24th September 2016, defeating rival Owen Smith by over 120,000 votes. Corbyn’s victory capitulates a turbulent period in the Labour Party which began with the dismissal of shadow Foreign Secretary Hilary Benn hours after the Brexit vote in June. The leadership challenge was hotly contested and emotional for many.

Many found that they agreed with Corbyn’s policies, but felt that he was unelectable. Others doubted the former shadow Business Secretary’s competence but feared another Corbyn victory far more.

Some of this tension can be attributed to the controversial rulings by the High Court on voting eligibility. Members who joined before 12 January 2016 could vote. Newer members would only be eligible to vote upon paying a £25 fee.

Corbyn’s new victory has given him a decisive mandate to implement his policies. There is a clear, democratic socialist theme to these. A Corbyn administration

ed for Corbyn despite acknowledging that he was ‘well to the right of him on policy’.

Unfortunately, the membership surge cannot undo or atone for the unprecedented hostility felt by large swathes of the party. So concerned was Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Philips about her personal safety as a vocal Corbyn opponent that she felt the need to install a panic room in her constituency office. Early leadership contender Angela Eagle had a brick thrown through her Wallasey office window. Liverpool Wavetree MP Luciana Berger received threats that she would ‘get it like Jo Cox did’.

A longtime Labour party member who defected to the Liberal Democrats last weekend spoke to us about their exasperations. “He isn’t offering 21st century solutions for 21st century problems, he’s offering 1980s solutions to 2016 problems. He clearly doesn’t take bullying or racism seriously... (he) has surrounded himself with people like John McDonnell who has called for the lynching of a fellow MP a few months after Jo Cox was tragically killed”.

Corbyn’s most unpardonable sin - his gaffe piece de resistance - is his hypocrisy. Many of his eco-

Geeks Teh

This seems somewhat at odds with his son Seb Corbyn who has progressed from being a researcher to Chief of Staff for McDonnell.

Can Labour win a General Election? It is now up to them to prove that they can. But until then, the party’s current blatant disregard for moderation leaves much to be desired.

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SciTech

Editors’ Column Tommy Pallett

SciTech Editor

Welcome (back) to Durham everyone! I hope you’ve all had wonderful summers, and managed to keep up to date with all things science! If not, do not fear SciTech will be here every fortnight and online each week with the latest science and technology developments!

This year there are no excuses for not keeping up with science and following SciTech: you can like our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and look up all sorts of exciting content on our webpage! This term you can look forward to interviews with lecturers, quick explanation and demonstration videos, and themed article weeks such as ‘The Psychology of Success’ and ‘Durham Science Revealed’.

Meanwhile, this week we’re kicking off with the jovial ‘Freshers’ Week Lab Manual’, so join us in finding out what happens to your body when we kiss, exposing the dreaded Fresher’s Flu and much more! If you want to get involved with SciTech then get in touch, either by messaging our Facebook page or signing up to our mailing list at the Palatinate Welcome drinks, next Thursda.

For now, though, happy reading!

How we ever contracted pubic lice I’m sure we’ll never know…

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What happens when you kiss?

Elizabeth Hopper It’s hardly surprising that we enjoy kissing – your lips have 200 times the sensitivity of your finger tips.But do you know what happens to your body when you kiss?

A horde of hormones, bacteria and pheromones make smooching the experience that it is.

Before you even start kissing, you subconsciously register the smell of the pheromones your partner is emitting. These are chemicals that are secreted by sweat glands.

Pheromones influence how much you enjoy the kiss, and more importantly, whether it will happen again. They tell you whether your partner is a suitable mate and how similar your immune systems are. As you kiss, you and your partner exchange micro organisms.

For every 10 seconds of mouthto-mouth contact you both swap nine millilitres of saliva, containing up to 80 million bacteria.

Don’t worry too much – 95 per cent of that is ‘good bacteria’, which help to regulate the body’s processes and act as a form of immunisation. If you continue kissing the same partner over a long time period, you will eventually have overlapping bacteria communities on your tongues (how romantic...) “Interestingly, the current explanations for the

function of intimate kissing in humans include an imprtant role for the microbiota present in the oral cavity, says Remco Kort, a Professor from The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research Microbiology and Systems Biology Department.

“It turns out, the more a couple kiss, the more similar they[microbiota communities] are.” That’s not all that’s passed on in your saliva. Males give the hormone testosterone to their partners during a kiss, increasing the female sex drive. Both parties also experience the release of a variety of other hormones. As you start to kiss, your adrenal system secretes adrenaline, which increases your heart rate and blood flow to your, erm, nether regions. The adrenaline triggers the release of a team of other hormones: Dopamine and Serotonin for pleasure, Oxytocin for pair bonding and Phenylethylamine for aphrodisiac effects.

Alongside these, Endorphins are also released, which shut down negative feelings and reduce levels of the stress hormone, leaving you feeling relaxed, happy and possibly ready for more. It’s not all chemical though. When you kiss 24 facial muscles are activated and 100 more in the body, burning up to six calories every minute. It might not be quite as energetic as hitting the gym, but it’s certainly a start.

Pubic lice come from gorillas Luke Andrews SciTech Editor Scientists have uncovered a genetic link between our pubic lice (Pthirus pubis) and those of Gorilla’s (Pthirus Gorillae). A study published in BMC Biology used phylogenetic analysis to show that our pubic lice originate from Gorilla’s.

The parasite is near-microscopic in size and feeds by sucking blood from its host. Their body is poorly designed for movement.

Robert Weiss from University College London describes how he was struck by inspiration for this research while pondering the question of why lice would separate into two groups when our ancestors are quite uniformly hairy “[Lice] can’t fly, they can’t jump, and they can’t live apart from on their host for any period of time”,

added Mark Pagel, Professor of Evolutionary Biology at University of Reading in an interview with National Geographic.

Morphological studies of the lice genera Pthirus indicated a close relationship between the human and Gorilla variant.

The two species look very similar. However, Weiss distanced from a King Kong Scenario: “it should be noted that predators can pick up parasites from their prey“.

When their DNA was analysed, it revealed that the two species separated 3 - 4 million years ago.

This is later than the split between Gorilla’s and the Homo lineage which happened 7 million years ago, suggesting that pubic lice jumped between species.

It was theorised that sexual contact occurred between the Homo lineage and Gorilla’s.

“

A study published in BMC Biology used phylogenetic analysis to show that public lice originate from Gorilla’s.

”

“It is quite possible that the lice were transmitted sexually” said the study leader Dr David Reed from the University of Florida in Gainesville to National Geographic.

Luckily, it can’t be Homo sapiens that are responsible for the lice swap. We hadn’t evolved by 3 - 4 million years ago, so the lice must have moved from Gorilla’s onto an early human ancestor like Australopithecus.

Although early human sex with Gorilla’s cannot be ruled out, Dr Reed believes it is more likely that we acquired Gorilla’s pubic lice by living in close proximity to them. He thinks that using the same sleeping sites as Gorilla’s, or scavenging Gorilla remains are more likely explanations for how we received pubic lice.

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“I just loved it” – de Glanville on Durham With the launch of the BUCS Super Rugby League just hours away, Nick Friend spoke to Phil de Glanville about a remarkable career that began as an unassuming Castle centre

Nick Friend Sport Editor

When Phil de Glanville first applied to Durham to read economics and politics in a combined honours degree, he didn’t even know whether rugby was his favourite sport.

“I came to university having played quite a few sports at school”, he tells me. At that stage, I wasn’t really sure whether it would be rugby or cricket, which was my top sport growing up.

But I went to play rugby in Brisbane for a year and that just tipped the balance in favour of rugby. From then, I just turned up at Durham and really quickly got into the first team and that was it. Overall, I just loved it.”

As we speak, it becomes clear that this anecdote is emblematic of his time at the university – both on and off the field. Arriving at Castle at a time when Hatfield was still a boysonly college, he says that Durham was a very different place then. That said, he enthuses about his time in the college.

“I loved Castle. I made great friends who are now all scattered all over the country. We meet up every so often in London and I’d say, in all honesty, that they are the best friends you make – the ones that you have for life.

I’ve got a group of seven of us who are all in very different careers and we all meet up at least once a year.”

To top off the long-lasting friendships that he forged at the university, de Glanville also has the university to thank for meeting his wife. “All in all”, he summarises, “it’s had a pretty big influence on my life!”

While he thrived socially at Durham, the university’s effect on his rugby was tangibly crucial – if not partially the result of a series of happy coincidences. His form for the 1st XV saw national honours follow as a member of England’s U20 side, culminating in a trip to the Students’ World Cup. Leaving Durham having played alongside fellow future England captain Will Carling, de Glanville’s burgeoning reputation in the sport led him to Oxford University, where he undertook a masters course in politics.

His performances in England colours had not gone unnoticed and, though he took his work at Oxford seriously, rugby was very much at the forefront of everything he was doing. de Glanville explains to me, “Home was Devon so I was either going to go to Bristol or Bath – they were two most local clubs for me at the time.

And while I was at the Students World Cup, one of the coaches was a Bristol coach and he invited me to come and play in a trial game.

“So I played that game in Clifton on Boxing Day and one of the Bath selec-

tors was there.

He phoned me up the next day and asked me if I fancied coming to try out for Bath. I knew so little about it and I had no idea so I just went for it.

But I impressed them and I got in. I didn’t have a car – I was essentially a penniless student but I got in.”

Of course, at the time, English rugby had not yet been professionalised. He expands on this, admitting, “I didn’t have any idea as to the history or how it all worked. I met Jack Rowell for the first time, who was the coach there [and was subsequently England coach]. It’s a different world now. I’d never met Jack until I’d already signed up. The selector got you along and then you met your coach.”

As alien as it seems in the hypercorporate environment of modern sport, de Glanville raves about the days prior to professionalization, putting his fruitful career at Bath, where he spent his entire twelveyear career, down to the restrictions that amateur sport placed upon clubs.

“From the moment I arrived at Bath just out of university, I played alongside [England centre] Jeremy Guscott. It helped my career massively. Mike Catt arrived and Jeremy was ruled out so me and Mike Catt played centre for a whole season.

Then, Stuart Barnes retired and Catt moved to fly-half and it was left to me and Jeremy as centres and it was like that for four or five years so we were a pretty settled unit.

We had a great understanding of what each other were going to do and it worked pretty well for us.

Certainly, in the early ‘90s, we were very successful. Then in 1995, when professionalism came along, things changed very quickly.

Teams were literally transformed within a year and went out and bought players from all over the world and it all changed very fast.”

The advantages, he tells me, extended to his introduction to the national setup.

“I knew the likes of Catt, Guscott and Jack Rowell. But when I first got into the setup, it was Will Carling and Jeremy playing together at centre.

When I was a first year at Durham, I’d played with Carling.”

However, he claims that such was the strength of the 1st XV at the time, Carling would be shunted to full-back in BUCS fixtures.

Ultimately though, Carling would make nearly double the number of England appearances, though this is, at least partially, down to the fact that the concept of bench replacements did not exist.

“Unless somebody was injured, you didn’t go on. I got a few caps coming off the bench when people were injured but I probably spent two thirds of the time that I was in the

squad on the bench while never getting on during the early part of that phase of my career. And there were times, certainly, when I can remember having a massive row with Jack Rowell , in the World Cup in 1995 over selection.

There were times when you thought you should be in because you thought you we replaying better but, you know, that’s the nature of professional sport.

You’re never going to always agree with selectors and their decisions. If you’re happy with not being picked then you’re not in the right place.”

While his frustration is palpable at the time spent behind Guscott, Carling and Will Greenwood, there is not even the slightest hint of bitterness.

That, he reminds me, “is sport at the top level.”

His patience paid off, taking over the captaincy following Carling’s retirement, only once again to drop out of the side at the expense of Greenwood, another Durham alumnus. He

would play his final England game in 1999, though he continued to represent Bath until injury took its toll in 2001.

He emphasises the toughness of professional sport as he talks me through his retirement. Once again, there is no anger or jealousy – despite retiring aged just 32 and having to watch much of his England side lift the World Cup trophy just four years later.

“It was pretty hard watching the guys – pretty much the whole team of all your mates still playing through to 2003. But I was delighted for them.

It was a magnificent effort and a magnificent experience for me – I was lucky enough to be in the stadium in Sydney so it was great. But personally, I never regretted retiring when I did. It was the right time to go for me.” de Glanville speaks about his career’s denouement with a refreshingly selfless tone, philosophical about what he achieved in a terrific

career whose foundations were laid in a three-year period at Durham, both on and off the field.

“They say you know it’s time to retire when you know three things: mind, body and spirit.

I’d dislocated a shoulder that season playing in the European Cup against Munster, which took a hell of a long time to come back from and I was definitely at the stage of thinking of the spirit side of things.

I was having to smash people like John Mallett, who was a massive prop, in training and I’d end the training session thinking “I don’t want to do this anymore.”

I think everyone comes to that time for one of those three reasons – and if it’s more than one of them then you definitely know it’s time to go.

I think for me, the mind and the body definitely wanted to call it a day.”

Photograph: Phil de Glanville

PALATINATE | Wednesday 5th October 2016

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Dudzinski loving life beside the seaside Kieran Moriarty Sport Editor As another influx of eager freshers anticipate their first foray into the highly demanding world of BUCS football, many of these players should look to follow the example of a recent Durham alumnus whom has made the step up to the professional level.

In May, Ben Dudzinski signed for League Two side Hartlepool, a team based only 20 miles from the Maiden Castle pitches upon which the DUAFC 1st XI goalkeeper first made his name in the North.

After being spotted by local talent scouts while playing in the BUCs Championships for Durham, Dudzinski enjoyed successful spells at local semi-professional teams Tow Law Town and Ashington.

These appearances caught the eye of Hartlepool and after impressing Manager Craig Hignett and Goalkeeper coach Tony Craig in the latter part of last season, the former DUAFC goalkeeper put pen to paper and signed a contract for the Pools.

Having graduated in June with a 1st in Sport Science and after completing a strong pre-season with the team, Dudzinski is now an established member of the squad.

Palatinate Sport caught up with the former Aidanite to discover how

his first few months as a professional footballer have been.

Speaking about how his first three months at the club, Dudzinksi said “I’ve settled in really well. I’ve loved every minute of the football so far and everyone at the club has been really welcoming.

I’ve enjoyed it a lot and I’m looking forward to everything that is to come.”

Over the last few years, DUAFC have developed into one of most the formidable teams in the BUCS leagues, winning the BUCs Northern division and reaching the semifinals of the BUCs Championships last season. However, despite playing at a high level consistently over the last three years, Dudzinski is effusively positive about the increase in intensity of playing professionally.

“DUAFC was a really good standard but Hartlepool has been a step up which I’ve really liked.

It has been a good challenge and I feel I’ve done well and improved a lot already.

I’ll continue to be pushed and challenged and I intend to improve a lot more.”

At the time of writing, Hartlepool sit 15th in the League Two table.

Nevertheless, the young Pools goalkeeper is confident that the club can climb their way up the table as the season progresses.

“Overall we’ve had a good start to the season but we still have a lot more to give.

We have a great team and can definitely push ourselves up the table.

Hopefully we can put some good runs together and we never know

where that can take us.”

Dudzinski is the second DUAFC player in two years to sign professional terms with an English club, after Jonny Giles, who moved to League Two side Oxford United in 2015.

The DUAFC production is clearly in fine fettle. Who might be the next rising star to be discovered on the pitches of Maiden Castle.

Photograph: Hartlepool United

Sport

Wednesday 5th October 2016 | PALATINATE

Phil de Glanville Interview

Palatinate Sport speak to former England rugby captain Phil de Glanville about his incredible career, which has taken him from the Bailey to Twickenham.

Write for Palatinate Sport Want to write for us? Join the group ‘Palatinate Sport Writers’ on Facebook.

DURFC prepare for the launch of Super Rugby

James Martland Deputy Sport Editor

Rugby is just one of 16 sports on offer as part of the Durham College Sport programme

Photograph: Jack Gibbon

Durham’s crown jewel: A love letter to College Sport

Kieran Moriarty Sport Editor

There is a reason that Durham is consistently recognised as one of the best universities for sport in the country. Over the last five years, Durham have narrowly finished second behind Loughborough in the overall BUCS Championships.

However, these impressive results only tell half the story in explaining why we possess such a formidable reputation when it comes to sport.

Durham is distinguished by its unrivalled college sport programme: a framework consisting of 500 teams competing in competitive leagues across 17 different sports, in which nearly 8000 students participate each year.

That is a staggering participation rate of 70%. What other institution can boast such statistics and more importantly, how is this possible?

It is simple. The professionalism with which the college sport programme is enacted by Team Durham and its diversity is second to none.

Like clockwork each weekend, nearly two hundred sporting fixtures are contested on the university’s excellent facilities, ranging from grass, 3G pitches, asphalt and sports halls.

This continuing commitment to maintaining these high standards is reflected by Team Durham’s sensible decision to appoint two College Sport Coordinators, Jack Coates and Josh Males, this year to split the workload.

In their capable hands, Durham college sport is set to continue to do what it does best.

As for the sport itself, college teams are the lifeblood of the university. Whether it’s the thrilling fixtures which are played each weekend or the vibrant social scene which teams help create, the benefits of college sport are abundantly apparent in Durham.

Just reflecting upon the drama of last season is enough to generate excitement about its return.

There were numerous highlights from the college sport programme last year.

From Stephenson A’s unlikely

Floodlit Cup triumph in Men’s Football, Collingwood A’s domination in the outdoor T20 cricket series or Aidan’s A’s stunning Rugby Premiership winning campaign. 2016 demonstrated how college sport is rich in narratives which extend beyond the pitches and into Durham’s college bars and lecture halls.

With 16 different colleges, rivalries naturally flourish. From Bailey tension between Hatfield and Castle, Stockton derbies or local enmities like Mildert and Aidan’s, another layer of competitiveness is added to the already fiercely passionate world of college sport.

Nevertheless, there are special occasions when these college rivalries are put aside and Durham’s college teams unite to represent the university against York and Loughborough.

In varsity competitions against these rivals, the stakes will be high this year to reinforce Durham’s reputation as the undisputed kings of college sport.

At the end of the year, the College Festival of Sport provides the defini-

tive opportunity for colleges to stake their claim to be the best in Durham.

Last year, it was Collingwood who ran away with the coveted trophy.

As this year commences, with departed graduates replaced by influx of new freshers across all college teams, how will this power balance shift in 2017 and who will be crowned winners next summer?

As a sports writer and active participant, I am unashamedly biased in my praise of Durham’s College Sport system.

There really is a team for everyone in Durham and subsequently, a chance to enrich your student life.

I eagerly hope that our latest cohort of freshers and older students who have not yet experienced the joy of college sport at Durham, are encouraged to do so and provide us with more exciting stories to write about in 2017.

Like our page “Palatinate Sport”

Starting tonight, ‘British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Super Rugby’ represents an exciting new addition to the Durham sporting calendar.

The new league, which includes Exeter, Northumbria and Loughborough Universities, contains the top eight student teams in England and Wales, and culminates in a final at Twickenham on 26th March.

Durham, led by Buchan Richardson, kick off their campaign at 6:30 PM against Hartpury College at the Durham City Rugby Club and are expected to make a strong start, having visited Twickenham three times in the last six years in various competitions.

The league format offers the university a chance to play the best teams nationally and should provide the opportunity for many enthralling and exciting games for players and supporters alike.

Tickets for tonight’s game are well-priced at just £2 in advance, or £3 on the door.

Perhaps more importantly, however, all proceeds from this opening fixture will go to ‘Sport In Action Zambia,’ a charity helping sporting and social development in the African country.

The club ran the initiative last year as well, raising £2650 for the charity, as they were beaten 12-5 by Loughborough.

Date: 05/10/2016 Venue: Durham City Rugby Club Kick off: 6:30pm Tickets: £3 on the door