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Anti-Sainsbury’s protesters occupy the area that was formerly the Taj store on St. James Street, near Old Steine. The occupation began on Sunday 13 February. Photo: Anna Evans
Taj squatters ordered to vacate or face eviction
Jamie Askew News editor A group of squatters who have taken over the former site of the greengrocers,Taj, at Old Steine, have been told to vacate the premises or they will be evicted. On Wednesday 23 February, activists demonstrated outside Brighton and Hove County Court in defence of the squatters.
The group, who have called themselves SaboTAJ, are protesting against a proposal by Sainsbury’s to take over the 3,000 sq ft site. Sainsbury’s officially applied for planning permission to take over the site on 21 February. SaboTAJ occupied the empty building on 13 February and has vowed to turn it into a community centre. The owners of the site, administrators BDO, began legal proceedings to have the squatters removed on 17 Febru-
ary and at 11am on 23 February, the squatters were issued an ‘Interim Possession Order’ by District Judge ElaineThompson.The squatters were given 24 hours to vacate the premises or face prosecution. The bailiffs were expected to arrive at 11am on Thursday 24 February but by 1pm no bailiffs or administrators had arrived at the site. Pressure is now mounting on Brighton and Hove City Council to refuse planning permission for a
new supermarket on a road which already includes three other large UK supermarket outlets: Co-op, Tesco and Morrisons. However, a Planning Committee meeting on Wednesday 23 February granted Sainsbury’s provisional planning permission for the development. A press release by SaboTAJ detailed their objections with the planned development: “Another supermarket owned by a big corporation will put
even more pressure on the local independent businesses in these already harsh economic times. After all, Taj itself closed down because of the recession. “We have decided to take direct action to try and stop these plans going ahead by occupying the building to make it available, for free, to everyone. Continued on page 3 >>
Come to The Badger open writers’ meeting on Fridays, 1.30pm, Falmer House, room 126
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The week in photos: Students protest outside Sussex House
Above: Last Thursday protesters encouraged other students in Library Sqaure to pick up signs and join them in marching to Sussex House. Photo: Anna Evans
Top Left: A student reflecting on the protest outside Sussex House on Thursday afternoon. Top Right: Around 60 students gather outside Sussex House last Thursday to protest for the future of education at Sussex University. Bottom Right: Students sign a letter addressed to Vice Chancellor Michael Farthing, hoping to strengthen his support for their Stop the Cuts campaign. Photos: Anna Evans
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Editors-in-chief Juliet Conway Eleanor Griggs badger@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
News editors Raziye Akkoc Jamie Askew Inês Klinesmith Sam Brodbeck
badger-news@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Features editors Kieran Burn Joe Jamieson badger-features@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Comment editor Marcelle Augarde badger-opinion@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Letters editor Rosie Pearce badger-letters@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Arts editor-in-chief Olivia Wilson badger-artspages@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Arts editors Joseph Preston Louise Ronnestad Lucy Atkinson Lily Rae Wanjiru Kariuki Jessie Thompson Harry Yeates Samantha Graham Sophie Moonshine Bella Cockrell
Listings editor Olivia James
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Science editors Natasha Agabalyan Thomas Lessware badger-science@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Photo editors Anna Evans Polina Belehhova
Sports editors Matt Stroud Ben Denton
Sub-editors Luke Guinness Sydney Sims Barnaby Suttle
Students’ Union Communications Officer
Sol Schonfield communications@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
The Badger holds weekly open writers’ meetings Fridays, 1.30pm Falmer House, Room 126
The group, SaboTAJ, put up a banner outside the premises. Photo: Kieran Burn
“By occupying the building, we are reclaiming a private commercial space as a community one. Somewhere where we can find one another, make it our own, use it, and even organise collectively against cuts and corporatisation and for our communities.” SaboTAJ has created an online petition against the supermarket and so far have collected over 1000 signatures. Ben Duncan, the Green Party Councillor for Queen’s Park, is attacking the proposal based on the increase in alcohol sales the new Sainsbury’s would create. In a letter to the Health and Safety department of Brighton and Hove City Council, Duncan said: “Granting a licence would provide a further source of alcohol within an area already so heavily populated with licensed premises that crime, disorder and public nuisance have already reached problem levels for the local police. “Residents in this area already suffer noise nuisance and antisocial behaviour at all hours of the day and night. They have endured this inconvenience since 2003 when the licensing legislation was first amended, and it is totally unacceptable to expect them to continue to do so.” A Sussex Police spokesperson said: “We have been in contact with the owners, who have confirmed they will take legal action to remove the squatters. It is up to them to take the necessary steps.” Camilla Lamont, who was representing BDO administrators in court, commented: “They [SaboTAJ] definitely entered without consent and they remain there without consent.” Last year, a similar campaign to prevent the development of a supermarket on the site of the Lewes Road Community Garden was successful. The campaign, which was supported by local MP Caroline Lucas, prevented the building of a Tesco and a Ladbrokes on the community site.
Sussex falls 37 places in student experience survey Dan Bond The University of Sussex has fallen 37 places in an annual ranking of universities based on student experience. The university dropped from 26th place in 2009 to 63rd place in the 2010 Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey. The poll asked more than 13,000 undergraduates nationwide to rate their institution based on 21 different factors, from the quality of teaching and facilities, to the social life and community atmosphere on campus. The poll was carried out by market research firm OpinionPanel, with respondents recruited via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). In order to mitigate against respondents artificially inflating the performance of their institutions, students were not told the purpose of the poll. In addition, universities did not know which students were invited
to take part or when invitations were sent out. The university responded to the drop by contrasting the findings with those of the National Student Survey (NSS), the official national measure of student satisfaction.
survey is based on responses from a very small number of students - 102 - which is less than one percent of the student population at Sussex. “We will of course continue to do all we can to improve the opportunities for our students -
The university dropped from 26th place in 2009 to 63rd place in the 2010 A University of Sussex spokesperson said: “In 2010, the NSS was completed by 1,500 students at Sussex and 500,000 students in the UK. It placed us in the top 10 for the student experience — and in the top three for teaching. “By contrast, this private-sector
with new initiatives such as Sussex Plus helping to boost their skills for future employment.” The Argus had previously reported that less than 50 students took part in the survey. The University of Brighton also suffered a drop in the rankings,
from 85th position in 2009 to 97th in 2010. Loughborough University topped the poll, the University of Sheffield came second and the University of Oxford was third. Last year, the University of Sussex Students’ Union advised students not to complete the 2010 National Student Survey (NSS) in protest against education cuts. A motion was passed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) last year calling for a boycott over the cutting of 115 university staff jobs. A Students’ Union statement this week said: “The process of rating educational experience in surveys is something that students at Sussex have opposed for years now and this is a good example of why.” The union said it is hard to draw firm conclusions from such a small survey, adding: “The impact of the cuts that took place last year cannot be underplayed, but the Times Higher Education Survey results are not sufficient to elaborate on this.”
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Campaign group fights for more affordable housing on campus
New campaign group ‘Hope Beyond the Slope’ is urging the university to build more affordable accommodation on campus after East Slope is demolished next year. Photo: Anna Evans Eleanor Whalley East Slope, one of the oldest and the cheapest living spaces on campus is due to be demolished in the academic year 2012-2013, driving up the average rent on campus. The university stated that: “In the long term we aim to provide housing for around 40% of students at Sussex.” As a result of the change in the accommodation, a campaign called ‘Hope Beyond the Slope’ has emerged to try and provide an equivalent replacement on the university campus. Cameron Tait, President of the Students Union, and Jo Goodman, Welfare Officer for the union, are at the helm of the campaign. According to the research and analysis done by Cameron Tait and other union officers “the addition of Northfields and the removal of East Slope will mean the average weekly rent for a single room in
Sussex will go up from £99 to £107, leaving the national sector average of £98.99 [Unipol/NUS Accommodation Costs Survery] well behind.” The research shows that an ensuite bathroom adds £22 per week to the rent of a university-managed room. However the university points out that the “main cost of construction is to do with the size of bedrooms and communal space, rather than whether rooms are ensuite or not.” The university also emphasised the necessity of replacing older accommodations “when it has come to the end of its life span” and that the maintenance cost of East Slope now outweighs that which the university receives in rent. The campaign, which started in January, has “picked up a lot of momentum” according to Tait. The Facebook group that has been set up as part of the campaign is now full of personal accounts on
why East Slope was so fundamental to people’s lives at Sussex; both in terms of affordability and the social environment it encourages. Many students agree with what one person described as “the community you build up from living in such a close knit space”. Some of the Facebook messages on the page include: • “Living at East Slope was the best experience I had at university. I lived with 12 people and am still friends with all of them”. • “East slope isn’t just accommodation. It’s a way of life!” Cameron Tait said: “Being an ex-East Slope resident myself, I will be sad to see it go, but the university has decided that it is now so structurally defective that it can not go on for much longer”. The university is currently drawing up a picture of what will replace it in a couple of years’ time.
Tait added: “This is why it is so important that we make the argument for cheap, affordable and social accommodation that occupies the position that East Slope currently does.” He also points out the importance of making time for and taking steps to attract and support students from ‘lower income backgrounds’. Tait and other union officers also hope the university will provide low-cost accommodation as part of a wider scheme to do what it can to alleviate, according to Cameron, the government’s “regressive” higher education fee-rises. The University of Sussex will be expected to set out how it will widen access and recruit more students from under-represented groups and affordable housing is a vital part of this expectation. Alongside collating personal accounts and researching different studies on university-managed accommodation, the full-time
union officers have been lobbying key university contacts with their arguments. The university has pointed out that they are open to discuss the plans with the Students’ Union on a yearly basis but they “are not even at the design stage yet.” Upon the opening of Northfields, the Vice-Chancellor Michael Farthing referred to the campaign and pledged to provide “reasonably priced” accommodation in the next step of accommodation development. Tait also stressed the importance of making sure “the university takes this one step further and provides genuinely affordable accommodation on campus.” Future plans have been discussed with both the facilities management team and the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive Group. To join the group visit: www.facebook.com/hopebeyondtheslope
NUS President Aaron Porter to stand down at next election Charlie Haywood The National Union of Students is looking for a new leader after its current president, Aaron Porter has said that he will not stand for reelection this coming April. In a letter toThe Guardian, he stated that he will not stand as attempts from external sources to discredit the NUS and personal attacks within threaten to split the union in two. He said: “The politics of personal attacks threaten to turn the campaign inward at a time when our resilience must be at its highest. That is why I have decided there needs to be a new president to take us forward and why I informed our members that I would not be seeking re-election at our national conference.” During Mr Porter’s time in office he had to deal with one of the biggest issues in decades to face students, the increase in tuition fees to a maximum of £9,000 per year. The result involved protests up and
down the country with marches in London and campaigns on campuses and it was during this time that Mr Porter condemned the occupation of Conservative headquarters by a small group of individuals. Student activism showed a sharp increase whilst Mr Porter was president with students taking to the street and campuses in order to stand up for what they believe in. However, during an anti-cuts rally held in Manchester in January, signs of cracks started to appear in the united front of the NUS. Mr Porter had to be escorted away from the crowd after being heckled by a small group, who were implying that he had turned his allegiances to the Conservative party. Liberal Democrats have received similar criticism for voting in favour of the increase in tuition fees. Since then a rift has appeared within the NUS with some members calling for more militant action in order for their voices to be heard.
This split was reflected when Mr Porter said that the campaign against an increase in student fees is “moving into a different landscape” and why “it is more vital than ever that we are united and reinvigorated.” However, there are fears the task for the new president in a post tuition fee increase era will be a tough one. One student said that “whoever comes after Aaron Porter will have to reconcile the apparent split within the NUS and calm the calls for more extreme measures which only serves to damage the unions reputation. “Also, they will have to rebuild the confidence of its members that student voices can still be heard after being dealt the huge blow of increased tuition fees despite a well supported, high profile campaign.” “Mr Porter’s legacy will be the revival of student protests, marches and sit-ins, a more engaged, articulate and stronger student voice but it is now debatable how unified that voice is after his term in office”.
NUS President Aaron Porter Photo: telegraph.co.uk
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MP shames universities charging £9,000 Bella Cockrell The Minister for Universities and Science has spoken negatively about plans for many universities to charge £9,000 a year for their courses. David Willetts MP said: “We will all face a problem if the sector tries to cluster at the maximum possible level. We set the maximum level at £9,000 because we think there are some circumstances where fees of this level could be justified. “This problem arises partly because the taxpayer is lending the money upfront, on preferential terms, and we expect that one-third of the loans will never be recovered. If graduate contributions end up higher than £7,500, we would
reluctantly be forced to find savings from elsewhere in HE [higher education].” The Government insists that the top fee must only be charged in “exceptional circumstances”. Aaron Porter, President of the National Union of Students (NUS),
commented that, “My instinct is that many universities outside of the Russell Group will also charge £9,000 to send a price signal of quality and the government has put in place no incentive to stop it.” As reported by The Badger (21.02.11), top universities such
Many universities outside the Russell Group will charge £9,000
as Oxbridge and Imperial College London are likely to charge the top band. Director General of the Russell Group, Dr Wendy Piatt, said: “It is crucial that our leading researchintensive universities are allowed to charge more than £6,000 in fees if they are to maintain their worldclass status, give their students the first-rate education they deserve and continue to widen participation.” Therefore, the full charge may not only apply to Oxbridge, but also to the top 20 universities in the UK. The Government has announced plans for restrictions concerning the amount of universities wanting to increase their fee. Any university that wants to charge more than the £6,000 base fee will have to enter
into an agreement with the Office of Fair Access (Offa) where a plan will be set on how the university can encourage applications from poorer students. Not meeting quota targets would result on the university losing their higher fee status. However, this new procedure may not secure the affordability of a university education for the future. Willetts added that on average, universities would need £7,000 per student to match current income levels of £6,000 once “efficiencies” had been made. It is unknown whether The University of Sussex plan to charge the full £9,000, as the university will say nothing official until the details are published this June.
The Big Lemon bus Loud students donates record sum drive grandma to activities charity to sleep in car Madeleine Trimmer
Founder of the Big Lemon, Tom Druitt, handed over a cheque to Adventure Unlimited. Photo: The Big Lemon
Lauren Ingram The Big Lemon has announced record donations as part of its ‘Give Something Back’ (GSB) scheme. GSB scheme means that on the first Sunday of the month, The Big Lemon offer free rides on the number 42 service (between campus and the Old Steine) in return for a donation. The donations received are split between a local charity or community group, and the staff fund. The local charity or community group can be voted for on Facebook. Previous groups have included the Friends Centre Adult Education Centre and Lewes Road for Clean Air. In February a record £362 was raised, transporting a total of 482 passengers.
The chosen charity was Adventure Unlimited, which funds activities for disadvantaged children and adults. The next GSB will be on Sunday 6 March, and the two groups in the running are Bike for Life and The Bridge Community Education Centre. Bike for Life is a training organisation offering bike maintenance and cycle safety courses in schools, businesses and communities. If they win, they will run a “bike library” whereby they will fix up old bikes and lend them to school pupils to get more young people cycling. The Bridge Community Education Centre provides courses and education guidance to help people, their families and their communities reach their full potential. It they win, they will use the money to redecorate their café, which is run
by volunteers and does not make a profit. You can vote for your choice of group by 2 March on www.facebook. com/thebiglemon. Aside from helping the local community, The Big Lemon also has plans for their business. Nic Parkes, their Media Officer, said: “The biggest thing for us in 2011 is to continue to improve the services that we run to serve our passengers better and to run our festival coaches service again”. They also plan to run a competition to win two single coach tickets to the festival of your choice, provided their service runs there. The Big Lemon recently won Best Sustainability Initiative Award at the Brighton & Hove Public Service Awards held at the Grand Hotel in November 2010.
Residents in Brighton and Hove have set up a campaign against noisy students after five undergraduates from Brighton University drove a woman to sleep in her car. The students in question were taken to Brighton Magistrates Court on 17 January and all pleaded guilty to the charge of breaching the council noise abatement notice after being previously warned. They were each fined £58, forced to pay court costs of £742 plus a victim surcharge of £15. This is not the first complaint against students causing noise and anti-social behaviour. The campaign known as ‘Brighton Peace’ is appealing to anybody who might have had a similar experience in the local area or even in the rest of the UK to come forward. The campaigners want to discover whether student noise and anti-social behaviour is a national problem and if so what other student cities have done to combat it with hopes to improve the situation in Brighton and Hove. Joy Panteli, a grandmother in her 60s, lived next door to the students and commented: “many people dread the annual September term because they never know what sort of students they are going to get next door”. She also attributes the problem to landlords and letting agents who neglect to deal with their own tenants and Joy believes they should be doing more. Incidents like this have led ‘Brighton Peace’ to create a list of measures they believe should be put into practice. These include the creation of a monthly forum where resident representatives, students, landlords, community workers and the police can communicate with senior university managers to
voice their concerns. They also want universities to employ a fulltime liaison officer who would visit homes that have been reported as causing problems. They aim to raise awareness through the creation of an information board placed on the front door of any student house reminding students of their legal obligations with regards to noise and anti social behaviour. In response, the Students’ Union commented that they were already in the planning stages of creating an online forum, known as Virtual Local Action Teams, which would work with students to help improve their local areas. However they were concerned by a council memo which states: “Where students continue to cause noise problems the Universities have stopped students finishing their degrees and courses”. A spokesperson for the Campaign for a Quiet Night has revealed that they have had over 50 complaints since their appeal for information and that their aim is not to victimise students but to find a way to address the problem. Brighton and Hove Council say that the noise nuisance is usually due to amplified music being played ‘too loud, too long and too late’ and after serving a legal notice they have the power to remove any noise-making equipment from the property. The council already has a student housing strategy, which was announced in November 2009 that aims to ‘ensure that students are integrated into established residential communities in ways that do not unbalance local population structures and housing markets’. The Brighton Peace group want to work with the council to mend the broken relationship between residents and students so that everyone can live in Brighton in harmony.
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Remembering protests past Cuts, occupations, strikes, suspensions, demos and even riot police. The last academic year at Sussex had it all. This week, one student activist offers a retrospective account of 2010-11 Owen Holland Laying out the Objective to The Spirit of Utopia (1918, 1923), the German Marxist philosopher Ernst Bloch observed: “What just was will probably soon be forgotten. Only an empty, awful memory hangs in the air.” University campuses play strange games with the memory. The libraries and the archives are mnemonic storehouses of knowledge – although perhaps nowadays it is more appropriate to call them clearing houses – but what of the more ephemeral kinds of experience, those prone to atrophy and the silence(s) of forgetting? If the campus is, or should be, a pure means to critical endeavour, then it is all the more cheerless that students should come and go with alarming regularity. Some move on to the quiet oblivion of an office, or a trading floor; others never quite leave. If you are in your first year, you might be happily oblivious to the so-called re-structuring which the university management forced upon the university community in 2009/10. But to those of us who were there, and who were part of the events as they unfolded, we are left with a dilemma, an unresolved grief and many unsettled questions. The dilemma is this: How are we to pass on the narrative of struggle against injustice and managerial malfeasance in the hope that their wrongs will be righted by the generations to come? In the previous academic year, unbeknownst to anyone at the time, events at the University of Sussex foreshadowed the wave of student activism, protests and occupations that broke in the closing months of 2010. At Sussex, four occupations took place between October 2009 and March 2010 – two on the top floors of Bramber House, one in Sussex House and, then, a week-long occupation of the Asa Briggs Arts A1 lecture theatre. There were countless more demonstrations and marches across campus, many of which were covered in both the Badger and the local Brighton Argus newspaper. So what provoked this anticipatory burst of activity? At the beginning of the year, the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive Group (VCEG) had made it clear that they planned to make over 100 university employees redundant – in order to deal with a budget deficit of their own making. These plans would affect both academics and support staff; moreover, as if to demonstrate their intransigence and unwillingness to enter into serious negotiation with the Students’ Union and other campus trade unions,VCEG made it clear that they would be seeking to implement these redundancies on a compulsory basis. The results of the VCEG brainwave are currently being lived out on campus in the form of an increased teaching burden for those who remain and a diminution in course content. The hypocrisy of asking students to fill in ‘satisfaction questionnaires’ and to complete surveys which aim to quantitatively measure the ‘student experience’ – however vacuously or broadly the category might be defined – is that the current crop of
students have no benchmark against which to measure their experience. The empirical survey runs up against its own unperceived limits as soon as one tries to reach beyond the narrow horizon of the continuous present. Whilst working on a check-out in Homebase during my GCSEs, a customer once asked me: “don’t you
colleagues. The students’ campaign took the name ‘Sussex Stop the Cuts’; the campaign’s blog continues to be updated at: www.defendsussex. wordpress.com. One of the most controversial decisions taken by VCEG in response to the student campaign related to a demonstration on 3 March and the
have failed to repeat allegations about hostage-taking. A very large question mark continues to linger over Duffy’s original witness-statement. VCEG were panicking. Like caged animals, they began to lash out and show their teeth. They knew their plans were intensely unpopular with staff and students and they knew
Riot police summoned by management used batons, CS spray and dogs against the student demonstraters. Photo: Anon. think standards are slipping; aren’t GCSEs much easier nowadays than O-Levels were in my day?” – or words to that effect. The only honest answer I could give was that I didn’t know. Quite simply, students who have only recently arrived at Sussex cannot know what they are missing. Therein lies the hypocrisy of the VCEG’s widely-touted propaganda statistics. Some of the staff made redundant in the English faculty, for example, won prestigious teaching awards in the very same year that they were being told they were now surplus to requirements. Make no mistake though: none of this should for a second call into question the continuing dedication and commitment of the staff that remain. When students in 2009 learned that the university management were planning to take away the jobs of their lecturers and seminar conveners, many of them decided to come together to discuss their responses and, more importantly, to try to organise against these plans which would have such a devastating effect on the university community. It continues to seem grossly unfair, for example, that university managers should earn in excess of £100, 000 at the same time as they force redundancies on their
occupation of Sussex House which followed it. Sussex House is the university’s central administrative building which also contains the office of the Vice-Chancellor. Around 70 students are estimated to have taken part in the occupation, whilst many more gathered outside in support.The university management responded by calling police onto campus who proceeded to violently attack some of the students: footage of these events is posted on the Badger website at www.thebadgeronline.co.uk. In a witness statement to the High Court (dated 3 March), the University Registrar John Duffy requested an injunction on the grounds that protesting students “have locked key members of staff, including myself, in their offices against their will”[point 11] and that they“are holding key members of the university’s staff hostage”. On the basis of this witness statement, a High Court Injunction was granted criminalising all “occupational forms of protest” on campus. Duffy’s claims, however, were strongly contested by students who pointed to evidence that people were free to leave at any time. Interestingly, statements emanating from Sussex House in response to Freedom of Information requests
that Sussex UCU had come up with concrete alternative proposals (which VCEG decided to ignore). In an attempt to intimidate student protesters, perhaps hoping that the nuisance might be made to go away, VCEG controversially suspended six students on 4 March under the draconian StatuteV of the University’s constitution. But the nuisance did not go away. In open defiance of the injunction, a 700-strong solidarity demonstration took place on 11 March and over 300 students went back into occupation to demand the unconditional re-instatement of the Sussex Six. Significantly, the news soon spread to other universities: students in Aberdeen, Goldsmiths, Strathclyde and Nottingham all sent messages of solidarity, photos and videos of students holding ‘I Occupied Sussex House’ placards. The statement was intended to illuminate the arbitrary way in which six students had been singled out and unfairly victimised for a collective action which had involved many, many more people. An Emergency General Meeting of the Students’ Union was called and, with a few days’ notice, a recordbreaking 850 students packed into Mandela Hall on 17 March to vote No
Confidence in VCEG, to demand an independent inquiry, and to demand re-instatement for the six suspended students. On 18 March, the students were re-instated, following pressure from the University Senate and the Students’ Union EGM, on the same day as the University and College Union had come out on strike against VCEG’s redundancy proposals. The news of the students’ re-instatement resounded round the picket lines to the delight of both striking lecturers and concerned students. In the ensuing disciplinary hearings for the six students, the charges of riotous disorder and violent, intimidating conduct were dropped, but they were fined between £150-300 each for disrupting the working of staff for one afternoon. VCEG’s actions, however,have disrupted – and continue to disrupt – the university community for a much longer period than a single afternoon. Many questions remain open. Senate, for example, added its name to the call for an independent inquiry on 17 March – only theVC and other members of senior management voted against this call. Why, one wonders? What do they have to hide? On 25 June, a petition was circulated by Tom Wills (then Students’ Union president) reiterating the call to establish an independent, rather than management-led, inquiry into the events. Within the space of two days, it attracted 60 academic signatories. The petition was sent to Senate, which reiterated its call for an independent inquiry. The following week, Council met. Whilst in Senate there are academics and other members of staff, in Council most members are ‘independent’, i.e. outsiders. Few academics sit on it.There, again, senior management hoped the issue would be buried. However, in part thanks to the reiterated call from Senate and Wills’ petition, Council decided it would form a working group to report to its next session (in December) on the pros and cons of setting up an inquiry. The working group (comprising half a dozen members drawn from Council and Senate) met in September. And thus was the threat of an independent inquiry bureaucratically obfuscated and administratively coddled into inexistence. In The Book of Laughter and Forgetting (1979), writing about the distortions and deceptions of Stalinist historiographic practice, Milan Kundera reminds us that: “[t]he first step in liquidating a people is to erase its memory. Destroy its books, its culture, its history, Then have somebody write new books, manufacture a new culture, invent a new history. Before long the nation will begin to forget what it is and what it was. The world around it will forget even faster […]. The struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” By now,VCEG are probably hoping that the heat has died down. They are probably hoping that all thoughts of an independent inquiry have vanished from the minds of the forgetful, the uninitiated and the indifferent. Now is precisely the time to remind them of what they did last spring. Only defeated people don’t sing.
response
Student Media Office Falmer House University of Sussex Brighton BN1 9QF
28.02.11
Views expressed in the Badger are not representative of the views of the USSU, the University of Sussex, or the Badger. Every effort has been made to contact the holders of copyright for any material used in this issue, and to ensure the accuracy of this week’s stories. Please contact the Communications Officer if you are aware of any omissions or errors.
letters and emails
Fun page
Firstly, I am slightly confused about the new layout. I believe that in the edition before last week’s [14/02/11], the page was called “fun page”. This week, it is a miscellaneous page. Does this mean that page 9 will be varying each week? Secondly, I’d like to say that I find the “misc.” page much more interesting, as I was rather unimpressed by what was being considered “fun” in the previous edition. As I write this letter, I’m racking my brains for an answer to how one woman can have two sons born on the same day, at the same time and in the same year without being twins. I have come to the conclusion that either her son suffers from a multiple personality disorder, or she is a super-mutant. And lastly, my main qualms about the page lie with the “cool wall”. I thought the point of the grading system (i.e.: “going up” vs. “going down”) was to show which trends or novelties were dying out. I would argue that a) bourbon biscuits are ALWAYS up (seriously – chocolate cream sandwiched between two chocolate biscuity pieces? Dip in tea for full effect), b) no one has ever liked rude shop assistants, c) only people with psychopathic tendencies actually like to see their flowers dying and d) bad grammar and spelling have been annoying forever and will continue to be so. In fact, I don’t think the example of ‘it’s vs. its’ is a very good one, because it’s actually a more justified mistake. Usually, the possessive (or genitive if I’m being pretentious) does contain an apostrophe s, e.g.: Charlotte’s house, the badger’s droppings, the vice-chancellor’s salary…but perhaps because the contraction it+is (or has) is also written ‘it’s’, we have ‘its’ in the possessive. I do apologise for that grammatical rant, and will get back to my pedantic point. In conclusion, I think the wall should be redrafted and that we should attack people for some other classic mistakes (you’re means you are. Y-o-u-r means YOUR!).
Dear Sir/Madam,
You’res faithfully,
I have a bone to pick regarding the new page in The Badger.
Lilly
Comedy night Dear Sir or Madam, A packed, bustling basement venue, full of groups of friends there to see a night of great stand-up comedy. But this isn’t a Friday night at Komedia but a Monday night at Falmer Bar. That’s right, on Monday 21 February the back room of Falmer Bar was transformed into a comedy club, complete with stage, seating and drunken hecklers. It was a night of first class entertainment from four top comedians. And for that reason, it felt almost surreal that it took place at our Students’ Union. In the one and a half years that I’ve been a student here at Sussex it was the first time that I’ve been to such a well-attended and professional SU event on campus. It was perhaps a glimpse of the vibrant on-campus life that Sussex alumni speak of. Alas, the arrival of 24-hour bus provision to campus in 2002 seems to have been the death sentence of evening entertainment at Sussex.The closure of The Cube night club last year was the ultimate admission of defeat by the SU, who never really had any hope of competing with the Brighton club scene. And I think that that’s a real shame. I’d like to think that the comedy night could be an indicator of a potential revival of on-campus evening events, but I fear that it was more an anomalous gem in the limited schedule of entertainment provided by the Students’ Union. However, I hope that it indicates to the management of the SU, that while they cannot compete with the bright lights and cheap prices of Brighton’s clubs, it is possible for them to provide more specialist events on campus that attract the large numbers of students that they so desire. Kit Bradshaw
badger | badger-letters@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Telephone: 01273 678875 Email: badger@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Advertising: BAM Agency vb@bamuk.com
the
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Cost of education Dear Sir/Madam, I write with regard to Sam Waterman’s letter in last week’s issue [‘Cost of Education’, 21.02.11], which was a response to Harry Yeates’ feature in the previous issue [‘Everyone is a loser when it comes to politics and protest’, 14.02.11]. Firstly, I do feel that perhaps Sam could address his criticisms a little more respectfully, not least because this would mean that they are delivered more effectively. Writers who embark upon the somewhat difficult task of writing a feature at least deserve our respect if not agreement. But regarding the substantive issues raised - that is, funding higher education - I can’t help thinking that British students are generally slightly over-enamoured with the idea of free education. I don’t feel that our priority should be to ensure that education is free. I think that what we need to ensure is accessibility. Of course, one aspect of accessibility is affordability - which £9,000 fees are not - but accessible education is not wholly defined by its cost, or lack thereof. Whilst Sam is correct to assert that education in the UK was always free, I think an important point is that it also wasn’t always as accessible as it was until recently. Indeed, once upon a time, only the upper classes had any chance of going to university and it was free then, too. I’m not making the silly assertion that we have to pay for education in order to make it accessible to the masses, but as someone from a poorer background, I don’t resent having to pay a contribution to my fees in the name of increasing accessibility to education to other people of a similar background and to ensure the State can afford to provide students from low-income families with bursaries and grants to cover their living costs. Let’s view the situation holistically, consider all our options and aim for the most progressive one, not the most convenient. Yours faithfully,
comment and opinion
improving democracy?
Kieran Burn Features editor
Yours faithfully,
Referendum Dear Sir/Madam, Following a referendum recently held by the Students’ Union at Sussex about its future, referendum “fever” looks likely to continue with the forthcoming referendum on the parliamentary voting system. To all those who are unaware, on May 5th the electorate has the opportunity to decide between the current first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting system and the Alternative Vote (AV). Firstly, I would like to encourage everyone to participate in this referendum as it is an issue about the democracy of this country and I would also like to stress to those of a political nature not to vote on this referendum based on party political lines. This referendum is about the future of the parliamentary voting system and our democracy in general, it is not a referendum on the future of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg or the Coalition government. Secondly, I would like to encourage people to vote in favour of a move to the Alternative Vote. If you have ever lived in a staunch Labour or Conservative constituency, you will know what it feels like for your vote to be wasted. The Alternative Vote system ensures that each MP is voted in with the support of a majority of his/her constituents, thereby maintaining the link between the two. Therefore your vote will count. I find it rather disappointing that many politicians across the political spectrum are against a move to the Alternative Vote. Issues of “it will cost too much to implement”, “it’s too complicated”, “it’s not even the system that its supporters really want anyway” are simply not good enough and reek of an opposition lacking in genuine reasons to oppose such a move; and with especial regards to the cost (which is insignificant with regards to the structural deficit), surely you cannot put a price on
Matthew Reilly
Student housing Dear Sir/Madam, I was much amused by Lizzie James’ rather scathing letter last week about off-campus housing [‘Student housing,’ 21.02.11]. Having discovered for myself the damp, rather mouldy underbelly of Brighton’s deceptively quaint and attractive terraced streets, I sympathise with Ms James and wish her to know that there are others suffering alongside her. Joking aside, having problems such as damp in your house can really get you down, particularly if you have housemate problems on top of that. Indeed, the conditions in my house have become so bad that, with the influence exerted by some tasteful photographs of my bedroom walls, I was able to gain some compensation from my landlord for the mould-killer products which I have been forced to purchase. Being rather inexperienced in the art of estate agent guilt-tripping, I was very proud of my victory in this matter. I think it shows to those such as Ms James that we do have a voice as miserable student tenants. The only problem is making this heard - as Ms James makes clear, many estate agents just don’t seem to want to know. Therefore I was interested to read during the recent Union officer elections the suggestion by one candidate that a forum be set up for all students, giving them the opportunity to discuss housing issues. Unfortunately, this candidate was not elected, but I think it would be a great idea for this to be taken up anyway by the new team, as it would be a valuable support and advice resource. Yours, Andrew Walters
the
badger| badger-opinion@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Facebook vs. Lamebook Benjamin Steele For some of us, especially those in the middle of a degree, the internet can be seem like a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it is a source of information and an easy way to communicate. On the other hand, there is the feeling that you are wasting your time living in an electronic world when there is a real one right outside your window. I’m sure I am not the only one who sits down at the computer to write an essay and ends up 2 hours later with a grand total of zero words written and with a head full of strangers’ anecdotes and pictures of cats. And it’s not just ‘Facebook’ that is the culprit – in the last few years there
has been a rise in what I’m calling ‘internet humour sites’. The most common site I have heard mentioned is ‘Lamebook’. The site was founded in 2009, and now has over 90,000 unique visitors per day. It contains ‘the funniest and lamest of Facebook’, and all of its content comes from the regrettable and sometimes hilarious posts of facebook users. A lot of these sites use ‘schadenfreude’, the enjoyment gained by laughing at another’s misfortune – some examples include ‘FAILblog’ (a bit like an online ‘You’ve Been Framed’), ‘FML’ and ‘Regretsy’, a site which feeds off all of the terrible material posted on ‘Etsy’, an arts and crafts website.So what are the pros
and cons of these sites? Are they a useful addition to the internet, or are they merely a waste of our time? One of the accusations levelled against these websites is that they feed off the positive publicity generated by more legitimate, useful websites. ‘Facebook’ is at the moment involved in a lawsuit against ‘Lamebook’ for using the same font and page layout as the social network. ‘Lamebook’ have countered, saying that what they are doing is merely engaging in parody, and that they do not wish to attract any of ‘Facebook’s customers. Whether they will win this battle is still uncertain, but it has helped raise issues about free speech, and
the ability of one website to emulate another in order to parody it. After all, we need to be able to poke fun at these big companies to remind ourselves that they are not all-powerful, even if, like ‘Facebook’, they are worth more than 20 billion dollars. Another interesting debate about free speech centres around the online imageboard ‘4chan’. The rise of ‘Web 2.0’ has meant that nowadays, people can comment on almost anything they read on the internet. ‘4Chan’ does not require users to register an email address, and you can post under the username ‘Anonymous’, the final step in giving internet users anonymity. Since this is a space where people
can say whatever they want, the content can be obscene and extremely bigoted. However, 4chan has proven to be a force for good on at least one occasion – last February a user documented abuse to his cat online, posting videos on ‘Youtube’, and an alliance of angry ‘4chan’ users managed to track the cat abuser down and alert the police. The debate about ‘4Chan’, ‘Lamebook’ and other internet humour sites rages on. Are they harmless places where people can discuss ideas freely, or do they represent the dark underbelly of the internet? My guess is that your answer will depend on what you think the purpose of the internet is.
28.02.11
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comment and opinion
the
badger | badger-opinion@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Big society, or big hoax?
David Cameron addresses the ‘big society’ Photo: zeroemissionproject.com Alex Rickets We have all read and heard about it; we have seen government ministers themselves struggle to define it: what exactly is the ‘big society’? A big advance for people power? Perhaps it is a doctrine striving to promote greater control for citizens in the making of decisions that affect their everyday lives. On the surface of it this would appear to be a laudable ideal. These purported aims, however, do not detract from the reality that, at its best, the ‘big society’ is an utterly meaningless political sound bite, designed to pick up cheap votes and act as a smokescreen for Westminster
cuts. At its worst, it is a cunning decoy while the Conservatives widen the gap between the super-rich elite, and everyone else. After using it as a central theme in his election campaign, David Cameron launched the drive on 19 July 2010, claiming that giving individuals and communities more power over their lives was something that excited him most in politics. It is difficult to escape the suspicion, however, that his ulterior motive was and is less honourable than this. One thing has to be made absolutely clear here: the Tories are desperate to avoid being identified with the recession.
That is the reason behind their default setting of blaming the last Labour regime whenever the words ‘economic crisis’ are so much as whispered, and it is not totally farfetched either to conclude that this delegation of responsibility to local groups is merely a subtle way of passing the executioner’s buck. While deplorable, this would not be particularly horrifying behaviour from our government: we have become accustomed to such acts of cynicism. However here is where things get darker. Little-known clauses in the Finance Bill of this year are set, in the words of the government’s own overview document, to “provide an
opt-in exemption from corporation tax for the profits of foreign branches of UK companies”. This is accompanied by the intentions of Chancellor George Osborne to cut the official rate of corporation tax from 28% to 24% by 2014. The counter-argument is that such policy will encourage international investment and inject life into our economy, but again it is difficult to escape the suspicion that something more cynical is afoot, especially given the reality that at least half of Conservative party funding comes from the corporate elite. Whatever your opinion, it is certainly convenient that through this recession the executives of big busi-
War of illusions Liam Sabec
A couple of weeks ago in the Badger Nick Thorne wrote an excellent piece on the restrictions imposed on academic research by counter terrorism legislation (‘Will restricting academic freedom protect us from terrorism?’, 14.02.2011). The article provided an insight into one facet of the gross violations of individual rights during the ‘War onTerror’. These violations are inevitably justified on the claim that contemporary global terrorism presents an unprecedented threat to the West which justifies the large scale abrogation of fundamental rights. The arguments supporting the ‘exceptional’ status of current terrorism typically acknowledges that although terrorism has long existed, the nature of the threat transformed when it “took on novel dimensions as an international or transnational activity creating in the process a new mode of conflict”. This part of the argument is often simply accepted. As such, it may be revelatory that the observations made above are
taken from a piece by David Rapoport writing decades before 11 September 2001 and referring to developments in the 1960s. Nonetheless, the United States and its allies claim to be engaged in a new form of war and, in this regard, they are quite right. It is a war against an abstract noun; ‘terror’. As such, the ‘War on Terror’ fails to clearly identify an enemy or an objective allowing it to be extended to an almost infinite scope. It is often waged against states’ own citizens, blurring the distinction between ‘war’ and ‘peace’. Defenders of the ‘War on Terror’ may say that it is a war against ‘Al Qaeda’; a shadowy terrorist network with vast funding, ‘sleeper cells’, giant concrete bunker complexes across the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and a singular determination to destroy the West. Perhaps surprisingly, the media have largely accepted this McCarthyist nightmare of a James Bond villain. However, even cursory research dispels many of the presuppositions of such a position. Studies have commonly found that
claims as to Al Qaeda’s level of organisation, funding and global reach are largely unsubstantiated. Many commentators highlight that much of this vision of Al Qaeda was provided by Sudanese militant Jamal al-Fadl during investigations into the 1998 bombing of US Embassies in East Africa. The testimony of al-Fadl was widely disbelieved by security agencies at the time, not least because he had stolen large sums of money from Osama bin Laden and was able to avail himself with US government protection and financial support in return for offering evidence of a criminal conspiracy conforming to the requirements of anti-mafia legislation. Thus, a version of events with a highly-organised and hierarchical organisation was required to make the charges stick. Although deaths from terrorist attacks have certainly risen since the 1960s, with an approximate 10 percent increase in fatalities per decade up until the end of the twentieth century commonly reported, it is the relatively small numbers concerned which is most striking.
The annual figure rarely rises above 20,000 fatalities worldwide and is dwarfed by the number caused by conventional warfare, criminally-motivated violence, road traffic accidents and a plethora of other causes. Further, a vast majority of attacks are still confined to the developing world. The small bands of radical militants have certainly demonstrated their willingness to inflict abhorrent violence upon innocent people, but have generally lacked the means to effectively do so. The leading state powers, on the other hand, have done much to undermine the rule of law on a global scale. The prohibition of the use of force has been repudiated with neither the war in Afghanistan or Iraq readily justifiable under orthodox interpretations of the UN Charter. There has been similar disregard for the rules governing the conduct of war, a US Attorney-General describing the Geneva Conventions, which outline the basic protections of combatants and non-combatants in war, as ‘quaint’. The disingenuous creation of an anomalous category between ‘com-
nesses are able to get richer and enjoy their largely unmolested bonuses, while the rest of us are left to prop up the lingering deficit. So, is the ‘big society’, and David Cameron’s famous words that “we are all in this together”, merely a ploy while behind the scenes exactly the opposite is true? In reality it is doubtful whether any of us will ever know. The central question seems to be whether our Prime Minister – born into an inherently wealthy family, educated at Eton and Oxford, parachuted into the Conservative Party sphere upon graduation – really stands up for our rights, for the plight of the everyman. We can only hope that he does.
batant’ and ‘non-combatant’ falling outside any protection of the Conventions and the systematic abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo and elsewhere have increasingly created a world of conflict where fundamental rights are trumped by superior coercive power. Closer to home we have seen the British government unashamedly defend their right to indefinitely detain foreign nationals and use torture-tainted evidence, only for it to be declared incompatible with the European Convention of Human Rights.The fact that the present government is attacking the Convention only deepens concern. Simple narratives in geopolitics obscure more than they reveal. Those which purport to identify an absolute enemy, whether a Cold War ‘evil empire’ or a modern ‘axis of evil’, invariably serve to make any response justifiable. It is our duty as global citizens to subject claims of ‘exceptional circumstances’ to the utmost scrutiny and ensure that any derogation from legal and moral obligations remains necessary and proportional.
28.02.11
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misc.
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| badger@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Assange comes to Brighton
The Meeting House
Anyone who’s anyone hangs out here
Winter Pride
The LGBTQ festival is back in March
Poda Poda
3D films
Wikileaks founder, spokesman and editor-in-chief, Julian Assange, will be one of the headline speakers at this year’s Brighton Festival, as he will discuss the Freedom of Information and our ‘right to know’. This news comes after the announcement that the leader of Burma’s opposition, Aung San Suu Kyi, will be Guest Director of the event. The debate is called ‘Article 19’ and will be held in the Corn Exchange, Brighton Dome, at 6pm on Saturday 21 May. The festival this year spans over three weeks starting on 7 May until 29 May. However in light of his extradition to Sweden last Thursday
morning, the controversial centre of media coverage may have to appear interactively on a screen rather than in person if he is to appear in court. He is fighting four allegations of sexual misconduct made by two women which allegedly occurred last year in August when Assange was visiting Stockholm. Andrew Comben, the chief executive of the Brighton Dome and Festival, has confirmed that Assange is committed to appearing either “live or on screen” during the festival. For the full program of this year’s line-up, and to book tickets, visit: www.brightonfestival.org
Brain teasers and general knowlesge answers: Last week’s answers: 1. She also gave birth to a third son so they were triplets not twins. 2. A woman: without her, man is nothing Last week’s answers to the General Knowledge quiz:
3. They all appear on the front cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 4. Dire Straits (Brother in Arms) 5. The Periodic Table 6. The Duke of Wellington 7. The Picture of Dorian Gray
Quiz Answers
8. The Caucasus and The Urals
1. Ice Hockey
9. Bhutan
2. George Orwell
10. H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds
Have your say: Did you vote in this years union officer elections? Let us know on our online poll by visiting www.thebadgeronline.co.uk. You can also comment on articles or contact our editors.
Sometimes it’s appropriate, but surely not for ‘The Great Gatsby’
Aaron Porter
Quit his job because he can’t handle the criticsm: poor effort.
Beach holidays
Stop bragging. I can’t afford it.
cool wall
Above: The Wikileaks founder will be speak at this year’s Brighton Festival in May. Below: Aung San Suu Kyi is the Guest Director. Photos: BBC News
Going down...
Going up...
We’re already getting excited about the issue coming out next term!
the badger
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28.02.11
badger | communications@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
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students’ union
Vote yes for action Union statement in support of our lecturers Students’ Union Press Release The University and Colleges Union (UCU) are balloting for strike action on job security, real terms pay cuts, and pensions until Wednesday 2nd March. We need to stand by our lecturers and staff members and keep hold of the collegial relationship that underpins our University. The new fee regime moves the University into the marketplace and the proposed attacks on working conditions from the University are consistent with a profiteering business-model that puts financial surplus before people. The University of Sussex has always excelled as a University driven by the partnership between students and lecturers and we must stand by our lecturers in the face of potential strike action. We recognise industrial action
might affect courses and classes in the short term, but the goal is much greater than an extra lecture or
The goal is a Higher Education system that values education before commerce seminar; the goal is a Higher Education system that values education before commerce, that values stu-
dents and lecturers as free academic agents, not customers and service providers. If industrial action, as part of a wider anti-cuts strategy, is not taken now, we risk losing even more lecturers, courses and even departments. We recognise that this attack on pay and pensions is part of a wider assault on Higher Education, an assault that has removed unprecedented levels of public funding away from the University, an assault that has raised the tuition fee cap up to £9,000. In order to reverse the Coalition’s education cuts, we need to implement a wide variety of tactics locally and nationally and this includes industrial action. So let’s send a loud and clear message to lecturers across campus; we support your right to strike, we know a united front is a winning one.
Union and University join forces
Event on March 8 to raise awareness of issues affecting student welfare Jo Goodman Welfare Officer Next week sees Sussex’s first ever ‘Well Fair.’ The event aims to promote all aspects of student wellbeing and raise awareness of issues affecting student welfare in a holistic way while providing students with an opportunity to de-stress as the end of term and the inevitable deadlines it brings approach. The event will include stalls and workshops on issues ranging from anxiety to money management to study skills, as well as stalls providing information on the various welfare services that operate on campus. There will also be some exciting inflatables, free massages and spinal checks and even pancakes for pancake day providing the
perfect opportunity to escape momentarily from the library and that mound of books and give yourself a bit of tlc. The Well Fair is a joint initiative of
There will also be some exciting inflatables, free massages and spinal checks the Students’ Union and the University in conjunction with Green Week and the Healthy Campus initiative. It will be held near Library Square on Tuesday 8
March. For more information on the event and the various things going on within it visit www.sussexstudent.com/ wellfair
WELL
FAIR Tues 8 March
ACAS presents a night of glorious culture & colour A student-run event certainly not to be missed Naomi Kombe Sussex ACAS Culture Fest is event held by Sussex University’s ACAS (African, Caribbean & Asian Society) and has been presented a number of awards over a number of years for being the best society run event. A variety show, suited for all ages,
Performances include singing, dancing, poetry, acting, fashion and much more
which explores culture through a multitude of talented acts, this year’s Culture Fest theme is ‘Dream in Colour’ and will showcase an array of performances including, singing, dancing, poetry, acting, fashion and much more.This exciting event will be held in KOMEDIA, one of Brighton’s most popular venue for comedy & music. The show will be held on Saturday 5 March at 7pm, doors open at 6.30pm at the KOMEDIA Theatre. Tickets will be sold via: Komedia Box Office & Website: 01273 647 100 www.komedia.co.uk/brighton/information/tickets/ Students’ Union Box Office & Website: 01273 876 666 www.sussexstudent.com/events
ACAS Exec Members: Find them on facebook and on campus. Prices are as follows: ACAS Members - £8 Non- Members - £10 Under 16s & OAPs - £6 Under 5s FREE
Fairtrade Fortnight 28 Feb-13 March Frances Pope Co-President, Trade Justice Society Monday 28th February sees the start of Fairtrade Fortnight, the annual campaign event organised by the Fairtrade Foundation, aimed at raising awareness of and promoting Fairtrade across the UK. This year the campaign hopes to persuade even more people to consider Fairtrade alternatives when shopping, knowing that a small premium from the price they pay, goes to support small producers and projects that support communities in developing countries across the World. Last year amazing Fairtrade supporters got the UK making over one million and one swaps to Fairtrade products during Fairtrade Fortnight. In schools, on high streets, in work canteens, you made the message loud and clear, that the people of Britain want a fair deal for the producers behind the products they buy.
You can also be part of the Guinness World record attempt As a Fairtrade University, Sussex is continuing to ‘show off’ and promote Fairtrade across campus shops, cafés and bars. Both the University and Students’ Union have made a commitment to continue to support and promote Fairtrade. This commitment includes serving only Fairtrade tea and coffee in University and Union meetings, and encouraging individuals and staff teams across campus to do likewise, and this year ‘show off your label’ by supporting or switching to Fairtrade. There are well over 100 Fairtrade products available across campus cafés, bars, shops and restaurants. Look out for a wide range of Fairtrade promotions and special offers
across all outlets throughout the fortnight, and information about a range of events, including; * A talk and discussion about companies dodging tax and causing developing countries to lose more than they get in aid. * A Fairtrade Wine-tasting event, hosted by the Wine Society and sponsored by the Union’s shops & bars. * Fairtrade coffee promotions in all University cafés, and Fairtrade housewines served in Bramber House. * Fairtrade mojitos available at Falmer Bar’s cocktail night. * A range of Fairtrade special offers & promotions across all Students’ Union shops & bars and in University cafés. * A Fairtrade market running alongside the regular Tuesday market in Library Square. * A Fairtrade Tea-Dance involving the Swing Dance Society. * Fairtrade film screenings. * The University’s catering service is aiming to sell 1000 Fairtrade bananas over the fortnight. You can also be part of the Guinness World record attempt for the largest continuous line of bunting by picking up a blank (Fairtrade) cotton triangle from one of the University’s cafés, put your own design on it and return it to the cafe by 18 March 2011. We will send all your designs off to the Fairtrade foundation to be stitched together and hung up on World Fair Trade Day - Saturday 8 May 2011. For further information on Fairtrade and local & national events visit www.fairtrade.org.uk You can also join our Fairtrade at Sussex Facebook page for info throughout the year as well as the Fairtrade Fortnight 2011 Facebook event - don’t forget to invite your friends!
Root& Branch This year’s Green Week also incorporates Sounding the Site, an annual CCE led event which brings people together through creative projects. Sounding the Site 3: Root& Branch includes a poetry competition, a photography ‘happening’ and collaborative installations and performances on campus and beyond.
RUNNING ALL WEEK
Inspiring
positive
action
for a sustainable
future
5-11 March We all know that sustainability isn’t just about going to talks and events - it’s about embedding environmental thinking into our everyday lives.
This year, Green Week aims to inspire positive action for a sustainable future - long beyond the end of the week! The activities & events organised by students, staff & local community groups in our fully-packed programme, provide new spaces to generate plans & ideas for collective action on environmental issues. We’re also launching several exciting new initiatives during the week, including drinking fountains installed in Falmer House to reduce waste from plastic water bottles, & the new ‘Free-wheelers’ student-led bike-maintenance co-op.
Green Week is a great excuse to celebrate the progress we’re already making in reducing our ecological impact look out for promotions & giveaways for cyclists & Big Lemon-riders among others! So join us on a journey exploring the possibilities for a sustainable future, through our seven themed days packed with events. From our launch event on Saturday’s Sustainable City Day, all the way through to the grand finale on Friday’s Sustainable Economy Day, we’re sure you’ll find something to inspire you!
sussexstudent.com/greenweek
Sat 5th March
Mon 7th March
Sustainable City
Transport
GW Launch - ‘Sustainable City Day’
Launch of ‘Free-Wheelers’ Bike Maintenance Coop on Campus Giving free bike-checkups and advice on how to fix your bike.
Jubilee Square | 12 - 5pm Friends of the Earth Question Time Featuring E&E Officer Becca Melhuish on the panel of speakers The Basement | 3 - 5pm Solar-Powered Night Club! The Intelligent Energy Tour comes to Brighton with an audio-visual performance from Coldcut & Skrillex. energyunion.eu/en/tour Coalition | 8pm Sun 6th March
Garden Spring Into Action at the Allotment Open Day Come and plant the first seeds of spring, take away your own plant, learn some wood coppicing skills and enjoy the outdoors. Wear warm clothes and walking boots/wellies. Sussex Roots Alotment (behind Brighthelm halls, University of Sussex) | 1 - 5pm Solar-Powered Outdoor Cinema Sit around a fire with marshmallows on a stick, watching films to make you think. Bring a blanket and something to sit on. Sussex Roots Alotment, behind Brighthelm halls, University of Sussex | 6pm - 9pm
Library Square | 11am - 4pm Student-Switchoff’s Energy-Saving Obstacle Course, Quiz and Photo Competition Win a solar-powered phonecharger and other great prizes. Library Square | 11am - 4pm Possibilities for environmental action after University Dan Glass, former Sussex President who super-glued himself to Gordon Brown, comes to speak about finding ways to be a thorn in the side for those destroying the planet, including duly occupying airports and dancing with old ladies blighted by flight paths. peoplepower2011.org Fulton A Lecture Theatre, University of Sussex | 6 - 7pm Green Drinks Discussing ideas around sustainability in an informal setting - all welcome. IDS Bar | 7pm - 9pm Tues 8th March
Food Love Food Hate Waste Brighton & Hove Food Partnership bring their Love Food Hate Waste campaign to Sussex, with a food demo and free samples. Library Square, Univesity of Sussex | 11am - 3pm
Market Day Celebrate local sustainable food. Scoop food-coop are launching their recipe book, giving out home-made tasters and pushing re-cycled packaging while Autonomous cafe will be cooking up a treat. As well as these there will be stalls selling all kinds of local produce.
RAID Impromptu performances in public spaces based on anecdotal material collected from people on campus by Paul Stones. Spoken Here A multimedia exploration of language, diversity and nature using the languages spoken by the staff, students and friends of the Language Learning Centre.
Waste & Recycling Creative Dialogues: Visualising Climate Change Scholar Julie Doyle and artist David Harradine explore how a creative dialogue between art and media studies can lead to new visualisations of climate change. Common Room, Falmer House, University of Sussex | 2 - 5pm Craft Fair Turn trash into treasure! Learn how to make belts from tyres, bowls from cans and share your own skills with others. Common Room, Falmer House, University of Sussex | 2 - 5pm Greenpeace Fashion Show and Dance Event Dance show by Sussex Uni dance society, followed by fashion show with sustainable theme. Watch/take part in the show, make your own
Root & Branch Previews Plus more live entertainment at Sustainable City Day.
Two Voices Music by Brahms frames Julian Broughton’s The Long Negation, for Speaker and Mezzo-soprano, a setting of Peter Abbs’s specially-written poem. The ‘two voices’ are joined by viola, clarinet and piano.
Jubilee Square, Brighton 12 - 5pm Tue 8th March HOWL! EARS OPEN, OPEN MIND, MOUTHS OPEN, OPEN MIC Come, give forth and attend! No microphones, no P.A., no holds barred – MC’d by Paul Stones. Coffee workshop, Richmond Building | 12.30 - 2pm
ACCA CZ, Pevensey, 3C7 1pm - 3pm (drop in)
sustainable outfits, discover ethical Brighton retailers such as Fair & Alala, & make money by recycling your old mobile phone. Raising for a new Greenpeace campaigning ship! Tickets from Box Office.
Steve Alton: Where has all the wildlife gone? (And what can we do about it) Conservationist and writer of children’s books explores the issues facing wildlife in a changing planet.
Meeting House, University of Sussex | 6 - 8pm | £2.50
Arts A1 Lecture Theatre, University of Sussex 12 - 3pm
Thur 10th March
Library Square, University of Sussex | 12 - 3pm Fish Fight Reportedly half of all fish caught in the north sea are thrown back overboard, dead. Come discover the campaign; what our chefs & suppliers are doing to support sustainable, local food; & try some delicious samples. Gallery 2, Bramber House, University of Sussex | 12 - 2pm Sussex Against Sweatshops Join the campaign to affiliate to the Workers’ Rights Consortium to monitor workers’ rights in the factories that make University garments. Library Square | 12 - 3pm The Role of Direct Action in Environmental Campaigns with Climate Camp Climate camp are giving direct action training, information on ‘Save the Forests’ & advice on getting involved locally with environmental campaigning. Mandela Hall | 2 - 4pm
The Meeting House | 4 - 5pm Thu 10th March Tree Elegies ACCA CZ, Pevensey, 3C7 1 -3pm (drop in) HOWL!
Tree Elegies Poetry film installation & live readings celebrating trees living and dead. By Patrick Bond and Kim Lasky. The outdoor performance will also include Helen Glavin’s Anthem for Trees
ACCA CZ, Pevensey, 3C7 4.30 - 5pm
Plastic Bottle Amnesty Environmental society are selling cheap re-usable flasks & collecting plastic bottles to be turned into a sculpture raising awareness on waste. Join the campaign for more drinking fountains on campus, & check out the new ones in Falmer House.
Wed 9th March
Wed 9th March
ACCA building / outside the library | Mon- Fri, 2 - 4pm
GreenScreen Film The Great Global Warming Swindle followed by a discussion led by Dr Dominic Kniveton.
The Back Bar, Falmer Bar 7 - 9pm
Sat 5th March
Water Words Play with water words and uproot your visions in a shared chalk drawing.
Language learning Centre, Arts A | Mon - Fri, 9.30 - 5pm
Campaign
Green Cocktails Sip on a glass of Apple Daiquiri and plot revolution.
sussex.ac.uk/cce/rootandbranch
Rooting Dance Improvisation / Installation: a journey through the roots -movement, sounds & visuals will branch out to each other, intertwining through their roots. Sophia Campeau Ferman and others.
Library Square, University of Sussex | 11am - 4pm
Back of Falmer Bar | 5 - 7pm
See, Hear, Take Part
Moving Sounds “The Connected Show” A high energy multimedia show incorporating video projection, music, live theatre, rap and looped beats to present issues around climate change, peak oil and possible futures for our planet. The show is interactive and full of comedy so come along, get clued up to what’s happening on our planet and get involved in creating a sustainable future together. Fulton A Lecture Theatre, University of Sussex | 6 - 7pm Public meeting about impact of ‘disposing’ of public forest assets. Brighthelm Centre | 8 - 10pm Fri 11th March
ECOnomy Limits to Growth Forum The ecological unsustainability of our growth-based economic system is arguably one of the most pressing issues of our time. The ‘Limits to Growth Forum’ presents a series of high-profile expert speakers (including Andrew Simms, Richard Wilkinson and Caroline Lucas) addressing the crucial problems of our current system, and presenting alternatives for ‘beyond growth’ economics.
Coffee workshop, Richmond Building | 12.30 - 2pm Rootings ACCA CZ, Pevensey, 3C7 1 - 1.30pm Tree Elegies Live outdoor performance. Library Square (after the Climate camp workshop) | 3pm Fri 11th March ‘Tongues in Trees’ The Root and Branch Finale An evening of Poetry, Music and Film. The Foundry Gallery 32 North Street, Lewes | 7.30pm
World Cafe Discussions Including a sustainable, vegetarian, locally-sourced lunch (£3.50 per head) and afternoon tea (FREE) are available, kindly subsidised by the School of Global Studies. These must both be booked online or at the Box Office in advance. Fulton B Lecture Theatre 1 - 2pm & 5.15 - 6.30pm Clothes Swap Bring old clothes and swap them for new ones. Fulton Building, Ground Floor Social Space | 12 - 2pm
Ongoing Events Bike Train Meet fellow bike-riders and cycle together to Uni whilst listening to music! Every weekday. biketrain.org Meet at The Level 2 Trains: 8.30am & 9.30am Climate Connections Exhibition Climate Connections is a photography exhibition that tells the stories of people living both in Brighton and across the world who are affected by the changing climate and are doing something about it. 1st Floor of the Library Go Green on the Big Lemon Get a FREE RIDE when you bring a LIME. The limes will then get recycled into Green Cocktails at our Green Drinks event! There will be special deals and sustainably sourced meals, including ‘Fish Fight’ specials available in the cafes and bars across campus.
Fulton B Lecture Theatre 11.15am - 5.15pm
sussexstudent.com/greenweek
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badger | badger-artspages@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
The main event
NME Awards Tour 2011 The Badger reviews this year’s showcase of musical talent
ON THE BIG SCREEN READERS INC. Page 14 ALBUM REVIEW MUSIC ROOM FOOD FOR THOUGHT Page 15
badger
WHAT’S ON...? Page 16
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Margot Tenenbaum The Vaccines, Everything Everything, Magnetic Man, Crystal Castles 18 February Brighton Dome As a general rule of thumb, the NME Awards Tours have always been pretty much lost on me. Admittedly (and regrettably), I just was eight when Veruca Salt filled the headline slot of the first tour organised by the magazine in 1995, but the tours in my living memory have tended to accommodate nothing but flash-in-the-pan bands I’ve spent months willing to disappear (The Datsuns, anyone?) Those acts that have, miraculously, maintained a reasonable level of success and gone on
to bigger things are generally the sort of artists I loathe anyway (and I’m fairly certain nobody else wants to admit they like either). Ironically, though, perhaps that’s why heading down to the Dome to catch the Brighton leg of this year’s NME Awards Tour began to appeal. For the first time in a long time, it just didn’t seem as though the NME had scoured the airwaves for four of the hippest guitar bands of the moment (or, as was the case in 2007, four of the finest nu-rave acts of the year) to put together something which would guarantee sell-outs in every city. Instead, it seemed as though this year the NME would employ a different tack. Enter The Vaccines, Everything Everything, Magnetic Man and Crystal Castles: four acts from very distinct
areas of music who, rather refreshingly, proved their individual worth without appearing in direct competition with each other. The Vaccines, a million miles away from their sell-out show at the Flowerpot in London last October, filled the opening slot, playing to a half-filled auditorium. Frustrating, maybe, but for those who weren’t too busy at the bar, it was a brief opportunity to hear more from the band behind Zane Lowe’s ‘hottest record in the world’. Do I think they’re breaking down boundaries with material from their upcoming album, ‘What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?’ Probably not, but it’s inoffensive guitar fuelled pop at its best. The charm of Everything Everything, second on the bill, seemed to wash over me - perhaps because, for me at least,
the tour was made by the subsequent appearances from Magnetic Man and Crystal Castles. If nothing else, I was blown away by Magnetic Man’s ability to transform the tour into a makeshift rave, engaging everyone from teenage girls to fuddy-duddy parents. And if I thought for a split second that it didn’t get much better than that, Crystal Castles - complete with a physically broken, but incredibly enthusiastic front-woman Alice Glass - shattered those illusions effortlessly. I left the Brighton Dome more than a little curious about the future of the NME Awards Tour. Will next year’s offering be as diverse as 2011? Only time will tell, but after this year’s showcase, I’m more than prepared for my opinion of the NME endorsed tours to change for the better.
going to do this right’. So we squeezed our way to the front. I only had a second to realise that this was mosh pit territory as Magnetic Man erupted on to the stage. Everyone went mental to the sound of dubstep, but literally ‘I needed air’. I don’t know how people enjoy getting pushed and shoved in every which direction in a mass of sweaty moshers. I just wanted to enjoy dancing to ‘Crossover’ but, if you’ll excuse the pun, I was ‘Getting Nowhere’.
Then I realised, to my horror, that my camera had fallen out of my bag. Luckily, I just happened to turn around as a friendly emo was holding up said camera and I managed to retrieve it. Things got even more rowdy when headline act Crystal Castles came on the scene.They were absolutely amazing of course but is there really a need to jump on people’s feet?! It wasn’t long before I’d lost a shoe and was tactically hopping to save my other foot. However
as it happens, it wasn’t until then that I realised that ledad vocalist, Alice Glass, was performing brilliantly on one crutch because of a broken ankle! And there was me complaining. Post-gig and worse for wear, I got home to find myself covered in bruises, but still it was the best gig I’ve been to. If I ever go anywhere near a mosh pit again though, I’ll wear sturdy shoes, won’t bring any valuables and generally give people a shove back!
Encounter: in the mosh pit Sam Graham Arts editor When my boyfriend called, saying he had a spare ticket for the NME Awards Tour (half-an-hour before the doors opened!), I naturally whipped on some clothes before running to the Brighton Dome. You could say I’m not the gigging type, but because I’m in love with Magnetic Man and Crystal Castles I thought, ‘I’m
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Centre stage
Guys and Dolls Eleanor Pierpoint
A SMUTS production Photo: ussu-smuts.webs.com/ Niger Asije Whether you’re a fan of musicals or not one thing for certain is that SMUTS have proven that an amateur group can do justice to the heavy piece of musical theatre. The second the overture began it was clear this wasn’t going to be any two-bit production. It was immediately obvious that a lot of work had been put into the music.Their passion was clear; making it sound effortless and perfectly balanced in fact it was so smooth it sounded almost recorded. The production itself is big, with a large cast and a lot of visibility on stage. At times the movement could have been a little cleaner and the choreog-
raphy a little more gentle but with the space available and the static required for the plot to remain as is Alexandra Hardman & Sarah Gillett, choreographers, did a good job. Overall it stood out as being performed by a group of actors who were clearly on the same page as their director. SMUTS have produced a musical that on reflection is almost an unachievable task. Trying to get all the different aspects together from costume and set to choreography must have been a huge testament of wills and yet the result is a real triumph. Standout performances are shared between the four main stars of the show. Martin Joyce’s Sky Masterson is incredibly convincing, with a voice
that is restrained and gentle from the start he builds his candidacy for religious conversion. Molly Berenhaus as Sarah Brown is frumpy, honest, warm, just as she should be with an angelic voice you could listen to for hours. She gives her character a realness that makes the sparring between the two like watching a reallife love affair blossom. The pairing of Molly and Martin is perfect. Theo Lloyd-Hughes as Nathan Detroit and Caitlin Wilson as Miss Adelaide too gel well on stage, their relationship is believable and fun to watch. On first meeting Miss Adelaide you fall in love, Caitlin’s pitch perfect 1940s New York accent is funny and maintained throughout the production.
Theo’s Nathan is also wonderful and as with the others a real connection to the character and the energy of the role is evident. Notable mention also go to Joseph Gavin as Lt Brannigan as there was just something about his character portrayal that I loved and Todd Cooper’s Nicely-Nicely Johnson who’s final song was strong, well balanced and brought the house down. There were some teething problems with lighting and sound at one point but didn’t distract from the overall production which was skilfully performed and delivered. A fitting tribute to the ongoing legacy of musical theatre groups and that is sure to bring a smile to your face.
she was right, but her aggressively selfrighteous tone made her hard to like, as did her constant doom-laden (but accurate) predictions about Danny. The newly open gay movement was also approached, and grappled with clumsily, anxiously by the two male characters. The show was really stolen by James Harkness, as the alpha male Bernie, whose increasingly unlikely tales of sexual conquest awe and confuse his protégé, Danny. While Bernie’s constant misogynistic outbursts were shockingly vehement, Harkness offset his hyper-masculinity with a certain touchiness and anxiety that hinted at underlying fragility and insecurity. His aggressively male viewpoint
exerted as strong an influence over the play as a whole as it did over Danny, who became progressively angrier and less respectful towards Debbie. The success of SUDS in representing David Mamet’s play lies in the fact that despite the fragmented nature of the play, the tiny cast and the obvious flaws and incompatible aspects of the central characters, you could not help but care about its outcome. Despite the constant sexualisation and dismissive attitude of both genders towards each other, their vulnerability and sadness showed through. As Joan bitterly remarked, their sexuality seemed to be a sad and perverse joke – they couldn’t live with or without each other.
Performance
The cast of Sexual Perversity in Chicago Photo: sudstheatre.co.uk/ Eleanor Chambers Sexual Perversity in Chicago documents the faltering attempts of two young people form a relationship in the face of adversity, increasing sexualisation (characterised by the choice of The Stranglers’ Peaches as music), and a rapidly changing America. As a minimal play based on short, fragmentary exchanges of dialogue between young professionals, its success is dependent on the small cast being a strong one - and SUDS did not disappoint. Debbie and Danny, the couple whom the narrative revolves around, were played excellently by Aella Jordan Edge and James Spence respectively.
They were by turns touching, tentative, ridiculous, and cruel in their handling of each other, as their relationship struggled under the critical eyes of friends Joan (Amelia Dickens), and Bernie (James Harkness). Their war of the sexes was played out to the background of both domestic and public spaces, represented by a fittingly minimal set – a bed, a filing cabinet, a sofa, a couple of chairs. The relationship of the two central characters is used as a vehicle to explore emergent issues in 1970s America – Joan’s stridently feminist voice cuts across the distinctly masculine tone of the play, sharp and critical. Amelia Dickens played the angry young woman well – you knew
That’s right folks it’s that time of year again, every fashionista around the country is gearing up for part one of London Fashion Week. The biannual event run by the British Fashion Council; held in February and September, is the place to be for fashion lovers galore and unveils the new looks and trends for the following season. This year Fashion Week was held on 18 to 23 February and showcased 2011’s Autumn/Winter collections from the most sought after designers, gathered together to show the fashion world what the UK has to offer. With an expected audience of over 5,000 people; from buyers to fashion editors and TV crews, plus celebrities aplenty, London Fashion Week is one of the biggest and most publicised events this time of year. The action kicked off on Friday 18 February at 9am and was officially opened by our very own ‘first lady’ Samantha Cameron, who has recently been made ambassador for the British Fashion Council. Dressed completely head to toe in British designers she commented on how important the fashion industry was to our economy, “I’m passionate about fashion, I love it, but it’s not just about how it makes people feel about themselves, it’s because of what it can do for our country.” Fashion Week spanned six days culminating in a menswear day on 23rd. So now to the most important part, what were the clothes like? An autumn/winter palette of predominately black was seen throughout with splashes of warm colours thrown into the mix including orange and purple seen at Sass and Bide, and rusty red from Betty Jackson. Texture was a big feature with materials like tweed in a classic ‘British heritage’ look from Caroline Charles and Daks. House Of Holland added a fun and girly twist to their tweed with pastel colours and pearls. One of the standout designers for me was Scotland’s own Louise Gray; her collection was an eclectic riot of prints, textures and brash colours, livening up the otherwise slightly Reserved collections. Never failing to please, Vivienne Westwood showcased a breathtaking collection of stripes, checks and swirls complete with oversized bowler hats and crowns. Looks ranged from gothic romance seen at PPQ to Elizabethan from the Corrie Nielson collection and Paul Costello dressed models in wacky, bright red crimped wigs. The collections from the Students of Central Saint Martins MA were, as expected, innovative and wonderfully avant-garde. Overall London Fashion Week was a myriad of ideas and styles, some to be tried at home, others not so conventional! But I’m sure I can speak for all of us when I say bring on Autumn so we can try them all out!
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badger badger-artspages@ussu.sussex.ac.uk Readers inc.
On the big screen
Jessica Thompson Arts editor
David Burtonwood Never Let Me Go Mark Romanek UK, 103 mins, 12A, 2011 This adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s award-winning 2005 novel, listed amongst Time Magazine’s 100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005, was expected to arrive in a fanfare of awards buzz and industry recognition, based primarily upon the vast success of the novel but also upon its trio of bright young British talentsCarey Mulligan, Keira Knightley and Andrew Garfield. Its arrival turned out to be a lot more muted, with the film virtually ignored by the main awards committees and not faring too much better at the box office. Some have blamed the film’s production company Fox Searchlight for marketing it poorly, preferring instead to focus its time and money on the awards campaigns of its other big awards season films Black Swan
and 127 Hours. Having seen the film I can now see why they may have had problems marketing Never Let Me Go; it certainly does not lend itself to one particular genre, looking on the face of it to be a straightforward coming-of-age romance but working in elements of science fiction to create an unorthodox but uniquely fascinating combination. The trailer for the film, which sets itself up as a period British romance- the longing looks, the jealousy, the sweeping music- has also a sense of eeriness, a darkness behind the images, creepy notions of destiny. The uneasiness of this, and the unusual mish-mash of genres, may well have kept audiences away and turned awards voters onto more obvious material. This is a shame as Never Let Me Go, while far from a masterpiece, has enough about it to make it more than worth recommending, most notably in its three central performances. Straight from the offset we are made aware of the film’s sci-fi lean-
ings; it begins with the written words ‘the breakthrough in medical science came in 1952. Doctors could now cure the previously incurable. By 1967, life expectancy passed 100 years’, and from this we can glean that this is a world that is not quite ours. Never Let Me Go follows Kathy H (Mulligan) as she remembers her days at Hailsham school, her friendships with fellow pupils Tommy (Garfield) and Ruth (Knightley), and the effect that all this has upon their destinies. That’s right, once again- the big D word. This is a film that isn’t afraid to tackle the big issues of life and death and everything within them. We begin to realise that all pupils of this particular boarding school have some sort of purpose, a fate, that goes beyond the supposed ‘destinies’ of characters in countless vapid romance films. To speak too much about this fate would be to spoil your viewing of the film, but it fills the movie with a constant and profound sadness. Added to the mix is the central love
triangle that plays out between Kathy, Ruth and Tommy; handled I must say in a much stronger and more investing way than the love triangles of several rom-coms, where one of the characters always seems to have the feel of nothing more than a plot device. Here, it is possible to emotionally involve yourself with all three characters. Knightley, very much a ‘Marmite actress’, gives one of her better performances here, providing depth to a character that could easily have been too cold to empathise with. Mulligan and Garfield, meanwhile, build on their newfound status as the cream of the young British crop (putting in impressive performances in An Education, and The Social Network, respectively) by instilling warmth and subtlety in their characters and most importantly making us believe in, and care about, their bleak situations. The film does meander at times, and the ending is somewhat frustrating, but overall, very much recommended.
HMV, the store clerk informed me that over four minutes of the most gruesome footage would never see a shiny British disc due to its ‘disturbing graphic nature’. In this day and age, it all seems a little Mary Whitehouse. However, my fellow vicarious death enthusiasts will be satisfied that, presumably, the quality of the film has not suffered due to excessive editing.The narrative of a retired porn star agreeing to star in one final film to secure financial security for his wife and young son is moving to begin with, and the slow build of horror and tension in the atmosphere as the protagonist begins to comprehend exactly what type of film he is making is much more of a thrill ride than the predictable ‘don’t go into the house!’ Western horrors of late. Oh, and yes, there are some of the most violent scenes to date - the
hideous sexual nature of the violence really setting this film in a completely different league to the nu-exploitation cavorts of ‘Hostel’ director Eli Roth and his kin. Don’t get me wrong, ‘A Serbian Film’ is indeed an effective thriller and genuinely disturbing to watch (the twist at the end is especially nasty and unpredictable), but what is perhaps more interesting is that that it is an indicator of exactly how far filmmakers are willing to go these days to deliver a genuinely shocking work that will disturb increasingly hardened audiences. Circa 2006, we witnessed the birth of a new genre of shocking cinema aptly labelled ‘torture porn’, in which countless victims would suffer for the audience’s amusement (usually with some lame explanation plot-wise) seemingly just so the genre could avoid the title of ‘fake snuff ’. Films like ‘Saw’ and ‘Hostel’ were seen as
the next step in horror and gore, but even five years on, the efforts of Eli Roth and James Wan seem tame. ‘A Serbian Film’ and ‘Antichrist’s new breed of art-house-influenced torture-porn cum psychological thriller seems to have no boundaries at all; one might even go so far as to say that ‘ordinary’ cinematic sex and murder seem pretty run-of-themill to these fellows, and that finally cinema is breaching the gap between the two. Just like Jamie Kennedy in ‘Scream’ (1996) so aptly announced (shortly before narrowly avoiding a good stabbing), ‘sex equals death’. The only thing is, up until now the two weren’t usually expected to become almost synonymous - or happen at exactly the same time and with such attention to every gruesome detail on the big screen. Well, not in anything that was deemed worthy of commercial DVD release anyway.
Film matters Daniel Woolfson It is hardly surprising that Srdjan Spasojevic’s visceral debut ‘A Serbian Film’, since its late 2010 cinematic release, has been gathering a whirlwind of criticism, outrage, and disgust. Spasojevic has created a fable of murder and rape the likes of which have never been seen before to rival any ‘shocking’ film of the last century perhaps. The film has even been hailed as more visually disturbing than Lars Von Trier’s 2009 film ‘Antichrist’, which contained one scene involving genital mutilation which even managed to alienate the Cannes film festival’s usually liberal and open minded audience. ‘A Serbian Film’ is actually illegal to retail in its uncut edition in several countries - so as an extreme cinema enthusiast myself, I was particularly upset when, picking up the DVD from
Photo: cooperativeindividualism.org
Andrew Garfield and Carey Mulligan shine in this Ishiguro adaptation. Photo: blog.quickflix.com.au
Libraries have been part of our society for over 150 years, ever since the Public Libraries Act of 1850 deemed them an essential tool to ‘raise educational standards throughout society’. Their existence allows members of the public to borrow books for free and for the poorest communities in the country, they are irreplaceable. To deny a society the use of a library hinders the desire to learn. It is perhaps for this reason that Conservative plans to close many of them have been met with such vehement opposition. On the 5th February, nearly 100 public library events were held in opposition to the threats that have been imposed upon public libraries. Authors such as Philip Pullman, Kate Mosse and Mark Haddon added their support to the flurry of impassioned activity throughout the country, which included an allnight sit in at New Cross Library. Across the country, 500 out 4,500 libraries have either been closed or are under threat, with some counties facing cuts of 20-30%. The government has assumed that the work of librarians will be taken over by the ‘Big Society’, but their blasé attitude to a profession and service that has been part of our society for so long now only emphasises the philistinism that seems rampant throughout the cabinet. It is unsurprising that a government full of millionaires would not be able to understand the importance and relevance of the service provided by libraries; providing yet another depressing reminder of how woefully out of touch they are with us mere mortals. The threats in Brighton are comparatively minor, and we are fortunate to have the award winning Jubilee Library, but as a county East Sussex still faces around £313,000 of cuts to libraries. Shockingly, many of the cuts are set to disproportionately affect the poorest communities. There are now lawyers acting on behalf of the town of Lewisham due to the fact a decision was made to shut five libraries despite a petition containing over 20,000 signatures. Under the Public Libraries and Museums Act, this action could be subject to legal challenge. Stranger still, Oxford County Council has now deferred its decision on cutting libraries until the summer – nothing to do with the fact that it affects the surrounding areas of David Cameron’s constituency, then? The threats to libraries are in danger of being ignored when placed beside larger cuts to public services, but it is an all too worrying fact that we may not realise the vital role they had until it is too late, and the portal that they provide into a passion for reading will be gone.
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Susanna Cairns Alisha Trombetta
Radiohead Photo: btfo.net Douglas Clarke-Williams Radiohead King of Limbs TBD Records & XL Recordings On their previous album, In Rainbows, Radiohead made radical steps in recognition of the new digital landscape of music purchasing by allowing fans to download the album from the band’s website for any price they liked. It was a bold move, and one which earned them a lot of goodwill from casual listeners and diehard fans. This interest in the digital is clear on their latest album, King of Limbs - the eighth studio album produced by Nigel Godrich. Not only has it been released as a download a full month before the physical release,
but the music itself is coated in the kind of mechanical sheen which Radiohead so expertly melded with more traditional rock sensibilities on OK Computer but which here dominates the proceedings, cut through with bursts of Thom Yorke’s distinctive falsetto. Indeed the album bears a greater resemblance to Yorke’s solo project The Eraser than it does to Radiohead projects, consisting as it does of moody electronic and scratchy beats. Take for example the fourth track on the album, ‘Feral’. Consisting of simply over three minutes of static-ridden, staccato beats with Yorke’s digitally stretched and echoing vocals wreathed about them, it is almost clichéd in its evocation of a night-time drive through a strange city; it almost imperceptibly builds in volume and tenor as different
rhythms and melodies enter and exit the narrative. At the end, however, the spell is broken: all sounds cease but a single tapping drum machine. Radiohead used to do this with words – a line like ‘alone on an aeroplane’ from their 1995 album The Bends is here created wordlessly, with all the fear, melancholy and freedom which such words imply extended and explored through a sonic, rather than lyrical, landscape. That’s not to say that Radiohead are not still capable of the kinds of gorgeous ballads they have produced in the past. ‘Codex’ is a simple piano and vocals job, buoyed up by a light synthesiser touch underneath it all. But its accessibility makes its message hit home all the harder; this song, and the entire album, longs for escape, for freedom from the bonds modern life
has placed upon it. It is an album which pushes you away, which uses its claustrophobic instrumentation to break out of what it has built. ‘Codex’ ends with sounds of the rainforest which carry on into the next song, ‘Give Up The Ghost’ before Yorke’s vocals and guitar spiral out of them and he seeks absolution from an unnamed figure. Are these sounds of nature the sound of freedom, and does Yorke’s cry of ‘I’ve been told to give up the ghost/In your arms’ mean an acceptance of dependence or just a lack of self-surety? Radiohead are too clever by half to think they can give any answers, but they have phrased the question in such a way as to make this essential listening for anyone who feels as though the modern world has got a little too close for comfort.
little alien to the ears of a jaded and cynical rock critic. Twenty Twenty, the supporting act of the night, are a trio of Bieber-haired youngsters – Sam and Jack Halliday on guitar and bass and SonnyWatsonLang on drums – hailing from the wilds of Essex who perform catchy, hook-laden pop. They’ve built up a substantial online following across Facebook, MySpace and YouTube despite having only released one EP, Worlds Apart. Although they can’t confirm as to when it will come out, they are planning to release an album in the near future and assure their fans that their ‘newer music is definitely a similar style...but it’s the next step
for us’ – certainly an exciting proposition. Considering that their online presence, and the unique relationship they’ve built up with their fans, is such a fundamental part of the way in which they operate it is a relief to hear that they are dedicated to maintaining this high level of contact and that they ‘want to take [the fans] on this journey’ with them. The greatest worry for any band with brothers in it is, of course, the dreaded ‘Oasis factor’. Luckily that doesn’t seem to be an issue for the Hallidays; they all claim to get along very well, and their extensive touring has taught them how to respect each other’s privacy.
The music room
The Saturdays Photo: the-saturdays.co.uk Douglas Clarke-Williams The Saturdays Brighton Centre 15 February Harmless fun. That’s the best way to describe the Saturday’s performance at Brighton Centre. No-one here is trying to claim that what these five girls is fine art or that these songs will echo down the ages, least of all the prepubescent girls who make up the most significant minority of the night’s audience – I saw more than one playing games, texting, or otherwise ignoring the extravagant song-and-dance being put on fifty
feet away. It was much the same for the older women; one gets the sense that they would behave the same if a Saturdays song was being blasted through a tinny club sound system as they would if it was being performed live right in front of them. Live, of course, being used in the loosest possible sense; the actual musicians (a drummer, bassist and guitarist who are magically able to create the sound of string quartets and horn sections) are dressed all in black and are literally standing under the stage. This is a performance for people who fans of music, rather than music fans; everyone seemed to be having a great time, even if it was a
Photo: live.com
Food for thought
Album review
There’s something appealing about an ice cream shop being painted in an ice cream colour. This pistachio delight is just a pebbles throw away from Brighton beach and is one not to be missed. Having opened in 2007, this popular ice cream parlour attracts customers from all over the UK throughout the year. Be blown away by the spectacular choice of sundaes Scoop and Crumb has to offer. The owners of this local family business are sure to make you feel welcome and their clear passion for what they do is bound to rub off on you. Their cheery personalities are reflected in the colourful decor, which is a definite mood lifter and don’t forget to venture upstairs where you can sit by the window and watch the world go by. If you’re as indecisive as us then make sure to get comfortable in the retro-style chairs while you try to decide which treat you want to devour! It’s no surprise that Scoop and Crumb have already collected two awards for their scrumptious products, notably their ‘Proper Chockywocky’ flavour ice cream. Ice cream lovers will be pleased to see a freezer full of appealing ice cream flavours ranging from the classics such as ‘Timeless Vanilla’, to the totally innovative ‘Swedish Cinnamon and Ginger Biscuit’. The ice creams are as fresh as they taste, having been made just upstairs and comprising of local products. Be prepared to browse through the largest ice cream sundae menu in the UK; almost one for every week of the year. Our favourite is the ‘Banoffeebocker’, which looks (almost!) too good to eat but if you’re up for a challenge, why not attempt the ‘8 Ball Sundae’. As well as the extensive range of sundaes, Scoop and Crumb also offer an array of mouthwatering cakes, brownies and the largest waffles in Brighton so you’ll be spoilt for choice. Coffee made from freshly roasted premium beans tastes perfect whether in a Latte or an Americano. If you’re more of a chocoholic, the creamy, luxurious hot chocolate is sure to satisfy your taste buds. However, sweet isn’t for everyone (hard to believe but true) so Scoop and Crumb have recently introduced a range of savoury dishes to satisfy these customers. Despite some debate over whether they should have stuck to what they know, the range of eleven comically named hotdogs could convert even the most diehard dessert fan. Served in a toasted ciabatta, the locally sourced hotdogs are like no other. They also offer toasties and Scandinavian open sandwiches so you can have the whole dining experience under one roof. Scoop and Crumb has something for everyone from tantalising desserts to hunger satisfying lunches. When you visit, one thing’s for sure; you’ll want another Scoop and you won’t leave a Crumb!
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What’s On...?
| badger-artspages@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
If you want to see your event on these pages, contact Olivia James with the venue, date and time of your event, a short description, and any relevant images. Send your request to badger-listings@ussu. sussex.ac.uk by the Tuesday of the week before your event is happening at the very latest. * Tickets available from the Union Box Office in Falmer House
Monday Film
Comedy
Pub
Theatre
Never Let me Go Based on Kazuo Ishiguro’s internationally acclaimed novel of the same name, the tender, poetic and haunting film is passionately acted by the cream of young British talent.
ROFLcopters
Poker
Tell Me On A Sunday
With Alex Zane, Matthew Crosby and Joey Page. You might be ROFLing?
A hugely fun atmosphere, 3 tables and over 20 regular players makes the Sidewinders Monday Poker game one of the biggest, most enjoyable and rewarding games in the city
Starring Claire Sweeney this classic musical charts the romantic misadventures of a young English girl in New York.
the duke of york’s
carolione of brunswick
sidewinder
theatre royal
6.30pm
8pm, £1
8pm, £5 buy in
7.45pm, from £18
28th february - 5th march
Tuesday Exhibition
Music
Club Night
Club Night Lights Out
Capturing Colour
Telstar
Sex Tape
Film, Invention And Wonder Exhibition telling the story of the inventors and artists who strived to recreate the world in glorious colour.
Disco Rejects presents Telstar and support from The Montagues + more TBC.
Brighton’s original “boom-ting”, sexy party... All your favourite party tunes played live by (Guaranteed grabbing) the house band! Plus £2 deals on drinks.
brighton and hove musuem
the jam
the haunt
audio
8.30pm, £5/4
11pm, £tbc
11pm, £3/2
until
20/3/11, free
Wednesday Performance
Science Festival
Film Screening
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Through cross-dressing, invisible pirates, magic tricks and the odd existential crisis the play weaves in and out of the action of Hamlet with pace, humour and poignancy as the ill-fated lords!
Stranger Than Fiction ‘Chit-chat’, alongside a string of short, fascinating slide shows and talks which move at a good pace. Tonight, haunting images from the ocean depths, outer space, microscopes, computers and medicine.
All About My Mother
debating chamber wednesday-friday
latest music bar
arts a01
7.30pm, £5/4 suds card
8.30m, £5/3
6pm, free
Thursday
Sussex Students Stop Aids Campaign are screening the film that won Almodovar ‘Best Director’ at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.
brighton university, grand parade, room
204
7pm
Spoken Word
Science Festival
Club Night
Pub
Hammer and Tongue
Lighthouse Monthly Talk
Fish-Fry
Cocktail Night
Showcasing the best in performance poetry and spoken word. Hosted by Rosy Carrick and Mike Parker, with guest hip-hop DJ Seb Tyni Jolin.
Meet the artists and hear how they brought their innovative art-science projects to life in Lighthouse’s temporary production laboratory.
Early US rhythm & blues, original Jamaican ska and r&b, jump blues, rocksteady & early reggae, gospel, roots of rock n roll, calypso and jazz!!
Get down to falmer bar between 6-8pm and grab 2-for-1 cocktails.
komedia
lighthouse
The Jam
falmer bar
7.30pm, £5/4
7pm, £3
10pm, £1
from
Club Night
6pm
Friday
the
badger
Societies
Live Music
Club Night
The Badger writers’ meetings
The Beat
Want to write for the Badger? Come down and meet our friendly editors every Friday; pick up a story or share your ideas.
2-tone Ska band return! They have returned to their roots with deeper rhythms, a wall of sound that transcends time and an unwavering dedication to real unity and love.
Supercharged Donkey Pitch Brighton’s own Boss Kite delivers a 4th live Original line up....Caspa, Krafty Kuts and Skweee set plus four more sets of classic DP dancefloor with Thunderloops joining us from Jenna G. Serbian Label and resident Slugabed returning. It will be a massive Donky showdown.
falmer house, room
concorde
126
2
2
the jam
concorde
7pm, £16
11pm, £7/5
11pm, £12
Green Week
Comedy
music
club night
Sustainable City Day Join us in Jubilee Square for sustainable nourishment: live music & performance poets on our pedal powered stage, tasty goodness, skill swaps, bike beautification, family fun and interactive stalls.
Fordham and Lipson Comedy
jubilee square
upstairs at three and ten
the dome
digital
12pm, free
8pm, £8/5
7m, £17.50
11pm, £8/5
1.30pm
Saturday
Stars of the eponymous Radio 4 series, hit Brighton with a heady mix of sketches, standup, songs and impressions. Sometimes alone, sometimes together.
The Streets Mike Skinner calls at Brighton Dome on his last ever tour as The Streets, bringing the hits from his four best-selling albums, after gaining international following with his unique take on UK garage.
Atomic Overload DJ’s playing Funky Electro, Dirty House, Driving Tech & Twisted Techno: Nippa, Alex Outram and Dave Godding. Plus some crazy experiments?
Sunday Green Week
Music
Comedy
pub
Gardening and Cinema
The Noise Next Door: The Red Show
Chill out...
Plant the first seeds of the spring at the campus allotments and then watch a film powered by substainable energy. Bring a blanket!
Does it Offend you Yet? Spend an hour in their company and you’ll find yourself on the receiving end of a brilliantly bilious torrent of hatred and disgust aimed at the mass music media, major record labels, sell-out ‘underground’ acts.
Mystery, intrigue, controversy and libidinousness await, as you enter the scarlet tinted world of The Noise Next Door’s Red Ranger.
Open mic night at the Signalman..
Allotments Behind Brighthelm
Coaltion
upstairs at three and ten
signalman
12pm
£7.30pm, £10
6pm, £8/6
8pm, free
28.02.11
17
science
the
badger
| badger-science@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
Solar tempests
The largest solar flare in four years – should we be worried? Thomas Lessware Science editor Last week the largest solar flare in four years, a so-called X-flare, hit the Earth causing speculation that the Aurora Borealis, or northern lights, would be able to be seen as far south as northern England. In reality it only caused it to be seen in its usual locations, far to the north in places such as Finland, Canada and Alaska. The Aurora is caused by charged particles entering the Earth’s atmosphere through the poles, ionizing the upper atmosphere and causing a bright green and sometimes a deep red glow across the sky. This X-flare marks the awakening of the sun from its recent period of low activity. The sun has solar cycles of around 11 years – during this time its activity has highs and lows - and the next maximum in activity is predicted in about 2013. The incidence of these large, high energy solar flares increases as the activity of the sun does, causing an increased incidence of the northern lights at more southerly latitudes than usual. However these flares don’t just cause pretty lightshows in the sky. There is a danger that a particularly high energy flare can knock out communications satellites, disrupt radio broadcasts and even knock out electricity grids. Any of these effects can have serious consequences when you consider how reliant modern society is on GPS and communications – modern trade and economics need up to the second reports to ensure price fluctuations can be tracked and responded to. Last week’s flare, however, turned out to be far less disruptive than some had predicted; it only registered as a G1 solar storm, the lowest ranking on a scale of G1 to G6 created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA)
The glow of the Aurora is a giant ring of atmosphere that has been ionised by charged particles from solar flares Photo: http://icestories.exploratorium.edu/ dispatches/big-ideas/aurora/
because the magnetic field of the flare happened to be aligned parallel with Earth’s magnetic field, which blocked the incoming charged particles. Con-
an unprepared world economy could face bills of up to £1.2 trillion sidering that astronomers cannot predict the alignment of the flares field until it’s too late, that a flare only takes
A coronal mass ejection (bottom left) is far larger than the Earth Photo: NASA.gov
Space Weather Prediction Center in America. The storm was so weak, despite the huge size of the flare,
due to the sun’s increased activity, the threat of a solar flare communications and electricity blackout is very real. Solar flares are jets of charged par-
around twenty minutes to reach the Earth and that we face around 1,700 X-flares over the next few months
ticles, caused by the sudden released of magnetic energy stored in the suns corona. This release of energy heats plasma to millions of degrees Celsius, which slingshots electrons, protons and ions out of the sun, in an event known as a coronal mass ejection, at speeds close to that of light. If a strong enough set of these charged particles hit the earth, with their magnetic field perpendicular to Earth’s, the X-ray and ultraviolet radiation they release will ionise the upper atmosphere; while being totally safe at ground level, this ionisation will cause chaos in the GPS network orbiting high up. After this High energy protons then enter Earth’s magnetic field at the poles which disrupts other types of satellites. And if the flare is strong enough, its magnetic field can induce currents in electricity transmission cables and oil pipelines which may cause electricity grids to fail and cause blackouts like in Quebec in 1989. Flares of this strength have hit the earth before. The most famous case was the so-called Carrington event in 1859, which caused extensive damage to the newly built telegraph network, all across Europe and America, and even set a few buildings on fire. Telegraphs could be sent from networks
that had been turned off, running purely off the power from the solar storm. Even in a society more dependent on horse power than electricity, the flare had these dramatic effects; a flare on a similar scale today would have a far more devastating effect, disrupting almost every aspect of our society because of our complete dependence on electrical power. On Monday, the UK government chief scientist, John Beddington, compared the threat to a ‘global Katrina’ and predicted that an unprepared world economy could face bills of up to £1.2 trillion from a very strong solar storm. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Many of today’s satellites are already
Satellites observing the sun will also give us around twenty hours warning to come up with plans to make sure the flare isn’t as devastating as it might be. Such plans include rerouting planes to avoid the Polar Regions to ensure that their radio systems are not compromised and installing capacitors in substations to soak up any extra charge from the flare. Rather than fear these flares, governments should take this as a warning to make sure as many of our key satellites are shielded, improve our early warning system and ensure that we have contingency plans in place to reduce the effects of a strong solar storm.
A diagram of the Carrington flare of 1859: The largest solar flare on record Photo: http://www.thesuntoday.org/historical-sun/the-carrington-flare/
fitted with shields which negate most of the effect of a strong solar flare and the rest can protect themselves by shutting down before the flare hits.
Interested smart phone users can receive Space weather alerts from the NOAA website, at www.swpc. noaa.gov/alerts/index.html.
Electric Einstein? Roving Rutherford? Fancy writing for the Badger science page? Write a 500-1000 word article on whatever excites and inspires you in the world of science and email it to badger-science@ussu.sussex.ac.uk.
18
SU sport with
badger | badger-sports@ussu.sussex.ac.uk
the
sport
28.02.11
Sports clubs link up with local community Matt Stroud The past academic year has been one of considerable on-field success for the many Sussex sport teams. For many the next couple of weeks will prove crucial for league and cup aspirations. Yet while on-field endeavours are the primary focus of sports clubs, they are by no means the only activities for many clubs. As well as social events, charity fundraising and tours, a growing number of clubs are undertaking volunteering in the community. In recent years ProjectV, The Union’s volunteering project, has sought to facilitate volunteering opportunities for clubs and societies through their ‘Link Up’ scheme.
Michaella Rossmann from ProjectV says ‘Link Up enables sports clubs, societies and student groups to make links with local community and voluntary organisations to create volunteering projects that are of benefit to both students and the wider local community’. This last year has seen a variety of projects undertaken in the local community. The projects can be one-off affairs, such as a one off volunteering opportunity with the National Trust for the Men’s Rugby Club. In this teambuilding day the club cut down trees and did some scrub clearance, vital to the Trust’s ongoing conservation work. They can also take the form of a longer-term link up. The men’s football team has just started to volunteer
Men’s Rugby volunteer with the National Trust Photo: Michaella Rossmann
with BACA (Brighton and Aldridge Community Academy) where they are running football sessions for talented and gifted footballers to improve their skills and knowledge of the game. In the past clubs may have been concerned about attaining the necessary funding for long term volunteering projects, but as Michaella says ‘funding for your project will be made available through the Activities Committee and the Sport Management Committee’. One club who have received funding for their projects in the long term is Fencing. The Fencing club linked up with the Dorothy Stringer School as well as the Brighton Aldrige Community Academy (BACA) to facilitate fencing sessions for children who might otherwise not have the change to get involved in this sport. The fencing sessions at Dorothy Stringer School saw as many as 25 students take part, in addition to the sessions at BACA where there were four to eight students in each session. Project leader Ben Carter commented: “It makes me very proud to have gathered such an enthusiastic group of fellow fencers, bringing the sport that we all love to the attention of a wider group. The project is of great importance not only to all those who want to try fencing, but to all of us personally and also to show that we as students at Sussex University relish the opportunity to give something back to the community that we love.” Michaela Rossmann stresses that
Men’s Football coach children at a local school Photo:ProjectV ‘the Link Up scheme responds to the diverse needs of the local community and is not duplicating schemes that already exist, it offers a huge variety of volunteering opportunities for clubs and societies’. Clubs are encouraged to undertake a volunteering project as extensive or specific as they like. The schemes can be tailored to individual clubs to involve as many or as few hours as they club’s members are willing to commit. Looking to the future ProjectV is holding a Sports Challenge Day, where representatives from many sports clubs will be helping The NationalTrust clear trees.This should prove to be a fantastic teambuilding opportunity for all sports clubs, and
illustrates The Union’s commitment to sports volunteering. As Scott Sheridan, USSU Activities Officer, says “Community Volunteering is a great way for our sports clubs to develop and become an integral part of the local community. Clubs can use volunteering as an opportunity for team building, fitness, coaching experience and even as a social”. As well as this theWomen’s Cricket team will organise a mini-tournament with BACA and there will be a friendly basketball match with the Dorothy Stringer girl’s team. If any clubs would like to set up a Link Up project, then please get in touch with Michaela from Project V: mr83@sussex.ac.uk or call on 01273 873387
England poor as Cricket World Cup limps into action Last week’s
Collingwood and Bopara saved England from humiliation Photo: Reuters Ben Denton The 2011 CricketWorld Cup ground into action last week across India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka with a series of titanic mismatches. For a tournament that should, in theory, be the pinnacle of one day international has so far failed to sparkle in any way. The spectacularly naive decision to place the most one sided of fixtures at the start of the tournament seems a strange one by the International Cricket Council. Recent incarnations of the Cup have been poorly attended and lacking in drama. The 2007 tournament in the West Indies even
boasted a farcical final, which ended in darkness and confusion. Events such as this have made it even more essential that the 2011 Cup is an unqualified success. There is more to suggest that this tournament could be a success than has been the case in recent years. The subcontinent is the 21st century home of cricket, especially the financial side. As such the tournament is sure to be well funded, and therefore well organised. The subcontinent also boasts impressive stadia, providing the international teams with high class facilities to showcase their talents. However without supporters these stadia could be severely
lacking in atmosphere. There is little doubt that the home teams will be well supported, but the level of support for other nations could make or break this tournament. The subcontinent fans are famously passionate about cricket, unfortunately the ICC is famously incompetent at distributing tickets to the fans who want them. This tournament will succeed or fail on whether tickets can be sold at reasonable prices to ordinary fans. As well as success for the overall tournament England fans will also want success for their own team. In early January hopes were sky-high for World Cup success following the historic Ashes victory in Australia. Just two months, and a 6-1 One Day Series defeat by Australia, later and England’s chances do not look so rosy.The situation has been compounded by injuries to key players, the most severe of which sees Eoin Morgan missing the subcontinent tournament. On the back of this less than ideal preparation England began their World Cup campaign against minnows Netherlands. They were hopeful of a comprehensive victory to banish any nagging concerns. Unfortunately it transpired from the display in this match that England need to improve a great deal in order to have any chance of winning the cup for the first time. The problems were centred primarily on the bowling and fielding display. Graeme Swann apart, the bowling attack seemed impotent
as Ryan tenDoeschate flailed their offerings to all parts. Even England’s usually watertight fielding fell apart under pressure, with missfields and dropped catches marring the displaying. It wasn’t just the impotent bowling display or the sloppy fielding that was concerning, it was also the lack of variation in the team that caused concern. Although the inclusion of Ravi Bopara bolstered the batting line up, it was evident that the side would benefit more from selecting a player such as left arm bowler Michael Yardy, or the skiddy Ajmal Shahzad, somebody who brings something different to the bowling attack. The lack of penetration, albeit on a docile wicket, by England in this match was worrying. By the time this issue goes to print, England will have played the second match of the tournament against favourites, and hosts, India, and it will be interesting to see whether England will change their lineup in order to make inroads against the most lethal top order in world cricket. England fans would dearly love to see England win the World Cup this year, but their chances look slim. The form of India at the minute makes them firm favourites to lift the trophy in a month’s time. However, confidence remains high in the English camp and maybe, just maybe, there will be an upset in the sub continent this year.
results... Badminton
Sussex Men 6-2 Kent Sussex Women 6-2 Royal Holloway Basketball Sussex Women 49-69 Cambridge Fencing Men’s 1sts 82-125 Surrey Women’s 1sts 116-134 Kent Football Men’s 3rds 0-2 Chichester Netball Women 1sts 45-47 Hertfordshire Women 2nds 45-41 Portsmouth Rugby Men’s 2nds 13-10 KCL Women’s 1sts 47-10 Canterbury Squash Men’s 2nds 2-3 Brunel Tennis Men’s 1sts 10-2 KCL Women’s 1sts 10-2 Roehampton Volleyball Women’s 1sts 2-3 Southampton
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s MEET FACULTY AND STUDENTS s ATTEND SUBJECT TALKS s CHECK OUT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES s lND OUT ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS s VIEW THE STATE OF THE ART FACILITIES s EXPLORE THE BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS
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