Issue 41 - March 2014

DUNDEE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ MAGAZINE

ISSUE 41

FREE

THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE PLAIN UGLY

STRUGGLE: UKRAINE & BULGARIA

EAT OUT!

RESTAURANT REVIEWS

FASHION: SUIT UP! FLAPPY BIRD

WE HARDLY KNEW YE

Turn a bright future into a brilliant one.

Postgraduate Open Day, 18th March, 11am-2pm.

Studying a postgraduate degree at GCU can be a brilliant career move.

Our range of professional Masters programmes will give you an edge when it comes to finding employment and progressing within your chosen field. To find out more about our flexible study options, come along to the Postgraduate Open Day. It’ll help you shine.

Register or find out more at www.gcu.ac.uk/openday

Brighter futures begin with GCU

EDITOR’S LETTER In lieu of my last issue, I present to the next editor a small collection of wisdom stumbled upon through the past grammatically correct year.

– It doesn’t really matter what you write in the editorial. No one reads it anyway. Take that opportunity to passive aggressively insult as many individuals as possible.

– Nothing will ever go to plan, but you’d better damn well have one.

– Never e-mail the graphic designers using comic sans. They might not speak to you again.

– Everyone is potential Magdalen material. Flatmates, classmates, that girl that works in Prem. They are your editorial prey.

– Don’t give a shit, and give way, way too many shits. Because sappy though it sounds, these thirty-six pages will be your everything.

So see what the pensioners have got going for them and get hooked on knitting on page 8, then road trip to the bacon nirvana that is the Horn, after all it’s on the bucket list (p20), and learn to care about stuff that matters with Felix Reimer’s article about why the university wants to cut 120 members of staff (p34). As always, hit us up at themagdalen@dusa.co.uk with submissions, comments, or critique, and check out dusamedia.com for the latest and greatest.

Stay hungry, stay foolish,

Danielle Ames Editor in Chief Danielle Ames Deputy Editor Harrison Kelly Online Editor Felix Reimer Head of Design Alex Nicholson Craig Morrison Features Editor Alice Harrold Arts Editor Juliet Wright Entertainment Editor Magdalena Pentcheva Current Affairs Editor Jalal Abukhater Fashion Editor Claire McPhillimy Lifestyle Editor Kate Lakie Campus News Editor Rebecca Shearer Sports Editor Katharine Sharpe Travel Editor Rose Matheson

Contributors Kirstie Allan, Sarasvathi Arulampalam, Martin Bell, Lauren Brand, Abi Dryburgh, Euan Forbes, Alex Gardner, Jivko Jeliazkov, Julie Kanya, Kate McAuliffe, Leona Reid, Alessandro Skarlatos-Currie, Calum Smith, Dominic Younger

Production Ryan Cashin, Danni Finlayson, Maha Ghani, Ross Grubb, Susie McGowan, Katie McIntyre, Katie McPherson, Kenny Meek, Jill Montgomery, Jodie Robb, Neli Todorova, Robbie Wallace, Juliet Wright, Hazel Wyllie

PUBLISHED BY Zuchaela Smylie, VPCC DUSA, Airlie Place Dundee, DD1 4PH vpcc@dusa.co.uk PRINTED BY Winters & Simpson Print 16 Dunsinane Avenue Dundee, DD2 3QT sales@wintersimpson.co.uk

CONTENTS

On the cover...Have you been spotted on campus?

Issue 41 ART 03

New Contemporaries

04 Genomic Visuals TRAVEL 06 10 Foods the UK Should Import Right Now 07

FASHION 25

Mane Attraction

26

The Hit List

28

Suit Up

30

Judging an Actor

By Abdominals

31

Flappy Bird

32

Bands of the Month

Sightseeing Skint Student LIFESTYLE

6

ENTERTAINMENT

08 Knit Worthy 10

CAMPUS NEWS

Restaurant Reviews CURRENT AFFAIRS

33

Diplomats

34

Staff Cuts

12

Ukraine and Bulgaria

14

Student Strikes

16

Rip Off Rail

36

Scottish Rugby

17

Animalerie Rights

37

Fencing Team

SPORT

FEATURES 18

Spotted

20

Dundee Uni Bucket List

22

The Idiot’s Guide to Bullshitting your Dissertation

24

Fashion Victim

25

30

12 18

ART

New Contemporaries Abi Dryburgh When I was a naïve young schoolgirl in the midst of UCAS application purgatory, I had my heart set on getting into Glasgow School of Art. In fact, pretty much every other aspiring art or architecture student that I knew at the time did too. Dundee’s art school tended to be viewed as a bit of a back-up choice after Glasgow or Edinburgh - such is the appeal of studying in a Rennie Mackintosh building or next to a famous castle, I guess. Only after coming to DJCAD did I start to fully appreciate what a fantastic institution it actually is and the quality of the artists that it helps to educate and shape; a fact which I don’t think I’ve been more acutely aware of before than when walking around the Royal Scottish Academy’s New Contemporaries exhibition in Edinburgh this month.

An annual event which presents the cream of the preceding year’s Scottish degree show crop as selected by members of the Academy, the exhibition offers a concentrated look at who the next generation of Scottish artists are.

There are no insipid paintings of fruit here; only the strongest and most exciting work makes the cut, and Dundee’s side

has more than outdone itself.

Pawel Grzyb’s Untold Story Auschwitz documentary would not seem out of place on BBC4’s primetime schedule. Ross Weryk’s nightmarish vision of the hospital experience thoroughly succeeds in inducing nausea. Jonathan Douglas’s tongue-in-cheek interpretations of the religious experience have everyone scratching their heads wondering how he managed to make a plastic figurine of Jesus Christ float in mid-air. The collaborative inventions of Dorian Braun and Jack Paton are absolutely inspired.

And Flo Gordon’s charming nonsense world of fried eggs and powder puffs features some of the most intuitive, fun use of materials I’ve ever seen.

A photograph of his Saw performance, nothing short of iconic, is the chosen image for all of this year’s promotional material and hangs above the archway of the Academy. And while all five of Scotland’s art schools are featured in the show, of the 22 awards to be given out 11 of them were given to Dundee alumni, with the top £16,000 Fleming-Wyfold Bursary prize being awarded to the Brownlee Brothers – Tayside siblings who are now so notorious that The Daily Mail have taken the time to complain about them receiving fi rst class degrees, on the grounds of their use of dildos and piss. Never have I been more proud to be part of an institution that encourages such flagrant behaviour.

Apart from my (possibly biased) opinions, the objective facts speak for themselves about the quality of DJCAD’s graduates.

It is Johnny Lyons acting as literal poster boy for the exhibition.

‘

...of the twenty-two awards to be given out eleven of them were given to Dundee alumni...

’

ISSUE 41 03

ART

genomic dog’s bollocks aka the

visuals I

always find that homegrown talent surprises me most and Genomic Visuals is no exception.

Consisting of Callum Crotch, Connor MacDonald, John Siwek, Kenny Singer (and Max Gabbot) they create 3D projection mapping for the music and entertainment industry. Their installations for venues ‘enhance the sensory experience for their clients’ and every time I have seen their stuff it’s been the absolute shit.

Recently they opened up their studio as a gallery, allowing creatives to display work.

I never thought in an interview I’d discuss jizzing over waves, making coral reefs out of parallelograms and arguing why raisins are disgusting (but apricots are ok). Yet that’s what happened when I hung out at their studio.

SO HOW DID GENOMIC VISUALS COME TO BE? Callum Crotch: So, the story of it all came about…

It was the summer before third year and I went to Eden festival. Me and a friend were walking about having fun and these two hippies asked us to help put up their geodesic dome. It was all sticks, woven together and we were like ‘fuck this is so cool’. So we put up this dome and then preceded to get incredibly drunk. I came home from the festival and researched geodesic domes. I also saw that Amon Tobin ISAM thing and I was like ‘holy shit, that’s the coolest thing ever!’ So I decided to combine this hippy experience with this really cool thing I saw. Then I built a geodesic dome, projected some eyes onto it and that was that.

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juliet wright meets the boys ‘enhancing the dancing with intelligent lighting’ SO IT JUST GREW FROM THERE? WHAT ABOUT CONTOUR? CC: Yeah… well then fourth year came along and Mr Barton came to us having had an act cancel on him. So me, Connor, Gordon and Gary and John all decided to put on a night on at Rooms. We didn’t have a fucking clue what was going on but we did it and everyone got really drunk, had a good time and it was really fun. From that Contour was born.

Then Creative Scotland started. We got on to the programme, did that for sixth months and at the end of fourth year did our pitch in Edinburgh and we got £5500 to actually start doing stuff… And now we just like flashy lights and lots of colours.

DO YOU THINK BEING IN DUNDEE HAS HELPED? CC: Yes, the technical staff at DJCAD were amazing, I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am today without them. They run the place. Also Dundee is really accessible and everyone’s really keen.

John Siwek: It’s like a very fresh little puddle...

ART

YOU’VE DESIGNED SETS FOR THE UNION AND FAT SAMS, IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH, BRANCHING OUT FROM ROOMS? Connor MacDonald: The Rooms is great because they’re open to just letting you try stuff out…

CC: … but Contour is just a bunch of friends in a room playing lots of music and having fun, whereas Genomic Visuals tries to make it actually into a business. So we do contractual work. We’re in talks with Brewdog at the moment to get a gig down at SWG3 too which would be amazing

SO IS THE DREAM TO JUST BE ABLE TO DO THIS AND NOTHING ELSE? CC: Oh yeah, that’d be awesome.

CM: To entertain other people with your art, that’s the dream. No matter what you study in art school your dream is almost always to use your art to make money and make people have fun.

JS: Just to do what you love

SO HAVING THE GALLERY OPENING, WHERE DID THAT IDEA COME FROM?

WHAT’S THE BEST PART OF THIS, OF BEING PART OF GENOMIC VISUALS?

CC: When we went to view this studio space, we were like ‘holy shit!!!’ there could be people here, a mezzanine floor there, Daft Punk over there, Justice up here and four million people going crazy!! But then reality kicked in… So… But yeah, we saw this space and it had to happen.

CM: If I wasn’t doing this, I’d probably be having a really boring time. This is the main fun thing, without this there would be no way to have an idea and then realise it. If it was just me, I wouldn’t be able to do it all myself.

And then everyone can help out with their own skills to make it better than had it just been me.

JS: It would be nice to have this space where lots of artists can kinda come and do collaborative work together, to do workshops and things too.

CC: Yeah we just kinda want to turn it into a big social space. A contained artist’s commune, I really think it could become that.

“ ”

TO ENTERTAIN OTHER PEOPLE WITH YOUR ART, THAT’S THE DREAM SO YOU WANT TO OPEN UP THE SPACE AS A GALLERY AGAIN IN MARCH?

Discussions about raisins and club night names aside, it’s pretty damn obvious what these guys are all about. There’s a passion for what they do, a passion to get everyone enjoying what they do and a passion to get others involved. If you fancy collaborating with the boys, renting out space in their studio (or just fancy a drink and a chat about geometry) hit them up; genomicvisuals@gmail.com or on facebook.com/genomicvisuals

SEE GENOMIC VISUALS ON THE 13TH OF MARCH AT THE READING ROOMS

CC: Yeah, it takes a lot of work and loads of people helped, but it was so exciting… We’d love to do it again. Now we have the space we just want people to get involved. I don’t want anyone to think they can’t get involved because they don’t know us, I felt like that as a student sometimes…

ISSUE 41 05

0

TRAVEL

FOODS THE UK NEED

TO IMPORT RIGHT NOW Several nations have already taken our kitchens by storm making sure we aren’t living on potatoes but there are plenty of treats still waiting to take over our menus, tempt our tastebuds, and clog our arteries.

Rose Matheson

1 POUTINE - CANADA

6 LÁNGOS - HUNGARY

If you’ve ever experienced poutine you know it is more than just chips, cheese and gravy. It’s the cheese curds that make it what it is, melting under the piping hot gravy. Clarkies is in desperate need of this hangover cure.

Sold on the streets of what was the Austro-Hungarian Empire this fried bread is bigger than your head and loaded with cheese, sour cream and garlic butter: it is a recipe for greatness.

2 BRIGADIEROS- BRAZIL

Pao de quejio means cheese bread but there is more cheese than bread resulting in an undeniable gooeyness. Another plus is they are gluten free, imagine that: gluten-free AND tasty?!

When the only ingredients are condensed milk, butter and cocoa powder there is little that can go wrong except obesity and tooth decay.

7 PAO DE QUEIJO - BRAZIL

8 MAGIC BARS - USA

3 SOURSOP - TROPICS

It’s hard to describe this fruit, it has a strange spongy texture and tastes like a different fruit after every bite.

They have also been linked to health benefits from fighting infection to curing cancer.

4 KLADDKAKA - SWEDEN

I prefer to call these “death slices” as their addictiveness leads you into a serious food coma.

Imagine six layers of unhealthy goodness: biscuit base, coconut, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and nuts covered in condensed milk.

9 JALEBI - INDIA

Literally meaning ‘mud cake’ this is chocolatey sticky goodness encased in a light meringue crust. The whole cake usually serves around eight people but don’t be surprised if it only serves one. You. 5 TEJ - ETHIOPIA

Okay, not technically a food but a wine and that should be a food group. If you have a sweet tooth and like your 13% alcohol to taste nothing like alcohol, then here is your poison.

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This Indian dessert is made in a variety of shapes using deep-fried dough that is then covered in a flavoured sugary syrup then cooked to a crisp- perfect to get stuck in your teeth.

10 BRUNOST - NORWAY

Is it cheese or is it caramel? This is one of those foods that you are not really sure if you like or not but you have to keep tasting it regardless. This goat’s cheese is boiled for a long period of time causing the sugars in the milk to caramelise and produce the brown colour and sweet taste.

TRAVEL

Rose Matheson

SIGHTSEEING FOR THE SKINT STUDENT

Being a travel editor for a student magazine is a bit of a lost cause as how many of you can actually afford to travel?

Here I will use my “expertise” to help get some of you get a well-earned break after this semester.

BOOKING FLIGHTS

WHERE TO GO

In general, for peak times (as in school holidays) book flights in advance, however outside of these times, flights can also be found cheaply at the last minute.

Kayak.com has a great function that tells if the price of your flight is likely to rise or fall. Apparently the cheapest day to fly is Wednesday and most airlines release cheap deals over the weekend. If you are flying with a budget airline, try wearing as much of your luggage as possible by putting heavy items in your coat pocket or even opening up the lining of your coat to fill. Just try not to look like you’re about the blow the place up, unless you like strip searches.

If you want to travel cheap, steer clear of North America, Australia, and most of Europe. For the cost of your time in the country South America, Asia, and Africa will be much cheaper. Even though the airfare to the country may be more expensive than Europe, the price of everything else will no doubt be cheaper in the long run. Never pick up your money at the airport on the day, either book it in advance after comparing prices or just use your debit card and withdraw large sums at once while abroad - it’s often just as good a deal.

WHERE TO STAY Hostels are good. Sometimes. However, most of the time they are filled with gap yah teens just out to party meaning you can never sleep. Cheapest, and best,

‘Cheapest, and best, place to stay is with a local via Couchsurfing, it’s also the best way to see a new city’ place to stay is with a local via Couchsurfing, it’s also the best way to see a new city. Okay, it’s kind of scary and can be quite hit and miss but the website makes it easy to find reliable hosts - my first surf was with a 56-year-old male who was a cop, who was founder of a music festival and not a paedo.

WHAT TO DO If you’ve decided to go couchsurfing then you’ll hopefully have yourself a personal tour guide but if you’re not one for idle travel you can do some volunteering. Parents and others are more likely to help fund you if you are helping a worthwhile cause, some big companies may even sponsor you if you write them a nice letter. There are also a surprising amount of travel grants available – such as the Peter Kirk Memorial Grant which offers 18-26 year olds £2000 to carry out a project of their choosing within Europe.

ISSUE 41 07

LIFESTYLE

Knit worthy Are you searching for a new hobby?

Something productive-yet-therapeutic, whilst time-consuming enough to help procrastinate from doing that assignment due in two days’ time?

Then knitting could be for you!

I’ve only been doing it for a few weeks but I am hooked. Seriously, I went away for a weekend and didn’t take my knitting stuff with me; it was not a good weekend. I initially learned to knit aged nine under the instruction of my granny; but, fickle child that I was, the novelty wore off and I stopped. That was, until a month ago when my friend Claire told me about this shop called Fluph which recently opened on Blackness Road. It’s an adorable place that sells yarn, needles, everything you need to get started – or improve. I’ve been in to have a chat with owner Leona-Jayne Kelly about all things knit-worthy.

08 ISSUE 41

Sitting with Leona-Jayne’s pet dog Arthur on my lap, surrounded by brightly coloured balls of yarn, I ask her when and why her lifelong love for knitting started: ‘I’m a fidget.’ She replies, ‘I can’t stay still for too long, so it gives me something to do. I also like making things and I just love yarn. I got into knitting in the second year of my first degree. University was so stressful and I took the notion to teach myself how to knit. Knitting during lectures really helped my concentration, as did playing Zelda on my DS, but please don’t put that in the article.’

Sorry about that. Now, what made this self-taught knitter decide to open a shop? ‘Well, after my first degree in psychology, I had no idea what I wanted to do. At that time I was doing a lot of crafty stuff, so I went and did a course in Textiles and Interiors at Dundee College. People kept asking me what I wanted to do afterwards and so I just said, “I want to open a yarn shop”, and after a while it occurred to me that maybe it was actually a good idea. The final stage of my second degree introduced the business side

LIFESTYLE

it’s just another hobby; another way of being creative. of things, allowing me to make my business plan for the shop.

I wanted it to be homely. I hate going into a shop and feeling like people are watching me, so that was a big part of my business plan; a relaxed atmosphere.’

So, what are Leona’s top tips for beginners? ‘Start with chunky yarn and needles. You want something budget-friendly as well, especially if you’re new to it. However, you can do this and still stay away from nasty cheap acrylic stuff.

A lot of people are under the impression that knitting is for old ladies, but what does Leona have to say about it? ‘Yes, it was traditionally a “granny hobby” because it’s what our grandmothers were taught at school. However, if you think about it, it’s just another hobby; another way of being creative.

Cool people can knit, what about that guy at the winter Olympics knitting before his snowboarding competition? Everybody should be knitting. I don’t understand why everyone thinks you need to be a certain type of person to knit, there are such weird stereotypes surrounding it and I don’t know why.’

get yourself a profile on Ravelry, it’s basically like a Facebook for knitters.

Nowadays as a beginner, you can have good quality yarn for a price that won’t break the bank. If you’re going to do it by yourself like I did, then YouTube is a great source of help, but if you prefer having someone on hand, then classes are a good idea.

‘I’m actually hoping to run my own classes, although they’re very much in the planning stage at the minute, but I definitely want them to be reasonably priced and open to everyone. My top tip is to just do

it, you’ll learn so much more that way. Yarn can always be wound back into a ball of yarn so you’re not wasting any materials by trying something new. Also, get yourself a profile on Ravelry, it’s basically like a Facebook for knitters. You can search for patterns and quite a lot of them are free. And I’m always here if anyone needs help; just pop into the shop!”

Fluph is now offering students a 10% discount with valid student ID (extra incentive? Yes please), so go wild. Fortnightly ‘Knit Nights’ are also held in the shop on Thursdays from 6-8pm and everyone is welcome.

Get liking Fluph on Facebook, Wand happy knitting!

Leona Reid

ISSUE 41 09

LIFESTYLE

7

Dundee

RESTAURANT

9

9

JULIET WRIGHT A key thing men should know is girls like steak too.

And if you want to impress a steak-loving girl, I would highly recommend Meat House.

As a (female) steak lover, I was ecstatic to eat at Meat House. Since its opening, I’ve walked past everyday, wishing my purse strings were looser. The restaurant brings a much-needed experience to Dundee, ‘raising the steaks’ if you will. They really love meat; cow-hide seats anyone? The leather-bound menu includes an array of dishes: burgers, ribs, steaks, you name it; there were even vegetarian options - shocker!

I’ve eaten a lot of dead cow in my time. However, as our sirloins arrived, we needed a moment to process the taste. Meat House pride themselves on serving “the finest Scottish grass fed Limousin beef, hung for 21 days to ensure optimum flavour”. They didn’t disappoint. Meat is cooked on their Josper grill (the hottest indoor barbecue in the world) until tender, succulent and juicy. If I had one criticism, it was slightly overcooked for my tastes; rare for me please.

10 ISSUE 41

The evening was lovely, with beautiful food and wine - even an accidental fire alarm half-way through couldn’t spoil the evening. Tables are quite close together though (impacting on the privacy of dinner conversations) and the price ain’t cheap; but I daresay it’s worth it. There’s no point in scrimping at a place like Meat House, otherwise you’ll be drooling over the shoulder of the customer at the next table.

LIFESTYLE

JULIE KANYA Many a time have I walked past Byzantium’s entrance and marvelled. How many mouth-watering ingredients can be crammed into a meal’s description? ‘Tenderized rump steak’, ‘chocolate-dipped waffle cones’, ‘truffled butter-poached lobster’, to mention a few. But paying £20 for a main condemns a student to a month of value beans. Plus there’s risk of ending up with a ‘posh’ jacket potato.

Fortunately, Byzantium mean it when they claim to fuse ‘sophisticated food with a casual, cosmopolitan atmosphere’.The class initially stems from the modern décor. Upon entering, we were greeted by an enthusiastic manager, who speedily and professionally escorted us to our seats.

A refreshing Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon provided entertainment before the mains arrived (we skipped starters, opting for desserts later). I went for corn-fed supreme chicken – filled with asparagus mousse, served with potato gallete, red pepper marmalade, roasted butternut purée and tarragon and pimento jus. Seldom have I experienced such skilfully blended texture, flavour and presentation in a meal. Even at £16, each bite is worth every penny.

The dessert, simply labelled ‘Chocolate’, was a glorious encore – a selection of well-crafted treats, from dark chocolate mousse to chocolate honeycomb tart with chocolate sand. It beautifully complemented a thoroughly enjoyable meal.

All things considered, Byzantium provides high-end dining without coming across as snobbish, exclusive or overpriced. A perfect spot for Graduation dinner, or candle-lit date, this Mediterranean oasis in Dundee’s West End blends flawless service with brilliant cuisine, and is the secret ingredient for a night to remember.

ALICE HARROLD Hurrying in from the deathly Tay breeze, we were welcomed into Medina by smiling staff offering us drinks while we waited. The restaurant has a MiddleEastern atmosphere, although the menu is typically Scottish. Eight o’clock seems the perfect time to eat at this Nethergate grillhouse; there are plenty of people but it’s not too loud for chat.

We were shown to a table at the back, next to a wide-screen TV showing the Welsh rugby team eviscerating French defences. For starters, we ordered mussels and the soup of the day, cream of lentil. With mussels priced at around five pounds and soup at around three, the menu is great value. The soup was appetizing, seasoned perfectly. I was told the mussels were delicious although this reviewer wouldn’t try one if she was paid. It’s a personal choice.

For main courses we chose the beef lasagne and the fish and chips. The lasagne came with garlic bread, chips and a salad. This tasty dish is an excellent option

for any student, priced at around seven pounds, with enough to feed even a Fresher. The classic fish and chips didn’t fail to impress either. The service was prompt, polite and cheerful and the other customers seemed perfectly content. A university sports team was sitting across from us, enjoying good food and banter. Medina is a student-friendly venue thanks to its good prices and perfect location. I recommend it for food and a decent night out. Don’t forget to stay for cocktails!

ISSUE 41 11

CURRENT AFFAIRS

THE STRUGGLE FOR DEMOCRACY IN UKRAINE AND BULGARIA JIVKO JELIAZKOV

E

uropean integration is a tender issue for many countries in Western Europe. At the other end of Europe, integration is more popular. Bulgaria and Ukraine are two vastly different countries in terms of the size of their territory or population, and in their culture.

Yet two strikingly similar protest movements have emerged in both countries. #DANSwithme, the Bulgarian movement, has been ongoing for more than 250 days. Since the 14 June 2013, protesters have been gathering to protest against the government demanding accountability.

integration and oppose the current widespread corruption and abuse of power. As many as 300,000 took to the streets to call for a free and fair democratic Ukraine as part of the European Union, as opposed to going back to Russia’s sphere of influence under a Eurasian Union. There are a number of large divides in Ukraine, whether linguistic, generational or economic. Yet, it is clear that a significant section of Ukranian society, especially in the West and Centre, demands a more dignified future. They were met with police violence, ban on protests, and a number of other human rights violations.

#EuroMaiden started on the 21 November 2013 after the Ukrainian President at the time, Victor Yanukovych, failed to sign an Association Agreement and a Free Trade Agreement with the EU, largely due to pressure from the Kremlin. The protesters demand more European

IT SEEMS THAT IN SOME PARTS OF THE CONTINENT, EUROPEAN INTEGRATION STILL SEEMS A DRIVING FORCE FOR POLITICAL CHANGE.

12 ISSUE 41

The violence escalated between the 18 and 20 February 2014 and there was chaos in Kiev, close to a civil war. The Ukrainian ‘interior troops’, which were created during Soviet times as the Soviet “internal troops” mainly to combat civil unrest and riots, used automatic weapons such as AK-47 and snipers against protesters. At least 78 people died on both sides of the line, with high level of civil unrest in a number of Ukrainian cities and towns.

This led to a clear response from the international community, especially the E.U. The Foreign Ministers of Poland, Germany and France came to Kiev on the 20 February to meet with Yanukovych. This led to the a deal between the opposition and the ruling party. It included the restoration of the 2004 constitution (transferring power from the president to the parliament), as well as an agreement to complete

CURRENT AFFAIRS constitutional reform by September 2014 with a new constitution to be adopted by December 2014. The deal also included arrangements to install a national unity interim government and to have presidential elections

by December 2014.

the Parliament voted to impeach Yanukovych and to have early presidential elections on 25 May. After being elected as the new speaker of the Parliament, on the 23 February Oleksandr Turchynov was also appointed as interim President.

On the 22 February the opposition asserted authority in Kiev and took effective control of Parliament. The Ukrainian MPs then voted to release Yulia Tymoshenko, the former Prime Minister, however a number of protesters on the Independence Square were unhappy with the deal and demanded the resignation of President Yanukovych.

After he refused to resign and denounced the deal as a “coup”,

There are a lot of differences between #DANSwithme and #Euromaidan, including a number of country-specific prerequisites for the development of the protest movements. To start with, Bulgaria is a member state of the EU, whereas Ukraine is still to become a candidate. In both movements, though, protesters have been waving the EU flag in dire hope of democracy, accountability, and a better standard of living. It

seems that in some parts of the continent, European integration still seems a driving force for political change. Recent events in Kiev sparked a stronger and clearer international response, especially from the EU. We are yet to see whether there will be lasting peace, however it is clear that progress has been made.

While violence might not be as high in Bulgaria, hopefully, following the events in Kiev, the international community will realize the importance of diplomatic and other efforts prior to the emergence of violence.

Otherwise diplomatic efforts will remain reactionary to violence, thus creating a need for it.

ISSUE 41 13

CURRENT AFFAIRS

How Should Students React During University Staff Strikes?

Staff and students have stood together in the face of educational struggles since the founding of universities around the world. When fees are raised, university workers support the students, and when wages are cut students support the university workers. Yet recent events during a strike by workers in the University of Warwick has thrown a spanner in this working pattern, and has triggered confusion and disillusion alike. In the last days of January 2014, staff in the University of Warwick went on strike following another clampdown on wages and working conditions. Naturally, as with any strike, this disrupted lectures for particular hours of the day.

Whilst the staff assembled outside the picket line, a group of history students throughout the academic years converged and began to run lectures on their own accord, either believing that these actions did not disrupt the strike or that the strike was not a priority concern in the face of a missed lecture.

Attacking the students as a whole, therefore, is ignorant of social and industrial disputes and how they work, pseudo-analytical reactionism and counterproductive results – did anyone even mention the students who did not attend the lectures or tried to persuade them otherwise?

WHEN FEES ARE RAISED, UNIVERSITY WORKERS SUPPORT THE STUDENTS, AND WHEN WAGES ARE CUT STUDENTS SUPPORT THE UNIVERSITY WORKERS

For strikes to work, the disruption of industry is necessary. Bosses and officials will otherwise continue their exploitation of everyday working peoples.

Crossing a picket line – essentially the entrances to the places of industry, in this case the university and its facilities – and self-organising lectures thus inevitably sabotages all efforts by the staff to defend their rights.

Intentionally or not, those running lectures behind their staff ’s back are actively chaining them to the source of their misery. Yet these facts may not be as common knowledge as we would like to think.

‘

‘

Naturally, these points have generated tension between students, staff and civil society, prompting a rapid exchange of heated debate and antagonism. However, there has been disregard by all sides of the greater complications behind the said phenomena, primarily that the media and the spokespeople do not represent all the students’ opinions. Why? From the student perspective, there were also students who either did not believe or intend that their activities undermined the strikes or who did not attend the lectures out of solidarity. For these reasons, the commentator cannot just condemn all the students as strike-breakers collectively.

14 ISSUE 41

State-capitalist society is inherently individualistic.

It promotes competition, abhors collectivism and solidarity and, when it comes to education, it focuses more on tailoring the production of the next generation of workers as supposed to one of free-thought. Condemning the tip of the iceberg sinks ships, and those hitting out at students as a whole demonstrate similar incomprehension of socio-consciousness as the portion of students who purposely broke picket lines.

CURRENT AFFAIRS

FOR STRIKES TO WORK, THE DISRUPTION OF INDUSTRY IS NECESSARY. They did not acknowledge the staff ’s right to disrupt labour as a means of establishing better working conditions. Yes – there are such students as well.

When coming face-to-face with such situations, observers and activists fi rstly ought to read before they rage - industrial and social disputes are complicated and have many faces. To condemn the students collectively as strike breakers is both rationally wrong and antagonising towards those who were acting out of good will in the absence of social awareness of the situation. After all, it is not as if our current education system bothers to explain strikes and patterns of industry to us, unless it’s a Business, Management and Economics course on ‘how to control your workforce’.

Secondly, say it, don’t spray it. If you see a student cross a picket line, speak to them on moral grounds.

Ask them if they are aware of the dynamics of a strike, and inquire as to their opinion on the matter.

You don’t need to throw leaflets at them all the time, just talk to them.

Finally, organise - approach your staff and discuss ways around the problem. No staff member wants to leave their students empty handed, and we as students can make a difference. Get in touch with them, coordinate strikes and, if your lecture was cancelled, by helping your staff you could contribute to there being no need to strike and also compensate for missed lectures constructively, e.g. re-scheduling lectures or considering audio uploads of missed material. There’s a lesson you won’t find in a textbook.

ALESSANDRO SKARLATOS-CURRIE ISSUE 41 15

CURRENT AFFAIRS

Euan Forbes

RIP OFF R AIL B

ritain has the most expensive train fares in Europe, but it is far from being the best.

Busy, uncomfortable, and extortionate, are three words that could best describe the UK’s railway system. This is owing to a dramatic rise in rail fares over the course of recent years with more announced for this year. Of course, it is the families, pensioners and students that suffer the most while travelling on what was once a cheap and easy way of commuting.

Today, a trip from Edinburgh to London booked one day in advance will cost between £64 - £125 depending on what time you wish to travel at. The same journey by bus is only £30.

You might think this seems reasonable, given the shorter journey time and catering facilities. However, when you consider a fl ight from Edinburgh 16 ISSUE 41

to Paris only costs £67.99, it soon puts things in perspective.

Moreover, in Scotland, a group of four travelling from Dundee to Glasgow are now cheaper hiring a taxi rather than utilising the train.

Scotrail nevertheless have promised a price freeze on 40% of journeys in 2014 and only a rise in line with inflation. There are of course various rail cards and lower priced advance tickets

SCOTRAIL’S CHIEF RECIEVED A £54,000 RAISE WHICH SAW HIM PAID TWICE THE SALARY OF THE PRIME MINISTER This is due to a combination of high pricing and a situation where journeys passing through Dundee cost significantly more than other locations, an issue which was raised by Jenny Marra MSP in Parliament.

Train companies have stated that only a small percentage of the ticket cost is profit, the rest is spent on staff, fuel and maintenance. The gullible could believe this, but news emerged in 2013 that Scotrail’s chief received a £54,000 raise which saw him paid twice the salary of the Prime Minster (according to The Scotsman).

which reduce ticket price to the benefit of the frequent travellers.

But why can’t companies also follow the example set by one French company who charge according to age? This would mean no card is necessary but your ID; it is a policy open to everyone regardless of whether they are a student or a pensioner.

It is early as yet to say what the full effects on commuter’s wallets will be this year but it does not look good. It is hoped however that with rail contracts up for tender in 2015 that prices may become less onerous in the nottoo-distant future.

FEATURES

Animalerie Rights The story goes that when Reagan rang Harrods to ask if they sold elephants – the symbol of his party – he received the reply: “Would that be African or Indian, sir?”

I can’t exactly call myself a militant for animal rights though the tempest I cried at ‘Blackfish’ must certainly count for some form of activism, but I’ve always assumed the rhetoric that animals shouldn’t suffer at the hands of humans. Then when I was in Paris in January, I was walking from Notre Dame to the Champs Elysses along the Seine when I passed three ‘Animaleries’.

I walked by the fi rst store unnoticed. It wasn’t until I wondered what the wailing noises were that I realised what an ‘animalerie’ was. Dogs and cats were being kept in guineapig-sized tanks. A hunched husky puppy was confi ned with an almost fully-grown Staffie, while four other bulldog pups

‘

Dogs and cats were being kept in guinea-pigsized tanks

’

shared the same sized tank and four adult cats also shared one enclosure. Four walls repeated this gestation crate pattern.

Let’s be clear about what happens to animals that are bred in these environments.

They are fed the cheapest food, given minimal healthcare and exposed to numerous viruses and repercussions of inbreeding.

There are many cases of people buying pets from animalaries where the animal will die within a month because of its many health problems. They are given little attention, meaning it’s difficult to train them because they have no reason to want to please their new owners. Furthermore, without socialisation - they have severe temperament problems.

The Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare (2000) established ‘The Five Freedoms’, a set of laws to protect animals under human control. These decree that animals have the right to freedom from (1) hunger, thirst

and malnutrition; (2) fear and distress; (3) physical discomfort; (4) pain, injury and disease; and (5), the freedom to express normal patterns of behaviour.

So who would put another highfunctioning and emotive creature through this? Moreover, why have it on show when it’s against the law? The truth is that animaleries exhibit the cruel conditions they keep their animals in so that people feel compelled to rescue them. People are then caught in a conundrum: torn between not wanting to invest in such an abhorrent business, but also wanting to rescue the animal from his/her suffering. Animaleries prey on people’s morality and create a market for wealth through the suffering of animals.

Kirstie Allen For more info...

Read: ‘Animals Are Not Things’, an essay by Dr Temple Grandin.

Follow: Paul McCartney Go To: www.peta.org.uk

ISSUE 41 17

SPOTTED

FEATURES

Claire McPhilli

A

h, Facebook. You used to be so simple. When someone wrote a bitchy status moaning about all the bitchy, moany people clogging up their news feed the solution was simple, unfriend.

Now sites like Spotted: Dundee Uni Library have given everyone a platform to publicly voice their self-righteous views and connect with other like-minded individuals (pricks). Just look at the hundreds of Spotted posts abusing fellow students for eating/sneezing/ breathing, for even daring to exist in a public space.

Back in the day on Facebook, when someone tagged us in an unflattering photo or posted a comment about our dress sense that cut just

18 ISSUE 41

my and Calum

Smith

a little too close to the bone we could easily just delete it. (Sorry pal, we can’t afford to bulk buy Urban Outfitters latest window display.) Now we have even less control over what kinds of things are shared about us online, and the sometimes terrifying way in which they are shared. Don’t we all live in fear that one dreaded photo might suddenly turn viral?!

The thing is Facebook, we’re just not ready to give up on you quite just yet. Because for all of the times that people use you oh so wrongly, there are also times when people get you oh so right. Which is why we’ve put together a little mini guide of ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’ of Spotted posts for Facebook users everywhere.

FEATURES

D

GOO THE

THE BAD

A definite ‘like’. This is humour that is effective AND inoffensive. More of this please.

THE PLAIN

Listen up serial complainers, noise police and anyone else who is thinking of posting about the ‘1st Floor Snorer’ for the hundredth time this academic year. Have you ever considered just becoming a hermit? You’d probably find life a lot easier that way. Failing that, we hear there’s a bridge out there looking for a troll... You’d rock that shit.

UGLY

We may all be young bundles of hormones, but Facebook ain’t the place to channel your sexual frustration. Casual misogyny ain’t gonna help your case.

In conclusion, it’s time to bring back manners, common decency, and (dare we go there) morals. Shouldn’t we bring back respect for one another instead of just using other’s irritating or embarrassing moments to get shares and likes? We could try and do the decent thing: The person whose headphone volume is too loud? Tell them. The person who is devouring their McCoys a little too aggressively? Tell them. And that girl, who just left the toilets, with her skirt tucked in to her knickers? Tell her. Nicely.

ISSUE 41 19

FEATURES

WALK UP THE LAW HILL

G O TO H E A LT H SERV ICES FOR

TITANIC

G I G G L E H Y S T E R I C A L LY T H E E N T I R E T I M E

BRAG ABOUT IT FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS ON BROUGHTY FERRY CASTLE

CHLAMYDIA TESTING

SALIVATE & GORGE AT THE TAPAS BAR

BRE AKDOWN TRYING TO DECIDE WHICH FL AVOUR OF ICE CRE AM TO ORDER AT VISOCCHI’S

ALL DAY

BBQ

DRINKS, AND ULTIMATE FRISBEE ON MAGDALEN GREEN

HIT UP TENTSMUIR FOR A REAL BEACH

VISIT ST. ANDREWS

Poshness AND MOAN ABOUT ALL THE

ORDER A 3:30AM DOMINO’S BECAUSE YOU CAN

VISIT RIVERSIDE TESCO VISIT

AT 4.30AM AND BUY SOMETHING YOU RE ALLY DON'T NEED

CLARKIES

AT AN UNGODLY HOUR, GET IN LINE, THERE’S ALWAYS A QUEUE go to

LIVE IN A "TYPICAL" STUDENT HOUSE, A CLOSE RELATIVE OF

THE IGLOO

GO ON AN ADVENTURE

GO TO THE

The Horn

LOSE ALL YOUR FRIENDS

TO BACON NIRVANA THAT IS

STILL HAVE AN AMAZING NIGHT

VISIT THE TOP OF THE TOWER CAFÉ,

HOT CHOCOLATE ALWAYS TASTES BETTER WHEN IT’S THAT HIGH UP

CATCH THE UNI NIGHT BUS SOBER, BUT STILL GIVE THE DRIVER HELL

Camperdown GO ALONG MCGONAGALLS Wildlife park WALK AND GET A HOPE NO ONE NOTICES YOU’RE THERE ON YOUR OWN CONFIDENCE BOOST ABOUT YOUR OWN RHYMES 20 ISSUE 41

CARPARK RAVE

ADD YOUR LECTURER

ON SNAPCHAT

FEATURES

WALK UP TO THE OBSERVATORY

WATCH A PRE TENTIOUS SUBTITLED FILM , EAT

V I S I T S T U DE N T-F U N DI NG U N I T

ONE LAST TIME, GET TRASHED ON A FIVER

BREAKDOWN

G E T T O L D Y O U N E E D C O U N S E L L I NG

FIND A GEM IN THE RECYCLING CENTRE

DISCOVER

GO TO

AT NIGHT, GET SHIT SCARED BY THE SKETCH PATH, AND TURN BACK

DCA FRASER’S FRUIT AND VEG

VENTURE INTO FAT SAMS, ASK FOR ID BEFORE PULLING

WALK THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF

PERTH ROAD

BONFIRE NIGHT

F ROM THE LAW OR BAL GAY PA RK

WAVE TO YOURSELF FROM THE BIG TV SCREEN

COUNT HOW MANY TIMES YOU SAY HEAD TO UNDERGROUND, FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF COLLECTING RUBBER DUCKS TRICK YOURSELF INTO BELIEVING YOU’RE GETTING A TAN

LAING’S BEER GARDEN

VISIT ABERTAY

STUDENT UNION

STAY IN THE LIBRARY UNTIL CLOSING GET CHUMMY WITH THE SECURITY GUARDS

BRING THEM

Get chucked out

COOKIES being too chummy

JUST TO SEE HOW THE ENEMY LIVE

have a flying lesson

selfie with

O R A C T U A L LY F LY O U T O F D U N D E E A I R P O R T

DUNDEE’S DRAGON C L I M B T H E P Y R A M I D O U T S I D E G L O B E . P L U S T E N P O I N T S I F Y O U R H E E L S S TAY O N VENTURE INTO

HILLTOWN

LIVE TO TELL THE TALE

WANDER IN

DUNDEE'S NATURE PARK

HUNGOVER

SPEW IN THE FRESH DEWEY AIR

FEEL SUPER COOL WHEN YOU FINALLY DISCOVER SUPERSNACKS, AND REALIZE THE FOURTH YEARS ARE VESSELS OF KNOWLEDGE. PROCEED TO ORDER A SANDWICH AS BIG AS YOUR FACE

TELL T H E PEOPLE AT

KETCHUP IT ’S YOUR FRIEND’S

birthday

A N D D R AW A P IC T U R E FOR TH EIR WA LL

ISSUE 41 21

o t e d i Gu s ’ t o i Th e I d NG I T T I H S L BUL YOUR N O I T TA R E S DIS , in th e e fou rt h ye ar at ol es d e; n e o f crim 4 h ou rs . S ce 2 s u in m T It ’ s rtat ion . e ca ffein e fin is h ed d is se un e th h it ts , but o f th w gh li h as fl li b ra ry, d n ed food an k Y2 K . C an in h T e. il p ck in e gu m s.

S to ce ed bull an d W R e d u in ity o f entr an cl ic in V . ts n an io n ct ai se st so rt . S u floo r silent e w ill b e ib ra ry . Fir st L n ai M e h ig h er th er : ar es s d od g, n C oo rd in at . uce d fa inti k to stren gt h ac ad em ia in d ac f b o s le se d ca oo n In p door. ed you cu u , or sp oon fe yo sh su to p as serb yers

16 :3 0 Twenty-four hours to go.

Sure you’ve had 10 months to so rt this sucker, so w hy shouldn’t it surprise you that you’ ve waited til l now to plonk dow n and crank it out.

This is like th e last testam ent of uni, the holy grail of last minute assignments . And you’re about to walk on wat er.

22 ISSUE 41

17:5 6 Set picture of Chuck Norris as screensaver backdrop. Le gend has it he helps th ose in need.

Well that, and induces feelings of ex treme inadequacy.

19 :0 9 Begin panic, albeit mellow panic.

Skim YouTu be in search of a Simpson’s ep isode regard ing your disserta tion topic. Po sitive: Transcribe ep isode (replace doug hnuts with symbolism).

Negative: Che ck Family Guy. Brian’s got yo ur back, that is if he doesn’t die on you.

FEATURES

20:48

05:56

09:20

Get to know the foyer bake sale crew. Resulting in leftover tray bake and an invitation to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro.

In a novel lapse of genius revelation attempt to download dissertation off Pirate Bay. Feel rejected, alone, and bitter when even the dark illegals of the Internet can’t raise you up to walk on stormy seas.

Reach breaking point. Pay for Spotify Premium.

22:17 Tesco Express Run. Stock up on mini donuts and space invaders.

23:02 In a demonstration of maturity far beyond your choice of crisps, ask your mate to change your Facebook password. Brace yourself for the comedown.

00:30 Decide to write dissertation bottom up. Create beautiful list of references copy and pasted from that article your tutor e-mailed you back in September after that first meeting.

00:45 Feel accomplished. Spend next fifteen minutes trying to remember what said tutor looks like, haven’t seen them since aforementioned September meeting.

03:06 Change seats. Maturely realize it’s not the seat that’s miserable. It’s you. Change back.

04:12 Get distracted by own dandruff.

Ponder potential magical powers of snowing hair.

06:08 Time to hit the casino, if you strike it rich, your opinion on eighteenth century architecture doesn’t really matter, right?

'Change your Facebook password.

Brace yourself for the comedown.’

07:33 Return to the library in shame, £6.20 up, with a slight buzz and stunning karma from tipping the homeless lad outside Tescos. At least now you can pay off your long overdue library fees.

08:18 Spend precious minutes sending a needy breakfast text. Find out all friends are still in bed. Dream of Krispy Kremes. Settle on a double from the cafe.

10:10 Badmouth a couple of first years for looking in your general direction. Keen fucks.

11:56 Read over the twenty-eight paragraphs you call a dissertation.

Wonder if it’s fate that the amino acid glutamate keeps reminding you of your ex.

13:43 In a flush of optimism, start buffering the new series of How I Met Your Mother for when you get your life back. As in, like, three hours.

14:15 Realisation of sooness of getting life back goes straight to head.

Start the Jello shots. Which also go straight to head.

15:56 Panic. Relief. Exhaustion.

Euphoria. More Jello Shots. Drunk text your studly study budy. More Jello shots. Floor.

16:23 Maximize efficiency, print off KFC Job Application at the same time as your dissertation. You’re gonna need it.

Danielle Ames ISSUE 41 23

FEATURES

FASHION VICTIM

SARASVATHI ARULAMPALAM

T

here is a scene in the clearly-snubbed-foran-Oscar movie ‘Magic Mike’, where Mike points at a girl at the bar and, encouraging his young protégé known as ‘the Kid’, says ‘Look at what she’s wearing, she came here to be bothered’.

While the girl in question is in fact wearing a tiara and feather boa, this opinion seems prevalent in attitudes to how women dress. Th is is rape culture: that a short skirt means someone’s arse is up for grabbing, that a low-cut dress could in any way imply a desire to be groped.

The fact is that in trying to prevent rape, the responsibility is more than often laid on the victim curtailing their behaviour to minimize the risk. Th is implies that there can be a modicum of blame laid on the victim, when it’s blatant that the entire blame

‘LOOK AT WHAT SHE’S WEARING, SHE CAME HERE TO BE BOTHERED’ should be on the person whose conduct is criminal.

In 2010, a survey with over 1000 participants found that 28% thought that the victim was partially responsible if they were dressed ‘provocatively’ (The Havens Wake Up to Rape Report). That same year a man in Australia was acquitted of rape because it was held that the skinny jeans the victim was wearing couldn’t possibly have been pulled off without her consent. The following year, a New York Times article on the a gang rape of an 11-year old in Texas included comments on the child’s clothing (‘appropriate to a woman in her 20s’).

The idea that clothing is in any way is an incitement to rape - that clothing could be used as a weapon to defend rapists - is repellent. Fashion is and always 24 ISSUE 41

will be an expression of personality, independent of the wants and needs of others - it can never be used to be judge the validity of a rape accusation.

Further it plays into an idea that hast been circulating for decades: that women dress exclusively to appeal to the opposite sex, as shown with an article the Huffington Post published last November. ‘23 Trends Men Hate (but women love)’ in which everything from high-waisted skirts (‘lacks subtlety’) to bright lipstick (‘hooker red’) was put under the scrutiny of these hard-to-please men. The point of the article was questioned under a mountain of backlash, causing more than one video response of girls wearing all the items listed.

So despite what ‘Magic Mike’ says, what she is wearing is not a sign that she wants to be bothered. Fashion is never an excuse for someone else’s behaviour, nor is it a tool to please the opposite sex. It’s not an indicator of anything but what that person thought looked good in the mirror that morning.

FASHION

MANE ATTRACTION LAUREN BRAND

Pick a style, any style… start planning your new season makeover now - starting with your roots.

This season’s catwalks bring us a whole host of looks to choose from to dazzle the crowd!

From accessories aplenty to glossed low ponys, mermaid waves and chic soft-ombres… whether you’re a pro at styling or prefer minimum effort, this season has a style for you.

1

Tone down your ombre look this Spring with the new ‘sombre’ – a less drastic graduation of colour.

This new version of ombre gives hair a super-shiny, super-subtle edge as the light moves through the hair, highlighting the lighter and brighter ends. Golden-honey hues look gorgeous on brunettes giving a subtle hint of last summer’s sunshine. Blonde girls, go for iced-out, silvery hues to flaunt those beachy tresses. And for you red-heads out there, this look is to die-for with delicate shades of light blonde!

‘AN EXTREME SIDE PARTING LOOKS SEXY AND OOZES CONFIDENCE’

2

4

TAKE ROOT

GREASE IS THE WORD

Banish bad hair days with a slicked-back low ponytail with loose, textured ends. Achieve this look with sophisticated sleek roots and ends. Effortless yet flawless, this style is perfect for any occasion and classic Scottish weather.

3

BEACH BABE

Make waves with this laid-back, fuss-free style. Good news for lazy girls, the more random placed and tousled the better!

Use straighteners to loosely curl your locks. Don’t overdo it with product or heat stylers- it will look too ‘done’. Alternatively, loosely braid the hair to create that messy, windswept look. Mermaid-chic!

POKER STRAIGHT

Super-shiny, super-silky, superstraight! Blow-drying locks adds volume to this look, whereas straightening adds a sleek, ‘oh so feminine’ finish. A centre parting gives a model off-duty vibe whereas an extreme side-parting looks sexy and oozes confidence.

Don’t forget to give your hair a treat with a conditioning mask twice a week, or massage moroccon oil through the lengths and ends daily to protect the hair from heat styling.

5

BLOSSOMING BEAUTY

Accessorizing is the easiest way to add a soft, feminine edge to current hair trends. It may be the oldest accessory in the book, but the catwalks have made flowers feel new again. Tiny blossoms scattered through messy styles and low-ponys are a must, as with simple-chic bows and pheasantinspired pieces woven through the hair. Perfect for adding a girly-feel to any outfit.

ISSUE 41 25

FASHION

TOTALLY CLUELESS

by Leona Reid

BEAUTY

Benefit Coralista: Boots - £23.50

A Total Betty There are more than a few things Clueless is famous for; one of which I never thought was the beauty inspiration. It turns out there are actually a few things to pick up on! Need to add some volume to your limp hair? No problem, down a can of coke and you’ll have all the tools you need (see Tai’s ‘makeover’). If there’s anything to take away from the film, it has to be Cher’s Barbie doll date night look. Although the date was a major disappointment, I’d bet that if Christian were straight, she’d have been well in. To get the look, blow dry your hair out straight for a sleek volume-filled finish. Keep make up girly with pink hues, but proceed with caution as this isn’t your primary school disco.

Ugh, as if!

Mini Bulldog Clips: Accessorize - £6.50

26 ISSUE 41

Tresemme Volume & Lift Mousse: Boots - £5.25

ACCESSORIES

Polka Dot Ankle Socks: Topshop - £3.50

White Boxy Lock Bag: Asos - £25

L’Oreal Color Riche Privee Lipstick in Doutzen Kroes: Superdrug - £8.19

Just kidding, accessories are like, really important; I just had to get that quote in somewhere. So, where to start? Dionne’s nose ring, a pink fluffy top pen and that absolute brick of a mobile phone and you’re good to go. A pastel satchel is obviously required to store all this junk and there are a gazillion options to choose from on the High Street. If you’re planning on lugging your laptop and various unread textbooks around campus then there are bigger options available, in every colour imaginable. Another vital accessory for channelling your inner Cher is of course the frilly sock. A pair of these with those Mary Janes we talked about and, ugh, you’ll look the bomb.

FASHION

FOOTWEAR ‘You see how picky I am about my shoes and they only go on my feet’ If you don’t understand this quote then 1) shame on you, and 2) go watch Clueless again. Regardless of where you set your standards in that department (no judgment here), take a leaf out of Cher’s moral guidebook and never make your footwear choices lightly. A good pair of Mary-Jane’s emulate that 90’s schoolgirl look perfectly and are pretty much limitless in terms of styling. However, if they aren’t your thing, then opt for a pair of simple ballet pumps; they work just as well. Plimsolls are also a good shout, especially paired with over-the-knee stockings and a miniskirt (you know you want to). For something with a bit more height and a modern twist, these platform heels are perfect (just don’t try driving in them).

Double Buckle Shoes: Topshop - £32

Pale Blue Round Toe Pumps: Dorothy Perkins - £12

Peep Toe Platforms: River Island - £55

Knitted Crop Top: Topshop - £36

CLOTHING Fashion Victim or Ensembly Challenged?

Check Mini Skirt: New Look - £17.99 Overlay Playsuit: Miss Selfridge - £45

Boyfriend Coat in Pink: Fashion Union - £70

In our case; neither. The possibilities available to help capture this look are almost too much to handle; pretty much every High Street clothing store I’ve come across is screaming that Clueless vibe. The daytime look is a lot more versatile; and the easiest, most signature look to pull off is the high-waisted miniskirt paired with a simple crop top. Fear not; midriff bearing is optional. Throw a boyfriend coat on top and you are so ready to go. For something a bit more nocturnal, take things up a notch with this lime green playsuit and a pair of sky-high platforms. This look is slightly less 90s, but still channels that Clueless style.

However, if you’re feeling beyond brave, why not attempt Cher’s white Calvin Klein ensemble; the outfit responsible for catching Josh’s attention and allowing him to see Cher as more than just a stepsister....Ew.

ISSUE 41 27

GENTLEMEN, SUIT UP!

martin bell

I

t’s that time of year again... Graduation is looming for many students, schools and societies will be hosting their annual balls. This is a rare occasion for guys to put on their gladrags and enjoy a change of pace from the weekly night out at Skint.

Anytime you’re wearing formal attire, whether it’s a sharp-looking suit or your formal national dress (and who doesn’t love a kilt?), you should look and feel awesome. With this in mind I want to cover a few things about buying and wearing a suit that will have you looking and feeling your absolute best.

Here’s where we start. Compare these two suits.

One suit shows off and complements the wearer by nipping in at the waist and being narrower in the legs to display figure. It’s stylish and contemporary.

The other suit is excessively baggy and hangs like an old sack – also note the creases in the arm, billowy legs and bunching around the ankles which are good indications that the suit might actually be the wrong size.

The world of suits can be complex and it’s not my intention to cover it all but I want to give you some basic advice and a few tips to avoid the most common faux pas. If you want to look stylish and sophisticated, keep it simple! Seriously. Check out any red carpet or Bond movie. Your clothes should be a compliment to you, not a distraction.

28 ISSUE 41

FASHION

Buying a suit off the peg If you want a modern trendy style go for a ‘slim fit’ or ‘tailored’ (off-the-peg fits) suit with one or two buttons and a thin-notched lapel. This type of suit is versatile enough for almost all of your needs from graduation to first interview. If you buy it in black

with a nice dress shirt and throw on a bow tie you can even stretch it to formal events. Black will give you lots of options but navy, charcoal and grey look great too (try different colours and see what suits you)

Tip 1 - GET MEASURED

Tip 5 - SUIT MATERIAL

Tip 8 - BEFORE YOU HIT THE TOWN

Get measured properly before trying on or buying a suit. (Pay attention to leg and arm length on off-the-peg suits)

Don’t worry too much about material for your first suit unless you need it for everyday wear (in this case ask an assistant).

Remember to snip the threads that hold the vents in when you first buy a suit (and remove any labels on the sleeve).

Tip 2 - TRY IT ON

Tip 6 - BOW TIES ARE COOL

Tip 9 - PERSONALITY

Try on a few different suits before you settle on one (take the time to find one you really like.)

If you want to wear one; buy a self-tie bow tie and learn to do it properly. Trust me it’s a great manly achievement which should definitely be on your bucket list.

Inject some of your personality into your suit in a subtle way with accessories. Cool socks, unique cufflinks a tie clip or a bold handkerchief add flair and something unique – just remember to keep it simple and remember the tone of your event.

Tip 3 - STYLE & FORMALITY Don’t wear a tuxedo to an interview (unless you’re Will Ferrell) or anytime before 6pm.

There is a bit more licence to “dress up” a more casual suit.

Tip 4 - SHIRT COLOUR For the sharpest look your shirt should always be lighter than your jacket. (Dark shirts on light jackets actually draw focus off your face)

Tip 7 - SHOES (I could write a whole other article on shoes – but here’s a quick tip) Black shoes go with any colour suit; brown shoes go with any suit colour apart from black. Leather looks nicer and lasts longer.

Tip 10 - HAVE FUN! Wear your suit with pride and relish how good you look.

'try different colours and see what suits you'

Polishing off your look •

ALWAYS unbutton your jacket before sitting down

•

The width of your tie should match the width of your lapel

•

Unless you have a single button suit the bottom button should always stay undone (this also applies to your waistcoat)

•

Handkerchiefs (pocket squares) shouldn’t match your tie

•

Abide by the gig line

•

Ties should end at your belt line

The gig line harmonises all the elements of your suit

ISSUE 41 29

ENTERTAINMENT

JUDGING AN ACTOR BY HIS ABDOMINAL MUSCLES

BY ALEX GARDNER

T

wenty years ago, at the 66th Academy Awards, Tom Hanks won his fi rst Oscar for best leading actor for his portrayal of a homosexual lawyer with AIDS in ‘Philadelphia’. Competition for the little golden man was tough that year, with Daniel Day-Lewis and Liam Neeson receiving nominations for their roles in “In the Name of the Father” and “Schindler’s List” respectively. One overlooked but equally Oscar-worthy performance, however, was delivered by a young, moustachioed Matthew McConaughey as ultra-confidant, creepy yet simultaneously endearing ephebophile, David Wooderson in the coming of age cult classic Dazed and Confused.

‘Dallas Buyers Club’ as Philadelphia 2.0, a tired story of a man overcoming adversity in the shape of an incurable disease, renouncing earlier prejudices, learning to empathise, winning in a moral sense only, and fi nally, dying.

Call me a cynic, but perhaps the Academy Awards are more than slightly biased towards leading roles in fi lms reflecting a message of ‘progressive’ social commentary (for want of a better term than ‘Oscar bait’), rather than the quality and strength of the performance itself. Perhaps a more fitting category title would be ‘Whoever happens to be lead actor in this year’s most pretentiously deep yet non-alienating to a popular audience fi lm’ rather than ‘Best actor in a leading role’.

There was no big paycheque for this role. The performance appears above all to be driven by McConaughey’s genuine respect for the character, and his commitment is manifest in his drastic weight loss for the role. What does take a great actor is the portrayal of the emotional sickness seen within Woodroof, which is far more haunting than McConaughey’s skeletal frame.

Fast forward to the present day. At time of writing, a certain Matthew McConaughey has earned Best Leading Actor Oscar for his role in “Dallas Buyers Club”. Those who share my scepticism of the Academy Awards could be forgiven for considering 30 ISSUE 41

McConaughey reprises a Wooderson-esque moustache (his confidant swagger is ubiquitous – no reprisal needed there) in the role of Ron Woodroof, a heterosexual, homophobic and recently diagnosed HIV-positive electrician. The real thoughtprovoking substance comes from the fi lms criticism of clinical research ethics, and exploration of issues of personal freedom related to an individual’s body.

If nothing else this win should serve to a wake-up call to those who still dismiss McConaughey as the stereotypical surfer dude from endless 00’s romantic comedies, cast for eye candy. As far as I’m concerned McConaughey has not only won that Oscar, but also a moral victory.

ENTERTAINMENT

BY KATE MCAULIFFE

BY KATE MCAULIFFE A love that was never meant to last. Over before it had really began, you will be missed Flappy Bird - that is unless you’re one of those clearthinking-pre-planning (not to mention obsessive and procrastinating) types who already had the app saved to your device. Well done, you are forever selfdubbed the coolest cat around!

But, for those of you who have been living under a rock these last few weeks, Flappy Bird was, yes was, a gaming app in which the player had to continually tap the screen in order to help a small yellow bird navigate between dangerous (and apparently fatal) sets of pipes. Yes, much like the sweet/savoury, oozy goodness of peanut butter, Flappy Bird’s appeal comes from its simplicity. Taking Vietnamese creator Dong Nguyen only three days to develop the game, simplicity seemed to be the key word for gameplay, graphics and the general mind-set of targeted players. But, after reaching the number one spot for free apps in China, America and Britain by the end of January this year, Nguyen was earning around $50,000 a day from advertisements that pop up twice every time a player dies, which per player probably averages at four seconds or so.

Then it happened. On February 9th 2014 Nguyen discontinued the app, breaking the hearts of all the poor students who hadn’t quite managed to jump on the band wagon yet. Apparently $50,000 a day from loving fans wasn’t enough for Nguyen and he dropped the game faster than Rose dropped Jack at the end of Titanic. But, if your heart still won’t go on, have no fear: phones with the app already installed are being sold on eBay between $300 and $90,000, (with the minor complication that all phones sold on eBay have to be wiped before doing so, oops), and some people are even renting out their phones to addicts like it was the last milligram of crack left on the planet.

But is Flappy Bird really that unique? Why are we all so hung up on it? After all if you’re looking for a rebound there are plenty more fish in the sea, like ‘Splashy Fish – The Adventure of a Flappy Tiny Fish Bird’. In fact, if you’re that desperate just browse through the top 10 free apps and you’ll be sure to fi nd a knock-off clone suited to your own everyday needs. I’ll personally be holding my breath for that special day when ‘Fall Out Bird’ flaps its way into my life.

ISSUE 41 31

ENTERTAINMENT

Kirstie Allan

Cœur de Pirate LIYL: First Aid Kit, Bob Dylan, HAIM. Start With: ‘Music When The Lights Go Out’, ‘Lucille’, ‘Slow Show’.

of themselves, rather than just existing as another version of someone else’s song. As Béatrice Martin says on Trauma, “What I like about covers is when you realize that even after you’ve deconstructed a song, it manages to keep its essence”.

Some analysis: ‘Lucille’, for the agony, eclipses the original. Martin’s sucré voice and modest instrumentation removes the country artificiality from the original and allows the song to exhibit it’ full melancholy. She also betters Lana Del Ray’s version of ‘Summer Wine’. For one thing, Martin doesn’t sound bored, unlike the artist singing with Del Ray (whom Google tells me is her boyfriend...rofl). She brings an innocence to the track that lightens it, but combined with folky traits - like breathy vocals and sparse acoustic instruments- the song retains its status as a lament. Finally, the track that had the most potential to flop as a cover is possibly the album’s I think that, in general, the best covers are the ones strongest offering: ‘Music When The Lights Go Out’ that are furthest removed from the original. This

by The Libertines. Going I learned in Dr Brian ‘the best adaptations are the beyond doing the original Hoyle’s film class: the best justice, Martin stamps on adaptations are the ones ones that are prepared to give her own credentials by that are prepared to give itself its own identity’ creates fluidity out of the itself its own identity. shambled music that Pete Doherty himself described What’s the fundamental attribute of Shakespeare’s as “the sound of someone just put in the rubbish plays? His words. Kurosawa has made the greatest chute at the back of the estate, trying to work out Shakespeare adaptations because he does away with what day it was”.

Shakespeare’s text, while still preserving the story.

I wrote about Cœur de Pirate in one of the fi rst Band of the Month articles. Advocating for an artist twice is not something I planned on doing, but the pop-chanteuse’s newly-released album of covers, which they were commissioned to make for the Canadian tv show Trauma, showcases a mixtape of extraordinary interpretations, from artists such as Amy Winehouse, The National, Nancy Sinatra, Bon Iver, The Rolling Stones, Bill Withers, and more.

{

The same decree applies to music. Great covers ‘Make You Feel My Love’ by Adele; ‘Hallelujah’ by Jeff Buckley; ‘Hurt’ by Johnny Cash; Birdy’s debut album - succeed because they are good songs in and 32 ISSUE 41

}

In the end, whether you know the original tracks or not doesn’t really matter. Trauma is an eclectic collection of songs, some of which just happen to be decades older than the artist, that’s all.

CAMPUS NEWS

DIPLOMATS @DUNDEE Dominic Younger

Last year’s joint winners of DUSA’s “Best Society” Award drop by to tell us a bit about the student society and what they have planned for the semester.

A

s many students can attest, university is what you make it. Some students have learnt that this can mean a lot more than fitting Skint into your weekly routine. The Diplomatic Society at Dundee, ever since its creation by Anna Dimitrova in 2010, has gone further afield every year and has achieved more each semester.

Focusing on student-led training, the society has been committed to teaching others how they can teach themselves to become more engaged in society itself.

From organising some fun activities on campus (like last year’s Valentines Speed Dating) to traversing the world in search of the best conferences, the Diplomats have worked out a winning formula. Nothing can beat a CV filled with the impressive array of projects and conferences on offer to any aspiring diplomat. Also, these Model Simulations (United Nations, European Unions, NATOs and Arab Leagues) that are held from Edinburgh to Estonia, are some of the best ways to meet unforgettable, intelligent and young socialites.

‘this is more than just debating, it is critical thinking, fast-paced diplomacy and negotiation’ The Diplomats@Dundee constantly debate the most current and stimulating topics international politics has to offer so - even if you do not have an opinion, you can be sure the countries you represent do. Indeed, this is more than just debating, it is critical thinking, fast-paced diplomacy and negotiation. Students learn to think on their feet, lest their country’s reputation is tarnished. Moreover, they also learn to formulate draft legislation, directives and regulations from national

policy. So if you’re bored of the same old tedious ‘independence’ debate, or saturated ‘left vs right’ arguments, try something different, try diplomacy, you really have nothing to lose and yet so much to gain.

From the 3rd-8th of April 2014, the Diplomats, through a sister group called Discover2Inspire, are hosting the biggest university conference Dundee has ever seen. We will be welcoming over 100 European students from 10 different countries. Dundee will become the home for a five-day conference on Sustainability, and what youth in action can do to combat it. Ranging from guest lectures on innovative NGOs and Sustainable Social Entrepreneurs to practical workshops on how social media can transform the way we view sustainability and how we can all live more sustainably, the Diplomats@Dundee are committed to making a difference.

To follow our progress and see how you can get involved visit www.discovertoinspire.org Many students know that your career won’t just appear when you graduate, so what are you waiting for?

Discover yourself. Find us at www.facebook.com/ groups/diplomats@dundee ISSUE 41 33

CAMPUS NEWS

Citing ambitious plans, Downes Felix Reimer defends staff cuts plans University principal Professor Pete Downes has confirmed the University will set up a severance scheme to reduce academic staff and defended the losses as necessary for Dundee’s 25-year plan to become Scotland’s leading university.

The University Court, the governing body responsible for staff and finance matters, considered the scheme during its meeting in February. Although the Court issued a statement after that meeting, crucial details will not be available until April.

“We are proposing that we open a voluntary severance scheme for academic staff,” Downes said. “And we’re also proposing a small change management programme in one area of the University, which will lead to a small number – probably no more than about 10 – [of] staff losses.” He added, “It would be disingenuous to say that it’s our intention that that’s where that ends.”

Explaining why the University’s senior management considered the cuts necessary, Downes said: “We always envisaged that [the vision] would require us to do some quite difficult things… in part financially, to support investment in the most important areas of the University.”

The Courier reported earlier last month the University was looking to cut 150 academic staff. While stating that The Courier’s article contained “inaccuracies”, Downes said it would not be appropriate for him to discuss how many employees and which academic programmes will be affected by the plans.

34 ISSUE 41

‘. . . prospective students could shy away from accepting a place at Dundee in the light of recent news. . .’

He added, “The aim and purpose of what we’re trying to do is to ensure that the University can invest in its future.”

CAMPUS NEWS Downes, along with Professor Karl Leydecker, the vice-principal for learning and teaching, and Dr. Jim McGeorge, the University secretary, addressed a special meeting of the Student Representative Council (SRC) on February 11th. Originally scheduled to update student representatives about the University’s progress in implementing its vision, the meeting was overshadowed by The Courier article.

In his presentation, Downes focused on the University’s efforts to improve the student experience as a key part of the “Transformation” strategy.

He said the institution already benefits from the “excellent reputation” of Dundee University Students’ Association (DUSA), and that both sides are working to further strengthen their partnership.

Downes said the University wanted to increase the subvention with which it supports DUSA, and was working on improving the availability of timetables.

He also said further investment in the Library and more space for DUSA’s Premier shop were among the plans for the near future.

In the discussion following the presentation, student representatives were mostly critical of the University’s plan to reduce staff. They pointed out that current students are unlikely to benefit from

SRC Motion on Staff Cuts - Conclusion & Motions -

The SRC calls on the University’s senior management to clarify how current and prospective students are going to be affected by impending staff cuts.

The University’s communication on this issue has been nothing short of disastrous.

the long-term vision while feeling its drawbacks now, that prospective students could shy away from accepting a place at Dundee in the light of recent news, and that many staff members already put in extra hours to get their work done.

Downes defended the plans, saying that the cuts would be accompanied by reviewing whether curricula could be simplified and workloads redistributed. “There are clear areas where [the University’s] performance is significantly less than … the other institutions with which we compare ourselves.”

“If we look at the income that our staff generate, and divide that by the number of academic staff, we are a long way below our nearest competitors. So we’re being unproductive in certain respects,” Downes said.

He singled out research income and attracting students from overseas as areas in which the University was below the benchmarks.

Leydecker added, ‘There are some areas where we don’t have enough staff. We need to be able to release some resource to make those investments and improve the student experience and the support environment that we have. We can’t do that at the moment because we don’t have the headroom to do it.’

With information leaked to the media and the Court largely maintaining its silence, current and prospective students are left in the dark about the consequences the cuts will have on their education.

With five to ten percent of academic staff positions on the chopping block, consequences are inevitable. The University has failed to tell students which schools will suffer the most, whether entire courses could be

shut down, and how an already overworked academic staff is expected to serve students.

The University claims its “Transformation” strategy is designed to improve the student experience. If the current situation is any indication of what that claim looks like in practice, students have nothing to look forward to.

‘With five to ten percent of academic staff positions on the chopping block, consequences are inevitable.’

ISSUE 41 35

SPORT

SCOTLAND THE BRAVE Katharine Sharpe

I’ll never forget the time I went to my first rugby match. It was Six Nations season and, living in Edinburgh, my mother and I decided to check if Scotland’s fixture was at Murrayfield that weekend. It was, and - oh look! We’re playing Italy! Aren’t they the only nation that we have a sliver of hope against? What a perfect first game to attend.

Well, if perfection is equitable to humiliation, then certainly yes, this was a tailor-made game. We arrived slightly late, and before we’d even reached our seats, Italy had scored a try. Followed in rapid succession by another. Oh, and another. Continual stupid mistakes such as fumbling the ball resulted in the game ending 17-37 to Italy. This is awful would be the polite summary of the moans emerging from our fellow Scots around us. We’d lost the one game we might win; we were sure to get the wooden spoon now.

This was obviously not a one-off occasion; I agree that when it comes to rugby (and, indeed, football) Scotland are known to be consistently disappointing.

But really, I believe we actually prefer it to be like this.

When Scotland do win, it is a huge occasion. The atmosphere at our home games is electric; the passion from the crowd is unbelievable, supporting our country with pride to the very end. So when the result actually goes in our favour, that extra lift is 36 ISSUE 41

something to be savoured. We actually believe that maybe, just maybe, we are getting our act together.

We then inevitably lose the next match, and are back to square one; self-deprecating jokes and constant complaints, but underneath a fierce loyalty and pride. If we were to suddenly become serious contenders as Six Nations champions, I’m not sure how the country would react; so accustomed are we to denigrating yet supporting our boys, to have nothing to grumble about post-match would be an alien concept.

SCOTLAND ARE KNOWN TO BE CONSISTENTLY DISAPPOINTING. BUT REALLY, I BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY PREFER IT TO BE LIKE THIS. To feel full of arrogance and confidence ahead of kick-off, instead of our usual tongue-in-cheek pessimism mixed with a glimmer of faith, would completely change the way we support our team.

So yes, often we put on a truly dismal performance.

And for the foreseeable future, Italy are maybe our only realistic chance of victory. But it’s worth it for those gem-like moments, few and far between though they may be. And I don’t think we’d have it any other way.

SPORT

MEET THE FENCING TEAM Katharine Sharpe

There’s always going to be a level of intrigue around a sport where the aim is, essentially, to simulate killing your opponent. The Magdalen asked Ben Stubbs, secretary for the Dundee Fencing Team, to explain his experience of this unique sport.

What made you want to take up fencing?

I’d been wanting to take it up for several years, but hadn’t really had the opportunity. University granted me that and I’ve enjoyed it plenty, so I stuck with it.

What sort of opportunities have you been presented with?

The chance to compete around Britain, and eventually abroad if I get the time. We compete in BUCS as well, so there’s plenty of fencing against other university teams.

Briefly explain some differences in the types of fencing.

It’s to do with what kind of sword you use. For both foil and epee, you score with the point of the weapon.

However, with foil the target area is limited to just the torso, while with epee you can score on any part of the body. Sabre is used for team matches.

How are points awarded/matches won?

With foil, there’s a “priority” ruling - meaning that if both fencers hit each other at the same time, the hit would belong to the one who started the attack first.

But with epee, both fencers can score at the same time. Sabre shares similar rules to foil, but has target of anywhere from the waist up and you can use the entire edge of the blade.

For a standard individual knockout match at competition, it would be a bout to fifteen hits, over three periods of three minutes, with a minute break in between each.

For a team match, there are three fencers per weapon; each fencer fights each of the opposing team to an integer of five for three minutes, until either all have fenced, or a winning score of 45 to one side for that weapon. Three weapons gives a total of 135 points to try and win - in the case that the score is tied after three weapons, victory goes to the team that won more weapon classes.

Is there any real risk of injury?

Injuries are pretty similar to any other sport; give or take a few extra bruises!

Fancy giving it a stab?

Training times are Mondays 19:45 - 21:30 (studio 1) and Thursdays 19:30 - 21:30 (hall 1) at ISE ISSUE 41 37