Issue 203

ISSUE 203 - FREE

THE SAINT ST ANDREWS, 21 April 2016

The independent voice of St Andrews students since 1997 THESAINT-ONLINE.COM

New Rector’s Assessor appointed

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

Joseph Cassidy News editor

Dancers perform during St Andrews newest fashion show, Label this past Thursday. Read more about the show in both Arts & Culture and Events

President of St Andrews Jewish Society signs letter criticising NUS presidential candidate Malia Bouattia has come under fire following allegations of anti-Semitism Joseph Cassidy News editor The president of the University of St Andrews Jewish Society, Kathryn Rose, has signed an open letter questioning the actions of Malia Bouattia, one of the candidates for president of the National Union of Students (NUS), over allegations of anti-Semitism.

The letter states that many presidents of Jewish societies are “extremely concerned by [Ms Bouattia’s] past rhetoric.”

The letter also cites an article Ms Bouattia wrote in 2011 in which she described the University of Birmingham as a “Zionist outpost” and when describing the challenges she faced in campaigning, named the fact that the University had the “largest [Jewish society] in the country” as a challenge.

“There are roughly 8,500 Jewish students in the UK which is 0.12% of the seven million students that are represented by NUS. We are shocked that someone who is seeking to represent this organisation could possibly see a large Jewish student population

as a challenge and not something to be welcomed,” the letter continues.

Going on, it says, “Our question for you is clear: why do you see a large Jewish Society as a problem?

“We fear that comments such as these will only hamper the amazing interfaith relations present on campuses across the country. Describing large Jewish societies as a challenge is the politics of division and not solidarity which should be the case.”

The letter also questions why Ms Bouattia has previously stated that the government’s anti-terrorism “Prevent” strategy, which has been accused of Islamophobia, as being the result of the “Zionist lobby.”

The letter continues, stating, “Lastly we are concerned by your relationship with Raza Nadim and the Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPACUK). MPACUK have been no-platformed by NUS since 2004 after publishing material on its website promoting the idea of a worldwide Zionist conspiracy, including the reproduction of articles originally published on neo-Nazi and Holocaust denial websites.

“MPACUK even posted ‘Take your Holocaust, roll it nice and tight and shove it up your (be creative)!’ on their Facebook page in 2013.

“We were also worried to see that MPACUK spokesperson, Raza Nadim, used his public Facebook profile (which is almost completely devoted to MPACUK) to endorse your bid to become President of NUS. We were hoping that this was something that you would distance yourself from but the opposite happened when you replied ‘Thank you.’

“As representatives of Jewish students across the UK, we call on you to clarify your relationship with MPACUK and its spokesperson Raza Nadim. If you are elected as NUS President, will you continue to interact with an organisation NUS has no-platformed due to antisemitism?

“The answers to the questions raised in this letter are vital to our understanding of your approach to Jewish students and Jewish societies, and your commitment to creating cohesive campus communities if elected NUS President.”

The letter has so far been signed

by 57 chairs and presidents of UK university Jewish societies.

Speaking to The Saint, Ms Rose explained why she had signed the letter.

“St Andrews isn’t a part of NUS so what happens within NUS doesn’t directly affect us. However, I recognise that it is something which does affect the majority of Jewish students in the UK and I wanted to show solidarity with them, to show that I support their interests.

“The President of NUS exists to represent students from all backgrounds. While Jewish students may only be a small minority, the fact that Malia has made these comments in the past is worrying as it implies that if elected, she will not be fully representative.

“I agree with my fellow Jewish Society Presidents around the country in their questioning of her past rhetoric; they are [asking] questions that needed answering appropriately.”

Ms Rose also explained that much of her objection came from what she saw as Ms Bouattia’s, who is currently the NUS Black students’ officer, conflation of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.

Continued on page 5...

A new Rector’s Assessor has officially been appointed.

Dylan Bruce will succeed current Assessor Annie Newman when she steps down later this year.

The Rector’s Assessor was a position established in the 1970’s by John Cleese during his time as Rector.

Throughout the years, the Assessor has helped to implement many of the most significant achievements of the Rector, including the Rector’s Fund.

The fund helps make internships affordable for students who might be otherwise be unable to take them up. It was established in 2012 by the then Rector, Alistair Moffat, and his Assessor, Chloe Hill. Last year £14,000 was raised for the fund.

Additionally, the Rector’s Assessor serves as the official link between students and the Rector.

He or she helps to implement the Rector’s agenda and communicate with students.

The Assessor serves in one of three student positions on the University court, the highest governing body of St Andrews, along with the Association President and Director of Representation for the Students Association.

The Assessor also serves in a non-voting capacity on the Student Representative Council.

Speaking to The Saint, Mr Bruce said: “I’m really excited about the role, and I’m really looking forward to getting started.

“It’s an important position with a lot of responsibility, but because of that it offers a really great opportunity to play a part in making this university a better place. I’ve got a lot of hopes for the role, but one of the big ones is to make the Rector a more accessible figure.

“The office of the Rector is actually a really great representative and resource for students, and I would like to make sure that students are aware of what the Rector does for them, and what she can do.”

Ms Newman praised her successor, saying: “To say I’m proud to hand over to Dylan is an understatement. Throughout the application process he proved himself to be incredibly discerning, committed to students and their time here, and understanding of the rector’s place in St Andrews’ life.

“I can’t wait to see the contributions he makes to students and to the University, but I’m sure that they will be as clever and poignant as he is.”

2 News

thesaint-online.com

Inside the paper

Fife council not to appeal Madras decision

Bringing the Brexit debate to the Bubble Features, pages 18-19 Viewpoint

Arts & Culture

Is Pope Francis’ gesture in Lesbos meaningless?

Caitlin Lewis looks at A-list celebrities’ marketing strategies

Page 8

Page 32

Money

Events

Tips on making the most of your summer internship

Page 14

Is Under Canvas’ failure a sign of things to come?

Page 26

Harris Lateef Deputy news editor After being ruled against in a civil case where STEPAL’S (St Andrews Environmental Protection Association Limited) objection to the new Madras College’s location on the Pipeland Farm site on Largo Road, the Fife Council has declined to appeal the decision.

The decision issued in March, handed down by the Court of Session, Scotland’s Supreme Civil Court, quashed the planning permission for a new Madras College at the Pipeland Farm site.

The Court of Session ruled in STEPAL’s favour, with Lord Malcolm of the Court of Session describing the Fife Council as having taken an “erroneous approach” to granting planning consent in the first instance.

Although the Court of Session is Scotland’s highest civil court, the Fife Council did have the option of appealing up to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, a course of action the council has declined to pursue.

Pam Ewen, the Senior Planning Manager for the Fife Council announced the decision saying that: “We will now re-open and commence reconsideration of the application. As Planning Authority we firstly need to consider what new information the applicant will need to submit to allow reconsideration of this proposal.”

Council Leader David Ross worked to reassure students, parents and the St Andrews public that the decision not to appeal is the right one

21 April 2016 • The Saint

and that “the will to see a new Madras is as strong as ever.”

“I am adamant that the children of Madras deserve a new school which will meet all our aspirations. We will not be diverted from that aim,” Ross said.

“We have been advised that the planning application for the Pipelands site remains ‘live’ and the Council will have to consider how to take this forward,” he continued.

“This will take time and will also be dependent on the progress of the Local Development Plan which is currently under consideration.”

The decision to pursue building the new Madras College on the Pipeland site has polarized the opinions of St Andrews residents. STEPAL, the plaintiff in the case which resulted in the quashing of the planning permission, was created with the sole purpose of opposing the Fife Council’s move to build on the Pipeland Site.

Looking ahead, the Fife Council Senior Planning Manager said the application would be reopened and consideration given to what new information needed to be provided.

“I anticipate that it will take us some time to go back through the original information submitted with the planning application before we can advise the applicant what is required,” she wrote.

At the time the initial decision was made, North East Fife MSP Roderick Campbell stated that whilst he respected the Court of Session’s judgement, its result leaves the town with “no planning permission for the construction of a secondary school which

is badly overdue and means that a new generation of pupils will not have the benefit of education in appropriate surroundings.”

When asked what he would do to help the situation if re-elected in May, Mr Campbell said: “I will continue to put pressure on the Scottish Government to render any assistance that it can by bringing parties together, in order to resolve the current extremely unsatisfactory situation.”

Cllr Brian Thomson also expressed his disappointment with the decision, stating that though he loves the town, he finds it “deeply dispiriting that a small number of people continually thwart, or slow down the modernization and upgrading of essential public services”, comparing the much delayed construction of St Andrews Community Hospital with the Madras College replacement.

He continued: “It’s always easier to stop things happening – especially if you have the wealth – rather than making things happen and, in this case, it’s the children, young people and staff of the school that will have to put up with the consequences.”

A member of Parent Voice, who wished to remain anonymous, also remarked upon the “shameful” condition of the school, stating that ten years have now passed since “inspectors labelled the facilities as ‘unsatisfactory’”, whilst the “split site” nature of the school means that “pupils lose hours of teaching time as teachers race between South Street and Kilrymont between lessons”.

Editorial board Editor Mina Omar editor@thesaint-online.com Deputy editor (print) Thomas Claridge print@thesaint-online.com Web editor Devina Puri web@thesaint-online.com Video editor Alex Miller video@thesaint-online.com Illustration chief Dillon Yeh illustration@thesaint-online.com Business manager Kim Kay business@thesaint-online.com Business team Claire MacPherson, Teresa St Goar, Thomas Bradley Quarton advertising@thesaint-online.com

Editorial Brexit: an argument worth weighing in on P

rior to the upcoming EU referendum, The Saint has tried to show you every side of the Brexit debate. We have laid out the facts about the upcoming 23 June referendum, with articles across many of our sections, including news, features and viewpoint. Our aim has been to give you as much information as possible on the issues being debated to ensure you are able make an informed decision come polling day.

Locally, this is an issue which will have an impact on every student at our university. A Brexit will mean that EU students will have to start paying £16,960 in tuition [the standard rate for international students] and that the opportunities to study abroad within the EU for UK students will face a dramatic decline. Crucially, as a result, the diversity of our student body will

suffer. If the effects of a Brexit will be felt this profoundly in the microcosm of our town, we should consider how far-reaching its implications will be nationwide.

Nationally, analyses conducted by the IMF and Bank of England amongst others, predict a severe economic downturn in Britain following a vote to leave. With every student in the Bubble preparing to enter the world of employment within the next few years, the figures being reported are cause for alarm. We must ask ourselves whether a gain in sovereignty is worth the high unemployment risks that will most likely accompany it.

Globally, a call to leave the EU seems rash. The problems of our generation are international, therefore their solutions will require international cooperation.

Globalization came as a shock to our parents’ generation. We are not in a better position to predict how the world will continue to change than they were. Surely, unity, as a guiding principle, will serve as a strength rather than a weakness when future problems arise.

The Saint has conducted interviews with students on both sides of the topic, hosted a referendum debate, and analysed the impact of a Brexit upon the University itself.

However, we can only do so much.

We want to emphasize the importance of staying informed and voting in the referendum, regardless of whether you are supporting Leave or Remain.

This may well be the most important political and economic decision of our generation, and regardless of how the vote turns out, it will have a long-standing impact

on the UK’s orientation towards the international stage. As students of an international community, each one of us will be personally affected by the result of the vote on June 23. Therefore, we cannot let apathy or a lack of information become the predominant themes of the vote.

After considering both the potential benefits and pitfalls of a Brexit, The Saint has decided to support the Remain campaign. We believe that the interests of our university as well as its student body are best served if the UK remains a member of the European Union.

We will conclude by urging all eligible students to register to vote, whatever your opinion. The deadline for registration is fast approaching. Visit https://www.gov. uk/register-to-vote to register.

The Saint is an entirely independent newspaper, run by students of the University of St Andrews. It is published fortnightly during term time and is free of charge. The Saint is not affiliated with the University or the Students’ Association. The text, graphics and photographs are under copyright of The Saint and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without prior permission of the editor.

Useful numbers Printed by The Saint Student Newspaper Ltd Advertise with The Saint Nightline: 01334 462266 Feddinch Practice: 01334 476840 Discovery Print c/o St Andrews Students’ Association advertising@thesaint-online.com IT Services: 01334 463333 Blackfriars Practice: 01334 477477 80 Kingsway East, Dundee St Mary’s Place thesaint-online.com/advertising Police: 01334 418900 Strathcairn Practice: 01334 473441 DD4 8SL St Andrews, Fife @saint_business ASC: 01334 462020 Tel: 01382 575999 KY16 9UX

News editor JOSEPH CASSIDY Deputy editors: Lauren Charlton, Harris LaTeef, Tara Panicker, Tom Williams

news@thesaint-online.com

thesaint-online.com/news

@thesaint_news

Police warn students after multiple bike thefts in town A sudden spike in bike thefts in and around the town centre of St Andrews in the past four weeks has led to a police investigation. The thefts have predominately taken place near to student accommodation.

Local officers are carrying out inquiries to trace those responsible including the review of available public and private space CCTV and are urging the public to be vigilant.

Community Ward Sergeant Pat Turner said: “Some of the stolen cycles had been left unsecured, but a number had their security chains cut prior to being stolen.

“This and the fact that the cycles were taken from public areas shows that the thieves came prepared and are willing to risk being caught in order to obtain property that does not belong to them.

“I would ask local residents and visitors alike to continue to be vigilant with regards to their property and

assist us wherever possible to catch those responsible for these crimes.”

Liam Clegg, a first year seology student, said of his bike being stolen, “It was midnight Saturday night last weekend and I went into the Old Course Golf Hotel, and one of the hotel employees came in saying that someone had cycled off on my bike.

“I found out that the guy apparently fell off half way down the hill and his watch fell off too. It happened outside a hotel where no one was even around and I was only inside the hotel for around five minutes. I’m more annoyed than anything.

“I spoke to the police and they’ve been very nice and supportive and have promised to help look for it and who took it.”

Mark Ng, a first year medicine student also experienced his bike being stolen two weeks ago when he was in class. He told The Saint, “I’m really upset because my bike was even locked but that didn’t deter whoever took it.

I parked it outside the medicine building and it was in the evening that I realised it was gone, it had been outside the building the whole day.

“The first thing I did was call the

police to report it missing and I also told my friends that they should keep a look out for it if they see anyone riding it or see it around town.

“I can’t believe that they took my bike when it was locked. I’m scared

that it will happen to other people too.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Photo: Pixabay

Marco Marcelline

Brexit to deter students from applying to Number of poorer Scots applying to ancient study in Britain, says Universities UK Leaving the European Union could deter EU students from attending British universities and damage the economy, Remain supporters have said.

Universities UK claims its analysis suggests £3.7 billion is generated

by EU students, thought to number around 125,000, adding that it believes their spending on and off campus either supports or has helped create 34,250 full-time equivalent jobs throughout the country.

The organisation says its analysis takes into consideration spending including tuition fees, food bills and rent costs.

Jo Johnson, the Universities Minister, said: “It would be reckless to cut ourselves off from the rich sources of EU funding, the access to valuable

shared research facilities and the close institutional ties that provide so many opportunities to British students and academics.

“UK students benefit from their ability to study across the EU, while EU students generate billions for the UK economy, support thousands of jobs and enrich university life.”

Dame Julia Goodfellow, Universities UK President and University of Kent Vice-chancellor, added: “Leaving the EU and putting up barriers to work and study makes it more likely that European students and researchers will choose to go elsewhere, strengthening our competitors and weakening the UK’s universities.”

Speaking to The Saint, Stephanie Melnick, Secretary for the University of St Andrews Students for Independence (STAUSFI), said that a “Brexit” and the ensuing restrictions

Photo: Flickr

Joseph Cassidy News editor

on immigration and trade from EU countries “would be very damaging to the university.”

Ian Donnell, President of the St Andrews Conservative and Unionist Association (STAUCA), National Chair of Conservative Future Scotland (youth wing of the Conservative Party in Scotland) disagrees that EU students would choose not to attend UK universities saying that, “as free tuition would not be mandatory for these students, providing increased funding for University initiatives.”

Going on Mr Donnell said, “Should we remain in the EU, the same pot of places would continue to be divvied out between Scots and EU Students.”

Ms Melnick disagreed with this assertion, however, and said that as “[EU students] would be bringing in an extra source of revenue, they would likely have to pay international fees, which would discourage and prevent many talented EU citizens from coming to study in St Andrews.”

Isaac Leaver, Chair of Young European Movement St Andrews agrees with Ms Melnick: “it is reasonable to expect a drop in applications from EU students following a Brexit as the incentive of free tuition is revoked.”

He adds that, in agreement with Dame Goodfellow, “some research projects will probably suffer from a fall in funding and the basic logistical challenge in academic staff crossing a new, tougher border.”

Mr Donnell disagrees that EU students contribute significantly to research funding as “under Horizon 2020 the vast majority of that funding is open to ‘associated countries’ such as Israel and Norway, and in the event of a Brexit, reaching such an agreement on research funding would have to be part of the negotiations.”

universities falls this year Joseph Cassidy News Editor Fewer Scots from poorer backgrounds are attending ancient universities, according to official figures.

A report published by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) found only 8.4 per cent of entrants to the country’s most renowned universities came from the poorest communities in 2014/15, down from 8.8 per cent the previous year.

The decline emerged the day after the Scottish Government published figures showing the difference in attainment between schools in the wealthiest and poorest areas increased during the same academic year. Those from wealthier backgrounds doing nearly twice as well.

It was also disclosed that for the first time that the number of students from other EU countries graduating from Scottish universities overtook the number from the rest of the UK. Under current policy, university fees for students from the EU are paid for by the Scottish government while students from the rest of the UK must pay up to £9,000 per year.

The figures were published after a Scottish government commission said universities must be forced to lower their entry requirements for children from the poorest backgrounds so they are based on the “minimum” academic standards needed to complete a degree.

Following the release of the report, a University spokesperson said, “The University is committed to widening access and breaking down barriers to academic achievement. We are currently taking time to read in depth and reflect on the Commission’s report.”

Pat Mathewson, President of the Students’ Association, said, “There is always more to be done in ensuring universities serve as engines of social mobility, and St Andrews has a forward looking view in meeting this essential objective.

“Both in practice and research, St Andrews has demonstrated leadership in widening participation.

“For example, even prior to this report, St Andrews already employed a strategy of lowered thresholds for access students in some instances.

“And the University’s outreach programs take a dedicated long-view in attracting students from diverse backgrounds.

“Furthermore, our academic strength has delivered cutting edge research on barriers currently underappreciated throughout the sector, such as the challenges posed to students from ARC (Access Rural Areas) schools.”

Despite the lack of tuition fees, it has emerged that only 9.7 per cent of Scots were accepted to university from disadvantaged areas last year compared to 17 per cent in England, 13.9 per cent in Northern Ireland and 15.5 per cent in Wales.

Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, said the SFC figures were “yet further proof that nine years of SNP Government education policies have failed to close Scotland’s attainment gap nor help more poorer students get into university.”

She added: “Nicola Sturgeon talks a good game on education reform, but she has consistently shied away from following the evidence and handing our schools the freedom and autonomy they need to break the cycle of poor performance.”

4 News

thesaint-online.com

21 April 2016 • The Saint

Halls to begin giving away feminine hygiene products Some university halls, in combnation with Students Association initiatves, are to begin giving away femine hygiene products University Hall’s committee has approved plans to give out free tampons and other female sanitary products to female students living in the halle. They began being given out on Monday 11 April, and have so far proven to be a popular intervention among the student body.

Madeline Buchanan, a second year biology student who sits on the committee as the representative for the all-female Wardlaw block was in charge of implementing the proposal. Madeline told The Saint that she “talked with the girls to see what they wanted and talked with residence managers about the proposals.”

The proposal have not been met with immediate support by the residence managers who requested that there be a trial period to test its success before it can be properly rolled out as they are “concerned about the costs involved.”

Ms Buchanan said: “I ordered a total of 200 tampons from Amazon for the trial period and I’ve been distributing them by putting little bowls in the women’s bathrooms across the Hall.

“There are two different types of pads and tampons that I’ve bought and so far there’s been a good level of reception. The tampons are mainly for financial support given that there is an added tax on tampons if you buy them in the shop because they are classed as luxury items. This was actually the original reasoning behind the plan.”

Ms Buchanan stated that another reason behind the tampon plan was in case of “emergencies.” The money to pay for the tampons has come from University Hall’s budget.

Going on, she said, “There has been a very supportive reaction across the board with most girls being very appreciative of the fact that we are taking the lack of female sanitary product provision seriously and implementing a free service as it is other-

wise quite expensive to buy tampons on a regular basis.”

However, Ms Buchanan acknowledges that there have been concerns about whether the tampons would be “tampered with if they were placed in unisex bathrooms.”

Kirsten Ross, a first year resident of University Hall said: “I think it’s a great idea to widen access to sanitary products in hall and hopefully it’s something that we can start to see across the University buildings in the near future. It’s something that I know other halls are already doing, Agnes Blackadder for example.

“The fact that the prices are becoming increasingly unaffordable ... means that these ideas are needed now more than ever.”

This is a sentiment repeated by another resident of University Hall, Victoria Gilbert who said that she thinks it is “great that University Hall has introduced this new system as it is so useful and it feels great to feel as though [she is] really being looked after.”

She added that the price of tampons in shops is “extortionate.”

Lorna-Jean Nicholson Fjortoft, a resident of Andrew Melville Hall

”

Marco Marcelline

With the money that St Andrews has, there should be funding for free tampons

criticised the lack of availability of free tampons in the hall, saying that it “would be a good thing.”

She decried the situation in the Union at the moment, explaining that she put a pound in the Union tampon machine and never got a tampon because it was broken even though she called the bouncer in.

However, another student Alex

Sadie said that “with the money that St Andrews has, there should be funding for free tampons but at the same time if they did do that, it would be nice to have condoms in the Union for free also.

She believes that the provision of free tampons will make students expect a similar provision of condoms.

“Right now if you want condoms for free you have to go up to a representative to get them which makes it not as accessible and an unnecessarily hassle but if there was a night where condoms were just placed somewhere for people to go up to it and grab it and it would be great if the same were applied to tampons,” she said.

Viktoria Szanto, a second year student said that: “I think the Union should give free tampons because we have just as much a right to them as we do to condoms and they give them for free.

She added that free tampons ”obviously wouldn’t be for all the time, only in emergencies.”

Izzy Hoskins, a second year student, said “If it’s reasonable to hand out toilet paper in public facilities, or napkins at the Union, tampons shouldn’t be an exception.”

The issue of the affordability of feminine hygiene products has gained much attention in recent months as debate over the so call “tampon tax” – the luxury VAT status given to such sanitary products – has raged on.

Campaigners achieved an apparent victory in March as Prime Minister David Cameron announced that as part of his renegotiation with the European Union, the “tampon tax” would be removed.

In a speech to the House of Commons last month, Cameron said: “Britain will be able to have a zero rate for sanitary products, meaning the end of the tampon tax.”

He said he understood that the EU’s rules on taxation were “inflexible” and saw how they “could cause considerable frustration.”

Toby Emerson, formerly the Student Representative Council Member (SRC) for External Campaigns is also organising, as

part of an initiative he began, an event tomorrow (Friday 22 April) to give out free sanitary products.

Speaking to The Saint he said, “The event is effectively a giveaway.

The Union has funded around 2,000

There’s this ridiculous stigma around menstruation that still persists somewhat inexplicably

”

pads and 1,000 tampons of various varieties which we will be giving for free to students on Friday outside of the Union.

Continuing, Mr Emerson said, “The fantastic ennactus group SAVE will also be there, promoting and selling rubycups (a form of mooncup whose makers promote a social mission) for a discounted price.

There will also be an opportunity for students to donate their share of tampons to SAVE’s own social mission to provide sanitary products to disadvantaged women throughout Fife.

He also praised the efforts of individual halls, saying, “Any leftover products will be donated to student halls to trial schemes like the fantastic one started by Bernie Munro in New Hall, in which the hall provides sanitary products to students from the hall budget. This scheme has proven a success in New Hall and I want to give other halls the opportunity to give it a go.”

While praising the government’s initiative to abolish the “tampon tax”, Mr Emerson made it clear he believed initiatives such as his were still important, “The tampon tax

was never really my personal drive behind this. Of course, it was the tax that instigated this ongoing project, and I applaud the government and EU measures to remove it. But for me, this is about the students, and I think that’s the important point here. Many students at this university are women, and sanitary products are an extra and significant cost that the rest of us don’t have to pay.

“You could even think of it like a tax on being female, and that extra cost is difficult for some students, especially given the high cost of living in this town.

“The Union could be doing a lot more to support students in this capacity. That’s why I’ve spent a lot of time this year talking to students, talking to Union management, and trying to think of ways to do this.

“That’s why I wholeheartedly support the scheme being implemented by senior students in halls to provide sanitary products to students and have been chatting with them and the outgoing Accommodation Officer, Alex Ciric, to see what else we can do. That’s why we have this event coming up funded by the External Campaigns budget, in collaboration with SAVE. “I want to build a viable way for the Union to fund sanitary products for students.

“The vast, vast majority students I’ve spoken to - and granted that’s a small proportion of the student body as a whole - have been overwhelmingly supportive.

“Charlotte [Andrew, Association President-elect] has already agreed to discuss this with me, and I look forward to speaking to Jack [Carr, Director of Representation-elect] and Holly [Johnston, Wellbeing Officer] at Wellbeing about it in the near future.

He conclued by saying: “There’s this ridiculous stigma around menstruation that still persists somewhat inexplicably. I don’t think that a there needs to be a tax on tampons for us to be talking about the cost of sanitary products for our students.”

Inquiry begins over government deportation of international students A formal inquiry is to be opened after Home Secretary, Theresa May was alleged to have wrongly deported over 50,000 international students following the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) exam scam in 2014.

The allegations regarding the TOEIC exam were brought to light after an undercover BBC Panorama report in 2014 claimed to have uncovered a cheating incident at an East London school involving overseas students sitting the TOEIC. The parliamentary investigation, announced just a week ago, comes after an immigration tribunal found evidence underlying that the Home Office used “unscientific hearsay” to deport those students from the UK. This incident has also opened up investigations regarding the overall treatment of international students in

the United Kingdom.

Keith Vaz, MP for Leicester East told The Independent that these students were “innocent people whose whole reputations have been destroyed because the Home Office keeps saying they took their tests illegally and fraudulently and with deception.”

There had been no comment from Home Office regarding the investigation.

The Saint spoke to the Students Association’s Member for Racial Equality, Halima Mohamed, who stated that “International students not only bring revenue into the United Kingdom, but also allow for British students to engage with those who have had different experiences to them which is important to bringing up well rounded, open-minded young adults.”

Ms Mohamed supports the upcoming investigation so that “stu-

dents who were wrongly accused get a formal apology as their lives will no longer be the same after the sacrifices they have made” and mentions that everyone should “pressure those

at fault to ensure the investigation continues.”

She emphasized that “it is important for everyone to work on ensuring all people are treated equally no

matter what their background and to make sure an incident like this does not happen in the future.” She hopes that international students at St Andrews feel welcome.

Photo: UK Parliament

Reem Awad

The Saint • 21 April 2016

News 5

thesaint-online.com

Anti-Semitism row in NUS Presidential race

What Malia has done here is both offensive and wrong

“I celebrate the ability of people and students of all backgrounds to get together and express their backgrounds and faith openly and positively, and will continue to do so.”

Going on to say that it was Zionist politics she had a problem with, rather than Jewish people in general, Ms Bouattia accused the signatories of the letter of “drawing a link” between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.

Regarding the SOAS event she attended, she said, “I criticised the influence of organisations such as the Henry Jackson Society over policy making in the UK. “I described it as promoting neocon and pro-Zionist policies. In no way did I – or would I – link these positions to Jewish people, but to a particular (non-Jewish) organisation.”

She also said that she was not was not aware of the previous statements of the MPACUK group, and that she had now deleted her comments thanking them for their support in order to avoid confusion over her views.

Ms Bouattia went on to dismiss the allegations against her as politically motivated, saying that her “views are

being misconstrued and used as an opportunity to falsely accuse [her] of antisemitism, despite [her] work and dedication to liberation, equality and inclusion saying otherwise.”

“As president of NUS, I would continue to encourage students to oppose inequality, oppression – including racism – and injustice both at home and abroad. “And in doing this, I am happy to be accountable for my views, offer opportunities to discuss them and used that openness and accountability to ensure that I can be representative of the student body as a whole, whilst respecting and encompassing the varied views and opinions held across our movement,” she went on to say.

The letter has an additional 239 signatures in solidarity from students from across the UK. One such student is Joel Salmon, a St Andrews student who is also a former president of the Jewish Society and is now President of the Coexistence Initiative.

Speaking to The Saint, Mr Salmon said that it was “important that there is a united response from the student community to a candidate who has views that are not only unrepresentative of the student population but also deeply problematic and offensive.”

Mr Salmon went on to say that he believed that significant elements of the NUS have a problem with anti-Semitism, adding that they were largely on the political left of the group.

Continuing, Mr Salmon said that, “This is due to a number of issues

which largely revolve around Israel, the Palestinian cause and Zionism.

In essence, and this is an issue on the left in general, there is not an appreciation of the hugely grey area between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.

“For these people, these two things are very easily separated but in fact they are intimately linked.

When people criticise the Zionist lobby, the Jewish media, and the very existence of the Israeli state, the language they use is heavily related to much older anti-Semitic tropes.

Mr Salmon made clear that he did not believe that criticism of the Israeli government was the same as being anti-Semitic, adding that he personally found the policies of the current Netanyahu movement “repulsive.”

“The problem is such protests and arguments very quickly become existential, and targeted at the entire state and its people. That then becomes very scary indeed,” he said.

Hannah Auerbach, another St Andrews student who signed the petition also described St Andrews as “one of the safest places in the country to be Jewish.”

Going on, Ms Auerbach said, “Ms. Bouattia’s comments about Jewish Socities in the past are worrying.

“I believe it’s important that she be called to answer our questions.

Hopefully, the more names on the letter means she will take the time to answer us appropriately.”

Photo: Mark Kerrison

with the political issues, and this involves discussion, criticism and learning the facts, as very often the media does not accurately portray both sides of the story.

“I believe the problem is often based in prejudice: don’t presume that someone has particular political beliefs purely because of their background and/or religion.”

Ms Bouattia has also come under fire for helping to defeat a motion at last year’s NUS conference to condemn ISIS, saying that the condemnation was a “justification for war and blatant Islamophobia.”

In a response to the letter, Ms Bouattia strongly refuted allegations claiming she believed Jewish societies were a problem, saying, “The answer is that I do not now, nor did I five years ago when I contributed to the article cited in your letter, see a large Jewish Society on campus as a problem.

”

Continued from page 1...

While recognising the right of people to oppose the political ideology of Zionism, Ms Rose expressed a concern that such opposition has often devolved into anti-Semitism, making many Jewish students feel “unsafe.”

“The NUS and its President must therefore ensure that the students they represent are not being targeted for the wrong reasons, and that no student is made to feel unsafe on campus,” she continued.

Going on, Ms Rose said that, “The fact that Malia specifically called the Jewish Society at Birmingham (the largest in the country) a challenge is particularly worrying, as it directly causes Jewish students to be extremely concerned about their safety and position on campus and it attacks them simply for their religious identity.

“Whilst it is true that Israel forms part of the identity of many Jewish students, it is important to recognise that this is not the case for all and should not be assumed as such. What Malia has done here is both offensive and wrong and has caused many students to be concerned about what may happen if she is elected President.”

Despite expressing these concerns, Ms Rose added that she did not believe that they extended to St Andrews, which she described as “one of the safest universities in the country” for Jewish students.

“I’ve seen my friends at other universities dealing with serious issues of anti-Semitism where they have been attacked both verbally and physically.

“When I look at the situations at other universities I feel particularly fortunate to be somewhere where I feel so comfortable to be openly Jewish and proud.”

Ms Rose also went on to explain that she believes anti-Semitism is an increasing problem in society, “There are many places where Jewish people cannot openly express their religion and this is something which is particularly worrying. Anti-Semitism is a form of racism, and racism is not acceptable.

I think the main way to combat anti-Semitism is education: teaching people that their comments and actions are in fact racist. A further distinction that must be made is between anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism.

“Although Israel is a part of the identity of many Jews, it is important to recognise that the two are separate: not all Jews are Zionists, and not all Zionists are Jews, however it happens far too often that Israel is used to attack Jews. It is important to engage

Malia Bouattia campaigning at a rally

Leaving EU would secure free tuition, says Vote Leave Joseph Cassidy News editor A vote to leave the European Union could secure the long-term future of free university education in Scotland, a former Labour party Member of Parliament has said.

Tom Harris, who now heads the Vote Leave campaign in Scotland, said he wanted higher education institutions north of the border to be able to give Scots wanting to go to university “preferential treatment” when

awarding places.

At the moment, European laws prevent this, with universities required to treat applicants from Scotland and the rest of the EU equally.

Mr Harris, speaking at the launch of the Vote Leave campaign in Scotland, said: “I would much rather give preference to Scottish candidates and force people from anywhere out the UK to pay tuition fees. It’s quite difficult to argue against that.

“If my kid applies to university

and someone from Poland applies to the same course, we can’t differentiate between those two applications, we can’t say ‘one’s from Scotland, therefore we’re going to give him preferential treatment’, that’s illegal.

“I actually think we should give Scots preferential treatment.”

Mr Harris added statistics showed the number of Scottish students accepted to Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee universities had fallen in the past two years while at the same time an increasing num-

ber of Europeans had been awarded places.

He said: “It doesn’t have to be this way. EU law prevents universities from distinguishing between Scottish and EU students.

“EU students compete for the same places as Scottish students, meaning Scottish students often end up missing out on funded places at our universities.

“If the UK left the EU, Scotland would be free to set a new policy on EU applicants.”

Hamish McHamish’s home goes up for sale The home of St Andrews famous cat, Hamish McHamish, has been put up for sale.

Hamish became St Andrews’ world famous town cat after adopting a nomadic life, stalking the town, The property at 4 Loudens Close, where Hamish occasionally rested his fluffy ginger head, has been put on the market by retired BBC producer Marianne Baird.

“Hamish was a lovely cat but I think he found this house and garden too small as he used to go wandering and find a lot of friends,” Ms Baird told The Courier.

Police warning after pensioner scammed Police in St Andrews are advising local residents to be on their guard after an elderly woman in the town was persuaded to give a bogus telephone caller her bank details.

This resulted in the fraudster removing several thousand pounds from her bank account.

The caller purported to be from the Microsoft company and claimed that her software licence had expired and been hacked.

He then asked for money to resolve the issue.

Plans for private crematorium rise again Plans for a privately-owned crematorium near St Andrews have resurfaced.

Development of the site at 100 Acre Wood, Brewsterwells, was mooted in 2013 but nothing so far has come to fruition.

Most read online

1 Gender-neutral bathrooms to be introduced in University buildings 2 St Andrews students in Brussels safe and well following attacks 3 Ever wondered how it feels to withdraw from your studies due to mental illness?

6 News

thesaint-online.com

21 April 2016 • The Saint

thesaint-online.com

The Saint • 21 April 2016

News 7

InFocus: Ben Lawrie, Mental health campaigner and Wellbeing committee representative

“We tend to wait until people break down and then we try and pick up the pieces.”

I think we need to be going into schools and equipping them with coping methods before things get stressful

lot more attention” than he’d initially thought it would, it had not garnered a single negative response. In a short space of time, the student received countless messages of support from family, friends and even strangers.

He was also approached by newspapers, magazines and websites who all wanted to share his story.

Mr Lawrie described this response as “overwhelming” and “amazing”: “It is one thing writing an article and your gran telling you ‘that’s great!’, but when strangers are coming to you and saying ‘This has really helped me.

I thought I was the only one feeling this’, you think ‘Wow.’” Particularly touching

was a message from the mother of Mr Lawrie’s former classmate, who wanted to thank the student for better enabling her to understand her son’s depression: “I was helping parents to support their kids – that was really good for me,” he said.

Mr Lawrie also went on to exchange messages of support with several girls from a nearby school, who were struggling with similar issues: “Obviously I’m not a professional, but it was good for them to have someone who understood. It was good to make a difference for them.”

Describing the blog as a “good source of strength” for him too, Mr Lawrie claims to have derived a “renewed sense of purpose from mental health campaigning.”

This, combined with a lifelong interest in psychology (perhaps owing to his struggles with depression and an internal desire to “understand it”), pushed the student to continue with his activism, even moving towards a career as a psychotherapist: “My life goal is always just to try and make people happy, even with politics – I’m in politics to make people’s lives better and I’m in psychology to make people’s lives better.”

In this vein, Mr Lawrie was appointed as Mental Health Representative on the Wellbeing Committee earlier this month.

Using this position, he plans to run a “Don’t man up – open up” campaign, encouraging men to disregard gender norms and actively “seek help and talk about” their mental health issues.

He also hopes to organise animal therapy sessions around the exam diet, saying: “I think we need more excuses to pet animals when we’re stressed.”

Crucial for Mr Lawrie, however, is the “legitimacy” and “authority”

which he feels this position gives his campaign, granting him a larger platform from which to discuss his own experiences and raise awareness.

A Confession of Depression, the documentary which Mr Lawrie is making in collaboration with Stuart Burns, also focuses on the student’s personal experiences with depression and anxiety, though Mr Lawrie has made a conscious effort to “do other things with [the documentary]”, including giving publicity to various charities.

Nightline, its work and its director, Nick Farrer, make an appearance in the documentary, as does Deborah Chapman, organiser of the “How it Felt” enterprise, which uses puppets to promote discussion of mental health and other issues amongst children.

The documentary also runs a feature on Student Minds, including a personal interview with its former President, Laura Briody, who discusses her experiences with anorexia and bulimia.

Mr Lawrie said: “She talks about it really well. I always end up getting a bit teary when I listen to her because she’s been through a lot but she’s such an inspiration. She does a lot of great mental health work.”

The student also had Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Lib

Sometimes the only thing you’ve got to focus on is surviving for a bit

”

Dems, on the documentary as a guest, discussing what politicians can do to help issues relating to mental health and why the Lib Dems focus on this in their manifesto.

In the documentary, Mr Rennie says: “I don’t want all the parties fighting, saying ‘We’re the party of mental health.’ I want them to band together and say ‘let’s work together on this’, which is hard to get in politics.”

Mr Lawrie is attempting to instigate change himself, having recently stood in a by-election for the Scottish Youth Parliament, with a manifesto geared towards raising awareness of and supporting those with mental illnesses.

Though unsuccessful in his candidacy, Mr Lawrie is currently formulating policies based around mental health issues in preparation for next year’s Council Elections.

This includes campaigning to prevent the Mulberry Unit, an inpatient Photo: Lauren Charlton

“I feel like I’m back at therapy,” Ben Lawrie laughed as he sat down with The Saint to discuss his contributions to politics and mental health activism over the past few years, as well as his own personal experiences with depression and anxiety.

Having suffered with depression since childhood, the second year psychology and IR student is currently working alongside independent filmmaker, Stuart Burns, to make a documentary about mental health issues, A Confession of Depression, due to be released later this year.

Mr Lawrie is also busy preparing for the 2017 Council Elections in which he plans to run as a member of the Scottish Liberal Democrat Party (Lib Dems) for a position on Angus Council in his home ward of Monifieth and Sidlaw.

To many, this may seem an unlikely fusion of interests, however Mr Lawrie explained that, for him, politics and mental health are one: “I joined [the Lib Dems] in December 2013 and a big part of their manifesto at the time was mental health so they were the party for me. I didn’t really see any other parties talking about it.”

It was using the platform which the Lib Dems had given him (the Angus Lib Dem blog), that Mr Lawrie first began to raise awareness of mental illnesses, hoping to address some of the stigma surrounding the issue.

At 5 am on 30 March 2015, whilst actually suffering from insomnia (a symptom of depression), Mr Lawrie wrote a “bare honest account” of his own experiences with the illness, including details of a suicide attempt made in 2013 which he had kept secret until then.

Though he had wanted to write on the subject of mental health for some time, The Sun’s media coverage of Andreas Lubitz, the Germanwings co-pilot who is thought to have deliberately crashed into the Alps and killed all 150 people on board the flight, gave the student a “starting point.”

Over a year later, Mr Lawrie is still able to clearly remember both the headline, “Madman in Cockpit”, and the tabloid’s “emphasis on the fact that he [Lubitz] had depression,” explaining: “I was struggling to talk to people about depression because of this stigma and The Sun portraying depressed people to be absolute raving lunatics, killing loads of people.”

Conscious of this stigma and with only his mum, dad and a few very close friends aware of his depression, publishing the blog entry proved “nerve-wracking” for Mr Lawrie, who was “stressed” and “paranoid”

as to how the rest of his family and friends would react.

For others to know about it, that “I’d self-harmed and tried to commit suicide – that was quite worrying.

I thought they’d think I was a freak, some weirdo.”

The next day, however, Mr Lawrie was “relieved” to discover that, though his article had attracted “a

”

Lauren Charlton Deputy news editor

psychiatric ward at Stracathro, from being closed down. The student stressed that its closure would force the people of Angus to travel “all the way to Dundee” for similar mental health facilities.

Mr Lawrie has also been working alongside Melanie Atkins, the director of a charity called Relax Kids, Monifieth, which teaches primary school children “mindfulness, meditation and coping methods”.

The charity’s pre-emptive approach appeals to Mr Lawrie who believes: “we tend to wait until people break down and then pick up the pieces. I think we need to be going into schools and equipping them with coping methods before things get stressful”.

It was not until Mr Lawrie was seventeen and experiencing lethargy, insomnia and a severe lack of concentration alongside consistent low mood, however, that he sought professional help, having not realised he might have depression until this point “because it was something I’d always just lived with, I never thought anything of it.”

It was around this time that Mr Lawrie made a suicide attempt, overdosing on co-codamol pills while his then girlfriend was sleeping. He described the drugs as making him feel “really stoned, sedated, drifting in and out of consciousness, everything was really hazy”.

The student also remembers how painful the experience was: “My stomach really hurt. I was thinking ‘She’s going to wake up and I’m not’, but I did wake up and I felt shit. I felt really sick. Every time I ate, it just came up. […] I felt really fragile the next day.”

With a psychiatrist who “seemed really eager to just put me on medication” and four months between appointments, Mr Lawrie resorted to dealing with his depression and anxiety himself: “I spend a lot of time just thinking really hard about it, just thinking through things, introspection. “ I can learn about myself, learn where it comes from, try and deal with it.”

In spite of this, Mr Lawrie still suffers from depression and knows that there is no magical cure.

When asked how to best deal with the illness and what advice he would give to anyone suffering from it, he smiled sadly and shook his head: “I don’t know. I wish I knew. I’d use it myself.”

He went on, however: “When you’re going through the darker moments, literally all you have to do is hold on, just all you have to do is make it through the night and things will get better from there. I’ve actually got one of those posters in my room of one of those cats holding onto a tree branch saying ‘Hang on in there’.

“Sometimes the only thing you’ve got to focus on is surviving for a bit, just exist and you’ll be fine.”

VIEWPOINT Viewpoint editor TOM COOMBES

Deputy editors Lila Velcoff, Amy Elliott

thesaint-online.com/viewpoint

viewpoint@thesaint-online.com

@saint_viewpoint

Pope Francis in Lesbos: beacon of hope or hollow gesture?

T

he topic of immigration is something which has been historically relevant, even as far back as Biblical times; the most famous examples being that of Moses leading his people to the promised land of milk and honey, and Jesus, Mary and Joseph’s emigration to Egypt in order to escape Herod’s clutches. However, it is only in recent years that we have been made fully aware of the realities of immigration. The plight of modern day immigrants is well documented, with uncertainty and risk marring the entire journey, often including, sadly, their arrival onto safer shores.

It is easier to pretend that something isn’t happening when it occurs on some foreign shore and is nothing more than a headline statistic; it is easier to ignore the headline ‘Syrian refugee crisis’ than it is to ignore the photo of a little boy washed up on the shoreline, his life having been brought to an abrupt and tragic end in the waves. The publication of this particular photograph - of Alan Kurdi, a three-year-old Syrian boy of Kurdish origin - was one which finally stunned the West.

It’s interesting to consider that Alan is only one of hundreds of children who have died in the crossing of seas in search of a better life, and only one of millions of children who die each year worldwide. It speaks to our ability to ignore statistics; as Pope Francis reminded us in his address to the sun-soaked crowds during his visit to Lesbos; ‘Before they are numbers, these people are human beings’. We can ignore the deaths of children in their nameless, silent thousands, but being confronted with such a blatant visual example of infant mortality unsettles us. Little Alan Kurdi and his death have become iconic; symbolic not only of the horrors in the Middle East, but of the era in which we live - a period in which periods of trial have been interspersed with smacks of tragedy.

During the crisis, Lesbos has been used as almost a ‘pitstop’ for refugees; over the past few months, migrants have washed up on its shores in their hundreds of thousands, in a bid to reach the isles of Western Europe from Turkey. Hundreds have died during the crossing. It’s a terrible situation borne of a terrible situation; as far as the Syrian troubles are con-

For ISIS, the more Muslims that are alienated as a result of the bigoted ignorance of the west, the better.

If you are against ISIS, you cannot be anti-Islam; if you are, you’re helping to radicalise the next wave of ISIS recruits through your hatred.

Whether fighting Islamophobia was his intention or not - the media are painting it to be a random act of humanitarianism, pertaining to his particular, spontaneous style of leadership - the positive effects of what Pope Francis has done are likely to be significant, and he has been highly praised for his somewhat rogue action. His action is almost a plot spun in a particularly politically motivated Roald Dahl novel; the whimsical leader leading twelve wide-eyed, underprivileged innocents into a life of privilege beyond comprehension and (perhaps somewhat disconcertingly) outside of public knowledge.

Naturally, we distrust things that are unfamiliar to us. Things which we either cannot explain, or things which are shielded or inaccessible to us, provoke fear and uncertainty, and often, as a result, anger. This explains why the general reaction of those who have no religious faith when confronted with religion is one centred primarily around anger or scepticism.

It follows, then, that there is general suspicion of the Catholic church as an organisation.

Organisation is a key word. There are many who object to the idea of ‘offerings’. For those not familiar with this concept, an ‘offering’ is an optional donation of money which a member of a congregation gives to

the church. However, I am not one of them. The concept of donation is one which is biblically rooted; one of Jesus’ most famous parables is that of the woman who gave ‘all that she had’ to his cause. Whatever your stance on the church accepting money for it’s organisation, the action of this particular Biblical figure is commendable. Why should people not be encouraged to donate to an organisation dedicated to helping those less fortunate?

That being said, when I visited Rome in the summer of 2014, I was struck primarily by two opposing things. The first was the immense poverty and destitution I saw; particularly in a city with such a wealth of historical and cultural beauty. The second was the absurd, almost embarrassing, display of wealth and splendour in the Vatican City. The destitution of Rome’s poor and the profligacy of the Pope’s divine HQ seem to co-exist, and to do so relatively unnoticed.

As someone raised in a religious household, and as someone who appreciates beauty - both natural and manmade - I, from an aesthetic point of view, hugely appreciated the Vatican City. From an ethical perspective, however, I encountered problems.

The beauty of the Vatican City is not the issue. The issue is the beauty of the Vatican City in the midst of such immense poverty. As I mentioned, as someone with a religious background, I see nothing wrong with the time and money that was spent in creating a tangible dedication - or trib-

ute, if you will - to God, and from a purely aesthetic, even atheistic, point of view, the Vatican is a work of art.

However, I see little relevance of the paintings of various (very impressive) squiggles by Henry Matisse to the worshipping of the God of Classical Theism.

Ethically, what the Pope has done in Lesbos is problematic. What he has done is certainly, on a basic level, kind - he has lifted twelve people from lives of almost certain poverty, he has given hope, and he has given voice - whether he has meant to or not - to the campaign against islamophobia. But we must consider that twelve immigrants are a drop in the ocean in comparison to the number of immigrants - 4 million approx - who are currently without homes and without basic security for the future. As well as raising all manner of questions relating to culture and religion - just how will twelve Syrian immigrants integrate themselves into Italian culture, let alone into the peculiarities of life in the Vatican? - instead it could be argued that the Pope is instead just interested in propaganda for the Catholic church.

Though we cannot know the Pope’s motivations for certain - as is often the case with figures of power - his actions could be interpreted as a drop in the ocean, a hollow gesture aimed at propaganda. However his actions helped a few families immeasurably, and gave the campaign against Islamophobia a powerful ally.

If his actions inspire a few to follow his example, if they can, then it is certainly a step in the right direction.

The views expressed in Viewpoint do not represent the views of The Saint but are individual opinions.

Photo: Creative Commons

Amy Elliott ase4@st-andrews.ac.uk

cerned, the awful breeds the horrendous in a convoluted, cyclical mess.

There are four million refugees currently scattered across five main host countries; all seeking safety and security as a result of the crises in Syria, all uprooted from their homelands and forced to take drastic measures to attempt to reach these places of safety. Deciding to spontaneously bring home twelve refugees is certainly a powerful statement, particularly given that the era we find ourselves in is one in which Islamophobia - or even just a bigoted ‘fear’ of those with Middle Eastern origins - is on the rise.

The statement the Pope is making, then, is one which speaks quite dramatically against the panic-induced fear movement currently simmering in the West like a grumbling appendix. He has been strategic in his use of his power; he knows that such a political statement will have a positive influence on a large demographic and is a bold act of negating this new, emerging strain of prejudice.

Quite simply, the Pope’s actions will have initiated a thought process in the minds of his more ignorant, fearful followers, which is as such; if these people - who are quite obviously of Middle Eastern origin - are good enough to hitch a ride in the Pope’s private jet to live in the Vatican City; if the Pope decrees that they are worthy and acceptable, then surely they merit compassion and understanding as opposed to alienation and exclusion.

Assuming that all Muslims support ISIS is akin to assuming that all Christians agree with the funeral pickets carried out by the Westborough Baptist Church. Yet despite this clearly faulty logic, Islamophobia is something frighteningly prevalent within our culture; an augmenting thought pattern even amongst educated people. An old school friend of mine - a second year medical student living in London, whose family is of Pakistani origin - was recently racially harassed by a middle-aged white couple whilst waiting at a bus stop. This is the reality for Muslims in the West, and it is something which we all ought to be fearful of.

It is easy to let our past - particularly one which has been so fraught with panic and uncertainty since the start of the twenty-first century - dictate and obscure our reactions to and assessments of the present. It is therefore something which we must strive to guard against, particularly when dealing with the topic in the future.

If we do not practise measured, rational thought in response to the current Syrian crisis, there is a very real possibility that children being born now will grow up to further perpetuate the burgeoning culture of islamophobia - which is, of course, exactly what ISIS wants.

The Saint • 21 April 2016

thesaint-online.com

Devil’s Advocate

Viewpoint 9

Should Britain leave the European Union?

YES O

ne of the most contradictory policy positions in British politics, one that has always baffled me, is that of the SNP towards the European Union.

Almost every argument advanced by the party during the Scottish independence referendum can be used to advocate British independence from the EU, and then some.

Nevertheless, for reasons that escape me, the ‘pro-Independence’ SNP lament decisions imposed on them by a democratically elected government in London while happily accepting every diktat issued by an unelected body (excluding the elected European Parliament) in a foreign country. Can it be that the EU’s benefits are so overwhelming as to make sovereignty a side issue?

There is a common misconception that opposition to the EU is a position solely of the right. There is in fact a very strong left-wing argument against the perceived neoliberal project. Yet wherever you are on the political spectrum, if you are at all, is actually irrelevant. For without a functioning democracy, what is the point in having political views at all? This is why, the issue of Britain’s membership of the European Union is a very simple one indeed. It boils down to the fundamental question, from which all other issues are derived: Should the UK be a sovereign, independent and democratic nation, because democracy will be destroyed in Britain if we remain.

The most divisive issue of this referendum, without which this vote would likely not be happening, is immigration. 500 million EU citizens have the right to settle in the UK while non-EU citizens must apply for a visas. What makes EU citizens superior? Allowing Europeans freedom of movement at the expense of the rest of the world seems rather discriminatory.

It makes no sense to restrict talented people from around the globe from coming to our country while allowing an open door to EU-citizens. If we left the EU, we could regain control of our borders, have an immigration policy that is fair, allows us to plan for public services and enrich our country. We can give immigration a good name again.

When asked whether leaving the EU would make British wages rise, Lord Rose (the head of the ‘Remain’ campaign) replied: “If you are short of labour the price will, frankly, go up.

So yes”. Revealingly, Rose then added

Tom Bitirim

“That’s not necessarily a good thing”.

Rising wages might not be good for large corporations using cheap labour. I’m sure many workers would disagree. It would be beneficial to the UK economy if we were no longer concerned with the interests of companies, and instead focussed upon the wages of the workers.

We are told that we need to be part of the EU in order to trade. Currently, the UK’s seat at the WTO is vacant, as we, and 27 others are all represented by the EU, who negotiates with one larger voice on the various trade interests of its members.

By leaving the EU, we can sacrifice this harmful unity and make our own free-trade deals with the rapidly developing countries of the world.

We will also have to continue to trade with the EU as we buy far more from them than they do from us, but we will definitely get a good deal with them if we leave.

We undoubtedly enhance our security by sharing intelligence with other countries, having processes for extradition and by rigorously checking those who cross our borders. The country with which we share by far the largest amount of intelligence is the United States, yet no one is suggesting we need become the 51st state.

The UK would be far better positioned as to its national security by maintaining these strong intelligence links whilst seceding from a bloc where the freedom of movement across borders leaves us vulnerable, not secure.

We are told that on its own, Britain would not be as successful in the modern world as if it remained with the EU. What we are really being told is that Britain is not good enough. We are told that leaving the EU is the risky option. Frankly, I could think of nothing more risky than remaining in this unsustainable superstate which we have existed in since 1973. The only feasible way to contain both the Euro and the migrant crises is for the Eurozone and Schengen countries to integrate further, dragging us with them (even though we have an opt-out of both).

This is our only chance: No one can predict the future, but at least as a sovereign nation, our destiny can be in our own hands.

NO

Emily Allen

It makes no sense to restrict talented people from around the globe from coming to our country while allowing an open door to EU citizens

“

The EU’s Single Market Economy is almost six times as big as the UK’s economy and inside the EU, Britain has access to these trading benefits

20% 64 votes

F

or every British citizen, the date June 23 is now synonymous with their chance to have their say in a decision which will have worldwide implications for decades to come.

It is a complex question, and you have to fully understand both sides in order to make an informed decision.

After hearing countless arguments, pamphlets, and articles, I have decided that I want Britain to remain in the EU. The EU is indisputably Britain’s largest partner in trade, as countries in the EU buy 44 per cent of Britain’s trade, concerning everything from machinery to bonds. The EU Single Market means that all the EU member states are viewed as a whole in terms of trade without any obstacles to the movement of services or goods, stimulating efficient trade. The EU’s Single Market Economy is almost six times as big as the UK’s economy and inside the EU, Britain has access to these trading benefits and it is therefore superfluous to state the extent to which Britain would be disadvantaged without them outside of the European Union.

Given that the other member states will still have these superior advantage, this could only impact negatively on Britain, creating insecurity and jeopardy concerning trade as well as jobs, given that more than 3 million British jobs are linked to the EU. In the past few days, the Treasury has estimated that the UK would lose £36 billion in tax receipts if it were to leave the EU, another dire warning on top of the warnings from the Bank of England, IMF, and our allies around the world.

The loss of the EU’s Single Market would also have strong negative consequences on the everyday way of life for British citizens. It is highly likely that there 252 votes will be an economic shock with negative consequences for the pound, which would raise the prices of basic household necessities.

More luxurious aspects of everyday living, such as holidays and foreign travel, could also be negatively

80%

impacted, as Britain being in the EU has resulted in holidays to European countries being cheaper and easier to obtain, in particular regarding flight costs and package holidays. UK citizens also have the right to travel freely to other EU countries and have cheaper (and often free) healthcare, privileges they would lose in Brexit.

An argument which is often heard on the side of Brexiters is that leaving the EU would give us back total control of our borders, and therefore reduce or even totally bring a halt to the number of immigrants entering Britain. Britain is not part of the border-free Schengen Zone which allows free movement between 26 countries.

As such, Britain has control of its own borders and checks the passport and credentials of anyone arriving in the country. If we have no control, why is there a massive camp in Calais being denied access?

In Cameron’s EU deal, Britain will also be able to deny plans to deny EU citizens working in Britain tax credits (as well as other benefits, like child benefit) for up to four years after their arrival. As such, leaving the EU will make no difference whatsoever. If we stay, we keep control and can enact the reforms we want, without risking our economic prosperity.

On security, Britain’s police force will be stronger if it remains in the EU, as by doing so Britain has access to the European Arrest Warrant, through which it can use intelligence (including fingerprint and DNA data) from the other member countries.

This means that the network of information used to identify criminals is larger and more advanced.

The benefits of Britain staying in the EU range from national security to economic stability. Britain has even more benefits accrued thanks to Cameron’s renegotiation granting us opt-outs to many unfavourable aspects of the EU. Britain also has the third most seats in the European Parliament (which, contrary to claims

by Leave, are democratically elected by the British people in European elections). The UK is also set to have the largest number of seats by 2030 due to population rise, making us the powerful head of the largest economic-political union in the world.

There can be no major powers transferred to the EU, without a vote in the UK. The EU is not a threat to British interests. It is a great source of our prosperity in the modern world, and I urge you to vote Remain.

The views expressed in Viewpoint do in notViewpoint represent of Thethe Saint butof are individual opinions. opinions.

The views expressed dothe notviews represent views The Saint but are individual

10 Viewpoint

21 April 2016 • The Saint

thesaint-online.com

Never mind that rain, it’s a sign of changing times

t’s a wet day - there have been a lot of them recently. A wet day shielding overpriced textbooks from the deluge whilst traipsing between Sallies’ Quad and the Buchanan building may be unappealing, but there is a certain warmth and comfort in being indoors and watching it all unfold out of the window. Letting it happen without you; relinquishing the day and the wet to the rest of the world.

April is a moist month generally, which makes sense; it is as if the year, a quarter of the way through, presents us with the opportunity for renewal.

The idea of New Year’s resolutions is arguably misplaced - there is no sense of rebirth in January. There is no sense of renewal in stony winter ground; no life at all. In the New Year’s resolution we attempt to resurrect or to recreate; we desire to fashion ourselves anew, afresh, in the sad, bloated aftermath of Christmas; in the inhospitable January air.

Though obviously it is not the first calendar month, it would be more logical, then, if we had our annu-

Though it is not the first calendar month it would be more logical if we had our annual crisis of discontentment in April

I gave him a fairly standard beach tour, and as we descended onto Castle Sands at low tide, he marvelled. ‘You must come here quite a lot’, he mused, and I began to reply with numerous excuses as to why, in fact, I don’t. I have too much on, hall mealtimes are strict, I’m too busy writing revolution-

ary articles (laugh out loud) for my student newspaper, etc, etc.

It isn’t as if I am not appreciative of the beauty here; I am still frequently taken aback by it. When you’ve lived in Hull for seventeen years - a town better known for its fishing industry and lively, if grubby, pub scene than its scenic landscapes - and you’re aesthetically inclined, it’s harder to ignore. It’s also generally nicer and easier to live when everything around you is not just pretty in the sunshine.

To quote Françoise Sagan, ‘money may not buy happiness, but I’d rather cry in a Jaguar than on a bus’. As a philosophy, it may not be entirely relevant to what we are currently considering; however, it sort of runs parallel to this idea of beauty and the aesthetic. It feels far more darkly romantic to wander to the pier and weep over the foaming waters beneath than to snivel by the side of the Anlaby Road dual carriageway in Kingston-upon-Hull.

Just saying.

However, the beauty is easy to take for granted because it is always there. I know that at any point I can go and walk amongst it, which is precisely why I don’t.

Before I discovered that there is a shortcut to Kennedy Hall, I would take the longer route down to where North Castle Street opens up onto the Scores and a panoramic view of the sea, like a painting through a picture frame. Now that I know that I can get to my tutorial quicker if I cut through Gannochy, I don’t do it anymore. Nor do I take that route after my tutorial;

a slave to my impulses, my inclination is to get to the curly fries as soon as possible.

Just as rain gives new life to things redundant or unborn, so the irresolute weather here in St. Andrews - and our startling proximity to a wealth of the most overwhelming natural beauty grows us.

Nature is something which opposes our capitalist culture; it gives in abundance without demand for compensation, but only offers insomuch as we care to glean from it. Nature waits for us; it does not make promo calls, it has no method of propaganda.

It simply is, and those who look for it will always find it.

Last night, I went to East Sands with a group of friends after dark; the simplicity of being so close to the sea,

everything inky and glimmering - our eyes having adjusted to the glimmer of the moon - reminded me of how inordinately fortunate we are to live in this amazing place.

For St. Andrews students, April does represent an ending of sorts. This is the ending of the academic year; for some, the end of a long period of stress (on a related tangent, yesterday, from afar, I mistook someone’s completed dissertation for a traybake).

I am writing this article to be published in the final printed publication of The Saint; this will mark one year of my writing for this great newspaper, and my initiation into usurping the ineffable Tom Coombes’ role, as the new Viewpoint editor.

And so, endings bring about beginnings.

Photo: Creative Commons

I

”

Amy Elliott ase4@st-andrews.ac.uk

al crisis of discontentment in April.

April is resonant of rain, yes, but rain is resonant of cleansing - of detox, if you will. Cleanse your mind of the resultant images of laxatives and raw pepper diets, and contemplate those words. ‘April’, ‘rain’. Redolent of squeaking shoes on hard floors and damp earth on long walks and peeling off wet jeans to feel cold skin beneath.

Recently, my younger brother came to stay with me in order to attend an open day, and it was interesting to see our town through new eyes.

Adrian ruminates on the beauty of a trip down the pub

A

fateful meeting. He sits outside (red jacket forgetfully cool) rolling a cigarette, licking to wrap the black liquorice paper around the cancer; inserting, carelessly, that menthol filter into the cylinder - oh, that romance was too charming to resist.

We were meant to be friends - me and Jack. So after the eye-contact sizzled, and since the seats outside the Union were nearly wet, we like all other lads that hunger for the intercourse of soul to soul, decided to head to the pub.

Which pub though? The Rule is too generous: you can be anyone inside, and the pesky paradox of choice makes for too much confusion, particularly for a first meeting. The Brew Co. is too imposing: its feng shui deliberate and strangling. We needed somewhere unobtrusive, but with a determined atmosphere (with dim lights and soft rock); somewhere, as a Londoner might say, that shoots off good vibes. After deliberation, off to Aikman’s it was.

sticky mess of a dance floor, but we head to the pub for intimacy. The pub has no expectation, except for you to chat (which comes naturally as soon as that pint lubes your tongue up for penetrative talk). It’s a warm place where the background most always consists of older students; drunkards; and lovely locals laughing rambunctiously at that shite joke you can’t believe just splattered out of your slurring mouth (are they polite or are they just drunk?).

Jack and I buy each other rounds (a bonding ritual that prematurely thrust us into the puberty of friendship).

Photo: Creative Commons

Adrian Ngiam an54@st-andrews.ac.uk

Thinking back now I wonder why we chose to go to a pub, I mean, Jack’s flat was a three minute stroll from the Union, so why not head there to pursue our interaction, buying cheaper drinks from Tesco to get drunk. But, I suppose, there’s an attractive nostalgia that lurks in the pub.

The setting of the pub and the concept of romance are intertwined in our consciousness. The inviting Pub and the sweet shadows of melancholy and complaints of unrequited love that emerge from our tongues during conversation are concomitant. We go to the club for sordid kisses on the

And after rounds of lagers we begin to love the moment. The conversation prolonged by our blurry minds; song after song chanted in good synchrony, but in inconsistent octaves and keys.

Fellow customers, forgive us, for we were, as a bourgeois might remark, royally carparked. I promise I sing real good when I’m sober.

We’ve been back since. Brand loyalty for pubs develop when you find that perfect one; and realise that it is in that habitat where you reveal your nighttime ‘deep’ self. It’s even the epicentre of social activity in some rural areas, which is something that makes perfect sense to me. After all, a pub can be a space where anything can happen. You see, a club forces you to dance, embarrassingly, I might add (since you only know that one move); but all a pub does is nonchalantly ask you if you’d like another pint (yes, please!). Birthdays; socials, first dates - really just about anything goes in a pub. It’s a coffee house, but for the gloam and the darkening hour.

You can drink as much as you want. After the third, or fourth pint, your knees begin to buckle slightly, like in the good old days before your tolerance was built, during the formative days of your self-annihilation It can be a private space too. One rarely leaves the holy place without the one that brung ya. And no mantra repeated in front of a mirror can make it easier to approach a group of strangers (no matter how pretty that

boy is). Most of the interactions with randoms will take place at the bar (“What’s your poison?”, “Lager.”, “Ah, me too.”, “Nice meeting you.”, “Bye.”). And the rest of your interactions, beside the ones with your clan, are with the bartender, who can be either overly friendly or just bored. I always wonder what she thinks of us.

I’m sure she can hear a thing or two, and we’ll say anything when we’re drunk. I apologise for any offense caused!

The pub is occasionally also an intervening space, fixed between your dinner and your going-out. A place where you can change into that going-out mode as you pre-drink with your comrades (Americans call it pregame but that sounds just a tad bit too corny for me).

I love the pub. I just wish that it was more accessible for females, and that women who enjoy a pub and a beer or two aren’t termed mannish because of their tastes. Why can’t a “gals’ pub night” be mainstream as well? Do we ever associate the pub with a woman? Whatever.

Forgive the digression, but don’t let being ‘something else’, something different from a stereotype stop you from ‘doing something else’, when it is so much fun.

But let me close: next time you see Jack and me at Aikman’s, give us a shout, be you male or female or neutral, and embark with us on a drunken journey together.

The The views views expressed expressed in in Viewpoint Viewpoint do do not not represent represent the the views views of of The The Saint Saint but but are are individual individual opinions. opinions.

The Saint • 21 April 2016

Viewpoint 11

thesaint-online.com

Man vs Dog

Tom Coombes

tc62@st-andrews.ac.uk

Photo: Creative Commons

I

Have we misunderstood the white male?

Isaac Leaver il29@st-andrews.ac.uk

I

deally, when our children and grandchildren look back on our current generation (hopefully not from the vantage point of houses on stilts with the corpse of the last polar bear floating by), they might be able to mitigate all the inexcusable environmental and economic destruction we continue to wreak with the knowledge that at least we unfettered the individual from the stereotypes surrounding their demographic groups.

We have finally woken up to the fact that women aren’t inherently perfidious and seductive daughters of Eve, that if you cross a black person in the street then you aren’t in for a ‘shanking’, that barely any gay men devote their lives to mincing around and hairdressing and that hardly any lesbians obsess over power tools and plaid shirts. Thankfully, despite the best efforts of the uglier elements of the right-wing press, the overwhelming response of not just trendy young Facebookers but also mainstream politicians after every Islamist terror attack is to re-affirm that these atrocities do not speak for the Muslim community.

All well and good then. Three cheers all round for realising that individuals are individuals. But, wait, what about white males?

As a reader of liberal media outlets (I’m one of those horrid Guardianistas you read about in the Mail) and someone who spends a lot of time discussing social, cultural and political issues, I have grown very familiar with the imagery attached to the ‘white male’. Par for the course of the

worldview of many modern Western progressives is the elision of being a ‘white male’ with closeted bigotry, all-round entitlement, obliviousness to the plight of minority groups and a lack of first-hand experience of hardship. Clive of India, Cecil Rhodes and Boris Johnson: they are the kind of figures who are our socio-cultural informants, apparently. ‘White male’ is becoming shorthand for everything that is wrong with our current establishment.

We have to be nuanced here. I would be the last to reject the idea that Western history has disproportionately materially benefited (and still benefits) white males, or that there is a fundamental problem when a government does not reflect the diversity of its electorate, or that some white males do make questionable statements and commit outrageous acts that are indicative of a sense of innate privilege.

But I still don’t see these as acceptable reasons to adopt a default approach towards the general identity of being white and male that exudes suspicion and, amongst some on the liberal-left, contempt.

My objection is two-fold. Firstly, this whole treatment of the ‘white male’ category fails utterly to account for the individuality amongst white males that we afford to other identities. We are as capable of self-reflection and abstract thought that breaks through the boundaries of our identity’s heritage and history as anyone else. Of course, some are better at these processes than others, and some do not bother to engage in them at all.

Nonetheless, a great deal of us work hard to leave the colonialism and sexism of the past and to interact with the world in as inclusive, respectful and fair-minded way as possible.

We will never be free of our history, but I can guarantee that I and many others strive daily to allow it only minimal impact on our perception of who we are now. This should not be taken as a petition for you all to acknowledge just how good we’re

being to everyone else. It’s just a fact that is worth bearing in mind.

Secondly, the stereotypes of the ‘white male’ forget a crucial socio-economic bracket and its experiences.

White, working-class males are not included in this narrative of centuries of power-handling and being born to rule. Historically tied to drudgery of mills and mines and now trapped in a post-Thatcher dystopia where they are ignored by the political class, lampooned as thick UKIP-voters and EDL thugs who drive white vans and love Eng-er-land, and increasingly falling behind their peers at school, their experience of the world around them is principally defined by a sense of powerless.

I’m sure members of this social demographic would be bowled over in surprise were they to have frequent access to the kind of conversations that would gladly inform them that they are paragons of insufferable privilege and opportunity. As is regrettably often the case, our current discourse surrounding race and gender is generally being taken up amongst the middle classes, for the middle classes, about the middle classes.

In recent times, we have done so well to break down the walls that have historically restricted the opportunity for the self-identification and self-expression of a great swathe of people who have previously faced systemic oppression and exclusion from mainstream academic and social dialogues.

We have, in a great display of self-enquiry, come to terms with the true horrors that patriarchy and colonialism inflicted during their zenith and how their vestiges still have an impact on us today.

Yet in this age of such broad-mindedness, awareness and ardent belief in an individual’s ability for and right to self-identification, we have to be careful that we don’t undermine this whole, noble project through our treatment of the ‘white male’.

Every individual is an individual, even if they have pale skin and a name like ‘Tim’.

n a moment of drunken revelling the other evening (praise be to Dionysus), I was asked a question which I did not think I would ever be asked. It was put to me in the style of one of those ‘would you rather?’ questions, which so instantly raise anybody’s hackles, being as they are so often related to either copulating with family or the removal of sexual organs. So you can imagine how floored I was when the question that came at me from my usually genial drinking companion was as follows: ‘Would you rather have to kill one person, or have to kill a dog every day for the rest of your life?’

Reeling somewhat from the directness and content of the question, I was inclined to reach for another cheese cracker to masticate as I proverbially chewed over the question. I must add that the cracker was present because the setting was a dinner party. I am a classy man, as you can tell by the company I keep. Naturally I would have to set some parameters.

‘Who is the person, and do I get to choose which kind of dog?’ came my retort. It would buy me some time, and besides, the latter half of the question was important. This dog business seemed to be a time-consuming job, and as murdering pugs is a hobby of mine, I thought this may soften the blow somewhat. You know what they say about employment: choose a job you want to get out of bed for in the morning.

‘Somebody you are pretty good friends with, and no you don’t get to choose the dog. Different one every day.’

I damn near dropped my lobster thermidor down me. The plot had thickened. Suddenly I was faced with either garrotting one of my closest confidants or every day waking up and knowing that at some point during the day, I would have to look into a labrador’s eyes and blow the mother away. This is where the issues of short and long term come in. With the friend, this is a one-time murder which I must strive to overcome emotionally, unless of course I enjoy it, which is always possible.

Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it huh? With the dogs however this is a constant and daily torture (apart from pug day) where each night, as I lay in bed, I must dispel the trusting eyes of dear Rover from my fevered imagination.

Sipping on the vintage, I attempted to moralise it. The RSPCA puts down animals in its shelters, and they’re the ones asking us for money dammit. Besides, isn’t a human life worth more than that of an animal, even if it is quite a few. Never blessed with the most agile of mental arithmetic skills, I reached for my phone and popped in the numbers. At my

current state of physical wellbeing I give myself thirty years at best before I feel the icy hand ‘pon my shoulder, and at a dog a day this would amount to 10,950 strong of man’s best friends weighing upon my conscience. As I am often told, my mind is not a strong one, and I wondered if it could bear this burden of canine suffering.

Suddenly, the fog lifted.

Somebody had opened the window to allow the smoke from the forgotten-about soufflés to air from the room. Metaphorically however also, everything had become clear.

I had been sat here pontificating on this question when strictly there was no need. Of course I would rather kill my mate. Chances are, he has done something awful to me at some point (even if I probably don’t remember it), while this poor schnauzer-spaniel cross staring up at me as I level the blade to its throat has done nothing but be excited, happy and waggy its entire life. One less human is one less strain on an already overpopulated planet. I’d practically be birthing a polar bear.

Alongside this completely scientific example of cause and effect, I realised that part of it is the same reason why people are tricked into buying pets in the first place: the dogs are simply too cute to be brutally slaughtered. This goes for almost all animals, particularly young ones.

My friend on the other hand, I do not find particularly attractive. In fact their face somewhat annoys me.

As you can tell, by this point I had basically decided on which friend it was to be. I was considering method.

You can’t gun down a puppy, skewer a kitten, or lob a hamster into the sea.

It’s not ethical. Just look at them.

This is the same reason people want to hold Koalas despite the fact that they probably smell terrible, and between 30 and 50 per cent of them have Chlamydia (good excuse for the spouse for all you Casanovas out there). Completely irrationally, we ascribe more emotional complexity to the befurred face of another species than we do our own. We are, deep down, more inclined to hurt one of our own than we are to murdering something we more commonly see being narrated by David Attenborough.

That is why I writing this to you from an airport, with a one-way ticket to Belize, where I plan to open an Irish pub. It is also because of this basic fact of human conditioning that I announce my leaving of the role of editor of this section, leaving it in the capable hands of Amy Elliott.

It’s been a blast, and do come visit O’Flaherty’s in Belmopan, free Pablos on production of matric card.

So ends the defendant’s statement.

The The views views expressed expressed in in Viewpoint Viewpoint do do not not represent represent the the views views of of The The Saint Saint but but are are individual individual opinions. opinions.

12 Viewpoint

21 April 2016 • The Saint

thesaint-online.com

Why you should study in the Bubble

T

he following is a sponsored article.

Did you always dream of Oxford or picture yourself in Cambridge?

Ever get to that final stage and then realise that what you really want to do is study somewhere virtually the same latitude as Moscow? Ever want to spend your days ducking from seagulls and your Aprils still in your winter coat? Then St Andrews may be the place for you.

Studying at St Andrews is an experience unlike anything you will ever find. Lying an amazing 86th in the World University Rankings, we may be below Edinburgh and Glasgow on that particular list, but can either of those offer the truly world class array of art, theatre and other cultural events that we do? At St Andrews you can take your pick of fascinating and entertaining nights and events all year

ic beauty. In fact, it looks so ancient and integrated into the town it is easy to forget that it is younger than David Attenborough. But even though this is where Wills and Kate stayed (have we mentioned Wills and Kate came here? Did you know that? Oh you did. Never mind. Still though, Prince William eh? Pretty impressive right.), there are a range of other halls available, each absolutely unique.

Take University Hall. When you go on our website, it looks like a castle! Admittedly we do miss off the massive slab in the middle that looks like a barracks, but that just represents what we believe in here at St Andrews: never pre-judging someone on looks alone. Besides, this is just a tiny sample of all the accommodation available to you.

Once you leave your halls you can move into any number of the two stunning properties to be found around St Andrews. Beautifully maintained by caring landlords, all properties are available for the yearly cost of raising a child.

Yet fear not, yuppy proleteriats, if you need extra cash you can work in any of the plethora of bars and restaurants which sprawl around the town and which totally aren’t almost all owned by national corporations, and one of them definitely did not top a list of companies underpaying their

staff last year.

And speaking of children, on entering ‘The Bubble’ you will be introduced to the world of academic families. As a first year you will be ‘adopted’ by an older, more sadistic student, who will take you under their wing, hold dinners for you to escape from the potato-based torture of halls catering, and then on a random week in October subject you to trial by alcohol. Naturally the University would like to note that it distances itself completely from this particular tradition, because compared to midlife alcoholism you’re all a bunch of p*ssies. However we are still completely happy to use an idealised ver-

sion of academic families in our marketing campaigns.

The thing is, once you’re here, you’ll actually enjoy it. It’s a little bit like Pablo Escobar’s prison. It may look like hell from the outside, but on the inside it’s all cocaine and hookers world-class teaching, making friends and alcohol abuse.

Therefore why not come to St Andrews and completely skew your idea of the affluence of Scotland forever?

It may be bleak as f*ck in December, but for those last few weeks of May, we guarantee you will absolutely love it here. (We need to find a new writer, ed.)

Photo: Creative Commons

Sir Huge Lyin Playfair uni@st-andrews.ac.uk

around.

With two museums with a combined square footage of over one twentieth of the British History Museum, and a whole three fashion shows (that’s more than Milan has!), you really can soak up the culture during the day and party all night. Or at least until Fife council’s noise regulation rules set in at 2am. Your friends may be out later in their big cities, but think of all the sleep you’re getting!

‘What of punting?!’ we hear you cry as you reach back for your Oxbridge prospectus. Fear not, as neither of these two similarly prestigious British universities have anywhere near the water-based facilities which St Andrews boasts. Sure they have rivers, but do either of them have a whole sea? No they do not. And not just any sea. We have the f*cking North Sea at our disposal here, and yes that is the same North Sea which gives you oil, seals and crippling pneumonia, even in June! And even if you don’t fancy taking on Poseidon’s wrath, we have our very own Kinnessburn flowing majestically through the town and into the open ocean. Suck on that Poxbridge.

Upon arrival you will be housed in one of our range of University halls.

The picturesque St Salvator’s hall is the most sought after hall due to its location and almost unrivalled histor-

Parting words: etymology and expressions

N

ow widely known (only at The Saint) as the satire section, this page of Viewpoint has of late been dedicated to lighthearted subjects that appeal to our sense of humour rather than our intelligence and dignity.

For the last issue of this semester, I thought it only appropriate to go full circle and return to something perhaps a little more educational.

As writers, we fumble about to find the most appropriate synonyms, the most accurate descriptions, and the most poignant metaphors for our works. But where do all the words we use come from?

As an aspiring etymologist, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of some of my favourite word origins for our devoted readers and future writers.

In order to progress to one of my favourite words, we must first begin with “turd”. The word “turd” is a euphemism and insult I hold dear to my heart, as it not only originates from the Old English tord & ProtoGermanic turdam meaning “piece of excrement”, but also has cognates

malapropism. Now I only find it so crazy because it’s a tricky little packsaddle-son of a word. One would think that it originates from “mal” (from the Latin male meaning “badly”) and “appropriation”, as it means erroneously using a word that sounds like another, but it actually stems from the French mal à propos meaning “inappropriately” or “badly for the purpose”.

It’s then not “appropriation” we are dealing with but “proposal” (i.e. mistakenly proposing a word sounding similar to the correct word, for example “Piracy Policy” instead of “Privacy Policy”). Although mal à propos dates from the 1660s, malapropism is derived from the name of a character that was coined in 1826 by Sheridan. Mrs. Malaprop in “The Rivals” (1775) consistently uses big words without really knowing their significance (what a pompous crouton.)

This phenomenon has led to some amazing utterances. George W. Bush’s vice president Dan Quayle made sure to tell people that “Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child”, which might be a premonitory statement explaining Trump’s campaign entirely: wrong and with incestuous undertones. The president himself assured his audience that he would be signing laws to collect vital information on “weapons of mass production”. Although I’m glad Jay Bee is concerned with animal rights and the environment, I have yet to see any tractors or ploughs be banned.

Finally, even though it is technical-

ly not etymology, I’d like to touch on the origins of my favourite rhetorical device used in unserious debates (or to annoy the skatos out of your friends and family). Not only will this rhetorical device be greatly useful to any Scotsmen, but the name of the person who popularised it is out of this world. The “if-by-whiskey” argument is a relativist fallacy used in order to avoid ever giving a real opinion.

Judge Noah S. “Soggy” Sweat, Jr., who obviously must hold some sort of award for most ridiculously suave name ever, was a state representative in Mississippi who gave a speech in 1952 during prohibition about how he was only in favour of whisky (or alcohol) being legal if it had an awesome connotation. Basically – if you thought whisky was the devil’s concoction, then Soggy would say that that doesn’t fly. But if you thought whisky was a top-hole brew, then Soggy was the biggest supporter of a

post-work swig.

The expression “if-by-whiskey” was devised because of his repetition of the phrase “If by whiskey, you mean”, followed by an enumeration of negative words, and “If by whiskey, you mean”, followed by an enumeration of positive words. Keep this awesome tactic in mind when you go back home in the summer. Tell a relative of yours that if by laundry-day they mean the unscrupulous task prohibited by God on everyday of the week, it’s a no-go. But if by laundry-day they mean the task performed by others as a holy homage to the wearer of the linens in question, then by all means, launder away.

These are my parting words to the readership and writers before I go on my year abroad. I hope it sounded as obnoxious as it did when I read it all in my head. It’s been a pleasure writing for you, Viewpoint & co. Until next time.

The The views views expressed expressed in in Viewpoint Viewpoint do do not not represent represent the the views views of of The The Saint Saint but but are are individual individual opinions. opinions.

Photo: Flo McQuibban

Flora McQuibban ferm@st-andrews.ac.uk

from Old Norse (tord-yfill) and Dutch (tort-wevel) meaning “dung beetle”.

Now although “turd” is a perfectly cool word in itself, it’s extra spiffing because the Proto-Indo-European drtom (past participle root of –der), meaning “to be torn/that which is torn from the body” comes from the Greek skatos meaning “excrement”, and sker meaning “to cut”.

Now, this is fun because the word “scatological”, unlike the word “turd”, is one you can use when writing a literature essay. Scatological, from skat (skatos) and logy (meaning “treatise”, as many of you might already know) is a word used to describe obscene literature.

You might initially think that this is the kind of word used ironically to describe strange and poorly written fantasy literature, but it’s actually applicable to some of Chaucer and Shakespeare’s works. For those who are familiar with The Decameron, instead of saying that Boccaccio implicitly talks about “poopoo” in Story so-and-so, you can actually be the pedantic little asshole (pun intended) who conspicuously points out that “falling into a hole filled with excrement is a rather excellent display of scatological humour”.

That being said, clarity shouldn’t always be sacrificed for the sake of grandiosity. Although it would be quite the party, if you said “Skatos!” every time you hit your knee or forgot something, you might find yourself quarantined in your tutorials, not unlike a 17th century plague-stricken boat on its way to a Venetian port.

That brings us to another crazy word:

MONEY Money editor MEILAN SOLLY Deputy editors: Antonia Wade, James Fox

thesaint-online.com/money

@saint_money

money@thesaint-online.com

How much do St Andrews students spend in a week?

The Saint asked several students, including those in catered and uncatered halls, to track their anticipated versus actual spending over a five-day period.

Students were told not to alter their purchases from their usual spending and to report their overall expenditures and on what they spent their money.

Maya Moritz St Andrews carries a certain reputation, most often associated with drinking societies and the rich and royal. As students here know, though, not everyone is a Windsor. Those who don’t count caviar as a major food group often complain about rising rent prices and the preponderance of expensive food options.

Between food, trips, nights out and a cheeky wee pint every now and again, how much do students spend in one week? If they forego the labour of keeping a list of every cappuccino, Pablo and quick foray into H&M, students may find that their budget is blown far more often than expected.

The Saint decided to find out how St Andrews students really spend their pounds. We spoke to a range of individuals living in both catered and uncatered halls to see if students here truly live like kings. We asked them to estimate their spending over the five-day period of Monday to Friday and then track their purchases as accurately as possible. The students

were told not to alter their purchases from their usual spending and to report their overall expenditures and on what they spent their money.

We start with Amy Greig, a first year who lives uncatered in DRA. Ms Greig estimated her weekly spending to range between £80 and £100, but she didn’t go out during the week and therefore spent only £61.44. Living in DRA, Ms Greig spent money on travel that a student living closer to town could have avoided, namely £5.60 in taxis and bus trips. Her nonessential spending included a £15 concert and £13 worth of clothes. An upcoming birthday party for a friend set Ms Greig back £11, as she had to purchase a gift. Her most impressive number was for food: £17.84 worth of food and coffee, which was quite low in the gastronomically expensive St Andrews. Ms Greig cooks rather than eating out to avoid high meal costs.

Our first case study underspent, and if she had spent this much for all 30 weeks of the two semesters, she would end up spending £1,843.20 per year. However, if she spends £90 per week as she usually does, she will be

spending £2,700 per year, a sizable increase.

Next up is Liam Arne, a second year. He lives in a catered hall and tends to spend no money during the week. Mr Arne is a cautious budgeter.

He said: “Excluding the weekend, I typically spend no money at all.

On the weekends when I have to get dinner, I usually get a £3 Tesco meal deal or occasionally a Tulsi curry for £6.50.”

True to his estimate, Mr Arne spent no money during the week, instead sharing an order of curry chips from Empire and some Tesco sushi with willing friends.

Our next student, Troy Takemori, is a first year. He estimated his weekly spending at £40-£50 per week. On Monday, he spent £20 on food and daily activities. Tuesday saw only £5 in spending, all for food. Wednesday was a bigger spending day, with a total of £27, £6 for food and £21 for a night out. On Thursday, Mr Takemori shelled out £13, £7 for pizza and £6 on going out. On Friday, the final count was £20 for a combination of food for cooking and a night at the Vic. Troy’s

total was £85, over double his lower expected spending. Living like this will cost him £2,550 per year.

As a budget-conscious student, I decided to monitor my own spending as well. This week was a busy money week considering my catered status in University Hall. The amount I spent was raised because I was unable to eat in halls when meetings occurred during meals, laundry day fell on Tuesday and my realization that doing yoga on the hall carpets hurts your palms like little else. I estimated I would spend £20. On Monday, £4 went towards dinner. On Tuesday, I bought a £3 yoga mat, £7 worth of food and £5 of cleaning supplies for the £4 worth of laundry I later washed. Wednesday only cost me £3 for a Costa cappuccino the size of my face, and on Thursday I did not spend a pence. Friday arrived, and my Nando’s cost a reasonable £7.

Overall, I spent £33, far more than I wished to lose.

In contrast, Evan Bederman is a fourth year at the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Because of the school’s location in one of America’s biggest cities, his expenses were high-

er than those of most St Andrews students interviewed for this article. On Monday, lunch and dinner accounted for £31.39. On Tuesday, only £7.60 was spent on food and £3.51 on an online subscription. Wednesday found Mr Bederman spending £25.24 on food and some shopping. £30.34 paid for Thursday’s food, and Friday’s £27.44 covered the day’s meals. In total, Mr Bederman spent £116.53, more than many St Andrews students despite the University’s reputation.

Like every university, most St Andrews denizens live on a student budget, constantly checking Unidays and Groupon and pulling out their matriculation card at every store for that coveted student discount. Unless one turns their mind from academics, athletics, social life and clubs to focus on tracking daily spending, money can slip through your fingers. Whether you’re more of a Liam, Amy, Troy or Maya, perhaps experiments like this will make you more conscious of those everyday purchases that set you back over time, often without your knowledge.

Infographic by Meilan Solly

14 Money

21 April 2016 • The Saint

thesaint-online.com

Tourism in town: nuisance for students or window into uni life?

Photo: Meilan Solly

Maya Moritz Despite St Andrews’ reputation as an isolated, peaceful town, spring has brought its share of prospective student tour groups, golf enthusiasts and Scottish holiday goers.

According to the St Andrews Partnership, St Andrews attracts 666,300 visitors per year. While some tourists visit the town to play golf on the historic Old Course or enjoy the picturesque scenery of West Sands, others visit for specific events.

For example, On the Rocks, which took place earlier this month, attracts about 6,000 visitors per year, while the StAnza Poetry Festival attracts 14,000 and the Open Championship attracts over 200,000.

Combined, visitors to the town spend 98 million pounds annually on everything from eating out to golf equipment.

While the tourism and rash of families are an economic gift to the array of bed and breakfast locations, boutique hotels and upper-end restaurants in town, students sometimes find the crowded streets and in-hall tours a nuisance.

University tour guide Kristen Friedman often finds herself very busy during open days, which are held

nine times per year (four in the spring and five in the autumn). Prospective students can also arrange individual tours if their schedule conflicts with the University’s open days.

“I usually take two or three tours on Wednesdays (depending on the weather),” she said. “I’m not really a fan of going out in the rain.”

Ms Friedman, a first year studying international relations, sometimes finds herself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of interested students.

“The number of people coming to open days varies,” she said.

“Sometimes there can be about 400 students. Sometimes there can be over 600. I think one earlier in the month had almost 700 students, so I ended up with a group of around 60 at one point. And pretty much all of the prospective students had brought at least one parent with them, so it was crazy.”

The tours cover some of the town’s most student-populated spots, like areas surrounding the castle, cathedral and the pier, where Ms. Friedman informs eager groups about traditions such as the pier walk, avoiding the PH and May Dip. Tours also visit halls of residence, where students are often surprised to find visitors wandering past their

rooms in the morning.

The University does not currently tell students if a tour route will include their hall, leading to some consternation by residents.

Often, Ms Friedman is privy to this irritation.

She said: “I’ve seen and heard a lot of people complaining about tour groups, and I’m not sure that’s fair.”

Ms Friedman noted that despite her best efforts, her tours do have an effect on passing students.

“Yeah, [students] may be caught up for 20 seconds while [they] walk around them, but I always try and make sure they don’t get in people’s path,” she said.

Still, Ms Friedman emphasizes the importance of these tours for current and future St Andrews students.

“I’m sure quite a few people here came on an open day and took the tours,” she said. “[Prospective students are] just having a look at where they might be spending the next four or five years of their lives.”

Similarly, visiting St Andrews even before open day has affected the college decision of some students.

First year biology and French student Claire Richmond was no stranger to St Andrews before her first open day.

She said: “I live in Glasgow, so it was fairly easy to visit St Andrews with my family.”

Visiting St Andrews before Ms Richmond knew where or what she wanted to study led her to make observations that would later inform her university options.

“A couple of times when we were staying in Fife, we took day trips there,” she said.

Ms Richardson joined the 65 per cent of St Andrews tourists who are day rather than overnight visitors.

Thanks to her day trips to the town, she said: “I definitely was under no illusions about St Andrews being sunny all the time after a couple of very windy beach walks.”

The imperfect weather didn’t scare Ms Richmond away, however.

In fact, it may have had the opposite effect.

Ms Richmond said: “I have no doubt that having seen the town before and having fond memories of it confirmed my desire to study here.”

While some students may wish for warning or more privacy, student tour guides continue to offer prospective students a window into university life, and tourists continue to economically invigorate St Andrews.

How to make the most of your internship: lessons from a summer in DC

I spent the summer after first year researching state tax laws, attending meetings about mutual fund investment strategies, and interviewing individuals as varied as the president of a body parts modeling company and the CEO of a marijuana jobs listing website.

After working in student journalism for the past five years, I had landed my first professional internship at Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine in Washington, DC. During my two months at Kiplinger, I learned a great deal about the journalism industry as well as the ins and outs of personal finance, but in this column, I’d like to share several lessons that apply in any internship.

1. Use your existing connections and form new ones I found out about Kiplinger through my mother, who told a friend at church about my interest in journalism. The friend had a sister who works at Kiplinger, and after emailing her, she agreed to send my resume to the company’s managing editors.

After several follow-up emails, I was offered a position working on both the website and the magazine.

If my mother wasn’t a naturally talkative person, I would have never found out about Kiplinger. You may not have an equally chatty parent, but it’s likely you have family members or friends with connections that can help you. Ask around—you’ll be surprised by just how many people your loved ones know.

2. Learn from everyone, including your fellow interns and people who

hold high-level company positions My colleagues at Kiplinger included a former Bloomberg BusinessWeek White House correspondent, a reporter who worked at USA TODAY for 16 years and a former Time magazine staff writer. To take full advantage of the wealth of career experience surrounding me, I set up meetings with several editors. These men and women were

“

I certainly wouldn’t have learned that some body parts models break into the business by having unique ears or a bald head

generous with their time and advice, offering tips on everything from a career in copy editing to the unstable nature of freelance travel writing.

I also learned a great deal from the other two interns. Both were older than me and had a wealth of editorial experience with college newspapers; as we bonded over lunch and moments that only other interns can understand, they shared advice on everything from finding internships to upping my Twitter game.

The one-on-one guidance I received at Kiplinger provided a helpful supplement to the 40 hours a week

I spent researching and writing articles, attending magazine and web meetings, and participating in special events such as a video shoot, a field trip to the magazine’s printing plant and the National Press Club’s annual awards dinner.

As you begin your internship, remember to take full advantage of the time you have with your new colleagues. They’re working in positions that you likely aspire to hold one day, so it wouldn’t hurt to ask how they got there.

3. Act professional Since I interned at Kiplinger between my first and second year, I was the youngest person in the office. Most people assumed that I was actually a rising fourth year, and this worked to my advantage. Colleagues held me to a high standard that I was eager to meet. I tried to act professional in all walks of office life: I arrived at meetings several minutes early, I met all of my deadlines armed with giant stacks of background research, and I got more blisters than I can count by wearing heels almost every day of the week.

If you secured a summer internship, it’s likely that you already appear professional in your employer’s eyes, but it will work in your favor to maintain this attitude. If you do, you can be sure that you’ll secure your next internship with the help of a glowing reference from your current boss.

4. Be proactive and innovative On my second day at Kiplinger, I emailed the website’s managing editor to ask for my first assignment. He asked

Illustration: Dillon Yeh

Meilan Solly Money editor

me to find a source for a feature on the cheapest places to live because the story’s writer was currently struggling to do so. Within an hour, I had tracked down a relevant source, emailed him, received a response, and written up a background blurb.

When I met with my boss at the end of that first week, I also pitched several story ideas. One, about jobs you won’t believe you can get paid to do, took me almost the whole summer to complete, but it gave me the chance to interview individuals in industries ranging from crime scene cleaning to food taste testing. If I hadn’t shown initiative in the beginning of my internship, I would never have had the chance to show my dedication to completing tasks efficiently— and I certainly wouldn’t have learned that some body parts models break into the business by having unique ears or a bald head.

5. Don’t (over)stress the little things, but do learn from your mistakes I’m the kind of person who remembers every embarrassing thing that happens to me, so I can recall in vivid detail the day when I made more mistakes than I ever thought possible. One of the other interns and I were tasked with uploading a matching slideshow and article to Kiplinger’s website. We were told to launch the pieces at the exact same time, but I accidentally published mine an hour early. Looking back, I realize I probably didn’t need to run to the other intern’s desk and panic about how I was going to be fired, but at the time, it seemed like the only viable outcome. Despite fear of losing my job, I knocked on my boss’ door and told him about the mistake. He laughed and told me that what was done was done.

Throughout the summer, I made several more mistakes that at the time seemed catastrophic but today are simply funny memories. If you find yourself in a similar situation this summer, don’t worry.

Nobody will judge you as much as you judge yourself, and by tomorr o w, they won’t even re-

member that you once tried to write a headline promoting solar systems instead of solar panels.

thesaint-online.com

Money 15

Post-housing rush: finding a flat at the last minute Antonia Wade Deputy money editor The traditional frenzied search for a flat is over, yet some students are still securing properties. With most student lists released between late January and the end of February, it is no surprise that students begin to search in the weeks prior. Applications are collated and delivered as soon as the property is viewed, with panic setting in if a flat is not secured by the end of March.

However, leases are still signed well into the end of the second semester. The Saint spoke with three students about their experiences securing a lease after the initial rush.

While second year Emily Allen said that the experience of finding a property “wasn’t too bad,” third year Alex Miller said that “it certainly wasn’t easy.”

Although the Stonehouse Lettings website shows six student properties

available, and the Thorntons Student Lettings company lists a further five, “the competition for places is still quite high,” Mr Miller said.

Ms Allen described a viewing on South Street where the line wound down the majority of the road. She had a similar experience on Bell Street.

This endless competition often leads to frustration.

Mr Miller said: “[It is] more of a constant series of stops and starts as things got posted and immediately taken. You then sit around and wait until something new gets posted and it’s off to the races again. Rinse, wash, repeat.”

Mr Miller and Ms Allen’s experiences contrast with that of first year Ingunn Ukvitne, who said that she and her housemate got “very, very lucky.”

Ultimately, Mr Miller believes that he also “got pretty lucky. [It] was either I got the place or I figured I’d have to live by Morrison’s, or even

Dundee, and just commute.”

Elspeth of Stonehouse Lettings wanted to discount the preconception that students have to take the first property they are offered. While it may seem like there is a finite list of properties, some listings will not even be on the market until the summer.

Potential landlords will be securing properties and getting HMO licenses for their properties, which will then be put onto the student letting market throughout the year.

So, while the list of properties is dwindling, new ones are still becoming available.

She also wanted to underline the fact that there are still possibilities and tenants do not have to compromise.

Ms Ukvitne, for example, had to compromise little, as the flat secured “was a little more expensive than our other flat, but not much, and we worked it out between ourselves who is going to pay what.”

Mr Miller’s flat did not fit his ini-

baguettes with fillings such as chicken tikka and sliced cheddar.

Alternatively, there is great selection of themed burgers, including the Mexican burger with Mexicana cheese and guacamole or the Italian burger with mozzarella and pesto. Rolls and baguettes are £2.20, while burgers range in price, costing up to around £3 (still fantastic value).

After selecting your main course, you can order soft drinks and ‘healthy’ sides such as chips, cake, crisps or chocolate. Place your order, and it should be waiting for you upon arrival. Like the business as a whole, this is a fantastic system for the busy student and is superb value for money.

Munch is located at 209 South Street (the West Port end) and is open from 7 am to 3:30 pm.

be found on Pipeland Road next to the park and bowling club.

Inside, Master’s’ compact premise os stylish, and there is a comfortable bench where you can sit while your food is being prepared. Though cooked fresh to order, waiting times seem reasonably short, and the staff is very friendly.

In terms of food, classic tandoori dishes come in at around £1, while common sides such as pakoras, bhajis and samosas are £3-4; burger wraps are also available for a similar price.

A portion of chips is £2.50, or you can get a cheeseburger, chips and cold drink all for £5.

If you don’t mind a somewhat reduced lifespan, Master’s also offers a munchy box for £11.

Quality is comparable to that of Dervish and Empire, making Master’s Masala the perfect late night takeout spot, especially for those living in the Badlands.

Photo: Laszlo Szegedi

The Saint • 21 April 2016

tial budget, but after expanding his spending possibilities to meet market realities, his rent is within budget and good value for its location.

Ms Allen also decided to compromise, saying: “We didn’t compromise location, as that was one thing my housemate and I were decided on, but we had to compromise on price.”

Despite the mad rush for properties which begins in December, properties can clearly still be secured right up until September. It is not unheard of for students to drop out of leases during the summer, and frequent posts on Facebook housing pages are testament to this.

Mr Miller supports the view that joining Facebook pages that advertise properties is a good move for students searching.

He said: “Be ready to check them religiously. Also, don’t be afraid to look for alternative postings or to put yourself out there saying you’re looking for a place, since some-

one might have a spot open that you would not have known about otherwise.”

Ultimately, those searching for properties after the initial rush should not be discouraged. Even if letting agencies don’t seem to have available properties, there are always other avenues such as private landlords.

Despite securing a lease after the normal panic, all three students interviewed were pleased with their properties.

Ms Ukvitne advised those in the same situation to “just keep your calm, and you could get really lucky.”

Ms Allen and Mr Miller also counselled staying calm and continuing the housing search, as there are properties out there.

Remember that Stonehouse Lettings releases properties throughout the year, and the housing pages on Facebook will always be looking for new members.

supper in town and home delivery within a 5-mile radius, it is certainly worth consideration. Note, however, that some have voiced reservations regarding the service and quality of some dishes.

If you know about Dino’s, you’ll also know about SPAR supermarket nearby. It’s a cheaper alternative to the supermarkets found on Market Street, and it also contains a mini Subway outlet.

The Byre Theatre is a common lo-

cation for events throughout the year, but it is also a great place to come during the day, whether it’s to study or just chill out on some very comfortable sofas.

The Byre offers reasonably priced hot drinks, made even cheaper with a student discount and a loyalty card giving you a tenth beverage for free.

It also has eduroam Wi-Fi network, making it a great place to work on a never-ending cycle of tutorial readings and essays.

James Fox Deputy money editor

Munch The family-run business Munch opened in 2011, branching out from its original home in Cupar. Since then, it has cemented its place as one of the freshest spots to grab a lunchtime snack. Munch offers a delectable range of filled baguettes, rolls, paninis, burgers and sandwiches with a wide variety of mouthwatering fillings.

Munch opens at 7 am and has a great looking breakfast menu, including “probably the best bacon roll in the world” to start your day on the right track.

The spacious premises also contain a large fridge full of chilled drinks to quench your thirst when—or rather if—the summer weather arrives. For rainy days, there is a bar and stools for you to sit in and enjoy your food.

Munch really comes into its own, however, with its order ahead system.

Perfect for the busy student lifestyle, it allows you to place an order online with an interactive menu. You can choose from a diverse list of rolls and

Master’s Masala

The new kid on the block when it comes to fast food takeaway, Master’s Masala specialises in halalIndian food.

Publicity for the restaurant, which crept into existence at the beginning of the month, has been fairly limited.

But trust me—it does exist, and it can

Other places of note

The classic Badlands takeaway joint is, of course, Dino’s, which offers everything a classic takeaway should.

Featuring the cheapest fresh fish

Photo: Laszlo Szegedi

The Saint’s guide to hidden local businesses

FEATURES Feature editor EMMA FREER Deputy editors: Olivia Gavoyannis, Kirsty Hardwick

thesaint-online.com/features

features@thesaint-online.com

@saint_features

Cross country conversation

Photo: Emma Rebein

Chris Andrews plans on running across America to get people talking

Kirsty Hardwick Deputy features editor

T

he Saint sat down with Chris Andrews to learn about his Let’s Talk project, which celebrates the power of face-to-face conversations.

His starting sentence: “When I graduate I’m not going to be getting a job or going to grad school, I’m going to be running across the United States on foot” is not something you hear every day.

Chris Andrews’s plans for after graduation are as ambitious as they are unconventional. This August, Mr Andrews will join friend and Boston College-student Paul Sherban at Virginia Beach. Once there, they will embark on a 3,200-mile journey across America, reaching San Diego eight to nine months later. Along the way, the pair aims to “spark a national conversation about conversation,” Mr Andrews said. By talking to as many people as possible, the pair strives to emphasise the benefits and joys of face-to-face conversations and ultimately to inspire people to think again about how they communicate.

Mr Andrews explained that the idea first stemmed from his “realisation that the way we communicate as humans now has changed more in the last twenty years than any time ever before.” He added that while the digital age has certainly brought great advances in communication, he “started to ask the question of what happens when we start to move face-to-face conversation to the backburner.”

Recent studies about the effect of digital communication on development of social skills make for worrying

reading. In an article for The New York Times, Sherry Turkle cites a startling finding by a team at the University of Michigan that there has been a 40 per cent decline in empathy among college students. This decline, the bulk of which has occurred since 2010, seems to have accompanied the rise in usage of digital communication.

Mr Andrews concurs. Although he remains uncertain about the extent to which our social skills have been impacted, he says: “I am concerned that there is some lack of empathy when we’re relying on digital communication and moving away from face-toface conversation.” In particular, Mr Andrews worries about the unconscious effect of taking “away the human of the other side… We start to detach ourselves from the consequences of what we’re doing and what we’re saying.”

However, instead of concluding that we should all throw our phones into the sea, Mr Andrews argues that acknowledging the benefits of faceto-face conversation need not mean giving up our use of social media.

“It’s not at all that I condemn digital communication,” he said. “I am a proud user of social media. I am fully behind digital communication.

It’s about finding that balance and about highlighting the power of faceto-face conversation today. I don’t want this trip to be about bashing technology. I more want to celebrate the incredible thing that is face-to-face conversation.”

What are the benefits of face-toface conversations? Mr Andrews said: “If you think about how messages are communicated when you are face to face with someone, it’s about the body

language. It’s about the facial expressions.” Mr Andrews added that businesses are coming to realise the effectiveness of face-to-face communication, which allows sales people to build a personal connection with customers.

The Let’s Talk project’s use of social media to spread its message has caused many to accuse Mr Andrews and Mr Sherban of hypocrisy. Mr Andrews admits that it is a “paradox” but adds: “We’re not condemning technology. It’s more about using it in the right way and… offering something that was produced by face-toface conversations.” At the very least, he and Mr Sherban have got people talking.

Another common response to Mr Andrews’s project is disbelief. He admitted: “I don’t think I’ve met a single person who thinks we can do it.”

The scale of their journey might well seem unimaginable, even when sensibly divided by their 15-mile-a-day target. However, the ambition of the Let’s Talk project extends beyond the length of the trek. Mr Andrews said the Let’s Talk project is also motivated by the desire to create “a portrait of America with thousands of face-toface interactions… We’re going to be telling the untold stories of America and documenting the human condition of America right now.” Although Mr Andrews and Mr Sherban have intentionally left many of the details of the trip undecided until they officially set off, they have have discussed trying to record some of the conversations or even publishing a book at the end of their journey.

The combination of running and conversation may not seem immedi-

ately obvious to anyone whose memories of cross-country include more wheezing than chit-chat. However, Mr Andrews explained that the idea to run across the USA “came along because we wanted to return to the most basic form of transportation paired with the most basic form of communication.”

Mr Andrews pointed out that the decision to run also makes sense from a practical perspective. It is much more difficult to pull over a vehicle to talk to someone if they were to have chosen to cycle or drive across America. Instead, Mr Andrews and Mr Sherban will be pushing along a cart with their tent, sleeping bag and water.

Mr Andrews had only one worry about these carts. He tells the story of another runner who did a similar trek and found that people kept mistakenly assuming that the cart contained a baby, resulting in many judgmental looks for this inhumane treatment of the imaginary baby. Mr Andrews adds that he thinks he “might have to put a sign on our cart that we don’t have a baby inside.”

The Let’s Talk project aims to get as many people involved as possible by encouraging people to join Mr Andrews on Mr Sherban on their run.

This goal encompasses both friends travelling to support and join them and strangers who they meet on their epic journey. On the project’s website, LetsTalkUSA.com, Mr Andrews and Mr Sherban state that whether you join them for a matter of minutes or days the project is open to anyone who is interested in sharing the experience. Another way they hope to involve others is to contact local schools

and invite running clubs, students and teachers to run with them. It is important to Mr Andrews that their project reaches out to “young kids today as it can highlight how crucial a skill” face-to-face communication is.

Their generation is perhaps the one most dependent on technology and least familiar with good old chatting.

In preparation for the trek, both Mr Sherban and Mr Andrews have been busy preparing themselves for the physical challenges. Mr Sherban has recently spent eight days training on a solo trek of the Appalachian Trail. Likewise, Mr Andrews has spent a couple weeks walking over a 100 miles of the West Highland Way. Mr Andrews said that his training has made him more excited for the project to begin as “even just out there for a couple weeks I was feeling so clear.”

He posed a rhetorical question: “You know how it is when you get out there for a little while?” Most of us have probably forgotten. Or have never known at all.

At the end of the month, Mr Andrews will be participating in TEDx St Andrews. In his talk, Mr Andrews plans to delve into “the effects of talking to someone face-toface, on empathy, on patience” as well as outlining the run itself.

At its heart, Mr Andrews claimsthe message of Let’s Talk is simple. “I want to promise everyone that going out there and speaking to someone has incredible dividends in the way you feel, in the way that you understand yourself and others,” he said.

More information about the Let’s Talk project can be found on Facebook or at letstalkusa.com.

thesaint-online.com

Features 17

The offensive line

ultural appropriation is a phrase you have most likely seen more on the internet than heard in real life. There have been many an incendiary Facebook status and Guardian article written about the issue, under which there have been large amounts of highly reactionary comments. It has become somewhat a ‘buzzphrase’ in the era of the interweb, and there is intense debate around what cultural appropriation is as well as whether ill intent is a necessary qualifier. With cultural appropriation being such a hot topic, The Saint asked students around campus what they think about it, what effect it has had, and, most importantly, what it means to them.

Dante Blais-Billie, a first-year management and art history student of Native American heritage, said: “Even though I grew up on a reservation surrounded by other members of my tribe, the lack of realistic portrayals in media and widespread misconceptions of my culture has always affected me. I’ve encountered cultural appropriation at every stage in my life... It is frustrating when the only concept of your culture that others have is based off of harmful stereotypes.”

Ms Blais-Billie explained that cultural appropriation occurs “when the wearer abuses something that has great significance to a culture which is not their own. The wearer usually has no malicious intent, but the damage is done all the same.” For example, when someone wears feathers or a headdress with little to no background understanding of their cultural value, offence can be caused.

“Native Americans have been historically banned [from practicing] things sacred to our culture because of forced assimilation by the US government,” she said. “To see such sacred items taken for granted and misused diminishes centuries of Native

Americans struggling to preserve our heritage.”

Thadd Hall, a second-year Spanish and Persian student, explained that minorities now “have a space to vocalise their opinion and it is easier for them to speak against the status-quo.”

Mx Hall has heritage from a mixture of different Native American tribes such as Mandan, Hidatsa and Hunqpapa Lakota, the last of which is “very nomadic.” Mx Halls experienced cultural appropriation while at Starfields, where they saw a girl wearing a headress. Mx Hall felt it necessary to confront her about the issue: “She lied and said that she had Native American descent, and the discourse got quite heated because obviously I was upset at her very clear appropriation of my culture.”

Nina Castillo, a second-year student, understands the issue of cultural appropriation differently. “There are nuances, but if you’re going down that route you can pick holes into any-

”

C

Marco Marcelline reports on cultural appropriation in St Andrews

In St Andrews people are too ready to be offended

thing,” she said. “For example you can say cultural appropriation is going up to someone in Iran who is wearing Zara and saying that’s a Spanish company – why are you wearing it?”

Mx Hall, however, disagreed: “Zara is a western company whose sole purpose is to sell its goods...

Saying to someone that they can’t wear it because it’s a Spanish company and therefore cultural appropriation is inane and a strawman argument because it’s drawing a false

comparison between something that exists to unite people under a form of oppression and a purely capitalistic venture... Wearing Zara if you are not Spanish is as much cultural appropriation as an American wearing Primark is.”

Another student, who wished to reamin anonymous, argued that, ultimately, whether something is an example of cultural appropriation depends on the “context, intention, and execution of it” and that people who feel like their culture is being appropriated “should not react with aggression or hatred because a back and forth is not constructive to helping heal the divides over the issue that exists.”

Second-year philosophy student Tasnim Siddiqa Amin believes that as a liberal campus, St Andrews is sometimes too quick to filter and censor discussions about topics such as race and cultural appropriation. This “drowning out” is something that she feels strongly about since she felt it happened to her while advertising an exhibition on black culture that she had organised.

Her posters called for “coloured models” and for art submissions from people of colour, but Ms Amin received backlash from white students who felt that the term “coloured” was archaic and offensive. She was asked to take the posters down.

“In St Andrews people are too ready to be offended, and this makes people more cautious when it comes to expressing controversial opinions,” she said. “People can’t be wrapped in cotton wool. This comes down to there being a lack of diversity at the University, which, despite it being very international, is a specific kind and subset of the term international.”

Ms Amin was accused of cultural insensitivity and appropriation by someone who was upset at her Colour Me Black exhibition, which took place

last December. She was told she had “no authority” to do what she doing because she was not black herself.

Ms Amin retorted that students were “missing the point entirely” as the exhibition was about “celebrating diversity and was in celebration of black history month.” This is especially important in a place like St Andrews, she said, where “many people don’t have exposure to minority history, as it is all told from a white perspective which skews narrative and makes it understandable as to why people culturally appropriate.”

When asked about her experience of cultural appropriation on campus, fourth-year anthropology and IR student Maya Kadirgamar said that she has only seen isolated instances, such as at a hip-hop themed party where many guests were wearing “grills and chains.” She also added that certain elements of Sitara, the Southeast Asian-themed fashion campus, can definitely be perceived as “problematic – especially the My Mahal shoot.”

A student who asked to remain anonymous agreed and said that there was definitely an issue with “cultural commodification” and that the Sitara committee was guilty of this. The student was disappointed that Sitara had used white models, which she thought gave out the message that South Asians were not confident enough to portray their culture. She suggested that as by using an exclusively brown cast would have made a more “powerful” statement.

Third-year English student Daniel Granville said that Bongo Ball, an ‘African’-themed ball to which students turned up wearing zebra and giraffe themed costumes and where music from The Lion King was played upon request, was another example of cultural misinformation on campus.

Mr Granville says that he is glad that the “monstrous” title has now been changed.

Illustration: Flo McQuibban

The Saint • 21 April 2016

Recently, the women’s rugby team caused controversy when it hosted an event with a cowboys-and-Native Americans theme. The event sparked considerable debate on Yik Yak and outraged Mx Hall. The rugby team quickly apologised and issued a statement in which they explained they had not intended to cause offence. One Yak in particular epitomised the lack of consensus on cultural appropriation on campus. It read: “Cultural appropriation is a myth. If I want to dress like a f****** redskin I will.” The rugby team, upon being contacted by The Saint, declined to comment further.

Tyler Anderson, a third-year Biblical studies student, said that the primary issue in St Andrews is the lack of cultural awareness “prevalent” among the student body.

She said, “The fact is that St Andrews has a great amount of liberals and this allows [students] to forget that they have white privilege, which then manifests in a co-optation of style and language. It’s offensive because white people see cultural appropriation as positive culture sharing but that assumes that there’s no systematic oppression – it’s a washing of hands.”

Ms Anderson has said that not culture sharing does not exist without acknowledgement of the history and of responsibility. “You can’t share cultures if you won’t share in the oppression,” she said.

It has become common ground for people to respond to accusations of cultural appropriation being levelled at them or others by protesting that they are being too “politically correct.”

According to Ms Anderson, however, you can “never be too politically correct” because to say so would be to say that you can be “too respectful of oppressed peoples.” She added, “It’s just another way for people with white privilege to talk over the marginalised and not listen to them.”

18 Features

21 April 2016 • The Saint

thesaint-online.com

Should we stay or should we go?

whether Britain gets value for its money. The cost of EU membership is, according to the Leave campaign, around £55 million a day. The Remain campaign counter by explaining that as over 57 per cent of Britain’s international trade is done with Eurozone countries, to leave the EU would put Britain on the wrong side of international tariffs. This would only create additional bureaucracy and exorbitant costs for UK companies, making the UK undesirable as a site for investment.

The Leave campaign argues that if 57 per cent of Britain’s trade is done with the EU, it will be easy to renegotiate a trade deal with the European Union if we vote to leave because the loss of so much trade to continental markets will be too much for European states to stomach, and they will be keen to regain that trade as soon as possible.

Britain can then enjoy the economic benefits of the European economy without the bureaucracy of its Parliament’s laws.

”

Essentially, both sides of the EU debate are right. The Leave campaign is correct when they talk of the Union’s impact upon Parliament’s sovereignty, as the EU does have the ability to make rules for its twenty-seven member states. Each European law is essentially one part British and twenty-six parts European, and this is a cause of concern for some.

On the other hand, the Remain campaign is correct when they warn of the severe economic and diplomatic consequences that leaving the Union will bring. The IMF, the Bank of England, the CBI, the G20 and almost every Commonwealth country have expressed their concern over Britain’s place in the world, should it leave the EU. Even the Vote Leave campaign calculated that Britain would have higher employment over the next five years if it remained in the EU, as reported last month by the BBC. The problem remains that each side is essentially talking across one another, and where you stand in the debate will ultimately depend more upon your own values and what you consider to be most important for the future of the United Kingdom.

Bearing this in mind, the EU debate can be divided into three topics: sovereignty, the economy and Britain’s influence in the world.

On sovereignty, the Leave campaign believes that the EU, specifically the European Parliament, represents an infringement upon the sovereign right of Britain to complete autonomy over its own affairs. For example, the

EU’s Common Fisheries Policy was responsible for a sustainable increase of previously declining fish stocks, yet came at the cost that many British fishermen found that they could not fish in British waters at certain times of the year. Similar cases of sovereignty infringement include when the European Court of Human Rights initially barred the UK’s planned extradition of Abu Qatada to Jordan, until Jordan agreed that evidence gained from the torture of Qatada would not be used against him in a trial.

The Remain campaign’s rebuttal would be that in a globalised world, total sovereignty is an unrealisable fantasy. Given the international nature of many of today’s challenges, international cooperation with our partners in Europe is essential, and for Britain to turn its back upon the continent, is to walk away from our best chance to meet those challenges, and thus leaving the Union would neglect our own national interests.

On external economic matters, the Leave campaign proposes that by cutting ties with the EU, Britain will be free to renegotiate its own trade deals with the rest of the world, whereas currently the EU speaks with one voice on most trade negotiations.

The Remain campaign suggest that this is, in fact, a key advantage of the EU; that speaking with one voice for the 27 member states (a voice made powerful by the strong economies of Germany, France and Britain) can give European countries more leverage in dealing with powerful unitary states like China or the United States.

On internal economic matters within the EU, the key concern is

Where you stand will depend on what you consider to be most important to the future of the UK

The Remain campaign respond by stating that while 57 per cent of our trade is done with the EU, only 10 per cent of the EU’s internal trade is British. In short, we need them more than they need us. Therefore, at a renegotiation table, time and power will be always be on the side of EU negotiators, who could afford to bide their time until Britain accepts unfavourable terms.

Assuming Britain successfully manages to renegotiate a trade deal with the EU, would it really be free of EU laws in such a case? This may well not be the case, as British goods would still have to conform to EU regulations if sold in the Common Market. The only change would be that, no longer a member of the EU, Britain would have forfeited its ability to help write those rules itself.

The Leave campaign asks, do we really have a say in how these rules are written currently? Technically, yes. Britain has the third largest share of seats in the European Parliament (seats being allocated according to population size), beaten only by France (by one seat) and Germany. However. this influence is squandered, the Remain campaign argue, by UKIP MEPs (most famously Nigel Farage), who pocket their full wage as an MEP and yet rarely attend any European Parliament votes, at all.

In response to this criticism, the Leave campaign is likely to point out that UKIP MEPs were democratically elected by the British public in the European elections and have a mandate to express their disapproval with Brussels direct from the public.

Ultimately Britain’s role in the

”

Thomas Claridge Deputy editor

Illustration: Dillon Yeh

Considering the pros and cons of a Brexit

Ultimately Britain’s role in the world is at stake in the coming vote

world is at stake in the coming vote.

On the one hand it could work with its European partners and prosper from the stronger voice and stronger economic opportunities gained as a result.

On the other hand, Britain could throw off the shackles of laws co-authored by all Europeans, who presume to tell sovereign states what they can and cannot do. Free from being held back by a misguided European peace project, Britain could renegotiate it’s trade deals with its former partners, sacrifice the past 43 years of European cooperation, give up attempting to reform the EU from the inside, and place it’s entire trust in Westminster.

Whichever side you agree with, this brief overview of the major points raised by either side should provide a helpful guide in deciding your own opinion in time for Thursday 23 June.

In order to register to vote visit www.gov. uk/register-to-vote. For more coverage on the EU Referendum, visit the St Andrews Economist: www.thestandrewseconomist.com.

The Saint • 21 April 2016

thesaint-online.com

Room for debate

Percentage of St Andrews students from the EU

£16,960

Difference in tuition for an EU student in the case of a Brexit

£18m

University revenue gained if EU students paid tuition this year

£2.2bn

Revenue generated

by EU students at British universities

£5bn

Horizon 2020 funding granted to British institutions

Politics, despite popular misconceptions, affects our lives in several ways. A Brexit would have serious repercussions in St Andrews, since both the financial structure and the entire higher education system are tied up in the European Union. St Andrews would see marked effects on both its funding (due to tuition fees changes and the cease of EU funding) and its educational offer.

The EU plays a very active role in providing grants for higher education. Indeed, it is currently in the process of approving a new flow of cash into British universities. This plan comprises a total funding of nearly £700 billion directed to the research programme Horizon 2020 (more than 80 per cent of its total investment) and to the Erasmus programme. A Brexit would undermine the quality and quantity of UKbased research by revoking access to these grants, which are a substantial part of the research budget for most UK universities, and to Horizon 2020 itself, which aims to increase our competitiveness.

St Andrews itself benefits from this partnership. For example, £440,000 have been directed towards a research of tuberculosis in our University by the European & Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). Meanwhile, 75 per cent of Edinburgh’s budget for research is funded by the EU. The supposed benefits of leaving the Union ultimately do not outweigh the benefits for research and development that remaining in the Union provides.

A Brexit would also affect the structure of tuition fees. Should the UK leave the EU, Europeans would no longer benefit from non-discrimination rules, meaning they would likely be charged the same as overseas students so as not to create conflict of discrimination towards other international students. This would likely discourage potential European candidates from applying to our University, undermining one of the biggest strengths of St Andrews: its diverse community. This diversity is what makes St

Ian Donnell

President of the St Andrews Conservative and Unionist Association and National Chair of Conservative Future Scotland

Stephanie Melnick Secretary for the University of St Andrews Students for Independence

We know from Brussels and Paris that lawless ghettos, with safe houses and munitions hides are common. Freedom of movement of these people poses great threats to the security of Britain.

If Brexit happens, decreased immigration would adversely affect Scotland. Also, we must note that free movement works both ways, and benefits thousands of British citizens living and working in other EU countries.

Adam Stromme

Shreyas Sriram

The UK has always wanted to keep the continent at arms length. But arguing that a Brexit would better our relationship with Europe is like arguing that you can change the direction of Parliament by not voting. You can’t change what you are not a part of.

Despite the advantageous political frameworks the EU provides, our efforts would be better spent developing our relationships with, and investing in, the Commonwealth nations, which have much higher growth potentials than countries within the EU

Editor-in-Chief, The St Andrews Economist

Marcus Buist

Member of the St Andrews Conservative and Unionist Association Photo: University of St Andrews

15%

Andrews unique. We are drawn into a merge of different cultures, backgrounds and thoughts, which, ultimately, enhances our critical thinking and our view of the world.

In the long run discouraging Europeans to come could also affect the quality of the learning experience would diminish as the student body becomes increasingly homogeneous.

This, extended to the whole of UK, means that Britain will miss on a lot of talent and skillful migrants, as many international students hope to stay on and work in the UK. Another concern is the potential impact on collaborative programs within the EU. Both the Erasmus and Bologna plans would not include the UK anymore. This carries a negative impact for those pursuing language degrees, as they would not have nearly as many opportunities to apply their degree through studying abroad. Leaving the Union almost uniformly decreases the opportunities available to British students.

It is not just language students who will be disadvantaged by leaving the Union. Should Britain leave, British students will face higher fee’s abroad, and students from the EU will be less likely to study here; meaning they will be less likely to work here. With such an international student body, and with lecturers hailing from all across Europe, the damage to St Andrew’s bright future would be significant, in the event of Brexit.

For all these reasons, it is understandable that our own university takes a firmly anti-Brexit stance.

Upon inquiry, we were informed by the Press Office that the University of St Andrews itself has “adopted a position on Brexit which is supported by universities across Sctoland and the UK.” The official statement includes quotes from The Guardian warning that leaving would be a “disaster.” Writing for The Telegraph and mirroring our universtiy’s view, Simon Green, pro-vice-chancellor and executive dean of languages and social sciences at Aston University, states: “The stakes for universities as institutions in the referendum are extremely high.”

Member of the Conservative and Unionist Association

Photos by: Lorelei Pfeffer

Brexit and the Bubble Blanca Franch Camino

Features 19

If the UK votes to remain in the EU we won’t be voting for the status quo. The EU may do very little to make its institutions more democratically accountable; it’s intention will be focused on centralising power still further.

Isaac Leaver

Chair of Young European Movement St Andrews

In the event of a Brexit, federalisation of the EU may well occur at a quicker pace with the withdrawal of one of it’s major opponents from the table.

20 Features

21 April 2016 • The Saint

thesaint-online.com

A pair of au pairs

Two students recount their unique summer job experience and why others should follow suit

O

ver the summer, we all try and earn a bit of extra cash.

Whether through waitressing, temping, babysitting – anything, really, to give us that little bit of extra savings. But how about something a bit different? If you want an advertisement for the brilliance of au-pairing, you need look no further than Heather Watson and Fliss Martin-Daly, who both spent a few months as au pairs the summer before their years abroad.

Now third-year language students, they reflect back on their experience.

Both girls are full of praise for the job. Ms Martin-Daly says: “It works for everyone, because it doesn’t require any prior experience or even any special skills!” While speaking the local language is not a requirement, both agreed that they would recommend the gig as a way of learning a language through total immersion. So what does being an au-pair actually consist of, and how does one go about getting the job?

Well, obviously it depends on the family you are with – the difference in experience for the two girls demonstrates that, but the overall structure is pretty much the same. Both used the website aupairworld.com to register and get in contact with prospective families. For Ms Watson, this meant receiving over a hundred applications overnight once she had created her profile. Once you have chosen your family, you either e-mail or Skype to get to know them. If both parties agree that it is a good match, the job is set.

Arriving at the family’s home can

”

Going from three months earlier from the shy person I had been before, the difference was phenomenal

be a bit daunting, as both girls can attest. Ms Watson says: “You’re in a car, with a woman you do not know, and two children you do not know, driving to a destination you do not know!” Things can get a bit lonely at the start, too, and Ms Daly-Martin admits to feeling isolated when she first started. She was located on an island near La Rochelle in France, which was quite small, and the extended family of the people she was with very large.

But once you have the opportunity to grow in confidence, the experience is great fun, and both became very attached to their families.

For Ms Watson, the most reward-

ing element was seeing the development of the children to whom she was teaching English. By the end of the summer, she even had one of the younger children, a three-year-old boy, speaking English, which was incredibly satisfying. For Ms MartinDaly, it was more of a personal reward, having grown in confidence over the summer. As she puts it: “Going from three months earlier from the shy person I had been before, the difference was phenomenal.” Ms Watson agrees that one of the job’s biggest selling points is as a confidence boost. Having never travelled alone before, she went on to live alone during her year abroad in Italy.

Thanks to her time as an au pair, she became much more independent, which no doubt stemmed in part from the responsibility she had for the children she looked after.

However, like all jobs, there were challenges to overcome.

Ms Martin-Daly admits that it was “emotionally and physically quite draining,” and both agree that children are a 24/7 occupation that leaves very little time for oneself. Ms Watson even describes how the youngest of the children she was looking after, a two-year old boy, slept in her bed sometimes. “I’d wake up with him singing in my ear at like halfsix,” she says. “You have to get used to the child-life!”

Equally, both say that the end of the summer was hard. “Leaving was quite difficult because obviously you form attachments, and it was quite sad to leave at the end,” says Ms Martin-Daly. In fact, both of them have been back to visit their families, a testament to their positive experiences. For Ms Watson, the attachment was especially intense.

She admits she cried for “about two weeks” after she left because she missed them so much. However, she also adds that the job was demanding, with long days and little sleep. She actually developed tonsillitis, which she attributes to being overworked.

Both agreed that this is not necessarily a job for those looking to earn a lot of money, but rather is one that is much more about the experience.

Payment changes depending on the family, although supposedly there is a rule in place to prevent au pairs from earning less than minimum wage. Both girls earned around 70 Euros a week, which might not sound like much. However, all food, accommodation and travel were paid for, which meant that neither had much on which to spend money.

Ms Watson suggests working at summer camps, which she did last summer following her year abroad, as a better way to earn money. Through the Bridge Association, she taught cooking at a

summer camp, earning more than double what she had as an au pair. In terms of involvement, this is the job she would recommend for those who do not want to be too heavily installed in family life. However, she preferred being an au pair. Hearing about her experience, it is no wonder why.

Unfortunately, both Ms Watson

and Ms Martin-Daly confess that it is not exactly the ideal job for men. “[The families] want a replacement mother,” explains Ms Watson, which she believes is the reason why most au pairs are women. Although, Ms Martin-Daly points out that many families, especially those with older sons, might actually prefer to have a

male au pair.

So if you are looking for a confidence boost, a bit of independence and some foreign language skills to enhance your CV, this could be your dream job. Most important, of course, is a love for working with children and a clear understanding of the demands of the job. Both Ms Watson and Ms Martin-Daly say that working as an au pair is now a back-up plan, whether for future summers or as a postgraduate starter job.

Hearing about their experiences and how fond their memories are, I will definitely be considering working as an au pair in the future.

Photo: Fliss Martin-Daly

Lottie Garton

Features 21

36 hours in Essaouira

Laura Craig Harvey

H

thesaint-online.com

ave you ever wondered about the term ‘Arabian nights’?

Ever pondered what particular quality it suggests? Well, time spent in Essaouira will reveal all, transporting you into the timeless enchantment of the Arabian night. You can grasp Morocco’s heroic history and fascinating people purely by lying in your bed, listening to its music, smelling its perfume, feeling its warm breeze and imagining…

You will not find all the fun in bed, of course. As a small city on the Moroccan coast, Essaouira offers both culture and adventure to disrupt your evening languor. An imperial Portuguese fortress stands vigilant against the Atlantic Ocean, which surrounds the Medina streets brimming with Moroccan intrigue. Dubbed the ‘Windy City of Africa,’ Essaouira’s white sandy beach draw those exciting, active traveller-types who live in their hareems, love to sample the local happy cuisine and spend their day generally feeling at one with nature. Local and visiting adventure enthusiasts of most disciplines share the shoreline: you will see windsurfers, kite-surfers, surfer-surfers, paddle-boarders, climbers, hikers, horse riders, camel riders, quadbikers, and yogis. They contribute to the eclectic mix of travellers and locals and provide a holiday that offers both excitement and a time to recharge.

So don your hareems, swab yourself in anti-chafe and hop on your direct flight to Essaouira for a weekend to remember.

Day One Rise gently to the sound of seagulls.

Breath in. Breath out. Sigh. Smile.

Now get up! Head to YOO, on a narrow street off the Rue Abdelazziz, for a freshly blended smoothie to ready yourself for the day ahead. Then follow your nose to one of the stalls selling freshly baked bread and pastries and fuel your body, the proper way, with baked goods and Nutella.

Stocked up and well rested, it is time to head for the fort’s impressive gates and out towards the beach. You can get a taxi or rent a mo-ped to get yourself to the surf spot at the other end. However, I would recommend the twenty-minute walk for the invaluable Essaouiran experience of what I like to call the “Party Peddlers,” who are stationed along the beach to offer whatever you so desire. “Cakes?

Happy Cakes? You want some hash?”

“Not now thank you.” Walk ten yards where a man wearing leather jacket and fez awaits you: “Quadbiking?”

“No thank you, I’m going surfing” “Horse-riding?” “No thank you. I’ve got no money.” “Camel?” Unless you run away screaming, there is really no escape, so put on your most apologetic face and your most British politeness and be ready to stand strong.

The flags of the various water sports centres will beckon your arrival, and from here you can choose whichever takes your fancy as they generally charge the same prices.

They all offer great, affordable kits and friendly, laid-back instructors.

The morning is the best time for a surf before the wind picks up, so grab a wetsuit and board and ride those sweet waves, brah.

Once you have tired of surfing – or rather of just getting slapped in the face by waves – you can feed your hunger at the Ocean Vagabond restaurant. Here you can find the fuel you need on a full menu that also offers beer as well as a good lay down

thanks to its sun chairs and sofas. The terrace is sheltered from the wind and overlooks the beach, so you can watch those still playing in the water and relax to the tune of the Berber musicians who stop in on the restaurants.

Various herds also conglomerate next to its fence, providing endless entertainment watching horses make a dash for freedom, camels spitting on passers-by or quad-bikes aggressively accelerating to expel one or more of their passengers.

Rejuvenated and ready for more, now is the time for the wind-riders to come out to play. With the stronger winds in the afternoon, kites and windsurf sails dab the sea in multi-colour to make the most of the consistent wind and wave-riding. Afterwards, warmed up and dry once more (or re-energised from an afternoon nap), you can amble further along the beach to a ruined watchtower on the shoreline. Clamber onto its sea-facing side and stand to catch the glittering sea spray, arms outstretched and singing the Lion King’s ‘Circle of Life’ (obviously). In the later afternoon, Essaouira’s spirit is really alive, with the sun setting behind the fortress ahead. Paddle your feet in the foamy shoreline as the locals gather for evening walks and football matches on the beach.

Grab some grub from one of the many street stalls (just make sure it is cooked through!) and then allow yourself to collapse into bed, listening to the evening prayer echoing across the rooftops. Let your imagination to run wild as the Arabian night unfolds.

Day Two

If you rise early enough, head down to the port for the fish market.

The sturdy vessels line the harbour, their masts rising amidst a cloud of

seagulls, wheeling circles around the stalls of fish. Young boys armed with sticks guard the fish from the birds, while fishermen barter enthusiastically with their customers. To rid yourself of the fishy smell (which weirdly lingers on your tongue) you can get a glass of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice at the entrance to the harbour.

This time of day is perfect for wandering the town without being too hot or hassled by shop peddlers. From the port, you can follow the length of the fort wall around the town and witness the abundance of life within its walls that goes far beyond the main tourist streets. Diverting down the narrow lanes opposite the wall will take you into the winding covered streets of the old fort, past the artisan workshops where you might find men and women deftly working a carpet-weaving loom, rich-smelling tanneries draped in dark hides, men sculpting wood using their feet and string, basket weavers and cloth dyers, painters and jewellery-makers producing exotic works of art. Down another tunnel-like street you will find the food. The heavy aromas of Morocco make an impressive symphony, to the say the least, and leave your nose tickling like that sneeze that never comes.

After a coffee in one of the courtyard cafes off the main bazaar, wander down to the beach and make a Party Peddler’s day: Say YES to the camel! If you have never ridden a camel before, the best advice is to just relax and go with the flow. It is a bumpy ride, only made worse by an awkward sack of potatoes on the poor camel’s back. Once up and ready, it is a wonderful experience that takes you around the coastal headland where you are met with a long stretch of empty white sand and curling waves.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Saint • 21 April 2016

If you have opted for a longer camel tour, you will be able to have a Moroccan-cuisine picnic on the beach and stop to explore villages and ruins along the coast.

Return to an Essaouira that is busy with evening-life once more and climb to the roof terrace of Taros, one of the best restaurants I have ever had the pleasure to visit. Drape yourself in a thick blanket for the cooler evening, sip on a sugary Moroccan tea, rest a camel-sore posterior and listen to evening sounds of a gently ebbing city. From here you can watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean on one side and, on the other, gaze over the rooftops bathed in the sun’s orange glow and watch the activity of the harbour and the square below.

When you can no longer resist the alluring smells drifting up from the restaurants, you can relax into the colourful cushions and enjoy the sizzling tagines of Resto Buen Gusto, in the heart of the Medina.

Follow this up with desert and a drink in the Mega Loft, a hipster hang-out beneath the fort wall with live reggae music and multi-coloured Moroccan baskets lining the ancient stone arches. All at one, your dual experience of Arabic culture and hipster-travel will be complete.

With your imminent departure, take time to think about where you are: in Morocco, surrounded by a fascinating Arab culture, with the ocean playground on your doorstep. Lying in bed, hair salty and windswept, skin smiling from sunshine, head humming along with the evening prayer as exotic aromas (sometimes unsavoury) drift through your window, I hope that you will reply to the dreamy haze: “I dub you an Arabian night.” “… Camel?”

Photo: Mika Schmelling

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

thesaint-online.com

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

Photo: Mika Schmelling

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

This Week in Photos

22 Photography 21 April 2016 • The Saint

Photos from St Andrews’ newest fashion show, Label and Rugby 7’s

Photography editor LORELEI PFEFFER Deputy editors: Taylor Almeraz and Sammi Ciardi thesaint-online.com/pictures

photography@thesaint-online.com

Photo Story: The Streets

@saint_photos

Deputy photo editor Sammi Ciardi highlights an Italian festival through street photography

EVENTS Events editor EMMA GALLIGANI Deputy editors Antonia Ward, Natasha Franks

events@thesaint-online.com

thesaint-online.com/events

@saint_events

May dip: should St Andrews take the plunge?

I

t is indisputable that May dip is one of the biggest events of second semester. It invites the same amount of excitement and trepidation as Raisin Weekend and just as much controversy. Every year the University warns us against drunkenness, littering and the consequences of antisocial behaviour that inevitably seem to occur when you mix a 5 am rise with a visit to East Sands. To be fair, on paper, May dip appears a little bit insane. Why on earth would anyone want to run into the North Sea at the crack of dawn?

As I write this in mid April, St Andrews is as dismal as ever: rainy, windy and cold. I highly doubt the temperatures will resemble that of Greece or wherever you took your spring break. I bet, when catching up with your friends from back home, you have confided in them about this glorious activity only to have them respond with incredulity, their mouths open in mock horror. Taking all of this into consideration, why would you take the plunge? Who wants to catch a bout of pneumonia before their upcoming exams? Then again, when do we, as St Andrews students, ever do

anything by the book? Who wouldn’t want to do something as unique as May dip?

Asking around about people’s thoughts on May dip, I found few negatives discussed. The event has a

and May Ball (how apt) are the two largest and most significant events.

Interestingly, this year both events fall on the same day. Rise and dip at 5 am, head to May Ball at around 7 pm. It seems that this year’s May Ball may

Illustration by: Nicole Slyusareva

Antonia Ward Deputy events editor

kind of mythical status around here. It is accepted almost as fact that nearly ever single St Andrews student will plunge into the sea on 1 May. Thanks to the University, littering and antisocial behaviour is not acceptable. But I think, like Raisin, we can consign these worries to the minority.

The only argument I found against the dip concerned May Ball. In the entirety of second semester, May dip

be one experienced on a hangover and with some serious sleep deprivation.

Many expressed the same sentiment: a cosy night’s sleep in their bed seems the more sensible option, especially given the £45 or £70 price tag of a May Ball ticket.

This attitude seems a little weak.

Let’s not forget that for some, May dip is not a choice: Commit academic incest, wear your gown wrong, or

step on the PH, and it is your only salvation. It is, for most of us, a tradition that we are unlikely to experience later in life. Every single person I spoke to expressed pride in the fact that May dip is an age old St Andrews institution. We are all, in one way or another, proud to be at St Andrews, and what better way to celebrate this small, quirky university than with a unique event?

May dip unites friends and sports teams alike. I think we can agree that spending time with your favourite people and watching the beautiful Scottish sunrise together in your beach towels sounds great. May dip brings out the daredevil within us.

There is no better rush than diving into the sea in freezing temperatures when you have spent most of first semester swathed in layers of jumpers and scarves. Whilst the five second dip may not be so appealing, May dip is not just about your morning at the beach: it’s an all night event. It is a chance to attend some of the best parties and pres available here. With the Vic closing at 2 am, you’re not exactly going to pass out for three hours for fear of missing the dip in the first place. After parties will ensue!

The entire event allows for some spontaneity in St Andrews, where most of our nighttime activities are

planned with military precision and are as slick as can be. What’s more, with exams commencing on 10 May and revision week beginning even earlier this year, it is a chance to let off some steam. What could be a better revision break than an all night bender finished with some saltwater? Talk about

May Dip has a kind of mythical status around here

”

a good hangover cure! There is nothing more exciting than the feeling of that two degree water on your bones.

So, in answer to the big question, “Should we take the plunge?“ The answer is absolutely yes. Whether you want to avoid failing those exams, blow off some steam or take possibly one of the best Instagrams of your life, May dip is an unavoidable part of St Andrews life. I can’t imagine a single person who would not regret taking part at least once in their four years. It is one of the traditions that makes St Andrews so special and makes us all proud to be students here.

Label Fashion Show strives to make its mark St Andrews’ latest catwalk experience brings something new and uniquely inclusive to the runway

Caroline McWilliams Theatre editor

A

new year, a new concept, a new fashion show. This does seem like a slight contradiction due to the large number of fashion shows in our town, but as Label founder Jo Boon said: “Fashion is the culture [in St Andrews].” Boon chose to work with this culture to promote body consciousness and beauty in its many forms. Despite only having a recreational background in fashion, Boon has done an incredible job of creating this month’s most discussed event.

I have covered many events ranging from theatre to balls, and never have I felt so welcome. The Label team organised a press meeting for the morning of the show and was available to answer every question directed at them. This excellent rapport continued throughout the show, with committee members checking on members of the press continually. This service was extended to the whole audience, making the premise of inclusivity really shine through. Of particular commendation is the lack of any VIP section, which all other fashion shows in town have.

Creating a more laid back and communal atmosphere led to smiles on every face: no one was bored, no

one felt insecure, and no one was alienated from the event.

The Label team has garnered high profile designers over the course of the year, ranging from Neon Moon Lingerie (a company that does not sexualise or objectify women) to Phase Eight. Sponsors include the Adamson, Ted Baker and Swarovski. Just about every company that was approached by the team was incredibly enthusiastic about the project, a fact surely indicative of Boon’s wonderfully well thought-out vision.

Half of the night’s profits are set to go to MIND UK, a charity that aims to support those afflicted by mental health issues and obliterate the stigma associated with them. While no representatives of MIND UK were present, representatives from local charity shops that had provided some of the clothes for the show were, and they were clearly enjoying it.

One particular failing of the evening as an event was the lack of any sort of decoration.

Single balloons

adorned the few scattered tables, but otherwise the room was bare. The only aspect that made the room look a little less like the typical Club 601 was the lighting, often a blend of vivid colours. With such a large committee, more decoration could easily have been facilitated and used to create a slightly better ambience.

That being said, DJ Jakob Douling provided an

Photo by: Sammi Ciardi

eclectic mix of popular music, which had the audience dancing before the show, during intermission and straight into the after party. While the venue was only half full, those who did attend were all smiles and clearly enjoyed themselves. It is a pity that more people did not choose to attend the event, but since this is only Label’s first year, it was not a bad start.

As for the show itself, regular walks were intermingled with voiceovers recorded by the models, who recounted why Label was important to them. A variety of personas emerged on the catwalk, making for a show quite unlike any other. While a few of the models looked a little frightened, and several struggled with the idea of walking, instead performing more of a march, confidence was at the forefront. Connecting well with the audience, the models presented look after look with their own personalised touch, some wearing their “armour” as featured in a first semester photo shoot.

The Blue Angels and Shimmy Soc provided dance interludes throughout.

The Blue Angels offered routines of tap, jazz and hip-hop, and they truly shone. All were on fine form; of particular mention are Lindsay Karman and Youngeun Lee, who thrilled the audience with a sequence of fouettés. The addition of dance to the show was clever, as it showcased the fact that dance can provide a source of inspiration for people to feel free and lose themselves in the music.

Label was met with much criticism during preparations for the show.

Dealing with such a sensitive matter is bound to attract negativity, though, and it must be remembered that Label will not appeal to everyone. The show is there to welcome all if they want to be welcomed and recognises that one particular thing will not appeal to all.

For those who did choose to listen to the message, I laud you. For those who did not, Label is set to continue in the future and encourages all to become involved.

Asked to sum up what Label means to her, Press Director Kim Kay said, “It’s amazing!” Her message is that if Label has made a difference for at least one person, then the committee achieved its goal. I would say that this goal has certainly been attained. Label is an undeniable success, and I look forward to seeing how they progress next year.

The Saint • 21 April 2016

thesaint-online.com

Events 25

The Kate Kennedy Club sends us off in style A

s its name suggests, the Kate Kennedy Club is an organisation founded in 1926 that seeks to maintain town and gown relations, support local Fife charities, and uphold the traditions of the town and the university. Now in its 90th year, the club has had a particularly conspicuous month, with its 90th Procession making headlines throughout a long weekend of St Andrews-centred celebrations. Not quite as historic a tradition as this yearly parade of characters, May Ball still stands as one of our favourite fêtes of semester two, if not the entire year.

Massive, expensive and highly anticipated, May Ball is perhaps the “safest” event in town. Held annually within the first few days of May, the ball never fails to deliver on its timehonoured promise of being the biggest night of the year. A champagne reception, VIP marquee and fairground rides all differentiate this KK ball from the standard Kinkell event. Thanks to the ease of mobile ticket purchasing in lieu of a lengthy queue, May Ball has also become the most accessible largescale event, as nearly 2,000 guests bought their tickets through FIXR last Wednesday afternoon. Officially sold out less than 24 hours later, May Ball is on course to rival its predecessors in size. No one is keen to pass on the opportunity to let loose with their classmates one last time before exams.

Our collective dedication to attending the ball is particularly impressive considering that it will be held on 1 May, barely twelve hours after the in-

famous May dip. After pulling an alcohol-fuelled all nighter and sprinting into the North Sea, students will be allowed a single afternoon of rest before boarding the buses to Kinkell Byre.

Ball Convenor Fernando Maluf feels that the lack of a break will improve the weekend’s experience: rather than spending the day nursing hangovers, we can continue the post-dip high and end the year with nearly two days of nonstop partying. The choice to place May Ball on the first is sensible: any earlier, and it wouldn’t be May. Any later, and exams would take priority.

The dip-Ball partnership is the most logical option afforded to us.

In addition to the expected slew of May Ball staples (La Bamba and bumper cars have been confirmed), Fernando has arranged for a variety of acts and freebies. DJ Ben Pearce will be headlining the event, providing deep house music to the always crowded main room. Best known for his hit single “What I Might Do,” Pearce has travelled the world in his capacity as a DJ and music producer, repeatedly proving his remixing prowess and guaranteeing a danceable night anywhere he plays. Also making an appearance: Sax n Beats, an all-female amalgamation of bongoes, saxophones and DJing. In the VIP marquee, five further acts will be playing throughout the night as guests treat themselves to champagne popsicles and Janettas ice cream, the incentives for shelling out the extra £25 to make the jump from classic to VIP. As always, May Ball will benefit several Scottish charities. This year, proceeds will go towards Home-Start,

which seeks to improve the lives of struggling families and young children; Children 1st, which is dedicated to preventing child abuse and promoting children’s rights throughout Scotland; Unite Against Cancer, a Scottish charity focused on raising money for cancer research and increasing awareness of the various treatments available to cancer sufferers; Families First, a St Andrewsbased support network for families with young children; and Alzheimer Scotland, the leading dementia organisation in Scotland, which campaigns for the rights of people with dementia and their families. Since one of the KK’s primary goals is to raise money for local charities, the charitable goal of May Ball is of utmost importance.

Students may attend predominantly for the sake of having a good time, but ultimately the steep prices can be attributed to the non-profit nature of the ball and club.

Unlike Opening Ball, this is not a night reserved for freshers acquainting themselves with black tie: from first years to postgrads, every student strives to make an appearance, as demonstrated by the literally thousands of photos uploaded of last year’s May Ball. Despite the tiered tickets and seemingly inaccessible dinner ballot, the ball is potentially the single most unifying event in St Andrews.

Keen freshers, jaded fourth years, tutors and alumni will all ride the same buses from St Andrews to Kinkell Byre to experience the ball that has set the precedent for its contemporaries, as the oft-imitated champagne reception and familiar fairground rides provide us with the perfectly St Andrean event to

cap off the year. Whether VIP or classic, we can all come together to spend one

oping the concept of the secondary linguistic personality since 2009. The Russian-born Matveeva founded Amolingua, an online language teaching organisation, and was the first Russian female to explore how mnemonics can assist in language learn-

core difference between human and computer minds and determine the causes for the human brain’s apparent superiority. Dr Weir offers insights into the “human” aspect of technology and the science behind it.

A high court judge since 2014,

ing. Grad Factor’s 2015 UK Business Woman of the Year, Ms Matveeva is also an accomplished poet.

Familiar to local computer science students, Dr Michael Weir is a university lecturer whose independent research lies primarily in artificial intelligence. Currently working with the Intelligent Computation Group at the University, he seeks to identify the

Sir William Davis has held multiple positions in the judicial realm.

Until recently, he was a member of the Sentencing Council for England and Wales, where he tried criminal, civil and public law cases throughout England. Currently, Sir Davis is both the judicial lead for youth justice in England and Wales and the director of criminal training for the Judicial

College of England and Wales. The justice has also been head of St Philips Chambers and a senior circuit judge and recorder of Birmingham.

Kevin Raub is an active writer for Lonely Planet, the largest travel guide book publisher in the world. In addition to co-authoring travel guides, Mr Raub has written for publications such as The New York Times and BBC History in between his travels of the world. Based in Portugal and familiar with Brazil, Mr Raub was able to provide eyewitness coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup for Lonely Planet.

Called “one of the UK’s brightest classical stars,” Charlie Siem is both a violinist and model. He has performed alongside Miley Cyrus and been the face of both Dunhill London and Hugo Boss. A graduate of Eton and Cambridge, Mr Siem has been an active violinist for the majority of his life. The recipient of praise from The Guardian and Gramophone, among other publications, his past work includes collaborations with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra.

Oliver Morton has worked as a writer and editor for a myriad of respected newspapers, magazines and journals, including The Independent, Wired, The New Yorker, Nature, Prospect, National Geographic and The Economist.

His current place of full-time work is The Economist, where he holds the

final stress-free night dancing with our friends.

Image courtesy of the Kate Kennedy Club

Natasha Franks Deputy events editor

Natasha Franks Deputy events editor

A

fter selling out in barely ten minutes last year, TEDx tickets have continued to be in high demand. Sold out once again, the St Andrews-organised offshoot of the popular TED brand has arranged an impressive line-up of speakers from varying backgrounds.

The ultimate goal of the conference is inspiration. Based on TED’s slogan, “Ideas Worth Spreading,” the event emphasises education, and to that end it seeks to provide guests with a wide variety of industry specialists who are able to speak knowledgeably on their areas of expertise. Even for students who simply wish to learn more about the post-university world and foster ideas of their own, TEDx is a worthwhile event to attend.

The conference will be hosted

by Annie Othen, a journalist and a broadcaster. In her 33 year career, she has worked in commercial radio and for the BBC, presenting the midmorning show on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire. Twice-nominated for the Frank Gillard Award, Ms Othen continues to work as a freelance journalist and lectures at universities across the country.

The line-up of speakers is as follows: Ekaterina Matveeva, a linguist and businesswoman, is a master of eight languages and has been devel-

Photo by: TEDx St Andrews

TEDx returns for a fourth year of inspiration position of energy and environment editor. A graduate of Cambridge, Mr Morton was honoured in 2005 by having an asteroid named after him.

Tony Orsten is a BAFTA-winning director. A 40 year veteran of the international media industry, he now holds the position of CEO of Imaginarium, Europe’s leading performance capture studio and production company. Mr Orsten worked on visual effects for 2014’s Godzilla, and he is an investor or board member for multiple media companies and organisations.

The chairman of Public Health England and a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Professor David Heymann has been the World Health Organisation’s assistant directorgeneral for Health Security and Environment and a representative of the director-general for polio eradication. Previously, he spent over a decade in sub-Saharan Africa, directly participating in the management of the first and second Ebola outbreaks as a medical epidemiologist.

Now in its fourth year, TEDx St Andrews will be held on 30 April at the Byre Theatre. For £25 (auditorium tickets) or £10 (livestream tickets), attendees will be given access to a collection of firsthand experiences from a host of accomplished individuals. The conference will also be released on YouTube over the summer.

26 Events

21 April 2016 • The Saint

thesaint-online.com

Life after Under Canvas: the trouble with events We all love balls and bashes, but will our bank accounts always be there to welcome them?

Natasha Franks Deputy events editor

M

ost events fail quietly. Be they sparsely attended or poorly reviewed, there are certain institutions that are unable to justify another year, and so they unobtrusively slide into the ether of forgotten balls or Vic nights. In a town crammed with committees, every event cannot be expected to succeed; however, many annual occurrences typically have the fanbase necessary to be considered genuine staples of the school year. DONT WALK, May Ball and the Rugby 7s Afterparty, for example, are all both expected and anticipated, sure to sell out and be generally enjoyed.

Until recently, Under Canvas could be included amongst these giants.

Although not as conspicuous as a fashion show or Kate Kennedy affair, the small-scale festival had found its niche as our premier purveyor of

“

In the wake of such a public defeat, the question of why inevitably presents itself

live music, presenting itself as the opportunity to dance to something other than throwbacks and house for five hours. Last year, despite being held on the same day as the sold-out Charity Polo Tournament, Under Canvas attracted a sizeable audience, most already tipsy from a day of pitch-side drinking. Decently reviewed, the 2015

Hamlet Prince of Denmark Heat Presents: AMBER

O

n Thursday 21 April, Heat returns to the Rule for another successful student night out. With a great new set-up and sound system that we have only begun to discover, cheap drinks, and £3 entry, Heat Presents: AMBER promises to make your last weekend before revision memorable.

A

Bargain Ball

lthough hosted by the Comedy Society, Bargain Ball is no joke.

Priced at £5 for regular tickets, the ball advertises itself as being the cheapest (and most satirical) event to hit St Andrews. Come on down to the Union on Sunday 24 April for one final hurrah before revision begins.

iteration of the event showed no signs of imminent collapse.

As Under Canvas 2016 approached, t h e UC committee made an unprecedented move: T h e y released a video admitting that, j u s t d a y s before the festival, they were unable to pay their deposits d u e to inordinately l o w ticket sales.

With fewer than 200 tickets sold, the s h o w simply could not g o o n ,

and Under Canvas was officially cancelled following another day of middling sales.

In the wake of such a public defeat, the question of why inevitably presents itself. Many would-be guests cited the £35 price tag, but this excuse falls flat when considering the average price of a Lower College Lawn event.

September’s £35 Opening Ball sold out, as did this year’s £30 Masquerade Ball. Providing two free drinks to the first 400 arrivals and hosting a wide range of musical acts, Under Canvas did not lack incentives for ticket buyers. Additionally, the committee could point to past years as evidence of a successful night out, unlike the fledgling Masquerade Ball. Further insult to injury was added when, hardly a day after UC’s cancellation, May Ball tickets (respectively priced at £45 and £70 for classic and VIP) sold out.

Beer & Brats Spring Fest

O

n Friday 22 April, the Fine Food & Dining Society will be hosting a free event in the Main Bar and Garden of the Union. Starting at 1 pm, the event will feature a variety of food (Janettas included), drinks and various performances. There will also be outdoor exhibitions by the Photo Society and Art Society.

O

Battle of the Bands

n Saturday 30 April, the first ever St Andrews-based Battle of the Bands will take place within Club 601.

In support of the Charities Campaign and Upbeat Music, the featured bands include Pink Eye On Picture Day, Atom Tan, Beef Stew, the Black Adders and Midnight Drive, all worthy competitors for the title of Champion.

Under Canvas is not the first largescale event of the 2015-2016 year to suffer at the hands of wary ticket buyers. First semester’s 602 Ball boasted a massive advertising campaign, monopolising our newsfeeds for weeks leading up to the event.

Come midNovember, it would be difficult to find an individua l who had not heard of 602.

And yet, the Fellowship was forced to significantly reduce the size of the venue when faced with a depressingly low attendance rate, essentially cutting the cavernous marquee in half.

In 602’s case, word on the street attributed the event’s lacklustre name and timing as the primary reasons for its disappointing turnout.

Framed by Christmas Ball and Advent Ball, 602 was criticised as being little more than yet another black tie gathering, an attempt by the Fellowship to reconstruct the success of the 600th Anniversary Ball.

Here, we may potentially identify the crux of the problem: eventinduced apathy. Our wardrobes are bursting with floor-

length dresses, and we have been featured in enough Lightbox photos to last a lifetime. To put on a tuxedo and enjoy a three course dinner in a beautifully-decorated marquee is no longer a novelty to many students; we do not jump at the chance to participate in what many people would consider a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As stated by St Andrews student Laurence Cardwell in World’s Toughest Jobs: “If you want to, you could go to a ball every weekend!”

Being so spoiled with choices requires decisions to be made. When Rugby 7s, Polo, May Ball, Sitara*, the Bull & Bear Ball, Afterski and Under Canvas all occur within a matter of weeks, it would take v e r y deep pocke t s (and very f e w deadlines) t o manage an appearance a t e a c h event. In a way, o u r abundance o f

Polo Tournament

Saints Sport Colour Run

balls ensures that committees will strive to give us the most bang for our buck or else face the cold indifference of natural selection.

It is a sad thing, however, to witness the occasional failure of such grand affairs. In London, a ticket to the Order of Malta’s White Knights ball costs £140 for dinner and £50 Illustration by: Nicole Slyusareva for the afterparty. In St

O

nly two days to go before this year’s St Andrews Charity Polo Tournament at Errol Park Estate on Saturday 23 April. Champagne and pitch-side views of the polo are just a small part of what is in store for the event, which promises to be just as successful as last year’s. Though tickets have sold out, you might be lucky enough to find a resale ticket on Facebook for what might be one of the semester’s most blissful afternoons.

A

May Dip

fter a night spent dancing at Battle of the Bands, students can descend in droves upon East Sands for a dip in the North Sea on the morning of Sunday 1 May. The traditional way of celebrating the end of semester two, the dip will guarantee a successful exam diet for all participants

This past year has been proof that St Andrews may be reaching the point of social supersaturation

”

Andrews, a ticket to Welly Ball costs £60 for dinner and £20 for the after party. The events may not quite compare in terms of scale, but there is something to be said for the ability to enjoy a spectacularly posh night on a student’s budget. Naturally, no one could possibly attend every single event. But we are fortunate to have such choices at our disposal; fielding off invitations to black tie balls is not likely an issue that will follow us after university.

We may look at 602 and Under Canvas as warnings to future committees, evidence that no one is too big to fail, and that our bank accounts can only handle so much strain. As magnificent as our town may be, it is ultimately home to students who lack sizeable incomes. Rather than £30+ events for 800+ people, perhaps we ought to look towards planning smaller scale parties, affordable evenings in alternative venues. This past year has been proof that St Andrews may be reaching a point of social supersaturation.

All that said: May Ball will sell out every year, as will Christmas and Welly Ball. The FS and Oktoberfest table ballots will continue to be oversubscribed.

The events industry will beat on.

O

n Sunday 24 April, Saints Sport will present its annual 3K St Andrews Colour Run. Featuring 4 colour stations and £1 sunglasses, the run supports the Saints Volunteers Projects in Zambia. Registration opens at 10am on the day for an 11am start at the Sports Centre.

eight

Kate Kennedy May Ball

T

o save us from revision stress, the biggest black tie event of the season will unite the university for one last time on Sunday 1 May. Considered one of the few genuine must attend events of the year, May Ball officially sold out barely 24 hours after launching ticket sales last Wednesday. Over 2,000 guests, multiple fairground rides and killer music will all ensure yet another unforgettable Kate Kennedyhosted night.

ARTS & CULTURE

thesaint-online.com/reviews

arts@thesaint-online.com

@saint_arts

Illustration: Nicole Slyusereva

Arts & culture editors MARINA CARNWATH & CAITLIN LEWIS Deputy editors NATALIE CORREA, MARI MARTINELLI, CAROLINE MCWILLIAMS, FLORA ROWE, TIFFANY BLACK

All photos: Natalie Correa

28 Arts & Culture

thesaint-online.com

21 April 2016 • The Saint

Cult film of the week: Heathers

The 1988 black comedy is Mean Girls, but with serial killers and scrunchies Lauren MacGowan Much like Cady in Mean Girls, Veronica (Winona Ryder) in Heathers finds herself drawn into the popular clique—only in this case, it’s made up of three girls all called Heather.

Veronica becomes an unwilling accomplice in their cruel pranks and faces the threat of losing her own identity to that of a Heather.

Also like Cady, Veronica finds herself surrounded by the high school film clichés that we all love: enough screen time spent propped up against a locker, decade-specific clothing (occasionally co-ordinated), bleachers, cliques, the rumour mill, outcasts, puking at parties— Heathers has it all. And more.

Unlike Mean Girls, though, Heathers takes a very twisted turn early on in the film, and it becomes

clear that it will delve much deeper into the harsh realities of life in high school than some of its descendants have done. Homophobia, bulimia, date rape, and ‘pranks’ of a much crueller nature than we might expect are only some of the things that the film addresses.

The ongoing, but perhaps underused, references to Alice in Wonderland only emphasise the twisted nature of teenage life, and the way in which anyone outside of ‘Wonderland’ (adults, that is) cannot begin to understand what life is like down the rabbit hole.

Teenagers are misunderstood, the problems they face treated as passing trends, and so it is no wonder that the teens themselves become desensitised to some of the most awful aspects of high school life, whether that’s teen suicide or a

school shooting.

Veronica wants to take revenge on the Heathers, but her boyfriend JD takes this too far and (spoiler) the pair end up committing multiple murders and staging them to look like suicides. Veronica soon realises, however that when you get rid of one mean girl, another simply takes her place, and that there has to be another way to fix the mess that is high school (also, murder is wrong).

The plot at times seems to border on the ridiculous, but you can’t help thinking that if the characters were adults rather than high schoolers, you would have no problem taking the plot seriously. The film manages to make each character an individual, while emphasising that individuality can be difficult and sometimes unwanted.

After the head Heather is murdered, one of the lesser Heathers takes the lead and does all that she can to become the old Heather, taking both her old clothes and her old social standing, and abandoning some of her own insecurities.

Despite this though, the audience knows that behind the blurring of the Heathers, real individuals still exist. Even more surprising, and perhaps something which makes the film more genuine, is that the outcasts are real people too.

They are not just props used to showcase bullying or evoke pity, and attempts to reach out to these characters seem to be more than just an ego boost for Veronica or a condescending gesture to close the film nicely.

Despite a limited box office release and poor earnings to show

for it, Heathers, a cult classic, is now heralded as the best of its kind.

Edgy, disturbing, aggressively subversive and darkly comical, this film is teen drama at its greatest and for many fans redeems the entire genre.

It goes further than almost any film like it but still manages to retain that classic high school film feel—whether nostalgic or masochistic—offering an experience that we can all relate to. Leaving high school does not mean leaving behind or forgetting feelings of injustice, frustration, and angst, as any university student can testify to.

Film viewers who enjoy the likes of Mean Girls will surely enjoy its ancestor, but more importantly, people who find Mean Girls somewhat lacking might find that Heathers, the more artistic and confrontational of the two films, fills those gaps.

PLAYING IN ST ANDREWS

C

inemagoers in St Andrews are hardly spoilt for choice when it comes to venues, but they can take solace from the fact that the town’s sole theatre, the New Picture House at 117 North Street, offers an excellent viewing experience and brings to the big screen a varied selection of quality movies across its three screens.

So whether you’re into romcoms, classics or good old-fashioned action flicks, here you’ll find out about everything on in town this week, and when.

The Huntsman: Winter’s War This gorgeous fairy tale retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ Snow White and Hans Christian Andersen’s Snow Queen serves as both a prequel and a sequel to Snow White and The Huntsman. Charlize Theron returns as Queen Ravenna and Chris Hemsworth as the huntsman.

The Jungle Book

How To Be Single

Hardcore Henry

One of Disney’s most beloved cartoons gets an update. It’s the Jungle Book you know and love reimagined in CGI. Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o and more lend their voices to this tale of Mowgli (Neel Sethi), who lives among animals in the Indian jungle.

Helen Mirren plays Col. Katherine Powell, whose mission to kill terrorists using drone technology, is complicated by the presence of a young civilian. Aaron Paul, Barkhad Abdi, and the late Alan Rickman co-star in this gripping exploration of the ethics of drone warfare.

In this sci-fi action film in the style of a first-person shooter, Henry wakes up with no memory of who he is, receives cybernetic limbs, and proceeds to blast and shoot his way to…freedom, or something? Just sit back, zone out, and wonder whether direct adaptations of video games are a good idea.

Arts & Culture 29

thesaint-online.com

The Saint • 21 April 2016

Sh*teshead Revisited: St Andrews’ answer to Gossip Girl “You took a swing at the Market Street flautist last night. The air was tight and you sort of missed. You wipe your hand on your club tie as you lean on the cashpoint and your breath steams the screen showing insufficient funds to complete this transaction. You try extending your overdraft but your phone’s dead because you haven’t got an iPhone 6 yet and you wonder why the flautist called you gay.”

So begins The Fall of a BNOC, which reads as both a satire of and a love letter to St Andrews. Relatable and pitiful, the main character fails to launch a successful Vic night and struggles for likes on Instagram, tribulations framed by a Bell Street house party and his debit card being declined at Ma Bells. It is a version of our uni heightened to comical proportions, a commiserative mockery of our nightly endeavours.

Such a tale is common on Shiteshead Revisited. The blog, founded in 2014, quickly became one of the most popular sites in town, read and referenced by students from every year. Notable for its wry depiction of stereotypical St Andrean culture, SR officiates the marriage between satire and tragicomedy. The author’s hapless, social-climbing protagonists strive to be seen with the right people, wear the right club ties, be photographed at the right event They network and overanalyse and stumble their way through a litany of familiar addresses and pubs.

Photo: Hamish Foundation

Natasha Franks

Whether one emphasis or sympathises with them, they act as entertaining centrepieces to this Oscar Wildian rendition of Market Street.

SR as we know it began several May Balls ago, when the author posted a well-curated selection of photographs from the event, captioned with his own droll observations. Titled “The Best, Worst Dressed, and Most On Drugs”, the post was anonymously emailed to 80 individuals.

By that night, it had been read by

nearly two thousand people.

Looking back, the author muses that these things begin with “the kind of intimacy where you assume you know personally everyone who is reading your work, and then you overhear students from Durham talking about it on an East Coast train.”

He attributes the sudden popularity of the blog, specifically of that post, to its relatability: “Here, rudeness is probably the highest form of intimacy. So if someone you know is getting

parodied on the internet, you send it around.”

This brand of self-deprecation is not uncommon in St Andrews.

Collectively we mock table ballots and launch events, yet hundreds of us still queue for Christmas Ball tickets, or try their luck at donning a dirndl for Oktoberfest.

Equal parts participants and observers, St Andrews students unsurprisingly derive enjoyment from Shiteshead’s self-aware representations

of their peers. “How to Die in the Union,” in particular, encapsulates the author’s sardonic remark on the newly built Club 601: “The beauty of being in the Union is that it’s the only place in town where you can’t see the Union.”

The characters themselves are ultimately fictional, however traces of the author’s reality inevitably influence his writing.

The posts, as he explains, are often written away from St Andrews, giving him a sense of literal and metaphorical distance from the people and places he depicts.

He attributes the blog’s earliest beginnings to his own existential thoughts whilst on a spring break sailing trip, thoughts that would become the inspiration for Shiteshead’s cognisant narratives of the so-called Life.

Reminiscent of Edward St Aubyn’s Patrick Melrose novels, a series of books that reflect on the triviality of upper-class English life, Shiteshead Revisited does not seek to encourage its readers to emulate its subjects, but rather to instead recognise the futility of their actions and the emptiness of the alleged world that they inhabit.

What’s refreshing is the intricate and ridiculous mesh of recognisable things that make St Andrews what it essentially is, something both recognisable and easy to mock.

Because despite what Instagrams and Facebook albums may imply, no one could possibly enjoy Ma Bells that much.

The weird and wonderful world of Caryl Churchill’s play, Cloud Nine Kitty Hall Cloud Nine is, in itself, a very unusual, and once revolutionary play. In the play, men play women, women play men, a white man plays the black servant and the entire cast swap parts and era, changing from Victorian colonial Africa to 1979 England.

(Confusing, I know… for more details go to the Wikipedia page). Don’t say I never give you anything.

The preshow was visually pleasant enough. It was exciting to see the Byre’s lovely blue curtain there, making you anticipate the show and serving as a clever reminder that what the audience was about to view was a theatrical performance, rather than real life – an excellent way of dealing with Churchill.

However, the music in the preshow was not from the Victorian era.

The first piece was Elizabethan dance

music and, whilst slightly more appropriate, the piano music did not feel exciting or grand enough for the play and sounded more like a pastiche of classical music than the real thing.

Although excusable as this is student work, it suggests a lack of care and really stood out against the professional setting of the Byre.

The play opens with singing and, in this production, the singing was not good. Individual voices were lovely, but the singers were not in time, at all, with their backing track or each other. There was also no energy, meaning the actors seemed apologetic for their presence. The exception to this was Matthew Colley, who sang his awkward ‘I am black, but o’ my soul is white” with charming simplicity and truth.

Overall, the acting was good. In Act One, Mishia Leggett shone as Edward, the little boy that is a bour-

geoning homosexual.

She played him with naivety, dignity and, most importantly of all, honesty. You truly believed in that boy and his struggles and strained relationships.

Helena Jacques-Morton also stood-out as Ellen, with her femininity and gentle restraint giving way to her strong attraction to Betty (Esmond Sage).

Sage was truly stunning. He played Betty with a wry wit, subservience and intelligent observation, creating a truly moving character.

Louis Catliff delivered as Harry.

He was hysterically funny, with fantastic, subtle stagecraft and energy.

In Act Two, knock-out performances were given by Jacques-Morton as Lin, giving a considered performance as the strong, independent woman that wants so desperately to be loved and Douglas, as her daughter, whose

phenomenally well-observed physicality was wondrous… there was no question he was a little girl of about seven.

Colley played against type as the horrible Martin and did well in the role, creating a dichotomy of debase masculinity against a pleasant affability. However, in Act One in particular, there was miscasting of actors unsuited for the roles they were given, and consequently these characters lacked conviction and therefore turned in poor performances.

The sets (Lucy Reis) were both beautiful. Her hand painted colonial house was brilliantly executed, but made little sense when the characters were moving around the estate or talking through open doors. It did function as a symbol of colonial wealth and a reminder of the Empire’s oppressive past, but it was not a sensible choice.

The second act’s set was gorgeous with REAL SWINGS onstage! It was incredibly exciting and ambitious.

Costumes were excellent and Ryan Hay did a magnificent job dressing the cast.

Although often the mad rush of switched identities can seem confusing and almost gimmicky, the way that the cast approached it with serious dedication meant that they managed to pull off the bluring of identities without making it secondary to plot, a truly commendable feat.

Direction was good and Sam Oshins created some really beautiful moments. His vision was fantastic, with Act One being slightly deconstructed – a excellent contrast to the realism of Act Two. Overall, the production was certainly entertaining, and I wish Sam Oshins and his team the best of luck in their next theatrical endeavours.

thesaint-online.com

21 April 2016 • The Saint

able to do more shows over the course of this year than any previous year.

Mermaids has relaunched the new student writing festival SAND, started a radio show, cared for the Barron Theatre, done three Byre shows, and had the English language premier of a Chinese play. Mermaids is a vast group of people, with different theatrical interests, and we have managed to play to the incredible strengths of the people involved. Theatre in St Andrews is great, and I could not be more proud of the plays we have enabled this year.

The baby of Al Gillespie, SAND was developed this year and has succeeded in fostering new writing and acting talent particularly among first years. Writers who would otherwise have been unable to have their works performed, have been given the chance to workshop and informally show their creations to the community. SAND has been called an unrivalled success and The Saint looks forward to seeing how the program develops in the future.

This year has also seen the creation of Sonder Theatre. Headed by Joanna Bowman, Laura Antone and Sigrid Jorgensen, Sonder has so far put on the quirky Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche in collaboration with LGBT and Hot Mess as part of On the Rocks.

While the production team has links to Mermaids this has been a mostly independent project, highlighting the innovative skills possessed by students of this university.

The Just So Society has, as always, completely blown us away this year.

Staging two full length musicals and a song cycle in addition to cabarets, the student body has been treated to everything from light-hearted humour to thought provoking gender dynamics. Taryn O’Connor has provided excellent leadership along with her committee and The Saint is excited to see what next year’s endeavours will be.

Another new addition this year was the formalising of the Comedy

Society which will be hosting the comically named Bargain Ball on April 24th. At just £5 a ticket, this ball is St Andrews cheapest ever and promises to be an evening filled with plenty of hilarity. In a town where stress is highly prominent, a society that facilitates laughter is readily welcomed to the theatre scene. We hope to see a lot more of Comedy Soc next year!

On the Rocks Festival was launched in March with an evening of excerpts form the shows which took place in early April. The Saint had many reviewers working on the festival and all were treated to high quality shows, and indeed welcomed by the On the Rocks Committee. The Saint would particularly like to thank Lottie Haswell-West and Caroline Christie for always being on hand to help and for arranging such easy press coverage. Every year, On the Rocks expands, and now, as a subcommittee of the Union, the festival is here to stay.

Theatre reviewing works two

Photo:Caroline McWilliams

As the semester draws to a close, so does the theatre season. With new Mermaids and affiliated societies’ committees elected, we can begin to look forward to the Edinburgh Fringe shows and to next year’s theatrical delights. However, not before we take a look back on the stage activity of this academic year and The Saint’s coverage of it.

More than any other previous year, this has been a time of great success for the theatre community of St Andrews. More shows than ever have been ranked as 5 stars by The Saint, with every single production being reviewed regardless of whether it was funded by Mermaids or not.

With the opening of the new St.Age in first semester, another venue was gained for performances, one which quickly became a firm favourite, playing host to Blue Stockings and Doctor Faustus amongst others. Despite an obvious lack of dressing rooms, this area is versatile and large enough to rival The Byre as a first choice for pro-

posal teams.

Mermaids itself has grown in strength this year, facilitating 38 fully funded shows which is more than ever before. Under the leadership of Joanna Bowman, the performing arts fund has attempted to become more transparent, an aim which they will continue to work towards over the next year. Christmas Ball was an undeniable success, receiving good reviews from all the student publications.

Joanna Bowman provided this statement as she comes to the end of her terms as MerPres: Being Mermaids President has been nothing short of a pleasure and a privilege. Getting to facilitate peoples’ theatre has been an exciting, challenging, inspiring (insert literally any positive adjective here) experience, and it has been an absolute joy seeing shows go from their proposal meeting to their opening nights. I have been lucky to have been surrounded by the most fantastic group of people: the 2015 -2016 Mermaids committee have cared and given up their time and skills to make sure that we have been

Photo:Caroline McWilliams

Caroline McWilliams Theatre Editor

Photo: Alexander Gillespie

Mermaids perform wonderfully once more

Photo:Caroline McWilliams

30 Arts & Culture

ways, the reviewer provides a service to the performance by allowing them to gauge their successes and weaknesses and the performance gives reviewers a chance to share the experience with the wider student population. As we come to the end of another successful year of theatre, which has seen multiple shows, festivals and innovative projects, The Saint would like to thank all the production teams, actors and press teams who have made reviewing such an enjoyable experience for all of us. Particular thanks goes to Annabel Ekelund as Barron Box Officer Manager and Charlie Maguire as Barron Manager for facilitating reviewers and for having the schedule published in such a timely fashion. And lastly, thank you to you, the readers of these articles and the audience of the performances.

Without an audience, theatre is nothing. So after a wonderful year, let us promote new ideas, garner new talent and continue to be successful in the next academic year!

The Saint • 21 April 2016

Arts & Culture 31

thesaint-online.com

The revision playlist to ensure your success Flora Rowe Music editor Revision, it’s been happening all day long, every day for two weeks and like everyone else, I am sure you’re getting pretty fed up of your iTunes library.

While music may not be able to help you in your exams, it sure will help you get through them so why not shake up your routine with the saints track guide for a day in the life of a revision burdened St Andrews student.

When your alarm starts ringing at the early hours of the day, replace that same old generic Apple ringtone with a song impossible to get bored of.

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard

by Paul Simon is not only a lively enigma but it will have you dancing out of bed. Despite the energetic façade, no one can make it to the library without a heavy helping hand from caffeine.

Gold by Wake Owl has the every growing intensity that provides the perfect soundtrack to allow your coffee to slowly kick into action.

The intertwining melodies allow full absorption into the music providing the perfect prop to hide behind while you avoid acquaintances while trekking up North Street.

Once you’ve scrambled to find a seat in the silent section, all you need is a track to start the motivation and what better than No Money by Galantis? Not only is it effortlessly feel-good but also speaks of picking yourself, something that may need to happen after some previous rogue exam.

While is it perfectly easy to distract yourself with music hunting, something I am fully guilty of, settle

into an album before your first coffee break to help you avoid this form of procrastination.

The Lumineers’ new album Cleopatra is crammed with killer singles, which masterfully develop together to make an enticing selection that should make the hour fly by.

It may feel like time to take a coffee break, but you should press on to cram as much work in as possible.

While The Life of Pablo may be tempting, the overwhelming power of Kanye could be distracting so potentially favour the self-titled album by Eliza and the Bear.

This promises revitalising melodies to help with your motivation, and with the ease of their summer sounds it will have you buzzing for your break in the foreseeable future.

By now, people start drifting towards West Sands and the Quad to break for lunch. While you stop your revision, there is no reason for your soundtrack to pause as well. Doin’ Time by Sublime is as sunshine-soaked as you wish you were so whack this on before crawling back to the spot you have become far too accustomed to.

It is inevitable that you sight your library crush at some point and with this, it seems the perfect time to roll with all those romantic records.

There is nothing better than a cover to get you back into study mode and Corinne Bailey Rae’s twist on the reggae Is This Love? is just wonderful, realistically your library crush won’t lead to love but this track is hard not to fall for.

As you phase into the loved-up ballads, The Love You’ve Given by the sensation that is Jack Garratt is pure

heaven, his hypnotic beats should tease you into a subconscious prism of revision focus. While wavering into the instrumental sounds of electronic minimalism, Ain’t No Use by Matt Woods will feel like the perfect transaction into ethereal sound of Justin Vernon’s Volcano Choir.

Unsurprisingly they sound similar to Bon Iver and with the same feature of indefinable lyrics, the distraction of words is eliminated yet the dull quality of purely instrumental pieces is avoided.

As you may slumber into a state of dozing with these helplessly relaxing feels, shake yourself up for your evening studying with All Day Long

by KAPPEKOFF as by this stage, you will have been studying all day long.

Alternatively, if you are feeling a significant lack of charts to this playlist, slam on Sia’s Cheap Thrills straight away.

Sia skilfully balances addictive qualities with her uniquely mesmerising voice to pen a track worth putting on repeat.

After some time, nothing but poppy ballads will be going into your fact-crammed mind; but as you call it a day, we leave you with one final track to lull you into heavy slumber.

Nothing to do with studying, avoiding the classical albums and truly tear-jerkingly beautiful, Matt Maltese’s piano-wrapped Even If It’s a Lie is all you need to finish off your soundtracked day.

And there it is, your revision playlist. Avoid the cliched movie soundtracks and mix chilled out beats with motivation this revision season.

All that is left is to wish you the best of luck in all of your exams!

How to embrace the good vibes at British summer festivals Flora Rowe Music editor

”

Take a break from that internship and treat yourself

Photo: Summer Breeze Fest

While Britain has a notoriously good music scene, what makes it crème de la crème is its summer festival scene.

While musicians are tending towards an electronic sound, the translation to live music is still drawing in heavy crowds keeping the festivals as popular as ever. When anyone mentions this summer phenomenon, Glastonbury seems to pop to mind immediately and with Kanye headlining, it seems they will keep their BNOC status.

With the reputation Glasto holds, it makes getting tickets even more difficult to come by than Christmas Ball tickets. However, if you want to venture down to the West Country, head to Barn On The Farm. BOTF is comparable to Somersault, a mixture of outdoor pursuits and incredible headliners, think Oh Wonder, Jack Garratt, Frances, Honne and many more spine tingling acts.

If you aren’t committed to the hangover adventure, head to Boardmasters, a festival advertised for surfers but stuffed with sun hunting teenagers. Their line up is fairly predictable with the likes of James Bay and Catfish and the Bottlemen, but with this idyllic location, it wouldn’t be the worst place to spend a summer

for music lovers and the aforementioned ones aren’t all there is on offer.

Music may not be the main attraction yet there are a few who focus on the ‘vibe’ or target audience of their event. For those who don’t want to leave dear Scotland, head to T in the Park, but if you want to take your family with you, go along to Larmer Tree, a small festival designed for

weekend.

If rural locations aren’t for you, Parklife in Manchester is jam packed with a list musicians, from Jamie XX to the Chemical Brothers. Although this may not have the best reputation, it seems like they are making strides to improve with fierce competition against other big names. At £95 per ticket, this may not be in everyone’s price range but Lovebox is only £49 to

see the wonders that are Major Lazor and LCD soundsystem; making that one of the most attractive (and affordable) festivals the capital has to offer.

If you’re not down to get dirty but don’t fancy city life, V Fest may just be for you. Most visitors don’t camp but just spend the day’s boogying away to JB, Rihanna, David Guetta and all their pals. Not all festivals are merely

for the music lovers, if spending your days in literary tents or seeing comedy stars, Latitude may instead be the place to be.

Their incredible headliners include The Lumineers, Daughter, Oh Wonder etc. and so it seems you’ve got to head to Suffolk for the unmissable festival of the season. I say that Britain rules the festival roost due its to copious weekends filled to the brim

people of every age. For those who want to nestle in the hills with hundreds of students and be guaranteed a new cover photo, Green Man is for you. Conversely if you’re more into hiding from anyone you know, Rock Oyster festival is the best bet.

While you won’t have heard of any of their headliners, the food is a real attraction.

So there we have it, a measly look into what this summer has to offer. So take a break from that internship and treat yourself to 48 hours jam packed with the joy that is welly clad music.

32 Arts & Culture

thesaint-online.com

21 April 2016 • The Saint

Beyonce and the marketing of A-listers

Are the new marketing strategies of pop icons ground-breaking or gimmicky?

The Saint

PLAYLIST The Last Shadow Puppets - Miracle Aligner L’aupaire - The River

Miike Snow (ft. Charlie XCX) - I’ll Be There Air Traffic Controllers - What You Do To My Soul The Lumineers - Cleopatra The National - Morning Dew Altadore - Punctuated Love Caitlin Lewis Arts and culture editor

L

ast week saw the release of Beyoncé’s new clothing line Ivy Park, fashion-workout clothes for the new generation of casual gym goers. In an age when it has become cooler to be seen in cut out leggings than to actually go to the gym, Beyoncé’s new gym line has come at the perfect time. However it does seem worthy of note that Mrs Carter releases a clothing line when what she really should be releasing right now is an album.

Beyoncé’s alleged album release has been a painfully long time coming. Her first single, the controversial yet critically acclaimed track, Formation, was released in early February. The video was exclusively available to Tidal members; even now, two months later, the song is unavailable on iTunes, Apple Music and Spotify.

The track, which promoted black pride and raised a number of important issues that are at the forefront of the Black Lives Matter campaign such as police brutality and cultural appropriation, was successful as far as it could be.

But how can a song break the charts when its release seems to only be relevant on Tidal? It seems a bit unlikely that a global superstar like Beyoncé would drop a hot new single just for the promotional value of her husband’s record label, and yet Formation continues to be unavailable for the majority of Beyoncé’s fans.

Another irregularity in Beyoncé’s marketing scheme is the length of time that Formation has been out while there still continues to be no sign of an album release. I understand that as an artist, it is wise to build

suspense rather than throw all your music into the public domain at once, but two months?! Even Queen Bey can’t hope to keep the public waiting for that long. It’s not like her promotion for Formation has been half hearted. Cast your mind back to her incredible, show-stopping, Coldplayovershadowing performance of the song at this year’s Super Bowl. She was all over the media, gaining the sort of world-wide attention that precedes the album drop of a century. And yet two months later and nothing.

The Ivy Park clothing range dropping was in itself a form of album promotion for an album that doesn’t yet exist. In the advertisement, Beyoncé is seen modelling the clothes while Formation plays in the background.

Of course, she absolutely slays. But one can’t help but think about the fact that clothing ranges have become the new way for the big stars to draw out their album releases forever, but still somehow keep an illusion of suspense. The ‘traditional’ form of music marketing has been abandoned in favour of eclectic anticlimactic marketing that cuts a fine line between being original and being gimmicky.

Beyoncé is not the only big star trying to make their music seem more exciting by forgoing the usual album release process. Last year Rihanna released her infamously controversial track, Bitch Better Have My Money, in March 2015, and announced her ANTI world tour shortly after. A few months later, there was still no sign of an album release. She released a couple more songs, including minor hit American Oxygen, then disappeared for the best part of a year.

When ANTI was finally released in January of 2016, none of the tracks released in 2015 made it onto the track

list. Did Rihanna just change her mind about the direction of the album? Did she think that the 2015 singles hadn’t been successful enough to carry her new album after the year long delay? Or was it maybe that Rihanna is such a big name that she can literally do whatever she wants and people will still continue to buy absolutely anything she releases? Kanye did the same, giving the world his Yeezy Season 3 fashion collection and a new shoes range for Adidas while fans waited for the album he had been promising for a year. As he states in the song Facts, ‘I aint dropped an album but the shoes went platinum’.

Stars like Kanye have made themselves a brand, so much so that it doesn’t matter what they are selling; people are still going to buy it. Who cares if there’s months, even years, between music release dates? There are still products being released, and the public consumerist beast has something to buy.

Stars like Beyoncé, Rihanna and Kanye have risen to such heights that they don’t have to ‘properly’ promote an album to know that it will definitely sell. For God’s sake, when Beyoncé releases music, it is our duty as her public minions to sit back and listen in awe, however long and tedious the wait has been. This disregard for traditional marketing has been seen as innovative and ground breaking.

When Beyoncé dropped her self-titled visual album out of the blue in 2013, the world went into a frenzy.

Yet I do not see these new marketing techniques as innovation, but a rather arrogant gimmick on behalf of stars so successful and well established that they don’t need to promote their music in order for it to sell.

Beyoncé and HBO have promised to release an elusive ‘event’ entitled

Lemonade on 23rd of April at 9pm, sparking cries of speculation- could this finally be the album release we have been promised? There is no denying that this is a clever move, but I also believe that these gimmicky marketing strategies highlight a huge disparity in the music business between established stars and new artists. If what Beyoncé, Rihanna and countless others are doing, aka. unusual marketing as a way to differentiate themselves, becomes the norm, where does this leave new artists?

A breakout artist cannot wait a year between first single and album- they simply wouldn’t be remembered. In a world where the charts are dominated by music giants and one hit wonder DJs, breakout artists don’t need any more obstacles for establishing themselves. What these ‘innovations’ are doing is keeping chart power in the hands of those who have already made it. And it’s harmful for them too- long sporadic release dates create impossible expectations that will only disappoint. Take Rihanna’s ANTI for example; with a wait like that, people were expecting big things. And when the album came out, it was good, yet after almost a year of hype, good simply wasn’t going to cut it.

I am not suggesting to crush all innovation and keep marketing linear and straight forward. After all, new ideas are what keep the music industry fresh and thriving. What I am saying is this: the big stars shouldn’t be creating a climate where they rely on shock, suspense and gimmick in order to sell something that would sell anyway. We need to level the playing field for all artists, so that new music is not judged on how interestingly it is released, but on its quality as a piece of music. Promote innovation and creativity, but keep gimmick out of it.

The Last Shadow Puppets - Aviation Tegan and Sara - U-Turn Kanye West - Waves Kiiara - Intention Viljar Broks - Stua Di

Junius Meyvant - Color Decay Sia - Reaper

thesaint-online.com

The Saint • 21 April 2016

Arts & Culture 33

Zara Hadid: an obituary to a trailblazing architect

”

Zaha Hadid, the legendary architect and woman, died in Miami last week whilst being treated for bronchitis, after having a heart attack at the age of 65. Born on October 30th in Baghdad, she ventured above and beyond the norms of Iraqi society’s expectations of a woman, and the standard practices of architecture. In Peter Cook’s citation as Hadid’s being first woman to win the Royal gold medal for architecture- he compared conventional architects who would simply take ‘a link for a walk’ to the fearless Hadid who instead ‘took the surfaces that were driven by that line out for a virtual dance… folded them over and then took them out for a journey into space’.

Her defiance of logic, dancing over the ashes of buildings past won her early recognition. In 1983 her design for a leisure center in Hong kong- the Peak, won the international competition, despite her incomplete qualifications. This angular, unusual design, like many others, never came to fruition. For a while, she was the

famous architect who never got anything built, as often civic leaders just felt her work was too difficult, or perhaps too challenging and provocative. However, once the noughties began and the idea of the ‘starchitect’ emerged, with their iconic buildings,

She took the artistic line for a virtual dance, folded it over and took it to a journey way into outer space

she led from the front.

Hadid was particularly special in that the buildings she created were not just beautiful objects in and of themselves, but they would often in-

teract with the culture and past of the country in which they were built. The Sleuk Rith Institute in Cambodia, is built to commemorate the Cambodian Genocide, and is made up by five interwoven wooden towers, which echo the nearby Angkorian architecture. A former fire brigade building in Belgium, offers impressive harbour views, and hundreds of glass windows, most importantly, some of which are reflective, as a nod to Antwerp’s diamond trade.

Her breadth of work, often working on projects simultaneously, was impressive. Some of her most famous works included a tower in Marseille, a retail complex in Beijing, an opera house in Guangzhou, a cancer centre in Kirkcaldy and the London 2012 Aquatics Centre.

Hadid was always surrounded by controversy particularly over her infamously stubborn attitude. She combated sexism in the architectural community, and was at ease within this battle. Some felt the design for the Al-Wakrah stadium in Quatar, was overly sexual or femine. She responded with the perfect attitude, saying ‘What are they saying, everything

with a hole in it is a vagina? That’s ridiculous’. Criticism and particularly compromise, were not things that sat well with Hadad, she ‘didn’t like the word’. She once hilariously paid the Architectural Association fees in bags of loose change, just to reflect her

”

Tiffany Black Books editor

She rightly stood up and questioned the media: ‘would they still call me a diva if I was a guy?

displeasure at their price. She was an incredibly hard worker, who had high standards of her staff at every level, in her height employing over 400 people with high expectations, unflinching honesty and passion. When criticised

by the media for her demeanor, she quite rightly rebutted ‘Would they call me a diva, if I were a guy?’

Despite this hard- ass reputation, she was a woman of contradictions and complexity. As a student, she was supposedly incredibly shy and would present stunning drawings half crumpled and singed at the edges. She never married, but had a great love of children and a deep well of empathy by those who knew her well. Her harsh attitude was drawn out a genuine belief that buildings mattered, their longevity making them worth all the effort and strife.

Zara Hadid shone, as a talented and groundbreaking architect, as well as an inspirational women who opened the doors of perception for young people. The words of her final year AA tutor Rem Koolhaas predicted the brilliance of her architectural career. She was a ‘planet in her own inmitable orbit’, a status that had ‘its own rewards and difficulties’, ‘it would be impossible [for her] to have a conventional career’. What a brilliant planet she became, one whose legacy shall continue to glow for years to come.

34 Arts & Culture

thesaint-online.com

21 April 2016 • The Saint

LABEL: a body positive and inclusive take on fashion was clear and their individual talent in looking beautiful was second to none. I was thoroughly impressed.

It was incredibly refreshing to see people with little or no modelling

The whole point of inclusivity is not having to label yourself at all

experience standing up and bearing themselves to the world with such confidence and vigour. I can only applaud them for this and for their pro-

motion of an extremely noble cause.

They were confident without being conceited and sassy and funny without being arrogant. Simply perfect. My hat goes off to them for their efforts.

I do feel for the models, as they were let down by a flawed concept which failed to allow them to showcase everything they potentially had to offer.

All in all, despite being an honourable effort to promote the fantastic concepts of individuality and inclusiveness, rather than doing this neatly in the form of allowing each model to showcase a talent or show how something they see as being ‘imperfect’ about themselves doesn’t hold them back, the medium of a fashion show created a strange paradox which could have been so much more.

Photo: Jamie Ciardi

(whilst commendable) with an inherently elitist kind of performance art was fundamentally flawed. In fact, it was hypocritical that in a show that promotes self-love and external acceptance no matter one’s looks or body shape, that the first boy to remove his shirt was coincidentally the most conventionally good-looking and the one with the best body.

One of the models, in their background voice recording, played over their walk down the runway, talked of using “Queerness as a positive label”. And here I was in my ignorance, standing there thinking that once again, the whole point in inclusivity is that people shouldn’t feel the need to use such terms or label themselves as anything at all.

Having said all of this, the passion, commitment and drive of the models

Photo: Jamie Ciardi

‘Label’s motto is to celebrate ‘beauty with a difference across gender, sexuality, physical diversity, and mental health.’ ‘OK. Nice idea’, I thought, reading the press pack with a cup of coffee, an hour before the show started. But the next thought that crept into my head was how on earth would the organisers manage to pull off a celebration of diversity through a fashion show, a type of event which by its nature is inherently focused (rightly or wrongly, you decide) on homogeneous standards of beauty, and that item of clothing or pair of shoes or bag, which, at a given moment, is ‘in fashion’ – I know, you do not need me to tell you this.

So it seemed an unusual choice for a method by which one might

celebrate inclusivity - a noble cause, and valiant effort may it have been, nonetheless.

Indeed, rather than celebrating each model’s individual style, or showing their individual take on a theme e.g. beachwear etc, which might have worked better, and indeed did with the final formalwear parade, the whole thing instead just became a selection of people in no particular order, wearing some form of jeans and T-shirt, for the most part.

One of the models had been quoted as saying “We’re establishing individuality” – I didn’t see any of the celebration of what made each model individual, and that…to be frank…is the organiser’s fault. In this respect, they let the models down.

The philosophy behind combining the idea of equality and inclusivity

”

R. M. Foster

Photo: Amy Mclaughlin

Re: Fashion a sustainable success for shoppers and sellers

Natalie Correa Style editor Re: Fashion is a semi-annual event that promotes sustainability. It is a pop-store that offers a mix between thrift and hand-me-down clothing, giving students an opportunity to sell their unwanted clothing and buy under-priced fashion. At Parliament Hall on 11 April 2016, St Andreans took to town on a cool Monday evening to get the best of best shopping deals.

When I walked through the doors of Parliament Hall, I walked into a wonderland of fashion thrift. Guests immediately encountered a row of accessories, which included handbags/ wallets from River Island, White Wayfarer Ray-Ban Sunglasses for £50,

and funky hot pink New Look platform heels. My personal favourite is my new lace cropped cami from Missguided, which I brought for £6.

Immediately preceding the arrangement of accessories was an assortment of trousers. Whether you were in need of harem pants for your next trip to Morocco or wanted to add a little rock & roll flare to your style with black leather pants, re: fashion had that for you.

The organization had many bags worth of pant styles – so many that trousers were being replenished on a regular basis as they sold. It’s no wonder that students were drawn to buying new trousers since various pant styles sold for a low price of £8 or more.

Needed a new dress for May Ball? Re: fashion had you covered.

As St Andrews is known for its many evening balls, re: fashion was the perfect place to get a gown of luxury for a small price. Why go to TOPSHOP or order a dress from asos.com, when you can get the price you want and deserve at re: fashion? This was also a perfect opportunity for sellers to make a profit and buy new evening dresses for themselves because let’s face it: we all enjoy the luxury of wearing a new cocktail dress at every event we attend.

The organization also showed that it’s never too late to start planning your wardrobe for the fall.

They sold sweaters and coats from

Zara, H&M, and many other brands.

Re: fashion also offered beautiful leather jackets and spring coats – perfect for a spring St Andrews, no?

To enhance your shopping experience, re: fashion teamed up with Plan St Andrews and Almond & Bakery who sold hand-pressed juices and homemade macarons.

Perfectly placed beside the table of luxury items, shoppers embraced their inner Blair Waldorf as they ate Almond & Meringue’s delicious cookies & cream macaroon and shopped for their new Givenchy.

If you are looking to make some extra money from unwanted clothing (or are an international student who wants to make a profit out of the clothing they can’t fit in their

suitcase) then you should consider becoming a seller for re: fashion. Girls AND Boys can sell! Students who participate receive 70% of the profit made and have the ability of getting their clothes picked up from their doorstep. If their clothes do not sell, it is completely up to the sellers what they wish to do with their unsold clothes. If they choose not to keep them, re: fashion donates the unwanted items to Save the Children, an international organization based in the United Kingdom that strives to help vulnerable children.

Want to make a profit from your unwanted clothes? Want to get that perfect ball dress while not breaking the bank? if yes, then keep an eye out for the organization’s next event and re: fashion.

EASY STUDENT STORAGE

The Saint • 21 April 2016

thesaint-online.com

35

SPORT Sport editor ANDREW SINCLAIR Deputy editors: Charlie Wood,

Write fromcolumn the Off Andrew’s First paragraphs are like this. They have a 4mm indent in the first line.

Everything else in the article is like this, without the 4mm indent.

Ore dolor il irit ullaorem del diam ipit dolor sectet ipismod tin vulpute veliquis augue dolobore doluptat nulputem quiscilisit wismolore veliquisis nonsequat, sustin euguerosto enit loborem diam, veliquate feuis nos non henim vel ilismolor augue dipisi.

Sequat iliquis nibh et eugait do euis eum te ent ot nulla only am wasdui it eugue shocking to illam zzrilit dolum ilit think aliquisit that thisdit was the last dolor inissue henisoferthe ipitSaint lum irit, consed of the acatet auguera volesto demic year andesectem thus mydunt last column faccum elessequam ofelent the landre semester, it isquis scary to think dolut facipis cillamet vullaor that byadigna the time this comes out, most eriliqu iscing er sis ex will ercipit lectures and tutorials be augait comnim incipis mincidunt plete and wedolore will alldolore be heading into essi. revision and preparations for the Lorpersecond alisciduisi.

In esto exams. del esdreaded semester sequisl ilit, consetomin dotime elis It is incredible thinkestrud that this essisl acilit, do last yearutem I hadip justeagone backvolore to school odolumsan lum zzriure et veratin for the last twoutweeks before study leave velisi te conullum dolorerosto deland taking my A-Levels and unaware estrud tie ming ea ofiquisit, wherequis I would endtatie up come August facipsumsan dolore delisisi and September.henismo This year has gone intie velenissis aut dolorpero consenis credibly fast personally speaking as I am adi it has for many of you here already sure at the University or those in the same position as myself as Freshers. For those of you always on the receiving end of sports drinking games, your pain is almost over and in September thousands of Freshers will come in and take your places. You will be able to delight in seeing them suffer the way I know many of of you have on a weekly basis this year.

Sporting wise this has been a great year for the University and the amazingly gifted and talented people we have here have been on full display. In terms of Rugby the men’s firsts team competed in a national league for the first time and whilst they were relegated, they still were able to compete with top sides like Bishop Burton and Durham amongst others.

Just last week the men’s 1sts football team put in one of the best performances in their 128 year history to beat leading British Uni side Stirling 3-0 to advance to the Queens Park Shield final next week.

Similarly impressive feats have been achieved by clubs across the University as Sport here continues to grow and benefit from the redeveloped Sports Centre.

The best way to measure overall sport at the University is in terms of our BUCS score at the end of the year, and with almost all sport played now, we currently sit 29th in the UK as a whole with 1119 points.

In terms of Scotland that puts us behind Edinburgh, Stirling and Glasgow but is still an impressive achievement.

Last year we ended the campaign in 26th place but this year has arguably been even better in terms of overall achievement for the University.

Unsurprisingly one of our biggest contributors in terms of points were the Golf Club (it’s not like we have many

N

@saint_sport

sport@thesaint-online.com

Anthony Joshua is a world champion we can all be proud of Andrew Sinclair Sport editor

Andrew Sinclair world famous golf courses around the town is it?), but they were beaten in overall contribution by the Fencing team, so congratulations to them. Other notable contributors to our overall points total were the Water Polo teams, who are featured in this issue, and the Tennis club. The tennis club in particular have a lot to look forward with the continued gym renovation set to include an elite indoor tennis centre to increase performance times for the talented players we have at the University.

All points help though, and therefore well done to all the sports teams for their performances this year and for many of them they have summer trips to look forward to that will present a much deserved rest and reward for their commitment and dedication throughout the year.

The summer itself is a treasure trove full of sporting goods to look forward to.

Notably we have the European Football Championships and whilst as a proud Englishman I want my nation to do well for once at a major tournament (don’t say it too loudly but we might actually win it), I also would like to see the other Home Nations do well as they have qualified for the first time in a long time (sorry Scotland, better luck next time).

We also have the Olympics in Brazil this summer which will be a first to be held in a South American country. It promises to be a great sporting spectacle but we must hope that the numerous issues facing Brazil, including political instability and the Zika virus do not interfere with the greatest celebration of sporting excellence in the world.

Similarly, the issues of doping within sport that seem incredibly rife at the moment, which were excellently covered by Sam Connolly in our last issue, hopefully will have largely been killed off by the time the games come around.

Likewise, we must hope that the mindless terrorists who have continued to blight society in recent months and threaten our basic way of life stay clear and do not sabotage the events in another attempt to kill more innocent people in a quest that increasingly seems to have no goals or aims but is one of wanton destruction.

Most importantly though, most of us will be back in September and there will be much more sport to report and I can proudly say I will be here as your reigning and defending Sport Editor until at least December. Mon the Saints!

When iconic Boxing announcer Michael Buffer’s trademark phrase ‘Let’s get ready to rumble’ rang out in the O2 Arena in London on April 9, all the build-up to Anthony Joshua’s big fight with IBF Heavyweight Champion Charles Martin came to a head.

Martin had won the title in January of this year as a result of a third-round injury to his Ukrainian opponent Vyacheslav Glazkov and this was his first defence and a real chance to test his strengths about the young British phenom.

Joshua won the 2012 Super Heavyweight Olympic Gold medal in his home city of London and went pro in October 2013. In just over two years, the Watford-born boxer had won 15 fights with 15 knockouts and had the chance to make history in this fight by winning a world title faster than legends like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson in terms of fights fought.

From the entrances it was clear the Joshua was confident of victory in the fight, and despite all of his bravado, notably coming out with a crown (did no one inform Charles Martin that ‘Princes’ do not wear crowns?), Charles Martin did not seem that confident and that materialised itself in the first round.

He was very tentative and seemed reluctant to test his chin against Joshua’s power, allowing the Brit to dictate the pace of the fight and pressure the American for the first round.

The second was exactly the same and the first clear shot that Joshua landed dropped Martin to the canvas and whilst he beat the count, it clearly startled him. Seconds later AJ was to land another right hand, almost a carbon

copy of the first, that dropped ‘Prince’ again and this time he failed to meet Jean-Pierre Van Imschoot’s count.

That second shot send euphoria through The Rule where I was watching the fight and it was clear that there was a sense of national pride in Joshua becoming IBF World Heavyweight Champion in 16 fights with 16 knockouts. Yet, he is the second Brit to win a world title in the last six months in typically the most popular weight division in the sport of Boxing, but elicited a completely different reaction from that of Tyson Fury.

The fundamental reason for that is because Fury is someone that is hard to buy into – his views on members of the LGBT+ community are abhorrent and he is a sexist and misogynist, all of which adds up to a fairly deplorable person. Whilst Anthony Joshua is no angel and in 2011 was caught speeding and in possession of cannabis, he carries himself as a gentleman and has remained humble throughout since winning Gold in London.

Much as people in Britain could be proud of boxers like Henry Cooper, someone who was a gentleman and was completely likeable, AJ is someone who people can be genuinely proud to say is one of our own and is a great representative of both British boxing and Britain on the whole.

Assuming Fury beats Klitschko in their July rematch, a fight with Joshua at Wembley Stadium inevitably awaits, but Joshua’s win opens the heavyweight scene right up.

This is a transitional period for the division, with the Klitschko’s almost gone and those memorable other faces of the early 21st century now retired. Joshua is part of the new breed ready to take over and re-establish the appeal of heavyweight boxing.

Who, therefore, should Joshua fight next? Probably not Fury, despite the huge money involved in that fight, as there are so many more options available and currently their schedules do not align and AJ should not sit on the shelf when he is clearly so fresh .

A rematch with Dillian Whyte, the only man to seemingly offer some resistance to Joshua is a possibility.

Dereck Chisora is a fairly big name and could materialise whilst there are other European names out there like Johann Duhaupas who are not as big a name but are a defence of the belt.

Joshua fights with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom stable and Hearn is keen to get him fighting where American audiences can see him for potential matches across the Pond later in his career with Deontay Wilder and possibly Luis Ortiz. With that in mind Joshua could probably face someone like Bermane Stiverne in London with the fight available to American audiences to build his reputation further over there.

Glazkov, the man Martin ‘beat’, is owed a rematch due to the nature of his defeat but a torn ACL will entail a long recovery period and therefore that is not a match for the immediate future. In my opinion, the next fight on the horizon for Joshua will be against the victor of the IBF title eliminator fight in May. This sees highly touted New Zealander Joshua Parker (18-0-0, 16KOs) take on experienced Cameroonian Carlos Takam (33-2-1, 25KOs). Parker is favourite for their bout and should he get through unscathed, a July date is possible to meet Joshua.

Regardless of who he fights next, Anthony Joshua is World Champion and unlike Tyson Fury, he is a champion that we can be proud of.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

thesaint-online.com/sport

Anthony Joshua’s feat of winning Olympic Gold and a world title have come within one Olympic cycle, something rare and impressive

SPORT Sport editor ANDREW SINCLAIR Deputy editors: Charlie Wood,

Write fromcolumn the Off Andrew’s First paragraphs are like this. They have a 4mm indent in the first line.

Everything else in the article is like this, without the 4mm indent.

Ore dolor il irit ullaorem del diam ipit dolor sectet ipismod tin vulpute veliquis augue dolobore doluptat nulputem quiscilisit wismolore veliquisis nonsequat, sustin euguerosto enit loborem diam, veliquate feuis nos non henim vel ilismolor augue dipisi.

Sequat iliquis nibh et eugait do euis eum te ent ot nulla only am wasdui it eugue shocking to illam zzrilit dolum ilit think aliquisit that thisdit was the last dolor inissue henisoferthe ipitSaint lum irit, consed of the acatet auguera volesto demic year andesectem thus mydunt last column faccum elessequam ofelent the landre semester, it isquis scary to think dolut facipis cillamet vullaor that byadigna the time this comes out, most eriliqu iscing er sis ex will ercipit lectures and tutorials be augait comnim incipis mincidunt plete and wedolore will alldolore be heading into essi. revision and preparations for the Lorpersecond alisciduisi.

In esto exams. del esdreaded semester sequisl ilit, consetomin dotime elis It is incredible thinkestrud that this essisl acilit, do last yearutem I hadip justeagone backvolore to school odolumsan lum zzriure et veratin for the last twoutweeks before study leave velisi te conullum dolorerosto deland taking my A-Levels and unaware estrud tie ming ea ofiquisit, wherequis I would endtatie up come August facipsumsan dolore delisisi and September.henismo This year has gone intie velenissis aut dolorpero consenis credibly fast personally speaking as I am adi it has for many of you here already sure at the University or those in the same position as myself as Freshers. For those of you always on the receiving end of sports drinking games, your pain is almost over and in September thousands of Freshers will come in and take your places. You will be able to delight in seeing them suffer the way I know many of of you have on a weekly basis this year.

Sporting wise this has been a great year for the University and the amazingly gifted and talented people we have here have been on full display. In terms of Rugby the men’s firsts team competed in a national league for the first time and whilst they were relegated, they still were able to compete with top sides like Bishop Burton and Durham amongst others.

Just last week the men’s 1sts football team put in one of the best performances in their 128 year history to beat leading British Uni side Stirling 3-0 to advance to the Queens Park Shield final next week.

Similarly impressive feats have been achieved by clubs across the University as Sport here continues to grow and benefit from the redeveloped Sports Centre.

The best way to measure overall sport at the University is in terms of our BUCS score at the end of the year, and with almost all sport played now, we currently sit 29th in the UK as a whole with 1119 points.

In terms of Scotland that puts us behind Edinburgh, Stirling and Glasgow but is still an impressive achievement.

Last year we ended the campaign in 26th place but this year has arguably been even better in terms of overall achievement for the University.

Unsurprisingly one of our biggest contributors in terms of points were the Golf Club (it’s not like we have many

N

@saint_sport

sport@thesaint-online.com

Anthony Joshua is a world champion we can all be proud of Andrew Sinclair Sport editor

Andrew Sinclair world famous golf courses around the town is it?), but they were beaten in overall contribution by the Fencing team, so congratulations to them. Other notable contributors to our overall points total were the Water Polo teams, who are featured in this issue, and the Tennis club. The tennis club in particular have a lot to look forward with the continued gym renovation set to include an elite indoor tennis centre to increase performance times for the talented players we have at the University.

All points help though, and therefore well done to all the sports teams for their performances this year and for many of them they have summer trips to look forward to that will present a much deserved rest and reward for their commitment and dedication throughout the year.

The summer itself is a treasure trove full of sporting goods to look forward to.

Notably we have the European Football Championships and whilst as a proud Englishman I want my nation to do well for once at a major tournament (don’t say it too loudly but we might actually win it), I also would like to see the other Home Nations do well as they have qualified for the first time in a long time (sorry Scotland, better luck next time).

We also have the Olympics in Brazil this summer which will be a first to be held in a South American country. It promises to be a great sporting spectacle but we must hope that the numerous issues facing Brazil, including political instability and the Zika virus do not interfere with the greatest celebration of sporting excellence in the world.

Similarly, the issues of doping within sport that seem incredibly rife at the moment, which were excellently covered by Sam Connolly in our last issue, hopefully will have largely been killed off by the time the games come around.

Likewise, we must hope that the mindless terrorists who have continued to blight society in recent months and threaten our basic way of life stay clear and do not sabotage the events in another attempt to kill more innocent people in a quest that increasingly seems to have no goals or aims but is one of wanton destruction.

Most importantly though, most of us will be back in September and there will be much more sport to report and I can proudly say I will be here as your reigning and defending Sport Editor until at least December. Mon the Saints!

When iconic Boxing announcer Michael Buffer’s trademark phrase ‘Let’s get ready to rumble’ rang out in the O2 Arena in London on April 9, all the build-up to Anthony Joshua’s big fight with IBF Heavyweight Champion Charles Martin came to a head.

Martin had won the title in January of this year as a result of a third-round injury to his Ukrainian opponent Vyacheslav Glazkov and this was his first defence and a real chance to test his strengths about the young British phenom.

Joshua won the 2012 Super Heavyweight Olympic Gold medal in his home city of London and went pro in October 2013. In just over two years, the Watford-born boxer had won 15 fights with 15 knockouts and had the chance to make history in this fight by winning a world title faster than legends like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson in terms of fights fought.

From the entrances it was clear the Joshua was confident of victory in the fight, and despite all of his bravado, notably coming out with a crown (did no one inform Charles Martin that ‘Princes’ do not wear crowns?), Charles Martin did not seem that confident and that materialised itself in the first round.

He was very tentative and seemed reluctant to test his chin against Joshua’s power, allowing the Brit to dictate the pace of the fight and pressure the American for the first round.

The second was exactly the same and the first clear shot that Joshua landed dropped Martin to the canvas and whilst he beat the count, it clearly startled him. Seconds later AJ was to land another right hand, almost a carbon

copy of the first, that dropped ‘Prince’ again and this time he failed to meet Jean-Pierre Van Imschoot’s count.

That second shot send euphoria through The Rule where I was watching the fight and it was clear that there was a sense of national pride in Joshua becoming IBF World Heavyweight Champion in 16 fights with 16 knockouts. Yet, he is the second Brit to win a world title in the last six months in typically the most popular weight division in the sport of Boxing, but elicited a completely different reaction from that of Tyson Fury.

The fundamental reason for that is because Fury is someone that is hard to buy into – his views on members of the LGBT+ community are abhorrent and he is a sexist and misogynist, all of which adds up to a fairly deplorable person. Whilst Anthony Joshua is no angel and in 2011 was caught speeding and in possession of cannabis, he carries himself as a gentleman and has remained humble throughout since winning Gold in London.

Much as people in Britain could be proud of boxers like Henry Cooper, someone who was a gentleman and was completely likeable, AJ is someone who people can be genuinely proud to say is one of our own and is a great representative of both British boxing and Britain on the whole.

Assuming Fury beats Klitschko in their July rematch, a fight with Joshua at Wembley Stadium inevitably awaits, but Joshua’s win opens the heavyweight scene right up.

This is a transitional period for the division, with the Klitschko’s almost gone and those memorable other faces of the early 21st century now retired. Joshua is part of the new breed ready to take over and re-establish the appeal of heavyweight boxing.

Who, therefore, should Joshua fight next? Probably not Fury, despite the huge money involved in that fight, as there are so many more options available and currently their schedules do not align and AJ should not sit on the shelf when he is clearly so fresh .

A rematch with Dillian Whyte, the only man to seemingly offer some resistance to Joshua is a possibility.

Dereck Chisora is a fairly big name and could materialise whilst there are other European names out there like Johann Duhaupas who are not as big a name but are a defence of the belt.

Joshua fights with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom stable and Hearn is keen to get him fighting where American audiences can see him for potential matches across the Pond later in his career with Deontay Wilder and possibly Luis Ortiz. With that in mind Joshua could probably face someone like Bermane Stiverne in London with the fight available to American audiences to build his reputation further over there.

Glazkov, the man Martin ‘beat’, is owed a rematch due to the nature of his defeat but a torn ACL will entail a long recovery period and therefore that is not a match for the immediate future. In my opinion, the next fight on the horizon for Joshua will be against the victor of the IBF title eliminator fight in May. This sees highly touted New Zealander Joshua Parker (18-0-0, 16KOs) take on experienced Cameroonian Carlos Takam (33-2-1, 25KOs). Parker is favourite for their bout and should he get through unscathed, a July date is possible to meet Joshua.

Regardless of who he fights next, Anthony Joshua is World Champion and unlike Tyson Fury, he is a champion that we can be proud of.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

thesaint-online.com/sport

Anthony Joshua’s feat of winning Olympic Gold and a world title have come within one Olympic cycle, something rare and impressive

The Saint 2016 2014 The Saint •2118April September

thesaint-online.com thesaint-online.com

Sport37 33 Sport

University Sub-Aqua Club to stage 24 hour diving marathon for charity On the 24-25 of April, St Andrews Sub Aqua Club (SAUSAC) are hosting a 24 hour dive at East Sands Leisure Centre to raise money for Cancer Research.

During this event we will have always have a diver under water with some members (including the Captain and Dive Officer) being under water for a total of 12 hours. This event is open to the public and we are holding a raffle with some great prizes!

We are also holding try dives on the Sunday. This is the perfect opportunity for people to learn what it feels like to breathe underwater! Try dives will last one hour and will cost £20 which will go towards our cause. If you would like to try diving please email the club (subaqua@saints-sport.ac.uk).

If not feel free to come down to East Sands Leisure Centre to check out what’s happening and support our cause – the more the merrier!

If you cannot make it but still wish to donate to the 24 hour dive in aid of Cancer Research please donate at https://www.justgiving.com/KeirMacartney. We’ve raised £1,000 and are keen to keep the numbers rising!

Cancer is something that affects us all, with on average a thousand people diagnosed with the illness every day in the UK. This hits some of us harder than others but is something that will improve with continued research into treatment and hopefully a cure.

Therefore every small amount counts but even if you do not donate, support will be everything for the divers during this event so we look forward to seeing you there!

Photo: Saints Sub Aqua

Kelly James

Saints taste success at Scottish Mixed Martial Arts Rookie Tournament a vast knowledge of striking, submission grappling, and takedowns.

Although exhausted from the first round, Ed was able to win his fight

via a submission in the second round.

Ruaridh for his first ever fight had a more experienced opponent and ended up only losing by submission in the final seconds of the match, and had his

opponent evenly matched throughout the fight. This was a great success for both athletes who have been training for the last few months for it.

Saints MMA meets on Tuesday nights to practice striking and meets Saturday and Sunday for grappling and open mat. Strength and conditioning is also a vital part of the sport and happens on Thursday and Fridays.

One must be developed in all areas of speed, strength, endurance, and flexibility in order to be a great fighter, which is why a large part of the training is dedicated to overall fitness. The club itself has people from all backgrounds of martial arts and levels of experience.

From newcomers to the honed fighter, Saints MMA is inclusive to all people and we help everyone to train to the best of their ability.

With the increased popularity of MMA stars like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey, along with legalisation in New York, the sport looks set to continue to grow in the coming years and new members are always welcome to join. There are platforms for competition but also just keeping fit so feel free to get involved!

Saints Water Polo squad is looking forward to celebrating a very successful season and kicking it off early again next fall with a pre-season trip

to Eger, Hungary.

Interested in joining the squad?

Visit http://saintswaterpolo.com or contact them through Facebook.

Photo: Saints MMA

” Alex Brinkman Held by the University of Abderdeen, and their club (the Abderdeen All Round Fighters), two individuals from the University of St. Andrews competed in the Scottish Mixed Martial Arts Rookie Tournament, known as SMMART, in Abderbeen.

This is the fifth time the competition has been held and it was an early start, leaving St. Andrews at 7 am to get weighed in and cleared by the doctor, and then warm up the athletes.

Ed Cousins, who has been training in MMA for several years, and newcomer Ruaridh Campbell both competed and were accompanied

by myself, who served as their ‘tiny, terrifying’ coach for the day.

They had tremendous success at the tournament with Ed returning home with a gold medal and Ruaridh coming home with bronze.

The fights were divided into a pair of two minute rounds, which were intense and gruelling as MMA requires

Women’s Waterpolo has ever won the BUCS trophy. They were also champions of their BUCS League with an undefeated season, winning all twelve league matches. After narrowly missing out on the title last year this was a huge achievement. But their season isn’t over yet--- the women will travel to Nottingham for the first round of playoffs to be promoted to the premier league next year.

Fresher Erin Reilly also started for the Scotland’s Celtic Nations who came in second at the championship in Cardiff this past weekend. Captain Hallie, Erin Reilly and Kerry Falconer all scored in every game played this season and have formed a formidable trio.

Goalie Kate Pence has had an unbelievable season, saving the team numerous times and providing inch perfect passes allowing us to score on the counter.

The women’s team have come so far in just a few years. Two years ago they could barely get a team together with only seven members and now they have a full team, won the league

undefeated and won the BUCS trophy. The successes of both the Men’s and Women’s team is partly down to the many hours of training completed every week.

Due to the universities lack of a pool, they use St Leonard’s school pool and travel to Dundee twice a week. This results in nine sessions a week including two early mornings at 6.30 a.m. and two strength and conditioning sessions in the gym.

The Saints Water Polo Teams would not have been able to achieve any of this without the help of their brilliant coach Ian MacCallum, whose dedication and enthusiasm push every player to train and perform at the highest level.

Ian has an extensive international career in Water Polo, playing for Scotland and Great Britain, and is currently the Head Coach of the Scottish Junior Women’s Team. He warmly welcomes those brand new to the game along with more experienced players.

As the both the women’s and men’s seasons draw to a close, the

Ed Cousins, who has been competing in MMA for several years and newcomer Ruaridh Campbell both competed

Becca Phillips

The University of St Andrews Water Polo Club is still hard at work both in and out of the pool to finish off what has been a phenomenal season for both the Women’s and Men’s Team.

The Men’s Team, led by captain Arik Clausner, recently rounded up their season winning eleven out of twelve league games placing them at the top of the Scottish 1A league. They also placed 3rd in the SSS Waterpolo Tournament in November. A special mention goes to Angus Armstrong who is the team’s top goal scorer with an impressive goal count of 60. Angus recently represented Scotland at the Celtic Nations tournament.

The team has grown in size enormously this year with key contributions from freshers Chris Li, Jeff Guenther, James Stuart-Turner, Arky Osovtsov and Jack Prescott.

The Women’s Team, led by captain Hallie Wilkins, made history this year with their season after winning the BUCS trophy final against Bath on March 16th. This was the first time

Photo: Saints Water Polo

Water Polo have successful year, in and out of the pool

The Saint 2016 2014 The Saint •2118April September

thesaint-online.com thesaint-online.com

Sport 35 Sport 39

Lessons to be learned from No 24: Thank you Wednesday 14 April —a night for the history books? Whilst the Warriors surpassing the 1995-96 Bulls NBA win record, securing a 73 game winning streak (and accruing only 9 losses), was truly momentous, it was eclipsed by someone and something else. It trended on social media with the simple statement #MambaOut. Kobe Bryant concluded his 20 year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers by defeating Utah Jazz. Yes. He defeated Utah. In 42:09 minutes of playing time he notched 60 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. No player has ever scored more than 50 points in their final game in the league. Despite the Lakers going 17-65 this season, this game celebrated a man who epitomises the very essence of that purple and gold jersey. It was Kobe’s game, Kobe’s night— one that will certainly endure in basketball history.

So what of his legacy?

Already, NBA and ESPN have published numerous reels: replaying Kobe’s first (as a 18 year old rookie from high school) and final shots, his 10 greatest NBA plays and the 36 different jerseys he suited up in throughout his playing career. Yet why (as Los Angeles Times Columnist Bill Plaschke puts it), is he deemed to be ‘the most polarising figure in the history of sports’.

Personal life aside, on court, statistical debates persist over his efficiency and production. But, as Bryant has laced up his boots and stepped onto the court for the final time, isn’t it time to accept that he was unique and brought his own philosophy to the game?

Whether the regular season, play-offs or finals, Kobe exemplified a persistency, drive and undying commitment that is characteristic of so many elite athletes. He never gave up. He wanted to be better (probably to be the best). He de-

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Alison Hendry Deputy sport editor

manded everything and more from his teammates. In a recent exit interview he reflected on his path: “I’m thankful. I’m not sad at all. I left no stone unturned, I gave everything to the game for 20 years in the NBA and more before that. So I feel very thankful to be able to play this game this long.” How can we criticise this man’s determination?

The duality of Kobe’s stats is heavily scrutinised by media and even some basketball fans. For some he was the hero, for significant others, the villain. But let’s give credit where credit is due. He pledged his allegiance to Los Angeles Lakers for the entirety of his NBA career.

He guided the team to the euphoric heights of championship glory (five times) and remained equally committed throughout the tumultuous periods, when the playoffs remained that distant speck on the

horizon. The rings were not solely his defining feature. He was Season MVP once, NBA Finals MVP twice and an NBA All-star 18-times. He even surpassed Michael Jordan, taking third place for the most career points amassed in NBA History (33,464). Despite this, people continue to feed off his dark side. They stress that he, out of all NBA players, has tallied the highest number of missed shots. He was berated for the feud which saw Shaquille O’Neal traded to Miami Heat in 2004, whilst he was re-signed as a free agent. And his statement in summer 2007 demanding a trade—“At this point, I’ll go play on Pluto”— was not taken as a sign of his frustration at the Laker’s subpar season, but his desire to excel somewhere else. It’s time we move on from this narrative. As Plaschke stated: ‘As the most polarising fig-

ure in the history of Los Angeles sport, Bryant was different things to different people. But his greatest strength was that, hero or villain, he was always true to himself’.

Bryant can serve as a sporting inspiration for people around the globe. He taught us that there are no limits for the love of the game. His retirement poem (yes he announced it by verse), on November 29, 2015 epitomises this. ‘Dear Basketball,’ he wrote.

‘I played through the sweat and hurt Not because challenge called me, but because YOU called me. I did everything for YOU, because that’s what you do. When someone makes you feel as alive as you’ve made me feel’ For many, Kobe’s career looked so certain to draw to an abrupt close, when in 2013, he tore his achilles

Kobe

against the Golden State Warriors.

He dropped 34 points that game, but that’s beside the point. With 3.08 on the clock, Bryant dropped to the floor mid-dribble. Timeout was called. Kobe accepted Pau Gasol’s help to the sideline, but refused to heed his trainer or coaches warnings. When that buzzer went, he limped to the free throw line, put two points on the board and walked to the locker room unassisted.

What, I hear your say? He had just completely torn his achilles tendon.

Yet, even through extreme physical pain, basketball still came first.

That was the situation on April 12, 2013. Now on April 13 2016, his legacy has been set in stone. As Magic Johnson stated in the pregame address: “He’s the greatest to wear the purple and gold”.

So what can we make of a Kobe’s illustrious career. Perhaps we can concede that the good most definitely outweighed the bad. In Nike’s Farewell Tribute Advert, Kobe is seen to be conducting a ‘Symphony of Haters’. The resounding message, what he wants the world to know, is that… you’ve got to ‘Always love the hate’. On April 13 Kobe had the final say. He commandeered his own triumphs.

I wish to conclude with a statement issued by the NBA, which admires everything that Kobe brought to the court: “Thank you. Thank you for showing us that 24 is not just the number on your jersey, but the number of hours in a day you must devote to basketball to be the best.

Thank you for giving and giving.

Thank you for your endless drive. For competing with ruthless ambition, and playing with reverence and respect. Thank you for making us smile, laugh, yell, cry, jump out of our seats, and chew on our jerseys. Thank you for playing the game the way it was meant to be played.’

It seems to me like there may be some lessons to learn from no. 24.

Hopefully the Olympics can bring joy to unhappy Brazil Sam Connolly It will in all likelihood be the sporting highlight of the summer. In August, over 10,000 athletes from over 200 nations will descend on Rio de Janeiro, to compete in 306 events, in 28 sports.

Kosovo and South Sudan will be competing at their first Olympics, the first to be held in South America.

Rugby Sevens and Golf will be included after being added by the International Olympic Committee in 2009. However these Olympics will face many challenges before they even start, and especially during the event itself.

The Rio Olympics have already come under great scrutiny because of the great crime problems that have plagued the city. Evictions have already taken place, with violent altercations, in the city’s favelas, and drug wars are still rife among the many gangs. It is difficult to remove these threats as they stem from the huge poverty and unemployment that the country and the city are greatly suffering from. There have worryingly been increases in crime against tour-

ists, with swarms of robbers attacking beachgoers, but the police have responded with 700 officers along beaches and at roadblocks, so at least we can be sure that the state will react.

The threat of terrorism will of course, be great. But the preparation seems to be matching the threat.

85,000 security staff will be deployed, more than double the number of London 2012. In the wake of the recent Paris and Brussels attacks, this is more vital than ever before. Security experts are warning that Brazil is underprepared, suffering from false confidence because of the lack of previous attacks in the country.

However, there have been liaisons with the US government, to learn about security at events such as the Superbowl, and crisis management at attacks such as the Boston Marathon bombing. The two countries have been working together with airport screening and controlling traffic into and out of stadiums, so at least Brazil will be prepared, if not expecting.

What’s worse, Brazil is suffering from the outbreak of the Zika virus, a cause of birth defects and neurologi-

cal problems. It was declared a Public Health Emergency of International concern in February, and is serious enough that women in high risk areas are being advised not to get pregnant until more is known about the dangers. The Brazilian authorities have announced their plans to prevent the spread of the virus during the Olympics: facilities will be inspected four months before the Games begin to remove mosquito breeding grounds, with daily sweeps during the Games.

What’s more, Brazil is in the midst of a political crisis, with the President, Dilma Rousseff going to be impeached for supposedly manipulating government accounts to make her government’s economic performance appear better than her election campaign two years ago.

There is no easy solution either: if the President and the deputy were both suspended from office, next in line would be the speaker Eduardo Cunha, who is currently on trial for corruption. But this is only scratching the surface; around one quarter of members of Congress face some sort

of criminal proceedings, mostly relating to the misappropriation of billions of dollars from the state oil company, Petrobras.

The political crisis was caused not only by rampant problems in Brazilian politics but in part, by the economic crisis that has hit.

The country was hit excessively by the recession due to its reliance on exporting primary commodities; sugar, meat, coffee, tobacco, which have experienced a great downturn in demand in recent years. Brazil’s economy contracted by about 4 per cent last year, while national debt is predicted to reach 80 per cent of GDP within three years: economists are predicting the largest recession for more than a century.

Despite the dire problems Brazil is facing, the International Olympic Committee have stated that they do not believe the Olympics will be affected.

There is every chance that these Olympics could be a great success, and bring some much needed prosperity to a country in a dire need of a happy story.

Online this week Davis Cup comes to St Andrews The most famous team prize in Tennis stopped off in St Andrews last week as part of its UK tour.

Saints record remarkable success The Men 1sts football team put in an impressive performance against Stirling to advance to a cup final.

Photobook Some of the best images from the annual Sevens tournament held last weekend.

UFC 197 Preview Read our preview of the event in Las Vegas that sees the return of Jon Jones and flyweight King Demetrious Johnson.

S PORT thesaint-online.com/sport

Page 38 Three of our best writers explore the chances of the Home Nations this summer in the European Championships in France.

@saint_sport

sport@thesaint-online.com

which allowed the players to recover and the people in attendance to grab some lunch from the burger tent and some alcohol, with Pimms seemingly the tipple of choice for many.

The afternoon saw the knockout games get into full swing. Durham took on Bishop Burton in the first performance semi-final and it was Durham who ran out victors and progressed to play Howe of Fife in the final after they beat Scrum Powerbomb.

The final of that competition came after the St Andrews Seniors team won the women’s tournament.

They were joined in the winner’s enclosure by Howe of Fife. Durham made the perfect start and led 19-7 at the break over their Scottish opponents but the local club roared back, inspired by a brilliant try from St Andrews first year student Rob Lind.

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

When speaking to Director of Rugby David Ross a few weeks ago, he discussed with me the change of format for this year’s Sevens tournament and the importance of good weather for the event to be a success. Well at the conclusion of this year’s event it was fair to say that the new format provided a more exciting day of games and he was lucky with the weather, with Saturday by and large a very bright and sunny day.

The 9am start for the event may have been early for some of the men and women and for the spectators.

Those there, however, were able to see the real essence of the day - The division of the competition into the performance tournament for the more elite sides like Durham University and Bishop Burton College, and the regular tournament for those sides designed to have a good laugh and enjoy the day. As much as the players did seem to be having a good time there was good quality rugby in both tournaments throughout the day.

The morning session was comprised of the fixtures in the Regular Tournament with the 24 sides organised into eight groups of three. This then saw the winners of each group go through to the quarter-finals of the Regular Cup competition and then the bottom two sides dropping into the plate. Meanwhile in the performance competition some rearrangements had to be made by David Ross and

tournament convenor Jack Patterson as one of the sides, Soul Men, were a no show.

Highlights of the morning include the Durham game against surprise package Scrum Powerbomb.

In terms of the regular tournament there were mixed performances, with fresher side Los Jagerares providing some amusing performances, notably against third year side Drillers Anonymous. This game was not the highest in terms of quality but the bigger crowds in attendance made it feel more exciting and there were a few comic incidents in the game. One such incident was when both sides rucked over the ball but no one was there to collect, leading the Drillers player to pick the ball up and run half the length of the field to score.

There was a lull around midday,

That was one of four that Howe recorded in the second half and they ended the game dominantly winning 35-24.

That game was promptly followed by the final of the Regular tournament Cup final between the ISC Red Kites and the team from Strathclyde University. Strathclyde were comfortable winners 26-5 and it was a deserved victory for a team that could well be in the Performance tournament next year.

The final game of the day was for the Plate trophy and the crowd was still strong up at University Park for the game that turned out to be very entertaining between She Wants the Deen and Scotch Pie and Beans. The teams traded opening scores before She Wants the Deen took the advan-

tage and ended up running out victors, four tries to two, taking home the Plate trophy in the process.

Overall the day can only be considered a success for David Ross and his team. The new format was perfect to ensure that the games were more competitive and the concept of a performance tournament just a few weeks before the BUCS Sevens nationals provides a great warm up opportunity.

The weather was obviously favourable to the players and the organisers but the coordination of the event, with four pitches in constant use, was great and was a result of hard work on the part of all those involved.

Roll on the 2017 edition, hopefully even bigger and better than this year’s offering!

”

Andrew Sinclair Sport Editor

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

Howe of Fife triumph at St Andrews Sevens

Caitlin Lewis Arts and Culture editor St Andrews notorious fashion season has finally come to a close.

The glamour of FS, exotic charm of Sitara*and brilliance of Don’t Walk have all cumulated up to this point: the biggest, brightest event on the St Andrews fashion calendar.

I am of course talking about the Men’s Football Team fashion ShowCan’t Walk. Branding itself as ‘a parade of imperfect bodies’, Can’t Walk celebrated diversity and promoted body confidence, while still retaining the utmost in high standards for fashion.

The show was held in Rascals, the sponsor of the Men’s Football Club. Rascals was the perfect place for setting the light hearted tone for the night, selling pints upon pints, and cheap cocktail pitchers to the many guests. Holding the event in Rascals did mean that there was limited capacity and the venue was slightly crowded. However the Men’s Football Club took this into account, using a table ballot to control any possible overcrowding issues.

The evening was Djed by Alex

Carroll and Max Balmford, who created a great ambience with their tunes. The only criticism was that due to the lighting in Rascals, the models weren’t always as well-lit as they could have been. However they more than made up for this with their incredible stage presence on the catwalk.

The excited guests took their seats (or for those who missed out on the ballot, stood by the catwalk), eagerly awaiting what everyone was there to see; the fashion. And it certainly didn’t disappoint. The show was divided into numerous categories including St Andrews W*nker, Swimwear, Full Kit W*nker, and the most highly coveted section: underwear. The models thrived on the catwalk, everyone proudly walking and putting insecurities aside.

The show ranged from avant-garde performance pieces that wowed the audience, like when one model was led down the catwalk in a pig mask by one of his solemn contemporaries. Other highlights included a full body diving suit, neon mankinis, academic robes with a twist and lederhosen galore.

Photo: Natasha Waddell

Can’t Walk stands out as successful and enjoyable night

There were six packs (real and fake), borderline nudity (done very tastefully) and an overall sense that the models were all in their element, coming together with friends in the name of fashion. The experimental couture could only have been pulled off so well by such a dedicated group as the Men’s Football Club. Congratulations for breaking the boundaries of style as we know it.

The Can’t Walk luxury raffle aimed to better the raffles of the other St Andrews fashion shows, and they definitely managed to.

Prizes included a highly coveted date with a Can’t Walk model of your choice, shoes signed by the Men’s Football Club (with a surprise signature from the Dervish man) and numerous giveaways courtesy of Rascals, including chicken wings, a crate of beer and a

Can’t Walk celebrated diversity and promoted body confidence

bottle of vodka. Raffle tickets were just £1, in keeping with the thrifty spirit of the night. Who needs an £8,000 trip to Milan now?

Overall, Can’t Walk was a unique event that was a fantastic end to the fashion season. It celebrated fashion and inclusivity but overall, was a great chance to have fun and not take yourself too seriously. The hilarious show was the result of a lot of hard work both by the models and the organisation from other Men’s Football Club members.

Congratulations for a unique and extremely enjoyable event.

Let’s hope Can’t Walk becomes a regular feature in the St Andrews fashion calendar.