Issue 204

ST ANDREWS, 22 September 2016

THESAINT-ONLINE.COM

Photo: Michael Green

ISSUE 204- FREE

THE SAINT

The independent voice of St Andrews students since 1997

The Conservative Society committee that was elected at the AGM earlier this year

Association investigation confirms Conservative Society “election fraud” Joseph Cassidy News editor An investigation conducted by the Students Association has found that allegations of “election fraud” against the St Andrews Conservative and Unionist Society committee, first revealed in a report

by The Saint earlier this year, were in fact true.

The investigation, conducted mainly by last year’s Director of Student Development and Activities, Kyle Blain, confirmed many of the allegations made against the committee regarding the society’s Annual General Meeting

(AGM).

Speaking to the The Saint, the Students Association’s Societies Officer Pia Szabo said, “There were some accusations of election fraud and it ended up being true. So, in short, people were… stacking candidates, having people vote for candidates - and those people hadn’t been members [of the society].”

Going on, Ms Szabo said, “there was evidence of people being invited to the [AGM] who were not paid members and weren’t even being charged membership fees so obviously that was not ok.”

Ms Szabo also confirmed that the society had been told to re-hold the

AGM, this time under closer scrutiny from the Students’ Association.

“We’ll obviously attend the election. We’ll send our reps there, we might just keep a little bit of a closer eye on them in coming years,” she said.

Earlier this year, a member of the Conservative Society committee told The Saint that the committee had been “cleared of all wrong doing.” Ms Szabo also confirmed that this was “not correct.”

Going to say that while the election on the day itself may have been conducted fairly, Ms Szabo said that the main problems were in regards to how it certain members of the

Society determined who could vote in the AGM. “It wasn’t so much a problem of the election itself, the election itself may have been completely fine. It was the fact that were people who were not paid members at the time of notice, who were voting in it, and also being told ‘hey you can vote for free’ - it was that hard proof that was the issue there.”

“The whole election process was definitely done incorrectly,” said Ms Szabo.

Going on, Ms Szabo said, “Once we were able to look into it further, real hard evidence came out.”

Elaborating further, Ms Szabo

described how the Association found, “blatant evidence of people telling non-members to vote.”

Following the confirmation of the allegations, Ms Szabo also described steps the Committee have taken to prevent fraud in the future, “We have actually said to committees now they must keep track of their members and at any date and time, if we request a member list, they must be able to present it to us.”

Ms Szabo also praised the members of the Society who came forward with the allegations in the first place, saying: Continued on Page 4 ...

2 News

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Inside the paper

University admissions director defends widening access policy

Find out more about Student Services Features, page 18 Events

Arts & Culture

Emily Allen discusses the dark side of a night out

Peter Bothwell explores the town while on search for Pokemon

Page 26

Page 30

Money

Viewpoint

Joining these societies can help you jump-start your career Page 13

Tom Coombes calls for the return of Tennent’s at the Union

Page 12

Tom Williams Deputy news editor The Director of Access and Scottish / EU admissions at the University of St Andrews Mike Johnson said universities had a good “student diversity” policy without having to be a “charitable venture.”

Figures from June of this year by the admissions body UCAS showed that the number of 18 year olds from Scotland’s poorest areas going to university was down.

It further showed that 1,215 applicants from the most deprived 20 per cent of areas were awarded a university place last year, down from 1,305 the previous year.

The figure was also lower than the 1,235 successful applicants from that group in 2013 - but higher than the figures for the three years before that.

There was also an increase in 18-year-olds from Scotland’s most affluent communities going to university, with the figure rising from 4,605 in 2014 to 4,685 last year.

In an interview with BBC Radio Scotland, Mr Johnson said that St Andrews had outreach programmes which connected with local communities.

He further stated that a good university needed “diversity of thought” from its “diversity of students.”

Mr Johnson was speaking to BBC Scotland radio presenter Bill Whiteford, who was hosting a Good

22 September 2016 • The Saint

Morning Scotland programme from St Andrews.

During the interview the Director of Access and Scottish / EU admissions asserted: “We meet our funded places allocation with Scottish students, we cannot go above that cap but we always meet that number in terms of Scottish students.

“What we want to see is the diversity of the student, wherever that student comes from.

“It shouldn’t be seen as some charitable venture at universities - this is about the diversity of a student bringing diversity of thought, we want many world views.

“When students are in tutorials we want them to come from different backgrounds, this is good for universities, there is no doubt about that.”

Charlotte Andrew, President of the Students Association said, “The University and the education sector in general should always be looking to achieve more in the area of widening access.”

She continued: “During my first few months as President I have been pleased to see the emphasis the University places upon access and outreach schemes. In her speech to incoming students in the Opening Ceremonies, our new Principal [Prof Sally Mapstone] specified three key values that she intends to follow throughout her time here; excellence, fairness and inclusivity.

“This is an area we share an interest in and I am confident that there will be concrete progress in this area during my term.

“The Scottish government has placed a major focus on cutting the attainment gap and increasing the number of Scots from the worst-off communities making it to university.

“Moreover, some experts and politicians believe that the cap on poorer students at Universities needs to be lifted to promote widening access.

Going on, she said, “The pursuit of ensuring we have students from a diversity of backgrounds and therefore increase our diversity of thought, as Mr Johnson stated, benefits all.

“This is where my policy of reaching out to those communities, speaking in those schools in person, should have a positive effect. It’s certainly not a cure-all, but this is a large issue across the education sector that requires many small steps before it can be eradicated.”

Convenor of Universities Scotland, Andrea Nolan, told BBC Scotland that it was important to offer “as many opportunities as we can to people who we believe have the potential and the ability to succeed.”

She continued “In Scotland we have a fixed number of places for Scottish and EU domicile students and as we seek to widen access to people from communities that are underrepresented at universities that is going to put pressure in a fixed system.”

Editorial board Editor Mina Omar editor@thesaint-online.com Deputy editor Meilan Solly print@thesaint-online.com Web editor Ellen Ridsdale web@thesaint-online.com Production manager Dillon Yeh production@thesaint-online.com Video editor Alex Miller video@thesaint-online.com Illustration chief Beatrice Hermann illustration@thesaint-online.com Business manager Kim Kay business@thesaint-online.com Business team Jennie Matthews, Teresa St Goar advertising@thesaint-online.com

Editorial

Navigating the new academic year

A

s week two of the new academic year draws to a close, The Saint would like to welcome back returning students, offer advice to those arriving in the Bubble for the first time, and reflect on the months ahead.

It’s been an eventful summer, to say the least. Great Britain voted to leave the European Union on 23 June, creating shockwaves in our international community, one that had largely expected a Remain victory.

The ramifications of this vote were immediately addressed by our new principal, Professor Sally Mapstone, who assured European students that previously arranged fees and support would remain unchanged.

Professor Mapstone also spoke about the international nature of the St Andrews student body and,

in a more recent message to the community, emphasized that the University would continue excelling over the challenging years to come.

On the other side of the pond, Donald Trump’s surprising success in the presidential election race has raised questions about underlying racism and xenophobia in the US. Europe is facing similar issues, with large-scale terrorist attacks in Belgium and France, as well as a series of smaller incidents across the continent, exacerbating the problem.

These issues are at the forefront of many St Andrews students’ minds and will no doubt continue to be hotly debated throughout the year.

However, as we near November’s presidential election and Great Britain’s inevitable

invocation of Article 50, life in the Bubble continues largely as it has in years past.

By this point, third and fourth years know almost everything there is to know about St Andrews.

They’ve seen the University through an independence referendum, new leaders such as Professor Sally Mapstone and Rector Catherine Stihler, and now Brexit. They have become leaders in their own right, moving to top positions in committees and working hard to improve the St Andrews community.

Second years have returned this year feeling more sure-footed, having already spent a year away from home and adjusting to university life. Those who are new to St Andrews are still learning the ins and outs of the town and are new enough to be entranced by the little

things older students sometimes take for granted.

The year ahead promises to be eventful. On a wider scale, the international community is navigating an era of mass uncertainty.

On a smaller scale, St Andrews is welcoming a new principal and figuring out how to excel in a post-Brexit UK. Your own year will be filled with a variety of evenings, from drunken nights at the Vic to late-night essay writing sessions and committee meetings.

As you prepare for all that lies ahead, we offer a final piece of advice: remember to have fun, but take care of yourself, too, whether that means exploring the ruins on Castle Sand during a study break or spending a whole day binge-watching Game of Thrones.

Best of luck in all of your endeavours, academic and otherwise.

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.

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News editor JOSEPH CASSIDY Deputy editors: Harris LaTeef, Tom Williams

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Petition launched to bring Tennents back to Union bars

Carling is not a suitable replacement for this most storied of lagers

Union continuing to serve Tennent’s was going to cause an increase in drinks prices where as our negotiations with Coors Light and Carling meant that we could keep prices drinks prices as low as possible, so that students can still get the best value for money on a night out in the Union.”

The Saint asked Ms O’Connor

about the negative consequences such a historical decision like this could have on the student body, did the Union expect to see riots on the streets?

“Actually, after looking at Freshers’ Week numbers, Coors Light and Carling were more popular this year than Tennent’s and its equivalents had been in previous years, so

students are really responding positively to the change.”

The revolution may have started in the East End of Glasgow but it ends in St Andrews, Fife. Whatever your lager preference, the petition’s many signatories indicate the “clean taste and refreshingly crisp finish” of a pint of Tennent’s will be sorely missed by many.

cause serious health risks in later life.”

Mr Lavan offered no data to support this claim.

As shocking a decision it may seem, tearing at the very fabric of what many expect from a visit to the Union, it seems the basis of the change comes from a good place as Director of Events and Services (DoES), Taryn O’Connor, explained: “This decision was made before I came into the position of DoES, but to my understanding, the price of the

Photo: Harry Gunning

First brewed in 1740 on the banks of the Molendinar Burn by revolutionary brothers Hugh and Robert Tennent, the Tennent’s Pint has gone from strength to strength, about 4 percent, and is now guzzled more than any other Pale Lager in Scotland.

As returning students made their way back to the Kingdom of Fife many were excited, for new flats and the carnage of Fresher’s week, but also at the thought of quenching their thirst with the “sweet nectar” that is Tennent’s Lager. However, many were puzzled by its absence from the Union upon their return to The Bubble.

As part of a deal made by the Northern Services consortium, of which the Students’ Association of St Andrews is a member, the decision had been made to switch from Tennent’s to Carling.

A petition has now been launched by a band of students, bitter at the change of lager.

The petition states, “Through some lapse of judgement and/or consciousness the Union has decided to deprive us of the nectar known as Tennent’s.

“This must change NOW. Carling is not a suitable replacement for this most storied of lagers.

“Bring back our Vitamin T.”

At the time of writing, the petition had gathered 201 signatures. With one signatory, Cameron Lyall, observing, “I’d rather buy a Big Issue than a pint of Carling.”

Another signatory, Rhodri Lavan, stated that “Vitamin T deficiency can

”

Dylan Howel

Saints LGBT+ launch SRC passes motion recognising University divestment policy pronouns initiative Elsa Klein Saints LGBT+ has launched a new initiative to encourage event attendees to clarify their preferred pronouns when introducing themselves.

As part of efforts to promote the initiative, all committee members now wear badges to events that not only state their name and position but also their preferred pronouns.

Saints LGBT+ president Lewis Wood said, “By introducing ourselves with our pronouns, we allow pronouns to be clarified without any discomfort or pressure on the individual.”

Mr Wood emphasised the need to recognise gender diversity and create a safe space for people of all sexualities and genders, a founding principle of Saints LGBT+.

“Transgender people are still treated with an unjust and vile level of transphobia.

“There’s an urgent need for further education, and hopefully we can work with the local community, the Student’s Association, and the University to quell any latent transphobia that has preserved in the town,” he said.

Mr Wood also said that generally, St Andrews and its students have a “modern and progressive attitude”, but that the University is far from

being wholly trans-inclusive. Many university buildings, including the Union, do not have gender-neutral bathrooms.

Though a simple change, Mr Wood said it would make a huge difference to the lives of many transgender students. He added, “It’s a small change that makes a big difference, and we can’t wait to see it occur.”

Recent Saints LGBT+ efforts to create an open environment for gender non-binary students include distributing informative leaflets and highlighting trans-focused events.

Mr Wood also emphasised “inclusivity” as one of the main themes of Saints LGBT+ events, “Our events really are a protected and inclusive space where everybody is welcome, and nobody is judged.”

Past trans events at St Andrews included at alk by speaker Grace Oni Smith in February 2016 to tell her story as a transgender makeup artist.

This year, Saints LGBT+ will be hosting Trans Fest, a weekend of events embracing gender identity.

Trans Fest will happen in November to mark the Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual day to recognise those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia.

Reem Awad Last Tuesday 13 September, the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) discussed a motion to “Recommend that the University of St Andrews Divests its Endowment Fund from Fossil Fuel Extraction Companies Within Three Years” The endowment fund generates financing for student scholarships, bursaries, CAPOD support and University developments. The motion argues that “It is inherently linked to research and participation here at St Andrews.”

Two of the companies the University’s endowment fund is invested in, ATI Technologies and UBS Investment, were involved with investments in fossil fuel extraction.

According to the motion, the University invested a total value of £1,120,784.19 in both ATI Technologies and UBS Investment (sum correct as of July 2015).

However, both companies have decided to move towards divestment themselves.

UBS has divested itself from Oil Search Limited, a fossil fuel extraction company based in Papua New Guinea. ATI has also begun to divest its holdings from such companies.

Due to these developments, the motion was amended to reflect acknowledgement that the University would now be moving towards divestment .President of the Students’ Association, Charlotte Andrew said that the University now fully recog-

nises the concerns raised by the petition and is expected to commit to not investing funds towards companies associated with fossil fuel extraction in the future.

Ms Andrew also promised to review a timeline regarding the time frame in which ATI will no longer be associated with the University’s endowment fund.

The motion also notes that the University has had a Sustainable Investment Policy (SIP) since 2006.

A central aim of the SIP is the “protection of the global environment, its climate and its biodiversity”.

The motion goes on to acknowledge that “the University was one of the first in Britain to create a Sustainable Investment Policy and leads the country in its endeavour to become carbon neutral for energy production by 2016.”

The motion discussed is due to a petition drawn up by the student-led group Fossil Free St Andrews in March. The petition quickly gained popularity with over five hundred and fifty students, alumni and academics as signatories and became “a clear demonstration of student and staff support”.

The University has had a Sustainable Investment Policy (SIP) since 2006. A central aim of the SIP is the protection of the global environment, its climate and its biodiversity”.

Fossil Free St Andrews argued that “By investing in fossil fuel companies, no matter how much money is implicated, the University is directly profit-

ing from climate change.”

Speaking to The Saint at the time the petition was launched, a spokesperson for the group said, “Anthropogenic climate change is a clear and pressing threat to humanity and our planet’s biodiversity. The burning of fossil fuels has been scientifically proven to contribute to this and there is a global need to mitigate further environmental damage.

“As a university, St Andrews has led the way in sustainable investments. The University has removed its investments from arms manufacturers and significantly reduced the amount invested in fossil fuels.

“However, this does not go far enough. The current policy still permits investment in fossil fuel extraction companies which is of grave concern.

“By investing in fossil fuel companies, no matter how much money is implicated, the University is directly profiting from climate change.

“We believe that by removing all investments from fossil fuels, the University will be able to fulfil its desires to become economically and environmentally sustainable across the board, while renewing its commitment to mitigating catastrophic climate change.

Ms Andrews told the SRC that she is enthusiastic about this recent development and believes that it is a step forward in creating a cleaner, safer and more sustainable community.

The University has been contacted for comment.

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Willie Rennie attacks Nicola Sturgeon over plans for second independence referendum

Stephen Gethins appointed SNP Brexit spokesperson Jonathon Skavroneck Stephen Gethins, MP for North East Fife, including St Andrews, was recently appointed as the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) Westminster Spokesperson for Exiting the European Union. Elected in 2015, Mr Gethins will be responsible for representing the party’s views on negotiations as the UK prepares to leave the EU. In a comment to The Saint, Mr Gethins specified a few of the negotiation goals he is taking to Westminster, including: respect for “Scotland’s democratic decision”; Scottish access to the European single market; and a preservation of Scottish influence within the single market. These goals are among the five ‘tests’ for a successful negotiation previously emphasised by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Indeed, the “democratic decision” Mr Gethins referred to was at odds with the rest of the country. While the United Kingdom as a whole voted Leave, two-thirds of Scotland elected to remain. More than 1.6 million voters, or 62 per cent, cast their ballot for continued membership in the EU. Fife itself proved to be a much closer race, with Remain only garnering 58.6 per cent of the total regional vote.

“It is now time for the UK Government to respect the decision made by the people of Scotland and demonstrate rather than assert - against evidence to the contrary – that being in the UK can work for Scotland,” he added.

Ms Sturgeon has used this fresh divide to renew the conversation about an independent Scotland after the country voted to remain a part of the UK in 2014, saying in a recent speech that the option of independence should be “kept on the table.”

Citing committments from the party’s 2016 manifesto that Scotland is entitled to a second referendum, “if there is a significant and material change in circumstances,” Mr Gethins made it clear that, although independence is an option, the SNP’s main goal is, “to protect Scotland’s

interests in the European Union.” “[Scotland] must be able to work in solidarity with other EU partners to promote security, tackle global challenges, and encourage EU sponsored study exchanges,” Mr Gethins said while elaborating on the desired outcome after Article 50 is triggered.

British withdrawal from the EU may be especially problematic for the University, as more than a quarter of St Andrews students are foreign citizens. While students from non-EU countries will not see much difference, those studying under the provisions of the Erasmus programme, of which Mr Gethins was a part when he studied at the University of Antwerp, are likely to face the most change from leaving the EU. “One of the biggest problems for students, staff and the wider university is uncertainty,” said Mr Gethins.

“The UK government must provide greater clarity about the deal it will seek and should guarantee the right to remain to EU nationals who have made Scotland their home.”

In the meantime, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Sally Mapstone has already made it clear that she will be advocating for those St Andrews students who may be affected by a British exit during their course of study.

In a June 24 email to students and staff, she stated, “…the referendum result will not affect [your] fees or support. Where we have made an arrangement with you, we will honour it.”

When asked if he had been in contact with the University about the impacts of Brexit, Mr Gethins noted that he is in constant communication with St Andrews officials, but could not discuss the topics of those conversations. However, he affirmed his commitment to advocating for the interests of students and staff in the upcoming negotiations.

Mr Gethins also encouraged students to stay in contact during his appearances on campus, as well as on Facebook at ‘Stephen Gethins MP’ and Twitter, @StephenGethins. “[I] always welcome the chance to talk to St Andrews’ various student groups,” he said.

Willie Rennie, Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for North East Fife and leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, has denounced Nicola Sturgeon for focusing on independence following the UK’s vote to leave the European Union (EU).

Writing for The Scotsman, Mr. Rennie declared that the Scottish Liberal Democrats “are departing from the First Minister’s efforts,” to pursue an alternative to Ms. Sturgeon’s calls for a second independence referendum.

While until recently united in their efforts to navigate Scotland’s future in the wake of the UK’s decision to leave the EU, Mr Rennie claimed that Ms Sturgeon “broke the Scottish cross party consensus that was built after the Brexit result two months ago” by seizing the Leave vote as an opportunity to reenergise her earlier calls for Scotland to leave the UK. “I don’t think Sturgeon is serious about working beyond her own ranks,” Mr Rennie said.

While noting that he had initially agreed with the priniciples and goals set out by Ms Sturgeon in the days following the June 23 vote, Mr Rennie criticised her actions since then, saying that “the only solution that the First Minister has offered in the last two months is independence.”

Going on, Mr Rennie said, “She has been hyperactively bouncing around the country over the summer advancing any argument” supporting an independent Scotland since the Leave campaign succeeded in June.

Mr Rennie also claims that “she has reverted to her nationalist type,” and is not seriously entertaining Scottish responses that do not involve another independence referendum.

According to Mr Rennie, Ms Sturgeon’s apparent decision to cast aside alternatives to independence without debate shows an unwillingness to hear other opinions, includ-

ing his own party’s, regarding their shared country’s future.

Indeed, the First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) recently proposed a draft independence referendum bill as part of the Scottish Government’s response to the vote to leave the EU. Ms Sturgeon said, “To ensure that all options are open to us, this programme for government makes clear that we will consult on a draft Referendum Bill, so that it is ready for immediate introduction if we conclude that independence is the best or only way to protect Scotland’s interests.”

Mr Rennie and Ms Sturgeon’s parties are divided over their country’s future. Mr. Rennie’s Scottish Liberal Democrats promote a “No Borders” policy, advocating Scotland should remain in the EU and that the general public should have the final say on deal following Brexit negotiations. It also affirms that Scotland should stay in the UK. “Liberal Democrats have a positive, optimistic outlook which seeks to break down borders and barriers and work in partnership with our neigh-

bors,” said Mr Rennie.

“For Scotland to leave the UK or for the UK to leave the EU would necessitate more barriers to economic growth, immigration, and diplomatic exchange, at least until the related governments implement alternative agreements,” he added.

Ms Sturgeon argument is that leaving the single market is detrimental to Scotland’s economy, and that since Scotland voted to Remain in the EU in the referendum earlier this year, Westminster lacks the mandate to pull Scotland from the supranational body.

Liberal Democrat Mariam Mahmood, a student here, was not surprised by Mr. Rennie’s decision.

“The Scottish Government should be looking at how best to ensure Scotland’s stability, and a divisive referendum is highly unlikely to do this,” Ms Mahmood said.

She also agreed that “the First Minister has shown little interest in post-Brexit solutions,” adding that she hopes Mr. Rennie’s withdrawal of support “will show that a second independence referendum is not set in stone.”

Photo: Liberal Democrats

Photo: Lorelei Pfeiffer

Wesley Garner

St Andrews Conservative society in “election fraud” scandal Continued from page 1 ...

“It was the members of the society who said ‘obviously something’s not right here’ which is great because as Societies Committee we’re not actually a governing body, we’re not above societies in any way we’re kind of a resource for them so it was good that the members were the ones who were able to seek out help. And we were then able to help them.”

Marcus Buist, the losing candidate for president in the AGM, spoke to The Saint about the results of the investigation, “I am deeply saddened by the unfortunate events of last year.

It is some relief to be vindicated by the Union, and that our claims that the election had been unpleasant and corrupted have been confirmed.

“I will be standing [in the new AGM], and hope that it will be possible for all those who want to vote to be able still to get membership.

“I think we shall look at confirming the old and more democratic constitution, and looking for a new style of committee. Above all we are looking to heal the ghastly ruptures that have so damaged the society.”

In a statement to The Saint, the Executive Committee of the Conservative Society said, “The correspondence from The Saint was the first the Society had heard of the existence of any such investigation or its conclusions.

“The Association has not been contacted by the Union regarding this matter since May.

“We were greatly surprised that the Students’ Association had seen fit to inform a student newspaper of its decision without making any contact with the society in question.

“We have since contacted Union who have subsequently confirmed that they had come to this decision and they have also apologised for this miscommunication.

“While we feel it is unjustified, we respect their right to request that an affiliated society hold a new AGM. “We shall set a date for the new AGM in due course and will work closely with the Students’ Association to ensure that the process is transparent.”

The Scottish Conservatives declined to comment.

The Saint • 22 September 2016

News 5

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Yik Yak ends anonymity for users Yik Yak’s latest update means its anonymity feature has come to an end.

From now on users must create a profile complete with picture, bio and user name which is attached to every post the user makes. The move is an attempt to create a local social network that will allow people nearby to communicate and connect with one another.

Yik Yak was launched in 2013 and immediately became a huge success in American colleges. The social media app, that allowed its users to post updates anonymously, then rapidly grew in popularity amongst students in the UK. At its peak in September 2014 the app was number four in overall rankings on the Apple App Store.

The app has been particularly popular amongst St Andrews students and has been used as a forum for jokes, complaints and advice on issues from mental health to timetable queries.

In an attempt to shift the focus of the app to interacting with people near your location, the creators of Yik Yak decided to abolish the anonymity feature, My Herd and the Hot Yaks feed.

The move has caused significant consternation among Yik Yak’s St Andrews users, with one posting, “Can someone make an app which is like how Yik Yak used to be?” with another writing “Almost as if Yik Yak want to self-destruct their app…”, with a further user saying that “Yik Yak has become a boring, glorified Google. Plz [sic] bring back anonym-

ity. That was the whole point.”

In a statement to The Saint a spokesperson for Yik Yak said, “Yik Yak is about creating a sense of community by connecting you with everyone around you, whether you know them or not, and that doesn’t change.

“With profiles and new features like #Now and Local Yakkers, we’re making it easier than ever for you to connect with others in your community, discover more about what makes the people around you unique, and develop closer connections with those around you as a result.

“We recognize that not everyone may welcome this change, and that

UCAS trials nameblind applications George Hannah Last year, the government announced that a new UCAS policy involving obligatory “name-blind” applications would be implemented as of 2017 in a bid to end subconscious racial bias against ethnic minorities.

UCAS is the main body for university applications in the UK, and currently a number of universities across the country, including Exeter, Huddersfield, Liverpool and Winchester, are set to trial the scheme at the start of their respective 2016 academic years.

Speaking to The Guardian, Mary Curnock, UCAS chief executive, said: “This is a good time to consider such changes as part of the wider redevelopment of our application management service. UCAS is deeply committed to increasing participation from disadvantaged groups”.

According to UCAS, steps have been made in the right direction in recent years. Their data suggests that the proportion of 18 year-old african americans from state schools has increased by 64 per cent since 2006.

Whilst names will be eliminated and instead replaced with a code or number, other relevant information such as family income and former ed-

change in any format can take some time for users to get used to, but we’re excited to help Yakkers foster even stronger communities and valuable connections among the people within them, and allowing users the option to define their profile is a key part of that.”

Yik Yak founders, Tyler Droll and Brooks Buffington, have described the update as an evolution from the app’s original and core ideas.

“Since day one, we were very focused on hyperlocal, and anonymity was just a mechanism we used to make the onboard easy,” Droll said.

“Right now we are focused on college

campuses and really nailing what are the local interactions so we can power the best user experience.”

Although the users’ identity is not explicitly stated, there is no longer an option to post without a username being attached. The changes have received generally negative responses, with 22 one star reviews on the Apple app store, the updated Yik Yak has been dubbed “a worse version of Twitter” and “redundant.”

Some previous Yik Yak users in St Andrews have migrated to rival app, Jodel, which follows a similar format of showing posts from users in your area – but remains anonymous.

Photo: Harry Gunning

Catriona Crookes

ucation will still be necessary in order to complete the application forms.

This way, students from households of lower income are still able to apply for certain grants and loans that are not available to students from wealthier backgrounds.

St Andrews is not currently participating in the scheme. When the plans were first announced late last year The Saint asked Jackie Ashkin, the Student Representative Council (SRC) Member for racial equality at the time, whether she thought the proposal would work and whether it should be rolled out in St Andrews.

Ms Ashkin expressed her cautious support for the move: “It’s a step in the right direction and it’s a surprising move coming from the current government, but it still only one step.”

She explained that while she welcomed the idea, she does not think that it is the only way to solve issues of racial and social inequality, stating that: “This doesn’t address the root of the issue when it comes to lack of diversity, though – that’s a much deeper issue, attached to income inequality and the opportunities available to students from less privileged backgrounds.

“Taking names off the first stage of UCAS applications isn’t going to change that, unfortunately.”

Theresa May criticises safe spaces Joseph Cassidy News editor Theresa May has criticised the concept of “safe spaces” in universities, for the purpose of protecting oppressed groups from offensive speech.

The prime minister said the concept was “quite extraordinary.”

Safe spaces have been criticised for shutting down robust debate in universities and for spreading across entire institutions, instead of just individual spaces within them.

Supporters say they are necessary to stamp out abusive behaviour such as racism, sexism, homophobia and transphobia on campuses.

Ms May made clear her opposition to safe spaces in prime minister’s questions on Wednesday 14 September, when pressed for her views by Victoria Atkins, a Conservative MP. “We want our universities not just to be places of learning but places where there is open debate. Which is challenged and people can get involved in that,” the prime minister replied.

“I think everybody is finding this concept of safe spaces quite extraordinary, frankly. We want to see that innovation of thought taking place in our universities.”

Commenting on the situation in St Andrews, Association Equal Opportunities Officer Robert Aston said, “The issue of Safe Spaces has been very controversial for mostly unfounded reasons.

“From its foundations as a means for promoting safe dialogue for specific minority issues (initially LGBT+) - it has been latched upon and taken as indicative of a supposedly overprotected and overly politically correct millennial culture which apparently runs the university life.

“The message being: people our age are not prepared for the real world, because of having these platforms for discussion.

“The University experience, by its very nature, facilitates the discussion of opposing and thought-provoking ideas.

“The notion that somehow providing a space where people, who often can feel vulnerable and insecure about their identity, are able to discuss such feelings with certainty they will be welcomed to discuss such issues - can somehow be claimed to be representative of a university culture of anti-questioning and naivety is laughable - and completely against the principles that that University of St Andrews stands for.”

Race 2 ...

Prague!

Race2 have officially announced that the destination for their annual hitchhiking trip this year will be Prague.

This follows on from last year’s successful Race2 Budapest and will take place 13-17 January 2017.

The group is hosting an information night for anyone who wants to get involved in Club 601, 27 September at 7 PM.

Voting in class rep elections close tomorrow Voting in elections for class representatives officially close tomorrow (Friday 23 September).

In a record number of nominations, 554 people put themselves forward for over 300 class representative roles.

Class Representatives sit on their School’s Student-Staff Consultative Committee to present student opinion on their chosen course. Class Representatives have the power to advocate based on student opinion on: curriculum, learning resources, the learning and teaching process, assessment and feedback, student progression and achievement, guidance and support, and quality enhancement and assurance.

Man arrested over assault in in town A St Andrews man has been arrested and charged after a woman was found with serious injuries within a property in the town.

The 50-year-old victim was discovered by police officers on Saturday night.

The woman was taken to Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, where she remains in a serious condition.

A 51-year-old man was later questioned and charged by police and is due to appear at Kirkcaldy Sheriff Court in connection with the incident.

Most read online

thesaint-online.com 1 Young Freshers: what to expect and how to expect it 2 What to wear: the spectrum of style at Starfields 3 Classic meets classy at The Kate Kennedy Club Charity Opening Ball

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22 September 2016 • The Saint

The Saint • 22 September 2016

thesaint-online.com

News 7

InFocus: Sam Ross, SRC Member for First Years and founder of Populus

“Populus means people. That’s who it’s for. All of us.”

”

ed, secluded and really lonely.”

Ms Ross was shocked that she couldn’t find anything in St Andrews designed to help students who were experiencing feelings of loneliness so she was inspired to found Populus (Latin for “people.”)

“I just want somebody, even if it’s just one person, to feel less lonely – even if it’s just for a day,” said Ms Ross, “My aim is to have at least one event every two weeks.

“I want to have as many events as possible so that if anyone is feeling lonely there’s always something that Populus is doing or going to have within the next few d a y s t h a t they can g o

I felt very isolated, secluded and really lonely

lonely is important. Populus hosted several events during Freshers’ Week including a pancake giveaway at ABH which involved making and delivering over 300 pancakes to students. “[Students who want to get involved] really shouldn’t be afraid that t h e y won’t meet any-

body, because at the very least they’ll meet myself or our Vice President or a member of our committee.

They should always expect to meet someone.”

“I was certainly worried about going to socials and things since I don’t drink and I thought I’d just be sat and not have a conversation with anyone, but at Populus you’re absolutely guaranteed to have a conversation with someone.”

“We always have conversation cards at our events, and they are wonderful things! They can start off a whole host of things. There are 140 different questions in those cards and you can just read them off. At our Speed Friending event during Freshers’ Week, people stayed for two and a half hours because they started a conversation with the card and found other things they had in common. In a room of forty people you’re bound to find somebody.”

Although most of Populus’ events this semester have taken place dur-

Having the opportunity to go speed friending more than just once during Freshers is really important to me

”

ing Freshers’ Week, the organization has been involving students from all years.

“It’s a misconception that this is directed only at Freshers – it’s really not. We’ve had third years and fourth years who said, ‘We wish this [existed] when we were in first year.’ Freshers think they shouldn’t be lonely since they’re in first year and they’re surrounded by all these new people while fourth years think, ‘I’ve been here for four years and I haven’t made any friends…what’s wrong with me?’ There’s nothing wrong with you, it’s just that you’re feeling lonely, it’s a totally normal thing to feel and it sucks.”

“I always try to tell myself that [I’m] not the only person who feels lonely. I know that there are so many people out there who are also feeling lonely, but just didn’t say anything – it’s so cliché, but it’s true.”

When asked about what she would say to her past self, and anyone who feels the same feeling of isolation and loneliness that she felt, Ms Ross said, “Don’t be Photo: Sammi Ciardi

It’s a misconception that this is directed only at Freshers - it’s really not

the summer with a committee of other St Andrews students who shared Ross’ view that a support organization for students feeling isolated or

so hard on yourself – there’s always time to meet new people.”

Populus’ events also include socials where students can make “mocktails” (non-alcoholic cocktails) which would be held on nights where a “Sinners” or a ball is taking place to serve as an alternative event for those who either didn’t get tickets or felt uncomfortable attending the main event of the evening.

”

A second-year St Andrews student has turned a difficult experience into a fast-growing student support group, which is already seeing results just two weeks into the new academic year.

Management student Sam Ross from Moray, Scotland has seen incredible results after founding Populus, an organisation dedicated to helping students who may be feeling lonely and isolated during their time at St Andrews.

Ms Ross entered St Andrews as a first year last autumn.

“In the first semester, I was quite happy with how things were going... but during second semester, a few different things changed,” Ms Ross said.

Even though she tried to rectify the situation by trying her hand in various things, she “felt very isolat-

to.”

Populus hosts events like “Speed Friending” and coffee socials throughout the year so students can work to foster new friendships anytime.

“There was one time when I went for coffee with somebody and I looked forward to that for weeks beforehand. It’s just a small thing, but going to speak to somebody, or having the opportunity to go speed friending more than just once during Freshers is really important to me,” she added.

“It’s a horrible thing, it really is, to be sat in a room, waking up on a Saturday and not [having anyone to see],” said Ms Ross.

“People build this huge expectation that University is going to be the best few years of their lives. Not only is that really pessimistic about the rest of your life, but it also gives false expectations because there are going to be really terrible days, and sometimes they just come day after day. For me the experience was just disappointing.

So at the end of the semester when I was done with exams I said ‘alright, w e ’ v e got the w h o l e summer, let’s go.’”

After working on the project during

”

Harris LaTeef Deputy news editor Evelyn Sutiono

At Populus you’re absolutely guaranteed to have a conversation with someone

Populus also incorporates some of the University’s traditions into their event agenda. “On our first Pier Walk with Populus, we saw a few people who were unsure of what to do. All it took was for me to go up to them, introduce myself, and ask ‘Would you like to go on the Pier Walk with us’?” Ms Ross recalled with a smile.

“They said that they were terrified and didn’t know what they were doing – but at the end of that day, that was five people who weren’t scared anymore, who were not lonely.”

The next event Populus is having is a coffee social on Wednesday 28 September. “It’s a place for people to go if they don’t have anything to do in the middle of the day – you could just bring your friends, sit down and have some coffee.

Everything is free, even membership – every matriculated student is already a member of Populus.”

“Whenever you go to Populus you’re not going to be judged or anything – there’s no pressure to do anything, no pressure to be anyone specific.

You’re just answering conversation cards – or taking advantage of the free stuff we provide.”

Ms Ross also plans on continuing to hold events in individual halls of residence in order to reach students more directly. Populus has already held events in ABH and Andrew Melville and are planning events at St Regulus Hall, John Burnet, and others.

Overall, Ms Ross hopes that Populus will help students who may be experiencing the same feelings of loneliness that originally inspired her to found the organization.

Working on Populus and seeing its early successes has given Ross confidence that her decision to found the organization has not only been the right thing to do, but has also made St Andrews a more welcoming place for current, and future, students.

“Populus means people. That’s who it’s for. All of us.”

VIEWPOINT thesaint-online.com/viewpoint

Viewpoint editor AMY ELLIOTT Deputy editor: Lila Velcoff viewpoint@thesaint-online.com

@saint_viewpoint

The value of academic gowns

Is St Andrews’ rosiest tradition still really necessary?

Rachel Wells ase4@st-andrews.ac.uk

“

It’s just not necessary to student life anymore, and in these modern times, there are other aspects of the gown to consider besides purely necessity

However, as photos of students in gowns can be found in almost all publicity material, I was expecting that they would play some part in day-today student life.

The gown’s history is rich and interesting, as we discussed, and as such, I somehow expected it to be a more common sight around town. It makes sense that the gown isn’t actually seen around town on a regular basis, though. It’s not compulsory at any events, and even at events that strongly encourage gowns, wearers are in the minority. Gowns are worn quite often at debates, and student ambassadors who guide tours on visiting days sometimes wear them (although red hoodies are also an option that more and more seem to be choosing). Gowns are encouraged at formal events, such as High Table dinners and chapel services, and members of St Salvator’s Chapel Choir are

required to wear them.

The gown can even be worn during exams, although I’ve never actually seen anyone do this and it would probably be mildly socially unacceptable. But if ostentatious, melodramatic fashion is your thing, the more power to you. Unfortunately, there is no evidence to suggest a link between wearing a gown and acing your modules.

If you take part in debates, chapel services and the like on a regular basis, you could end up wearing your gown pretty frequently, but most students just don’t. Even pier walks, one of the rare occasions when you see a small army of students in red gowns, are rare because no one’s really in the mood to risk the wrath of Poseidon by walking across a small ledge on a windy November day.

While the gown is certainly a unique tradition, and one that might be laughed at by other lesser institutions, it is rarely viewed as silly from within the University. In fact, gowns are generally viewed as a favourite student tradition even if they aren’t always worn. This isn’t to say people don’t make jokes in reference to Hogwarts or comments about the gown’s rather unkempt appearance, but these are usually light-hearted.

Very few St Andrews students actually have anything bad to say about the gown (except, perhaps, that it’s a little too pricey).

The love that we students generally have for our gowns might be why it came as a bit of a surprise that the rest of the world doesn’t view our rosy tradition the same way as us.

One of the best examples of this came after several students appeared on University Challenge in 2014. These intrepid followers of tradition were mocked brutally for wearing their gowns on the show. Our tradition was less than appreciated, and in fact was widely disdained both for the gowns’ general appearance and because many viewers interpreted them as elitist or snobby.

Addressing the harsh criticisms, Jaime Perriam, captain of the St Andrews University Challenge team, was quoted as saying: “In my opinion the academic gown, far from perpetuating any kind of class mythology, is a great leveller: for the only demand it makes of the wearer is that they belong to the great community of truth that is a university. Our motivation for wearing gowns did not stem from a misguided sense of entitlement, but from a feeling of immense pride in St Andrews’ traditions...”

Clearly Perriam is as an advocate of the gown, and she dispels the idea that it represents anything other than

a kind of academic unity. It’s not difficult to see why she holds this view, since St Andrews is a town full of tradition and academic pride in almost equal measure. The history that inspires the gown tradition is impressive, to say the least. Furthermore, the few times a year the red gown is actually donned, it’s usually pretty good fun. If nothing else, the academic striptease is always entertaining. It’s a visible sign that your university career is progressing, no matter how stagnant it may feel at the moment.

(For those unsure of the striptease and too awkward to ask anyone just yet: in first year, gowns are normally worn over both shoulders before being

pushed over the shoulders for second year. They are worn off the left

shoulder for arts students or right shoulder for science students in third year, and in fourth year, they are worn around the elbows to represent the metaphorical shrugging off of students’ university lives. It’s surprisingly poignant, at least for a striptease.)

There’s no question that the role the gown plays in everyday student life has changed. It has gone from being a key identifier around town nearly all the time to being necessary only for classes and, today, being almost completely unneeded. There are certainly some students who have chosen to opt out of the red

gown tradition entirely by choosing never to get one, and it hasn’t done them any harm. Although the gown adds a sense of tradition to pier walk pictures, that doesn’t mean a gown is something you can’t live without.

It’s just not necessary to student life anymore, and in these modern times, there are other aspects of the gown to consider besides purely necessity. For example, students should consider gowns’ genuine usefulness (which is nearly non-existent) and the picture they paint to non-St Andreans (probably not very slimming and generally quite unflattering).

O u r wonderful red academic g o w n isn’t actually a necessity for m o s t students, but for all it was perhaps overly built-up as in my mind before I got here, it’s good fun.

I t ’ s also an excellent tradition for those of us who are prone to enjoying a bit of sentimentality (which I definitely am, but there’s no shame in it) and might want a gown as a sort of memory instigator post-graduation. You’ll be able to use your gown in years to come as you bore unwilling grandchildren with tales of your time at university, or even if you need an extra quilt on a cold night.

One final note: the gown is incredibly useful in the quest to take a new Facebook profile picture of yourself on the pier, which is something we’ve all done at least once, and it’s an irreplaceable part of St Andrews culture.

Illustration: Emily Lomax

Almost exactly a year ago, I tried on an iconic St Andrews red gown for the first time. It was an important moment for me, given that I had spent basically every day of the past three weeks (if not longer) scrolling through every PR picture St Andrews has ever released of students who had walked the St Andrean path ahead of me. All were clad in red gowns, leaving me speculating wildly about what it would be like to wear one.

Despite my frequent daydreams, there were a few key differences between the red gown in my head and the one I own in reality. The main one is that its importance had been greatly exaggerated before I came to these stony shores (probably aided by my imagination). There is a wealth of history which pre-dates the gown, so before we delve into discussion of the gown as it exists in our current times, let’s look back.

For those who may be unaware of the history, here’s a recap. In the 1500s, student gowns were a tradition among all the ancient Scottish universities, which hoped to keep frisky students away from illicit activities.

For some reason, university officials thought that the wearing of a gown would be a good prevention method.

As to why students didn’t just take the gowns off whenever they were in the mood to get into a bit of trouble, I couldn’t find anything concrete. We can speculate that students were more protective of their gowns or afraid of having them stolen. After all, gowns were decidedly more expensive back in the day, as students had to buy the material themselves and find a tailor to make their new piece of clothing.

Gowns were so ingrained in student life that in his accounts of travels to Scotland during the sixteenth century, renowned English writer Daniel Defoe wrote, “The colleges are handsome buildings, and well supply’d with men of learning in all sciences, and who govern the youth they instruct with reputation; the students wear gowns here of a scarlet-like colour, but not in grain, and are very numerous.” Centuries later, Samuel Johnson, a fellow English writer, de-

scribed Scotland as being populated by students in red gowns.

By the 1900s, however, students only had to wear their gowns to class and at formal events rather than all the time, and the tradition has continued to taper off from there.

Given the history of gowns, my expectations were high regarding their importance as a university tradition.

The weight given to the gowns in historical accounts of Scottish universities had led me to believe I would be wearing my gown daily. However, upon my arrival I realized that the days of students in gowns being seen on every street corner were long gone.

Looking back, I now realise that nothing in the University brochures or on the University’s website had stated that gowns were compulsory.

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

22 September 2016 • The Saint

Viewpoint 9

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DEVIL’S ADVOCATE Is Great Britain lazy and fat?

I

t’s undoubtedly fair to say that Britain has become lazy and fat in the past number of decades. This has become apparent from the obesity crisis we currently face, with almost 40 per cent of children between the ages of 11 and 15 in the UK classified as obese. You don’t even need statistics, you can probably see the problem with a casual glance around on pretty much any given high street in the UK. Similarly, I think that there has been an increase in laziness in Britain.

However, this laziness is a result of inherent failures in the political system.

The ‘Right Honourable’ Secretary of State for International Trade Liam Fox thought that last week he would remind us all here in Britain that we are “too lazy and too fat.” He followed that statement by saying that business men would rather play “golf on a Friday afternoon” than contribute to Britain’s prosperity.

Now I completely agree that Britain has become too lazy and probably too fat, but for that critique to come out of Liam Fox’s mouth was almost too much for me.

Let me try to pinpoint the exact date that the British public stopped caring about anything other than their own prosperity and started the descent into laziness. You may say that we became lazy with the increased use of the computer, or when fast food hit our shores. However, you don’t get to decide because this is my column. In my opinion, Britain started to become lazy on 4 May 1979, the day one of Liam Fox’s heroes became Prime Minister: Margaret Thatcher.

With the impacts of the Thatcher government in mind, let us assess Liam Fox’s comment about business men playing golf on a Friday rather than working. Thatcher’s free market policies told the business elite that whatever they wished to do with their Fridays would contribute the most to Britain’s prosperity. Either Liam has lurched significantly to the left and plans to enforce working hours on these fun loving CEOs, or his new position as Secretary of State for International Trade is harder than he expected.

As a result of Thatcher’s individualism, along with the closing of industry, community spirit in Britain has been destroyed, which has created a widespread epidemic of laziness.

If people are not going to leave their doors open for their neighbours anymore, they are certainly not going to put in an extra day of work.

The culture in this country has

altered drastically, and Britons are no longer the hard-working, proud, healthy-minded and healthy-bodied individuals they once were. We have instead become a dogged, depressed nation, organs swimming bleakly in saturated fat, brains paralysed with idleness behind metaphorically square eyes. Our culture is neither nutritious for our minds nor for our bellies. The laziness epidemic in Britain is only too apparent in the sort of products which are being sold to satisfy the mass-market - no-effort pre-prepared pasta sauces with skyhigh salt and sugar contents, and the increased popularity of apps which enable anything you could possibly dream of to arrive directly to your front door, sometimes in a matter of minutes.

Liam Fox made sure he emphasised the failings of workers in Britain. However, back in June he was a leading figure of the economic car crash of lies that was ‘Brexit’, causing mass devaluation of the pound and endangering thousands of jobs.

So now we are left with a trade secretary, who is pointing out to us that we are lazy and saying that we need to contribute to Britain’s prosperity, while undermining Britain’s prosperity by removing us from all our trade agreements and the European common market.

As a result, people have become disinclined to work, and this has become something which seems to be inheritable. Children learn by imitation - if there is no close familial example of work ethic, then it is more than likely that a child will follow the lead of the unmotivated parent. Similarly, it’s logic that if your parents are overweight, then there is a considerable chance that you will be too, and the statistics back this up - one survey found that 48 per cent of children with overweight parents became overweight, compared with only 13 per centof children with parents of a normal weight.

Though we have become lazy and fat, I don’t feel that it is through any major fault of our own. Liam Fox stands as the epitome of the Tory politician who is willing to destroy British jobs and trade for ideological reasons, and then blame it on the people of Britain - who as a result have become, as a rule, lazy and fat. I have no clue how this man made it back into the cabinet and, ironically, I find no problem with naming him as truly one of the laziest politicians in Westminster.

Maybe we have become lazy and fat, but through no major fault of our own

“

The vast majority of workers and business leaders operate under intense pressure and have to endure very long hours

Illustration: Flo McQuibban

YES

NO

Elliot Barker

Peter Bothwell

T

o claim that British business is too fat and lazy is probably not the best thing to do if your job is to try and persuade foreign governments to trade with Britain on preferential terms. However, that didn’t stop Liam Fox from blurting out insults.

It isn’t really surprising that Mr Fox came out with this nonsense, given his track record of making ridiculous claims is almost endless: He has described gay marriage as “social engineering” and was a chief architect of Brexit (not to forget his vampirical thirst for cuts to the NHS budget). This latest addition to his list of blunders is not only wrong, but also dangerous.

His comments may have been directed to exporters, but this is yet another cheap shot at the hard-working ordinary Britons who are so often written off by politicians. Over the past six years, senior Tory ministers have repeatedly belittled workers, describing a sizeable chunk of the country as “skivers.” In a further tightening of the screws, jobseekers who decline zero-hour contracts are now hit with stricter benefit sanctions.

It is little surprise, therefore, that productivity is some 17 per cent lower than our international peers, which is presumably the evidence our trade secretary used for his remarks. The government and mainstream media have constantly put down the ordinary labourer. It is no wonder that morale in the workplace is cripplingly low. Instead of giving Britain a wake-up call, Mr Fox has further compounded the problem.

In actual fact, the country’s productivity crisis is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Politicians and Rupert Murdoch’s papers will often blame the public for not working hard enough. They will tell us that the average worker wastes five days a year checking personal emails and chatting with colleagues.

Yet, we as a country did something rather unusual in response to the financial crisis of 2008.

We did not lay off as many workers compared to our international peers. Unemployment in the UK only rose to around 8.5 per cent (nowhere near our previous post-recession peaks of 12 per cent in the mid 1980s and 11 per cent in the mid 1990s. In the wake of 2008, unemployment reached 10 per cent in the US and exceeded 11 per cent in Germany. So, in short, we were producing a lot less (as a result of reduced demand following

the crisis) but with roughly the same amount of people -- not because we’re lazy!

In addition to this, our economy is largely based on the financial services sector, which represents our largest export. This is where productivity becomes difficult to measure. It is almost impossible to measure how productive someone who supplies a service is. It is easier to mesure the productivity of the economy in Germany or the States, where manufacturing represents a larger proportion of national income.

Another issue I have with the claims made by a man who thinks nothing of slashing taxes for the rich is that it is very bizarre to associate golf with being overweight or lazy.

Golf is a form of exercise. I could easily rack up a good six miles hacking my way around the Old Course, and one needs to be incredibly skilled if they are to be good at the sport.

There is also something profoundly wrong about generalising an entire industry, as Fox has done so grotesquely. The vast majority of workers and business leaders operate under intense pressure and have to endure very long hours.

Granted, there may be the occasional Wednesday off to play golf, but businesspeople can never really switch off. Emails always need to be checked, paperwork is often taken home at weekends and on family holidays, many have to work even when they are ill -- and so it is an insult to the people who make the wheel of our economy turn to describe them as “lazy” and “fat.”

Mr Fox’s comments have certainly alienated those in the business world.

Richard Reed, the founder of Innocent Smoothies, speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme said that “[Mr Fox] is a representative of us, of this country, and he turns around and slags us off, calling us fat and lazy. He’s a complete fraud. He’s never done a day’s business in his life.”

Peter Jones, Richard Branson and Richard Reed are just a few examples of the exact type of highly motivated, incredibly successful and largely humble business people who Mr Fox attacked with his comments.

However, it is not just those at the top that he has offended. It is the thousands of small and medium-sized enterprises which are the backbone of our economy.

They provide jobs in the millions, provide families with incomes and are the exact type of organisations that the trade secretary needs to have on board if he is to make Brexit a success.

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

Viewpoint 10

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22 September 2016 • The Saint

Will 24 September mark D-Day for the Corbynistas?

Isaac Leaver dissects the upcoming Labour leadership elections

I

Isaac Leaver il29@st-andrews.ac.uk

could never hide the fact that I voted for Jeremy Corbyn during that heady summer of 2015. Idealism coursed through my veins as I crossed the box next to the name of the veteran leftwing rebel-with-a-cause.

I hummed the Red Flag- silly middle-class student Labourite that I am- on the day of his victory. Check the Union Debating Society records and you’ll find my words of support for the embattled Leader of the Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.

It was not the EU referendum that turned me: I actually thought that the official Corbyn-McDonnell position was perfectly defensible. Besides, the nature of British attitudes towards Brussels meant that Labour would have struggled to court its core voters whoever their leader was. The allegations of endemic antisemitism

made me wobble, but challenging a prejudice to which the liberal left can be shamefully susceptible did not appear to me to necessitate a change in party leader. Nor am I a raving fan of Owen Smith: his policy platform may be admirably left-wing for a ‘unity candidate’ of the modern Labour Party (evidence enough of the intellectual success of the Corbyn wing), but his voting record has been on occasion spineless and of questionable integrity.

What got me was the overwhelming vote of no confidence in June. The moment that the crushing defeat for the Corbynistas was announced was the moment that I ceased to support their hirsute chief. If you care about British parliamentary democracy and a legitimate Labour presence within it, then that same single vote presents you with reason enough to follow suit. Incidentally, I don’t think much of many Labour MPs. Wes Streeting is less an attack dog and more a pathetic Jack Russell yipping incessantly, perhaps in the hope that one day he gets at best a dull mid-level cabinet position in something like Transport for his pains. I was almost apoplectic with disbelief that day Harriet Harman decided that Labour would not oppose the Tories’ heinous Welfare Bill.

Nonetheless, whoever may be in the Parliamentary Labour Party and whatever I may personally think of them, they are our representatives.

They are the men and women whom Labour Party members thought fit to represent their party and whom subsequently the voters thought fit to represent them and their fellow constituents. They are the embodiment of the sentiments and will of millions.

Just as democracy is not about an individual voter, neither is British parliamentary democracy about a single member of the House. We have no elected executive to whom we give a general mandate, simply a primus inter pares whose authority and ability to perform the necessary duties ultimately rests on the consent of his or her fellow parliamentarians. This is a situation that has clearly not changed in practice in light of electoral reforms to the Labour Party in 2013 that enhanced the voice of ordinary members, nor should it in theory. Whereas we all get a vote about who we think should be party leader, we defer the ratification of that election to the parliamentary candidates whom we and then the people choose.

This fundamentally Burkean mechanism may appear archaic and elitist, but it enhances party stability,

le membership wants one. It would which is the keystone to legitimacy lay the groundwork for a party that amongst the electorate and therefore privileges direct democracy over repthe greatest chance to win office. resentative parliamentary democraOur MPs, whether an increasingly cy, placing it outwith the bounds of aggressive and reactionary Twitterati functionality and legitimacy in our or the flag-wavers in Parliament political system. All this may seem Square like it or not, have to be able very uninspiring to the ideologicalto trust and respect their leader in ly pure left who are wont to believe order to maintain the essential collethat Labour’s woes are the product of giate atmosphere. None of them are establishment turncoats sold out to looking to lose their seats or allow the neoliberalism and nostalgic Blairism.

Tories to ride roughshod over them.

I appreciate their frustration, but for However, they above all understand such people there can only be one the gritty realities of Westminster and charge: if you truly care about seeing that they are facing an unavoidably your vision enacted in office, if you centre-to-centre-right-leaning public truly care about the Labour whose appetite for a leftist proParty, then you have to be in gramme may feasibly only exfor the long game. You have tend to what Smith calls “achievto get involved with your ing socialism within [a capitalist local party, stand yourself society]”.

If they say Corbyn must go as a candidate or choose one who will allow a Corbynin present circumstances to enesque leader to thrive. Then hance the prospects of the party, the country may begin listen then go he must. To deny our to you.

Labour parliamentarUntil then, vote for ians the right to the candidate who make this final call can deliver us the opens the Labour Party up to the unity and legitimacy that we and theoretical posthe country sorely sibility of a new needs. It is not all leader whenever Photo: Wikimedia Commons about him, after all. a potentially fick-

Educational reform: a cycle of death, rebirth and suffering

A

Sophie Sanders srcs@st-andrews.ac.uk

cross the country teachers are trapped in pedagogic samsara.

They groan as politicians once more attempt to reinvent the wheel. The more mature members of the staff room despair over their morning cup of tea as another ‘revolutionary’ idea for education dominates newspaper headlines, remembering strikingly similar reform forty years ago. Grey hairs multiply with the realisation that, before they reach the blissful state of nivarna (or retirement), they must endure yet another educational overhaul. Linear A levels and changing syllabuses under the dear Michael Gove; and now, with the rise of Justine Greening to the esteemed cabinet position of Education Secretary, the reintroduction of grammar schools.

The sceptics in the staff room question the longevity of such reforms.

Will the revival of grammar schools survive the next election? Will Justine Greening survive the next election?

Will they, the teachers, survive in education until the next election?

Disagreement is rife. The staff room is divided, and erupts with shouts: shouts of elation, shouts of despair. “This is child cruelty!” you hear cried, as the motherlike teacher fears

for the welfare of the next generation of children bruised and battered by the failure to pass the infamous 11+ exam.

“But think of the improved results!” bellows the teacher, himself the product of an academic hothouse.

Even politicians do not seem to be able to agree on educational structures and systems. The parents sit gawping, in a quagmire of confusion. What is best for their beloved child?

“

The grammar school is more egalitarian, it is more meritocratic.

Is this not what ‘modern’ Britain aspires to be?

And yet, it seems necessary to try to wade through the swathes of rhetoric surrounding educational reform.

What is the best structure of secondary education for the young people of Great Britain? Trudging through the speeches and facts, opinions and proposals leads to a gloomy and pessimistic realisation. Educational systems are not perfect, and cannot be perfect.

This is the honest truth and the gospel of actor and comedian Bill Cosby who noted that he “did not know the key to success” but that the “key to failure is trying to please everybody.”

Nevertheless pragmatism is essential.

We must try to find the most beneficial system of secondary education to implement in this country.

Equal opportunity and social mobility are the primary tenets of debate surrounding the structure of secondary education in the UK. Jeremy Corbyn confidently asserts that the social divide within Britain will be worsened following the revival of the grammar school, whilst Theresa May persuasively contends that her system of grammar schools will enable “levelling up, not levelling down.”

The latter is more persuasive.

Grammar schools select by ability, state comprehensives select by house price. We cannot escape from the fact that middle-class professional parents wanting the best for their children pay extortionate premiums to live within a stone’s throw of the most academic and prestigious state secondary schools.

Yes, these same parents wanting the best for their children will invest in tutoring for their child who is made to swot for the 11+. However, the system of the 11+ still enables children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds to have a chance to enter the most academically successful secondary schools in the country. The grammar school is more egalitarian, it is more meritocratic. Is this not what ‘modern’ Britain aspires to be?

And it is on this subject of equality that Theresa May is most compelling.

She argues for the equality of opportunity not outcome. Or in other words: all children should have

the opportunity to enter the most academic secondary schools in this country. She is not saying that all children will attend grammar schools. The rigor of a grammer school may, in fact, not be the right path for many young students.

Indeed, for many children the more practical emphasis provided by schools akin to the secondary moderns introduced by Winston Churchill’s government will enable them to flourish. This country needs those with practical skills and t h o s e with academic minds,

but instead of enabling children to become the best version of themselves the current system of education attempts to create an army of hybrids.

There are many examples of successful individuals who did not attend grammar schools: Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop, was educated at Maude Allen Secondary Modern School for Girls; and Delia Smith, author of countless cookbooks and presenter of cookery programmes, was educated at Bexley Heath Secondary Modern, London.

A shift in mentality is needed.

Non-grammar schools should not be seen as failing institutions, nor should they be deemed inferior. Rather, they are a constituent part of a specialised system of education which will help this country to thrive.

Grammar schools are not perfect and grammar schools never will be perfect.

Therefore, twenty years from now it is probable that grammar schools will be abolished. Fifty years from now grammar schools will be reintroduced.

The constant cycle of education reform continues; death, rebirth and suffering perpetuates. We are yet to find something that works well enough to stick.

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

22 September 2016 • The Saint

Viewpoint 11

thesaint-online.com

Brain of Thrones: is political intelligence rising in primetime television audiences?

Isolation in the Bubble: a paradox?

Amy Elliott

ase4@st-andrews.ac.uk NEXT UP ON

Daisy Treloar dt42@st-andrews.ac.uk

I

P

Illustration: Flo McQuibban

icture this: you’re Netflix and chilling with your boyfriend. Or if you’re me, you’re Sky Go and chilling by yourself because you’re broke, alone, and rely on your parents (unbeknownst to them) for a significant amount of your student needs. Whilst you are *blank* and chilling, you inevitably scroll through an abundance of visual delights – Stranger Things, Pretty Little Liars, what have you – but what genre has become undeniably popular across all these television platforms? It is of course the complex, politically driven dramas that are taking the world by storm.

Northern accent: The Emmys were this weekend. Though many of us will be more familiar with our cosy BAFTAs, I’m afraid they really cannot compete with the sheer volume of output from our pals across the pond, whatever quality content we create. Pre-2000, the majority of Emmy winners were plucked from either the legal or medical categories, such as the self explanatory L. A. Law and the gorgeous ER (gorgeous being a transferred epithet for George Clooney).

Enter The West Wing: the first political drama of its kind. It swept away the competition for four consecutive years and revolutionised television – much like the original BBC House of Cards did for British TV in the 90s. But alas, House of Cards, however dark and different, was more of a mini-series than anything else, and as the BBC’s political comedy The Thick of It took a break, The West Wing eventually ended its long stint in 2006. I think its idealist, Mount Olympus-esque sentimentality proved too sweet next to the rising public cynicism against Bush’s government. You’ll find the public opinion polling graph for Bush’s time in office looks rather like a pair of scissors, with blue being ‘approve’, red ‘disapprove’ and green ‘unsure’: And snip snip – politics had disappeared from our screens.

Usher in the what I call ‘polleden’ age of television in 2009. Semipolitical series gain attention at first; The Good Wife and Game of Thrones tract viewership. Oh, Homeland, with your foreign affairs, you.

Howdy, House of Cards, revamped for American audiences on Netflix to huge success; Amazon Video hits it back with The Man in the High Castle.

Scandal and Madam Secretary become the norm. Hell, even political comedies become critically acclaimed with Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ hilarious perfor-

FIFE SWAP

mance in Veep, as well as the return of The Thick of It. And voila – TV is changed forever.

Did this trans-Atlantic change occur just because Obama was elected?

I doubt it. There’s got to be more to it, and if you read the title of this article I may have spoiled you already.

Hallelujah for us nerds, because being clever is becoming fashionable!

It doesn’t necessarily mean more people are clever, but more are definitely trying to be. Being intellectual is cool now. Knowing about politics is happenin’. Despite the possibility that as a ‘fashion’ some may pretend to know what they don’t, it’s still one

“

Hallelujuh for us nerds because becoming clever is becoming fashionable

of the only positive concepts that our modern society seems to enforce on us, considering all the racism, sexism and body shaming that’s going on at the moment.

You may ask, ‘but most people watch TV, so aren’t you just saying that people in general want to know about politics? What makes this specific to primetime TV audiences?’ I think the only way to answer this question is to have a look at television’s rival media format – film.

Ok, here’s a challenge for you: name more blockbuster movies about modern politics in the last decade than TV shows mentioned in this article. It’s hard isn’t it? Not that Google is the source of all knowledge (no but actually it is), type in

‘political movies’ and pretty much all the ones that come up predate my existence (B. M. – before me). This is strange considering how much more content Hollywood creates compared with television. Granted, there have been recent, successful, feature-length endeavours into the realm of politics, such as The Ides of March (gorgeous George returns), and others like The Iron Lady, Frost/ Nixon, or Suffragette. But really, most of these are biopics telling the stories of great and legendary historical characters, rather than their politics.

In many of these titles the plot line actually skips over them.

So yes, primetime television audiences are becoming more politically intelligent, or at least want to look like they are. Unfortunately, it didn’t work quite well enough to hold off Brexit, but we have yet to see how the US will fare with Clinton and Trump.

The world is changing y’all. All I can hope for is a further rise in this kind of TV, and maybe for it to transgress Hollywood’s borders. This only really shows that though we may think we control our perception of the media – that we use it mainly for trivial purposes and to keep us entertained – it actually forms a terrifyingly large part of our education.

Any normal person would be able to tell you Bart Simpson’s catchphrase, but maybe not when Queen Victoria died. Maybe they could name all the Kardashians, but not the their county’s MP. Television is being kind to us for now; it is teaching us some valuable information. But who knows when its influence will turn to a cloud of poison? The next reality TV boom may be waiting to pounce, with only a cast of superficial characters who look like gorgeous George to grace our screens (not that I’d complain).

went on a suitably jolly holiday with my friends to Wales this summer, and it was wonderful. Four girls, most with rather undeniable origins in the British Isles, being pasty and erratic and complaining about the heat for an entire week, watching Grey’s Anatomy when it rained and episodes of Friends when it was sunny. My parents in the cottage next door, my friends fighting with my brother as if he was their own, my dog being adored and fussed over constantly for doing basically nothing. We spent days cycling around the Welsh countryside, occasionally finding ourselves mad-pedalling on terrifying A-Roads, canoeing down a scenic Wye river and catching chest infections from swimming in the cold water at the same time as burning ourselves deliciously salmon under a mild, British August sun. It was the stuff of dreams, and as the holiday drew to a close, we all wished that it didn’t have to end. How bittersweet - how dramatic was our nostalgia for something which had literally just happened. However, all good things come to an end, and I promise that this is the last hopeless cliche I will bring to the table in this article (sorry, I’m really done now).

When I think back upon that holiday (a mere three weeks since we departed - the dramatics apparently continue) I think mostly of the isolation. Isolation is abjectly terrible, and certainly, feeling the type of loneliness brought about by one’s first night alone in a foreign country, or when approaching the eighth miserable hour home alone, is indeed worthy of negative attribution. But there is definitely a weird shortterm bliss in being isolated with the people you love, especially when there is only a limited crowd, largely made up of middle-class ramblers and dogs, to judge the decline in dignity which occurs when you are on holiday and your ‘social muscle’ relaxes into a blundering puddle only to begrudgingly, half-heartedly, partially re-solidify 10 days later. In such situations, the people around you must be the ones whom you trust without reticence.

My family has returned to that same holiday destination since 2008, in part, I feel, because it is a place which we trust without reticence. We have faith that, thanks to stringent UK building restrictions, alterations to that scarce village-town will occur in manageable increments.

Additionally, it is so removed in every sense from where we normally reside that being there often feels like an isolation from reality. Considering

the absence of wifi and the generally patchy 3G reception - and here I remember having to find a wall to clamber atop in order to make a call which failed six times - that little town in Wales is a sort of technologically stagnant haven in which to fully isolate yourself with those of your choosing.

St Andrews is a weird place when considering the topic of isolation. It’s such a singular town, so of itself as opposed to of the rest of the world.

There is no train station, if you haven’t noticed, just a rather small, if flash, bus station, with a weirdly stylish little food cart. Nine thousand students - an exceptionally small student body, but exceptionally large in comparison to the place in which it is situated - find themselves here, all writhing at times comically, at times depressingly, in rather cramped circumstances.

It follows, therefore, that while St Andrews itself might be isolated in terms of its location in Fife, it is true that its toy-town feel negates traditional conceptions of isolation.

Isolation is defined as ‘the state of being in a place or situation that is separate from others.’ If we were really isolated, we would have been banished to Albany - a moment of silence for those forsaken souls - you may argue.

How can one feel isolated in a place with such an imbalanced abundance of students daily invading North, Market and South Street? As bizarre as that idea may be, as bizarre as it is to experience, it is possible. The fact that we feel alone but we technically have no reason to feel so leads to a tricky, underpinning, even more lonely feeling - made to feel all the more unwarranted by the seeming good cheer and bustling occupation of those around us. Essentially, being human predisposes us to feel isolated at times; we are each alone in our individual bodies, which is a terrifying thought when mused upon for too long.

Perhaps the feeling of isolation is a natural one, but when it happens upon us as opposed to choosing it as a form of respite, it can be muddling and unpleasant. Olivia Gavoyannis, my fellow section editor for features, wrote an article on mindfulness during the summer along a similar - perhaps less rambling - vein, in which she spoke of the importance of remaining mindful in any given situation. And I think there is no better advice to heed as we wander through this wonderful, strange little town by the sea: to be mindful that all feelings are ephemeral. This too shall pass!

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

thesaint-online.com

Viewpoint 12

22 September 2016 • The Saint

Celebration or assault? An uneasy saga continues

Considering Greta Friedman’s unsolicited role in an iconised yet uncomfortable narrative

I

t is one of the most iconic photos of the twentieth century. It’s impossible to avoid when it comes to studies on the Second World War. It has been used on Valentines Day cards, posters, and in Facebook posts proclaiming the superiority of the baby-boomer generation. Yes, we’re talking about the photo of a man kissing a woman in the middle of Times Square to celebrate the end of America’s war in the Pacific. For years, it stood as a symbol of spontaneous romance and the joy of victory, but following the recent death of the woman in the photo, Greta Friedman, 92, it has been subject to harsh criticism.

For years, the identities of the people captured in photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt’s piece remained unknown. That is, until 2005 when former sailor George Mendonsa stepped forward. There were a number of women who claimed to be the woman, but an investigation proved Greta Friedman’s, now deceased,

gives me quite a bit of pause. I’d never given any particular deeper thought to ‘V-J Day in Times Square’, and had always assumed that the two in the photo had known each other.

However, when I learned of the nature of the event, it did make it slightly uncomfortable.

Looking back on my own personal experiences, I myself have been grabbed by a strange man and kissed.

It is terrifying. There is nothing romantic about it. Your brain short-circuits and you either gain the courage to act, or you remain frozen in shock.

I picked the latter, though I cannot say which Friendman chose. So my view is colored. In my opinion, accosting anyone in such a way is a terrible thing to do. Then again, I was not alive in 1945.

I know nothing about the emotions that must have been running high, or the elation of a man learning he will not be sent back to war. And yet still, I am uncomfortable.

Indeed, I find myself wondering if this debate is a result of age. Looking through blogs, Facebook posts and even asking for opinions face to face, you find contrast between ages as well as political inclinations. Younger, more liberal minded people have stated that the photo depicts assault, whilst their more conservative, and usually older, counterparts claim that it was simply an expression of joy (though admittedly in harsher words). I would be lying if I said this mindset didn’t bother me.

A woman is assaulted and we

look for every loophole to classify it as anything else. My own doubts about where to place my view come from the aforementioned nuances regarding the time and current events preceding the kiss.

Eisenstadt noted that he had taken a few photos of people kissing in celebration, though the compositions of these photos weren’t as eye-catching as that of the one in question. But then, how am I to judge what Friedman experienced? She certainly expressed a degree of discomfort, but she also

acknowledged the unique circumstances. To be frank, I believe that it was a form of sexual assault. There is no way around it. However, if we go by the laws of the United States police today, she wouldn’t have been able to press charges of assault, as there was no explicit contact or penetration. But is this not yet another case of rape culture reigning victorious over a woman’s right to bodily autonomy?

I believe that the circumstances are important, but certainly not more so than Friendman’s words.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Henrietta Dow hdd@st-andrews.ac.uk

claim to be strongest. With their names known, the public demanded the story behind the moment. The answer is surely not what we imagined it would be.

The facts: the two had never met before, they didn’t meet again until 1980 when Mendonsa was on a date with the woman who he’d later marry and ‘ran into’ Friendman.

Friedman recounts in an interview in 2005 with the Library of Congress, “Suddenly, I was grabbed by a sailor, […] I felt that he was very strong. He was just holding me tight. [. . .] It wasn’t a romantic event. It was just an event of ‘Thank god the war is over.’ […] It wasn’t my choice to be kissed, the guy just came over and grabbed! […] That man was very strong. I wasn’t kissing him. He was kissing me.” Mendonsa is quoted as having had, “quite a few drinks” prior to the encounter.

These words certainly add a new element to the image we all know so well. Throughout the interview, Friedman states that it was an act of celebration, but as any woman who has been accosted or assaulted in the street knows, it has the narrative potential to be a terrifying event. So how do we judge the photo? How are we supposed to interact with the different opinions coming out either claiming the image depicts an act of sexual violence, or insisting that it was just spontaneity and shouldn’t be taken too seriously?

I’ll admit that this conundrum

Time-out on Tennent’s in the Union: a tragedy for studentkind A lamentation of the Union’s decision to deprive us of ‘Scotland’s favourite pint’ and a call to arms

adly, there is no agony aunt column in The Saint. However I have found myself desperately searching for a forum wherein I can air my grievances with what I believe to be one of the greatest social injustices of our time. The issue I have is one which I feel cannot go unnoticed, though I am sure that many of you will be aware of it already, and I don’t doubt that you too are seething with rage over this kick in the gut which we have received at the start of this academic year.

The Union no longer sells Tennent’s.

Now I will admit that I am unaware of the reasoning behind it.

Short of the bar manager suffering a breakdown of clear thought, I can only assume that this decision to move away from the diesel that powers Scotland (the petrol being

fine breeding, whereas Carling has a receding chin, seven webbed fingers and gout. I damn near kicked it out of his hand. Of course I didn’t (my mother raised me well) and I graciously accepted the vessel of stale cat urine which he was proffering, but I was inwardly feeling like someone who thought they were going on a Tinder date with a pure stunner and turned up to see Steve Buscemi fiddling with his cutlery.

What distresses me most is that my academic children (who I am raising this year) will never experience the joy of buying a Tennent’s in the Union for £2.40, and experiencing the cool flow of that king of refreshing alcoholic lager beer rushing over their taste buds, stimulating each one as it plummets to your core. So many first years are missing out on this, and don’t try to tell me that I could get it elsewhere, because there’s something about that low, low price tag which makes the taste of it just so much better. Nothing can truly replace the beauty of a Union Tennent’s and now this opportunity has been taken from them. I know that Theresa May isn’t big on the Human Rights Act, but this really takes the biscuit.

It is because of my disgust at this lack of decent alcoholic sustenance in the Union that I have set up a petition

on change.org (accessible here: https:// the university down, letting your www.change.org/p/st-andrews-studentsparents down, and letting your chilunion-bring-tennent-s-back-to-the-stdren down, but also it would be letandrews-union) in order to try and ting yourself down. restore order to the universe.

You know what the right thing to I urge you, the reader, to sign do is; sign that petition and we can the petition as soon as you get the change this town so despercan. The issue at hand is ately needs. I’m willing to take this to urgent, and it needs to be Holyrood if I have to. addressed. When future You can take our lives, but you’ll historians look back on never take our Tennent’s. the epoch we are now entering, they will see this decision as the reason for the decline of this great town, and will lambast us for not taking action. This is our call to arms, the day we take our stand against an injustice which cannot be allowed to fester in the heart of our beloved town.

To stand idly by and accept what has to be the worst decision since Nixon thought ‘I’d really like to know what the Democrats are doing today’ would be not only letting Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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

Illustration: Flo McQuibban

S

Tom Coombes tc62@st-andrews.ac.uk

Irn-Bru) is down to either licensing issues or a faltering relationship with the Wellpark brewery. This is however unimportant at this juncture because whatever reason there is behind this outrage, it simply isn’t a good enough one.

The moment I realized that this travesty had taken place was as I stood in the queue for the bar on my first night back in this most northern Monaco. What a blow to the frivolity of the evening that was. The friend in front of me, who I had asked to buy my beer for me due to his preferential position at the head of the crowd of shouting, alcohol-fueled cattle which always forms around the Union bar on a busy night, turns to me to inform me that not only is he unable to get me a Tennent’s, but that he has instead bought me a Carling.

Now I can almost forgive this faux-pas, on account of this particular acquaintance’s possession of an American passport. This means that he did not realise that the injustice he had just done to me was equivalent to promising someone a million pounds, and instead kicking them in the nuts, sleeping with their spouse and then giving them a large gas bill.

Tennent’s is a blue-blooded beer; one of pure standing, noble kin and

MONEY Money editor MAYA MORITZ Deputy editor: James Fox

thesaint-online.com/money

@saint_money

money@thesaint-online.com

The clubs to launch your financial dreams

James Fox Deputy money editor

Investment Society Since its foundation in 2012, the Investment Society has quickly emerged as one of St Andrews’ leading financial organisations. It serves as an interactive education and networking tool, with a primary focus on providing students with a platform to advance their interest in banking, investment management and research.

Since winning the Best New Society award in its debut year, InvestSoc has continued to rise, its commitment to providing a platform for members to develop professional skills earning it the title of St Andrews’ Best Society for the last two academic years running. It’s even been named a finalist in the Best University Society National Undergraduate Employability Award for 2016.

“

You can learn the fundamentals of research and analysis based on sound investment principles

Economics Society The Economics Society is well established within the University community. It aims to educate and promote discussion about the economic issues which affect everyone amongst economists and non-economists alike.

For anyone who studies economics, or simply those with a passing interest in economic issues, this society is great to get

Management Society The Management Society’s chief goal is to provide a link between academic enquiry and real-world business by hosting a wide variety of events and speakers designed to inspire the next generation of successful business people.

In the past, MNG Society has been know to host graduate employers seeking out the brightest business minds St Andrews has to offer, as well as speakers from a wide range of the world’s top companies, including Estée Lauder, Coca-Cola, Tiffany & Co, Spotify, Topshop, British Airways and Land Rover. Already this year the MNG Society has hosted a talk with a prominent fashion sales entrepreneur, but it’s not too late for students to catch the next remarkable speaker.

By offering a glimpse into the world of so many different industries, including finance, consulting, fashion and entertainment, the society hopes to aid students in finding a career with which they are truly happy. They have also partnered with the Prince’s Trust, recognising the importance of giving back to those less fortunate.

In the year to come, the society will be hosting a variety of speaker events, theme-based conferences and educational careers workshops together with sponsors and society socials. MNG also stages a

lm ren Ho

es

involved in, as it offers ample opportunity to learn about current events and develop real, transferable skills.

Both members and non-members can write for the society magazine, The St Andrews Economist. Membership also allows access to lectures from speakers at the forefront of the discipline, giving students the chance to talk to professionals about current issues.

Other upcoming events include a “Meet the Summer Intern” e ve n i n g

where members can learn about securing placements and life as an intern at some of the world’s leading organisations, from JP Morgan to the British government. There will also be a “Banking vs Consultancy” debate featuring professional experts from the likes of Bank of America to Merrill Lynch and PwC. Also look out for the club’s most popular event, the Bull and Bear Ball.

Though ostensibly for the weary economics students the club mostly serves, the ball attracts a crowd of partygoers who study everything from theoretical physics to the chapters of Kafka.

At £5 a year, joining the Economics Society represents excellent value for money. Not only does it offer a discount on all books at Blackwell’s, but society members can attend the numerous events hosted throughout the year, including socials, book clubs and career events.

u tion: La Illustra

For its some 300 members, InvestSoc hosts many events, such as corporate recruitment sessions hosted by international banks, educational talks for both the advanced and novice investor, professional speaker events, weekly fund meetings for analysts and a biannual stock picking evening.

If you missed Fidelity’s Stock Pitch and networking event, make sure to catch the 26 September autumn careers event featuring Deloitte.

For budding investors, InvestSoc is the perfect place to gain real experience, affording members the opportunity to directly participate in the society’s global equities portfolio. Here, you can learn the fundamentals of research and analysis based on sound investment principles.

To do so, members are divided into groups based on sectors wherein teams pitch stocks to the entirety of the society. A vote determines which stocks will enter the portfolio, and students can then watch how their choices fare in the months following their pitch. The stocks chosen often come as a surprise -- salmon companies from the Faroe Islands can beat

out British gambling companies.

The society is the perfect platform for anyone hoping to take his or her interest in investment beyond university. It exposes members to a broad range of financial and investment services skills, giving unparalleled knowledge and industry exposure, as well as providing access to a global network of leading organisations and individuals.

Joining is as easy as attending any society event, which is frequently advertised on the InvestSoc Facebook page. Alternatively, you can sign up for the group’s online mailing list and even join the society fund as an analyst. In doing so, you would be joining one of the University’s most exciting, driven and lucrative societies. Joining costs only £10 per annum.

number of events aimed at post-graduate students.

For £5 a year, membership not only grants access to the society’s numerous events, but also provides offers at a number of local businesses in

Speakers from a wide range of the world’s top companies including Estée Lauder, Coca-Cola, Tiffany & Co, Spotify, Topshop, British Airways and Land Rover

”

town. At the Rule members enjoy 25% off selected food and drink, queue skips and free entry before midnight.

Above all, being a member means that you are part of a society committed to inspiring confidence in taking the next step in what members believe is an uncertain world for graduates in subjects such as management.

The society offers perhaps the broadest range of expertise of any St Andrews society and encourages members of all degree classifications to go out and be successful.

Other Societies By no means are these three clubs a comprehensive list of the monetary and fiscal life of the university. St Andrews boasts consultancy groups such as the Playfair Group; enticing opportunities for the soon-to-be self-employed, like the Entrepreneur Society; and charitable groups such as Women 4 Women.

Personal finance can also be managed through new clubs like the Thrift Society, which specializes in saving students money on clothing.

Some societies, including the Global Investment Group, offer similar activities to those described previously.

Charities like Unicef and Oxfam seek to increase the financial independence of those living in the third world, establishing them as another form of economic group within St Andrews.

For the eager student, opportunities abound to study, explore and enter the world of finance, business or consulting. Your financial future could be one club away.

MONEY Money editor MAYA MORITZ Deputy editor: James Fox

thesaint-online.com/money

@saint_money

money@thesaint-online.com

The clubs to launch your financial dreams

James Fox Deputy money editor

Investment Society Since its foundation in 2012, the Investment Society has quickly emerged as one of St Andrews’ leading financial organisations. It serves as an interactive education and networking tool, with a primary focus on providing students with a platform to advance their interest in banking, investment management and research.

Since winning the Best New Society award in its debut year, InvestSoc has continued to rise, its commitment to providing a platform for members to develop professional skills earning it the title of St Andrews’ Best Society for the last two academic years running. It’s even been named a finalist in the Best University Society National Undergraduate Employability Award for 2016.

“

You can learn the fundamentals of research and analysis based on sound investment principles

Economics Society The Economics Society is well established within the University community. It aims to educate and promote discussion about the economic issues which affect everyone amongst economists and non-economists alike.

For anyone who studies economics, or simply those with a passing interest in economic issues, this society is great to get

Management Society The Management Society’s chief goal is to provide a link between academic enquiry and real-world business by hosting a wide variety of events and speakers designed to inspire the next generation of successful business people.

In the past, MNG Society has been know to host graduate employers seeking out the brightest business minds St Andrews has to offer, as well as speakers from a wide range of the world’s top companies, including Estée Lauder, Coca-Cola, Tiffany & Co, Spotify, Topshop, British Airways and Land Rover. Already this year the MNG Society has hosted a talk with a prominent fashion sales entrepreneur, but it’s not too late for students to catch the next remarkable speaker.

By offering a glimpse into the world of so many different industries, including finance, consulting, fashion and entertainment, the society hopes to aid students in finding a career with which they are truly happy. They have also partnered with the Prince’s Trust, recognising the importance of giving back to those less fortunate.

In the year to come, the society will be hosting a variety of speaker events, theme-based conferences and educational careers workshops together with sponsors and society socials. MNG also stages a

lm ren Ho

es

involved in, as it offers ample opportunity to learn about current events and develop real, transferable skills.

Both members and non-members can write for the society magazine, The St Andrews Economist. Membership also allows access to lectures from speakers at the forefront of the discipline, giving students the chance to talk to professionals about current issues.

Other upcoming events include a “Meet the Summer Intern” e ve n i n g

where members can learn about securing placements and life as an intern at some of the world’s leading organisations, from JP Morgan to the British government. There will also be a “Banking vs Consultancy” debate featuring professional experts from the likes of Bank of America to Merrill Lynch and PwC. Also look out for the club’s most popular event, the Bull and Bear Ball.

Though ostensibly for the weary economics students the club mostly serves, the ball attracts a crowd of partygoers who study everything from theoretical physics to the chapters of Kafka.

At £5 a year, joining the Economics Society represents excellent value for money. Not only does it offer a discount on all books at Blackwell’s, but society members can attend the numerous events hosted throughout the year, including socials, book clubs and career events.

u tion: La Illustra

For its some 300 members, InvestSoc hosts many events, such as corporate recruitment sessions hosted by international banks, educational talks for both the advanced and novice investor, professional speaker events, weekly fund meetings for analysts and a biannual stock picking evening.

If you missed Fidelity’s Stock Pitch and networking event, make sure to catch the 26 September autumn careers event featuring Deloitte.

For budding investors, InvestSoc is the perfect place to gain real experience, affording members the opportunity to directly participate in the society’s global equities portfolio. Here, you can learn the fundamentals of research and analysis based on sound investment principles.

To do so, members are divided into groups based on sectors wherein teams pitch stocks to the entirety of the society. A vote determines which stocks will enter the portfolio, and students can then watch how their choices fare in the months following their pitch. The stocks chosen often come as a surprise -- salmon companies from the Faroe Islands can beat

out British gambling companies.

The society is the perfect platform for anyone hoping to take his or her interest in investment beyond university. It exposes members to a broad range of financial and investment services skills, giving unparalleled knowledge and industry exposure, as well as providing access to a global network of leading organisations and individuals.

Joining is as easy as attending any society event, which is frequently advertised on the InvestSoc Facebook page. Alternatively, you can sign up for the group’s online mailing list and even join the society fund as an analyst. In doing so, you would be joining one of the University’s most exciting, driven and lucrative societies. Joining costs only £10 per annum.

number of events aimed at post-graduate students.

For £5 a year, membership not only grants access to the society’s numerous events, but also provides offers at a number of local businesses in

Speakers from a wide range of the world’s top companies including Estée Lauder, Coca-Cola, Tiffany & Co, Spotify, Topshop, British Airways and Land Rover

”

town. At the Rule members enjoy 25% off selected food and drink, queue skips and free entry before midnight.

Above all, being a member means that you are part of a society committed to inspiring confidence in taking the next step in what members believe is an uncertain world for graduates in subjects such as management.

The society offers perhaps the broadest range of expertise of any St Andrews society and encourages members of all degree classifications to go out and be successful.

Other Societies By no means are these three clubs a comprehensive list of the monetary and fiscal life of the university. St Andrews boasts consultancy groups such as the Playfair Group; enticing opportunities for the soon-to-be self-employed, like the Entrepreneur Society; and charitable groups such as Women 4 Women.

Personal finance can also be managed through new clubs like the Thrift Society, which specializes in saving students money on clothing.

Some societies, including the Global Investment Group, offer similar activities to those described previously.

Charities like Unicef and Oxfam seek to increase the financial independence of those living in the third world, establishing them as another form of economic group within St Andrews.

For the eager student, opportunities abound to study, explore and enter the world of finance, business or consulting. Your financial future could be one club away.

14 Money

22 September 2016 • The Saint

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New kids on the block: waffles, PROUST watermelon and wasabi, oh my QUESTIONNAIRE David Hallengren

What has been your favorite experience as a lecturer? Lecturing in front of 230 students.

I pretend everybody has been queuing for hours just to come and see me lecture.

What has been your most challenging experience as a lecturer?

Forgetting all my slides. Free-styling for an hour is more challenging than you think.

If you could not work in your current field, what would you do instead? Solve the Collatz conjecture.

If you could fix one problem in the world, what would it be? As a macroeconomist, experiencing a financial crisis unfold is awesome. I want to experience it again.

The problem is crises are not so good for society. I want to fix the world of financial crises. Not sure I can have both, though.

What is the best piece of advice anyone has given you? Be entrepreneurial. Not sure it’s the best advice – I’ve just been given it – but I’m testing it out…

What is your motto? Go for it.

Where is your favourite place to travel? Anywhere I haven’t been yet.

The Western Isles are currently top of the list.

What are you currently reading?

How to Train Your Dragon and Fat Cat on a Mat. Now guess the age of my kids.

What book should everybody read at least once? Americana [by Chimanmanda Ngozi Adichie].

“

Whether it’s dinner, snacks or desserts, the town is offering up many new options for culinary adventurers

shop is on South Street across from the Baptist Church.

For lighter fare, Toro Tapas brings a Spanish night out tradition to St Andrews. Opened by second years Felix Arris, Isidora Grgur, Sophia Caragianis and chef Joshua Foo, the pop-up restaurant is sure to cause a stir among trendier circles when it opens its doors on 23 September.

Students are already signing up on a Facebook event page that promises limited tickets for the bar’s first reincarnation since last April.

Toro Tapas is less a restaurant than a hotly anticipated social event ap-

pealing to gourmands. It’s a pop-up eatery opening for one night every five weeks at a new venue, keeping eager customers on their toes.

The food on offer is not traditional either, but Spanish-inspired fusion.

The menu is compact but surprisingly affordable (tapas: £3; paellas: £5). If Japanese pork meatballs tapas with a tomato goma dressing sounds appealing, then make sure to check out this event. Vegetarians will be happy to hear that meat-free options also make a good showing.

It’s worth noting, however, that 23 September takes on a slightly different format, as paellas will be replaced by mains for the same £5 price.

Additionally, if you want to sip a glass of rioja with your moscato baked camembert, plan to bring the wine with you, as the entire evening is BYOB. Last but not least, Taste of Scotland is replacing the school apparel store beside Tesco in an expansion from its Edinburgh stores. True to its name, the store will be packed with Caledonian merchandise and pride.

Sweet-toothed shoppers will be drawn to the Scottish confectionery, which is to include fudge and tablet (a brittle fudge of Scottish origin).

Customers with mature palates will be enticed by a wide selection of Scottish-distilled gin, whiskies and an extensive array of Scottish craft beers.

For souvenirs, the store is stocked with unique Scottish gifts. Tastings will abound, so make sure to stay up to date as the store arrives on the corner of Market Street and Bell Street.

Illustration: Beatrice Herman

The Saint: What is your idea of perfect happiness? Oliver de Groot: Getting into bed, a freshly made bed.

What is your current state of mind?

Stressed. I should be preparing lecture slides and not doing questionnaires.

Which talent would you most like to have? Being able to remember song lyrics and lines from films.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Still to come.

What is the quality you most like in a professor? Bad jokes.

What is the quality you most like in a student? I like all students that are interested in learning.

Who was your favourite teacher/ professor and why? Professor Sean Holly at Cambridge.

He tried to crack so many jokes and never got a laugh. That was hilarious in itself.

He was also a great lecturer and kindled my interest in monetary policy.

What are you currently researching? That’s top secret – I don’t trust people not to steal my ideas any more.

Which person in your field do you most admire? Ben Bernanke – to be a great academic and policy maker is truly extraordinary. I hope he wins the Noble Prize one day.

What inspired you to pursue your current career? Too lazy to apply for investment banking jobs and read the “Companies and Markets” section of The Financial Times.

When did you know what you wanted to do in life? I still don’t.

To the delight of locals, tourists and students, a slew of new businesses are opening in St Andrews this year.

Whether it’s dinner, snacks or dessert, the town is offering up many options for culinary adventurers.

For those with a sweet tooth, the St Andrews Waffle Company is launching in early October. In lieu of the traditional breakfast waffle, the incoming eatery offers liege waffles, which are typically a more intense and sweet variety. The business, which bases its dough on the popular brioche pastry, dubs the meal “sugar waffles,” according to spokesperson Chris Rose.

The new kid on the block should not be pigeonholed, however. The restaurant also serves locally roasted high-end coffee, specialty looseleaf tea, luxury Scottish dairy ice cream and milkshakes. Keep an eye out for promotions as the opening nears.

St Andrews Waffle Company can be found at 131 South Street, adjacent to the Oxfam charity shop.

For the more health-conscious consumer, a new stop for fresh groceries is coming our way. Heart Space Whole Foods, also opening in October, is expanding from its original store in Dundee. The shop owners believe that healthy eating makes for good living, according to spokesperson Ian Alexander.

Among a long and comprehensive list of offerings, some items of particular interest include the artisan breads and chocolates. The store will also sell

Second year runs local city council member’s campaign Natasha Franks Events editor Flyering and 60-hour work weeks are not considered enticements in any career. For a volunteer position, they would typically be deterrents.

Yet Jonathon Skavroneck describes his role with enthusiasm. For three months, he worked as a deputy campaign manager for Benny Zhang, candidate for the Williamsburg City Council.

Despite boasting a political resume to rival most graduates, Skavroneck is in a second year IR student freshly arrived in St Andrews following one year at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. In his first year, he was approached with the opportunity to join Zhang’s campaign as a recruiter focused entirely on convincing people to register to vote. Skavroneck devoted himself to the task and within a few weeks had managed to register more individuals than the rest of his team combined.

This efficiency resulted in a promotion. In keeping with the young spirit of the 22-year-old Zhang, Skavroneck assumed the position of deputy campaign manager. His 14-hour workdays consisted of strategy meetings,

Photo: Jonathon Skavroneck

Illustration: Beatrice Herman

The Saint’s version of Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire kicks off with economics lecturer Oliver de Groot

gluten-free, wheat-free, vegan, vegetarian and even paleo options, as well as an extensive range of local, seasonal and organic produce, super-foods and fair-trade goods.

There’s a 10% discount on offer for students, so don’t forget to bring your matric card in your reusable bag. The

cold calls and debate preparation alongside his position as a student.

When recounting the experience, Skavroneck emphasizes the grassroots nature of the campaign. As students, the team could easily have been overwhelmed by the sudden responsibility being placed on their shoulders. No one was standing over their shoulders offering advice; everything,

from organizing bus routes to charting economic growth, would come from the minds of Zhang, Skavroneck and the rest of the group.

As voting day approached, incentives became a priority: banners, doughnuts, crisps and guacamole were all included in the budget as a means of physically drawing people to the polls. Skavroneck says the adrenaline felt in these moments came from the knowledge that every vote marked the culmination of his candidate’s efforts. When Zhang emerged victorious, it was a triumph for every volunteer who had knocked on doors and appeared at rallies alongside him.

Skavroneck admits that he would not consider going into politics as a candidate; however, he leaves the door open for behind-the-scenes work. The sabbatical race and elections for the local Fife Council are among the opportunities due to arise during his time at St Andrews.

Enterprising and driven, Skavroneck will surely make the most of them.

The Saint • 22 September 2016

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Money 15

What does it take to change your degree?

The Saint spoke to students who switched courses with ease and those who had a more difficult process One of the big draws of St Andrews is the idea that no student is stuck studying a degree they no longer wish to pursue. St Andrews often emphasizes that because each student takes three different modules per semester, students’ experience allows for a wider

“

Graham Reid claims to have been able to change his degrees not once, but thrice, with great ease all three times

breadth of study and therefore more room to change areas.

The premise is more compatible with the model found in American liberal arts universities than threeyear English programs; however, there has been some contention as to whether changing degree is actually as simple as the administration makes it out to be or if it is just not worth the

hassle.

As a second year, I know quite a few people (including myself) who have now changed their degrees either by choice or by departmental suggestion.

My experience in changing degrees was relatively simple in comparison to others I have discussed. My advisor suggested I re-evaluate my options to find a degree that I was more suited for. We thought that changing my degree might help me pursue my interests as well as fully enjoy university life. My change was surprisingly easy and speedily done during an advising meeting. This may, however, be due to the fact that I did not have too much of a choice in the matter.

For two good friends of mine, changing degrees proved not only difficult but unmanageable. This came as a shock, as they are both top students.

Each had read through the handbook, which boasted that a change was not only possible, but easily available.

Unfortunately, upon speaking to their advisors, there seemed to be a lot of controversy within their respective departments as to whether or not they would be allowed to change. After having gone to the top in their departments, one was told that a change was impossible, whilst the other was told that she would have to carry on for an extra year at the university.

Another student unsatisfied with the system is second year Daisy Treloar, who was able to change degrees from classics to art history. Still, she claims to not have been complete-

ly happy with the options available to her.

“I just recently changed from classics (Latin and Greek) to history of art, which I did not entirely want to do, to

I had to choose between two subjects that I love, which, in my opinion, defeats the point of the open system Scottish universities have adopted

”

be honest,” Ms Treloar said. “I was only trying to avoid Greek. I would have preferred history of art and Latin as a joint honours, but they clashed, which I found rather ridiculous considering how relevant they are to one another. So, in the end, I had to choose between two subjects that I love, which, in my opinion, defeats the point of the open system Scottish universities have adopted.”

Nevertheless, second year Graham Reid claims to have been able to change his degrees not once, but thrice, with great ease all three times.

He stated that after he applied to university, he fell in love with the modern languages he took in Highers and decided to embark on a modern languages degree, taking philosophy as a third subject.

He soon realized that philosophy was his true passion and decided to pursue a degree in what was initially his third module.

“It was so easy,” he told me. “All I had to do was go in, request a change, and boom, it was done. Simple as that, and now I’ve gone from studying French to philosophy.”

So, it seems as though the University has one very happy customer and, perhaps more importantly, an incredibly satisfied student.

I suppose the University would want me to say this is a system that works incredibly well but has its flaws like all systems.

In this case, it seems as though changing degrees is easy to do in some cases, namely to save a degree or switch from one department to another one entirely.

I would say that here in Scotland, we are fortunate enough to even have the option to change course, even if the process itself may be a tad arduous for some.

Several of my friends down south have complained about the rigidity of their courses and the lack of flexibility in their departments and overall system. Upon reflection, I suppose I can conclude that this really is a luxury problem.

Illustration: Cosette Puckett

Victoria Gilbert

ASK MONEY

All of your financial questions answered by Harry Clough ing to be more profitable than others, thereby making better investment decisions.

An example will help visualize the simplicity of the metric. If I were to invest £3,500 in British Airways this year and sell my acquired stocks a year later for £4,750, I can use the calculation thus: (£4,750-£3,500) / 3,500, which equals 0.35 or 35% ROI. When compared against an investment that gave an ROI of less than 35%, you could decide to go forward with the investment that gave the most profitability.

ROI differs from profit, however. I

would say that ROI gives a more objective way of looking at possible investments as opposed to profit. Profit is a financial gain, namely the difference between the amount of money earned and the amount spent.

If you decided which investment to proceed with based purely on the profit, you are not seeing the entire picture and may not choose the most rewarding investment.

On the other hand, ROI allows you to see the investment that makes the most profit considering how much money was invested in the first place.

Consider these investments: in-

vesting 10,000 and getting 12,000 return, and investing 4,000 and getting 7,550 return. The ROI for these investments show that the first investment’s ROI is 20% but the second investment’s ROI is 80%, meaning that there is a far greater return on the second, less profitable investment.

To sum up, when considering investments, don’t only look only for profit, but the percentage return as well using the ROI calculation.

This will yield more successful outcomes whether you are trying to beat the stock market or embark on your own entrepreneurial adventure.

Have a question for Ask Money? No matter how basic or complex, email money@thesaint-online.com with any and all queries about finance, business, consulting or money, and your question could be featured in the next column.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

What is ROI? How is it different from profit, and why should I use one over another?

ROI stands for return on investment, a popular measure used to work out the efficiency of an investment and what you can expect to gain or lose from it.

The calculation, which is simple to grasp and carry out, handily shows the profitability of any given investment.

Take your end earnings and subtract your original investment. Then divide by the original investment. To ease matters even more, divide net profit by total assets. If an investor were to look at various kinds of investments using ROI, he or she could work out which investments are go-

FEATURES Features editor: OLIVIA GAVOYANNIS

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features@thesaint-online.com

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The road less travelled

Photo by: Charles Stevens

Charles Stevens discusses his Beijing to Tehran challenge

Kenalyn Ang

D

uring the first week of lectures I sat down with fresher Charles Stevens to talk about his cycling trip from Beijing to Tehran. This was a three-month long challenge that saw Mr Stevens, and his friend Will Hsu cross nine different countries.

Although Mr Stevens had only been in the UK for a mere four days when I interviewed him he was eager to chat, sporting a healthy tan and an easy smile. Having raised over £20,000 for the charity A Child Unheard (ACU) on his 10,000 kilometres cycle challenge, he had a lot to be positive about.

The adventure started in the summer of 2013, when Mr Stevens and his friend Mr Hsu volunteered at a school in Ghana, working as teachers and helping run the school. The two immediately bonded with people at the school, and the cause became dear to their hearts. Two years later, in 2015, the pair learned the school was struggling to stay open due to inadequate funding. A family friend of Mr Hsu had founded A Child Unheard, and after hearing that the school might have to close down Mr Stevens and Mr Hsu decided to partner with the charity to raise the necessary funds to keep the school running. This was when the idea to cycle the Silk Road was formulated, as it presented an opportunity for the students to challenge themselves, travel to see new parts of the world and raise money to keep the school open. “It was very clear in our minds why we were doing this, but it was also a personal challenge in a sense that I wanted to see how much I could push myself” said Mr Stevens.

While the idea to cycle was conceived approximately 18 months be-

fore the journey began, it wasn’t until eight months before they set off on the expedition that the pair began to train in earnest. The pair started exercising at the gym and Mr Stevens attended physiotherapy to strengthen his back.

Their typical weekly schedule included both physical and mental preparations: they started spinning at the gym, reached out to cyclists who had done similar things and read extensively on cycling and adventures such as theirs to try and picture what they should expect. However, while the months of preparation brought them to a higher calibre of physical and mental strength, the joys and hardships they were to endure for the next three months were a one of a kind experience for the two friends.

When asked about the details of the journey, and if there were any moments when the task of cycling to Tehran seemed unachievable, Mr Stevens sat silently for a moment, thinking it over before replying: “there’s a sort of detachment from any resemblance of what you remember, and it’s difficult.”

However, the most difficult challenge for Mr Stevens was the repetition of living life on the go and keeping up momentum amongst the natural elements and eerie silence for three months. “The toughest thing was knowing that after three weeks of cycling, you still have ninety days left and for every single one of those days, you will be doing the same,” he said.

Mr Stevens continued to say that at times, after a long hard ten hours of cycling he would think, ‘it’ll get better’, only to have it worse the next day, and the next. “[The journey] was a process of self-awareness, and realizing your priorities in life, realizing where you snap… the point where

you break down and cry,” he said. “I didn’t come down to that point, but there were certainly moments when I came close.”

In addition to these psychological demands, the first real physical test emerged in the Gobi Desert early on in the challenge. After the first few days of smooth cycling the pair were

“

[The journey] was a process of self-awareness, and realizing your priorities in life, realizing where you snap

swept up in three days of sandstorms and heavy winds. “The wind is very difficult. It’s fickle, not tangible, and it gives no satisfaction. When you ride up a hill and look down, you can say ‘this is what I’ve achieved’, but with the wind, there is none of that,” he said.

During these three days, the friends were forced to wear glasses, and the sand would constantly destroy their bikes, interfering with the chains and brackets. “You could just feel your bicycle creaking under you,” Mr Stevens laughed.

On a good day with no heavy winds, the friends cycled an average 20mph, around 30km a day. However, during these three days, they were reduced to travelling at 6mph at several instances. this speed with 160km left

Despite the struggles and harsh environments, the overall experience was a rewarding one for Mr Stevens.

For the avid traveller and enthusiastic explorer in him, the experience of being surrounded by nature and wilderness was an amazing one.“It distils life,” he gushed. “You’ve got your bike, food, nature, and you’ve got people.”

As a student who is starting a history degree at the University of St Andrews this semester, Mr Stevens found the opportunity to experience the Silk Road first-hand, which was a dream come true. “It was interesting seeing the history in it, the fable silk road cities. It was also interesting seeing the progression of the people’s features, as the physical facial features from China through to Mongolia changed,” he said.

For Mr Stevens, the Silk Road is more significant than just a road. “It’s more of a metaphor for connectivity and motivation, and in that sense, I think the Silk Road transcends its historical roots,” He said. “It’s not a singular linear road” instead suggesting that “it’s more than a linear point A to B.” Since his arrival back home, Mr Stevens has hardly had time to look back on his travels and is still readjusting to westernernised living. “It’s difficult being back,” he admitted.

“I’m not used to sleeping in a bed, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it very soon!”

Taking the time to think back to the experience in our interview, Mr Stevens beamed as he recounted the events that concluded their trip in Tehran. “The day before our arrival, the ambassador had been upgraded from chargé d’affaires to ambassador.

It was a very big deal in the city, and despite the political perceptions of

Iran, the people were really nice to us. We were honoured to meet the ambassador when we arrived, and it was a nice conclusion to our trip,” Mr Stevens said.

However, the progress leading up to this conclusion was slow, and Mr Stevens admits that the trip has increased his appreciation of small luxuries, some things as simple as having extra time to read a book.

Referring to Maslow’s theory of a hierarchy of needs, Mr Stevens said of the trip, “You were reduced to the lowest levels, spending your whole time trying to survive. So yeah, it’s nice being back and having a drink.

I’m very glad to be back to see friends and family,” he said.

He also noted that it’s nice to be able to speak the language that he is used to. Mr Stevens concluded our inerview with a final comment, “[The journey was] a gradual transition, one that was very fitting with the landscape. It was amazing to wake up one morning to green, lush valleys, and end the day with semi-arid deserts.”

Mr Stevens and Mr Hsu are now two of the youngest individuals to have cycled the Silk Road. The students have successfully raised 98% of their targeted £25,000, for A Child Unheard, and most importantly, the school in Ghana is guaranteed to stay open.

When asked what was next on his agenda, Mr. Stevens noted his hopes of continuing work with ACU, and laughed as he listed a few general ideas, not wanting to divulge too much.

Visit http://beijingtotehran. com/#intro to learn more about the trip, and http://www.achildunheard.com/ to learn more about the charity A Child Unheard.

The Saint • 22 September 2016

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Features 17

The shop with a Zest for life M

any students at our university relish the opportunity to part with their money in Zest, a local café and salad bar in St Andrews.

However, how many of them actually know where the money they spend there goes? The Saint sat down with Lisa Cathro, the owner of Zest, to find out more about the string of projects that the Zest team is involved in.

Zest has grown as a result of a desire to help others live fulfilled lives, a cause that is championed by the owner herself. Ms Cathro is passionate about human welfare and has spoken publicly in the past about her experiences as a victim of domestic abuse as well as about her struggle with depression and anxiety.

Ms Cathro began the business with little experience and limited funds shortly before the economic recession began. She admits, “I had no idea how to run a business never mind navigate it through the recession, so it was a huge learning curve, it was massive. We got through, made a lot of mistakes, learnt from them, fixed it.”

Not long after Ms Cathro had taken charge of the business she was approached by Fife Council Supported Employment Service and asked if she would provide a placement for someone with learning difficulties.

It was this experience that led her to not only seek support herself, but also to her finding what she truly wanted to achieve with her business.

Following this Zest began to offer placements to men from local prisons, which Ms Cathro believes will serve them well upon their release.

Speaking about this ongoing arrangement, she said: “If the prisoners know they have perspective employers who know they’ve been inside, they can phone me and have a chat. It’s mainly about confidence, and getting used to being in a normal environment, having normal conversations, getting to know people, building relationships and learning skills.”

The rest of the Zest team are now heavily involved in teaching and training, and Ms Cathro has attended various courses including as Mental Health First Aid which have

equipped her for widening her range of employees. For example, Zest has now worked with Enable Scotland, Fife College and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as part of its mission to provide supported employment.

Even after setting up all of these new ventures, the Zest team did not stop the expansion of their community work there. Following the initial prison work placements, Ms Cathro started up an employability course that lead to her teaching groups within the prison advanced skills, and even finding them work experience in branches of Costa around the Dundee and Perth area.

Her next employability training course with ten inmates is set to begin shortly, and new apprentices will soon begin work in both the café and salad bar.

Moreover, the team will soon embark on a series of new projects, which include sponsoring and running a workshop for the Fine Dining Society, beginning their own Wednesday afternoon ‘Introduction to Coffee’ classes and heading the campaign to make St Andrews a dementia-friendly community.

Furthermore, due to the lack of Fairtrade branding in Zest, many people are unaware of the superior nature of the coffee they serve. Ms Cathro who, along with her café manager, is an internationally trained Master Barista and one of only five coffee trainers in Scotland, is proud to use her friends’ Aberfeldy based coffee company, Glen Lyon.

She said: “speciality grade is like the top 5 per cent of all the coffee in the world and there’s only about 5% per cent of cafés that actually sell speciality grade, but it’s increasing, especially in London.”

Continuing, she added, “For our coffee, we pay about 10 to 20 pe cent above Fair-trade prices. That’s because the farmers are rewarded for putting the time and effort in to learn about how to grow excellent coffee. They’re not given handouts, they’re not given subsidies, they earn that.”

Ms Cathro explained that there was a large difference in farmers who wanted to work for themelves and those employed at large plantations.

“So people who are looking for an organic label, [generally find that from

coffee that comes from] bigger farms that have been certified, whereas [Zest] is buying from really small farms that are doing things really well and producing a great crop, but they’re maybe not wanting to spend that extra money” she said.

The coffee isn’t the only thing to be paid attention to. Responding to the increase in dietary reuirements and preferences, Zest not only has a delicious display of gluten-free cakes on offer in the café, but has also opened a salad bar on Market Streetm, creating a haven for vegetarians, vegan those who live by clean-eating.

When asked in what way she believes Zest can cater for this market, Ms Cathro answered, “At the salad bar, we get everyone who’s got allergies or can’t have certain things. There are so many vegan options with all the juices.”

It is clear that while we may thoughtlessly purchase refreshments and food without giving a second thought to their origins or to the staff who serve them to us, every detail is considered at Zest, by a team cromprised of individuals who are passionate about both people and produce. With very little funding available to them, it is Zest’s customers who make the team’s work possible.

Ms Cathro is appreciative of the support that she has built up in St Andrews saying, “We have ended up having a much stronger team ethic and much stronger team, and it has become more like a family.”

She publicly recognised this by changing the slogan of the shops to ‘Together We Are Zest’ because, as she points out, “it’s all about the people, if it was just me it wouldn’t work.”

Photo by Sammi Ciardi

by CATRIONA AITKEN

18 Features

22 September 2016 • The Saint

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Need help? Just...

Kait Macdonald

B

eing at university can be like walking a tight rope above a deep chasm. However, there is a safety net at the bottom, ready to catch you and put you back on your feet. It’s called Student Services.

As Dr Chris Lusk, the Director of Student Services explains, Student Services is the university unit that runs all of student support. The unit makes sure that all students regardless of year, social and medical background are looked a f t e r mentally and aca-

months. “Now we just don’t do that, she said.

Adding that in St Andrews, support is available immediately and in the interim.

Having such high demand for counsellors as early as week one is a recent phenomenon: “In past years it might take us to the middle of October to fill up,” Dr Lusk explains. “But over time it’s dramatically increased.”

This reflects a change in society where mental illnesses are less stigmatised, and now students are not as reluctant to ‘ASC’ for help.

Although counsellors are an option, for most students ‘resiliency training’ is enough to help them cope.

“It’s all about helping students to be resilient

and to be prepared before they get to a stage of being in crisis or very unhappy,”Dr Lusk explains.

To do this, Student Services focuses “on trying to give people the tools they need to be able to help themselves.”

This “is not us opting out of our responsibilities,” Dr Lusk stressed, but rather a way of “helping students to be resilient and to be prepared before they get to a stage of being in crisis or very unhappy.”

Student Services does, after all, have finite resources.

B y e m phasising resiliency they can free up counsellors’ and support advisers’ time to help students that really need them for long-term specialised care, rather than s t u dents who need help gett i n g over a bad day.

Additionally, by learning to deal with small wobbles before they turn into anything greater students can spend less time worrying and more time enjoying ourselves and being productive. Not to mention that these skills will help throughout their working lives.

To help students avoid falling from the tightrope, Student Services runs different workshops throughout the academic year to help new and old students settle in and deal with common trials along the way, such as exams. Orientation kicks off the calendar while a new programme of

Wellbeing Workshops has been rolled out. The purpose of these workshops is to help students build up their own capabilities by developing coping strategies and giving tips. They cover common issues such as settling in, dealing with perfectionism, and exam stress. The full schedule can be found in the ASC or online, but some require online enrolment or a referral from a support adviser.

There are also online workshops, such as SilverCloud. This is a new programme of workbooks on subjects such as depression, body image, and stress. It has been designed so that students can do units by themselves or alongside a Support Adviser.

Student

Services was also behind the Sexual Consent workshops last year, as part of the Stand Together Programme. This year the programme will be expanded to include mental health, alcohol and drugs.

The aim of these workshops is to raise awareness and to strengthen The Bubble’s community feel by helping students look out

f o r each other better.

If you have a learning difficulty, mental or physical disability, specialists are available to give confidential advice and support. Disability specialists liaise with academic schools to organise academic allowances, which include alternative format suites and extra time in exams. They also work with student accommodation to provide a room in halls that best suit students’ needs, wherever possible, or assist in contacting social services for organising independent living support. It is recommended that students register their disability and contact the team as soon as possible to make the necessary arrangements.

Another challenge that some students at St Andrews have to deal with is the process of applying and extending visas.

This can be difficult and confusing, which is why a team of immigration specialists is on hand for international students. For example, if your visa is about to expire over the summer or you need proof of education Student Services can help you to get the necessary documentation together.

For general legal concerns and ques-

Illustration by Beatrice Herman

demically.

Their services are varied to reflect our diverse student body and its different needs.

They aim to cater for all of the students at the University of St Andrews, ranging from 17-year old freshers living away from home for the first time to fourth years about to enter the real world and postgraduates worrying about funding or their families.

To access the different services students can go to the ‘front door,’ located on North Street the Advice and Support Centre (ASC) is home to support advisers and many specialists, whom students can see to have their queries and worries answered.

Support advisers are trained in positive psychology, general life coaching and other counselling skills.

They primarily provide short-term support.

Supposing you felt as though you were in meltdown, Dr Lusk says, you’d be guaranteed to see a support adviser within one day.

They are not specialists or counsellors themselves, b u t will

refer you on to a specialist with the relevant training and legal backing if necessary. During a 30-minute consultation they can also help students learn the necessary skills to cope with life’s ups and downs. There are advance and walk-in appointments available.

Student Services also employs counsellors, who exist to provide long-term and in-depth care for particular issues. Currently, there is a two-week waiting period to see a counsellor, but to ensure that “nobody is abandoned” support advisers are available for regular sessions until more counsellors are brought in to meet the demand.

During our interview Dr Lusk spoke of one particular university in Scotland that’s got a five month waiting list just to see counsellors and they’ve got n o t h ing in those five

tions, the ASC also hosts fortnightly clinics with local law practices that provide free initial consultations.

Students can ask questions on anything, including getting deposits back and accommodation problems.

Another important skill that you learn at university is budgeting. If you are struggling with this, or don’t know where to start, support advisers can help you. However, if you still find yourself broke before the end of the semester, or worrying about how you will pay your rent for the next month, don’t panic! As Dr Lusk emphasises, “There shouldn’t be an excuse for any student to be poverty stricken and starving in the streets,” which is why students can be referred to a financial adviser when they are struggling with money. These advisors have the power to draw upon Hardship Funds to help pay for rent, or for whatever else the money is needed for.

Students can also find out about different bursaries and grants that are available at the ASC. Student services even has an events support section.

S t Andrews is regularly rocked by hundreds of students taking part in our annual traditions of Raisin and May Dip, usually after a few drinks, sometimes taking part in regrettable activities.

So to ensure the safety of all participants and bystanders, the police and ambulance service are going to be more involved with this year’s Raisin.

Although exams may feel as far away as the summer, you will be surprised by how quickly the semester goes by. Before long you will be faced with fighting for study spaces and trying not to think about all the work you should have done instead of going on nights out. To combat the stress of revision and exams Student Services transforms a small area of St Andrews into a miniature petting zoo. Puppies are brought in for students to play with, often in conjunction with the Guide Dogs Society. (returning will remember last year’s alpacas stationed outside the library.) To encourage students to take breaks, a relaxation station was set up near the Library. This consisted of a tent filled with beanbags, board games, colouring pencils and paper, and free tea and coffee to create a space for students to take a break.

Walking that university tightrope is neither easy nor straightforward; there will be wobbles and obstacles along the way. Student Services offers many courses to prevent you from falling and support advisers and specialists to catch you if you do regardless of where you are on that tightrope or why you fell.

The Saint • 22 September 2016

Features 19

hours in Vienna Photo: Wikimedia Commons

36

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V

ienna is overshadowed on the interrail tourist-trail by its more popular neighbor, Budapest.

However, I would urge you to make the effort to visit this city. It is culture-rich yet modern, and is full of cafés and beautiful public gardens to boot. The sense of old money and lack of grunge make it a delightful pitstop, and also give it a rather peculiar nature. You won’t quite know what to think of this slothful place with its fussy Germanic inhabitants, its manicured façade and incredibly pivotal but understated – or rather suppressed past. This is the birthplace of Freud after all.

Friday evening One option is to book an Airbnb, but be sure to check the location. If you are required to walk for more than twenty minutes to get to to the centre of Vienna then you can do better, even on a budget. Another option is to stay at the Wombats City Hostel in Naschmarkt – I’ve heard good things, and it’s excellently located. If you stay in the hostel, eat dinner at Ra’mien; their curry noodle soup is fantastic and you can watch the chefs grate homemade dough into noodles.

If you fancy going out, then the Ringstrasse area is well-regarded, even if it is a little on the expensive side. I recommend Travel Shack, which is a very easy to find for travellers and students and has free entry, a smoking room and a dance area that is always busy. If not, then either hit the hay or take a night stroll to Burggarten.

Saturday morning Rise with the sun and head over to Naschmarkt for a wander and a delicious breakfast. This old food market is studded with little cafes, and banked with beautiful displays

of fruit and vegetables. Neni has a delicious menu; bagels, eggs, or if its brunch-time go for their pitta with chicken and humus. On Saturday mornings there is a flea market at one end of Naschmarkt, which is worth a visit. Here you will find stacks of fur coats, bric-a-brac and some stuff you may actually want to purchase too. Nearby is ‘phil,’ a bookshop-café where you can settle on the sofas to read, use the Wi-Fi or have coffee and cake. Take some time to admire what they’ve done with the space and browse their selection of books. This ranges from the glossy picture-heavy cabin look book that to critical literature and original fairy tales. It helps that just as many books are in English as are in German.

After this, walk over to the Albertina art gallery through beautiful Burggarten park, stopping by the Palmenhaus to look inside. Visit the gallery if you feel like it, or carry on towards the centre, Stephansplatz.

For $4 you can walk up to the top of Stephansdom and gaze out over the city, all the way to the Vienna Woods. You will also see the cathedral’s exquisite green tiled roof. This is an excellent photo opportunity.

You will also be given the option of going down to the catacombs to see plague-era skeletons stacked in dark alcoves. When you emerge, make sure to buy some ice cream from Zanoni

& Zanoni. This is a treat that is made even better by the fact that it is very budget-friendly. Afterwards, visit Manner for Neapolitan wafers and dragee keksi (little half-moon chocolate coated biscuits that taste just as good as they sound).

Next, move along to Museum’s Quartier – admire the architecture and soak up the ambiance while you lie down on the surprisingly comfortable chair-bed hybrids in the quad, and then visit the Leopold museum.

For lunch, you can eat Italian food at Pesco, which is a minute walk away from the museums.

If you have time, it is also worth hitting the shops as Vienna has a great selection. Mariahilferstrasse near Museums Quartier has all the high-street brands including Zara, H&M, Berksha as well as favourites American Apparel and Brandy Melville. The next street is more bohemian. Along Neubaugasse you can find vintage and independent shops, Der Bootik kilo-shop, and a branch of Freitag – a company who make hard-wearing satchels and rucksacks out of recycled truck tarpaulin. The street is dotted with lovely cafes too.

Humana is a chain of charity shops, great for rummaging. There is one very close to HundertwasserHaus – a cool example of expressionist architecture, so you can kill two birds with one stone and experience shopping

and culture side by side. All of it is art anyway. However, my top tip with regards to shopping is to google the flea markets happening around the date you’re visiting – Vienna has fantastic flea markets.

Saturday afternoon Take the opportunity to visit the Baroque Belvedere gallery and see Klimt’s famous piece The Kiss, as well as pieces by Schiele and Monet. After this make sure to visit one of Vienna’s other aesthetic offerings: the castle and its gardens.

Schönbrunn Castle and its grounds are a staple of any visit to Vienna. Come here just before six to make it to the Lindt boutique. Here you can load up on truffles, and then walk up to the hill-top gloriette for a good view over Vienna. It is a grand and tranquil spot. If you are pushed for time then forgo going inside the castle itself because the tour takes a few hours. Instead, just rest here for a while, eating truffles.

For dinner, try the Pakistani buffet restaurant called Der Wiener Deewan.

It’s near the Schottentor U-Bahn stop.

This is a pay-what-you-want deal, so it is very cheap and perfect for students on a budget. The food is tasty enough, and it satisfies a Brit’s curry needs. It also has a nice vibe; a basement cushioned seating area, walls plastered

Photo by Emily Lomax

Emily Lomax

with posters and warm lighting. Very close by is the Freud Museum, so you can rearrange the schedule if you fancied that over Lindt chocolate. A hard call for any student.

Saturday night Go up to the glassy sky-high bar of the Sofitel hotel for a very sophisticated drink, or to the 25 Hour Hotel’s quirky rooftop bar.

Both offer incredible views, albeit with different atmospheres.

Sunday morning Your Sunday lunch has to be at Café Stein near Schottentor. Laid back and classy with an absolutely delicious menu, it shows you what Vienna is all about, a work-life balance that is heavily weighted to the latter. After lunch wander past the Rathaus (the town hall) simply because it is close-by and beautiful.

In winter you can drink Glühwein (glowing wine) at Vienna’s Christmas market and iceskate through the winding trails of its park, and in summer you can read there.

Alternatively, if it’s a hot day you could make your way over to sunbathe and swim – or take out a boat or SUP board – in the river Danube for a final spot of relaxation before you leave.

My final tip would be to download Wiener Linien, the app to buy your U-Bahn (underground) ticket.

The Qando is also a useful addition to your smatphone when you are in Vienna, as the app has a route-finder function that is fantastic for helping you to find your way around.

It is also worth noting that the municipal government put free events on constantly, so make sure to check if there are any scheduled during your visit. Check out www. vienna-unwrapped.com for a monthly calendar of events so that you can tailor your trip accordingly.

20 Features

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22 September 2016 • The Saint

Culture Shock

Students weigh in on different university experiences around the world Veronica Farah

W

ith the start of the new academic year, many third-years will have had to say goodbye to close friends as they depart on a new adventure: a study abroad programme.

This is an exciting time for those lucky enough to have secured a spot on a programme. A strong academic record is necessary in order to be accepted; a minimum of 13.5 as an average grade in second-year is required. With opportunities to explore diverse cultures, develop language skills and meet new friends, it is no wonder that students from all departments set their sights on a semester or year abroad.

Many students in the UK spend their university careers alternating between working hard and partying hard, yet this isn’t the same in other countries. University culture varies considerably from country to country, often stumping students from the UK and leaving them feeling somewhat out of place while they get their bearings. While some study abroad students return home with buzzing stories of late-night adventures, passion-filed romances and a new appreciation for food, other students can feel let down by what was promised to be the best experience of their lives.

One student who experienced a very different culture to St Andrews on his study abroad programme is George Deacon. Mr Deacon’s exchange experience in Hong Kong

”

There is more of an emphasis on joining societies and being a part of the university community in the States than in Scotland

was very work-focussed. For him, student life, even beyond the classroom, resembled that of a strict school, rather than what a St Andrean might recognise as the ‘university lifestyle.’

The main way Mr Deacon managed to make friends with local students was through playing basketball. He noticed that “a lot of the local social life revolved around playing games like Mahjong, which is a traditional game, or online

games.”

Much of the focus of his semester abroad was on his studies as students generally didn’t take part in any other university-centred activities. Mr Deacon explained that while there were few societies to choose from, he enjoyed taking part in Model United Nations. Aside from a lack of extracurriculars, Mr Deacon also noted that local and foreign students seemed somewhat divided, with the two groups very rarely integrating apart from in lectures and tutorials.

Another student who is experiencing a radically different culture through his study abroad programme is James Bluck, a modern languages student who has just started his semester abroad in Russia.

He described feeling like an outsider when he first arrived, but explained t h a t “every foreigner feels like an outsider in

Russia.”

M r B l u c k was initially quite surprised by how unhelpful the general population in the streets seemed to be, but has now gotten used to it. He credits this unfriendliness to the emphasis placed on distinguishing who is Russian, and who is a foreigner. He has observed that this difference seems to be very important to the people there.

With regards to university culture itself, there is a major difference between university cultures here and in Russia when it comes to involvement within the student community.

According to Mr Bluck, there is only one university library, which students have to register to independently of university. As a result, many students study in private. There is no dedicated student union for nights out, and only a few societies.

Another issue that Mr Bluck has noticed is the lack of personal freedoms in Russia. This has come as

a shock to him after having lived in open-minded and progressive communities in the UK, the rest of Europe and America. As the previous Vice-President of Saints LGBT+, Mr Bluck was very involved the organisation of the first pride parade in St Andrews, and is a committed activist for gay rights. However, in Russia the attitudes towards homosexuality and feminism seem to be very divided. These issues are often seen as “dis-

eases from Europe,” and many people publicly express their hatred for such causes.

“I’ve met gay people here who can’t tell

their friends because they publicly express their hatred of gays,” Mr Bluck explained.

Despite all the difficulties in adjusting to this different way of thinking, Mr Bluck is thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to improve his Russia and is hoping that by the end of his semester abroad he’ll have truly mastered the language and have got to grips with the culture.

In terms of academic differences, Mr Bluck said, “The teaching has been in groups of eight people throughout the course, and will continue

that way.”

One student that has flourished during the first few weeks of her study abroad programme is Mathilde Coutte, who is doing a joint degree in international relations with St Andrews and the College of William & Mary. She spent her first year in St Andrews, and is now in Virginia, USA, completing her second year.

Illustration by Gabrielle Wolf H e r f i r s t

impression: Americans are very talkative and enjoy socialising. Despite arriving as a new student, Ms Coutte quickly made friends. Having grown up in a French community in London, she felt a stark difference in how open fellow American students were. In terms of academic work, Ms Coutte said that her “life is more balanced.”

The College of William & Mary assigns more coursework than the University of St Andrews, so students spend more of their days in libraries studying. This, however, doesn’t stop them from taking part in a number of university societies, as well as attending their fair share of house parties. According to Miss Coutte, “there is more of an emphasis on joining societies and being a part of the university community in the States than in Scotland.”

There are also some stereotypical differences between American and British university culture – one that springs to mind is the importance of fraternities and sororities in US colleges.

While the University St Andrews made the news back in 2014 when it was named

by Alpha Epsilon Pi as a target location for setting up a branch of its fraternity, fraternities are still far from being the norm in the University.

The Kate Kennedy Club is the closest thing that we have to this kind of institution, so red cup parties, beer pong and hazing rituals are still a far off fantasy for those within ‘The Bubble’.

Clearly there are a number of differences in university culture across the world, often reflecting the typical and sometimes stereotypical aspects of cultures of that country.

Ultimately, however, the emphasis on getting a good education is the same, regardless of institution.

It is all about gathering new experiences, good and bad. There would be no point flying across the world, only to stay hidden in a room, subsisting off a stash of comfort foods from home.

Making friends with local students, going to their events and exploring their local cities, markets and landmarks are all part and parcel of a study abroad programme.

The differences (or similarities) of foreign university life can be somewhat surprising, but certainly worth it.

The Saint • 22 September 2016

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Total immersion:

Features 21

the best way to learn a language?

n ratio t Illus

friends.”

Ms Lovatt also kept a notebook where she wrote down useful words and phrases and would really recommend doing this as it consolidated the vocab

she was learning. She added, “I tried to immerse myself in the language at all times by tuning into conversations, radio and TV, and French as much as I could.” She made the most of all the language tools available to her whilst there.

A good place to start for example, is by watching a TV show that you already know and which has voiceovers in your target language.

In order to make things easier for herself, Ms Kulesa had a slightly different approac. She detailed how already

reva yusa

t is a commonly held view that the best way to learn a language is by travelling to a country where the language is spoken and immersing yourself in the culture. This is arguably the reason why most language courses incorporate a year abroad into their curriculums, but for those who do not study languages at university and indeed even for those that do, the path to language immersion can be a foggy one that is open to interpretation. How does one go about it and is it really that effective?

The answer seems to be yes, and can be validated by a number of students who chose different methods of immersion in order to learn languages. Katharine Lovatt, a second-year French student, au paired in the South of France for a month during the summer holidays and told The Saint that when she came back from being away, she “had a far better command of the language. ” Ms Lovatt credits this to the fact that language immersion is “much more continuous than the oral classes, which have a whole week in-between” as well as the fact that “hearing French all the time meant [she] started to notice recurring words and phrases so before long [her] comprehension improved enormously.”

Emily Asinger, on the other hand, who had studied enough French at school “to order coffee and that’s about it”, chose a school exchange program for nine months in Rennes, France. She agreed that “talking with her [host] family and friends was an amazing way to learn French,” adding that “after [she] left [she] would definitely say [she] had a strong sense of French.”

Immersion appears to be a successful way for both beginners and those more advanced in their linguistic skills to gain fluency in their language of choice. However, even though it is possible to immerse yourself in a language at beginner level, it is important make sure that you have fully researched the nuances of the language that you are immersing yourself in. Emily Kulesa, whose knowledge of Fijian was “minimal to none” before going to teach English and Maths in Fiji, wished she that she had had “a better knowledge of local dialect because even when [she] was able to converse in Fijian [she] would find it difficult because some of her students only understood the local dialect.”

If you make the plunge and go to a country whose language is completely alien to you, even if you only know a few words it would be worth checking if those words are subject to change due to local dialect or accent!

Then there’s the question of how long you need to go for adequete immersion. A week, two weeks, a month, a year? The students that we spoke to had visited their cho-

you can’t understand anything, but it’s so rewarding when you look like a true local and can go around with no trouble!”

So what should you do in order to make the most of what time you may have in a country and to overcome any difficulties? Ms Lovatt suggests that you “use connections and contacts you have to set up a placement as you are much more likely to get friendly people who genuinely take an interest and help you when they can.” She added, that in her epxerience, “living with a family for a month is quite intense so it was immensely helpful that they were friendly and included me when they were socialising with

la Sl

I

sen countries for varying amounts of time, ranging from two weeks to a whole year. However, the overall consensus was that any amount of immersion time is beneficial and should be catered to individual tastes. Ms Lovatt thought that “a month was a perfect amount of time - any longer with just one family (they lived in a very isolated place too) would be quite difficult” while Katie Hurst, whose knowledge of French was enough to “pass a school exam” before going on a school exchange program to France, “loved it so much that she went back for another week.”

All agreed that what improved most was their ability to converse in their chosen language, Ms Hurst even stated that she “began to dream and think in French!.”

Stefana Baukovic, a fifth-year French student who taught English in Burgundy for a year, admitted, “I was really quite shy when speaking French at first, but a few weeks in, I was feeling much more comfortable and capable.”

Ms Asinger added that full integration is very important. “I would definitely recommend full integration like this! It forces you to learn the language and is so rewarding when you can actually understand and respond with ease,” s he said.

There are additional benefits to immersing yourself in a country. Ms Hurst said, “I got to explore more and go to places I wouldn’t have gone to” while Ms Baukovic stated that although she definitely improved a lot during her programme, one of the biggest developments for her was in terms of her level of confience.

When asked why this method of language learning worked, each of the students provided the same answer. In order to learn the everyday language and ways of speaking of a country, it is important to go there. Ms Baukovic summed this up nicely by saying, “although I arrived prepared with [the vocabulary necessary] if I had to make a three minute speech on the environment, I definitely wouldn’t have known as many slang words and common colloquialisms had I not gone to France and learnt by integration!”

Ms Lovatt added “It is a real life situation, so your motivation to listen carefully and pick out words is much higher because it’s necessary to have a conversation.”

Nevertheless, although immersion is a great way to learn a language, that is not to say that it isn’t without its difficulties. Moving to any new place for a long period of time can be unsettling, even more so if the language spoken there is not your native one. Ms Asinger addressed this by advising “Don’t be afraid! It can be intimidating to be thrown into a new country where

ico by: N

Frankie Borderie

having “a knowledge of English benefitted her as Fijian has words that are a mix of Englis.” She give the example that the word for England is Englandia.

However, she added that in order to learn more she would ask her host family to teach her phrases. Ms Baukovic took a similar approach to language learning and said of her time in France that she had “aimed to say yes to every invitation and see everything as an opportunity to gain linguistic experience, whether it was a house party, a date or a trip to the bank.”

As to their overall opinion on learning languages through immersion, the students were very complimentary of the experience.

Ms Asinger said that “living in France with a host family and learning the language was, in my opinion, the best way to learn a language. I as fully immersed in the language and culture so I learned very quickly”.

So how do you set up an immersion program?

For au p a i r ing Ms Lovatt recommends asking family and friends if they know anyone in need of an au pair, but bear in mind that there are plenty of sites to do this too.

For students with integrated years abroad, Ms Baukovic used the British Council to get her teaching placement. For those like Ms Kulesa without advanced skills in one language, the organisation she went with to Fiji, Think Pacific, was a great way to experience a new language and culture.

There are also websites such as TalkTalkBnb. com that are dedicated to helping students organise a period of language immersion.

And if all else fails, being in your target language’s country is a start, from there just embrace any opportunity to speak it.

22 Photography

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This Week in Photos

S 22 `september 2016 • The Saint

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

Photo: Mika Schmelling

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

Photos: Harry Gunning

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

Photos of Freshers’ Week events: Starfields, interhall capture the flag and Wildsoc Rockpooling

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Photography editors TAYLOR ALMERAZ AND SAMMI CIARDI photography@thesaint-online.com

Photo Story: Havana, Cuba

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Student photographer Yaz El-Ashmawi documented his trip to Havana, Cuba with stunning street photography style photos

EVENTS

Events editor NATASHA FRANKS

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@saint_events

Freshers’ Week revisited: behind the scenes DoES Taryn O’Connor takes us through the process of planning the Union’s biggest week

Natasha Franks Events editor

F

or most people, Freshers’ Week is a roller coaster. Characterised by highs and lows, it is the time to reacquaint oneself with friends, Dervish, queuing, Wagon Wheel, Pablos and many more aspects of St Andrews’ life that may have been missed over the summer. First years and returning students alike anticipate the release of the annual line-up, a directory of nights big and small that set the stage for the academic year.

For Director of Events and Services (DoES) Taryn O’Connor, Freshers’ Week is a jigsaw puzzle.

Each event must be planned in accordance to the others, every act chosen based on how it compliments its contemporaries. Even the yearly staples - The Bubble, Clan Warfare, The Bop - require updates, a degree of freshness to avoid stagnation in the eyes of older students.

Ms O’Connor summarises the experience with her tongue firmly in cheek: “Freshers’ Week is exactly like running on a treadmill. You keep moving and you think you’re making progress, but in reality you’re in the same place and you’re just very tired.”

Stereotyped as the week to drink, sleep and repeat, Freshers’ Week in reality has the explicit goal of introducing first years to St Andrews and to each other. As DoES, Ms O’Connor had the responsibility of conducting this introduction. “You have events

that everyone likes and some that only a few people like, but if that’s the one event that made someone come out, then it may be the one night that helps them find groups and societies to get involved with. As long as someone can come to just one event, you’re providing something for everybody. That’s what I tried to accomplish,” she said.

Before the start of summer, Ms O’Connor experienced a lucky break with the booking of headliner Rave of Thrones, DJ Kristian Nairn’s sensational world tour. With the first piece of the puzzle in place, Ms O’Connor was then

“

Going from there, you need to think: ‘If I’ve got a rave club night, what do I need to balance that?’

able to draft the rest of the week.

This thought process led to the booking of I AM Beyonce, a tribute act to contrast with Nairn’s more traditional house music. I AM Beyonce had the additional bonus of suiting the culture of St Andrews. For whatever reason, our student body embraces all things cheesy (see: Karaoke Fridays,

Vengaboys, this past Refreshers’s ABBA tribute night). Students from all years unsurprisingly embraced the Beyonce-themed night, that had been recommended to Ms O’Connor following the act’s appearance at the Cambridge May Ball.

Having booked two nights, she was now left with three slots to fill.

Traditionally Saturday and Sunday host The Bubble and Clan Warfare, while Wednesday and Friday are perpetually home to Sinners and The Bop. Once again, Ms O’Connor returned to the jigsaw puzzle, where she discovered a hip hop-shaped hole. Not only did DJ Yella satisfy this requirement, but he added an international name to what is often a British-centric programme. Union J and Jedward of Freshers’ 2015 were both welcomed

by UK students, however their appearance did not incite as much excitement from our international majority. Ms O’Connor hoped that the appearance of an American name would provide some degree of familiarity to those students hailing from across the pond.

The final pieces of the puzzle came together with ease. Club MTV approached The Union, Ms O’Connor contacted Jenova Collective, and a cappella neatly fit into the Sunday slot.

By August’s end, Freshers’ Week was fully assembled.

“I got lucky,” Ms O’Connor said. “It was a nice balance for me of something international, something local and recognisable, something cheesy and fun, something with live music, and some-

thing with DJs.“ She admits that while booking the acts was the lion’s share of the process, the execution of the week itself remained a massive undertaking. Every Sabb could be found at The Union, working around the clock to organise the Freshers’ Fayre and to conduct press briefings and to distribute flyers. Freshers’ united the entire sabbatical team under one goal: to make the best impression possible on the class of 2020, and to remind everyone else of how good our Union can be. This required balloons,UV lights and the

I asked myself, ‘Would I go to this if I were a student?’ At the end of the day it’s about trusting yourself

”

finest selection of student DJs that St Andrews has to offer.

Even as she planned Freshers’, Ms O’Connor looked to the future. In keeping with her campaign promises, she visited the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to scout potential acts for Refreshers’ Week, building on the idea that Fringe performers are experienced in working

with non-traditional venues.

She assures us that we can expect to see events held at various Universityowned spaces throughout the year, rather than strictly Club 601, another promise from her campaign. Voters can be satisfied that their candidate has not forgotten her original statements, and that she does indeed intend to live up to what she promised us.

The first tangible sign of this change can be found in Beacon Bar’s newest fixture, the weekly OMFG. Since its launch in 2015, Beacon Bar has become the place to seek refuge when the Main Bar becomes too sweaty. Ms O’Connor hopes to promote the bar’s new cocktail menu and to host events in the vein of Sandy’s, which reaches capacity during Friday’s Karaoke Night.

She describes OMFG as incorporating a wide variety of events (beginning with a game of Assassins in Week 3), all intended to highlight the under-utilised top floor of The Union.

In reflection, Ms O’Connor offers another perspective on The Union’s biggest week: “Freshers’ Week is a result of everyone who told us ‘no,’ and what happens after that.” Freshers’ 2016 certainly played it safe, but you would be hard-pressed to find an individual who did not attend a single event. Ms O’Connor’s measured, logical approach ensured a balanced, wellexecuted week that truly did provide something for everyone.

As we Bop every week and Sin every month, we can enjoy our evenings content in the knowledge that our Union is in competent hands.

The Saint • 22 September 2016

thesaint-online.com

Events 25

Szentek: elusive, egalitarian, eccentric

ow much do you spend on a ball? Combine the cost of the ticket (£45), a dress (£80), dry-cleaning (£20), and alcohol (anywhere from £10 to £50), and the average St Andrean soirée requires very deep pockets. There is little reason to attend them all; theme and date aside, balls tend to blend together, their differentiation so vague that “my friends are going” becomes a valid reason for purchasing a ticket.

For most students, a ball is a oneoff event, a semesterly treat selected from amongst a myriad of nearly identical options. It can be said that St Andrews’ students are spoiled for choice: Should any of us wish to don our black tie and bus out to Kinkell, there will be ample opportunity throughout the year.

Despite the saturated market, our student body continues to generate new ideas. Many events, such as Xavier Ball or Masquerade Ball, have appeared over the past few years, slowly leading to a black tie domination of weekends.

It is equal parts enjoyable and exhausting, a phenomenon unique to St Andrews. The University website even states that “rarely a week goes by without a popular event being held,” and supports the notion that being involved in a “formal event” is a core component of student life.

Unquestionably, the presence of these formal balls are nigh unavoidable as we witness our tuxedo-clad peers striding along North Street or posing in the latest photo album.

Whether due to budgeting or a lack of interest, not participating in this aspect of University can lead to feelings of alienation or exclusion.

This brings us to Szentek.

Illustration: Beatrice Herman

H

The word means “saint” in Hungarian. That fact alone has attracted the interest of St Andrews’ sizeable Hungarian population. The rest of the student body, meanwhile, flocks to the recently launched Facebook page, each onlooker fascinated at this large-scale event that has seemingly sprung out of nowhere. The low-key marketing campaign encourages the word-ofmouth propagation of the name, and following a couple cover photo changes Szentek has become the phrase on everybody’s tongue.

Self-described as an “underground, eclectic experience,” Szentek shares little in terms of backstory. The Saint can confirm that the event will be held in support of the student-led charity Class Gift. Beyond that, the organisers remain elusive. On the condition of anonymity, they have allowed us a

small glimpse behind their carefully curated curtain of secrecy.

They told us: “Everything we’re doing right now comes from one question: How can we do the opposite of what everyone else has done?”

This is a bold statement, and it permeates the very foundation of the event. Shunning official positions and gaudy committee jackets, the organisers are reluctant to grant themselves any titles. Every individual works to his or her own strengths, and they are eager to welcome new members into the fold.

“From the moment we launched, people have been messaging the page asking how they can help, even if just to change their cover photo or share the event. Artists, DJs, musicians anyone who feels they can contribute should get involved. ‘Can I help set up this ruined bar?’ is a question we’ve

Victory for the Charities Campaign Brianna Paterson

If you’ve been a student here for more than a day, you will most likely recognise the face of Rory McLion, the iconic mascot of the St Andrews Charities Campaign. As the symbolic figurehead of the group, he can be seen all over Facebook and across town, a true sign of just how much the Campaign is involved in St Andrews’ life. It is difficult to avoid such a large and prolific group, better known as the driving force behind events such as Race2 and Catwalk Charity Fashion Show.

What is not so well known is the sheer success that our University’s Charities Campaign has achieved this past year. Having raised over £102,000 throughout the 2015 and 2016 academic year, our very own Charities Campaign was nominated for two significant awards at the RAG Conference 2016, despite never having been nominated in the past.

On top of this triumph, the Campaign was able to walk away victorious with one of the awards: the Local Impact and Community Award, meant to highlight the effect that our Charities Campaign has

had on local charities in recent years.

By supporting local causes such as Nightline and Maggie’s Cancer Care, the RAG team has successfully been reaching out to students not usually involved with charity causes, forging a better relationship between the town and locals.

It is this inclusive and welcoming attitude that Charities Campaign Convenor Kristen Tsubota is most proud of. “I’ve realized that almost every single person will interact with the Campaign at some point or another during their time at university,” she said.

Ms Tsubota also pointed out that the Campaign has one of the largest university committees in the country, with over 75 positions available to the student body. As Ms Tsubota put it: “[The Campaign’s] impact on the world goes beyond our wildest dreams.”

Although it wasn’t an award that the Campaign won this year, the RAG Team of the Year (Medium) was an amazing nomination to receive, considering the vigorous requirements to even be considered. To be shortlisted, a team must “display excellence in fundraising and student engage-

ment.” It is clear that our university should be honoured to even be in the running for such a competitive and prestigious award.

Describing the victory as “the icing on the cake‚“ it is clear Ms Tsubota is grateful that the Campaign has been recognised both locally and beyond.

So what can be done to support our local RAG team? With an array of events coming up this year, such as the Fife Food Festival and Race2Prague, it is almost impossible to avoid - and who would want to?

Supporting worthwhile causes, the events will be entertaining and leave you with warm, fuzzy feelings of doing good in the community. Hopefully we can expect the same level of dedication and success from this year’s Charities Campaign team, both in upcoming events and in next year’s awards. As stated on on their Facebook page: “[The Campaign] only have bigger and better things to come!”

Being an “opt out” subcommittee of The Union, every student is automatically a member of the Charities Campaign. By attending events and promoting awareness for the Campaign, we have all already participated in the University’s triumph.

been getting a lot. And the answer is ‘Yes, you absolutely can,’” one committee member told us.

Szentek’s Hungarian roots stem from a night in Budapest, when one St Andrews student stumbled upon one of the city’s famous “ruin pubs.”

Not lacking for dilapidated buildings, Budapest has utilised every millimetre of its city by converting some of its semi-destroyed properties into nightclubs. Sometimes these clubs are present for only a single night, before the bar is dismantled and the building returned to its original dismal state.

Although ephemeral, the events leave lasting impressions on their guests, as evidenced by the student who carried the idea back to St Andrews with her. Graffitied walls and famously cheap alcohol are two of the hallmarks of a ruin pub, as

is the array of bizarre decorations.

Broken down cars, bedraggled dolls, cracked records and destroyed furniture litter the variety of venues, and the organisers of Szentek intend to match this randomness when they redecorate Kinkell Byre.

“We can afford to do anything,” they explained. “What we’re doing is so new, so different. When was the last time you went to an event and took a photo of something other than your friends? Something that you thought was so cool and so beautiful, you had to put it on Instagram?

We want the entire venue to be that.

We want people to walk in, and to be blown away. Every room is going to be a modern art exhibition. It’s the definition of the unexpected.”

In addition to standing in awe of the scenery, guests may contribute to the night by drawing on canvases that will be placed throughout the venue. Just as Oktoberfest transforms Kinkell into a German beer hall, Szentek will take us to the Seventh District of Budapest, where graffiti reigns and electronic music dominates.

The organisers emphasise their focus on the sound of the night, as well as the visuals: “This is about art, and this is about music. This is about creative people being able to participate in and to enjoy whatever happens.

We’ve got two music zones, and with two DJs going on at the same time there’s going to be something for everyone.”

Early bird tickets will be priced at £25. Not since the Rugby 7s Afterparty (£20) have we been offered a Kinkell event for under £30, an intentional statement on the part of the organisers. With no shortage of incentives and very little risk, Szentek may be exactly what St Andrews has been looking for in a party.

Photo: Charities Campaign

Natasha Franks Events editor

26 Events

22 September 2016 • The Saint

thesaint-online.com

The dark side of a night out

How safe is St Andrews? Statistics and precedent cast a shadow over Market Street Emily Allen

P

eaceful. Historic. Charming.

These adjectives are some of the many used by websites and tourism brochures alike to describe St Andrews. They all convey the same message: that St Andrews is a safe and secure town.

From the plaque-adorned buildings that line the streets to the green plains of the oldest golf course in the world, the town is the epitome of quaint and picturesque. Only the hauntingly beautiful ruins of the castle and cathedral, as well as the cobblestone initials where a martyr was once burned at the stake, are reminders of the town’s bloody and violent past.

Nowadays St Andrews’ reputation as a safe and protected “bubble” is reflected in its crime statistics, which are at present, reassuringly low. The university website shows that the most common crime is theft of personal belongings, such as wallets left unattended. Crimes such as robberies and burglaries occur more rarely; even rarer still, and yet arguably more frightening, are violent crimes such as sexual assault.

In 2013 and 2014, 31 year old student Pasquale Galianni carried out two attacks on women, both classified as sexual assault, near North Haugh.

On each occasion, the young woman in question was walking alone when they were grabbed by Galianni. It was reported at the time that he attempted to remove the tights and underwear of one of his victims, and placed his hand between the legs of the other. As a result, he was jailed for five years.

Galianni was then cleared of an assault on a 26 year old woman with whom he had intercourse whilst she was intoxicated, as he claimed that the intercourse was consensual.

These horrific attacks are a dis-

turbing insight into the underlying more serious crimes of violence and sexual assault that do occur in sleepy St Andrews, as well as at universities in larger and more populous cities.

Although crimes of this sort are rare, it is still important for the students (who make up roughly one third of the town’s population) to be aware and to know how to protect themselves against any form of violence or danger when on a night out.

Staying with people you know and trust, particularly as the night wears on and you potentially get increasingly drunker, is a priority.

Whether at The Vic or Kinkell Byre, students who are alone amongst a crowd stand out as vulnerable, particularly if intoxicated in any way.

As the saying goes, there is strength in numbers, and you are less likely to come to any harm if you are with people you know and trust.

Measures are also taken to ensure that student safety is the top priority at popular destinations on nights out: Students who appear to be too drunk are turned away, and bouncers on the door look for the first sign of violent trouble.

“

As the saying goes, there is strength in numbers and you were less likely to come to harm if you are with people you trust

Some risks are harder to detect, however. At the end of last semester

Hamlet Prince of Denmark

O

Opening Ball

n Friday 30 September, Opening Ball will make an indelible impression on over one thousand attendees. The first black tie event of the year, the ball is a much anticipated yearly fixture. We can expect champagne, ice cream and much more from Ball Convenor Tom Higginson and the rest of The Kate Kennedy Club.

Varsity

O

n Saturday 24 September, the oldest rugby rivalry in Scotland will take centre stage as St Andrews and Edinburgh go head-to-head at the Murrayfield Stadium. As tickets are free, there is no excuse to not show some St Andrews pride this weekend.

“

Students, myself included, may often take for granted how safe St Andrews appears, but the criminal activity that exists on every other university campus also exists here

it was said by several students that a water jug (several of which are placed atop The Union bar, accessible to all) was spiked with such a substance that those affected were violently ill for hours afterwards.

As this action targeted an open and public object, it was more difficult to prevent. Nevertheless, with personal drinks, whether of an alcoholic nature or not, students should be careful to keep them in hand at all times, and never leave them unattended.

Only accept drinks from people you know and trust, and if somebody you have only just met offers to buy you a drink, stay by the bar so you can see exactly what they order and what is served to you.

As the night draws to a close, the two main routes generally taken by students are to go home or to visit one of the town’s fast-food outlets.

The atmosphere is ripe for spates of drunken discord and violence, pos-

Feminist Welcome Tea

A

lso on Saturday 24 September, the Feminist Society of St Andrews will be making introductions at Bibi’s Cafe on North Street. The social is an opportunity for any interested individuals to chat about women’s rights and learn more about the society.

sibly as a result of the large numbers of drunk students who cram in here, combined with the queue and the wait for drunk food.

A disagreement or argument sparked by any small matter could quickly escalate when drunk. If such an incident does occur, as tempting as it may be to watch and even to pick sides, the better and safer option is to take your food and leave, free of any cuts or bruises.

For students who live in out-oftown halls, night buses are on hand to ensure a safe trip home. If a student is lucky enough to live in the town centre, their journey should be without fault.

However, students who live in private accommodation in the part of town colloquially termed the Badlands have further to walk and are therefore more at risk. The safe option of a taxi is always available, as is the option of walking home in a group. Walking home alone, particularly over a relatively long distance, should always be done carefully and in well-lit areas.

As such, when going out and going home, stay with people you know and trust. Discouraging friends you are with from making such a snap decision could be the best thing you do for them, as you never know what could happen behind closed doors.

Students, myself included, may often take for granted how safe St Andrews appears, but the criminal activity that exists on every other university campus also exists here.

As petty as these suggestions may seem, following advice such as this is what stops a regular fun night out from turning into another crime statistic for St Andrews.

Even in The Bubble, it has been shown that serious crimes of a violent and sexual nature could happen to anyone. Taking the extra step to prevent such actions is better than facing the consequences.

O

Infographic: Meilan Solly

Afterhours

n Friday 23 September, Management Society returns with its always enjoyable Afterhours social at the Old Course Hotel.

Featuring prosecco and great conversation, the event is open to students of all degrees.

eight

O

24 Play Festival

n Friday 23 September, Mermaids invite any aspiring directors, writers or stagehands to the Barron Theatre for an intensive course on creating a play. In the span of 24 hours, you will go from a blank page to having a play ready for execution on Saturday evening.

O

SAUCU Ceilidh

n Friday 23 September, the St Andrews Christian Union will give us a taste of some classic Scottish fun. Regardless of religion, anyone can enjoy some traditional ceilidh dancing before a Q&A session with the society’s members.

Race2Prague Info Night

A

fter their recent victory at the RAG Conference, the Charities Campaign is preparing for another exciting year. If anyone is interested in the latest Race2, you are advised to attend the information session on Tuesday 27 September.

Roundtable Discussion

O

n Saturday 24 September, the International Politics Association and the Centre for the Study of Religion and Politics will partner for a discussion chaired by Profesor Pascale Fournier of the University of Ottowa.

Be sure to snag one of the limited tickets to reserve your place for this discussion on theology with experts on the subject.

ARTS & CULTURE arts@thesaint-online.com

@saint_arts

Photo: Harry Gunning

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Arts & culture editor TIFFANY BLACK Deputy editors: Flora Rowe, Tom Williams, Emme Hollingsworth, Ryan Hay

28 Arts & Culture

thesaint-online.com

22 September 2016 • The Saint

m a i L t e e M Sinclair:

Tiffany Black Arts & culture editor

from them too.

Over the summer, Liam Sinclair was announced as the Byre Theatre’s new artistic director. Expectations are high: what will the new director do with such a recently rejuvenated and therefore somewhat unstable theatre?

I caught up with Liam on the phone this week, as he’s busy catching up on meetings. (He just got back from a trip to Rio with the Scottish Dance Theatre Company.)

LS: No, I trained at the royal conservatoire of Scotland doing the contemporary performance practice degree. This did involve some movement class, but not dancing in the same vein as the Scottish Dance Troup in Rio. Initially I was interested in education and working with young peo-

Liam Sinclair: I’ve been on a 15day tour in Rio and Sau Paulo with the Scottish Dance Theatre Company as part of the Paralympic Games. The show we’ve put on, Miann, was first produced in 2014 as part of Glasgow’s Culture Programme. The piece explores relationship and loss, as well as our connection to earth and rituals that may have been lost over time. It was so suitable for Rio, a place that has such strong ties to its own cultural past.

TS: What has the audience response been like?

LS: Amazing. We’ve had four standing ovations, which often happens in Rio, where the audiences tends to have a more exuberant reaction, but rare for Sau Paulo. We’ve also been putting on an education-based work, which is part of an outreach programme for technical dance training delivered by “Walk the Plank.” These Brazilian dancers (of which there were 500 applicants) then became involved in the show.

They’re all incredibly passionate and determined to get the most out of the experience. Our dancers learnt a lot

The student body and community as a whole seem to be buzzing with creativity, and I’m looking forward to collaborating and allowing this potential to come to life

“

The Saint: What have you been up to recently?

TS: Were you ever a dancer yourself?

ple. Through that, I became involved in producing and festival curation. I chose not to go down the line of making work myself, but producing and nurturing talent instead.

TS: You were previously the artistic director of Macrobert Arts Centre in Stirling, another university-supported theatre.

How has this experience affected your plans for this year?

LS: They’re both of quite a simi-

lar set-up, but the distinction is that the Byre is really a part of the history of the town. I suppose my plan is to make sure the heritage of the Byre is preserved, both as a part of the fabric of St Andrews and Scottish theatre as a whole. St Andrews is renowned for research excellence, and this should extend to the cultural realm of the town, too. The student body and community as a whole seem to be buzzing with creativity, and I’m looking forward to collaborating and allowing this potential to come to life.

TS: Why do you think the arts still exist? They rarely make money and serve no ostensible purpose, yet every culture engages with the arts in some way.

LS: In one sense, it stems from the absolute intrinsic human need to make sense of the world around them.

That need is growing, as the world around us becomes more complex, more stressful and more nuanced.

This desire has always existed since people drew on walls and told stories around fires; artistic expression is a means to make sense of the mess of life. I know that lots of people say we have a more globalised world, that there’s greater connectedness, it’s simpler and life is easier. There’s lots of evidence to the contrary, that we’re becoming more disconnected as a society and losing the ability to communicate. Whether you’re sitting watching a play or opera or going to a gallery, the arts have a very particular nature, in that they provide the opportunity to slow things down a bit.

Time is a precious commodity, and watching a performance gives you a moment to try and illuminate the struggles of life.

TS: What did you want to be

when you grew up? Has that answer changed over the years?

When I was very young, I was obsessed with trains, but now my answer has definitely changed! The focus on an artistic career began in high school, quite early on when I was a part of a great drama department and joined a local youth theatre. I quite quickly got the bug and initially wanted to be an actor, but I then became more interested in directing and education.

TS: What are you most looking forward to about coming to St Andrews?

It’s a great part of the world. I used to go on family holidays to St Andrews and have very vivid memories of playing on the beaches there.

More recently, I’ve enjoyed being back during the interview process. It’s

a tiny town by international standards but is packed full of potential, creativity and people that really care. One thing that struck me about the Byre scenario is that theatres are going bust quite regularly now, but there was a really strong campaign from the town, including university, that it had to be saved. There was a real feeling that it would have been a loss to the town, in terms of its identity, if it had been allowed to close. That says a lot about St Andrews. It cares about what goes on and how different people engage with the town.

The Saint: I was certainly impressed by Mr Sinclair, and I can only hope his wonderfully lofty aspirations match the progress he makes within the theatre this year.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Photo courtesy of Liam Sinclair

the new boy at the Byre

The Saint • 22 September 2016

Arts & Culture 29

thesaint-online.com

A trending art form: ascent of the conscious music video Since the late ‘80s, we’ve been watching our music as well as listening to it. The music video is a powerful art form that all too often is reduced to an artist lip-syncing along to a clean studio cut of their latest track and emoting into the camera with some backup dancers and obligatory exposition.

Rap is the only genre in music which is consistently described as

Why aren’t we still talking about Travyon Martin, sung saccharine sweet over an immediate, catchy beat

“

“conscious.” When rock bands (U2) or pop artists (Michael Jackson) cover environmental and social issues in their lyrics, they may receive backlash and accusations of a lack of sincerity or pretension in their lyrics.

So, it is understandable why Britney Spears’ latest single doesn’t have a chorus that goes: “Why aren’t we still talking about Trayvon Martin” sung saccharine sweet over an immediate, catchy beat. But the music video allows any artist to show a gritty real-

ity, as the visuals are not taken to be necessarily personal to the artist, but a collaborative effort.

Take the video for the first single on Sia’s upcoming album, The Greatest.

Lyrically, it’s a pretty generic expression of the underdog climbing up from rock bottom. But the video cuts between shots of Sia’s frequent visual collaborator Maddie Ziegler smearing rainbow colours on her cheeks. She frees 48 children trapped in a cage, but their freedom is shortlived. A wall is peppered with bullet holes as everyone falls to the ground, bodies twitching. It is a haunting tribute to the victims of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, with 49 dancers to represent the 49 people lost.

In recent years, we have observed the rise of the socially conscious music video in the mainstream. Hits like Disclosure’s “Latch,” Years and Years’ “Desire” and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love” have music videos with narratives featuring gay couples rather the usual heteronormative approach. It is a manner of raising LGBT visibility in the hive mind of mainstream music. As Macklemore & Ryan Lewis performed “Same Love” with Madonna at the 2014 Grammys, 34 same-sex weddings also occurred onstage, with Queen Latifah officiating the nuptials as a coordinated statement of positivity and love.

Last summer, the single “Alright” off of Kendrick Lamar’s seminal LP To Pimp a Butterfly became a quasi-official anthem for the Black Lives Matter

movement. The “Alright” video flips between images of fantasy as Lamar floats through the streets of Oakland and of surreal subversion as the camera pans out on Lamar and his fellow members of West Coast supergroup “Black Hippy” in a police car, held up like royalty on the shoulders of four policemen.

The “Alright” video depicted police brutality in black and white and silence: an old, moustached white cop gets out his car and makes a gun gesture at Lamar, who falls off his street-

lamp pedestal into a bloody cloud.

The heavy use of symbolism in the video ensures that any observer will understand its message: this is what racial injustice looks like.

Remember John Legend and Common’s “Glory,” the theme song to the 2014 film Selma?

Both the music and the movie in themselves highlight the struggles of the African American community in the United States, and the fusion of the two art forms forces the audience to weave the historical events with

present day issues.

Earlier this year, Beyonce’s visual album Lemonade furiously and gloriously asserted the vulnerability of black women.

Alongside the current high rate of cross-pollination of hip hop elements in mainstream music (including trap instrumentation, lower beats per minute and stylised crunk), the necessity and compulsion to express a consciousness of something, anything, has spread across as well. This is a good thing.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Elle Kosmann

3D printing allows you to create your very own Picasso The ability to create tangible objects out of nothing but a digital file has been an increasingly popular technology and even hobby for several decades. But what happens when this modern technology is mixed with creating art, a subject as old as civilization and as personal and familiar to one as the back of their own hand?

Modern mediums Other sectors using 3D printing, such as the automotive industry, often use plastic for their creations, while artists may make use of rubber, concrete or clay can to restore and replicate pieces. By scanning an object or designing it in CAD (Computer Aided Design), individuals can then send a precisely crafted data image to a 3D printer.

For those of you who enjoy something that sparkles, an additional post-production processes called electroplating exists. Here, a thin layer of metal, such as copper, silver or gold, is added to further refine a product.

Print your own jewellery, anyone?

With 3D printed moulds, artists can create larger or more complex pieces previously too difficult to produce.

Preserving the arts 3D printing capabilities create the possibility of extending the lifetime of artwork. Creating a CAD file, indi-

viduals are able to digitally design an object that is available even after production. This permits artists of different mediums to share their digitalized work with one another, as well as the public, for years to come.

To print or not to print?

In the artistic world, 3D printing has gained a mixed reception.

Designer and artist Olivier Van Herpt of the Netherlands is one individual who has embraced additive manufacturing technologies. Among his many projects, he has successfully created 3D printed ceramic vases, including a collection entitled 3D Woven Collection.

The pieces feature a weave pattern, a product of multiple layers printed on top of one another. However, Van Herpt embraces what others might see as errors, suggesting that irregularities or waves are reminiscent of artisanal ceramic work and connect modern technology with the traditions of early ceramicists.

Meanwhile, other artists do not see a role or need for 3D printing in their processes, placing greater value on the craft of artisanal objects.

Eric Landon, a Danish-American ceramicist, prides himself in hand making vases in the heart of his home city, Copenhagen. He believes there is still a thirst and increasing consumer demand for artisanal, handmade and one-of-a-kind items. It is entirely a personal preference for an artist to choose whether or not to print.

It’s hard to ignore the impact 3D printing has in the arts. The practice is pervading the industry and revolutionizing sculpture, music, videography, fashion and even food.

By 3D printing, artists and designers save time and costs, and they simultaneously establish new methods of creation that forge paths for artists

to come.

Yet incorporation of additive manufacturing technologies should not remove the label of art on the finished product, as the final pieces developed and printed are physical manifestations of an individual or group’s ideas and creative thoughts.

The name additive manufacturing

perfectly describes the process: adding rather than removing material and creating something out of nothing to arrive at a final piece.

I, for one, can’t wait for the day when we can easily print our own food (it’s possible but not highly accessible just yet).

But for now, art will do.

Photo: Keith Kissel

Kenalyn Ang

30 Arts & Culture

thesaint-online.com

22 September 2016 • The Saint

The Pokémon wandering around the Bubble A long time ago, when budding Poké-trainers like myself picked up a Nintendo DS or Game Boy to explore the exotic worlds of Kanto, Johto and all of the other regions, we spent more hours adventuring than we would like to admit.

But never could we have imagined, as we affixed our external light to our Game Boy Advanced and played late into the night, that one day we could be catching and battling Pokémon in our towns, cities and even back gardens.

In July of this year, our dreams came true. Pokémon teamed up with augmented reality developer Niantic to create the mobile game of the year, if not all time: Pokémon Go. Pokémon Go brings the Pokémon world right into our reality, as GPS systems place Pokémon on street corners and ask players to catch them. Nowhere is this more apparent than in our beautiful Poké-world of St Andrews.

The aim of the game, as with all Pokémon games, is to “catch them all,” as in all 151 Pokémon. However, another objective of the game is to pick a team and work together to capture all of the Poké-gyms (areas the three different teams will battle over) in your area. There are three teams -- Mystic (blue), Instinct (Yellow) and Valour (red) -- all battling for control of St Andrews.

Now that we are all acquainted with Pokémon Go, let me introduce myself. My name is Peter. I will not give away my Poké-trainer name nor my team, as I must protect every gym I can get (not very many).

I am currently level 19 but plan to evolve my infinite amount of Pidgeys and reach the lofty heights of level 20.

My most powerful Pokémon are a 1139cp Jolteon and a 1086cp Tentacrule, but I have a soft spot, as we all do, for my Pikachu.

I have been in St Andrews for a week and a half now, and I can assure you all that the Pokémon scene is buzzing.

In the centre of town alone, we have well over 20 Pokéstops (places where you can refill on pokéballs and health) in such historic places as St Salvator’s Tower, Market Street Fountain and our beloved statue of Hamish McHamish (prize for the first person to catch a Meowth there). But beware of the Poké-stopless wasteland of Market Street.

From the fountain to the Union, there is not a single Poké-stop to be found. I recommend taking a walk along South Street and round the Castle up to North Street. By the time you are finished, you will have an abundance of Pokéballs, and St Andrews might just be the most beautiful place in the world to hatch some of your eggs.

There are also plenty of hotly contested Poké-gyms around town. There are three in the centre of town: Blackfriars Chapel on South Street; Gregory’s Meridian Line by Parliament Hall; and Younger Hall, where you can listen to Mozart while catching your Magikarp.

I would like to take a moment to address an epidemic that has infested the Pokémon community of St Andrews.

Where in the world have all of these Dragonites come from? I don’t know about you, but I have only caught two Dratinis, and it baffles me how there are so many Dragonites over 2000cp clogging up the Poké-gyms and making them near impossible to defeat.

I don’t know if it’s the Madras students or the professors who had too much time on their hands over the summer, but these Dragonites need to get out of my Poké-gyms.

Non-Europeans, I am now talking to you. I hope you caught a Tauros, Khangaskhan or Farfetch’d before you got to Scotland, because you can only find them in the Americas, Australasia and Asia, respectively.

But never fear, because here in Europe we have our own exclusive Pokémon. Keep your eyes peeled for a Mr. Mime and be the envy of all your friends back home.

Now comes the inevitable part of this article where, although we love Pokémon Go, we have to talk about the shortcomings of Niantic. We have obvious outrage at the removal of feet indicators; I have been trying to find a Clefairy near Regs for a week now with no success.

But here in St Andrews, it is what Niantic refuses to put into their game that outrages me. There are two features that I think would improve the game to near perfect status.

The first improvement would be the ability to trade Pokémon. With St Andrews’ status as such an international university, the ability to trade Pokémon would allow local Poké-trainers to master the game. By my estimations, it would take me 30 minutes to find an Australasian, 10 to find an Asian and around three to five seconds to find an American. Then I could get all of the Pokémon I could ever dream of, including the exclusive ones.

The second improvement should be the ability to battle. Let’s be honest. In St Andrews, we’re all nerds and geeks, and we would have no shame stopping somebody we have never met before to defeat them in a glorious oneon-one Pokémon battle.

This makes St Andrews the perfect place to release what is left of our social anxiety and get candies, or CP, or whatever Niantic will give us, from our sure-to-be epic battles. So, venture out into the most beautiful Pokéregion there ever was and catch them all.

Photo: Pixabay.com

Peter Bothwell

Arts & Culture 31

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The Saint • 22 September 2016

Tasha Fischer: MØJÖ Emme Hollingsworth Fashion editor The Saint caught up with three St Andrews-based fashion bloggers.

Tasha Fischer Fueled by her passion to pursue a fashion-oriented career and supported by kindred souls, Ms Fischer pours her creativity into MØJÖ. The project’s current website, mojosmagazine.com, developed from her previous fashion blog, mojoscloset.com.

The original MØJÖ fashion blog came about as an outlet for fashion expression and was encouraged by the individuals in Ms Fischer’s life.

She relished the challenge of finding the confidence to promote herself.

Seeking inspiration from Kristina

Saaji Jamilah Jaffer: Concrete Catwalk

Bazan, a fashion forward female role model, and Tavi Gevinson, the mastermind behind successful blog Style Rookie, Ms Fischer produced a product she was proud to call her own.

Currently, Ms Fischer embraces a refreshed retro style featuring over the shoulder blouses, silk cami tops, slap-back caps and varsity jackets. An internship with Burberry helped her hone her career interest and sparked love for her must-have product this season: Burberry Beauty Effortless Eyebrow Definer.

The transition to Ms Fischer’s current website started with an unbridled quest to provide a unique platform to promote artists, give a voice to the community and support inspiring visions.

With a thirst to create a larger digital presence including more diversified content, Ms Fischer aims to doc-

ument this generation’s “go rogue” spirit and support a diverse array of artistic endeavours.

Philosophical at times, she is greatly impacted by individuals and environments and contended that people appear in life at the right time for the right reason; some of these individuals have helped her grow in ways far beyond her blog.

Saaji Jamilah Jaffer The director of Concrete Catwalk pours her dedication into formatting and recruiting for the organization’s blog.

She aspires to illuminate fashion from different perspectives by featuring various writers with respective ideas on fashion and style.

The blog focuses on university

Photo: Fashion Sensation

Photo: Concrete Catwalk

Photo: mojosmagazine.com

Blogging in the digital fashion age

Aileen Noonan: Fashion Sensation

fashion accessible to students and aims to represent a variety of themes.

Ms Jaffer emphasized Concrete Catwalk’s commitment to supporting genuine individuals and a diversity of style, people, fashion and backgrounds. Her wardrobe essentials range from an array of nearly identical white button-downs paired with embroidered accessories inspired by Gucci’s embroidered low-top sneakers to Kiehl’s Nightly Refining MicroPeel Concentrate.

The upcoming year brings bold prospects for Concrete Catwalk, including increased content output, a leadership transition, greater collaboration and campus ambassadors.

Aileen Noonan Ms Noonan utilizes fashion as a creative outlet to express herself.

From designing her own clothing to styling carefully crafted pieces, she aims to “delve into the world of impeccable style and taste.”

A sequence of fashion writing, dressmaking classes and inspiring surroundings spurred the vision for her blog, Fashion Sensation.

Ms Noonan suggests simple ways to transform an outfit, including a statement handbag in vibrant colours or a gorgeous coat; she also indicates sequins as an autumn/winter trend.

Ms Noonan is currently studying abroad in Melbourne, Australia. The city and its many amenities, including the recent Melbourne Spring Fashion Week, offer her a beautiful backdrop to not only find style inspiration but take photos for her blog.

Kudos to these blogs, whose very existence offers vast inspiration and stimulates interest in fashion writing.

Fighting freshers’ flu: a playlist for surviving week two Tiffany Black Arts and culture editor

It’s week two, and you’re feeling a little worse for wear. You’ve almost run out of the parental stock-up of your fridge from the start of term, as well as clean underwear. There’s also a dawning realisation that you’re actually going to have to read and do things whilst you’re here. To top that off, you’ve become a walking cliche and contraced the infamous freshers’ flu.

Now, I’m not claiming this playlist will cure you, but depending on your mood it’ll do a lot to either bring you up or allow you to wallow in self pity and soup.

When you’re ill and bedridden, listening to some upbeat numbers can remind you of a time when physical movement was something you enjoyed. You’re young, wild and free, so have a little dance to shake off those blues.

“Love Myself” by Hailee Steinfeld is the first number you should go for, and don’t be put off by her tween reputation. The song is incredibly catchy, and you just try listening to the stirring chorus of “I love myself, HEY” without joining in.

Next is “False Alarm” by the incredible raw vocal talent of Becky Hill. It sounds like summer; with an irrepressible beat and great electronic drop, it’s guaranteed to put a smile on

your face.

If you’re looking for something a little cheeky, look no further than “Get You Alone,” penned by Jay Bovino of Australian band Sheppard.

Sahara Beck, another Aussie musician with a bluesy voice, is an unusual pairing for this house number, but it oddly works. On that note, if you haven’t listened to Beck, do yourself a favour and listen. Check out “Oh Little Boy” and “C’mon Man, You’re Dead.”

These songs are invigorating, too, but in the same way that Johnny Cash can be, it’s foot tapping good.

Now let’s move on to those of you who are feeling a little sensitive and in need of TLC. The following songs should basically make you feel as if you’re floating on a serene cloud whilst David Attenborough comments softly on the passing landscape.

Paradisia is a relatively new band made up of three French girls from London. One adds stunning melodic lines on the harp. Overall, the band’s harmonies and blend are perfection reminiscent of a young Fleetwood Mac. Paradisia recently supported Carole King and Tom Jones at Festivals in the Summer, as well as Paulo Nutini’s recent UK tour.

Listen to their cover of “Dancing in the Dark” and their original EP, Silent Lover. They’re the kind of band

that makes you feel happy and should soften the harsh light of day for your overly sensitive ill senses.

In lieu of your parents/loved ones taking care of you, Noah Gunderson’s “Honest Songs” reminisces on the complex tenderness of family and should temporarily fill that hole.

A song that’s hitting the charts at the moment is Ruth B’s “Lost Boy,” which will make you feel like a kid again. It features lines like, “I am a lost boy from Neverland/ Usually hanging out with Peter Pan.” The simple orchestration and the lovely narrative, probably exacerbated by feelings of nostalgia, should soothe that sinus sadness.

Lastly, is an absolute classic: Bill Withers’ “Ain’t No Sunshine.” You know it, you love it and it’s probably going to remind you of a Richard Curtis movie, so how could you possibly feel ill after these mood-altering magic tracks?

Genuinely, though, music has been proven to improve mood and brain function in a recent study by the University of Jyväskylä in Finland.

And they actually know what they’re talking about.

So, what are you still doing reading this? Get listening, and shake those blues off or mellow in their depths.

32 Arts & Culture

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22 September 2016 • The Saint

Photos: Mermaids

The world of St Andrews theatre

Ryan Hay Theatre editor When a student enrols at the University of St Andrews, they are automatically made a member of the Students’ Association. With this comes certain perks: access to nights out, welfare resources and membership in the Union’s subcommittees (Saints LGBT, On The Rocks Festival, STAR Radio and, perhaps biggest of all, Mermaids: The University of St Andrews Performing Arts Fund).

That’s right. Everyone’s a Mermaid.

Although it is not the end-all, be-

The St Andrews performing arts scene showed itself to be not only rich with talent but friendly and welcoming

“

all of St Andrews theatre, Mermaids operates as a kind of one-stop shop for all things theatre in the auld grey toon. The subcommittee runs workshops and socials and funds student shows, all at no cost to you.

Freshers’ Week’s Give It a Go Day kicks off the St Andrews theatre season, and this year producers, directors, stage managers, actors, techies, costumers, a cappella singers, comedians and musical theatre buffs alike

took to the Barron to show off their stuff and welcome a whole new batch of theatre lovers to St Andrews.

Mermaids Engagement Officer Helena Jacques-Morton, entering her fifth year as a St Andrews student, curated an amazingly diverse day of everything onstage and offstage, culminating in a special reprise performance of Twelfth Night and, in true Mermaids style, a social with free wine.

What made this year’s Give It A Go Day special was its engagement with not only theatre but all of the performing arts that Mermaids supports through its affiliated societies.

An excellent workshop run by the A Cappella Society, improvised comedy from five-star Derek Awardwinning troupe Blind Mirth and sketch and stand-up workshops from the Comedy Society really demonstrated all of the avenues open to new Mermaids. The St Andrews performing arts scene showed itself to be not only rich with talent but friendly and welcoming in a way that I have never seen before.

Overseeing this whole event was Mermaids President and SRC Performing Arts Officer Annabel Ekelund, who was adopting academic kids and sharing her passion for the performing arts.

I’ll leave you with the words of a PHD candidate in IR whom I met. She was about to begin her eighth year at St Andrews and had never tried student drama. I’d spent years not doing theatre and wishing I had, always telling myself it was too late. But then I realised it doesn’t matter. If you want to do something, then you just have to try it, especially while you’re a student.

If you want to get involved in performing arts in St Andrews, here is

The Saint’s easy guide to upcoming opportunities.

1. Audition It might seem like week 1 sees all of the shows cast in a hot second, but this is far from the case. There will be exciting shows from Mermaids and all of their affiliated societies (and some non-Mermaids groups) throughout the semester and indeed the whole academic year. It’s never too late.

2. Freshers’ Drama Festival Semester one sees the crazy event that is the Freshers’ Drama Festival come together. In one week, six (or more) plays are all produced, directed, teched, managed and performed (even written?) by people brand new to Mermaids.

Almost every theatre fan in St Andrews begins with a play in the Freshers’ Drama Festival, and they will all tell you stories from those times if given the chance; it will be rushed, it may not be incredibly slick, and you might fall out with that girl you liked in halls halfway through rehearsals and never speak to her again, but it will be a learning experience and an incredible amount of fun.

The initial meeting for the festival is on Thursday 29 September at 7 pm.

3. SAND The SAND theatre company is a permanent group of actors who put on new student-written works throughout the semester. Auditions for this semester have already passed,

but like SAND’s Facebook page to stay in the loop for “Scratch Nights,” where the group calls for student script admissions. Last year, themes included Millenials and Something Old, Something New. SAND is an exciting new addition to the St Andrews drama scene, and you could be a part of it! Get involved by contacting Al Gillespie at standrewsnewdrama@gmail.com or liking SAND’s page.

4. 24-Hour Play Festival This year, Mermaids is launching an exciting new project: the 24-Hour Play Festival. During the festival, a show is created from start to finish (written, designed, cast, rehearsed and performed) within the span of 24

4. 24-Hour Play Festival

hours. This is a great chance to flex your theatrical muscles and really put yourself to the test.

The initial meeting for the festival will be 7:30 pm on Friday 23 September.

5. Shadow When running for president, Annabel Ekelund placed a heavy focus in her manifesto on the Mermaids shadowing scheme, which ensures that the skills of Mermaids are pooled and passed on to less experienced members. Drop an email to mermaids@st-andrews.ac.uk or hjskm@ st-andrews.ac.uk for more information. Tell them your interest, and they’ll match you with somebody who has the experience to help you out.

Arts & Culture 33

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The Saint • 22 September 2016

s d r o c are e R : b D ac IN

Flora Rowe Music editor In recent years, vinyls have made an unlikely comeback. Starting out as a hipster’s key accessory, they are now flooding the mainstream market. While it may be perceived that Spotify, Tidal and iTunes dominate a digital market with their flawless, highly edited sounds, their unlikely competitor is a throwback to our parents’ youth. The renewed popularity in this trendy media is made all the more baffling by recent falling album sales.

With this retromania comes a demand for not only band reunions and old school sounds, but also record players. The days of eagerly searching for used vinyls, however, are long gone. Music lovers are now turning towards modernised versions.

This nostalgia is also making waves in music production, as modern artists produce vinyls to fight their way onto the new UK vinyl LP album chart. 1.29 million vinyl albums were bought in the UK last year, the highest number since 1995.

But it isn’t just contemporary artists such as Bastille taking over the charts. The golden oldies, from Fleetwood Mac to Pink Floyd and Amy Winehouse, also seem to be dominating top 40 lists. It could, perhaps, be said that this throwback phase has been prompted by a lack of good music currently being produced.

Indeed, the vinyls that seem to be most popular appear to have a higher quality of musicality. They are enriched with the melodies of live instruments rather than pre-recorded snippets of sound. Whilst this could justify the rising popularity of vinyls, it is more likely that it’s been triggered by a growing obsession with all things vintage.

Even St Andrews, a town cursed with a reputation of being off-trend, manages to provide vinyls for those old school music lovers.

Oxfam seems to always have a supply of vinyls and recently had an extensive vinyl sale. Every now and again, the Union also plays host to an LP and CD fair.

Considering our severely lacking shopping scene, it speaks volumes that this niche product has found its

way into our Bubble. It truly showsthe universal regard for LPs. Outside of our beloved corner of Fife, every town seems to have its token record store, whether it’s a small secondhand shop or new independent record labels. If you take a wander down the lanes in Brighton, outside of every store are buckets filled with records and walls plastered in vinyls. This aesthetic isn’t a rarity in UK towns.

Furniture and clothing stores have also seen an increased demand for record boxes. The popular store Urban Outfitters has started stocking one of the most popular modern-style record players, the Crosley.

This player epitomises the wave of respect for mid-century design whilst also incorporating modern technology, high quality speakers and an aux plug to facilitate use as a normal speaker. Whilst this style of vinyl player may be intended to furnish a room, the new Technics SL-1200 deck sits at the premium end of the market after being pushed back into production. This player comes with top of the range features suitable for MCs or DJs.

With a highly polished finish and unbeatable technology (unlike the Crosley), this is far more suitable for those in the know than a faux hipster.

One can easily spend £4,000 on a new player; however, even if you choose to go for a much cheaper £35 number, the ability to appreciate an album as a whole, exempt from the distraction of shuffle, is still achieved.

The record experience is completely unique, with each listen giving an authentic live vibe that is untranslatable to digital media.

I like to think that people just have a growing respect for music. Maybe it is now seen as more of an art than a form of light entertainment or background noise.

In a world of madness, maybe music is gaining appreciation and offering a welcome breathing space for those times when multi-tasking has pushed you to your limits.

Whether it is the current trend of throwbacks or a growing appreciation for music, musicians certainly aren’t suffering for it. So, let’s just go with the flow, sit back and enjoy the music we may have been foolish in forgetting.

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

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22 September 2016 • The Saint

Cult film of the week: Grease 2 Lauren MacGowan Film editor Grease 2, like many sequels to Hollywood blockbusters, was perhaps doomed to fail from the very beginning. It would have taken something truly extraordinary to live up to the phenomenon that was Grease, but the sequel failed to wow audiences and instead severely underwhelmed them.

While Grease earned over $180,000,000 and was nominated for a Golden Globe, People’s Choice Award and Academy Award, Grease 2 earned a mere (in comparison) $11,000,000 and was hilariously nominated for a Stinker’s Bad Movie Award.

But what is it that makes this film so bad? The soundtrack plays a big part in the film’s low ratings. Instead of the sing-along hits that make Grease worth watching again and again, Grease 2 jumps between awkward,

innuendo-jammed musical numbers about bowling, plant reproduction and nuclear war.

And it isn’t just the music that makes Grease 2 so bad: the storyline

“

The film is full of girl power moments, with lines like ‘I ain’t no one’s trophy’

falls flat with less budding romance and more temperamental attraction.

The sets are lacking, the notorious T-Birds have lost their cool and even returning characters have failed on the charm front.

For example, fan favourite Frenchie inexplicably disappears midway through the film.

However, the film would not be a cult classic if it didn’t have something more than its popular predecessor to draw in the crowds. Some members of this more enamoured group would even argue that Grease 2 is better than the original because, despite its flaws, it is the more progressive and politically and culturally aware of the two.

The film mentions the nuclear threat multiple times and makes reference to both the Kennedys and space exploration, all key events in the 1960s. But more than that, the film is something of a fledgling feminist.

Lead female Stephanie is far more Rizzo than Sandy, and it is the lead male in his infatuated state who must change himself to impress her rather than the other way around.

Aside from this interesting role reversal, the film is full of girl power moments, with lines like “I ain’t

no one’s trophy” and Pink Lady Paulette’s refusal to let a man tell her how she can or can’t dress.

What’s more, while Stephanie is a trouser-wearing garage worker with

“

Grease 2 is more unique, more outspoken and occasionally more cringe-worthy; it has a sense of humour all its own

more on her mind than a boy, the film doesn’t play into the “not like other girls trope.”

With an entire song dedicated

to a T-Bird’s attempt to trick a Pink Lady into sleeping with him and the guys’ persistent attempts to control the girls, Grease 2 also highlights rape culture and key signs of abusive relationships. Although the film isn’t always consistent, it does attempt to say something meaningful.

In its attempt, Grease 2 may stray from the tone and mood set by its predecessor, but that might actually be a good thing. Without comparison to the original film, reviews might have been much warmer.

As with all cult films, what the majority hates the cult following find reason to love. Grease 2 is more unique, more outspoken and occasionally more cringe-worthy; it has a sense of humour all its own.

Its box office failure may have squashed any plans for further sequels, but the film’s direction makes the idea of modern follow-ups seem very appealing, and more importantly, relevant.

PLAYING IN ST ANDREWS

C

inemagoers in St Andrews are hardly spoiled 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, comedies or classics, here you’ll find out about everything on in town this week.

Bridget Jones’s Baby Is there any better way to spend an evening than with Renee Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey and some lighthearted romantic comedy?

If Bridget Jones’s Baby is as entertaining and uplifting as the previous two Jones films, then the answer is probably not.

Sausage Party

Blair Witch

Ben-Hur

You might have grown up watching animated toys come to life, but this is far from your average Disney film. A crude depiction of foods that leave the safe confines of the supermarket for the terrifying death trap of the kitchen is the animated comedy for adults we’ve apparently all been waiting for.

The woods, missing teenagers and an old legend: sounds like your typical horror movie as it follows oblivious protagonists around a haunted forest.

You’re probably aware of the original movie, but this version, with its updated special effects, promises to frighten even the toughest of viewers.

It might be the fifth film adaptation of Lew Wallace’s novel, but Ben-Hur is an epic tale that deserves retelling.

With action, drama, romance and redemption, this film has it all, not to mention the lure of Morgan Freeman and his irresistible voice to tempt you into the cinema.

The Saint • 22 September 2016

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35

SPORT Sport Sport editor editor ANDREW ANDREW SINCLAIR SINCLAIR Deputy editors: Charlie Wood,

thesaint-online.com/sport

@saint_sport

sport@thesaint-online.com

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On the hand, the new tie velenissis autone dolorpero consenis format adi brought wonderful feel-good stories for Wales and Iceland, to name but a few. Almost all of these said teams would have qualified under the old format anyway. Thew new format did, however, seem to offer ammunition to those who proclaim the death of international football. Teams like Portugal seemed more concerned with not losing than actually trying to win, and the perhaps bloated nature of the tournament fostered more of that negativity than previous iterations have done.

Once the dust had settled on Cristiano Ronaldo and his friendly moth in Paris, eyes sooned turned to a summer of boxing. It was supposed to be started by Tyson Fury’s rematch with Wladimir Klitschko, but that fight was called off amid injury concerns and allegations of cheating. The headline, though, must go to Northern Ireland’s Carl Frampton. The man from Tiger’s Bay, Belfast stepped up from super-bantamweight to featherweight to take on feared Mexican slugger Leo Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz had 18 knockouts in 33 carfights prior to the Frampton clash and had looked masterful in his recent bouts with countryman Abner Mares and Spaniard Kiko Martinez. The two put on a classic inside Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, with the Northern Irishman taking home a majority decision. I personally had the fight scored a draw, but no one was going to say that Frampton didn’t deserve the win, and with his victory he became Northern Ireland’s first-ever two weight world champion.

That fight was the crescendo of the summer, and now we move to the autumn. Anthony Crolla and Anthony Joshua are among the highlights to look forward to in the coming months.

Andrew Sinclair

Were Morgan and Hales right to drop out?

Jason Segall If there is one steadfast rule in international sport, it is that every player will do anything and everything possible to keep their place on the team. Yet last week, England’s one-day cricket captain Eoin Morgan and opening batsman Alex Hales announced that they would not be taking part in the upcoming tour of Bangladesh for security reasons. This was despite an ECB-commissioned security report declaring the tour safe. Former England test captain Nasser Hussain wrote in his Daily Mail article that Morgan is “letting his side down” by not traveling to Bangladesh. So why would these players make a decision that could seriously jeopardise their future careers in an England shirt?

England is not the first team to have security concerns when travelling to Bangladesh. Australia pulled out of a tour of the country in 2015 and withdrew its U-19 team from the World Cup held there in early 2016. In these cases, it was Cricket Australia, the governing body of cricket in Australia, which withdrew the teams on security advice rather than individual players making the decision for themselves.

On announcing the cancellation of the 2015 Australian tour, CA chief executive James Sutherland said there was “reliable information to suggest that militants may [have been] planning to target Australian interests in Bangladesh.” This is markedly different from the situation surrounding the England tour. The major concern surrounding this series relates to the shooting in a Dhaka bakery in July, an attack claimed by IS, but there have been no reported direct threats towards the England cricket team.

Morgan, for his part, said at the start of the month that on previous tours security “once or twice became a distraction” and that he would never “put [him]self in that position again.”

He also cites an incident in a 2010 IPL

game at Bangalore when a bomb exploded in the stadium, as well as playing during civil unrest in Bangladesh during the 2014 presidential elections, as major factors in his decision to back out of the tour.

Alex Hales, however, has remained silent on his reasons not to tour, at least in the public eye. It does seem an odd decision for him to sacrifice his place in the test team, since he is in no way assured of returning to the team in the tour to India which follows the Bangladesh series. Hales’ position at the top of the order was under question whether he travelled or not, as he averaged only 28 for his 10 test matches in 2016. And his potential replacement is certainly no

”

The centrepiece of the summer, obviously, was the Rio Olympics. The celebration of human endeavour made its first venture into South America amid a whole host of problems and controversies, but I think it was a success. It provided great moments and seemed very relaxed and easy to watch.

The Games reminded us of what is possible with hard work and dedication. The women’s hockey team and the successful gymanasts spring to mind as particularly inspiring from a British perspective, but to be honest there were hundreds of awe-inspiring individuals across the competition. At a time when drugs, corruption and cheating seem to dog most sports, it was pleasant to have a few weeks of competition that seemed relatively clean and fair.

The thing that has inspired me the most, though, has been the Paralympics.

London 2012 was a real landmark for the Paralympic movement. The fact that this movement was in question due to the Russians’ drug taking and Brazil’s lack of financial clout was shocking and, to be quite blunt, disgusting.

The Games started soon after we returned to university with little fanfare, perhaps because they were on Channel 4, but have been a rip roaring success.

Great Britain has smashed its gold medal tally from London, and stars like Johnnie Peacock, Ellie Simmonds and Hannah Cockroft, who established themselves in London, have continued to grab public attention. These people face immense problems with simple daily tasks, yet they seem not to complain but show commitment that puts most of us to shame. They are incredible athletes, and as Channel 4’s advertising campaign before the games declared, they really are super humans. Credit to all of them – I think they could teach us a thing or two about what hardship and difficulty are.

Most university clubs are getting back into the swing of things, attracting lots of keen freshers to try out new things. BUCS campaigns for most teams begin in a matter of weeks, and they will bring with them challenges, experiences and opportunities.

The first major event on the calendar is the RBS Scottish Varsity rugby game, and as you will see on our back page story, a lot more is on the horizon. I think this is going to be a brilliant year for all of us – let’s go, Saints!

They have every right to withdraw.

They may later regret their decision, however, if they find their place irreparably filled by another

slouch. 19-year-old Hameed Hassan of Lancashire has scored four centuries this summer at an average of 54.

If Hassan is selected and impresses in the two tests in Bangladesh, don’t put your money on a return to the opening slot for Hales.

So, what will become of Morgan? It would certainly be difficult to remove him permanently as one-day captain.

BBC Cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew doesn’t “see how they could now sack him” after the ECB assured the players that “positions would not

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Write fromcolumn the Off Andrew’s

be compromised” regarding their individual choices on whether to tour.

However, I believe that in not touring, Morgan has seriously weakened his position in the one-day side.

He has averaged 30 in 15 matches in 2016 with a high score of 68 -- hardly a record of the first name on the team sheet.

Indeed, according to Hussain, “If Jos Buttler does well as captain or Ben Duckett [a potential replacement] comes into the side and smashes it around, Morgan may lose that cushion around his place.” At the end of the day, the captain has to be in the team, and if he’s not careful, Morgan may be superseded by a younger, more prolific player.

The selectors and the ECB may well be forced into a decision they did not want to make. The players’ decisions to withdraw have been supported by some of their teammates, including Jos Buttler, but have provided another issue for England’s director of cricket Andrew Strauss.

Are the players justified in their decision? I can understand their concerns, but I believe the security surrounding the tour to Bangladesh will be strong enough that the players will be safe to play their best cricket while in the country. The man behind the ECB report which confirmed the safety of the tour, Reg Dickason, is highly experienced in this area, and was crucial in pulling England out of a tour of India following the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

I think it is foolish of Morgan and Hales to withdraw, especially Hales, since neither of the players are assured of their position following the tour (no matter what the ECB says).

At the end of the day, however, it is purely down to the players. If they do not feel comfortable travelling to Bangladesh, then they have every right to withdraw. They may later regret their decision, however, if they find their place irreparably filled by another.

The Saint 2016 The Saint •2218September September 2014

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Sport37 33 Sport

Photo: Saints Golf

Stanford golf faces St Andrews as part of Scottish tour

The golfers of the University of Stanford and University of St Andrews pose for a group photo following their day of games. Stanford was returning to Scotland for the first time in five years and had a busy 10-day schedule.

Jack H W Rogan The end of Freshers’ Week saw a rare day for Saints golf when, for the first time since the team’s inaugural match five years ago, the University of Stanford (native to California) team came from across the pond to play against some of our top players.

The two teams’ match on the New Course was the third stop on Stanford’s 10-day tour of Scotland.

The tour included the iconic courses of Crail, Carnoustie, St Andrews, Kingsbarns (where Stanford played Oregon State University), Cruden Bay, the Trump International links,

the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club, Nairn Golf Course, Castle Stuart Links and finally Royal Dornoch.

Facing Stanford was a honour for the St Andrews golfers, as the California-based team is among the world’s best.

Alumni include Tom Watson, winner of eight major championships including five Open Championships; former women’s world number one Michelle Wie; and perhaps one of the most iconic names in not just golfing but also sporting history, Tiger Woods.

The six fixtures were played on Saturday 10 September in glorious

weather conditions, and excellent sportsmanship from both teams was displayed throughout the day.

Stanford dominated proceedings, but St Andrews proved why it was our second-highest BUCS points earners last year and made every game a good contest.

Chase McCarthy and Lewys Anderson lost one down to Henry Shimp and Dakota McNealy, whilst Marcell Horvath and David McClellan went down three and two to David Snyder and Brandon Wu. Cameron Franssen and Finlay Asher tasted the day’s only success, beating Chris Meyers and Isaiah

Salinga.

The other fixtures, involving St Andrews partners Gonzalo Leon and Matthew Myers (lost one down), Bjorn Bojesen and Peter Kern (lost four and three) and George Burns and Head Coach David Watt all saw St Andrews defeats.

The latter of these were perhaps the most impressive, with Burns and Watt only seeing a two and one defeat against Stanford coach Conrad Ray and the world’s top ranked amateur, Maverick McNealy.

Saints golf said it was a pleasure to host Stanford and that the competition provided was a real indicator of

improvements that can be made. At the same time, the team said the visit showed the skill level of St Andrews’ own golfers.

It also highlighted the truly special connections that the university and town have on both an academic and sporting level worldwide.

The golf season for St Andrews will begin in earnest over the next several weeks as the team attempts to make the most of warm weather before winter sets in.

Strong progress was made last year, and the team is expected to build on these prior achievements in the coming academic year.

Team USA favourites for first Ryder Cup triumph in eight years Andrew Williams Every two years, a strange phenomenon occurs within the world of golf.

The usually non-partisan, well-mannered, applaud-your-opponents’-skill game of golf loses its identity for a weekend and becomes an unrecognisable beast. For three days and five rounds of golf, booing becomes, if not acceptable, then at least commonplace. The sights of flags litter the landscape as fierce national pride comes to the fore. During the Ryder Cup, the game of golf divides Americans and Europeans so sharply you’ll need more than the width of the Atlantic to keep them apart.

The 41st edition of the Ryder Cup kicks off next Friday at Hazeltine National Golf Club. The American team is looking to rip the Europeans’ vice-like grip off of the most prestigious team trophy in golf. Since 1995, the Europeans have won the trophy seven times out of a possible nine.

This is despite having the weaker team, man-for-man, the majority of the time. Losing has become almost contagious for the Americans.

Even from seemingly untouchable positions of strength, they manage

to find a way to lose. Depending on which side you are favourable to, the “Miracle at Medinah” will go down as one of the greatest chokes or comebacks in not just the history of golf, but all of sport.

In danger of invoking a sense of deja vu, the Americans are hopeful that this year will be different.

Although Darren Clarke’s European team includes Masters champion Danny Willet, Open Champion Henrik Stenson and world number three Rory Mcilroy, there is a belief that the team is there for the taking.

Out of 12 participants, there are three Ryder Cup rookies. It is true that by winning the Masters, Willet showed remarkable mental strength, and another rookie, Thomas Pieters, recently won the Made in Denmark merely days before Clarke announced his captain’s picks. Yet nothing can compare to the cauldron that is the Ryder Cup. When Pieters and Willet line up alongside Rafael Cabrero Bello, Chris Wood, Andy Sullivan and Matthew Fitzpatrick, they will be entering into a metaphorical theatre of war the likes of which have never been previously experienced. It will be up to the nous of the more senior players

Lee Westwood, Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer, Sergio Garcia and the aforementioned Mcilroy and Stenson to guide them through the Minnesota minefield.

Clarke will have tough decisions to make: Rose and Stenson are as close to surefire points as you can get, but will he risk playing several teams

made up solely of rookies? Come the Sunday singles, will Clarke put his big players out early or save them for the back end of the day? Either decision comes laced with risk, and how the rookies fair will go a long way to determine the outcome of the match.

A strong Friday/Saturday showing from a few of them will at least

make the choice easier. How much influence vice-captains Thomas Bjorn, Padraig Harrington, Paul Lawrie, Sam Torrence and Ian Poulter wield will be fascinating. The fact that all bar Torrence play week- in, week-out with the players should give them an ideal insight into their character.

Their opponents from across the pond, however, are in far better shape.

Davis Love III’s team, although one captain’s pick short at the moment, has only one rookie in Brooks Koepka.

The American hits a long ball and will be a dangerous match player. The world number two Dustin Johnson finally shook off his bottler tag this year by winning the US Open. That sort of experience should stand him in very good stead should he be involved in a neck-and-neck battle. Given previous meltdowns, though, that is something you can’t guarantee.

Jordan Spieth is the American’s answer to Rory Mcilroy and unbeatable on his day. The same can be said of Phil Mickelson, who has only lost six matches in his 21-year Ryder Cup career. The rest of the team is made up of solid, seasoned pros such as the streaky putter Brandt Snedeker, the exciting Rickie Fowler, J.B Holmes,

Patrick Reed and recent major winners Zach Johnson and Jimmy Walker.

The team will be very hard to beat.

An interesting subplot is that of Tiger Woods. Never a Ryder Cup worshipper, the previous world number one has been selected as a vice-captain alongside Steve Stricker and Tom Lehman, despite a poor record and his status as someone who has never performed in a team environment.

With the advent of the Olympics, the lure of competing for your country is no longer unique to the Ryder Cup. However, what the Olympics lack in historical context, the Ryder Cup makes up for in bucketloads. It is still the event that makes golf exciting for non-golfers. A partisan, electric atmosphere will be coursing through the veins of all spectators and players, and it will be an event not to be missed. Players always raise their game for this weekend, and without a doubt there will be a master class of golf on display.

For what it’s worth, this writer is of the opinion that the USA will take home the Samuel Ryder trophy, but one thing that is for certain; whoever wins will deserve it. The Ryder Cup is always earned but never given.

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Sport Page 38 34 34 Sport

September 6 November 2016• The The Saint 18 22 September 2014 Saint

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The surprising election of Alexander Ceferin is only the start of football’s battle with corruption at the very top

The former president of UEFA, Michel Platini, was banned from football for corruption. Ceferin, his replacement, has a hard job ahead.

Sam Connolly The institutions that run football have long been suspected of all sorts of misbehaviour: corruption, ineffective leadership, prioritising finance over football. But rarely have its most powerful bodies, UEFA and FIFA, appeared in such a confused mess as they have over the last few weeks. Is it part of the healing process, or has the exposure of scandal only served to create more chaos as those with less than honourable or even illegal histories in the organisation seek to protect their interests and cover their tracks?

The two major problems affecting UEFA and the institutions of Europe converged this week with the election of Aleksander Ceferin, previously

President of the Football Association of Slovenia, to President of UEFA itself. The first problem: the corruption that seems to run so deep that it takes a bribe of millions of pounds to be investigated by the Swiss attorney general before an individual is banned for a meagre six years. This is the case of Michel Platini, the former head of UEFA, who up until that point had not really been suspected of wrongdoing (despite the scrutiny of FIFA and UEFA and a number of his close associates appearing to be the villains in question).

It was Platini’s resignation that triggered the presidential election in the first place. The second problem: the friction between the top four leagues and practically every other

league in UEFA. It was the concern of smaller federations over the lobbying power of the largest clubs in European football, and the financial influence they had over UEFA, that triggered Ceferin to run for election against the overwhelming favourite, president of the Dutch FA Michael van Praag. And he won with a very credible package of proposed reforms: term limits for presidents, greater transparency in the game, strengthened financial fair play, and considering the interests of all nations rather than just the wealthiest.

On the surface, it seems that his election is a progressive move towards greater fairness and justice in football. But to believe that Ceferin’s election will be automatically trans-

formative is to misunderstand just how entrenched the corruption in UEFA is and, more importantly, to misunderstand the influence of money in football. This isn’t a conquering strategy by those who want fairness and justice in football. It is simply moving troops into position, preparing for the battle ahead.

To understand just how difficult a battle this will be, you don’t even have to look further than the very ceremony where Aleksander Ceferin was elected. Before Ceferin was elected president, who was allowed to address the Extraordinary UEFA Congress? Platini, who has apparently been banned from “all football related activities.” And why was he allowed to use the very platform he was supposed to have vacated to protest his innocence? Because of intervention from FIFA, who gave him special dispensation. This does not in any way seem to be the action of a sorry and humble governing bod, desperate to rid the sport of its worse defects, so much as it seems that Platini’s punishment was the minimum possible in the circumstances of trying to maintain a visage of reform.

But it is in the financial problems that Ceferin will have the most trouble ridding from UEFA; the path which will make the most money has rarely been missed by football’s governing bodies, and the involvement of bribery is heavily suspected. First on Ceferin’s list will be reversing the changes to the Champions League agreed to last week, which vastly favour Europe’s largest clubs.

The proposed changes give each of the top four leagues four guaranteed places in the Champions League, and through having two leagues of eight, guarantees each club that makes it

through a play-off round 14 games.

The changes have been agreed to for purely financial reasons, promising more valuable Champions League games between the top teams at the expense of the rest, who will find it much harder to reach this prized stage.

All this was agreed in principle for 2018-21 while UEFA didn’t have a president. It’s arguable that UEFA was strong-armed by the clubs’ lobbyists, who threatened a breakaway competition, but this also will make far more money for UEFA. Besides, with tensions running high, Ceferin is going to face a real fight from those clubs hoping to reject the changes. And if he wants to strengthen financial fair play for the large clubs at least, he can expect a barrage of court appearances rather than compromises.

This may seem all doom and gloom, and in a way it should be.

UEFA and FIFA may have previously been full of corruption and financial self-interest, but at least in previous years they were functional and football carried on regardless.

Now it seems every major decision is dragging us closer to a time when an insurmountable rift will be created in the footballing world, tearing those organisations apart. But the election of Ceferin is at least a step in the right direction, even if it is a smaller step than it appears on the surface.

Maybe one day we will have footballing institutions that fans feel represent our interests and fairness and justice. But for that to happen any time in the near future, those without a financial interest in the contemporary circumstances must step forward.

And that means we will be needing many more Slovenian lawyers.

Charlotte Horsman This summer, the Boat Club achieved something that a few years ago would have seemed an unattainable goal and in fact only became a real possibility very recently. As the club approached the end of the academic year, members found themselves in the much longed-for position of being able to compete at Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta, at the middle and end of June respectively.

Being able to send two crews down to their respective Henley Regattas shows just how far the club has come from a few years ago, when perhaps the more serious focus was on socials rather than on the water.

This complete overhaul of the club is remarkable, and the speed of success –- while no doubt frustrating for the club’s earlier serious members -– is even more so. Their recent achievements are made even more poignant when reflecting upon meeting the Boat Club’s founder, John Browne, who spoke about the club’s humble beginnings.

Competing at Henley was the peak of not only the club’s 2015-16 season, but for a few of their athletes, the pinnacle of their time at the University.

Henley has been a focus for many years, but only in the past year has the club had the right combination of an intense training programme, crew combinations and enough determination.

In the men’s four-plus crew, pressure began mounting the week before, since despite having a great race at the Metropolitan Regatta earlier in the month and placing third at Marlow Regatta the weekend before, they had failed to prequalify for Henley Royal Regatta.

Against the odds, the men’s crew qualified for the race and after a spectacular performance finished the season in the Prince Albert Cup heats at Henley Royal Regatta. The crew took on Yale University in a challenging race that saw team members hold their own, offering up a strong challenge and only letting Yale win by a reasonable one and a half lengths.

The women’s crew, despite a hard year of training, experienced a slight dip in confidence and results in the lead-up to Henley Women’s Regatta.

Factoring in the team’s significant defeat against the same crew at the Scottish Championships the week before, their performance in the heats of Henley Women’s was remarkable.

The crew managed to hold off

its main opponent, the University of Edinburgh, and led throughout the race. Eventually, however, they lost by 1.5 seconds and half a length, which, while a depressingly small margin to lose by, demonstrated they are a formidable team.

The rowers went above and beyond the call of duty to compete at Henley, training long after the semester had finished and their fellow athletes had headed home for a much-needed summer break. These two crews trained for all of June, and their already fierce training programme only increased in intensity.

Given that the club has had no real history of significant success, the achievements of the two crews have been truly sensational. In the space of just a few years, the club has transformed itself into a highly competitive performance sport, and its recent stint at Henley was the highlight of not just the past year, but arguably the history of the club.

Being in a position to send a crew from both senior squads to races as prestigious as Henley Women’s Regatta and Henley Royal Regatta was an unexpected success. The club is immensely proud and plans on making itself a contender at both regattas in years to come.

Photo: Samantha Marcus

Historic year for the Boat Club sees two crews attend Henley regatta

The men’s crew competed against Yale University, holding their own but eventually losing by one and a half lengths. The women’s crew led against its main opponent, the University of Edinburgh, throughout the race, but lost by 1.5 seconds and half a length.

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International football is in terminal decline, and Euro 2016 proved it.

You’ve probably heard this thesis over and over again, from Alan Shearer’s grumbling about the format on the BBC sofa to Jonathan Wilson in The Guardian writing about how it has almost become a tactically different sport to the club game. Journalists and pundits fell over themselves to pour scorn on what they perceived as an underwhelming tournament.

The common denominator, I might suggest, was that most, if not all of these people, were English. England’s four games at the tournament, of which the most coherent and positive performance was arguably against an extremely disappointing Russian team, were certainly all rather grim.

Viewed through that lens, it perhaps becomes hard to see the tournament as a success on the whole.

This kind of thinking pervades how we remember tournaments as well as their aftermath. USA 94 and Euro 2008, despite their entertainment value, are only faintly remembered by the English football media due to England’s absence, and tournaments where England exited at the group stage, such as Euro 2000, tend to fade into the background. What we get instead is endless reminiscing about Italia 90 and Euro 96, two tournaments remembered precisely because England reached the semi-finals.

Euro 96 is an interesting case-inpoint. It was, by most measures, an extremely disappointing tournament.

The football was turgid and uninspiring, with only two knock-out games settled in normal time and nine goals between the seven games. The crowds stayed away, too, with one of the most entertaining games of the tournament, the Czech Republic’s 3-3 draw with the Russians, witnessed by only 21,128 people rattling around a 42,000 capacity Anfield.

Yet Euro 96 is remembered in England as a vibrant, sun-drenched

festival of football. On its 20-year anniversary, it was commemorated by a full BBC documentary fronted by Shearer and featuring a full cast of talking heads -- all because of England’s relative success.

Euro 2016 will be remembered in the same way by the Icelandics, the Hungarians, the Northern Irish, the Portuguese, the Welsh and perhaps even the French. Even the Albanians were given an open-top bus parade on their homecoming after just one win and a group-stage exit.

The tournament will be remembered for the late drama, either in the penalty shoot-outs or in normal time (Portugal’s perfectly executed rope-a-dope to knock out Croatia, for example). It will be remembered for the fans, who created fantastic atmospheres all over the country. It will be remembered for the outrageous individual skill displayed in Shaqiri’s bicycle kick, Payet’s left-foot screamer or Robson-Kanu’s outrageous Cruyff turn. It will be remembered for Antoine Griezmann and Gareth Bale, as well as Cristiano Ronaldo, whose managerial gesticulations in the final betrayed just how much winning this tournament meant to him.

Euro 2016 will be remembered by generations of fans, from Dublin to Dubrovnik. It will be remembered because of the passion and emotion it was able to generate. Those emotions were so keenly felt precisely because international football, unlike club football, has not yet been co-opted into a billionaire’s game, and it never can be.

International teams are not floated on the stock market. They do not have official instant noodle sponsors. They cannot sell space on their shirts to an investment bank or a distant dictatorship’s propaganda arm.

Freed from the necessity of being multinational corporations, they are free to be football teams with a deep emotional connection to their fans.

The crest on the front on their shirts is far more important than the name

on the back.

International teams also know that the competition is set up so that success cannot be bought and sold.

Once the knockout stages begin, all countries know that they are just four games away from the trophy, and in a 90-minute knockout game, anything can happen. That unpredictablility, which club football sorely lacks (Leicester aside, one can be relatively certain that Europe’s six or seven über-clubs will be passing the Champions League among themselves for the foreseeable future) is international football’s brilliance.

Portugal’s triumph in France meant that three of the last seven European Championships have been won by unfancied sides against more talent-rich opposition.

Chile’s victory in the Copa America Centenario meant that Argentina, despite its wealth of talent (including the greatest footballer on the planet), has not won its continental trophy in 24 years, despite the match being played eleven times. International football, through everything, remains as staggeringly unpredictable as it has ever been.

The players are aware of that unpredictability, and that’s why they treat international football differently.

They know that success might easily elude them, as it has so far eluded Messi and once eluded Puskas, Eusebio, Cruyff and Maldini. They know they are not playing for money or fame – they’re playing for glory. That’s why Payet cried, and Bale screamed, and Ronaldo, hobbling on one leg, gestured to his teammates to keep their shape.

The World Cup qualifiers have begun, and there were goals galore.

Soon enough that showpiece will come around, and the media frenzy surrounding it will soon begin all over again.

The game is about glory, as it always has been. That’s why international football, despite everything, still matters.

Session highlights team camaraderie, history of sport and self-defense techniques Jack Cannon The Taekwondo Club is known as a “town and gown” club. This essentially means that all are welcome to attend, student or not. The result is an extremely diverse group with members ranging from five to 54 years old.

All are welcome, regardless of experience. The club meets three times a week with Monday sessions for students and Wednesday and Friday sessions for all.

I was kindly invited to attend a demo that Student President Matt Dryden described as a “trip to a martial arts circus.” I was excited about the prospect, as I had absolutely no experience with martial arts or taekwondo and was therefore eager to see what the sports had to offer.

I was quite interested in taekwondo after seeing the success of the British squad at the Rio Olympics.

Three of our four athletes secured medals, highlighted by Jade Jones’ magnificent march to gold.

The hour-long demo consisted of a perfect balance of activity and discussion. Zoe Tate, a 5th Dan black belt, led the class through various complex routines with great enthusiasm and passion. Before each exercise, Tate discussed the history of taekwondo and preached one of its main messages, the ability to achieve “victory with one blow.” The skill of the more experienced members was extremely impressive. Their ability to break boards and concrete in half was combined with their performance of intricate manoeuvres.

What struck me most about the hour, however, was the strong sense of camaraderie. The ability of the class to show such respect to Tate whilst at the same time joking around with her and amongst themselves is exactly what this sports club is all about.

Indeed, you truly did get the impres-

sion that this was a taekwondo family. Such was the knowledge of Tate that she even issued all commands to the class in Korean, adding an extra layer of authenticity to an already fantastic demo. The demo culminated in Dryden performing a flying kick above three people, including my lanky self.

On a more serious note, Tate emphasised real-life situations where the knowledge of taekwondo could be useful. For example, she showed the group several techniques for defending oneself against a knife attack.

In addition to forming friendships by attending taekwondo, the lessons learned may come in handy while navigating challenging scenarios in the outside world.

All are welcome to attend, student or not. The result is an extremely diverse group with members ranging from five to 54 years old

I would strongly urge anyone reading this to consider giving taekwondo a go. After my experience in their company, I’m sure that any new member would be a welcome addition to the ever expanding taekwondo family. If you are interested in getting involved, send an email to taekwondo@saints-sport.com.

Photo: Kate Moriarty

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Taekwondo holds open demonstration

Why international football is far from dead Richard Hunter

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Club President Matt Dryden leaps over three people during an open demonstration.

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BEN peddie Photo: Saints Sport

AU PRESIDENT

The start of every new academic year brings with it a new bunch of freshers, many of whom are still naïve and bring their youth and vitality to this wonderful town. The week is a blur for all, with so many new friends to make and experiences to appreciate, as well as first nights spent at the Union. Behind the scenes of every Freshers’ Week, however, there are those organising events to make new students’ introduction to St Andrews more accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Many of these individuals are new to their roles, and the week is just as much of a blur for them.

One of those new faces is Ben Peddie, this year’s president of the Athletic Union. He was elected on 12 March to the role that had previously been filled by Sarah Thompson.

Ms Thompson had filled the role for two years prior, and that was something that could have posed problems for Mr Peddie as he attempted to find his feet in the role. However, as he explained to me in an exclusive interview, his predecessor’s two-year tenure was in many ways a blessing.

Mr Peddie had previously been treasurer of the Athletic Union and has worked in the Sports Centre since he joined the University. He therefore had a good understanding of the role before taking over.

Mr Peddie explained that one of

the issues many sabbatical officers have is the length of their one-year term. Officers may set the ball in motion for many of their ideas but cannot finish them, leaving their successor to oversee many incomplete projects.

Because Ms Thompson held the role for two years, she was able to implement new programs and see them come to a positive conclusion, meaning that by and large, Mr Peddie has been able to start the 2016-17 year with a blank slate, something that bodes well for the year ahead.

One project that is yet to be completed, though, is the redevelopment of the Sports Centre. Many of you eagled-eyed observers will have noticed that the building work is still not finished despite statements last year that the work would be done by the start of this academic year. When quizzed on why the redevelopment work was yet to be completed, Mr Peddie merely sighed and began to explain the numerous issues that have arisen over the summer. The original Sports Centre was built in the 1970s, and during work over the summer it was discovered that remedial repairs were needed to make the older fountaion stable. That took time, and extra work needed to be done before the remaining work could be completed.

That has pushed back the opening time of the new gym until the end of January 2017, just in time for the start of second semester.

One of the most striking aspects

of my discussion with Mr Peddie was his enthusiasm for the role and all the work he has already overseen in his new role. This year has seen a generous budget increase for the Athletic Union, something Mr Peddie helped push for last year in his role as treasurer. Part of that money has been used to purchase two new vehicles for sports clubs to use during fixtures, whilst another portion is going

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Andrew Sinclair Sport editor

The varsity game is an integral part of Mr Peddie’s vision for a “Saints Sport spirit” and increased camaraderie among our numerous sports clubs

towards the vending machines in the Sports Centre. The machines in place are new, and the plan is for the current contents to be replaced with healthier snacks during the year. Another project that had been part of Mr Peddie’s vision was a smoothie bar for the Sports Centre reception, but that was deemed not financially viable.

The first major events on the ho-

rizon for sports at the University have been pre-season and Freshers’ Week. Pre-season was altered this year in order to restrict the number of teams participating in it to the 12 performance sports offered at the University. This meant that the clubs had a lot more room to work and managed to accomplish much during their pre-term weeks together. Once term began, there was the inevitable eager surge of freshers hungry to try out new sports, and that hunger was well and truly quenched this year with all 59 of the University’s Sports Clubs offering give-it-a-go sessions (all of which saw high levels of attendance). They were deemed a success by Mr Peddie, as was the Sports Fayre, but he was also honest enough to admit that lessons were learned from the week and improvement could be made by future AU Presidents.

With most sabbatical officers only enjoying one year in the role, it can often be hard to properly leave your mark on the University. Ms Thompson’s campaigning to get the Scottish Varsity game played at Murrayfield will always be one of her lasting achievements, and Mr Peddie has used that as a vehicle to stamp his own mark on the role.

As someone with a rugby background, the varsity game was something quite dear to Mr Peddie, and he has really stepped up the occasion for this year’s marquee fixture. Not only is Mr Peddie trying to beat the huge

attendance of last year, but this year’s event on Saturday 24 September will see 23 games of various sports involving over 300 St Andrews athletes.

These individuals will be competing as part of the Kingdom vs Capital Cup, building towards the main game as part of the “Road to Murrayfield.”

These changes are a brilliant concept and will make the day even more inclusive.

The varsity game is an integral part of Mr Peddie’s vision for a “Saints Sport spirit” and increased camaraderie among our numerous sports clubs.

The other major project in the pipeline is making a Wednesday Night Lights event a regular part of the St Andrews sporting calendar. Similar to the concept of the Fright Night Lights American football fixtures across the pond, Mr Peddie wants clubs that use the rubbercrumb pitch by the sports centre to have evening games in the floodlights.

He is also in talks with the Fife Council about getting licences to have a pitchside bar and music playing during the fixture. Provisionally, the first of these would be a women’s football varsity rematch, with ultimate frisbee and lacrosse among other sports set to be featured.

If the project succeeds, Wednesday Night Lights would provide some of the best events at the University, at least sport-wise, and undoubtedly help foster this “Saints Sport spirit” Mr Peddie is keen to support.