Issue 206

ISSUE 206 - FREE

THE SAINT ST ANDREWS, 27 OCTOBER 2016

Events: Behind Kate Middleton’s DONT WALK dress

Features: Crossing the political partition

A&C: Whitewashing British period dramas

The designer discusses her inspiration

How do American students feel about the divisive presidential election?

Why is there such a lack of diversity in the genre?

Page 25

Page 16

Page 31

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

Joseph Cassidy News editor The Rector of the University of St Andrews, Catherine Stihler, has dismissed the Scottish Government’s new plan for a second independence referendum as a “distraction.”

Ms Stihler, who is also a Labour party MEP for Scotland, said in an extensive interview with The Saint that she believed the focus on independence from the Scottish government was distracting from more pressing issues, such as education.

“I think it’s a distraction from trying to make sure we’re doing things to help the National Health Service and in education, with the attainment gap,” she told The Saint.

“There are a whole host of issues that are important in Scotland, and yet we’re back on the constitution again because that is what the Nationalist’s government raison d’etre is all about,”

she said.

Going on, she added, “I think it’s distracting from the real issues that are impacting on people’s lives.”

Ms Stihler also more widely dismissed those who have said that after the vote for the UK to leave the EU, in spite of a strong ‘Remain’ vote from Scotland, that Scotland should pursue independence.

“If single markets are important, and you hear this rhetoric from the Scottish government, then the most important single market that Scotland has is with England. I think we had an independence referendum and the people of Scotland said ‘No’ two years ago. As democrat[s], we should respect what people have decided,” she said.

Ms Stihler went on to say, “I’m not a nationalist, I’m an internationalist.

“I will remain a committed internationalist. I do not advocate nationalism and I really do not think that

independence for Scotland will be a good idea.

“There’s no guarantee that, even if Scotland had independence, that [it] would become a member of the EU with the deficit of £15 billion, which is more than Greece.

“In reality, the most important single market is the one with England.”

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced plans for a consultation on new legislation for an independence referendum at the SNP conference earlier this month.

She told the party’s conference earlier this month (13 October) that an Independence Referendum Bill would be published the following week.

The draft bill has now been put forward.

Ms Sturgeon said Scotland had the right to choose a different path if it was not allowed to protect its interests Continued on page 5...

Photo: Fire Safe Europe

Rector calls referendum suggestion “a distraction”

Controversy ignites over speakers brought to the University by anti-abortion Students for Life society Joseph Cassidy News editor Controversy has arisen over the views and statements of speakers invited to St Andrews by the Students for Life society.

Last Thursday (20 October) the society hosted a talk by Clare Bremner, from the Abortion Recovery and Care Helpline (ARCH) on the subject of the “psychological effects of abortion.”

Ms Bremner opposes abortion in all circumstances, including in cases of rape or incest. In comments on the Herald Scotland website, Ms Bremner also compared the debate around abortion to that over the death penalty, war and slavery.

In the past year the society has also invited John Deighan, the chief execu-

tive of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) in Scotland and a former parliamentary officer of the Catholic Church in Scotland.

Mr Deighan, speaking at an anti-abortion rally earlier this year, advocated that women who get abortions, as well as the doctors who perform them, should be criminalised and “sanctioned” according to CommonSpace.

“The consequences would be up to the lawmakers to decide. There are laws just now. People are tried if they are not following laws just now. Then the judges give them the penalty,” he told the online publication.

He also compared abortion access to slavery and institutional racism.

Mr Deighan also spread misinformation regarding contraception at the

same rally.

Despite the weight of evidence from medical experts and scientists that says that condoms are the only contraception that protect against both pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, Mr Deighan opposes their use.

He said: “On the science, if people use condoms [for] a year of sexual activity, by the end of it the majority would have conceived. So in a oneoff instance of course it reduces the chances of that one off instance of being fertile, but over a year of use it’s very ineffective. So no. It’s rash. It’s irresponsible. It’s shortsighted.”

Mr Deighan has also dismissed those who raise awareness of the suicides of LGBT+ youth as using a “rhetorical device to gain sympathy.”

On the subject of LGBT+ education, he also told CommonSpace “There is a promotion of homosexuality at every turn and I think that hasn’t helped people.”

Mr Deighan added that campaigns for LGBT+ inclusion are “often an attack on traditional sexual morals in our society.”

He also added that society would “reap the whirlwind” from abandoning old values.

In an article for The Scotsman Mr Deighan has previously opposed equal marriage for LGBT+ people on the grounds that it would damage the, “well-being of children and the promotion of family life.”

Students for Life has also hosted Sister Roseann Reddy, co-founder of the Sisters Of The Gospel Of Life, a

pregnancy crisis service set up by the late Cardinal Winning.

Ms Reddy advocates that powers over abortion legislation should be devolved to Scotland so that the practise may be completely outlawed.

She has also compared abortion to smoking and said that similar legislation should be introduced to make people aware of the “effects” of the practise.

“With smoking they will show a pair of lungs on the back of a fag packet and say smoking is bad for you,” she told Herald Scotland.

“Now I don’t particularly want it rammed home in that sort of way, but if we really believe in choice, then we have to give women a choice that is factual” she went on to add.

Continued on page 2 ...

2 News

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Inside the paper

Controversy over anti-abortion speakers

Baring it all: the world of nude life drawing Arts & Culture, page 28 Features

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Graeme Acres discovers the trials and rewards of being a hall warden

Andrew Williams explains why heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill is a legend

Page 19

Page 36

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Meilan Solly’s tips for landing your dream internship

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Page 13

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Joseph Cassidy News editor Continued from page 1 ...

Criticising the choice of speakers, Jo Boon, co-coordinator of the Feminist Society said, “‘Freedom of speech is a right that is constantly surrounded with controversy.

“Where the line is between expressing one’s opinion and being guilty of hate speech or violating other’s rights, is a line that is not always easy to draw. When it comes to speaking about the pro- life or prochoice debate, I think that people have a right to articulate their views but that human, and in particular women’s rights, have to be carefully considered.

“I am pro- choice, not pro- abortion, but prioritise the right of a woman to have control over her body and life. The reality of this debate is not between abortion, and no abortions.

Rather, it is between safe, legal abortions and back- street abortions.

“Abortions take place across the world regardless of whether they are legal or not, but [women] simply have to travel for them or have them take place in an unsafe environment.

“When it comes to arguments that abortion is still immoral in cases of rape or incest, I really don’t know what to say. The debate has moved so far from a point of rationality or human empathy at that point that it can be difficult to engage.

“My priority is the protection of a woman’s right to her own body.’

Defending the choice of speakers, James Castro, president of the

27 October 2016 • The Saint

society said, “Abortion is indeed a moral issue and a heavy topic, but because many have differing views on whether a person in the womb is a human person, some can dismiss it as a non-important topic and are not able to compare it to other issues such as slavery or racial discrimination. It is because of this diversion that much misunderstanding can take place.

“Also, it is not unusual that some pro-life speakers can be seen as being misogynistic or homophobic, but this is not their message.

“The authentic pro-life view can disagree with the views of others, but must respect the dignity of the person who holds them. It is unfortunate that many opposers to the pro-life cause believe it to be misogynistic and/or homophobic, [but] admittedly there are also those who are pro-life and do exhibit these flawed sentiments.

“The authentic pro-life perspective upholds the dignity of the human person, no matter their race, views, sexual orientation, or stage of human development.

“As for the speakers mentioned, I cannot speak on their behalf, but I have personally met with almost all of the above said names and even while they advocate traditional sexual practices, I do not see any of them exhibiting these discriminatory labels that were mentioned despite them having differing views from others.

“As for the Students For Life society, our events have always been inclusive to everyone, and our talks have never exhibited discrimination.”

The Feminist Society’s publicity officer, Dariah Williams, also commented on the speakers, “I think it’s

Editorial board

EDITORIAL

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 Herman illustration@thesaint-online.com BUSINESS MANAGER MiMi Cook business@thesaint-online.com BUSINESS TEAM Sarah Chamberlain, Matthew Cregan, Ben Cull, Rhea Karpe, Katherine Habel, Madeline LeMasters, Jennie Matthews, Patima Shareef, Alicja Wawszcyk advertising@thesaint-online.com

disappointing that the pro-life society would invite speakers with such harmful, hateful views.

“While obviously I and many of the Feminist Society committee members disagree with their stance on abortion, we recognize the importance of having open, constructive discussions on such sensitive issues.

“However, inviting speakers who are blatantly homophobic and seek to take contraception away from women does not promote productive dialogue. Instead, it serves to make students feel unsafe in their own home.

DiRector of Student Development and Activities Caroline Christie said, “From a societies committee perspective, as we maintain a hands off approach to regulating societies, we do not demand or require a list of speakers or events that societies are putting on.

“All students and societies are allowed to express their own views, however everyone is required to follow and respect both the equal opportunities and zero tolerance policies.

This should be made clear to speakers and if an individual feels these policies have been violated they have a right to make a complaint.

“Individuals have a right not be discriminated against for their political or philosophical beliefs. University should provide students with a full experience of thought and an exchange of ideas. As a Students’ Association we believe these ideas should be allowed to be both expressed and to be challenged. However, this is with the understanding that the equal opportunities and zero tolerance policies are followed.

In defense of free speech, even at its most offensive U

niversities have always played a critical role shaping students’ ideological views, but the nature of this influence has recently become the subject of heated debate.

Increasingly, on once liberal college campuses across the US, trigger warnings and political correctness are now the norm, and UK schools are embracing similarly protective measures. In an educational environment where some views are encouraged and others shunned at the risk of offending peers, where does one draw the line? What constitutes a valid exercise of free speech as opposed to a hateful view that affects others’ well-being?

The speakers invited to the University by the Students for Life Society serve as the perfect case study for the aforementioned question. In their speeches, as well as various past comments, these men and women espoused views that The

Saint finds utterly abhorrent. For example, Clare Bremner of the Abortion Recovery and Care Helpline said she opposes abortion even in cases of rape and incest. John Deighan, Chief Executive of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children in Scotland, advocated the criminalisation of abortion and said that calls for greater LGBT+ rights are “often an attack on traditional sexual morals in our society.”

These comments represent an outdated, damaging outlook on LGBT+ and women’s reproductive rights. We are lucky enough to live in a country where women have control over their own bodies and individuals are allowed to marry whom they choose regardless of their gender.

Restrictions on individual freedom are bound to fail; as Feminist Society co-coordinator Jo Boon points out in The Saint’s article on the matter, abortions will happen whether they

are legal or not.

However, we now ask you to reread the previous sentence: “restrictions on individual freedom are bound to fail.” As a student newspaper, we are dedicated to the exercise of free press and free speech. This means that no matter how much we disagree with an individual’s point of view, we stand by their right to share it at the University. We also, however, stand by the rights of others to thoroughly dissect every distasteful comment made. As former principal Louise Richardson once said, “Education is not meant to be comfortable. Education should be about confronting ideas you find really objectionable.”

University provides us the opportunity to surround ourselves with thousands of peers whose perspectives may be completely anathematic to ours. Rather than shunning these views (unless, of course, they pose

a threat to well-being), we should endeavour to seek them out.

Debating subjects we think we are well-versed on has the ability to make us realize that we may have been missing a side of the story. The opinions we have now are not the ones we will have forever. The beauty of conversation is that once you realise your convictions are wrong, you can change your mind. Other times, debates will only reinforce our convictions.

Regardless of the outcome, exposure to different points of view deepens our understanding of the topic discussed. So, why don’t you bring up Brexit to your borderline xenophobic friend? Better yet, ask that Trump supporter what he thinks of the Donald’s latest racist/sexist/ homophobic escapades. It might be uncomfortable at the time, but in the end you’ll be glad you both have the right to share your thoughts.

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: Reem Awad, Georgia Davies, Harris LaTeef, Jonathon Skavroneck, Tom Williams

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@thesaint_news

Night bus stop at DRA/FP threatened with cancellation Just days before Raisin Weekend was set to commence, residents of David Russell Apartments and Fife Park received a “confusing” email warning that the hall’s night bus stop was on the verge of cancellation.

Sent the afternoon of Tuesday 11 October, the full email reads, “This is the final warning that the DRA/FP Night Bus will be cancelled as a stop unless the unacceptable behaviour on the bus and when waiting for/or leaving the bus can stop.”

“Please, respect the neighbours, keep the noise to a minimum and respect the drivers or this service will cease.”

“Final warning people.”

Speaking with residents of DRA and Fife Park, The Saint discovered confusion surrounding the circumstances of the email. The majority of DRA/FP residents and night bus regulars that were interviewed have never experienced, nor heard of, the behaviour discussed in the warning message.

Kirsten Scott, a first-year living in DRA, said she takes the night bus frequently and had never received a warning prior to the “final” one

from the email.

“I was quite confused when the email came out.”

A first-year PhD student, who wished not to be named, responded to the email asking for more information on the problems, but did not receive a helpful response.

He said of the exchange, “The

”

Jonathon Skavroneck Deputy news editor

Please, respect the neighbours, keep the noise to a minimum and respect the drivers

person who sent the email seemed very angry.”

In response to an inquiry from The Saint about the specific problems, the University issued a statement saying, “There have been a number of complaints about the behaviour of students on and at the Night bus stop at DRA.” “It is imperative that the Night bus provides a safe environment for

students travelling back after dark; we also expect our students to behave in a way that does not alarm the driver or nearby residents.”

“Students have been advised accordingly.”

The Saint rode the bus and spoke with the regular drivers, Tim and Derek, in order to ascertain more information Both Tim and Derek have driven the night bus since it was first piloted by the University in May of 2014.

The route, which was created after a series of sexual assault incidents to assist students who are forced to walk long distances in the dark, runs from 10 pm until 2 pm and includes stops at the Union, Library, Albany Park, and Agnes Blackadder Hall.

However, DRA and Fife Park residents may be denied this safety measure if they cannot abide with what has been asked for in the email.

However, according to Tim, noise and respect are not the actual problem. After driving the route for several years, he has never experienced disrespect from students.

The actual issue lies in the crowds of, often intoxicated, people that attempt to board the bus at the DRA stop, which is located at

the front of the complex’s facilities building.

On the busiest nights, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, groups of more than 60 can be seen waiting for the bus between 10 pm and 12 am. This creates a problem, as the bus can only seat 41 people.

“It’s a case of trying to squeeze in what you can.”

On the Friday that The Saint was

It is imperative that the Night bus provides a safe environment for students

”

on board, a throng of about 65 partygoers heading to town did indeed rush the bus door as the bus pulled up to DRA at 11:15 pm.

A janitor from DRA, who acts as makeshift security in order to assist Tim and Derek with crowd control on hectic nights, shouted at the students to back up and form a line.

Tim had to keep the door to the bus closed while the janitor wrestled to restrain the crowd. Finally, once some calm had fallen over the mass of people, Tim and the janitor began to allow people on board.

Mostly women were chosen because, as Tim reminded throughout the night, the bus is “not a booze bus” and is “primarily for safety”.

After the bus had been filled to capacity, about two dozen people were left behind to walk to town.

Tim explained that University security sometimes has to be called to help deal with especially unruly individuals, but it is a rare occurrence.

Security officers will also periodically ride on the bus, but “they’re never there when the problem is at DRA.” Derek added that, while the mobs of people are problematic, cancelling the DRA bus stop is not the proper solution to the problem.

In fact, both Tim and Derek agree that the behaviour this year has been far better than in previous years. To the best of their knowledge, there has been no serious talk of cancelling the bus during these times.

At the time of publication, no further updates have been provided to students by either the DRA/FP wardennial team or the University.

Fresh talks over the site of Madras college to be held A fresh round of talks is currently being held over the location of Madras College’s new building, a decade-long debate that has “been heart-breaking and divisive” for community stakeholders.

Disagreements regarding the approval of the £40 million project pertain to the various sites proposed.

The University is collaborating with Fife Council officers regarding proposed sites.

A spokeswoman for the University said that the council “has indicated it will carry out a review of all possible school sites in St Andrews” and that the University is “talking with council

colleagues in support of that process.”

At meetings held by the Fife Council Executive Committee in May and August, “Council officers have been given a remit to review all of the potential sites for a new Madras College,” likely in December, according to St Andrews councillor, Brian Thomson.

He went on to say, “The main thing is to get a decision on a favoured site as soon as possible, particularly as the local Council elections are coming up in May 2017, and key decisions are often put on hold in the run-up to such elections.

“Given the condition of the current buildings, and the desperate need for a new school, every effort should be

made to avoid any further delay.

“It’s also worth highlighting that the longer this matter drags on, there will likely be pressure from some quarters to revisit the hugely unpopular option of refurbishing and extending the 1960s Kilrymont Road building that’s located on the south-east edge of the town.

“I hope that such an outcome – something I could not support – can be avoided, and that the current exercise will lead to the construction of a long-awaited new school in the shortest timescale possible,” Mr Thomson concluded.

Parent Voice activists have campaigned extensively for a 30-acre spot on Pipeland Farm, but opposition by

Photo: Wikimedia

Wesley Garner

St Andrews Environment Protection Association Limited (STEPAL) regarding the site’s infringement on the green belt surrounding the town has stifled progress.

Continuous mediation by the Fife Council and the University has recently “raised hopes” for a breakthrough in discussion that could deliver the College’s already designed plans into the construction phase.

Currently, Madras College rests on two separate sites.

The search for a larger, single campus has been of importance to Parent Voice, which argues that the site in the countryside not only “avoids over 1000 staff journeys per week between Kilrymont and South Street,” but is already “adjacent to existing housing,” and therefore well-suited to students independently commuting to school.

The new site, then, is seen to promise better attendance and education, and has been signed-on by Willie Rennie, the Northeast Fife’s Member of Scottish Parliament.

STEPAL, for its part, argues that the “site for the new school must be selected according to planning policy, not educational need.” To that end, it has pursued legal action to halt the property’s acquisition.

The proposed site at Pipeland would sit in the green belt around the town. STEPAL advocates for the consideration of other sites that do not break with St Andrews’ building and environmental policies. Along with STEPAL, the St Andrews Preservation Trust denounces the proposal, arguing that “if the council does build the new school there, the trust considers that school users, neighbouring res-

idents, hospital users, citizens of St Andrews and the public at large will be subject to serious inconvenience, nuisance and safety risks.

“Further, the development will blight the amenity of neighbours and patients and the appearance of the southern hillside; it would also set a precedent for development sprawl in the green belt.”

As a result of court proceedings brought by STEPAL, Madras has encountered great difficulty securing the land for the building. STEPAL’s successful objection “frustrated many in the town who hoped that construction of the replacement school would begin shortly.”

Fife Council provided planning permission to Madras in May 2014, but further appeals by STEPAL led to a hearing in Scotland’s supreme civil court this past March. Presiding Lord Malcom described the approach taken by the Council as “erroneous.”

Reacting, a member of Parent Voice described the “small old guard” as seeing preserving 0.5 per cent of the Greenbelt “as more important than the education and wellbeing of our children and have condemned our children to many more years of appalling conditions.”

This past January, the University discussed a land swap with the Council for land at Langlands, “although those negotiations faltered over valuations,” as the Council would have been giving away over 10 times more than it received.

Nonetheless, a campus on the Langlands near the University sports pitches “received overwhelming support from those on all sides of the debate.”

4 News

thesaint-online.com

27 October 2016 • The Saint

Masquerade Ball cancelled due to fears of flooding risk The St Andrews Charity Campaign’s Masquerade Ball has been cancelled and remodeled into a dinner and club night.

The changes come as a result of concerns over flooding at the site of the ball, according to the ball’s convener, Jessica Whiteley.

Ms Whiteley confirmed to The Saint that the Charities Campaign did not want to “take the risk” of flooding seen at the previous venue, Pond Site.

The event has now been moved to two indoor venues: Balgrove Larder and Bar 601. The Charities Campaign have rebranded the original Masquerade theme to a ‘MasqueRave’ evening, with a club evening at Bar 601.

However, the ball’s cancellation may also be due to concerns that the large number of other balls in November would mean that the event might not have been as successful as it has previously been.

Indeed Xavier Ball was also recently cancelled due to funding issues from a lack of ticket sales compared to

previous years.

Ms Whitely confirmed to The Saint that the changes were also made due to concerns that the event would just be “another November ball.”

The high influx of events in November, including Welly Ball and the St Andrews Day Ball, led to the decision to reshape traditional ideas.

Ms Whiteley states that the change was “not that controversial” and that the aim of the organisers is to focus on the future - and not on previous balls.

Kristen Tsubota, Charities Officer, spoke to The Saint about the event,.

According to Ms Tsubota, “the new location offers more of a festival and casual vibe, while still offering a night that will be filled with great music, dancing and food.

“It’s a fresh take on how to throw a massive party in St Andrews.”

The new event will raise money for the Charities Campaign’s three chosen charities: Women for Women International, The Anthony Nolan Trust, and Frontline Fife.

The event has announced that it will deliver an ‘over the top’ night with the same ‘high energy’ that the ball promised.

Photo: Sammi Ciardi

Georgia Davies Deputy news editor

The government has announced a consultation on policies regarding international students.

Included in the proposals, which many have described as a crackdown, are potential plans to introduce a £140m fund to “control migration” as well as plans to limit work visas and enforce stricter regulations on students applying to lower ranked universities and courses.

Reducing the number of international students has come as part of a wider scheme to reduce net migration into the UK to a “sustainable level.”

The proposals, outlined over the Conservative Party conference, by figures such as Home Secretary Amber Rudd are also based on linking student immigration to quality of both university and course for the first time. The goal would be to allow only the best students study at reputable institutions in the UK.

Ms Rudd has suggested a multi-tiered student visa system, with the rights for students to bring families as well as the rights to achieve a working visa after and the right to come to the university without passing an English language test linked to the quality of the course and the university they attended.

Similar quality tied-immigration ideas have previously been suggested by Nick Timothy, Theresa May’s Chief of Staff, who has suggested the right of international students to work in Britain after graduating should be limited to those who attend Oxbridge and Russell Group universities. Such proposals, if implemented, would not include international students studying at St Andrews.

Further reforms have also been proposed on improving standards of English proficiency of applying international students, to ensure that students can assimilate and function successfully within British society.

Photo: Flickr

Georgia Currah

Left: Home secretary Amber Rudd

Ms Rudd has said, “foreign students, even those studying English Language degrees, don’t even have to be proficient in speaking English.”

She wants to implement stricter testing and levels of acceptance to make sure that “students that come here, come to study.”

Many politicians and academics, such as Birmingham University’s Vice Chancellor Lord Bilimoria, have condemned Ms Rudd’s proposal, with critics denouncing it as ill informed and damaging to the quality and diversity of British universities.

The University of St Andrews has declined to comment.

Ms Rudd has argued that she does believe immigration is a “good thing,” but wants to “make sure we have got control.”

The Students’ Representative Council’s member for racial equality, Halima Mohammad, criticised the proposals.

“St Andrews is a university that has always been proud of its growing number of international students and while I do believe new legislation will make it harder for international students to attend the university, I’m sure everyone will work hard to keep our numbers for international students stable and growing,” she said.

Ms Mohammad went on to say that, “While the problem of attracting overseas students may not be a problem now in the near future it will be because since Brexit the United Kingdom rates for hate crime have increased therefore instilling a slight sense of fear for foreigners coming into the UK. St Andrews is a welcoming and open community.

“While no place is perfect I do not feel animosity is present within the community towards international students”

University issues ban on “exploding” Samsung phones in student halls Reem Awad Deputy news editor Students living in halls received an alarming email warning that the University was imposing a ban on the Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

The smartphone has recently been the cause of multiple fires and explosions worldwide, causing Samsung to permanently stop its production.

Over 70 per cent of the Galaxy Note 7 produced is said to be affected with a faulty battery.

Disturbing images of injured customers and destroyed phones have been breaking the internet over the last few weeks.

According to the email, the University has decided to take matters into its own hands and stated that the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 is “no longer permitted to be used in residences and should be powered down immediately.”

The email cites “fire-related problems” as the reason behind the ban and guides students through the exchange process through the Samsung website.

Samsung, the manufacturer, is beginning to take draconian measures to

Photo: Flickr

New government crackdown on international students proposed

ensure consumer safety and has asked all customers to power off their phones immediately. The website guides users through the recall process which gives the option to apply for a full refund or for a Samsung product swap.

However, it took over three weeks for Samsung to issue an official recall.

Samsung originally began a “voluntary replacement programme” which gave customers who had not yet been affected by the fault a choice but did not limit the damages.

The Saint contacted the University for a statement regarding the recall process. The University “encourages students and staff to follow the advice given by the manufacturers”.

Other universities in UK and the US have also banned the Galaxy Note 7 on campus as a precautionary measure.

Airlines such as Air Berlin, Lufthansa and Air New Zealand have also announced that they will not allow the phone on board all flights.

All students and staff should be aware of the danger of the Galaxy Note 7 and should familiarise themselves with the recall process found on the Samsung website.

The Saint • 27 October 2016

Universities struggling with mental health services, says report Universities are struggling to cope with rising demand for mental health services for students, says a thinktank report.

The Higher Education Policy Institute says some universities need to triple how much they are currently spending on support.

The report says one in 10 students has a “diagnosable mental illness.”

Ruth Caleb, of the Higher Education Working Group on Mental Health, said counselling could help students before a “concern becomes a crisis”.

The report calls for more support for students who have problems such as depression, anxiety and loneliness.

It calls for more continuity of care, such as allowing students to be simultaneously registered with a GP both at their parental home and at university.

Nick Hillman, DiRector of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said that students starting university need to know that support is available.

“Mental disorders are most common in young adults, just at the age when many people become students,” he said.

“Going to university can be stressful, especially for first-in-family

students.

“Typically, you lose your established support networks, move to a new part of the country and take on large debts.

“Occasionally, it even ends in tragedy.”

Holly Johnston, the St Andrews Students’ Association Wellbeing officer, said, “No matter the state of an institution’s support system, I think there is always capacity for improve-

”

Joseph Cassidy News editor

Mental disorders are most common in young adults, just at the age when many people become students

ment and this should be reflected on by those involved, including at St Andrews.

“Student Services do great work and they have just appointed a

dedicated mental health professional, which shows they take the issue seriously.

“Mental health is an important issue and needs solutions which will treat it as such, and we would encourage anyone who is in difficulty to contact student services or their GP. The Wellbeing Committee alongside the DiRector of Representation are also happy to point students in the right direction should they require it, in full confidence.”

The report is supported by Norman Lamb, former Care Minister, who said: “I regularly meet with university students all across the country and am struck by how often mental health is raised as one of their main concerns about life on campus.”

Universities UK says a strategy for student wellbeing is currently being devised by a group chaired

by Steve West, vice-chancellor of the University of the West of England.

It will set guidelines for counselling and mental health services that should be available from universities and the NHS. Universities UK’s chief executive, Nicola Dandridge, said: “It must be a core part of the offer to students, parents and staff as well as to local and national stakeholders.

“Student wellbeing must be at the heart of the university.”

Photo: BBC Parliament

Scottish Education Secretary John Swinney has announced that EU students starting at Scottish universities in 2017 will not be required to pay fees throughout the duration of the course, even following Britain’s formal exit from the EU, which is expected to take place in March 2019.

This comes after EU students beginning courses this year were promised a continuation of the current tuition fee policy by the Scottish Government in July.

Since Britain’s vote to leave the EU in June, foreign students carrying out, or hoping to embark on, studies in the UK have been seeking guarantees on the status of their funding.

Professor Sally Mapstone, Principal of the University of St Andrews, has previously stated that

the fee status of all EU students who began studies in 2016 or earlier would remain unchanged by the referendum result (i.e. continue to be free of charge).

However Mr Swinney warned that tuition would be free for students beginning studies in 2017 so long as the UK government guarantee their right to stay in Scotland during their studies and work here after their studies.

When making this demand at the SNP conference in Glasgow, Swinney insisted that EU students hoping to study in the UK “are not cards to be played. They are human beings,” and urged the government in Westminster to treat them as such.

However, no guarantees regarding the future rights of EU citizens to live and work in the UK have yet been made by the British government in the wake of vote to leave the EU.

Rector: new referendum “a distraction” Continued from page 1... “within the UK.” Scottish Labour leader, Kezia Dugdale, described the draft bill as “irresponsible economic vandalism”, warning: “Our economy is in trouble following David Cameron’s reckless Brexit gamble, and the very last thing we need is more uncertainty for employers.”

Seaking before the publication, the Scottish Conservative leader, Ruth Davidson, vowed that her party would fight proposals for a second referendum “every step of the way.”

We had a [...] referendum and the people of Scotland said ‘No’ two years ago. As democrat[s], we should respect what people have decided

” Photo: Guardbridge Plant

Scottish government promise 2017/18 EU students will not pay fees Laura Powell

News 5

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Guardbridge biomass plant shortlisted for environmental award

Joseph Cassidy News editor

The University of St Andrews and partner Vital Energi have been shortlisted as finalists for the Scottish Green Awards 2016 for the biomass energy centre at Guardbridge.

The £25 million energy centre on the east side of the former paper mill site at Guardbridge will produce hot water from a biomass boiler using clean, natural fuels which will be pumped four miles to St Andrews where it will heat University buildings.

The Guardbridge energy centre is shortlisted in the sustainable development award category.

Professor Verity Brown, Vice Principal (Enterprise & Engagement), said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for such a prestigious award against competition from

across Scotland, which is an achievement in itself.

“The energy centre at Guardbridge is a remarkable engineering project which would not have been possible without our partner, Vital Energi. We also acknowledge and appreciate the patience of local people in the realisation of this project.”

Niall Stuart, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, the voice of renewable energy in Scotland, said: “Once again the Scottish Green Energy Awards shortlist shines a light on the most innovative, forward-thinking and sustainable projects, organisations and individuals in our industry.

“There have been some important projects delivered over the last 12 months and the shortlist shows clearly how our sector is helping grow the economy, tackle climate change and support communities across the country.”

UN medal for St Andrews professor

A St Andrews Professor, whose ground-breaking work in nanotechnology started off as a ‘laboratory curiosity’, has been awarded a major honour by the UN. Professor Jim Scott was honoured with the UNESCO medal for “Contributions to Nanoscience and Nanotechnology” at their headquarters in Paris on 11 October.

The medal was awarded in recognition of Professor Scott’s pioneering research on ferroelectric materials and devices.

Professor Scott said, “I am very grateful for this recognition. This work began in 1984 and has taken more than thirty years; it is not like winning the lottery.

Charity cancer walk launched

A charity walk is to be launched in memory of Ellie MacDonald who died from cancer only weeks after graduating from the University of St Andrews.

Ellie’s mum Michelle, who has overcome breast cancer twice and lost two children to the disease, will join family, friends and students on October 29 on the walk from Cambo Estate to St Andrews.

It’s a flagship event for 1 Million Miles for Ellie, an appeal to raise a £1 million for those affected by cancer.

Money raised will be split between Cancer Research UK, Maggie’s and Macmillan Cancer Support.

New ape research unveiled

The ability to understand how others see the world, may not be unique to humans as previously thought, but exist in apes too, an international team of researchers, including from the University of St Andrews, has discovered.

Professor Josep Call said: “Apes predicted where an agent would go (or reach) not based on the current state of the world, but on what had been the state of the world when the agent witnessed a particular event.

Most read online

1 The Lizard Lounge to close 2 St Andrews Conservative society disaffiliates from Students’ Association 3 Association investigation confirms Conservative Society “election fraud”

6 News

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27 October 2016 • The Saint

InFocus: Catherine Stihler, Rector of the University of St Andrews and MEP for Scotland

Photo: Fire Safe Europe

“I’m not a nationalist, I’m an internationalist”

The Saint sat down with the Rector to discuss her first two years in office, Brexit and what exactly she thinks of Donald Trump St Andrews’ 52nd Rector is unlike most who have preceded her in the role. As a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 1999, she is the first Rector in 116 years to hold the position while also serving in elected public office. She is only the second woman ever to take on the historic role. Active not only in European but student politics, in her time as a St Andrews student she is one of only six women elected as President of the St Andrews Students’ Association.

Contrasting with the variety of academics, comedians, activists and other members of the British intelligentsia who have occupied the role in recent years, it is clear that Catherine Stihler’s desire to be Rector was based on a deeper connection to public service and St Andrews itself.

Indeed it may have been these unique experiences and qualities that led the Association President at the time of her election in 2014, Pat Mathewson, to remark that, “She is not only incredibly accomplished, but she is one of our own.”

The Saint spoke to Ms Stihler to ask what she thought she had been able to achieve in her first two years in office, what she still hoped to do, and her opinions of the changing world around us that St Andrews students will soon enter.

Discussing what she feels has been achieved in the first two years of her term, Ms Stihler listed increasing accessibility as being one of the main

initiatives she has pursued.

“Since I’ve been in the role, what I’ve tried to do is be accessible. So that might be through our surgeries that we hold, and also through social media. When people contact us we try and respond in an appropriate and effective way,” she said.

Ms Stihler also emphasised the work that had been done to expand the Rector’s fund. Started under her predecessor Alistair Moffat, the fund aims to give students a chance to have an internship they would not otherwise be able to afford. Indeed in Ms Stihler’s first year office, £14,000 was

”

Joseph Cassidy News editor

It is an uncertain time, people need to make sure that they know how valued our staff and students are

raised for the fund.

Always quick to praise the work of other figures within the University, Ms Stihler also mentioned the efforts of both students and academics that she has worked with.

“Dylan [Bruce, Rector’s Assessor 2016/17], my new assessor has been working really hard and it’s been great to see that transition to having

Annie [Newman, Rector’s Assessor 2015/16] as my assessor to having Dylan, as well as working with the new sabbatical team,” she said.”

Ms Stihler also added her thanks for the support given by the Rector’s committee to both Mr Bruce and Ms Newman.

Going on, she said, “I feel very lucky with the students that I’m working with, the sense of commitment and professionalism is one which is a testament to the students in St Andrews and it’s a real joy to work with them.”

“Obviously the sabbatical officers are really important and that relationship’s really crucial,” Ms Stihler also praised the University’s new Principal, Professor Sally Mapstone saying that “it’s so impressive that our new Principal has used the words ‘excellence, inclusivity and fairness’ at the opening ceremony, which I completely agree with.”

The Rector also chairs the University Court, the main governing body of the institution, responsible for many of the major decision that affect the lives of students. Discussing her work on the Court Ms Stihler said, “There’s been big issues around accommodation so we’ve tried to increase bed spaces, the strategic issues around all of those kind of areas which are of interest to students, making sure students’ voices are heard and working with the student community.”

Ms Stihler also referenced the “Save the Rector” petition that was

launched at the beginning of the last academic year, garnering over 3,000 signatures.

Our European-ness as a University has been there since we were founded over 600 years ago

”

The petition argued that the High Education Governance Bill would “end the Rectorship as we know it” by introducing separate chairs of university courts around Scotland.

The bill was subsequently revised with provisions to protect the historic tradition.

“One of the things that I hadn’t prepared for was the Scottish Government’s Higher Education bill which actually put a threat to the Rector,” Ms Stihler said.

Going on, she added, “I spent a long time last year and the beginning of this year really fighting the case of why the Rector was still an important role and I felt that it was a real win that all the Rectors united and we didn’t lose that important Scottish tradition.”

The student body were also impor-

tant in that debate. The role of Rector in terms of accessibility and having a voice in the highest echelons of the University is important. I feel that an active Rector is important for the student community, not just having somebody who turns up and then leaves every so often.

On the challenges that she sees students facing now and in the future Ms Stihler is clear that there is one that looms above all – Brexit. A fierce advocate of what she describes as the “European cause”, Ms Stihler expressed concern for the future of St Andrews and other British universities following the vote to leave the European Union (EU) in June.

“You’ve got the human element with the University, where it’s the staff and students that come from the EU,” Ms Stihler said.

Going on, she added, “It is an uncertain time and people need to make sure that they know how valued our staff and students are. One of the other biggest issues is research and research funding. I think last year it was about £7 million that benefited St Andrews from EU sources.

“To be honest, it’s not even about the money really, it’s about the collaboration. And it’s about the innovation that comes from the collaboration that we have. It’s an important aspect of all this work that is now being challenged because of the vote to leave the EU.” Ms Stihler also stressed her belief in the international, European nature of the University, and how she hoped this would continue even after the

UK leaves the EU. “The founding of our University came in 1413, from a Papal Bull from the continent. So our European-ness as a University has been there since we were founded over 600 years ago, and that will not disappear,” she said.

Continuing on, Ms Stihler added, “so that idea of an open internationalism which makes the University is very important and is something that I feel very strongly about.

“It’s these things like the Erasmus opportunities and the students who benefit from those experiences and it’s that kind of collaboration, and that opportunity that you have of being a bit more open, and thinking about the world in a bigger way and in a more open way.

“How we can maintain those kind of exchanges as we move forward is important. I think St Andrews will rise to the challenge.

Ms Stihler also expressed her deep concerns about the uncertainty that has surrounded the UK’s future after leaving the EU since the referendum.

“The truth of it is that nobody knows what is going to happen because Article 50 [the EU treaty article concerning states withdrawing from the organisation] has never been triggered before.

“What we do know, is that Article 50, according to the Prime Minister

disappointed with the result of the referendum and concerns about the effects of leaving the EU, Ms Stihler saw overturning the result, as some politicians and activist have suggested, as unlikely.

Speaking on the subject, Ms Stihler said, “As a democrat, it’s very difficult when referendums have happened and you disagree with the result, however I will still fundamentally make the case about why it’s important to be part of the European single market and it’s important to be part of this European Union in terms of maintaining influence in a global world, my views will never change on that because I advocate for that and I think it’s important.

“But the reality of where we are at the moment is that we’re unclear what the government’s negotiating position is other than that they don’t want freedom of movement.

“As it currently stands, I don’t think there will be a second referendum on the European question and I think the best that we could get is something like the Norwegian model, if we don’t want to be part of the EU. But if you talk about hard Brexit that’s very, very unlikely.

“We’re looking for an optimal

Article 50 was never, ever meant to be implemented

”

will be triggered by the end of March, and after that then the process will really be driven by the other 27 EU countries.

“So the power will rest with the EU 27 and not with the UK, and at the moment it’s very unclear about whether there will be negotiation parallel to the divorce which will be able to define our future arrangements. “ Ms Stihler also went on to say that she believed it would be very difficult to secure any kind of “soft” exit from the EU, which would involve measures like staying in the single market.

“It’s very uncertain what is going to happen next, and anybody who tells you that they know what’s going to happen next is not being particularly truthful,” she said.

She went on to add, “My view at the moment, from the way the language is hardening, both from Theresa May’s speech at the Conservative party conference and then the Donald Tusk speech

on Thursday (13 October) where he talked about the ‘cake philosophy’, people want to take the cake, eat it, and then try and see what’s left. He says there’s only two options, hard Brexit, or no Brexit.

“It’s looking very likely that we’re

I will still fundamentally make the case about why it’s important to be part of the European single market

”

heading to a scenario of hard Brexit which means that the issues that are important to us about accessing the funding and such are probably going to have to be dealt with in the future arrangement, they’re not going to be a part of the divorce settlement.

“In fairness, a lot of people who collaborate with us from other countries also want us to participate so we just have to keep pressing and keep pushing the issues and make sure that our voice is not lost as we move forward to the really tough times that will be ahead.

“Article 50 was never, ever meant to be implemented.”

However, despite h e r

News 7 solution in a sub-optimal environment. Because actually, what we have at the moment is the best deal that we can possibly have and we’re about to destroy that.

“It’s tragic for the economy and it’s tragic for both Scotland and the United Kingdom.”

Ms Stihler also spoke to The Saint about her belief in the connection between the forces that droves the vote to leave the EU and those now driving Donald Trump in America, as well as her disgust at the Republican nominee’s numerous offensive statements.

“It shows you that sometimes you think misogyny is going, we’ve fought that battle, and then we discover that we’ve got to keep fighting the battle for equality,” she said.

Going on, she added, “Donald Trump’s comments are something quite disgusting, I find them particularly offensive.

“We have to work harder and try and make sure that those views are not acceptable in 2016, that women are equal to men, and sadly we still have to defend that equality.”

“I remember the day after the EU referendum, having a conversation

We’re looking for an optimal solution in a sub-optimal environment

”

where I was making the case that Donald Trump and the support behind him was not the same and the American students I was speaking to were saying ‘Catherine, it is the same’, the anti-establishment feelings, being against the elites while being a member of the elite themselves, being populistic, blaming people, blaming immigrants, and they were right, it is the same rhetoric that was used here that is being used there.

Ms Stihler went on to express her hopes that America would elect its first female president, “It will come as no surprise that I am a supporter of Hillary Clinton, and I would love to see in my life time the first female president of the US, and my children are American citizens and I would really like my two boys see the first female president, I really would.

“I think it sends a signal, to the world, and also in the UK we have our second female prime minister, we have our female first minister in Scotland, so from a gender perspective I would definitely like to see a woman in the White House.

Photo: Yelim Lee

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Indeed, the subject of gender equality is one particularly relevant to Ms Stihler. As previously stated, she only the University’s second female Rector, she is currently Scotland’s only woman MEP and during her time at St Andrews she was one of the few women elected as President of the Students’ Association.

However when discussing her status as a potential model for other young women, she is again quick to note the work of others.

“We’re very lucky actually because we’ve got, not just the Principal and

”

The Saint • 27 October 2016

We’ve got to keep fighting the battle for equality

the Rector, but you’ve also got the President of the Students’ Association and also the senior governor of the University. So you’ve kind of got four women at the moment and I think that’s just great. I think it’s great to have positive role models,” she said.

Going on, she added, “It’s great to see that you can rise to the top in an organisation, you can work hard and achieve things.

“It’s a moment in St Andrews history to have all these four senior positions, representing students, the governors, the Principal and the Rector, occupied by women.”

Ms Stihler’s term as Rector ends in 2018 (with the new Rector elected in 2017) and the Prime Minister has confirmed that the UK will no longer send MEPs to Europe after 2019, so she will also step down from that position as well. The Saint asked what Ms Stihler planned to do next.

“Well, when one door closes, another door opens. I think it’s key to be open to new opportunities, at the moment I’m just trying my best to do what I’m doing as an MEP and obviously I’ve still got a year left as Rector, and I will be doing my utmost to fulfil that role,” she said.

Would she run for a second term as Rector? At this point Ms Stihler hesitated and then said that she had not given it much thought – but did not rule out re-running in 2017.

The Saint also asked how Ms Stihler balances the role of Rector with that of her family and also being an MEP for Scotland (indeed, this interview had to be conducted over the phone as Ms Stihler continued her work in Brussels).

“I have wonderful support in my husband, and my parents who help me a lot, and I’m very, very lucky to have that support around me and a family that really supports me and believes in what I’m doing,” she said.

Despite her pessimistic outlook for many of the major issues in the world that we had discussed, Ms Stihler remained hopeful about the future of the University and St Andrews’ students, finishing the interview by stating that, “Our students make our university, they make it what it is. I think with us being open-minded, international and outward looking, I think it stands St Andrews as a good place.

“St Andrews presents such fantastic opportunities for students and I was very lucky to have had them as a student and though times are difficult, we will pull through.”

VIEWPOINT Viewpoint editor AMY ELLIOTT

Deputy editors Tom Coombes, Claire Fogarty, Lila Velcoff

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viewpoint@thesaint-online.com

@saint_viewpoint

Tradition: something to embrace or eradicate?

into halls and said a teary goodbye to your parents you traipse to Younger Hall where young voices fill the room with the words of Gaudeamus proclaiming “Long live the University, long live the professors, long live each and every member; may they flourish!” As the semester progresses your Facebook feed is increasingly covered with pictures of scantily-clad friends jumping off the pier and immersing themselves into the chilly waters of the North Sea. The other weekend we experienced perhaps the most iconic St Andrews weekend: Raisin. Need anymore be said? A weekend of bizarre mayhem, which culminated with

with aplomb. As you read this we await Guy Fawkes’ Night, an evening filled with hot chocolate and bonfire toffee as the community congregates around a huge fire wrapped in thick scarves and coats. Catherine wheels and rockets are set off filling the sky with an explosion of colours as well all chant “remember, remember the fifth of November.” It really is quintessentially autumnal and not a day to overlook.

Then comes Christmas which, even if you are not of the faith, comes with has a slew of wonderful traditions: candlelit carol services, stockings, turkey with all the trimmings, Christmas pudding and the list could

Sophie Sanders srcs@st-andrews.ac.uk

Photo: Mika Schmeling

T

go on. Britain also has a myriad of strange traditions which are specific to individual areas of the country: cheese rolling in the Cotswolds, the dress of the Pearly Kings and Queens in London, and the Straw Bear Festival in Whittlesea just to name a few. Individual families have their own wonderful traditions which they keep each year too — from leaving milk and mince pies out for Father Christmas, to eating ice cream for breakfast on your birthday. These are precious because they bring back memories of happy times and unite the family. It certainly seems that both as a university and as a nation we love tradition.

Tradition binds the community, and unites generations since it is a constant in an ever-changing world.

As philosopher Roger Scruton articulated, traditions express a “partnership between the living, the unborn and the dead”. The beauty of tradition is the continuity it provides even whilst it evoles. This means that today we can enjoy and partake in practices which have existed for centuries. For example, the iconic red undergraduate gown was originally introduced in St Andrews in 1672 to enable tavern owners to identify students. Today, the gown no longer serves this original purpose and is worn predominantly for formal events and occasionally when the wind gets too rough.

Historically, in St Andrews children gave their academic parents a pound of raisins to add flavour to their porridge and to thank them for their guidance (hence the name ‘Raisin weekend’ was born). Today the sentiment remains but the gift is in another form of the noble grape, a bottle of wine.

Some may attack our traditions, arguing that these aspects of St Andrews life are pretentious and pompous.

They rage at the students, stereotyping them as middle-class snobs who wear pearls, puffers and pashminas with no real experience of hard work who spend their days sipping skinny lattes and prancing in their gowns down the pier. This is far from the truth. Traditions in St Andrews are a celebration of the University’s past, and are enjoyed by students from a wide variety of backgrounds.

So many of the traditions in this town are commemorative, and it is these traditions which are most conducive to the creation of a thriving community. Individuals from across the globe gather to remember individuals who served the community they enjoy being part of. Such traditions are not harmful, but rather a heartwarming symbol of the appreciation of selfless behaviour. The Gaudie torch-lit procession, for example, remembers the bravery of former stu-

dent John Honey who risked his life in 1800 to save survivors from an offshore shipping accident.

The haunting lines of Robert Laurence Binyon’s poem say, “they shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.” These lines are intrinsically linked with Remembrance Sunday, another com-

ful. It is saddening to read of the injurious traditions which remain in countries around the world. We recognize that there are certainly some traditions that should not be endorsed or celebrated. Challenging traditions that are harmful is a difficult task because it requires the cooperation of community leaders and those who struggle to look ahead.

We can see many examples of harmful traditions within this very

memorative tradition. As the poppy wreaths are laid, the silence is held, and then the euphonious sounds of Last Post heard, we as a nation are called to remember those who have served, and in many cases died for, our country in conflict.

It only seems right that such selfless and noble acts must be celebrated, refuting the claim that traditions are pointless. This is the behaviour which we should promote, endorse and celebrate. The past does not, as L.P. Hartley suggested in his novel The Go-Between, have to be another country. Tradition roots us in the past, enables us to live in the present and not fear for the future.

Some are still opposed to tradition based upon the belief that it stymies us and blinds us from modernity. Yet tradition and innovation are not diametrically opposed, and this is encapsulated by the University. Modern teaching techniques, ground-breaking research and new buildings are underpinned by traditional academic dress, celebrations and architecture. The creation of new traditions within the University highlights the synthesis of the old and new. For example, to celebrate the 600th anniversary of St Andrews a black gown was introduced for postgraduate students of St Leonards College. Tradition and innovation are both important, but neither should exist in isolation.

It is essential to acknowledge that some tradition can be harm-

country. For example, the absence of universal suffrage until the mid-twentieth century suppressed the rights and voice of women and other subjugated groups. When discussing the relative benefits and vices of tradition is essential to differentiate between these different forms.

Just as the grass withers and flowers fade, not all traditions stand the test of time. Traditional skills are being lost with few members of ‘Generation Y’ being able to knit, sew, weave or make jams and chutneys. What is more, traditional foods are being abandoned in favour of world cuisine — few students come home from their lectures and tuck into Pease pudding or Bath Chaps. Instead, the classic pesto pasta or perhaps a Maisha curry is more the norm.

For tradition to be preserved we must actively engage and embrace it. It is beneficial as it creates and binds a community which transcends generations.

We should not fear embracing the past, and remember that it is the foundation for the future. In 1922 the Rector of St Andrews, James M. Barrie, urged students to “fight for the old red gown till the whistle blows”. The past of this university has created the institution it is today.

The traditions of this university are in our hands. Will we, the students, fight to preserve these practices or will we let them evanesce?

Photo: Harry Gunning

his quaint Fife town, perched on the cliffs above the North Sea, is steeped in tradition. Walking down the wynds and streets you are acutely aware of the history which surrounds you. From the remains of Blackfriars, to Queen Mary’s Hawthorn, the fisher-folk’s cottages on North Street and the castle and cathedral there are a multitude of tales to be told. Students, books in hand, for hundreds of years have trodden the same steps. The flash of a scarlet red gown and the sound of bagpipes melodiously filling the streets on a misty morning is all part of daily life in St Andrews. It really is impossible to escape the plethora of traditions that punctuate our calendars. However, this is the essence of the charm of this university. The traditions begin before you have even arrived as you sign the Latin oath Sponsio Academica. Then, almost as soon as you have unpacked your bags

costumed freshers processing down North Street — dressed as anything from unicorns to grapes, and the Spice Girls to the Hungry Caterpillar.

Additionally, as if that was not enough tradition for one weekend, these same freshers clutched, drag ged or carried objects inscribed with Latin to Sallies’ Quad as Raisin Receipts which were later thrown into a skip before what can only be described as an eruption of shaving foam.

October does not mark the end of university traditions. Spring sees the Kate Kennedy procession, The Gaudie, and perhaps the most infamous of all to St Andrean traditions, May Dip. Yes, it might come as a shock but St Andrews students are not angels — they may have stepped on the cursed ‘PH’ where Patrick Hamilton was put to death in 1528, and perhaps committed incest with their academic brother or sister. Then, to conclude the year, students gather with an assortment of containers from casserole dishes to bins, and buckets to washing up bowls to soak their final year friends with water (and, if you’re lucky, a shower of glitter) after they complete their final undergraduate exam.

Even outside of ‘the Bubble’ traditions pervade our everyday lives.

We all look forward to specific celebrations which are spread through the year which the nation embraces

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

The Saint • 27 October 2016

thesaint-online.com

Devil’s Advocate

Viewpoint 9

Are gender-specific institutions inherently sexist?

YES n 2014, the chairman of the prestigious Travellers’ Club in Pall Mall, London, carried out a consultation on the question of admitting ladies as members of the Club. The “e-letter” received 190 responses, and of those members who replied, 114 (60 per cent) were against the proposal.

The Chairman, Anthony Layden, wrote in his report that “in general, those opposing change expressed themselves more strongly than those in favour.” This sentiment has come to represent the general modern view on these such establishments – outdated, outmoded, and utterly opposed to chance of any form.

A closer look at some of the responses to the report is especially illuminating. Most tend towards a similar theme, an outcry against changing the status quo. I suppose that fits into the general allure of a gentleman’s club, the sense of tradition, the fantasy of a private space that does not change. Not every response to the motion was entirely savoury, however, and many were quite eye-opening.

One member replied: “My experience of the club table at the Oxford and Cambridge Club, where one does unfortunately encounter lady members, is that their presence leads to very different and far less enjoyable themes of conversation.”

The problem with falling back upon “tradition” as an argument for an establishment’s continued existence, or the need for it in a modern society, is that quite often, the tradition upon which such an idea is based is born out of an era with a set of values and attitudes entirely non-compatible with our own. According to one member, the Club existed as a means through which its members could “retreat from the rigours of normal life”, clarifying that he considered women to be in the “normal-life category.” We could try and understand this were it not for the fact that in this instance, the club’s members seem to be retreating from the slow march of societal progression. It’s almost ironic, in fact, that in 2016 such clubs consider the acceptance of women to be progressive at a time in which we are all just starting to acknowledge the existence of trans and non-binary rights.

Are all-male clubs sexist? Yes, I strongly believe so, and reading some of the member testimonies from this instance only reinforced my opinion.

Are all same-sex institutions sex-

NO

Henry Ford

ist? Are women-only gyms and bars sexist? That’s a slightly more interesting question. Historically, gentlemen’s clubs have existed to maintain the male grip on social politics and the general running of the country.

Women were precluded from major discussions, and these clubs helped facilitate this. You only have to look at the powerful members list of institutions like the Garrick’s Club in central London to understand that this idea. unfortunately, still persists. Femaleonly institutions, by contrast, have only recently began to fully emerge, and for an entirely different reason.

I have the utmost sympathy for women who, tired of the harassment and general treatment at regular gyms, flee to women-only gyms, where they can work out in peace without being disturbed. The idea of same-sex institutions seems intuitively sexist – they are, after all, fundamentally discriminating based on gender - but if we examine the motivations behind founding such institutions in this scenario, for example, the concept becomes a little more muddied. Is it sexist to want to escape harassment and sexism yourself? It seems a poor choice: stay and risk being the target of harassment, or go and be branded as sexist.

In an ideal world, hopefully a world fast approaching, individuals will not face gender-based discrimination of any kind. In that age, perhaps this question will be easier to discuss. I have an easy time branding gentlemen’s clubs as sexist because of the sorts of attitudes they tend to cultivate, and their historic role in the oppression of women.

I struggle, however, to brand female-only establishments as sexist, and most of that difficulty lies in the fact that I feel as though in many cases, society has forced their hand. Perhaps it is the motivation behind the formation of an establishment that results in it being deemed sexist or not. It’s a deeply interesting dilemma, and one that in this instance I feel no shame at all in admitting that I truly do not know the answer. Perhaps as society evolves, and as I grow older, I’ll have a clearer picture.

I have the utmost sympathy for women who, tired of the harassment and general treatment at regular gyms, flee to women-only gyms

“

I

Ollie Sayers

I doubt, for instance, that a ladies’ hairdressers would be considered sexist just because it does not offer services to men

YES 30%

Number of votes cast: 99 Illustration: Flo McQuibban

T

he word ‘sexist’ is one that seems to get thrown around quite freely nowadays. There is an increasingly negative stigma attached to it, meaning that even before you see the context in which the word is being used, the very mention of it provokes a reaction from an audience. I am not denying that sexism still exists. The reality is, sadly, that you don’t have to look very hard to find sexism in our society. What’s even more depressing is that we live in an age where we seem to have mastered nearly everything else.

Gender-specific institutions, however, are more of a subjective affair.

The fact that an institution accepts one gender over another does not make it inherently sexist. Of course there are institutions which are inherently sexist: ancient elitist golf clubs - such as Muirfield in East Lothian, which continues to deny women memberships - are backward and outdated, since there is no legitimate reason for their biased policy but a preference based on tradition. In cases such as these, sexism is being actively voted for.

However, I would contend that an overwhelming majority of gender specific institutions are not sexist, given that their function is not to openly display prejudice, but rather they are better suited to serving the needs of a particular gender. I doubt, for instance, that a ladies’ hairdressers would be considered sexist just because it does not offer services to men.

The employees in that particular establishment are probably very skilled at working with women’s hair, and I doubt that men feel they are being singled out because of their gender. This is partly due to the fact that they could just walk into a mens’ barber instead. This brings me to my next point.

Now I understand that 100 years ago single-sex institutions, such as Parliament, were largely created for male use, overtly demonstrating strong gender divisions. I’m pleased to say, however, that cases like this are on the decline. If our current government an-

NO

70%

nounced plans for male-only trains or a ban of all women entering the armed forces, for example, then we’d have a problem. As it is, though, the chances are that if you find an institution which is specific to one gender, then it is more than likely that there will exist a very similar institution, only it prioritises the other gender instead.

The example of single-sex schools illustrates this idea. I have heard it said that schools which only accept one gender are unacceptable as they are passively demonstrating sexism.

However, this doesn’t make any sense at all. If it were the case that there was a blanket ban on one gender receiving an education, then we could talk about it in terms of sexism. As it stands, that is not the case! Gender specific schools are not preventing the opposite sex from going to school, given that roughly the same proportion of boys attend all boys’ schools as girls attend all girls’ schools. The existence of single-sex schooling is not the result of a plan to cause division, but of one to provide the best education for boys and girls with minimal distraction.

We can even observe gender specific institutions here in St Andrews.

Let us look at sports clubs: it is impossible for a female to play for a male sports team, but I don’t think anyone would feel that this is ‘sexist’, because the equivalent female sports team is available instead. Perhaps it could even be argued that the parallel coexistence of the Kate Kennedy Club and the Lumsden Club presents a kind of balance rather than blatant sexism. I mean, if they took a leaf out of Donald’s book and starting making heinous comments about the other gender then the situation would be different but, as it is, members of both genders have the opportunity to enter separate selective institutions, which doesn’t really pose as a problem.

The debate surrounding sexism is one that has dragged on too long.

The problem is, however, that the actual term itself is really more of a hindrance than a help. We are so ready to label things as sexist that we often lose sight of what the word actually means. Single-sex institutions are far from perfect, but the truth is once you’ve cleared your head of the connotations that come to mind when someone drops the s-bomb, you can see that there are actually very good reasons for why institutions adopt gender-specific policies.

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

10 Viewpoint

27 October 2016 • The Saint

thesaint-online.com

Don’t be Russian to judge: not everyone is Putin’s pal A discussion on why we shouldn’t assume that everyone tows the party line

T

here are many reasons why we are lucky to be here at the University of St Andrews. Not least because it is widely regarded as the third-best university in the UK, as well as the fact that it is a beautiful, charismatic and dynamic town. Most importantly, however, we are lucky because it is quite possibly the most international 'Bubble' in the entire world.

Indeed, it is almost impossible to compare this place to anywhere else.

Who would have thought that a tiny parish on the east coast of Scotland would be home to the some of the finest minds from all corners of the globe? Yet in this small coastal town, some 120 nationalities are represented earning St Andrews a reputation for the most international university in Scotland.

To come here is truly a mind-opening experience. Many of us, prior to university, will have only ever met a few foreigners on holiday or read about those job-stealing, benefit-scrounging immigrants in The Sun

and his regime, but we should not be fearful of the Russian people. I find that many people still view Russians as cold-hearted, nuclear-crazed spies who are intent on destroying the western world. Most British citizens wouldn’t like to be held accountable for all the policies of Theresa May, so why are Russians subjected to silly stereotypes?

If you’ve ever met a Russian, which is very likely if you are a student here, you will know that they are humble, welcoming and kind.

They are people of culture, of traditions and values. So I ask myself, where is our adherence to multiculturalism, tolerance and inclusion, the very political principles said to uphold modern European states?

The most concerning part of this is that people are pinning nega t i v e connota-

tions on Russian people, and are not separating out the politics of the Kremlin for scrutiny instead. This could have grave consequences for world peace.

Yet this kind of labelling is not isolated to Russians, in fact it is commonplace in our society today.

Iranians are often thought of as political extremists or religious bigots, Syrians are branded militaristic rebels or terrorists and the Turks are somehow not to be trusted.

We must remember that these are fantastic countries, with very friendly people. Their citizens are humans, ordinary people just like us, abiding by the laws of the country they happened to be born into and getting on with their everyday lives.

Last October I was in Ireland for the international session of the European Youth Parliament. On the final day of debates, someone stood up and

Photo: Creative Commons

Elliot Barker ejb28@st-andrews.ac.uk

(yes it is shocking how immigrants can somehow simultaneously steal jobs and claim benefits at the same time!) So to actually live and work with such talented people from different countries really does make one realise how ridiculous the narrative of the likes of Rupert Murdoch and UKIP politicians are.

Xenophobes are inherently ignorant, that is the truth of it. They have never had access to somewhere like St Andrews, they have never sought to find out what foreigners are really like. Instead they have chosen to indulge in the preachings of the mainstream media and lightweight politicians.

To be honest with you, I chose to write this article out of pure frustration. Frustration at the fact that we live in a world today where many of us Brits judge countries, not by their people, but by their politics.

This came to my attention just a few weeks ago, when Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin started going - for lack of a better word - berserk. From moving nuclear-capable missiles nearer to the Polish border, to more recently ordering all Russian officials to fly their relatives living abroad home. The growing tensions over the prospect of a global war stalled Syria talks with the US, and destroyed UK-Russia diplomatic relations (although the appointment Boris Johnson as Foreign Sec probably didn’t help either).

This is pretty scary stuff, and we have every right to be afraid of Putin

accused Turkish people of “assisting ISIS.” This ignorant statement need not have occurred if this delegate hadn’t viewed every Turk as an extension of the Turkish government.

Quite rightly the Turkish delegation quickly, but respectfully, dismantled her point.

The consequence of such stereotyping can even include lives being lost. If countries such as the US, France, or the United Kingdom had been victim of the atrocities seen in the Middle East at the moment, I cannot help but wonder if more compassion would’ve been demonstrated by the international community.

Bizarrely, citizens of a non-democratic (or undemocratic) state in particular should not be held responsible for their government by any observer, yet they so often are. It is the sorry state of affairs in British society today that all logic, common sense and reasoning has gone totally out the window and public opinion is instead dictated by the wishes of journalists and politicians, instead of by our own experiences and intelligence.

It seems we have entered a posttruth era of bigotry and stereotyping.

However, of students as an international town we have the opportunity to look past these stereotypes and embrace our fellow classmates, regardless of where they call home or what passport they hold. Change must start locally and we are in an excellent position to lead that charge.

Why are millennials deciding to swipe left on commitment?

Claire Fogarty cf205@st-andrews.ac.uk

E

arlier this year The Huffington Post published an article titled, ‘We are the generation that doesn’t want relationships.’ It focused on social media and the style of dating that has developed as a result: Tinder, nudes, and the concept of ‘Netflix and chill’.

The author, Krysti Wilkinson, claimed that whilst many of us aspire to have an updated relationship status and some cute Instagram posts, most people don’t want commit, and aren’t willing to put in the work a relationship requires. She talked about hypocrisy, though, and suggested that many people do want relationships, deep down, but that the age we live in is preventing us from having them.

I recognise the trend Wilkinson speaks of, and in some ways agree that our generation’s dating culture discourages the formation of relationships. As someone in a relationship,

I struggle to keep up with friends who serial date and sleep around.

On nights out, I tend to be dubbed ‘wing-woman’ and ruin ‘Never have I ever’ by having the most boring sex life possible. The ‘how many people has everyone slept with’ culture is something in which I can barely participate, and not being on Tinder and never on the pull makes for pretty dull ‘I was so drunk last night’ anecdotes.

I can see why people don't want relationships yet, though, not only due to our generation, but also because of our age. It seems natural that people want to explore, and don’t want to commit too soon to one thing before they know if they’ll prefer another. It sometimes makes me anxious when people challenge the extent of my freedom, commenting that it’s better not to be ‘tied down.’ Sometimes I question the compromises I make for my relationship as I am so young. I can understand why, for many people, love isn’t the priority right now.

More people are also, surely, choosing not to be in relationships because we are one of the first generations who have been able to make that choice. There must always have been people who didn’t want relationships, but in other ages that would’ve been unacceptable. For women, particularly, marriage was once the only way to have a sex life, and it was what was aspired to instead of a career.

Today, more women are able to focus on their studies and careers ahead of marriage and homemaking. Some choose not to have children should they not want to and don’t have to worry so much about finding a relationship before our fertility depletes.

Although these reasons explain why many people don’t want relationships, and I don’t agree with Wilkinson that absolutely everyone secretly wants one, I do believe that the age and culture we live in has made things harder for those who do.

There are some reasons for hesitating, even if you want a relationship, that are timeless: the commitment, the sacrifices, the prospect of a messy break-up, and the possibility of being with other, potentially better, partners. Other challenges, however, are unique to our generation.

Craving intimacy in an increasingly public world and a deep connection in an increasingly shallow one is difficult. Social media revolves around shallow and self-centred things: indulging in ‘likes’ and ‘follows’ and the rise of the infamous selfie. This has probably contributed to the image-centred romance our generation seems to

promote. On Tinder we can swipe left or right based on someone’s photograph, and ‘relationship goals’ involve black-and-white photos of models rolling around in their Calvin Kleins. I believe this has translated to the conversations we have about potential partners: where friends’ immediate responses are ‘can I see a picture?’ followed by appraisal or awkward silence. Maybe the culture of casual sex has perpetuated this:

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n: where tio physical us attraction is Ill probably higher priority than the personality of someone you don’t intend to see again.

The Internet age has also changed the way we communicate. Text mesa tr

sages don’t translate the same meanings as body language, and though some would argue that technology has brought us closer, I would say it is tearing us apart. The kissing emoticon is hardly an adequate substitute, and the constant platforming of our images, thoughts, and actions has made us objects for comparison and competition.

Furthermore, now that we can compare everything about ourselves to other people, we can also compare our relationships. The ‘relationship goals’ trend encourages appearance-obsession, but also contributes to unrealistic ideals. People we know can be just as harmful: couples dominating our timeline with their ever-lasting love and happiness are surely selecting specific information to post.

So, when people get into relationships they may be less likely to expect the challenges that, in reality, come with the territory, and may wonder if they’ve found the ‘real thing’ since it doesn’t match up to the illusion that Instagram promotes.

The result of all this is a culture that encourages either not committing to a relationship or aspiring to an unrealistic, image-centred ideal. Though our liberty to choose to be single is positive, I think many people who might want relationships feel conflicted, as our social-media society hasn’t created the right environment for them.

The views expresseddo in not Viewpoint do not theSaint viewsbut of are Theindividual Saint but are individual opinions.

The views expressed in Viewpoint represent the represent views of The opinions.

The Saint • 27 October 2016

Viewpoint 11

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Will anything ever be enough to stump Trump?

H

e started off as the novelty contender for the American Republican Party. A businessman and media mogul, but not somebody with any true grounding in politics.

In comparison with other more serious candidates such as Ted Cruz, it seemed unlikely he would go far.

Even for those who identify as right wing and support the respective political parties in their countries, his views are considered as unspeakably extreme-right. However, he ended up winning the most primary votes in the history of the Republican Party, with almost 14 million votes. Yet as the months of his campaign have worn on, his notoriety and the controversy surrounding him has only increased.

Here we are, less than a month away from the election, and Donald Trump is still standing and still has an unprecedented amount of support. So what will it take to truly break him?

He has been surrounded by controversy long before his presidential campaign. In 2011, Trump raised questions about President Barack Obama’s citizenship, even claiming that he was possibly a Muslim.

ily) have drawn media attention. Of his fellow Republican candidate Carly Fiorina, he said “Could you imagine that, the face of our next president?”

His remarks about his own daughter were on the opposite end of the spectrum; complimentary to the point of being incestuous: “If Ivanka weren’t my daughter perhaps I’d be dating her” and “She’s very voluptuous."

The content of these unsettling comments (which focus on women as sexual objects) have been repeated in interviews in which Trump has said he would have “no problem” with “banging 24 year old [women]” whom he sees as “pieces of a*s”. Perhaps most disturbing of all are the comments in the recently surfaced decade old video of Trump in which he talks about “grabbing women by the p***y”, implying sexual assault. This is the man who could potentially lead the United States of America for the next four years, minimum.

Other Trump-isms include “when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families” and “the answer [for women who have abortions] is there must be some form of punishment”. All the comments, it must be noted, that Trump has made over the years have been aimed at groups that are some ways minorities: different races, different religions, disabled people, women. However, people who fall into this broad range of categories are numerous, but somehow Trump still has supporters. So what will it take to actually stop him?

The only people supposedly ‘safe’ from his wrathful views are those who aren’t in need of any support from the

government anyway, such as those living in Trump’s elite social circle.

However, Trump’s comments have made it obvious that those who are disadvantaged are not high on his agenda for support should he ascend to the White House. What more will this man have to do before even his most loyal supporters realise what a nasty and derogatory person he is?

He has already fulfilled almost every taboo possible, and offended almost every social and ethnic group what will he do next? Your guess is as good as mine.

However, to give the majority of America a chance under the next pres-

ident, the way forward is obvious: do not vote for Trump and question those who do.

Although Hillary Clinton too divides opinions, her campaign has not involved offending and belittling millions of people with such obscene comments and ideas for America’s future as Trump’s has. The only action now that could possibly stump Trump is by placing a tick in a box that doesn’t contain Donald Trump’s name. Make America Great Again: don’t vote this homophobic, misogynistic, racist man as the next leader of one of the world’s greatest and most powerful countries.

Illustration: Flo McQuibban

Emily Allen ea49@st-andrews.ac.uk

However, his most horrific moments have been those in which he has made derogatory comments about ethnic minorities.

In the first speech he delivered in his bid for the White House in which he focused on the topic of illegal immigration - in particular from Mexico.

He spoke of a desire to build a wall covering the entire expanse of the American-Mexican border. “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best,” he said. “They’re sending people that have lots of problems. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”

His Islamaphobia has long been shown in his infeasible goal of temporarily banning all Muslims from the US. The fact that he could make such sweeping statements should have been a sign of the brutality of his campaign to come.

‘Make America Great Again’ was revealed as Trump’s official slogan not long afterwards. When this catchphrase was used by Ronald Reagan in 1980, its meaning was to improve the economy. Yet for Trump, it represents his wish to go back to a ‘nostalgic’ America - an America where political correctness doesn’t exist, where there racial divides as well as superior and inferior races exist.

The obvious flaw, is that this old America was not great for everyone.

Rather, only for those who were elite, wealthy, privileged and Caucasian.

Trump’s campaign has a firm basis in hatred, and yet still he has support.

More recently, his lewd and misogynistic comments about women (including members of his own fam-

Theresa may, Theresa may not: how might the business of Brexit pan out?

T

Max Waller mdmw@st-andrews.ac.uk

he optimism that Theresa May will be able to negotiate a good deal for the UK following Brexit is fading fast, with the pound declining and a leaked a government paper promising that the 'Hard Brexit' that May wants will result in a 9.5 per cent decline in GDP - enough to fund 75 per cent of the NHS' annual expenses. There are things May may do, and things she may not do - the question is, what is the best option? I give seven to choose from.

FIRST: Perhaps the best option would be for the Disunited Kingdom to admit to itself that it is not united. Scotland, Northern Ireland and London didn’t vote to leave the European Union, while Wales and the rest of England did. Already (mock) borders have sprung up along the Irish border. Maybe May will come up with a way to stop the UK from breaking up – something that involves telling Europe that actually we

love them after all and we don’t want to break up (one can dream!)

SECOND: Okay – I understand that would upset the Welsh and all the others who voted for Brexit – but it is a truth universally known that when a country has a national referendum it is good for its population be informed – and we were not! So maybe May will hold another referendum? Perhaps with a question such as: “Now that we know that Brexit was a really bad idea (as all the experts originally pointed out, Michael Gove) should the (not very) United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?” Yes, I know it is a leading question – that may or may not be deliberate. I could tell you, but I couldn’t possibly comment.

THIRD: May may get the Queen to prevent Brexit. No. Don’t go and stop reading – you know you want to hear this. The Queen has the power to veto government legislation in times of constitutional crisis so as to do what is in the best interests of her subjects. Brexit is a constitutional crisis which is going to knock 10 per cent off the value of the nation’s GDP. Can anyone explain why that is in our best interests? I don’t think so…

FOURTH: May may even trigger Article Fifty. She has said that she is going to do it. So now let’s see if she does. Her recent statement has led to

the pound falling to its lowest level against the Euro since 2008. This means more expensive summer holidays as well as a more pricey Race2 Prague. Do we know what is going to happen when May triggers Article Fifty? No – because it seems likely that she will have to seek a vote in Parliament on the matter, and so May may not, after all, be able to trigger Article Fifty by herself – let’s wait and see.

FIFTH: May could decide that calling a general election is a good idea. At present she doesn’t want to as it is claimed that such an election would be a rerun of the referendum.

Personally I doubt it – I mean we know Fife likes the Liberals but are they really going to be able to form a coalition with the SNP to prevent Brexit? I mean miracles may happen but lets not get ahead of our-

selves. So really May shouldn’t worry – there is no issue of a second referendum via an election, all it might do is give May a 125 seat majority in the commons, and force Corbyn to retire after Labour’s worst defeat since Michael Foot… but then again he may stay and just stomp on. Who knows?

S I X T H : The USA (University of St Andrews) disaffiliates along w i t h Scotland from the U n i t e d Kingdom – (we disaffiliated from the NUS why not the UK?) and then be-

Photo: Creative Commons

comes the 51st state of The United States of America – for “protection reasons.” This way we get out of Brexit and we get to become Americans. What’s not to like? Oh wait – Donald Trump… Maybe May has a better idea? (Yes, I am aware that Europe does not include America: Boris made this very clear in the Referendum campaign when he claimed that leaving the European Union would not mean leaving Europe! You can tell he did Classics - have you seen the maps from back then?)

SEVENTH: Maybe May will actually tell us what “Brexit Means Brexit” actually means.

I mean come on, telling me that ice-cream means ice-cream does not tell me anything about ice-cream. Would I want to buy this sort of ice-cream if all I know about it is that it is a sort of ice-cream? I think not. So far, all we know is that the ice-cream is there and that Theresa May is going to obligate us into buying 66 billion pounds worth of it, and then negotiate the flavour behind closed doors while the ice-cream makers refuse to give us any nice ice-cream. Maybe we should agree on the flavour first?

I don’t want to be left with an Irnbru flavour. (or whatever your least favourite flavoured ice-cream is. It doesn’t matter…because it’s the only one on offer with humble pie.)

The views expressed in Viewpoint doinnot represent theSaint views ofare Theindividual Saint but are individual opinions.

The views expressed Viewpoint do not represent the views of The but opinions.

12 Viewpoint

thesaint-online.com

27 October 2016 • The Saint

Are political leanings malleable or predetermined?

Isaac Benson il29@st-andrews.ac.uk

A

lthough I fully appreciate that displaying a working knowledge of Gilbert and Sullivan could well lead to the total and final destruction of my social life, a short excerpt from the duo’s political satire Iolanthe has struck as alarmingly relevant of late: “How often does Nature contrive,- Fal, lal, la! That every boy and every gal / That’s born into the world alive / Is either a little Liberal/ Or else a little Conservative!”

Naturally, for someone who positions themselves on the British left and therefore works principally within a framework of inherited intellectual Marxism, this proposition has always seemed as comical as it was (probably) originally intended to be. When one’s worldview is moulded by the belief that external

structures and systems play the chief role in shaping the perceptions of individuals, the notion that political persuasions may be ‘assigned’ at birth is ludicrous. A personal philosophy grounded in stronger individualistic freewill will presumably also lead to this derisory assessment.

However, over the course of the summer, this apparently nonsensical idea has gained increasing currency in my mind. It all started with an article on the Fabians website, which was exploring tendencies in populations towards authoritarianism and made a passing reference to a Swiss study that tentatively concluded that school-age children with liberal inclinations were more likely to choose a higher education pathway. As a corollary of that- and contrary to the belief amongst bien pensant liberalsa university education itself did not make people more liberal. People at universities likely had that disposition originally.

The article in question suggested young liberals chose university because, unlike their more authoritarian-minded peers, they were open to the diversity that further academic study usually delivers. I could be pushed to suggest that this conclusion was not broad enough. What if,

just what if, liberal and conservative proclivities were influenced by the epistemological pathways of the individual, namely that liberals were more likely to be abstract and rationalist and conservatives more empirical? Furthermore, what if these pathways may not be consciously learnt and espoused, but are instigated by intrinsic and inextricable psychological constitutions? In other words, what if each child born is either born a little liberal or little conservative?

This proposition would certainly begin to account for such phenomenon as the obsession amongst liberals with aforesaid structures and systems that often depersonalise individual experiences and the traditionally conservative territory of ‘common sense politics’ that invariably appeals to first-hand experiences and low-level abstract thinking. The greater willingness of young liberals to embrace the diversity of a university setting also fits in.

In a different context, this paradigm incorporates the opposition between the latitudinarian interpretations of the Bible amongst established Churches- having been developed through the prism of centuries of abstract theology- and the less flexible and scripturally literal readings

that evangelical denominations often provide. Environmental factors such as class, race and contemporaneous circumstances still have a hand in moulding opinions and perceptions, but conservative or liberal tendencies remain prevalent as a result of these epistemological pathways.

If any of this holds any merit, then we can reap discernible benefits regarding how we view our political opponents: gone are the tired and knee-jerk mantras that “conservatives are stupid” or that “liberals are unpatriotic” or that “liberals/conservatives are immoral.” There can be no presupposition of morality, values or raw intelligence (especially when our current notions of ‘intelligence’ are still dictated by the anachronistic exaltation of classical learning). Instead, there is the simple appreciation that liberals and conservatives ‘naturally’ have variant methods of collecting the data and concepts upon which they ultimately base their political opinions.

However, on the obverse, the implications are less attractive. The ultimate conclusion is that- in some elementary sense- political opinions are the result of something that cannot be altered with ease, if at all (and are therefore pre-determined). If this is

the case, then one must ask if there is any point in trying to convert anyone of opposing political opinions and if political trends are underpinned to a degree by how many of each person with each epistemological pathway are present at a given time in a given political unit. Conventional political discourse and the ways in which politicians traditionally appeal to the electorate are seriously called into question.

This article has been fundamentally ruminative rather than assertive and/or declarative, especially when it has been written by someone with absolutely no formal instruction in philosophy, psychology or political science and who has fallen into the very stereotype of liberals who obsess over depersonalising structures and systems.

Nonetheless, as commentators in the Anglosphere begin to ever more emphatically announce the arrival of ‘post-truth’ politics that no longer rely on logic or reason, our study of individual voters and the electorate as a political organism must leave no stone unturned. As much as it will pain many to hear, maybe it will turn out that Gilbert and Sullivan were not being as ridiculous as they, or anyone else, thought they were being.

Radical change, but still much to achieve in this man’s world

I

can never decide what the best method is for dealing with Facebook “friends” who share pro-Trump articles or articles about how feminists are dramatic attention-seekers. I have tried deleting them, but that just doesn’t seem to achieve anything besides a temporarily blissful absence of their ignorance. A 'friend' of mine recently shared an article from The Odyssey (not exactly the most promising of starts) titled, “I Am A Female and I Am So Over Feminists”. I read the article with as open a mind as I could muster, and decided that it is a topic that must be addressed.

Yes, I completely fall into the trap.

People attack feminists for being overly angry and bitter, and I become (justifiably) angry and bitter. But still, I can’t help myself - I can’t just go about my day when this ignorance is placed so directly in front of me, almost calling out to me to address it.

The article, bursting with ignorance and popular misconceptions, attacks feminism for discouraging chivalry and for “blaming men and society about how we continue to ‘struggle’.” The author makes statements such as “We’re doing a kick-a*s job, so let’s stop complaining” and

that in no way means that we should be finished fighting.

Some cannot see the inherent sexism within the US or the UK, despite how apparent US election media coverage has made it. It can be seen in the way that a man will shake the hand of every man in a room he just walked into, but ignore the women.

These small-scale issues may seem frivolous, but they are indicative of a much larger problem, particularly for women of colour. We cannot reduce feminism to a cause merely built on men being “boneheads”.

One cannot claim that just because one woman does not experience gender inequality, feminists must be exaggerating the fact that so many do. Feminism is not just

about one woman’s experience. It is about the experiences of women everywhere.

Is it really a coincidence that the wage gap between men and women is as high as 21 per cent in some places? The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) published a report that stated, “In 2015, female full-time workers made only 79 cents for every dollar earned by men.” The report added, “Women, on average, earn less than men in virtually every single occupation for which there is sufficient earnings data for both men and women to calculate an earnings ratio.”

The author of The Odyssey article in question emphasised how much women have achieved and will con-

tinue to achieve, but she is sorely mistaken. The IWPR reports, “If change continues at the same slow pace as it has done for the past fifty years, it will take 44 years—or until 2059—for women to finally reach pay parity.” To anyone who claims that we do not need feminism: are they really okay with the majority of women waiting another 44 years to earn equal pay?

Feminism is not saying that all men and women are the same. It is saying that any differences between one person and another as a result of their gender should not impact on how a person is treated, seen or paid.

While we have made great strides in the past few decades, we are still far from where we need to be.

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

Photo: Creative Commons

Lila Velcoff lv25@st-andrews.ac.uk

“Relax feminists, we’re okay.” Are we okay, though? I’m glad that one woman believes she is entitled to decide for the entire female gender that women are “okay.” Ignoring the fact that women everywhere endure sexism that she may not be experienced, it’s okay - because “we’re doing a kick-ass job.”

The author identifies herself as “a very strong and independent female" who doesn't feel "the need to put down the opposite gender for every problem [she] endures.” My question is that what feminists do? Go around blaming men for everything from having to get their car towed to breaking a heel? I think not.

The author also writes, “Let’s be realistic ladies, just as much as they are boneheads from time to time, we have the tendency to be a real pain in the tush... We don’t have to pretend we don’t need our men every once in a while. It’s OK to be vulnerable”.

Belittling the feminist cause to men being “boneheads” and the idea that feminists are not comfortable being “vulnerable” is despicable. It is disrespectful to the women whose blood, sweat, and tears made it possible for women to even vote.

Feminism, at its core, is about equality between men and women. So I have to ask, how can any person, let alone woman, not believe that women should be treated with the same respect that a man is treated with? How can any woman not believe that she should earn the same pay as a man with the exact same job as her? How can any woman not see value in fighting the feminist cause just because "we’ve already come so far"?

Sure, we’ve achieved change, but

MONEY Money editor MAYA MORITZ Deputy editor: Eden Elliot

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Students and credit cards:

a risky combination?

Deputy editor

When someone mentions credit cards, do you envision mountains of debt incurred during Confessions of a Shopaholic-style purchasing sprees?

If so, know that the reality of these flashy pieces of plastic includes more than the risk of debt. Credit cards are one of the best ways for university students to build and

maintain a high credit score. Without a strong score, you’ll have trouble securing loans, renting a flat and more.

The basics First, what is credit? A typical example is a student borrowing £1,000 from the bank to pay for a car. The student will be expected to pay back the original amount borrowed, as well as accrued interest, within a given time span. He might, therefore, end up spending £1,200 total on the car rather than the £1,000 he would have paid if he’d had the money from the outset.

The principles described above also apply to credit cards. Unlike debit cards, which withdraw money already in your bank account, credit cards rely on borrowed funds.

Your bank extends you a line of credit, such as £1,000 per month. Every time you swipe your credit card, you use a portion of this credit. By the end of the month, you might spend £300 of your limit.

You can either pay back this amount

in full or make a minimum payment.

Be warned, however, that only paying a portion of your credit card bill can lead to higher interest rates and dent your credit score.

Credit scores For college students and 20-somethings, credit cards are one of the best ways to build and maintain a high credit score.

Before you build a credit score, however, you need a credit report. A credit report aggregates information about your credit record, including the number and kinds of accounts you have, whether you make payments on time and how much of your credit you use.

An individu a l with a house, a job and savings will likely have a strong credit report because there is evidence of their ability to control debt and

loans. Students are seen as more of a risk, as they only have short, insubstantial credit histories. This means that graduates looking for funds to buy their first flat are less likely to receive a loan than a wealthy family looking to buy a second home.

Your short payment h i s -

tory puts you at a disadvantage, but as as your report becomes populated with student loans, car loans and credit cards, proper management will leave you with a strong score right from the start.

The habits you initially use to build a strong

score are the same ones you’ll use throughout your lifetime.

Since you can’t control the age of your credit history, look at other factors that influence a score. To ensure you have a strong payment history, pay off your monthly credit card balances on-time and in full.

If you’re forgetful, set an automatic alert each time your bill is due, or use the auto-pay option offered by your lender or

bank.

I f you follow these key steps — make on-time payments covering all of your balances, maintain a reasonable amount of card debt, and apply for credit only when absolutely necessary — you will be on track to have good credit habits for the rest of your life.

spend or add to it, it may seem as if the £100 would double in 10 years. In fact, the amount owed would double after just over seven years.

Thanks to the principles of compound interest, the original £100 debt would increase to £110 after one year and £121 after two. In year two, the interest rate of 10 per cent applies to the new one-year total of £110 rather than the original £100. Before long, your debt can spiral out of control.

It might seem like a good idea to spend £399 and go into overdraft to pay for a plasma TV in time for the FA Cup Final, but in a year’s time when the price of the TV has dropped and you have only been able to pay the minimum monthly payment (meaning the interest is still growing), you will realise it was a mistake. Missteps like these can send students into further financial trouble.

The benefits of credit

At the same time, it is important to acknowledge the downsides of credit cards (especially in the hands of young adults).

One of the greatest pitfalls of credit is

In the end, it is important to stress that both good and bad credit exist.

An example of good credit is a young couple with two children borrowing £20,000 to build another bedroom.

This couple will likely be able to pay back the loan in a reasonable time period, and when the time comes to sell the house, the extra bedroom may bump up its selling price by £40,000. Even after you add in the interest on the original loan, the couple may make money through their investment.

Once you have your first credit card and know how to ensure a strong score for years to come, you’ll realise that having a card doesn’t always equate to mountains of debt.

Although credit cards can be dan-

the interest that racks up on monthly payments.

If you borrowed £100 with 10 per cent interest every year and didn’t

gerous in the hands of students who don’t understand how they work, they offer many benefits.

The pitfalls of credit

Illustration: Freepik.com

Harry Clough Meilan Solly

14 Money

thesaint-online.com

PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE

27 October 2016 • The Saint

Ask Money Is tax-free work like babysitting legal?

Harry Clough How are part-time jobs like babysitting viewed in the eyes of the law and the taxman? The answer is less straightforward than you’d think. Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the government department that collects taxes, says that “cash in hand payments … must be declared to HMRC.” Considering this tough official stance on workplace tax evasion, paying your babysitter might actually break the law by depriving the economy of tax money. This makes sense because taxes are one of the main sources of government revenue. Without taxes, it would be impossible to pay for public education, infrastructure, government work and more.

Nonetheless, the legal status of babysitting is very hard to pin down.

Although this all sounds rather alarming, the government does make some exceptions. For example, the Childcare Act grants an exemption if care takes place between the hours of 6 pm and 2 am or for less than two hours a day.

Babysitters may run into issues, however, because of the oblique definition of childcare. The thin distinction between working as a full-time nanny and a part-time babysitter is a

major reason the government doesn’t take a strong interest in people paying their childcare providers under the table. Moreover, babysitting happens in a private home rather than a public workplace, so the government has less influence. It would need more administration to collect the tax, and the effort might not be worth it overall.

In sum, the government struggles to accurately define babysitting.

The boundaries between a full-time childcare position, an afternoon spent watching your cousin, and a summer filled with hours at the pool with your neighbor’s son are ambiguous at best.

To add to the confusion, the legality of tax-free babysitting is, in actuality, almost a defunct debate. Because babysitting is often a part-time, low paying job, annual salaries rarely reach the £11,000 threshold at which workers must pay taxes. Avoiding taxes on babysitting is, therefore, usually legal (unless you’re supremely talented at childcare and manage to earn £11,001).

For all of you who aren’t planning on starting an underground nannying business that includes dozens of kids and operates between the hours of 2:01 am and 5:59 pm, accept that £20 from little Johnny’s mom with the utmost confidence.

The Saint: What is your idea of perfect happiness? Brad McKay: Rocking up to archaeological sites in Greece with my wife (archaeologist) and two boys (bucket monkeys) when not on a mission to improve the quality of strategic thinking in organisations (not very successfully).

What is your current state of mind? A bit of yin in search of a bit of yang.

Which talent would you most like to have? Counting cards.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Building the Millennium Falcon out of Legos.

What is the quality you most like in a professor? Common sense (and occasionally no common sense whatsoever).

What is the quality you most like in a student? The naïveté not to know what can’t be done yet.

Who was your favourite teacher/ professor and why? Professor Ian McAllister (Dalhousie) for dedicating his career to helping those less fortunate.

What are you currently research-

ing? The impact of referendums on business decision making.

Which person in your field do you most admire? Either Mark Carney (governor of the Bank of England) for having the rarest of qualities: foresight, Dominic Barton (global managing director of McKinsey) for being both utterly effective and humble at the same time, or Baroness Ford for her no nonsense intelligence.

What inspired you to pursue your current career? Serendipity.

When did you know what you wanted to do in life? When I was 10 (but Justin Trudeau beat me to it).

What has been your favorite experience as a lecturer? Having students write me years later to tell me the strategy courses they took with me have helped their careers.

What has been your most challenging experience as a lecturer?

Explaining the impact of referendums on business decision making to politicians unencumbered with listening skills.

If you could not work in your current field, what would you do in-

stead? Rancher.

If you could fix one problem in the world, what would it be? Longterm: halting biodiversity loss.

Short-term: stopping the bombing of children.

What is the best piece of advice anyone has given you? Find a relatively young mentor who is on their way up (which I ignored).

My advice: figure out early on what you want to do and what will give you a sense of meaning, and be uncompromising in following it.

What is your motto? You don’t know what you can’t do until proven empirically otherwise.

Where is your favourite place to travel? Greece.

What are you currently reading?

Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles MacKay, a 19th-century Scottish journalist and writer.

What book should everybody read at least once? Voltaire’s Candide. It features super satirical treaties on “the best of all possible worlds.”

Photo: Freepik.com

Illustration: Lauren Holmes

Photo: Mika Schmelling

Management lecturer Brad McKay is Candide on all things Greek and common sense

The Saint • 27 October 2016

thesaint-online.com

Money 15

How to land the internship of your dreams From networking to formatting a CV, finetuning your cover letter and acing the job interview

Once you’ve decided where to apply, it’s time to fine-tune your CV, cover letter and interview skills.

Your CV needs to present evidence that you fulfill the requirements for the job opening and offer a wider impression of who you are as an individ-

e

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es

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Ca

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Presenting yourself

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You’ve probably heard about the bevy of internships offered by companies such as P&G and TeachFirst, as well as top banking and consultancy firms. The number of summer opportunities available, however, goes far beyond these popular choices.

A quick search on the University’s Careers Centre website yields positions nearby (take the Laidlaw Programme, for example) and further afield (you could serve as a United Nations political affairs intern in Austria or a research intern in Shanghai). To find your perfect job, use tools offered by the University, such as Going Global, Internships USA and Careers Centre Online, as well as websites like TargetJobs.co.uk and Internships.com.

Paul Brown, director of the Careers Centre, advises students to look beyond widely advertised internship opportunities. By “following the di-

tra

Finding opportunities

ual. Try tailoring your CV for every application so you can show how you meet the exact requirements outlined. Mr Brown suggests creating a grid with requirements on one side and your relevant experience on the other side. For example, if a job requires you to have experience with computer programming, list your computer science module grades and skills covered in those courses.

Once you know what information to include in your CV, consider its visual presentation. Choose a clear, easily skimmable design, and remember to account for space constraints.

In the United States, a one-page CV is the norm. Mr Brown says that this allows employers to have a complete vision of you with one sweep of the eye.

In the UK, there is more leeway for a twopage CV, and some professions,

us

Despite the fact that the school year seemingly just began, internship application season is upon us once again. Whether your dream job involves canvassing for local politicians or observing animal behavior at a marine biology lab, you’ll benefit from these tips.

rection of your interests rather than what arrives in your inbox,” you will be able to take full advantage of two key elements of the job search: networking and speculative applications.

Oftentimes, the key to landing your perfect internship is knowing the right people. St Andrews’ rich network of alumni connections, which you can tap into via LinkedIn, SaintConnect (the University’s version of LinkedIn) and Careers Centre advisers, will help you meet those people. If you can’t find a relevant alum, simply reach out to major players in your chosen field. You’ll find out what working in the industry entails, and the show of initiative may land you an internship offer.

Another option is speculative applications. Even if your dream employer doesn’t advertise summer opportunities, it doesn’t mean there are none available. Send in your CV to indicate interest in the company, and you could end up with an internship, a work shadowing opportunity or a new contact.

Ill

Meilan Solly Deputy editor

such as law, even encourage it.

Your cover letter offers the chance to discuss the elements of your CV in-

depth.

Explain why you would like the specific opportunity you are applying for, and show why you are suited to the role.

Mr Brown warns against being too abstract. Don’t say you are attracted to the job because it’s challenging; instead, list specific facets of the role that will provide evidence of your in-depth research into the company.

The last essential element of your application is the interview.

This is your chance to communicate your enthusiasm and knowledge of the role. To prepare, go over

the research you’ve conducted. It should be clear that you didn’t simply look at a brochure and send in your application on a whim.

Consider how successful the company is by reading through annual reports, or look at the business from the perspective of a client.

Your interviewers will ask questions that measure your competency for the job, as well as your strengths. Brainstorm specific pieces of evidence to back up your talking points, and be sure to practice beforehand.

Mr Brown emphasises that 90 to 95 per cent of your interview success is determined before the talk actually takes place. As long as you communicate effectively, the research and preparation you have already completed will help you ace the interview.

Everything else If you have additional questions about the internship application process, contact the Careers Centre.

Advisers are available to look over your application and offer constructive criticism.

You can also check the Careers Centre website for online resources such as an interview simulator that allows you to record and playback practice interviews, formatting guides for CVs and cover letters, and internship search tools.

Decorating your living space on a student budget Moving into the alien space of university is hard enough, but buying items for your new dorm room or flat doubles the trouble. At the end of each day, we deserve to go back to a room that simply feels like us. But we have needs such as office supplies and wants like that amazing poster with a price just beyond the reach of our bank accounts. Even little things like extra pillows and clothing hangers, which aren’t necessarily designed to fit into your decor, are a hassle. Budgets and time restrictions conspire to limit our options, and we end up with stark, uncomfortable environments. Luckily, the internet has boundless opportunities to find exactly what we want.

Here is a list of great websites and items that are affordable, necessary additions to your space.

Mattress topper You won’t see your mattress topper, but you will feel it. A good mattress topper can make even the thinnest mattress feel a thousand times better. Toppers range in price, but you can find ones for as low as £15.

A quick search on Amazon or Argos reveals a multitude of comfortable

options ranging from top-of-the line to basic.

Clothing organizer Trying to find a fresh pair of socks amidst a myriad of dirty clothes can really add to your discomfort as you sprint to class with just minutes to spare. While we don’t have to be perfectly neat all the time, finding a place to put your clothes is always a good idea. Ikea sells a good range of boxes for clothing organization, and at £6 for six boxes, the store offers a good deal.

Cast iron skillet You will need this no matter who you are or what you cook. A cast iron skillet can match the combined efforts of all of your pans, baking sheets and even pie plates. It can be used to grill, cook, steam and even make caramel.

If you don’t partake in elaborate cooking and baking on a daily basis, don’t spend all of your money on a huge pile of cookware that you will just have to move around your various flats over the next four years. All that you really need to make palatable, and perhaps even delicious, food is a soup pot and cast iron pan.

La Redoute La Redoute sells cheap, modern furniture with clever designs for all those spaces that are hard to decorate.

The store’s furniture accommodates a variety of aesthetics, and you can find many pieces for under £50. Prices range depending on your taste. If you order from this company, be aware that it can sometime take longer than five days to deliver orders –– but when the order finally arrives, the furniture is easily assembled.

upwards, Amara has an ongoing sale section where you can find a variety of high quality items for much less.

Of course, even on sale, you have to be choosy, as items can range from £2 to £500. For example, we found luxury towels marked down to £14 and a high-end notebook priced at £4.

In the non-sale section, you can find items like a multicolored compartment storage box for £5 pounds.

Ikea Ikea is always a good option for cheap, basic necessities.

Look to this Swedish powerhouse for big furniture buys and small, extra items that make you more comfortable, such as coasters, towel racks, cushions and more.

H & M Living H&M Living is a great alternative to more expensive websites. It sells a variety of smaller decor items, such as pillows, vases, soap dispensers, toothbrush holders and much more.

H&M Living is an affordable yet stylish website. It’s the perfect place to find those extra things that make your space feel more like home.

Amara Amara is a luxury website for your living space. While many of the products have starting prices of £30 and

Photo: University of Exeter

Alexis Gostelow

FEATURES Features editor: OLIVIA GAVOYANNIS Deputy editors: Kenalyn Ang, Emily Lomax and Daisy Sewell

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@saint_features

features@thesaint-online.com

Facing up to the political partition O

n 8 November 2016 the United States of America will elect a new president. The USA is arguably the most powerful nation in the world, so it is no wonder that the issue has dominated the media for the past few months. However, on the surface it seems that this is not a trend that is reflected in student discourse at the University of St Andrews.

Even though we have a large proportion of American students living and studying here, there seems to be very little serious debate over the policies of the two presidential nominees. Indeed, the St Andrews Union Debating Society recently held a comedy debate entitled ‘This House Would Assassinate President Trump’, exemplifying the lack of respect for Trump and his campaign within the University.

Matt Schoonmaker, President of Democrats Abroad, told The Saint that discussion has declined since the presidential nominees were chosen, saying, “There was a much better debate over Bernie [and] Hillary.

That was robust, there were serious ideas being discussed back when more reasonable

Republicans were in the race - people like Jeb Bush, there was a real debate going on.”

Mr Schoonmaker attributes this lack of debate to the fact that “it’s really hard for [students] to just wrap their heads around the idea that

“

The view that Trump stands in as the definition of a Republican is utterly false

someone could ... not even just vote for Trump, but contemplate voting for Trump.“ He suggests that this is partially due to the fact that many students in St Andrews have a keen interest in foreign affairs and recognize the infeasibility of Trump’s ideas.

Mr Schoonmaker suggests the inability of many stu-

dents in St Andrews to understand why anyone would vote for Trump and his simplified policy ideas has lead to “a stifling effect.” He continued, “if you’re a

Republican then you’re afraid to even say that you’re a Republican.”

Indeed, when asked about whether it was now taboo to voice his political stance, one Republican supporter who wished to remain anonymous replied: “That’s a solid yes,” adding that in the US, his stance as a Rockefeller Republican is respected, whereas the reaction he gets in St Andrews is much more along the lines of “a ‘why wont you vote for Hillary Clinton?’”

Although the population of St Andrews is highly educated, there is still a tendency to view Trump and the Republican Party as being synonymous. When asked about this tendency the Republican supporter replied, “the view that Trump stands in as the definition of a Republican is completely and utterly false.”

As far as this student is concerned, “America is the strongest democracy in the history of democracies and therefore the President of the United States must act as the leader of the free world. He noted that Trump’s conduct has been, overall, “extraordinarily unseemly of a president.”

However, as this Republican supporter points out, the lack of debate within St Andrews is actually part of a greater worldwide phenomenon.

He says, “It’s not so much that there’s no debate in St Andrews” but more that “there is a growing sense in both America and Britain that if you disagree with someone, you should simply not argue with them. You should say, I disagree with you and I’m not going to agree with you and therefore you’re wrong.”

Although he dislikes this approach, he does admit that coming across people who disagree with him so strongly in St Andrews has shaped his political opinions: “I feel like being at St Andrews has changed my views on the election, giving the opposing views that I hear. If I was surrounded by people that agreed with me, well, not only would that be boring, but it would probably radicalise my views, which I feel is happening in the States.”

The void that has been left by the lack of debate on policy in the press seems to have been filled by personal attacks and scandalous news stories being run about the two presidential candidates. Philip Trevisan, Press Secretary of Democrats Abroad in St Andrews, voiced his concerns about how the media is focusing on the wrong issues. He said, “I think Hillary Clinton’s positives are getting sort of pushed out by how terrible Donald Trump is” because “he takes up a lot of the media coverage but he makes such an idiot of himself when he does it.”

Sensationalist media has exacerbated this problem and constantly

appears on students’ newsfeeds.

You cannot scroll through Facebook without seeing a story about people trolling Trump or creating conspiracy theories surrounding Hillary Clinton’s conduct. Moreover, even serious non-American news sources that have less of a motive for bias seem to show little respect for Trump and his policies.

Mr Schoonmaker believes that “because the international media is bewildered by Trump, the international community is bewildered by Trump.”

Consequently many Americans are forced to resort to read-

“

The president of the United States must act as the leader of the free world

ing about the election from US-based news sources.

After comparing med i a

sources from both the UK and US, one thing that is obvious is that this is a unique election, with complete polarization of support on both sides.

When asked about why he thought that this was the case, Mr Trevisan replied that it is the result of both parties lacking respect for the other’s candidate. “[Democrats] wanted to win in 2012, but we didn’t feel like the country was going to fall apart. I don’t agree with John McCain or Mitt Romney on a lot of things but I still respected them a lot as people. I have no respect for Donald Trump at all.”

This lack of respect appears to

have provoked a certain level of fear on each side that the candidate from the opposing party will win. As a result many citizens see their vote as an act against the opposing candidate, rather than an act of support for their own candidate or party.

According to a national survey conducted by Pew Research Center in June more than half of Trump supporters (55 per cent) view their vote more as a vote against Clinton, while just 41 per cent view it as a vote for Trump.

Mr Trevisan pointed out that this may have the effect of increasing voter turnout as people will come out “if only so that they vote against Trump.“ One thing mentioned by the anonymous Republican supporter was that this particular election has become a “reality TV show.” He was not wrong. At this point in time nobody can be sure which way the USA will choose to vote, but one thing is certain: the rest of the world will be watching with bated breath.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons

Olivia Gavoyannis Features editor

The Saint • 27 October 2016

Features 17

thesaint-online.com

Running away from the Freshers’ 15 Eight tips and tricks to avoid that first year jiggle

I

remember last September as if it were yesterday. I was full of optimism, slim, toned and with a cracking tan from my post-school celebratory holiday. I was no Victoria”s Secret model, but Miss Jean Brodie may have said that I was dangerously close to my prime. Now, don’t get me wrong, I was fully aware of the danger university threatened to my physique. Late nights, fast food and sickening volumes of cheap wine: all this threatened to add several stone onto my body, but I was determined to not become a statistic. I would be the small percentage of first year students who resist the weight gain, I would rise above the after-party meals at two in the morning and I would only visit Dervish once a month. This was all charming in notion, but in practice my naivety was evident and little was executed as I had planned.

So, the weight was gained, the double chin was grown and the cold winter of St Andrews offered no comfort or temptation in the long, long walk from Sallies to the gym. I wish I had known better and I wish I had followed my own advice.

So, to all you Freshers and people who, like me, wish they had had a full blown guide on how to avoid the fresher 15, but still have fun in this small town (honestly, during those dark November evenings, sometimes Dominoes seems like the only option)

I have devised a list of dos and don’ts on how to avoid that Fresher flub.

1. Go back to the roots

Why did you choose St Andrews?

Probably one of the reasons was the beaches and generally beautiful surroundings. Why not make proper use of them? You don’t have to run the length of West Sands (although this is a great workout). Instead go for a beach walk, group or solo. This can even be enjoyable on a cold November morning.

2. spare a thought for the gym It’s a quick and easy solution. If I had gone there even once more a week last year then this article may not even exist. Make it fun. Again, why not take a friend? Do what you enjoy. If you hate running, don’t quit immediately, wait until you’ve experienced those endorphins then see if you still don’t want to go back for more. Furthermore the classes at the gym are excellent, so if, like me, you lack the self-motivation to stay on the treadmill for half an hour, sign up for class. They’re often not that long and all the gym staff who take them are

very, very nice.

Perhaps more of a social venture than a health-related one, the sports clubs in St Andrews offer so many ways to get active and also meet loads of new people. Plus, Sinners is arguably one of St Andrews greatest night outs.

4. outside the norm

If you don”t fancy bumping into people from your tutorial or that guy from the night before, why not go further afield? The View offers a variety of classes and package deals so that you can give pilates, ballet barre and yoga a try. Functional Fitness St Andrews also offers great classes in crossfit and alternative ways to get fit. Finally, Hot House Yoga is an intense workout, which is one-of-a-kind in St Andrews.

They are great alternatives, plus you are almost getting out of the Bubble.

5. drunk food Okay, top tip, instead of buying Dervish cheesy chips at 2am and hating ourselves the next day, my roommate and I would buy in bumper packs of Quavers because they are basically air and satisfy those late night cravings. Tea and toast are also massive favourites of mine.

diet mixers if you really have to.

6. you are what you eat

8. hangover As unjust as it is, if you eat rubbish, you’re going to feel rubbish.

Looking back, eating stuff that was so bad for me in the deep, dark nights of November was probably the worst idea for both my physical and mental health. Sugary foods give your blood sugar level an instant high but actually drop it back to lower than it originally was, leaving you hungrier and also feeling extremely deflated, therefore wanting more sugar.

The Internet now has so many healthy recipes and alternatives to your good old packet of chocolate buttons and Market Street favourites, plus you’ll feel like you’ve achieved something in recreating them. Again, good for both your mental and physical state.

7. drinking This is probably the most difficult aspect of university life. Freshers week and the rest of first year can seem for some like a never-ending party. We all know that excessive drinking in general and drinking on a regular basis is bad for your health. However, if you want the lowest calories, opt for spirits instead of wine, beer and cider.

Mix them with soda, tonic water or

One of the biggest causes of poor exercise attendance is our dear friend the hangover. Ways to avoid it include drinking the same drink all evening, having a litre of water before bed and eating a form of carbohydrate (remember tea and toast) before you sleep.

However, ways to cure it are probably of more use to you. The best cure for a hangover is hands down getting out of bed and going for a beach walk, no matter rain nor shine, just get up, grab a hungover friend and walk halfway down West Sands. Trust me, it helps. Plus you get to discuss everything that happened the night before.

To conclude, I urge you all to remember the first meaning of the word ‘fit’. Your health is something that you have to put at the top of your priority list. The most wonderful thing about starting out running or going to the gym or doing a spin class is that you can confidently know that the first time is going to be the worst. This article is not an encouragement to get thin, but to get fit and healthy, or remain so. Everything in moderation is an annoyingly truthful stock phrase.

Give into the temptation of the Tesco confectionery aisle when you want to, just don’t do it every night.

Illustration: Emilie AG

Daisy Sewell Deputy features editor

18 Features

thesaint-online.com

27 October 2016 • The Saint

Through the lense:

Will Abell ‘Oh, so what job are you going to get with that?’ is one of the responses that you might encounter when you tell people that you are studying an arts degree at the University of St Andrews. What happens when you leave this small and remote town on the east coast of Scotland and enter

“

St Andrews was kind of the perfect environment for film producing.

Not necessarily the classes but throwing parties and putting on plays

the real world?

The transition has been an exciting one for Natalie Ulman, who graduated St Andrews in 2014 with an M.A. in English and Film Studies, and her colleague Sunny Moodie, who graduated in 2012 with an M.A. in International Relations. Since leaving St Andrews the pair have gone on to travel the world directing, producing and acting in their own independent films. Their most recent work, Nettles, saw Ms Ulman and Mr Moodie return to St Andrews, and they were kind enough to share a few words with me on their life outside of the Bubble, the world of the film industry and why St Andrews was so important to them in achieving this dream.

Leaving the Bubble and entering the job market for the first time can be an exceptionally daunting

prospect. However the University of St Andrews, as Mr Moodie and Ms Ulman reflect, provides a great platform from which to launch yourself into the unknown sea of real life.

When asked about how St Andrews helped her in her career Ms Ulman responded that: “St Andrews was kind of the perfect environment for film producing. Not necessarily the classes but throwing parties and putting on plays! It sounds crazy but it clicked when I met the head of the London division of Bold Films. He said he literally learned how to be a producer by throwing parties at his London flat for his friends.

“The skills completely transfer.

Helping throw fashion shows and balls at St Andrews is not that far off from film producing! It’s a lot of emailing, planning, bringing creative people together, and getting the best price you can to create something beautiful!”

Ms Ulman was also quick to reflect that it wasn’t all parties, her degree and the actual work side of university also helped: “I studied film theory, and wrote my dissertation on Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider and the American New Wave. The film taught me about the importance of nature’s impact on film which has been a major feature in all of my work. I also studied English with a love and focus on Shakespeare’s comedies and romances. As a young filmmaker this gave me free material to make films from and play with creatively. I’ve filmed two Shakespeare adaptations so far based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As You Like It.” Ms Ulman also spoke to me about the experiences she has had since leaving St Andrews and how she has continued to draw on her time at the University: “When I graduated from St Andrews I set off to write for The Saint that summer at various international film fests. Venice Film Festival was the most inspiring. I was able to attend press conferences and learn from the likes of Al Pacino, Willem Dafoe, Abel Ferrara, and the

Photos: Natalie Ulman

How two St Andrews graduates made the transition from students to film directors great international auteurs of our generation.”

Ms Ulman had her first feature film, Wild Hearts, screened at the Berlin Festival, premiered in 2014 and shown at the EFM at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Commenting on the experience she said “the connections we made at the fest will last a lifetime! A surreal moment was skinny dipping at the pool on the roof of Soho Haus at Harvey Weinstein’s party!”

Feminism is a key motif in Ms Ulman and Mr Moodie’s more recent works. Most recently, Nettles, comments on the feminine role in society.

Speaking of their recent film, Ms Ulman said, “It was absolutely incredible to return to St Andrews to film Nettles. Gayle McIntyre and the communications department were wonderful to work with and their support for young artists and alumni is humbling. Besides the amazing support it provided, the University served as the perfect backdrop for my vision.

“My filmmaking style tends to be dreamy, a bit magical, and heavily influenced by nature.

St Andrews’ unmatched romance and beauty suited the film’s aesthetic perfectly.”

Questioned on the choice of niversity as the setting of the film, she noted: “art reflects real life in the film - the protagonist and antagonist (played by Kipp Lane and Tom Loone) in the film are Art History students studying Titian’s painting Diana and Actaeon. The film metaphorically plays with a lesser known interpretation of the painting they are studying. I reverted the typical patri-

archal interpretation of the painting and told the story from the female perspective with a strong female protagonist leading the film.

“The film’s climax it ends up dealing with a taboo subject regarding the female body. My goal is for young women to watch it and come away feeling more comfortable with their bodies or even learning to truly love their bodies. I felt setting the film during a young woman’s university experience was fitting as it is a time of immeasurable growth and learning, both in the classroom and out.”

Ms Ulman continued to write for The Saint the summer after university, and travelled around the film

festivals of the world.

This allowed her to meet several “inspiring” women who befriended her. One of these women was Michal Zebede who co-wrote Barry

Levinson’s The Humbling as well as Buck Henry who wrote the American New Wave classic The Graduate. She said, “In an industry dominated by men, meeting people like Michal at the festival made it feel like it was completely possible for me to create my own films as a young woman. It opened up a veil onto a world of new possibility.”

Ms Ulman has gone from strength to strength, with recent successes in the film industry and future projects in the pipe line.

Ms Ulman is success story from beyond the Bubble, and can provide valuable insight into what a degree from St Andrews, regardless of which discipline it is from, can offer you in the world beyond this little corner of Scotland.

As Ms Ulman and Mr Moodie have shown it is entirely possible to pursue your dreams and passions as a career choice.

So the next time someone asks at a family gathering “Oh and what job are you going to get with that?” there is no need to panic and wonder if you’ll forever be a student (my current plan), there are opportunities everywhere for new and exciting ideas and a degree from the University of St Andrews puts you ahead in the game in any field.

You can find clips and short films of the pairs work on their YouTube channel ‘Sunny Moodie”.

The Saint • 27 October 2016

Features 19

thesaint-online.com

Graeme Acres

W

ardens are a key part of the student community, especially for students living in University of St Andrews accommodation. They are the first people a student in halls should turn to if they have a problem with no clear solution. That said, some students might not be aware of the wardens in their halls or about what they do. Who are they? What is their role? And how big an impact do they have on our way of life as students?

With this in mind, I decided to sit down with four members of the wardennial team to hear about the life and role of a warden. After meeting each of them, it was clear to me that all of the members of the team are dedicated to their job. Each member works to balance their lives between being wardens and doing their others jobs.

Despite this, the wardens struck me as caring about the students first and foremost. In my interviews with them it emerged that when a difficult situation occurred, both the wardens and the assistant wardens would sometimes take out an entire day to help students out of unfortunate situations.

As the interviews went on, I heard more and more about how they saw their role in the community and the key aspects of the job. The role itself can be broken down into what Dr Lara Meischke, Assistant Director of Student Services and warden of John Burnet Hall, called: “The Three Cs. Community, Care and Conduct.” The phrase has only recently been coined but it’s effective in explaining a warden’s job in St Andrews.

Community is about making a hall into more than just a couple hundred bedrooms and kitchens. It’s about creating a sense of belonging for students, both to their halls of residence and by giving students in those halls a sense of shared identity. Wardens seek to empower students into creating a community of their own choosing. They accomplish this by working with Hall Committees, both parties working to create events that allow students to come together. Hall sports is one such way, creating a hall identity through both its participants and their supporters. It gives students the common ground they need to stop worrying and start bonding.

Students can often miss the sense of community that being in a hall gives them. Susan ‘Suz’ Garrand, an assistant warden for John Burnet Hall, told me that she saw many students leave halls for a year and then decide to come back the following year. When she asked them why,

they told her it was because “they missed the community, the wardens, all the students” in their halls.

The sense of community fostered in halls can even go beyond university life. Many St Andrews Alumni revel in their identities and come to view it nostalgically. Stephen Stewart, warden for Andrew Melville Hall, mentioned a stag weekend of former students who came to St Andrews. After a game of football they asked him if they could dine in the old Andrew Melville canteen, just for old time’s sake. He told that me he was happy to oblige: “So we reserved a table for them, they brought some wine and they had a great, great occasion.”

Care is about getting students the help they need, and a warden acts as a facilitator for students, listening to a student’s issues and helping them get in touch with the most effective service for their issue. As Ms Garrand puts it, they’re happy to talk with people about issues of any kind. From mental health or academic issues to everyday problems like relationships ending or roommate disagreements, because according to her, “[these issues] can seem so minor to some people from the outside, but from the inside they can be seen as catastrophic.”

She went on to talk about how this aspect of the job was a “wheel of emotion”, where every 20 minutes brought a new situation, completely different from the one before. Each warden seems to expect this, because it’s just another part of their job.

Conduct is when the warden seeks to prevent negative behaviour in halls.

Even when a warden has to reprimand a student for bad behaviour, the first warning does not focus on punishment. It centres more on making a student realise how their actions can affect others. They also remind a student how their actions affect how people perceive them. It’s a particular point of pride for Ms Meischke when she has a “casual chat” with students going off the rails to encourage them to make better choices.

The chat revolves around reminding them that they chose to be here and not to waste the opportunity they have. When this happens, students often tell her that they remember how important that conservation was in getting them to work and pass their exams.

The job of a warden leads to a lot of experiences and each of the Wardens told me of the moments that had stayed with them over the years.

Some were uplifting, others hilari-

ous, but most are sadly unprintable.

Ms Meischke loves watching the new students change over their four years in St Andrews. How they come from being nervous about the “whole big university experience and four years”, but gradually change into people confident enough to go out into the big wide world.

Knowing she has played a part in helping them adjust and be able to make that change is a rewarding feeling for her. Mr Stewart told me about his 50th birthday when the students of Andrew Melville worked together to create a celebration that left him speechless. They even created a video of old friends and alumni that paid tribute to him, a moment he got to witness with his wife and two sons by his side. Ms Garrand talked about another student she felt connected to, and how she was able to help them work through some difficult issues.

She became a positive inspiration for the student and helped them to manage their concerns. She still meets with them, always happy to help.

For my final question, I asked each of the wardenial team what they considered the most important advice they could give to someone who wanted to become a warden. Each of them said it was a job that encouraged different personalities and approaches, but they did emphasise some key aspects to being a good Warden.

Dr Penny Turnbull, Assistant Director of Student Services and Warden Manager, spoke strongly of a warden needing a sense of fortitude, a resilience which is required to “do the job and be called up in the middle of the night and then still get up and go work and be pleasant the next morning.”

Meanwhile, Ms Garrand and Ms Meischke both spoke about a warden needing to be ready to deal with anything, emphasising that it can also happen at any time. In their words, it’s not always the Opening Ball or the Hall Ball, it’s “a random Tuesday afternoon.”

Mr Stewart remarked that a Warden should always show students trust because they’ll always rise to the occasion. He concluded by saying: “be prepared to get immersed in the whole thing, never complain about it.”

For the members of the team that I spoke to, being a warden is more than just a job. The role leads to the formation of a unique bond between students and wardens to the point where wardens take pride in students’ acheievments and receive caring and respect in return.

Photos: Kylie Andrews

Always a few doors down: Life as a warden

20 Features

thesaint-online.com

27 October 2016 • The Saint

Studying and part-time work: The lowdown D

espite its small size, St Andrews offers an array of part time work for students to choose from. Whether you work for the University of St Andrews itself as a student ambassador or telephone caller, in the food industry at one of the many food chains or restaurants, or in hospitality with one of the several hotels, one question remains: does having a part-time job whilst studying work?

The question is: What is the objective of getting a job? While there are naturally a multitude of reasons as to why someone might get a part-time job, the most common reason is the compensation.

However, for several students, working in St Andrews gets them out into the community and familiarised with the town and for some, getting a part-time job serves as a preferred alternative to a university-managed extracurricular activities.

Madeleine Richards, a second-year student who recently began work at a hotel near St Andrews has found this to be just the case, citing the job as a great way to get out and acquaint herself with the town: “as I'm not deeply involved in any societies and I don't play a sport, this job has been a great way to meet people.”

Furthermore, no matter what the industry, working in St Andrews is incredibly appealing due to the low-pressure and relatively safe and understanding environment it serves as for individuals new to the workforce. Kirsten Ross, a second year student studying Italian, finds her job on Little Italy’s wait staff engaging

and enjoyable. “[Little Italy] is a great place to work because there’s always a friendly atmosphere among staff, despite the fact that not all staff are students,” she said.

The variety of jobs offered in St Andrews places students alongside both other students and young adults, given that it is predominantly a university and tourist town. Ms Richards continued, “most of the people that I'm working with are other students, many of whom are just as new to the job as I am, which has made for a really friendly and sociable environment.” “Plus,” she added, “Stacking chairs and clearing tables at 2am is an excellent bonding experience for anyone.”

Does working detract from your focus on extracurricular activities and studying?

Depending on the type of job, working part time can vary in terms of how much of your time it takes.

As a first-year, I worked the fall telephone campaign with the St Andrews Development Office. The job was valuable in that I learned a lot more about the University, for example what projects were happening and what types of events they hosted for alumni all over the world, and overall getting to speak to individuals who had been involved in the same courses or societies as I proved to be very exciting and interesting. However, due to the fact that it was a campaign and the office needed to meet a certain goal by a set date, the job was a noticeable time

commitment and understandably, required each caller to take on three shifts a week. As a result of my class schedules and certain extra-curricular activities, I had to take on shifts on that required me to miss out on other activities.

For Ms Ross, however, working in food and hospitality has proven compatible with her class schedule: “working at Little Italy has been manageable and time friendly. As a student, I’ve found that they’ve been incredibly understanding of my busy and ever-changing schedule, and offer flexible shift patterns, with a new schedule given to me every week based on my availability.”

Ms. Richards finds working at a hotel just outside of town has been just as accommodating, if not more so, than the jobs in town. “I was nervous when I first got the job about the possibility of it interfering with my studies,” she confessed, “but I've found that ‘no minimum requirement" really means "no minimum requirement’.

Zero- hour contracts are potentially exploitative for some of the adult work force, but they're tailor made for students. I worked two shifts in my first week and then didn't work for almost a month because I had a lot of deadlines, and I was met with no negative consequences on my next shift.”

With such a high demand of students looking for work in the Bubble, it is not surprising that much of the restaurants, hotels and retail stores do as much as they can to work around their student staff schedules. As for

jobs with the University, although they take up more time than your average job around town, these jobs usually help to better acquaint that student with the University and thus every minute more is arguably worth it.

What are the benefits of working, other than earning money? Working in and around St Andrews is a fantastic way to meet new people, especially if your job is with the University. After working last year’s fall telephone campaign, I met students I probably would have never met otherwise in different years and courses than me. This year, I’ve run into several of them again, working with some in societies or clubs, while others I’ve stayed friends with since meeting during the campaign.

Along with getting to know other students, working a part time job gives you experience in the workforce and offers new challenges and tasks that university life does not. The telephone campaign taught me a bit about phone etiquette and negotiation tactics, skills I was able to transfer and use in an internship last summer, where I was required to conduct phone interviews with several professionals. Working at established companies is also an opportunity for students to meet professionals and find internship and work opportunities beyond the Bubble. “Because I work in one branch of such a large hotel chain, some people on the team have years of experience with this company and hospitality in general,” said Ms Richards, so “being able to meet and work with them is also a great form of networking for the future.” Working while still at university

can give students a head start, but more importantly, get them thinking about the inevitable: work and future career prospects.

Still worried about taking on a ‘real’ job? Balancing your workload at university with weekly shifts at a company or shop can be tricky, but finding the balance and learning to manage your time while at university is one of the best places and times to figure it out yourself.

As Ms Richards said, “there are bound to be moments of stress in any job, but it is helpful to remember not to take things personally.”

“Sometimes people won't bother learning the names of part-time workers,” she continued, “but I just remember that this is not necessarily a reflection about how they feel about you. It's probably just a time saving measure.

The best and most helpful way to react to making a mistake is to apologise, try to correct as best you can, and then shake it off.”

The benefits of working while studying in St Andrews go beyond the fact that you are earning money, as usually you are met with friendly customers, understanding employers, and shorter commute times to and from your home and workplace. Working a part time job while studying at university is definitely doable, and even serves as a positive, prominent, and integral part of some students’ time at St Andrews. So, in conclusion, whether you’re heavily involved in university or not, there is bound to be a job flexible enough for you to manage alongside your studies if you do decide to work part-time.

Infographic: Meilan Solly

Kenalyn Ang Deputy features editor

The Saint • 27 October 2016

thesaint-online.com

The Lumsden Club

Features 21

definitely not the female version of the KK T

he Lumsden Club occupies a peculiar niche within St Andrews.

They are at times referred to as the “female version of the KK,” a descriptor that falls flat in the absence of similarities between the two charity clubs. Lumsden can be found selling roses during Valentine’s Day, swigging PIMM’S at the Rule, or volunteering in charity shops throughout town. Although their red jackets bear a passing resemblance to those worn by the Kate Kennedy Club, Lumsden lacks any true parallel within the University. In its fifteen years of existence, the Club has successfully accomplished the rare feat of being utterly inimitable.

In 2001, Emmeline Kuhn and Libby Hart held the first meeting of the Lumsden Club in a small student flat. Despite what Wikipedia will have you believe, the Club refutes the notion that then-student Kate Middleton had any involvement in this initial meeting. Many unofficial biographies do place the Duchess of Cambridge amongst the original members; however, this has not been confirmed by any primary sources.

President Hannah Done describes the early days of Lumsden as “a group of friends who wanted to raise awareness for a group of charities.”

She states that even now, the Club is investigating the details of its own origins. “We’re in close contact with alumni. Especially in our fifteenth year, we think it’s important to know where it all started.”

Vice President Meggie Gresham expresses her admiration for the Club’s growth. “We’re not static,” she says. “That’s the real thing about Lumsden. We’re always growing, we’re always innovating. We’ve gone from meeting in a flat to becoming an international organisation. The

“

We’re always growing, we’re always innovating

Club has girls from around the world - South America, North America, Europe, Australia, Scandinavia” This combination of nationalities contributes to the Club’s constant sense of motion. As new viewpoints enter the fold every year, there is no danger of the Club falling into a potentially tired pattern of identical events.

Head of PR Anya Brochier enthuses that “anyone who is even slightly interested should apply. There’s no homogenous personality that makes

a ‘Lumsden girl.’ Absolutely anyone can be part of Lumsden.”

Above all else, the Club values its charities. Ms Done refers to Lumsden as “a very human-based charity,” as evidenced by the physical contributions they make alongside their monetary donations. Every girl is required to do at least one hour of volunteering a week, a requirement that can be fulfilled at a charity shop, community centre, food bank, or other local enterprise. The girls are also given regular fundraising challenges, ambitious

which really establishes a close connection and helps motivate us during fundraising.”

Although the monetary recipient of the Club’s charitable activities is Fife Women’s Aid, the Club continues to maintain ties with its previous charities. Lumsden participates in the yearly Parkinson’s Walk in support of Parkinson’s UK, in addition to volunteering at the hospital. “I love the fact that you’ve got a group of girls with completely different backgrounds,” says Ms Done, “but we’re all working

as the recent PIMM’S Refilled event.

The Club’s informal launch event, Pimms’s, marked Lumsden’s first collaboration with the renovated Rule.

“Lumsden did PIMM’S events in the first few years of the Club,” reveals Ms Done. “We thought it fit to bring it back for our fifteenth year.” The Rule, with its signature balcony and wide open dancefloor, perfectly suited the laid-back atmosphere of the sold-out party. The girls confirm that they hope to continue their partnership with the pub.

annual Christmas Dinner), it has the ability to change with the times and consistently present alternative events to the students of St Andrews.

The Winning Women Conference was one such project. Founded in 2015 by then-second year Evangeline Tawil, the conference united a contingent of novice event planners, who cut their teeth on what may become known as Lumsden’s most successful event yet. Ms Gresham says that “already Winning Women has grown into something bigger than we expected.”

Recently sold-out for the second year

“

The Club is very much run by the girls, and the directions that we take are very much determined by our freshers

Photo: The Lumsden Club

Natasha Franks Events editor

goals that they often exceed through teamwork. Ms Gresham identifies a North Umbrian charity run as a particularly successful expedition, having allowed a group of Lumsden girls to raise £1,400 for last year’s chosen charity.

The Club has supported Fife Women’s Aid for the past two years.

Ms Done once again emphasises the human aspect of Lumsden: “We want to get involved in ways beyond just writing a cheque. We’d like to host a clothing drive after Christmas, for example, when they really struggle for donations. It’s a relationship that we want to keep constant. Reps from the charity come speak to our freshers,

together to achieve the same goal. The Club pushes you out of your comfort zone. Even if you’ve never volunteered before, you have a great foundation to get started.”

Ms Brochier praises the support network created by the Club’s charitable activities: “You run into people all over town, in charity shops, and you see people you know and have worked with. It’s very much an extension of your own friend group, and it’s being a part of something that spans the entire town.”

Lumsden lacks the ostentation that accompanies Opening Ball or a charity fashion show, but it easily establishes itself through events such

Ms Done admits that PIMM’S Refilled would not have been possible without the Lumsden Club’s natural proclivity for evolution. “If you had asked us a year ago about PIMM’S, we would have been like, ‘Yeah, maybe.’ The Club is very much run by the girls, and the directions that we take are very much determined by our freshers.”

Ms Brochier confirms that the Club “will support you one hundred percent if you can present a strong idea.” This welcomeness encourages members to develop their own projects, allowing the Club to remain free from the constraints of tradition. While Lumsden does have its traditions (such as the

in a row, the conference continues to be a cracking success for the Club, a true indication of Lumsden’s innovative nature.

The Lumsden Club welcomes any first year girls to apply, leading to a highly competitive interview process.

Approximately 120 girls attend the first round of interviews, a number that must be cut to 20 for the second round. Sifting through over 100 applications and rejecting the majority of them sounds like no easy task. “It’s not necessarily about background or your personal history,” says Ms Done.

“It’s about enthusiasm and thinking on your feet. That’s what makes me think, ‘I want to know you.’ There’s not one type of girl for Lumsden, and that’s why we interview everyone.”

By the end of the interviews, around ten girls will have been selected to join the Lumsden Club. This number fluctuates each year, another example of the Club’s reluctance to be bound by tradition. They accept members based on spirit and ambition, the two tenets that form the foundation of the Club’s central activities.

Lumsden has been censured in the past for being single sex, a criticism that lacks merit considering the purpose of the Club: to inspire women, to support women’s charities, and to create a network of women helping women.

Sexism continues to pervade society - particularly in St Andrews, where gentlemen’s clubs are in abundance. If we can tolerate half a dozen male-only drinking clubs, then surely we can support a single female-only charity organisation.

22 Photography

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This Week in Photos

27 October2016 2016 • The Saint 22 `september

Photos: Harry Gunning

Photos of the Raisin Monday foam fight, one of St Andrews’ famous traditions

Photography chief SAMMI CIARDI Deputy photography chiefs HARRY GUNNING AND MIKA SCHMELING thesaint-online.com/pictures

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Photo Story: Astrophotography in St Andrews

Photos: Alexander Dutoy

The Astro-Physics Society’s stunning photos of the night sky

EVENTS thesaint-online.com/events

Events editor NATASHA FRANKS Deputy editors George Wilder and Elischke de Villiers

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@saint_events

Hypocrisy, greed and corruption:

Photo: Natasha Waddell

A St Andrews story

Natasha Franks Events editor St Andrews charity events are a terrible shame.

An outsider would not know it.

Every year, we students fulfil infeasible fantasies: A-list designers walk the runways of FS and DONT WALK; Welly Ball is the envy of clay pigeon shooting clubs across the country; Oktoberfest attracts guests from Italy, Germany and Spain. St Andrews has established a place for itself outside the shadow of Will and Kate, and that place is a dazzling spot in the sun.

The University occupies an esteemed place in the social world.

Most adults, in their entire lifetime, will not attend events of the same calibre as those hosted by our student body. Champagn, black tie, VIP areas and customised cocktails all are things suited to a socialite’s diary. In St Andrews, they form the building blocks of our Facebook newsfeeds, alternating places with the latest promotional cover photo change.

Be it our innate ambition or the competitive edge fostered by all those Oxbridge rejections, St Andrews certainly excels in the art of FOMO. Regardless of how messy Nobel Ball may get, those Tatler pictures sure looked good.

We are not without our occasional missteps: Xavier Ball has gone under, nobly descending into an abyss already familiar to Under Canvas 2016.

House of Horror, meanwhile, rose with aplomb, casting the cobwebs from its shaking skeleton to reveal the B-movie homage quivering beneath the surface.

Events wax and wane, rising and falling like the tide upon Castle Sands; no sooner can one drown than another surfaces to take up the torch in its stead. Charity, it would seem, creates the current that guides and compels us to continue even in the face of competition.

Considering this admirable spirit, it is a shame that our university’s largest inside joke revolves around corruption, embezzlement and excess.

Every student has participated in the collective laugh shared at the mention of the phrase “charity event.”

Even when no explicit joke is made, sarcasm remains inherent, as though the notion of a genuinely charitable committee could not be fathomed at this university. “It’s for charity” lost its lustre somewhere and somehow; now, it occupies as a punch line.

Nowhere else can such a pathetic punch line be found, and nowhere else is a student body so blatantly hypocritical in its humour. We laugh at the idea of an event being for charity and call a committee corrupt; then we buy a ticket anyway, attend the event and enjoy the evening. We have, by our own definition, participated in a system that effectively steals money from charity.

To stand contentedly in a marquee, ice cream in one hand and Cava in another, laughing at the thought of all the money charity won’t be receiving, seems rather cruel (the veracity of such beliefs aside).

In this regard, I find St Andrews completely illogical. Corrupt clubs and committees are treated as an open secret: “Sure, it’s for charity,” people say, winking slyly as they queue for tickets; “I’m sure it’s for a great cause,” they add as they fork over a fistful of cash.

These people intend the committee to be the butt of the joke, yet I view the charity as the ultimate recipient of their mockery.

Never have I heard an individual say, “I refuse to attend this event because I believe the organisers embezzle money.” Not once. People prioritise their desire for a party over the well-being of a charity –– assuming that corruption has even taken place to begin with.

Funnily, the event itself often acts

as a breeding ground for these gossip sessions. Champagne-swigging polo-goers or Hunter-clad shooting enthusiasts cheerfully ruminate on the ways in which the chosen charity will be screwed over, not bothering to admit their own roles in such a system. They appear blind to their own hypocrisy, unable to recognise that by purchasing a ticket, they are enabling the very organisations that they claim are corrupt.

These paradoxical accusations stem in part from self-consciousness.

We are students, privileged by the very nature of being at this university.

On a certain level, we recognise the ridiculousness of our grandiose society.

“Starving” students are not meant to pop bottles of Veuve Clicquot and bid on diamond necklaces; we should be drinking Lambrini and window-shopping at Accessorise, surely.

As spectacular as these nights can be, certain guests may feel embarrassed to participate in such a flagrant display of materialism.

These people combat awkward self-awareness with deprecation. By smugly expressing their disproval of the ball and disdain for the committee, the event becomes an ironic expedition instead of a display of wealth.

Never mind that these people paid £30 for a secondhand after-party ticket after failing to secure a table in the dinner ballot. They may look across the dance floor at Kinkell Byre and tell themselves that they are better than the rabble, because they know the truth.

But what is the truth? Where do these rumours of corruption originate?

Hand-in-hand with self-awareness comes self-hatred. St Andrews, for all its elitism and pride, is wrought with a powerful sense of scorn for itself.

“Classic St Andrews!” frequently captions photos of champagne and dinner jackets, but it’s okay because it’s ironic, right?

Unfortunately, these jokes only propagate the culture that we often criticise. They planted the seed for 2012’s “champagning” incident, a viral video of St Andrean males pouring champagne onto their heads.

The video netted criticism from countless publications, alumni and the University, eventually necessitating a formal apology from the creators. They attributed the video to a misplaced desire to parody our uni’s reputation as “posh.”

Somewhere between overturning a bottle of Moët and laughing at a local charity, that reputation has become a sad reality.

As previously stated, the students who ridicule the charitable nature of balls do not intend to trivialise the charities themselves. Rather, they hope to express their hatred for the event organisers.

Numerous clubs and committees fall victim to the twisted relationship that St Andrews shares with its own reputation, a relationship defined by a simultaneous embrace and rejection of elitism. These committees orchestrate the greatest events of the year, all of which sell-out amidst high levels of demand.

Despite their commercial successes, members are frequently targeted by their own guests, who fall back onto accusations of embezzlement to reconcile themselves with their baseless hatred of a charitable club.

All that said, there is the small potential for truth hidden within this predominately unfounded litany of complaints.

Imagine an event attended by 1,060 people.

Hypothetically, this event may be divided into three ticket tiers: VVIP, VIP, and standard. Each tier grows proportionally smaller as the price point increases, meaning that the majority of guests will be standard. We may consequently break the guest list down into 600 standard guests, 400

VIP guests and 60 VVIP guests. In this scenario, we may charge standard guests £20, VIP guests £45 and VVIP guests £60. Some hasty maths places the total revenue from ticket sales alone at £33,600. £33,600 is a lot of money for a theoretical teenager to have in his or her back pocket. The question of transparency presents itself: of our largest charitable events, a select few are actually registered charities. The Lumsden Club, the DONT WALK Charity Fashion Show and the Kate Kennedy Trust are listed on the Scottish Charity Regulator. Their earnings are public record.

Transparency in the name of charity ought to be the norm, yet it seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Committees keep their books confidential, which is a curious habit.

If all profits go to charity, then what is there to hide? The secrecy contributes to rumours, which have potential to reach the ears of the charities they target.

Based on this, I understand the skepticism that many people hold for our committees. They control numbers that working adults may be tempted by. In the unchecked hands of a student, it feels dangerously unsecured, particularly if the money is placed in that student’s personal savings account, rather than a monitored committee account.

I do not have the authority to say, without a doubt, that there is no deception present within St Andrews.

But no problems have ever been solved by senseless rumours which are quickly discredited by the innate hypocrisy of their makers. Until students put their money where their mouths are, the system that they claim to hate will continue to function.

By all means, purchase event tickets. But do take heed. At most parties, it is considered rude to accuse the host of corruption while drinking their champagne.

The Saint • 27 October 2016

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Meet the woman behind the dress Fifteen years later, the designer discusses her iconic piece

Natasha Franks Events editor A dress has the ability to transfix the minds of millions. Keira Knightley’s green gown in Atonement, Marilyn Monroe’s flouncy white skirts, Jessica Rabbit’s skintight fuchsia ensemble: all reside comfortably in the pop culture sphere, both praised and parodied in the many years since their big screen debuts.

Although clothes are often tailored to suit the star, many dresses attract notoriety in their own right.

Actress Elizabeth Hurley first achieved recognition as the wearer of Versace’s seminal work, a slinky silk cocktail gown that encapsulated new age feminism. Lady Gaga’s meat dress would have made headlines regardless of who formed the bread in that sandwich, just as Geri Halliwell’s Union Jack mini-dress requires no context to be viewed as a symbol of British pride.

In 2002, the St Andrews student body witnessed the formation of a new sartorial star shining on the runway of the first DONT WALK Charity Fashion Show.

This dress would remain our university’s secret until several years later, when the media unearthed photographs of the show. Clad in black lace and ribbons, Kate Middleton was, at the time, a mere student; when the dress was finally identified, her face could be found on every magazine in the country, and her clothing choices were legendary.

Easily the most daring outfit in the Duchess’s history, the dress became the watershed moment in the fable of Will and Kate.

Tabloids erroneously identified DONT WALK as the setting of the future couple’s introduction, while others claimed that the dress eradicated the final vestiges of their previously platonic relationship. Regardless of the true story, this dress has unquestionably assumed a position alongside the giants of pop culture fashion.

The Saint spoke to Charlotte Todd, the designer behind the Duchess’ daring number.

In 2001, Ms Todd graduated from the University of the West of England.

After completing a degree in fashion and textiles, she left university with a

dress made as part of her second year coursework.

“It was just a sample piece of knitting work,” she recalled. “I was using a knit machine and very fine silk thread. The thread kept breaking, and my stitches would drop. [...] The fabric would drop off the bottom of the machine. I must have started it three or four times. It was never intended to be seen or shown, really.”

Ms Todd’s early designs took inspiration from The Art of Seduction, resulting

in a collection of sheer, gauzy garments on display at London’s annual New Designers Exhibition. Here, they caught the eye of the fledgling DONT WALK Charity Fashion Show.

After being contacted by the committee, Ms Todd gathered a selection of her pieces for the show’s use, galvanised upon learning that Prince William would be in attendance.

The see-through dress soon made its fateful pilgrimage to St Andrews.

“I knitted the garment intending it to be worn as a long skirt and placed over a silk or satin underskirt or lining,” Ms Todd said.

“I researched both gemstones and precious jewels, which led to me using shimmery, metallic and silky threads. I wanted the overall look to be sheer and iridescent.”

Materials cost between £20 and £30: a paltry sum for what was then no more than an assignment.

Nine years later, the dress sold for £78,000 at auction.

“I don’t think I really realised what was happening until that first bid of £25,000,” Ms Todd said.

“That was life changing money for me and my husband. The build-up to it was such a blur, and the day before the auction, I did 28 interviews with press from all over the world. But I will never forget that moment.”

After using the money to put down a deposit on her family’s first house, Ms Todd now focuses on her young daughters.

She said: “I love textiles and have a keen interest in fashion still, but I’m not the kind of person who would be any good at making a career out of it.”

It feels very strange that I can now Google my name and see images of myself [with the dress]. I feel very proud, but also very uncomfortable, when people mention that it was down to me and my dress that the future king and queen got together! It was all just down to a piece of luck after all.”

Ms Todd also discussed seeing the dress in the American Museum in Britain.

She said: “It was displayed as a piece of royal fashion history in a glass cabinet, and all my friends and family got to see it. I did get very emotional then. I feel unbelievably lucky that my dress was in the right place at the right time that night.”

I’m under no illusion that it was chosen because it was the greatest piece of fashion or textile design. It was, after all, just a tubular piece of knitting.”

Whether the result of luck or skill, the dress continues to transfix the world.

Reproduced for multiple films and mentioned everywhere from Vogue to Vanity Fair, it remains a powerful piece of the royal romance mythos.

Ms Todd concluded: “It’s nice that I have a bit of a legacy to leave on this world for my children.”

Events 25

DW and FS unite for charity Natasha Franks Events editor

Losing a child is undoubtedly the most difficult experience a parent could endure. Michelle MacDonald experienced such a loss after the death of her daughter Ellie in September 2014. The younger Ms MacDonald succumbed to cancer at the tragically young age of 23, mere weeks after graduating from St Andrews.

In the wake of her daughter’s death, Ms MacDonald found solace in lengthy beachside walks. During one such walk, an epiphany dawned upon her: it would take a million miles to leave behind the pain of losing her daughter. But why walk on her own?

A Million Miles For Ellie was born. Around the world, individuals walk in honor of the young cancer patient, collectively accumulating the one million miles described. Above all, the campaign intends to fulfil the goal of destroying cancer. A Million Miles For Ellie has raised over £60,000 to date in support of cancer research, and that number continues to grow with every step.

For the first time in their respective histories, the St Andrews Charity Fashion Show and the DONT WALK Charity Fashion Show have joined forces in support of the campaign.

Committee members and models will walk alongside each other on Saturday 29 October to contribute 1,000 miles to Ms MacDonald’s goal.

Furthermore, FS and DW have orchestrated a charity raffle with tickets priced at £5. The winner will receive

a pair of VIP tickets to both fashion shows.

Committee members share their thoughts on the joint initiative: Bertie Lumsden, DW head of charity

The idea behind the walk is not about memorialising Ms MacDonald, but carrying on her spirit. She is the reason FS and DW are coming together for the first time ever. And she is the reason up to one hundred people will walk along the Fife Coastal Path on Saturday. To have lived a life, even as short as hers, that has the power to inspire others is truly amazing.

William Klinteberg, FS exec director

FS and DW are excited to join forces and raise awareness for this very worthy cause by doing what is already an integral part of both our shows: walking.

Andrew Kalinin, FS head of charity

We are extremely proud to be participating in this event. I believe it should finally show the student body that FS and DONT WALK can and do cooperate. In a sense, this cause transcends both organisations and is able to connect and unify people from different backgrounds and different walks of life.

Jacob Øen, DW executive director

It was important to both teams that we came together for a common cause to show we are both committed to charity. Ellie’s ethos is something that both shows are driven by.

Recounting Raisin Revenge Elischke de Villiers Deputy events editor I woke up, luxuriously, to the sound of freshers running around outside.

One steaming cup of coffee later, I was ready for Raisin Revenge. This meant donning a bikini and a tacky beach shirt.

My academic siblings and I walked to East Sands, narrowly avoiding blindfolded freshers in animal onesies and flinching when one almost stepped on the PH. Once we reached East Sands, we started setting up the stage for our revenge.

Our theme was Beach Boys, so any academic parent not dressed in funky beach attire was issued a punishment shot. Because of the summer-like theme, the beach seemed the perfect spot; however, Scotland did not agree, and we were almost blown away as we made a piña colada bowl and set up shot roulette.

Our parents were welcomed with a rum shot each and were then subjected to two rounds of shot roulette. The lucky ones got shots of water, whereas the rest had to make do with a shot of either white rum or mango flavoured vodka. There were complaints, as the icy weather and beach dress did not see eye-to-eye.

We decided to forego our previous plans of daring the parents to do an early May Dip and went with a shot relay instead. The object of the game was for the parents to sprint towards the finish line while taking a shot at each pit stop along the way. The team

that won would get another shot each, while the losing team received a spoonful of Spam.

Our alcohol blankets did not seem to be working, so we eventually decided to relocate our shivering bodies to a warmer climate. Once we had settled into a flat, we once again set up our merchandise and began a game of “Most Likely.”

Following this spirited session, we commenced with Stairway to Hell.

Twenty steps of shots (with some Oreos thrown in for good measure) lay before the parents, with us kids jeering them on all the while.

After the game, parents and children alike stumbled back up to the flat, where we decided to order Dominoes in typical day-drunk fashion. Unsurprisingly, the pizza took about an hour and the driver got lost.

Meanwhile, we started the card drinking games. After multiple rounds of Flip the Bottle and an abandoned game of Ring of Fire, we hit the streets and headed to Burger to indulge our drunken states.

One impulsive decision later, we once again found ourselves on East Sands, this time with the sun shining.

We all stripped –– some in bikinis, some in underwear –– held hands and took the plunge into the cold Scottish waters.

Dripping and barefooted, we made our way back to town, academic children and parents reconciled and blessed with sea spray. On ‘till next year, when kids become parents and parents become grandparents.

26 Events

27 October 2016 • The Saint

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The end of black tie and the rise of the anti-ball Natasha Franks Events editor It began quietly.

In early 2015, the iconic May Ball ticket purchasing process fell flat.

Students queued in tents throughout the night, only to witness their well-rested peers arrive at 10 am with cash in hand, equally capable of buying tickets. Further insult was added to injury when a slew of unsold tickets were released on FIXR in the weeks before the ball.

A semester later, the Fellowship’s unsexily named “602” Ball failed to clear a Christmas Ball-sized hurdle.

Although the event itself was marvellous by most accounts, the St Andrews student body chose to spend its money elsewhere, a portent of frugality that would continue to haunt committees in the months to come.

Now in the new academic year, St Andrews’ rapidly eroding events scene is evident in the latest marketing fad to hit our newsfeeds: the anti-ball.

Before delving into the details of this anti-ball phenomenon, I will take you back to a time that some may call pre-historic. The phrase “Waity Katie” was no more than a quickening in the mind of some Daily Mail reporter, and DRA was but two years young.

The Saint had yet to launch an events section, the FS table ballot did not exist and the Kate Kennedy Club Charity May Ball offered unlimited free alcohol with every ticket.

Times have changed.

In 2006, the St Andrews Charity Fashion Show was held in Caird Hall, Dundee. Tickets ranged from VIP (£45) to single balcony seats (£10), with a couple of tiers in between. Attendance was estimated to be upwards of 1,300 people, a record

number for the 14-year- old show.

FS tickets now go for £90 and £70, a change that cannot be attributed to basic inflation.

It could be argued that in this bygone era, the glittering firmament of the St Andrews social scene did not shine quite as brightly as it does today. The glamour of Fendi or Vivienne Westwood had yet to grace the runways of Lower College Lawn and Kinkell Byre.

Now, household brand names envelop our wristbands and fill our goodie bags. Just as chain restaurants have appeared along the town’s cobbled streets, our events have become heavily commercialised and our reputation has spread across the UK. I was at a party in New York over last Christmas holiday. In a room full of Americans, I managed to locate a group of British exchange students from Exeter. We scoured each other’s Facebook profiles in search of mutual friends (surprisingly, we shared several). As one girl scrolled down my newsfeed, she noticed that a student fashion show had made a post regarding committee interviews.

“Surely you just volunteer for a position?” she said, bemused. “Why do you need to interview?”

Another Exeter girl laughed.

“Don’t you know St Andrews?” she asked. “They take these things very seriously.”

And we do. Committees no longer derive satisfaction from a mention in The Courier; they pitch to Vogue and The New York Times, striving for accomplishments that many professionals never attempt.

Since Will and Kate, St Andrews has assumed a position on the world stage, playing a role founded on notoriety and elitism. As the stakes rise higher, so do the prices.

Perhaps the most notable feature of pre-contemporary St Andrews

was the “famously free” May Ball.

Unlimited food and drink were once included with each ticket, which in 2007 went for £55 (classic), £70 (gold) or £90 (dinner).

The Club attributed this perk to “sponsorship and careful spending,” two tenets that they have surely not disregarded over the years.

Yet the bar is now decidedly unopen, a loss felt by alcoholics across the nation. May Ball 2016 did not lack guests (in part due to Ball Convenor Fernando Maluf’s natural flair for marketing), but it has followed the trend of St Andrews events giving less in exchange for more. Nowadays, May Ball gives us Duke Dumont and Julio Bashmore, but to many guests this may not seem a fair trade.

Similarly, Welly Ball has undergone significant changes since its inception. Established by the Clay Pigeon Shooting Club president as a St Andrews Challenge after-party, the ball has taken on a life of its own.

It is not necessary to delve into historical records in search of evolution: in 2014, dinner tickets were priced at £55 each. In 2016, this price edged to £60. Now, tickets go for £65.

No obvious changes have been made to the ball itself. It remains a Kinkell Byre-based party with a reasonably sized dinner and a cheap after-party. If the pricing trend continues, however, we may be paying £80

by Welly Ball 2019.

All this being said, we may finally return to the aforementioned anti-ball. A counterculture has emerged in St Andrews, one that the student body appears to be cautiously embracing. Szentek, Masque-Rave and Goat House are all upcoming events that have made “not a ball” their selling points.

This is a deliberate move against the mainstream, and it may signify the start of a larger shift in St

Andrews society.

“No black tie,” vows Szentek’s official event description. “We don’t even know what VIP is,” adds the committee in a Facebook post. “We just want to party.”

The ruin bar experience has made a name for itself by actively defying all stereotypes associated with a Kinkell event. It exists because May Ball exists, because we queue for Christmas Ball and because black tie is a weekly experience in St Andrews.

Already sold-out of early bird tickets, Szentek is paving the way for the anti-ball.

On Szentek’s heels, Masque-Rave has emerged as the surprise contender of the November event season.

Initially advertised as Masquerade Ball, the committee launched a rebranding mere weeks before the event was due to be held.

“St Andrews didn’t need another ball in November,” announced the cover photo caption. “So, we are starting a whole new night.”

This sudden change in tactics could be attributed either to a desire to fight the power or to simple logic: Xavier Ball recently announced its cancellation, citing budget issues.

If Masquerade Ball wished to avoid the same fate, it would need to bring something new to the table.

Goat House hopes to do just that. Heat and Tea House are both outstanding additions to the town’s nightlife, but they are far from casual events. High heels, jackets and the occasional tie would not be out of place on the Rule’s dance floor, an upscale aesthetic that contributes to the “formal” atmosphere of the night.

Held on Friday 4 November, Goat House intends to transform the Rule into the most casual venue known to man: a frat house.

The event itself is named in honour of the television show Blue

Mountain State, which chronicles the antics of an American college football team.

The team christens their base “the Goat House,” and it is a haven of hip-hop, letterman jackets and red Solo cups.

In its St Andrews iteration, Goat House will feature the expected staples of an American frat party: jungle juice upon arrival, beer pong in the back room and music that will bring the house down.

Above all, the committee stresses the casual dress code.

“Wear a t-shirt,” says committee member Hunter Pruitt. “Put some face paint on. In St Andrews, people can show up to a party and look like they just came from dinner at the Adamson. That’s not what we’re going for.”

At this point, a frat party may be exactly what St Andrews needs.

Countless committees have played a game of follow-the-leader, attempting to replicate the success of their predecessors.

As evidenced by recent failures, these reproductions pale in comparison to the originals.

Opening Ball and May Ball are the only two balls that can ride their own coattails; the KK has spent ninety years crafting a brand that is synonymous with St Andrews society.

Everyone else must differentiate or desist, lest they lose themselves in a crowd of black tie and Blackhorn.

Now, briefly return to FS 2006.

The venue was booked, models selected, clothes tailored. Ticket sales opened to the general public, operating via email bookings in the absence of FIXR. “I hope there is something in there for everybody,” wrote the committee.

Not quite yet. But maybe next time there will be.

Photo: Natasha Waddell

Hamlet Prince of Denmark

O

Bindi: Sanskriti

n Thursday 27 October, the South Asian Society returns with St Andrews’ favourite Bollywood party in Club 601. Enjoy cheap tickets and great music all night long.

Catwalk 2017 Launch

O

n Friday 28 October, Catwalk will unveil its 2017 theme: Undergrowth. Head to the Beacon Bar for an evening of urban exploration.

White Tie Reeling Ball

A

unique addition to the St Andrews calendar, Reeling Ball is the only white tie event hosted at Kinkell Byre. Remember, remember the steps to the dances on Saturday 5 November.

Sitara* 2017 Launch

O

n Tuesday 8 November, Sitara* will launch at the Vic. Meet this year’s models and dance to some classic Sitara-esque tunes.

eight

Masque-Rave Night

O

n the heels of a hasty rebranding, Masque-Rave will occupy the Balgove Larder on Wednesday 9 November. Take a break from deadlines for a carnival-style evening followed by an after-party in Club 601.

O

RULE The Board

n Thursday 3 November, darts will come to St Andrews.

Spectators and players are both welcome to the Rule for the competition and after-party.

Guy Fawkes Night

A

lways a welcome excuse for bonfires on the beach, Guy Fawkes Night is a British tradition. On Saturday 5 November, everyone can celebrate with some flames on East Sands.

DWM: Motown 1960

O

n Thursday 27 October, DONT WALK will return to The Vic for a night of sixties throwbacks.

ARTS & CULTURE Arts & culture editor: TIFFANY BLACK

Deputy editors: Flora Rowe, Amanda Levinson, Lauren MacGowan, Daisy Treloar, Emme Hollingsworth, Ryan Hay, Lewis Wood, Tom Williams, Caitlin Lewis, Richard Joseph

arts@thesaint-online.com

@saint_arts

Illustration: Izzy Hoskins

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28 Arts & Culture

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27 October 2016 • The Saint

Baring it all for art’s sake: inside the world of nude life drawing

T

he Collins English Dictionary defines life drawing as “drawing objects or people from life,” while a quick search on Dictionary.com brings up the definition “the act of drawing the human figure from a living model.”

St Andrews' Art Society engages in the latter practice. The society has a long-standing tradition of organising weekly life drawing sessions that transform Tuesday evenings into a safe haven for those looking to escape the weekday blues.

At the Barron Theatre, a new model every week provides inspiration for artists, locals and students alike. The event is inclusive, with individuals of all drawing abilities welcome.

Upon entering the Barron, one will mostly likely be taken aback by its messy state. In the middle of the floor stands a red leather chaise lounge, often used as a prop in stage productions; here, it is draped in a massive white sheet. The eclectic music playing in the background is from a playlist specially compiled by past and existing ArtSoc committee members. Every coordinator adds his or her own touch (my first life drawing session introduced me to Glass Animals, for which I am eternally grateful). People shuffle around looking for a spot to sit, whilst others rummage through the materials box in search of drawing tools.

The session doesn’t begin until the life drawing coordinator announces the time. A hush falls over the audience, and the air is still as the artists examine the model, taking in everything from the nape of her neck to the gentle curve of her back. All at once, they begin to furiously sketch away. The first few warm-up poses are dynamic, meaning that the model is not able to hold them for longer than about a minute.

These poses are usually more interesting than the ensuing ones, as the model is able to position herself in uncomfortable, twisted positions that are, ironically, a pleasure to draw.

Asymmetrical poses make for great studies of human anatomy, and in one minute

artists manage to capture the essence of the pose through dynamic bold strokes of the pen rather than detailed renderings.

Next, the group moves on to five-, 10- and 15-minute poses. Afterwards, there is a brief

Illustration: Creative City Centre

Nicole Slyusareva

break for everyone to stretch their muscles. During this time, attendees are free to walk around and examine each other’s work, as well as engage in conversation with friends, artists whose work has caught their eye, or even members of the ArtSoc committee, who attend the sessions religiously.

One regular attendee is Ruth Choi, this year’s material overlord. She is in charge of all the supplies ArtSoc may ever need.

Ms Choi said: “What attracts me about life drawing isn’t just creating ‘art,’ but also being with like-minded artsy people and meeting new friends.”

This

seems to be the case with most new attendees, who come to life drawing sessions in search of other artists like themselves.

“Most importantly, life-drawing is, for me, a cathartic activity in the middle of a stressful and busy week,” Ms Choi added. “[It's] where I can clear my head and forget absolutely everything else for a couple of hours.”

Indeed, the mid-week life drawing session offers a two-hour alternative social scene, as everyone’s weekends are usually packed with social activities of a different nature.

It seems as though the majority of the ArtSoc committee was recruited at life drawing sessions.

Mary McClure, former life drawing coordinator and current president of ArtSoc, said: “As a first year, I had gone to absolutely every single one, and [becoming life drawing coordinator] was great way to be a part of continuing that tradition.”

People get hooked on the sessions, which attract the same crowd over and over again.

Ms McClure believes that “nowhere else has the same sort of vibe. It all feels professional and respectful, but not [like] the silent, clinical sort of professional classes I found over the summer.

Something about the music, the student models and materials available make it feel much more like a community. Everyone’s in their own little world, just them and their art, but you’re really aware of everyone around you all sharing that same space. As soon as you walk through the door, there’s this unspoken agreement of complete trust in each other, and all of society’s rules and judgements are put aside as we celebrate how beautiful and unique each and every one of us [is].”

The majority of models are students as well. Viktória Szántó, a third year, described her experiences life modelling.

She said: “The first time was mainly because I’ve always been quite self-conscious about my body, and I wanted to break that wall. I took drawing classes from a very young age and now study art history, so I was curious to see what it would feel like to be 'on the other side.' The first five minutes were probably the weirdest and most embarrassing moments of my life, but after a while –– and this is one of the reasons I keep coming back to it again and again –– I slipped into this meditative state, almost like

an out-of-body experience. My brain just went perfectly still. It was amazing and trippy.”

Many of the students who express an interest in life modelling hope to overcome feelings of self-consciousness or cross the practice off of their university bucket list.

Ms Szántó added: “Another reason [I model] is seeing all these talented people draw me. There’s never two drawings that look the same. It’s like

The first five minutes were probably the weirdest and most embarrassing moments of my life, but after a while [...] I slipped into this meditative state

”

seeing how different people see me, [and] it tells a lot about the person and about myself.”

Melissa Leigh Church, another student model, said: “I had been thinking about signing up to be a model for a while, but I didn’t actually commit until this semester. Meeting more people who attend the drawing sessions and hearing how casual they made it seem made me feel more comfortable about the situation. I think I might feel a little exposed to start with, but I’m basically a nudist, so hopefully I’ll get over it quickly.”

After the brief break, the session begins with one-minute warm-up poses but dives almost immediately into 20-minute poses, which are the longest of the session. The model takes up a comfortable position, usually reclining, and artists are free to draw at their leisure. Some use this time to draw the pose with meticulous precision, while others choose to add colour or pay more attention to textures and shading.

Others still draw the model several different times in different styles until they find something they are comfortable pursuing. These poses are usually more quiet and relaxed than the previous rushed ones. They act as the calm after a storm of artistic creation.

Life drawing sessions provide the perfect opportunity for creative people to meet each other throughout the year.

They are also a gateway to other events hosted by the Art Society, including biannual creative lock-ins and smaller scale salons every Thursday.

thesaint-online.com

The Saint • 27 October 2016

Arts & Culture 29

Your style guide to St Andrews restaurants

Illustration: Nicole Slyusereva

Gabrielle Holliday suggests outfits for five popular dining spots around the Bubble

Forgans

Tail End One of the more casual dining options in St Andrews, Tail End appeals to students and locals alike.

Ladies, I would stick with dark jeans, a light sweater and a chunky scarf paired with a pair of ballet flats or Adidas sneakers, but a button-up would certainly look good, too.

Men, try a pair of chukkas with jeans and a thin, dark coloured sweater.

A blazer might be overkill, but throwing a button-down under your sweater certainly wouldn’t be.

This casual restaurant has something for everyone, and it never disappoints, so your outfit shouldn’t, either.

You can stay comfortable and warm while enjoying fresh fish, in a casual, laid-back environment.

Whether you’re coming from class or grabbing a bite to eat before a night out, Tail End works with most students' day-to-day wardrobes.

When you walk into Forgans, you may feel like you've entered a rustic, upscale farmhouse.

I would advise you to stick to earthy tones in a tasteful and classy way. Leave the high heels and blazers at home, but also don’t go as casual as jeans and a t-shirt. Dress as if you were going to a dinner party at a close friend's house: cozy yet classy.

Ladies, stick to classic and crisp hues while adding a fun pop of color to keep things interesting. Go for skirts or short dresses paired with tights and either booties or loafers. Throwing a cozy sweater over a dress or tucking one into skirt will complete the look while keeping you warm.

Men, I would suggest keeping it classy but comfortable. Shy away from the blazer and throw a sweater over your button-down to get ready for a night of earthy food that will leave you feeling satisfied and ready for a night out.

Grill House

The Adamson

Grill House is a casual place to chat with friends over some tacos and a pitcher of frozen margaritas. I would stick to a more casual outfit here.

Ladies, opt for ballet flats, mildly ripped jeans and a loose tank top with some accessories and a jacket.

This is the perfect place to go before a night out at Ma Bells or the Vic, so the dress code is casual and ready to party.

Men, stick to loafers, dark jeans, a polo or button-down with the sleeves rolled up and either a pullover or jacket depending on the weather. This restaurant is very warm inside, so dress in layers to avoid sweating.

A quarter zip with the sleeves rolled up would also not look out of place, and neither would a light scarf; it's all about how creative you’re feeling that night.

You’ll feel comfortable and look perfectly in place alongside the Mexican decor.

The Adamson is one of the more expensive restaurants in St Andrews. Whether you are here to dine or just go to the bar, the attire expected is very modern and a bit on the fancy side.

A pair of heels with a short dress would not be out of place. Neither would a blazer and suit pants, but a tie is not necessary.

I would wear darker tones with either a pop of color or a touch of metallic to break up your outfit and add a bit of originality. Wear something you’re normally too afraid to; grab that untouched dress from the back of your closet and add a new accessory to liven it up.

The Adamson is known for its creative food and drinks, so it is the perfect place to try something new.

Men, don’t be afraid to go for a colored shirt. Sometimes, moving away from the standard white button-down is necessary, and this is the place to do it. A light pink or blue shirt would pair nicely with a navy jacket, and nothing is wrong with patterns either. They can add a bit of individuality to your outfit, helping you to stand out amongst the crowd.

Little Italy Tucked into an alleyway, Little Italy is a cozy refuge from the ever blowing wind. It's the perfect place for a blazer to complete your smart casual look.

Ladies, try riding boots with a button-down and fitted blazer, and don’t forget to add a piece of statement jewelry that will give an extra oomph to your look.

Either khakis or dark jeans would fit in well here, keeping you warm yet cozy as you eat a warm plate of Italian food.

Men, opt for a pair of loafers with either dark jeans or coloured pants, and throw a blazer on top to complete the look.

A nice pair of salmon or light blue pants can be the finishing touch to the perfect outfit.

Navy goes with anything except for black, so throw a navy blazer over a white button-up and add a pair of salmon pants. Before you know it, you'll be ready for a night out at Little Italy.

30 Arts & Culture

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27 October 2016 • The Saint

Cult film of the week: The Crow Lauren MacGowan Film editor With its tragic love story, life after death, bloodthirsty battle between good and evil and vengeful Halloween night, The Crow is the epitome of cult classics. It is also the perfect film to help you capture the Halloween spirit without actually being very scared. Be warned, however, that what The Crow lacks in jump scares it makes up for with blood, guts and gore.

As you might expect, there is a ghost in this film. Relying on the mythic role of the crow as a convoy between the land of the living and the dead, Eric Draven is brought back to earth on the night

before Halloween. It has been one year since he was murdered and his fiancée brutally raped and left for dead. Draven has been granted invincibility and a short return to Earth in order to hunt down and enact his revenge upon the gang of men responsible for the attack.

Their leader runs a city that doubles as a desolate wasteland; it rains constantly, and crime and debauchery are rampant.

Like so many cult classics, the film's morals are ambivalent to say the least. There are a considerable number of religious references, including quotes from Paradise Lost.

Despite the fact that Draven is attacking rapists and murderers, his

violence is gruesome and innovative enough for him to be considered at least a little bit deranged himself. For example, Eric stabs all of the villain Tin Tin's key organs.

He decides which ones to stab based on the alphabetical order of their names.

Eric’s allies, Sarah (a young girl) and Albrecht (a police officer), seem equally unaffected by his revelrous displays of violence. They do, however, ground the film in the world of the living and raise the stakes of Eric's mission by reminding us that the city and its inhabitants have much to gain from the elimination of their worst miscreants.

The film becomes bloodier and

bloodier before climaxing in a rooftop church battle where Eric's invincibility suddenly evades him.

The fight between good and evil is never more symbolically obvious or undetermined.

Whether defeated or triumphant, Eric must say his final goodbyes before returning to the afterlife to join his love. His fiancée Shelly is never really seen except in distorted flashbacks, and this is perhaps my only criticism of the film.

Making Eric the avenger and giving him the ability to channel Shelly’s pain rather than letting Shelly process her own emotions or seek revenge repeats the trope of transferring females' pain and

experience onto the males around them. This results in an exploration of how the male, rather than the female who actually experienced the trauma, is affected.

Despite all of the blood, guts and gore, the ending of The Crow is more heartfelt than horrific.

Sarah’s final line (“If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them") may be a little cheesy, but it is also quite beautiful. And Eric’s promise that it “can’t rain all the time” rings true.

The city finally has hope for a more peaceful, less rainy future –– at least until the next avenger is resurrected.

“Art through a wider lense”: an interview with the SENSE founders Welcome to the home of creative innovation. Whether you are a painter, sculptor, photographer, music producer, digital animator, culinary specialist or admirer of the arts, SENSE is the place for you. These are the words I heard when I sat down with Emme Hollingsworth, director of operations and logistics, and I think she might just have me convinced.

SENSE is a creative pop-up charity exhibition that showcases innovative and thought-provoking pieces created by St Andrews students. It promises to be a truly unique experience that incorporates multiple forms of media.

The nature of SENSE is explicative of its name. It is a divergence of the senses, a tactile, visual, auditory, olfactory and tasty experience that will be unlike anything St Andrews has seen before.

The show strives to enhance the sensory process by which we take in information and make meaningful responses.

Ms Hollingsworth said that more than 30 artists have collaborated in this creative project. Each artist will bring something different to the table.

SENSE’s simple yet innovative aim is to provide the best platform upon which to express art.

Creative Director Hunter Pruitt encapsulates the project’s artistic enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit in his

Photo: SENSE

Amanda Levinson Art editor

description of SENSE. Mr Pruitt said: “Despite the fact that the event is actually a product of the enterprise and creativity class, the committee has taken it more seriously than just a grade out of 20 and has put a lot of time and effort into constructing a fun and exciting experience for all.”

Since the beginning, the committee has generated a range of ideas,

but members eventually settled on this creative event. From there, they narrowed the project down to something that would showcase the work of students.

There is a severe lack of creative artistic outlets in St Andrews, but the school is home to a huge number of talented artists. Thus, the need for a student gallery or exhibit was obvious.

Mr Pruitt emphasized the unique nature of the SENSE gallery, where the "the overarching concept plays on the five senses: taste, touch, sight, smell and hearing."

The exhibit will be a melting pot of themes, each brought to the table by an individual artist.

Not only is SENSE a celebration of the creativity that characterises our student body, but also an event that

supports a worthy cause.

Emma Robb, charity liaison officer, has been working in close partnership with Impact Arts.

This charity seeks to “help communities transform their lives through creativity and the arts.” It has won an abundance of awards as recognition of service to the community.

Impact Arts evaluates its own success as a direct correlation between the opportunities it realises, the social benefits it provides and the ability of the art it promotes to inspire others.

The charity has followed these aims for over 20 years, working collaboratively with everyone from children to the elderly.

The SENSE event will be held on 13 November. There will be an entrance fee of a few pounds, and all proceeds will go to Impact Arts.

If the response of attendees and artists is such that there is a potential for growth, SENSE might become an annual event in the St Andrews social calendar.

Whether you choose to attend SENSE to support a worthwhile cause or embark on a new creative experience, it is an event not to be missed.

As an exhibition featuring clothing designers, chefs, photographers, music producers and painters, SENSE will incorporate and engage all the senses to such an extent that it really is, in the words of Ms Hollingsworth, the definitive place to see "art through a wider lense."

The Saint • 27 October 2016

Arts & Culture 31

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Whitewashing the walls of british period dramas Daisy Treloar TV editor

W

ith Poldark back for its second series and Victoria’s ratings going through the roof, it seems that the surge in British TV period dramas is not waning. Frills and thrills clearly go hand in hand, especially considering the amount of revenue they’ve generated for UK television companies. The story seems to be different in the US, which depends on the UK for most of its period drama output. So, we have a one-up on our rivals, right?

Wrong.

We are being exploited for our talents like a cow milked dry. We are mass producing for a conveyor belt of endlessly monotonous content. While we’re stuck in a rut, the US is free to create whatever it wants, but more importantly, cast whoever it wants.

Because of the UK's tendency to produce shows based at some point in our long, "colourful" history, fewer black actors have the chance to grace our screens. But are period dramas so popular solely because the global audience enjoys them, or are they conveniently comfy armchairs into which production companies fall back as they write worlds where no one worries about the ethnicities of actors?

David Oyelowo, star of the Martin Luther King film Selma, expressed his frustration with historical drama casting in British television last year.

He said: “Look at the beautiful buildings in London –– the blood of my ancestors [is] in those bricks.

Why is that story not being told when we love a period drama? It doesn’t make any sense. Black people did not turn up in the UK at Windrush.”

And he’s right. Though much

of British history is dominated by white individuals, most popular period dramas (Downton Abbey, Mr Selfridge, The Paradise, the list goes on) are set in an age when black people were part of Britain. These shows, however, have maybe one black actor in a guest role over a five or six season series. The lack of black people in positions of authority during the eras depicted doesn’t mean there can’t be period dramas about them; rather, it means there should be dramas explaining this lack of equality.

This summer, I interned at a theatrical agency, which is essentially where the casting process begins.

My bosses were really lovely people. They were generous with pay, walked me through everything and asked me if I needed any help.

While I was copying information onto the system or editing CVs, however, I heard snippets of phone conversations with casting directors that made me feel uneasy.

The conversations went something like this: "Oh, you want an Indian, do you? I have this girl … yes, she can speak Urdu, I think, let me check … actually, it's Hindi, but it’s the same thing, isn’t it?

[Laughs] Yeah, no one will know the difference."

Now, I know there’s been controversy for centuries about whether Hindi and Urdu are in fact the same language, but it was more the tone of disrespect I heard and the fact that this was not an isolated incident that made me feel uncomfortable (and I don’t even belong to an ethnic minority). Many of the agency’s clients were from an ethnic minority; they constituted half of the agency's paycheck. The only conclusion I could come to was that casual rac-

ism was the norm in this industry.

If racism operates at this level, it is not unreasonable to believe that it pervades everyday workings, albeit subconsciously.

It is strange that there is not widespread indignation about the lack of roles for ethnic minorities in historical dramas. Compare the situation to Hollywood, however, and it’s a different story: whenev-

The genre risks alienating and losing some of our best talent.

Laziness and a sense of security ... are not excuses

”

er the slightest racist comment is uttered, or an awards ceremony is filled with white nominees, outrage ensues and movements are created, probably because Hollywood events are found in a much more internationally exposed format. Many may see these responses as pedantic, but in fact they are an effective policing tool that makes filmmakers and judges think twice about who they cast or nominate. This is essential to diversifying future projects.

Preceding this year’s Academy Awards, British actress Charlotte Rampling felt the row over the lack of black nominees was "racist to

whites." National treasure Michael Caine even suggested that black performers should "be patient," as if they haven’t waited long enough already.

It is not merely a shame that the two most outspoken British actors on the subject hold these views; it also reflects badly on the perception of Britain as an accepting and diverse nation. In Hollywood and film, changes are afoot: 12 Years a Slave and Belle told the stories of the abolition of slavery, and Selma described Martin Luther King’s march from Selma to Montgomery.

The forthcoming A United Kingdom depicts the marriage of a black Botswanan prince to a white woman from London. Clearly, British television needs to follow film’s example.

There is something in common with these titles, though: they are all projects that needed already prominent black figures to give them the green light. Oyelowo picks up on this, citing Oprah Winfrey as the driving force behind Selma and pointing to his own role in the production of A United Kingdom. Steve McQueen and John Ridley spurred the creation of 12 Years a Slave, and Amma Asante did the same for Belle. But don’t assume all of this name dropping means there is an abundance of black media giants.

These directors, actors and writers all have to rely on each other in order to get any project concerning race or a non-white cast off of the ground.

What Oyelowo suggests is that contemporary dramas like Luther and Undercover have set the bar for British television, which now needs someone to head up period projects inclusive of black actors. It

is sad that these ideas aren’t being backed by anyone outside of a specific ethnic group. But all is not lost.

Period television is gradually becoming more reflective of the diversity of our current population. John Ridley, Misan Sagay and Idris Elba are all involved in Sky’s upcoming Guerilla. The film tells the story of a radical underground cell seeking to end the Black Power Desk, which aimed to crush black activism in 1970s London. Channel 4’s Indian Summers was a proven hit that managed a two series run and consisted of an almost fifty-fifty Indian to white ratio.

Shakespeare has also crept into TV with the popular The Hollow Crown. Sophie Okonedo portrays Margaret of Anjou, who in the past was played by white actresses such as the Belgian Veerle Baetens in Philippa Gregory’s The White Queen. But has the part actually always been played by white women? Dominic Cooke, director of The Hollow Crown, justly mentioned that "in the theatre, we’ve been doing this for donkey's years," and it indeed has become common practice in the RSC: Oyelowo himself played Henry V in an RSC production.

Obviously, theatre has set an example, too.

Like theatre, film and other genres of TV, British period drama producers and casting directors need to make a conscious effort to create content that includes more racially diverse actors. Otherwise, the genre risks alienating and losing some of our best talent. Laziness and a sense of security (the view that we should just keep making what "we’re good at") are not excuses when the livelihoods and representations of Britain’s ethnic minorities are at stake.

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27 October 2016 • The Saint Photo: Wikimedia Commons

32 Arts & Culture

Michael Kiwanuka: a modern day soul artist Zeb Baker-Smith As his sell-out tour begins in Scotland, London-born singer Michael Kiwanuka makes a stirring and pained exhibition of his “slave music.”

For a bloke who is “calling for demons not to let go” when he gets up on stage, Kiwanuka is remarkably calm and nice. Maybe it was mere relief at the gig’s conclusion, but he tolerated my self-conscious fanboy approach for a picture and shoddy efforts at iPhone flash photography with inordinate politeness and grace.

One of the strongest of this year’s Mercury nominees, Kiwanuka is a former session guitarist for renowned soul drummer James Gadson and the

slightly less cool (sorry!) Labrinth.

He released his sophomore album, Love and Hate, in July of this year, and it reached UK number one within a week. BBC’s Sound of 2012 winner has been riding on the billows of a popularity surge ever since. He has several new stops on his tour itinerary, including Albert Hall and Australia.

My own experience with Kiwanuka was riveting. After an hour of supporting artist Isaac Gracie’s stark, grating guitar ballads, the shivering strings and fragile guitar line introduction of Love and Hate’s opening track "Cold Little Heart" arose from the band. If there is one thing that has changed since first album Home Again (2012), it's the kooky, Pink Floydesque instrumentation that makes the

case for Kiwanuka not simply being a soul artist, but a folky rocker, too.

Songs like the bluesy clap track "Black Man In A White World" (watching the nearly all-white audience singing this hook was worth the entrance fee itself) evoke Steve McQueen-imagined cotton-picking scenes at a Louisiana plantation, with just a bit of Bill Withers and Terry Callier tossed in. But, despite the genre’s characteristic Wurlitzer organs in "Falling" and the growl and purr of the warpy, distorted lead guitar in "Place I Belong," behind the scatted mumbling there is an open admission of the artist’s own deficiencies and resignation to failure and isolation.

With the lyrics of "I’ll Never Love" and "Love and Hate," Kiwanuka bet-

ter resembles self-proclaimed influences Nick Drake or Leonard Cohen (who presumably can take a smidgen of credit for the album's title).

It must be said that despite the name of one track and the current social climate, there is little, if any, sign that this is a record about racial issues. Although the artist has reservations regarding the predominantly white British music industry and his status as one of, if not the, only black acoustic guitarists in the country, his album is unlike those of many black artists this year. Despite the fact that Kiwanuka was born to Ugandan-born immigrant parents who escaped the Amin regime in the '70s, this is in no way a protest album.

Kiwanuka has spoken surprising-

ly openly about the intervening years between albums and the desire he had to quit music completely. This vocational dip seems to have lent a more melancholic and gritty edge to the sober and psalmic but ever relevant air of 2012's "Always Waiting" and "Home Again."

Apart from the premature ending to what was a relatively short (and cramped) concert of just over 80 minutes, the spiritedness of the artist and his eight-strong band on show in Edinburgh will no doubt spur ticket sales for recently announced spring dates. If you’re dreading another May Ball and need a warm-up after your May Dip, take advantage of Kiwanuka's spring tour and go to the O2 ABC Glasgow for a pre-exam concert.

Josh Williams Fugitive Colours is the latest product of a career that began in 1972 with Memo of Spring.

Since then, Liz Lochhead has published numerous works of poetry and drama and is now ending her term as Scottish Makar with a work of both jocularity and intense reflection.

The first poem, “Favourite Place,” describes the journeys the author once took with her husband. They are tinged with the comically aggravating, pastorally soothing and marvellously sublime scenes of holidays in the Highlands. But the ending comes suddenly and brutally, for you realise the poem is not just a nostalgic account of memories, but a poem dedicated to Lochhead's recently deceased husband.

In “Favourite Place,” the poet ties all of her memories of these Highland journeys, which are loaded with positive energy, to the devastating image of a half-empty bed. That image introduces the main themes of the anthology’s first section: the feeling of loss and the embitterment of sweet memories through grief.

But the sentiment also impels Lochhead to discuss the therapeutic nature of art.

Examining the sketch her husband made of three fruits in a bowl, she finishes the poem “Persimmons” with a pun and a metaphysical comment on art: “still life / still life, sweetheart, / in what’s already eaten and done with.

/ Now, looking, I can taste again.”

Lochhead captures art’s ability to resurrect past experience, a concept she plays with throughout the first section; indeed, many poems directly address her husband and other deceased friends, and they read as odes to shared experiences. Lochhead excludes no evocative thought for fear of it being mundane, and she breathes life and power into each memory with

We can look to many poems [...] as profound attempts to alleviate the encumbering symptoms of loss

”

lines like: "Tomorrow there would be the distant islands cut out of sugar paper, or else cloud, the rain in great veils coming in across the water, the earliest tenderest feathering of green on the trees, mibble autumn laying bare the birches stark white."

In the second section, “Ekphrasis,

Etcetera,” Lochhead shifts gears. The poem “Labyrinth” is an interesting commentary on the vocation of poet itself. Lochhead urges the poet to forget standard rules, trust their own aesthetic instinct, faithfully seek reality and invent their own style. For Lochhead, poetry should be inexhaustible and infinitely diverse.

This section also includes more politically minded poems. “Photograph, Art Student, Female, Working Class, 1966,” for example, is a moving piece on an old photograph in which Lochhead considers the blasé sexism surrounding female students in the sixties. The addressee’s innocence increases the luridness of the social dynamic around her and is a powerful condemnation of casual sexism.

But the poem also sings to the girl’s growing independence and power: “Thanks to newfound feminism and Greer / Women’ll have the words for all this stuff, / What already rankles, but confuses her, will seem clear / And she’ll (consciously) be no one’s ‘bit of fluff’ / Or ‘skirt’ or ‘crumpet.’”

Lochhead writes with beauty that has an edge, and she shows that poetry with a strong political bent can still be sensitive and empathetic. Using the vantage point of an innocent but maturing girl carries a unique condemning power.

There are also plenty of laughs to be had from Fugitive Colours; the poems near the end of the collection, “Song for a Dirty Diva” and “Another, Later, Song for that Same Dirty Diva,”

Photo: Billy Fox

Liz Lochhead’s Fugitive Colours evokes grief, reminiscence

detail the complaints of a salacious older woman who is unaccustomed to the undersexed life, which includes being in a social circle of mostly gay friends and living in a retirement home.

Both are raunchy, but they are uproarious, written with playful rhyme schemes and free verse that enliven the wit.

There is also a hilarious take on Robert Burns’ “To a Mouse,” entitled “From a Mouse” and written from the creature’s perspective.

Fugitive Colours is by no means difficult poetry; moreover, I think its accessibility underscores the continued relevance of poetry in our own time. It is poetry which should have usefulness and resonance for every-

one. Lochhead utilises a large variety of voices, some of which are comical and funny, others that are seriously geared toward social issues, and others that try to address real suffering.

We can look to many poems in “Love and Grief, Elegies and Promises” as profound attempts to alleviate the encumbering symptoms of loss. Lochhead uses poetry as therapy, and it’s there for all of us who want it.

But even if not for these reasons, I will always remember Fugitive Colours for its arresting descriptions of the Scottish landscape. As an American student halfway through his degree, I know there are poems here I will revisit whenever I miss the rain and the mountains.

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Top eight under-the-radar films for Halloween season László Szegedi

Halloween is rapidly approaching, and it is never too late to compile a list of movies for spooky late-night viewing. Classics like Hocus Pocus, The Addams Family and Edward Scissorhands are always available and never fail to entertain. However, if you’re planning to experiment this year, you might be on the lookout for lesser-known screening material.

The list below is a collection of under-the-radar horror gems that should spark popcorn-fuelled debates with their twists and hidden meanings.

1. Eyes Without a Face (1960) This is a deeply heartfelt story about guilt. To repair his daughter Christiane’s disfigured face, Dr. Génessier kidnaps women sharing her facial features and attempts to perform face transplants, usually without success.

2. The Innocents (1961) If you like gothic horror tales with long stairways, candelabras and flamboyant costumes, The Innocents is your film. In this adaptation of Henry James’ popular The Turn of the Screw, a governess suspects that the two children she’s watching over are possessed by a ghost. Deborah Kerr shines in the lead role.

3. Don't Look Now (1973) In this film, a mourning cou-

ple encounters a psychic nun who seems to have established contact with their deceased daughter. What first appears to be questionable humbug soon becomes a horrific series of visions. Starring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland.

a profound and thought-provoking message that divided critics and audiences alike. On a personal note: I coincidentally saw this movie on a Halloween night with my friends back in high school, and we still recall the experience as a life-changer.

4. Fright Night (1985/2011)

7. V/H/S Trilogy (Various, 2012-2014)

A teenager uncovers his neighbour’s dark secret: he’s a vampire. Yet another horror comedy to receive a decent modern remake, Fright Night should entertain you regardless of your preference of originals or modern updates.

This series includes three anthology films in which people find hidden stacks of VHS tapes containing unsettling horror stories. Warning: you may find yourself entangled in a lengthy debate regarding your favourite segments.

5. Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

8. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)

Nosferatu the vampire is one of the most recognizable horror icons ever.

If you admire the 1922 classic or just can’t get enough of the Hash Slinging Slasher from Spongebob, this movie is a must-watch. Shadow of the Vampire takes you behind the scenes of the 1922 film and turns the legend of actor Max Schreck becoming too invested in method acting into a twisted horror tale. John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe shine in the lead roles; the latter received an Academy Award nomination for his dedicated performance. On a practical note: Nosferatu is yet another worthy addition to your “Potential Halloween Costumes” list.

Before filling up his schedule with directing the upcoming third Thor movie, Taika Waititi charmed audiences with this mockumentary about a group of vampires sharing a flat in modern-day Wellington. If you’d prefer a laugh at Halloween instead of the regular fright-fest, What We Do in the Shadows is your movie.

6. Martyrs (2008) The torture and violence in Martyrs will prove difficult to stomach for some, but its subtext carries

8. The Girl With All the Gifts (2016) Set in a near future where most of humanity has been wiped out by a fungal disease, The Girl With All the Gifts tells the story of a researcher who forms a strange relationship with a child used in experiments regarding anti-toxins. Praised for its fresh take on the inexhaustible zombie horror subgenre, this film is currently playing in UK theatres.

Arts & Culture 33

The growing phenomenon of eSports Benjamin Schwartz Sports are firmly entrenched in society. There are a plethora of them, and most people enjoy either playing or watching one sport or another. At the time of writing this article, the football Champions League was ongoing.

Earlier this year, many of you likely cheered on your favourite teams as they competed in the Super Bowl.

Sports and devotion to the sporting achievements of others have been part of civilised society for as long as civilised society has existed. But in recent years, a parallel to traditional sports has emerged: the League of Legends World Championship.

ESports, or electronic sports, are a relatively recent phenomenon that’s been struggling to gain both attention and legitimacy in recent years.

Although they've been around since the '90s in the form of small-time tournaments for early competitive games like Quake, Counter-Strike and Warcraft, eSports began as very much a niche thing. They had little in the way of meaningful profit or outside interest.

So, it’s quite impressive that in the space of less than twenty years, the most popular eSport, League of Legends or LoL, has grown to over 100 million active monthly players and over 36 million unique viewers tuning into the 2015 World Finals.

ESports still seem like a strange concept to the uninitiated, but despite all the obvious differences, there are a shocking amount of similarities between sports and eSports. Listening to famous pros from both worlds, one begins to realise that they compete for the same reasons. What drives them, be it in basketball or LoL, appears to be the competitive aspect: the desire to win and be the best.

Indeed, just like regular athletes, eSports pros must adhere to rigid and intensive training programs, as well as manage their diets and bodies to be at the top of their physical and mental game. Strategies must be practiced, teamwork and synergy built and core skills maintained. League of Legends teams work with coaches, analysts and sports psychologists to refine themselves and their play.

The best LoL players must essentially give up their lives to the demands of competition.

Many other trappings are the same. Most major eSports have national leagues that span months as well as major international events.

Games take place in packed arenas, and higher profile international games attract thousands of viewers. Indeed, the World Championships have taken place in venues such as Wembley Arena in London, the Staples Center in LA and Madison Square Garden in New York. For each of these events, tickets sold out almost immediately.

Each game is presented by professional commentators who attempt to

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The Saint • 27 October 2016

make the subtleties and complexities of each game understandable to the average viewer.

The LoL off-season looks remarkably similar to traditional sports as well, with teams bitterly competing to buy and trade players and investigative journalists fighting to break the news of large transfers ahead of their peers.

Although average salaries are of course much lower, the more famous and storied players earn millions.

Prize pools for major tournaments have begun to reach impressive figures, too. The largest prize pool across all eSports this year exceeded $20 million.

ESports have also started to create major waves in the world of business as potential sponsors and investors realise how incredible of a demographic

eSports pros must adhere to rigid and intensive training programs, as well as manage their diets and bodies

”

remains largely untapped.

Many large companies who make products you probably own have an interest in eSports. Intel runs multiple tournaments each year. Samsung owned the team that swept to victory in the 2014 World Championship. FC Schalke 04, one of the largest sporting clubs in the world, owns a LoL team, and the Philadelphia 76ers recently bought their own team. American basketball legends such as Rick Fox and Shaquille O’Neal have invested majorly in the scene. Even brands like Coca-Cola and Pringles have attached themselves to LoL in the past.

Every week, new partnerships and deals are announced between huge brands and eSport teams. Many of the companies that bring you sports on television are hungrily eyeing broadcasting rights to individual eSports like League of Legends, Overwatch and Dota 2.

ESports are still new. They are strange to many people. The fact that they exist at all is a product of changing times and the modern world we live in continually supplying new ways to entertain us.

ESports are a thing. They're growing, and they're actually quite fun.

With the World Championship heading towards its conclusion, it might be worth giving the lolesports.com website a visit and checking out some of the games. Who knows? You might even enjoy them.

SPORT

Sport editor ANDREW SINCLAIR Deputy editors: Jack Deputy Cannon, editors: Henry Charlie Mallin Wood,and Jason Segall

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Write from the off Andrew’s column First paragraphs are like this. They have a 4mm indent in the first line.

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With that landmark comes more deadlines for those of you doing arts subjects, more hours in the lab for science students and more hours of intense work for medics. The dreaded e-word is lurking just around the corner, especially now that all of the exam timetables have come out. You’ll be glad to know, therefore, that there is a bevy of sporting action around the corner, ready to keep us entertained through the cold winter months as the days grow shorter and the nights grow longer.

On the rugby front, we have the Four Nations (which Jack Rennison expertly previews in this issue) and the Autumn Internationals. England will look to remain unbeaten in 2016 with games against South Africa, Fiji, Argentina and Australia, whilst Vern Cotter will continue to wind down his tenure as Scotland coach with fixtures against Australia, Argentina and Georgia. The last of these will be very interesting, as a positive result for Georgia will add some real weight to its argument for inclusion in a potentially expanded Six Nations.

Wales and Ireland also have a full block of fixtures, with Joe Schmidt’s men facing the most arduous set of the bunch. They face New Zealand twice (the Kiwis are fresh off of their record-breaking Rugby Championship triumph, where they scored an astounding 262 points in six games), as well as Canada and Australia.

Players from all four sides will be hoping for impressive individual performances, with Warren Gatland

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Fencing: a unique, cerebral sport

S

keeping a keen eye on all players as he makes decisions regarding the Lions squad. This is probably the last chance players will have to make an impression upon the New Zealander, and it could lead to some outstanding displays.

Football sees the continued development of the Premier League and Champions League seasons as clubs start to find their stride. Real assessments can be made about the prospects of clubs north and south of the border, which are heading towards the midpoint in the season.

The main footballing highlight, however, has to be the upcoming international between England and Scotland.

As a proud Englishman, I am looking forward to the game against the Auld Enemy, but studying in Scotland gives my allegiance a slightly different slant.

The last two fixtures have gone the way of the English, but this game has more at stake. After three World Cup qualifiers, England lies on top of the group despite managerial dilemmas.

This is thanks to uninspiring wins over Slovakia and Malta and a draw with Slovenia.

Scotland lies fourth, on the other hand, with only four points from its three games, and a heavy defeat at Wembley will further increase the substantial pressure on national team coach Gordon Strachan.

The F1 season comes to its climax, with German Nico Rosberg poised to take his first Drivers’ World Championship from teammate and current champion Lewis Hamilton. Races in Mexico, Brazil and Abu Dhabi bring a dramatic campaign to a close, with numerous questions about the sport’s future arising in recent months. How can it be made more competitive? Are races like the British GP still financially viable? Where will the next British star comes from?

These questions are unlikely to receive answers during the off-season, but there are still several seats left open for next year, and we should be prepared to see a merry-go-round of drivers in the next few weeks.

I would like to urge you to go out and embrace the vast array of sporting opportunities in St Andrews.

Even if you don’t participate, you can lend your support to the teams that train so hard to compete with the country’s best.

Go, Saints, go!

Photo:Wikimedia Commons

Andrew Sinclair

Sam Connolly My opponent has scored a hit, and I pause for breath as we re-take our starting positions. I’m furious with myself for being outmanoeuvred and taking a step too close. I was too eager when attempting to make my opponent lunge at me; I hoped that I could dodge and, while my opponent was compromised, launch an attack.

The weapons we are using do not include any of the three common ones –– foil, épée and sabre –– but instead socks that we take turns flicking at each other. This is quite a simple exercise, but it really does serve as an excellent introduction to fencing, which, possibly more than any other sport, makes you think.

I was very excited to try fencing, partly because the sport itself is so unique and intriguing. While the fact that fencing involves swords is the most obvious point of difference, the movement and aim (to simply make contact with your opponent) of the sport combine to make it look and feel completely different from any others I have attempted or watched.

The rest of my excitement came from the fact that I am all too aware that my journalistic portfolio at present is that of an armchair critic. I was absolutely ready, albeit at the most basic level, to get involved.

My excitement was definitely carried into the session. After a brief warm-up, we donned our equipment, partnered up and grabbed our sabre swords. We took turns tapping our opponent’s helmet with a quick thrust. This was followed with some simple blocks, ripostes and other attacks. After repeated drills, it was gratifying to feel some improvement in technique.

What quickly became clear, however, was just how clumsy everyone’s technique was. This realization illuminated how daunting my goal of

learning fencing in a two-hour session really was.

“Fencing is an incredibly easy sport to learn the basics of, but [it is] challenging to master,” Philip Trevisan, the men’s team captain, said. “Once you start fencing, you can see improvement almost immediately, and even the best fencers in the world now are constantly training to improve their reflexes, tactics and footwork.”

Indeed, it is fascinating to see how trying a sport yourself makes the skill level of the best players obvious.

It was the footwork exercises, though, including the sock game mentioned at the beginning of the article, that really helped me understand the importance of strategy and complex, lightning-quick decision making. The sock game involves taking two steps forward, as small or large as you’d like, during your turn, and moving backwards as many steps as you’d like during your opponent’s turn.

After several shambolic attempts, I worked out a method: taking steps forward so that I was just out of my opponent’s sock-flicking range and then waiting for him to misguidedly enter into my range. It sounds simple enough, but when the pace picks up, especially several points in, the competitive element takes it up a notch.

Granted, this was the most basic level of fencing training, but it made clear how important strategy is in this sport.

Mr Trevisan said: “Being able to get inside [of] your opponent’s head and figure out their tactics and what they’re trying to do, while simultaneously coming up with plans to counter their actions, is both challenging and rewarding.”

It was the last segment, the épée, that finally dispelled the false notions that I had about fencing.

In my head, fencing was somehow similar to the childhood sword fights

I had with plastic swords or sticks picked up from a park. But a bout of épée made me realise how far from the truth this perception was.

On my first few attempts, I viewed the exercise as simply another sword fight. After a few parries, I was touched on the arm and the shoe as I attempted to land a clean shot on my opponent’s chest. Rather than trying to quickly make contact with my opponent, I tried to hit their sword in an attempt to engage in swordplay.

Soon, I realised that it didn’t matter if I was touched shortly after I landed a hit. I also learned that a quick thrust was much more effective.

Overall, the bouts were much more competitive and adrenaline-fuelled than I expected.

There is something oddly exhilarating about sparring, as well as the surprising pace of the sport; the exercises would not last very long, but it felt like so much happened in each one.

I started fencing as a complete novice, but I felt like I had already learned a great deal after just a twohour session. Of course, the session did make me realise just how much more there is to learn.

A great amount of credit for these discoveries goes to how superbly the session was run by Jenny Zahn, the women’s team captain. The team was full of excellent teachers who patiently explained the multitude of ways I was holding my body wrong, but more importantly, members were friendly and warm.

Fencing was actually a completely different sport than I had expected, but it was the amount it made me think about what I was doing in order to make strategic decisions mid-bout that surprised me most.

In a way, fencing is just as much a cerebral sport as it is an athletic one, and on reflection, maybe that is what makes it so unique.

The Saint 2016 2014 The Saint •2718October September

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Sport37 33 Sport

Andrew Sinclair Sport editor Reading the club car racing reports in the back of Autosport recently led me to reminisce on the halcyon days of my youth. I remembered numerous occasions on which I sat in the stands at Brands Hatch, watching smaller races in anticipation of the main event, be it British GT, A1GP or the DTM. Reading these short articles summarising the prior weekend’s proceedings really captivated my attention, and I was not quite sure why. I regularly buy the magazine, and these articles often go unread. So, why was this edition different?

Perhaps it was because I really enjoyed those races as a child, and that memory became intertwined with a strange sense of excitement related to going home for Independent Learning Week. However, that explanation did not seem quite right, as it wasn’t the full reason for my enthusiasm.

I began to theorise why these articles had appealed to me so much.

It definitely wasn’t the quality of the writing, good though it was, nor some peculiar fascination with Formula Ford events in Anglesey.

Struggling to articulate what drew me to those articles in 2016 made me look back at why I appreciated races when I was younger.

They were often incredibly competitive, with packed grids full of drivers I didn’t recognise. All the cars looked similar and drove at similar speeds, which led to intense and competitive racing. The attraction of competitive sport in the modern age was

definitely something that appealed to 2016 me, but that was still not the full story.

I later put the magazine away and boarded the coach home. I realised the reason for my fascination somewhere between Newcastle and Sheffield, and it was a damning indictment of the current age we live in.

My attraction to the articles had been for the simple reason we are normally drawn to articles: they tell us about something we don’t already know or have never seen before.

As a fan of most sports, I consume an often ridiculous amount of sporting content, be it TV coverage, highlights, review programmes, articles, podcasts or magazines. This proves true for mainstream sports such as football and rugby, but boxing, cricket, motor racing and MMA are among my many more obscure sporting loves.

We now live in an age where we have access to as much content as we want. The BBC, for example, has upped its Premier League football coverage to four specific programmes a week. This season saw the first year of the new Premier League television rights deal, which cost £5.14 billion.

With that much investment comes increased coverage of the games themselves. People now have the ability to consume more live action, and this has created a greater market for analysis.

You only need to look at the opening section of Monday Night Football to see how much the analysis has progressed in detail and specificity.

That’s not just true of football.

Think about the hours of content

poured into Formula 1 and Boxing by Sky to see just how much analysis we now consume.

In my mind, it has gotten to the point where the market is saturated.

In fact, I would argue that most sports now, especially the ones I follow (I know the NFL and other American sports are subject to it as well), are over-analysed.

This doesn’t always happen, but it can often affect my mindset before I watch something.

If I see the lunchtime game on Sky and it doesn’t involve Arsenal, I would usually be neutral. That said, I go into the game thinking about the things I have read and seen during the build-up, as well as potential permutations of incidents, the tactics on show and what Gary Neville and company are going to say afterwards.

That’s not a bad thing, necessarily, but it’s something we are all guilty of, and it can obscure our objectivity towards sport. It can mean that we don’t enjoy sporting action for what it is, instead falling into the trap of over-analysing what unfolds in front of us.

And that was what attracted me, deep down, to the club car racing reports. It was not some rose-tinted reminiscence about my youth or the lure of competitive sport. It was the fact that it was obscure and unblemished by the over-analysis that’s now all too prevalent. It was a pure and innocent sport in which I could immerse myself in limited coverage.

I was blissfully unaware of specifics or backstage politics and that was fine. In fact, it was absolutely marvellous.

Photo:Wikimedia Commons

Club car racing and the joys of not knowing

My first question after receiving an invitation to the Korfball Club’s practice session was “what on earth is korfball?” Reassuringly, this was the same reaction team captain Nina Murdoch had when she discovered the game during her first year at St Andrews.

Bored of the usual run-of-the-mill sports that she had been playing at school (sorry, hockey), Ms Murdoch endeavoured to try something completely new at university. That’s what university is for, after all.

Korfball is a Dutch sport that combines elements of both basketball and netball, but it also has some key differences. One of korfball’s many selling points is that it’s one of the few sports in the world that is solely mixed-sex.

The main aim of the game is to score in one of the daunting 3.5 metre high baskets whilst stopping the opposing team from doing the same. To put the size of the baskets into context for some of you, a netball net is about three metres high.

Two teams of eight are divided into two divisions: attacking and defending. The defending division of one team faces the attacking section of another, and after two goals are scored, they swap sides. This means

that all players are expected to attack and defend proficiently. The result is a simple yet also deeply tactical sport that is easy to pick up but very difficult to master.

Ms Murdoch decided to split the two-hour session into two halves: the

”

Jack Cannon Deputy sport editor

The result is a simple yet also deeply tactical sport that is easy to pick up but very difficult to master

first hour consisted of skill exercises, and the second involved competitive matches.

Ms Murdoch simultaneously taught myself and one other newcomer the basics of korfball whilst also keeping the rest of the more experienced class, some by only several weeks, entertained. It is testament to her ability as a coach that those who had only been a member of korfball

for a matter of weeks seemed very competent at the sport already.

I even noticed an improvement in my game during the short time in her company. I have to say, the sense of achievement when you score your first basket is extremely rewarding.

Korfball is on the up. More and more people are taking up the sport, as shown by the recent establishment of a korfball team at the University of Strathclyde. Yet the great thing about the St Andrews Korfball Club is that its members don’t take themselves too seriously.

One student said that she preferred korfball to basketball, as the basketball club at her high school put mundane training over having fun.

Enjoyment is central to the Korfball Club’s aims. Members encourage a thriving social scene with weekly socials and fundraising activities such as bake sales.

The majority of the Korfball Club had never heard of the sport before they started it at St Andrews. Don’t let the lack of knowledge about korfball put you off, however, as it continues to grow in popularity.

All of the members are extremely welcoming, and I had a fantastic time when I attended one of the club’s sessions. If you want to get involved, too, email korfball@saints-sport.com.

Photo: Oxford Korfball

Mastering korfball, the Dutch combination of basketball and netball

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An ode to retiring heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill Andrew Williams “I just want to be remembered as one of the great athletes.” And with that, Jessica Ennis, the poster girl of the glorious London 2012 Olympic Games, retired from athletics at the very young age of 30.

Of course, a gold medal at Rio 2016 would have been the perfect way for Ennis-Hill to leave the heptathlon, but by that point it seemed she had already achieved, both on the track and off of it, everything she possibly could have hoped.

That Ennis-Hill finished ever so close to a gold, picking up a silver behind Belgian youngster Nafissatou Thiam, yet retained the smile and positivity that made the nation fall in love with her is a testament to why she will be remembered as not just a great sportswoman, but a great personality.

The zenith of her career, of course, was victory in the Olympic stadium on Super Saturday. To say the image of Ennis-Hill crossing the line in the 800 m, the final event of the heptathlon, represented the most iconic image of those London Games would not be hyperbolic. She had won three of the seven events and smashed the British record for heptathlon points with a total of 6,955.

Yet that is not the achievement which should solely define her career. Without a doubt it was a special achievement, but does that make her a legend? Probably not.

To gain that status, one has to do something extraordinary. It is necessary to achieve something which many doubted, something for which precedents generally do not exist: in short, something beyond the realms of genuine human expectation. EnnisHill achieved that status during the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.

A year after giving birth to her son Reggie, she did not just valiantly com-

pete with a field that is more competitive than the Olympics; she beat them.

Winning that gold was certainly a victory for which it is hard to do justice.

The weight of Ennis-Hill’s accomplishment does not come simply from the fact that she had been out of training for a year compared to her rivals (a disadvantage that in itself would make the gold medal highly worthwhile). She also had built herself up to peak form for the London Games and, as the reigning Olympic champion, was the one everyone else wanted to beat.

Ennis-Hill didn’t have a chance to move her way tactfully through the field. She was a marked woman and

She did not just valiantly compete with a field that is more competitive than the Olympics; she beat them

”

still came out on top. Without winning any of the events outright, she demonstrated the level of consistency you would only come to expect of someone regularly on the athletics circuit, like silver medallist Brianne Theisen-Eaton. Ennis-Hill had been back just mere months. This is the achievement that bears witness to the legendary nature of her career.

There will be those who disagree and seek comparisons with athletic greats such as Mo Farah and Usain Bolt. They, according to some, have repeated their feats over an extended period of time and therefore have

proven themselves beyond comparison with their contemporaries. Bolt’s nine Olympic golds and Farah’s long-distance double-double (2x 5,000 and 10,000 m golds) will stand the test of time more so than EnnisHill’s solitary Olympic gold.

In fifty years time, she will most likely not be mentioned in the same breath as those athletes who have a place in the pantheon of running gods.

Yet that misses the point. Bolt are Farah are extraordinary athletes and will rightly be compared to sporting greats such as Pele, Gary Sobers and Arnold Palmer. However, Ennis-Hill has achieved a far less tangible status.

She has demonstrated to everyone, including pregnant women, what it is possible to achieve. She has shown that being a sore loser is not a pre-requisite of being a good winner.

She has not fallen into the trap of objectifying her body in order to make more money. She isn’t littered across the front of gossip magazines, incorporated into a far-fetched tacky story.

She hasn’t tried to enhance her reputation. She’s merely done what she does best: compete.

Ennis-Hill has also demonstrated great humility in walking away from the sport when she can do it on her terms. This is the mark of a great athlete with a good head on her shoulders. Awards have come and gone for the Sheffield-born athlete, but she has never sought out media attention or further praise than that which she already receives.

Sport Relief named Ennis-Hill Britain’s favourite sporting hero in January of this year, and she was nominated by Laureus for its comeback sportsperson award in both 2015 and 2016. And that is why, despite what she said, she shouldn’t be remembered as one of the great athletes.

She should be remembered for what she is: a legend.

18 September 27 October 6 November 2014 2016• The The Saint Saint

Is this the end of Tiger Woods’ golfing career?

James Fox On 10 October, just days after confirming his entry, Tiger Woods withdrew from the Safeway Open. It was to be his first competitive appearance in over a year.

As has been pointed out countless times, it is a testament to Woods’ stardom that news regarding the 40-yearold is met with the type of interest that no other golfer has ever been able to generate. For the last several years, however, this interest has not been backed up by performances. After a superb 2013 season in which he was victorious five times on the way to being named Player of the Year, Woods’ game has been plagued with injury and an embarrassing lack of form.

It was a cringeworthy experience to watch the 14-time major champion succumb to the infamous “yips” en-route to a career worst round of 82 at the Phoenix Open in January 2015. This was followed by an even worse score of 85 at the Memorial Tournament later that year.

In this time, golf has reached a new level of competitiveness with the emergence of a wealth of elite players such as Jordan Speith, Jason Day and Dustin Johnson. While they have battled for dominance and majors, Woods has sat on the sidelines either recovering from surgery on a recurrent back problem or choosing not to compete, aware that his current game is not at a level where he can compete with the best.

Now ranked 802nd in the world, Woods’ latest event withdrawal seems ominous. When he returned after the absence that followed his 2009 scandal, the question on everybody’s mind was whether Woods could continue his prolific record in major championships. Now it is uncertain whether he will even be able to meet the standards required on tour at all.

It is not just his ability, but also his age, which is now in question. Golf is a sport where reaching a certain age does not necessarily mean the end of a career; Jack Nicklaus won his last major at 46, the same at which Phil Mickelson has competed in the Open Championship and been an integral American Ryder Cup player.

However, in Woods’ case, age, and perhaps injury, seem to have deprived him of the young, ruthless personality that saw him become one of the most successful sportsmen of all time.

Not only is he a different golfer than the one who seemed unbeatable in the 2000s, but he is also a different man. When, in 2014, Woods was asked about his recovery from recent surgery, his first response was not to assess his game and when he might return, but instead to speak pensively on the pain of not being able to play with his two children, Sam and Charlie.

Age has not necessarily affected Woods’ ability to compete, but it has perhaps hindered his desire.

He has admitted that the days when he would practice tirelessly for 14 hours a day, even immediately after winning major tournaments, are gone. The intense single-mindedness which allowed him to be so successful in high-pressure situations seems to have depleted.

It was this ruthlessness that perhaps accounted for Woods’ famously poor record in the team-based Ryder Cup. This year, however, he served as a vice captain, no longer the centre of attention but instead an experienced head in the team room, seemingly relishing the role of mascot to the younger players. There seems to be some suggestion that Woods may grow into the legendary elder statesman role played so well by the likes of Nicklaus, Gary Player and the late Arnold Palmer.

He now has other interests outside the ropes as well. After numerous failed attempts while his playing career was in full swing, Woods finally opened his first self-designed golf course, Bluejack National. The course is purposely designed to be enjoyable without posing too much of a challenge, and the surrounding facilities have a family-friendly atmosphere. To add to this, last year Woods opened his first restaurant and sports bar, the Woods Jupiter, in a swanky premises near his home.

Clearly, Woods is planning for life after golf and, to some extent, that life has perhaps already begun. If and when he returns, expectations will be as low as any of his comebacks to date. Nonetheless, the player that will eventually tee it up once more will be one who has replaced an obsessive practice regime with time spent enjoying his family and running his businesses. Today, Woods is a player for whom winning golf tournaments is no longer the most important thing in life.

Photo:Wikimedia Commons

Photo:Wikimedia Commons

Sport Page 38 34 34 Sport

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Discovering the benefits of hot house yoga Jack Cannon Deputy sport editor A good sign of a healthy business in St Andrews is the ability to integrate both students and locals. Hot House Yoga, founded by Sarah McLaughlin, does just that. Inconspicuously located in Slotline House just past Aldi, Hot House Yoga is truly one of the town’s hidden gems.

Ms McLaughlin invited The Saint to attend one of the many hot yoga classes she hosts each week. The difference between hot yoga and standard yoga is quite obvious: for the former, the room is heated up to approximately 39 degrees Celsius. The studio is also very atmospheric. Lit candles and inspirational quotes adorn the walls, creating a bubble within the Bubble.

Many classes are attended by sports teams, as they offer a change of pace from typical practices.

Ms McLaughlin said that hot yoga can be more beneficial than standard yoga, as the heat “helps loosen the

joints and improve the elasticity of the muscles, which allows for safer and deeper stretching.”

The studio is also very atmospheric.

Lit candles and inspirational quotes adorn the walls, creating a bubble within the Bubble

”

The increased temperature also aids perspiration, which allows for the beneficial release of toxins.

Ms McLaughlin took the class, consisting of students of all ages, through various hatha yoga positions

during the one-hour session. She was successfully able to incorporate all customers by teaching easier manoeuvres to beginners and intricate ones to more experienced members.

The class was very physically demanding but also extremely rewarding. Ms McLaughlin’s well-humoured approach was evident throughout; singing happy birthday to one of the class’ regulars whilst in the middle of a difficult balancing act was just one example.

Hot yoga is a great way to destress, which is why Ms McLaughlin took the hobby up eight years ago.

She has been a professional instructor for over a year and a half and strongly encourages anyone who seeks a way to both de-stress and keep fit to consider attending classes.

Hot House Yoga offers competitive rates, which can be found on their website.

For more information, visit hothouseyogastandrews.com or email info@hothouseyogastandrews.com.

Photo: Eurosport

Nick Kyrgios’ latest arrogant outburst

Henry Mallin Deputy sport editor Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has been suspended from the sport after not showing enough effort in a match at the Shanghai Masters.

Kyrgios will not be able to participate in the ATP tour for eight weeks and will also be fined $25,000.

The uproar currently surrounding Kyrgios stems from a match against German Mischa Zverev. Kyrgios shamelessly threw the game away, tapping his serve over the net on a number of occasions and allowing his opponent an easy putaway to win the point without contest. Kyrgios also walked off of the court towards his chair whilst Zverev’s serve was still approaching.

Despite warnings from the chair umpire on court, Kyrgios, currently world number 14, remained disgruntled. He was defeated by a player currently ranked 102 places below him in the world rankings in a rapid 48 minutes. Fans made their frustration known, with someone audibly shouting, “Respect the game.” In response,

Kyrgios hurled back abuse, much to the shock of the remaining crowd.

The whole episode was stressful to watch and left spectators with an angry, bitter taste in their mouths.

To make matters worse, Kyrgios showed no signs of repenting in his press conference. Immediately after the game, he stated adamantly that he “did not owe anything’’ to the fans who had paid money to watch him play. When asked about his thoughts on tennis, he answered insolently with a simple “LOL.” Furthermore, when questioned if he had given 110 per cent on the court, Kyrgios responded, “Nah, man.” His infuriatingly dismissive manner when things haven’t gone his way is something we have all grown accustomed to.

The Australian has subsequently apologized for his behaviour. He said: “I of course know how important the fans are to the success of our sport, and I personally love the interaction with fans in many different cities throughout the world on the tennis circuit. I am truly sorry and look forward to returning in 2017.”

I wish I could believe this apology

was sincere. However, this is not the first time Kyrgios has caused such issues. He was also accused of not trying at a 2015 Wimbledon match against Richard Gasquet. His arrogance and sense of self-centered entitlement has alienated tennis fans, and he will struggle to rebuild this bond.

For too long, the media has labelled the youngster as a “character.”

Comparisons with John McEnroe, who was also suspended for bad behavior during his time as a professional, are common. However, despite McEnroe’s outbursts, one thing he could never be accused of was lacking effort.

Despite this attempt at repentance, Kyrgios has announced he will not be playing at the Rotterdam Open in February, instead choosing to play in an NBA All-Star game. Kyrgios has made no secret of his lack of love for tennis, and quite frankly, fans will not miss his presence.

In sport, natural talent only gets you so far, and if Kyrgios is to have a lasting legacy in the game other than for being a spoilt brat, he needs to grow up fast.

Sport 35 Sport 39

Four Nations: the alternative to Rugby Union’s Six Nations Jack Rennison Autumn is the time for international rugby to grab the spotlight of world sport once again. Media outlets will watch as the southern hemisphere’s finest test themselves against home nations over the next several weeks.

Although Rugby Union will grab most of the headlines, its sister sport promises to be a competitive tournament of pure and ferocious drama as it unfolds over the next month.

The Four Nations is a biennial tournament that alternates between hemispheres. It is Rugby League’s answer to Rugby Union’s Six Nations.

The three giants of the sport –– New Zealand, Australia and England –– are joined by a fourth qualifying team from the hemisphere that hosts the tournament. This year’s tournament is being staged at various stadiums throughout England, and by virtue of winning the 2014 European qualification tournament, Scotland will compete for the first time.

The tournament takes a round robin format, with teams awarded two points for a win, one for a draw and nothing for a loss. Once this stage of fixtures is completed, the top two sides in the table will compete in a final at Anfield, Liverpool on 20 November.

New Zealand has time and again proved itself to be the country at the pinnacle of world rugby, currently boasting the number one ranked side in both codes. The squad which landed in England to compete in the Four Nations is one worthy of this accolade. Captain Jesse Bromwich leads the front line with pace and power, and half-back Isaac Luke provides creativity for the attacking line. He will no doubt shine over the coming weeks.

However, the 2013 World Cup finalists have some significant absentees. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who lit up the tournament with his pace and flare, scoring eight tries in six games, will no doubt be a massive loss. An ACL injury sustained back in April ruled him out for the second half of the NRL season. All-round sportsman Sonny Bill-Williams has not been selected for the tournament by virtue of his focus on boxing, and his spectacular offloads will be missed.

Regardless, expect a fiery haka and equally exciting performances from a side more than capable of winning the tournament. Their opener against England on 29 October will be one of, if not the, stand-out games.

Australia arrives as the reigning world champion after its 34-2 dismissal of New Zealand in the 2013 final at Old Trafford. The Kangaroos have long dominated Rugby League, winning 10 of the 14 World Cups held since 1954, and although they are currently ranked as second best, they sent a clear message to New Zealand by winning their 15 October warm-up friendly 26-6.

Australia’s side is full of stars from the NRL, most notably Jonathan

Photo:Wikimedia Commons

The Saint 2016 2014 The Saint •2718October September

Thurston, deemed by many to be the best player in the game right now and possibly ever. Alongside him, Greg Inglis offers plenty of experience and try-scoring nous. Australia will want to continue its dominance of the sport, and an opener against Scotland should prove to be a try-fest.

Moreover, the 77 per cent win rate that the Aussies currently hold over England will fill them with confidence going forward into that fixture at the Olympic Stadium on 13 November.

Australia is the firm favourite for the title.

England will be buoyed by home advantage and its test series victory over New Zealand last year. New head coach Wayne Bennet will be hungry for his first win since his takeover in February. Crucially for England, Sam Burgess has returned to the team in his new role as captain.

Although his conversion to Union brought mixed success for both Bath and England, Slammin’ Sam is certainly England’s key man in this tournament. Monstrous tackling ability, with speed and power to match, makes him a major asset for England.

Expect Burgess to lead from the front and punish defences with his direct running. Despite a disappointing domestic season with the Leeds Rhinos, winger Ryan Hall will be looking to add to his formidable try scoring record: 26 in 27 appearances for his country. The experience of forward James Graham and flare of Kalum Watkins will be vital components if England is going to be successful over the next month.

One could be forgiven for suggesting that Scotland will be the whipping boys of the tournament. No qualifying side has ever won a Four Nations match, and Scotland does not look like it will be ending this run. Ranked ninth in the world, Scotland’s squad is drawn from the NRL in Australia, Super League and the Championship in England. Among these, there are 10 uncapped players who could be selected to face Australia in the tournament opener. The ones to watch on the Scotland team are NRL stars Lachlan Coote, Euan Aitken, Luke Douglas and Kane Linnett, alongside Huddersfield Giants’ veteran goal kicker Danny Brough.

So why should viewers tune in to the BBC’s coverage of rugby’s other code? Well, without stoppages for scrums and lineouts, Rugby League is a faster, more intense physical contest in which high-scoring games and spectacular comebacks are commonplace. The format of play is similar to American football’s system of downs (teams have six tackles worth of possession before they are required to kick the ball), but without the pads and hours of adverts, Rugby League is 80 minutes of pure adrenaline rush.

The match-ups promise to be tight, tense and exhilarating affairs –– with the exclusion of the matches featuring Scotland –– and the Four Nations offers no better way to become acquainted with this fantastic sport.

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LESSON Photos: Craig Doyle

LEARNED

Heavy defeat at hands of Loughborough offers valuable lesson for team on the up Jason Segall Deputy sport editor

T

he St Andrews women’s basketball team faced a highly professional Loughborough outfit in this year’s second BUCS Premier North League match. Buoyed by three wins in the national league this season, the Saints were hopeful of pulling off an upset on their own court. This optimism came despite the team’s 74-43 defeat at Newcastle in the first match of its BUCS season. Loughborough, kitted out in its characteristic purple uniforms, contrasted with the white uniforms of St Andrews’ team as it arrived on the East Fife coast. The team, fresh off of a 68-55 win at Edinburgh in the first match of the season, would prove to be a fierce opponent.

From the beginning of the first quarter, it was clear that the Saints had their work cut out for them if they were to beat the team from south of the border. Loughborough showed excellent passing play in the offensive zone, and the St Andrews defence was stretched on numerous occasions. While the home side put points on the board early in the quarter, the visitors were the side in ascendancy throughout the period. Six minutes in, Loughborough led 18-2.

St Andrews’ offensive play

showed promise as well, but a physically strong and well-drilled Loughborough defence meant that the home side had precious few chances in the first period of play. The team kept plugging away, however,

The final quarter affirmed Loughborough’s dominance, with their relentless counter-attacks causing the Saints to visibly tire

”

and scored again before the buzzer sounded for the end of the quarter with the score at 24-4.

The second quarter began after pep talks from both teams’ coaches, but unfortunately for St Andrews, Loughborough continued to dominate play. On defence, the home side

allowed its opponents to recover too many rebounds, leading to numerous scoring chances which a team such as Loughborough took with ease. At the other end, luck was not on the side of the Saints, with countless shots barely missing the basket. At the end of the half, the score stood at 43-5 in favour of the visitors.

The half-time team talk seemed to have an effect on the home side, which began to make some inroads through the Loughborough defence.

The fates were no longer against the Saints, with shots beginning to find the basket, but fast counter-attacking play from the visitors extended their advantage to 55 points by the end of the quarter, which finished at 64-11.

The final quarter affirmed Loughborough’s dominance with relentless counter-attacks that caused the Saints to visibly tire. The match finished at 87-16.

This game will serve as a key learning experience for St Andrews.

Loughborough is one of the strongest sides that the team will face this year.

As a mainstay of the BUCS Premier North division, Loughborough has more experience in the league. St Andrews was only promoted to the division at the end of last season.

It is difficult to criticise the Saints for this defeat, since Loughborough is

vastly more experienced at this level, and as such, players are used to competing at the greater intensity that a higher division entails. For example, Loughborough’s passing game was noticeably sharper and more accurate than St Andrews’. Passing is vital to consistently breaking defence at this level, so targeted attempts to strengthen this weakness will prove beneficial.

Another factor in the Saints’ defeat was the absence of four members of the team. Paige Onouye and Laoise Carey were out injured, whilst Morag Petrie and Emma Hallqvist were unavailable due to the game falling dur-

ing Independent Learning Week.

The defeat was likely tough for the girls to take, but they are a cohesive and committed bunch who will only rebound Stronger from this loss.

St Andrews’ next game in the BUCS League is a home match against Northumbria University. Afterwards, the team faces the return leg at Loughborough.

The Saints also come up against Boroughmuir Blaze and Tayside Musketeers in the National League in the coming weeks, where they will hope to maintain their impressive start to the campaign.