Issue 2 - November 2015

WessexScene.co.uk

University of Southampton’s Student Magazine

NOVEMBER 2015

2

remember remember A Potted History of Parliament Page 15

+ David Miliband: Where Is He

+ Essential Menswear for

The once distinguished politician has emerged in a different field‌

Fashionista Dan Linstead gets you on the right track for the months ahead

Now? 18

Autumn/Winter 22

+ Is Putin Being Treated

Unfairly by The West? 29

He has gained the scorn of the western world... But is it all justified?

Welcome

BRIDIE PEARSON-JONES Editor

WESSEX SCENE TEAM Want to write for us?

Get in touch with a section editor.

Editor BRIDIE PEARSON-JONES editor@soton.ac.uk

Deputy Editor MICHAEL OLIVER

deputy-editor@wessexscene.co.uk

Head of Design SEBASTIAN STEELE design@wessexscene.co.uk

HEAD OF IMAGERY JORDAN STEWART image@wessexscene.co.uk

Features ELLIE WERMTER

features@wessexscene.co.uk

Features ALICE HEARING

features@wessexscene.co.uk

Science and Environment TRINA DAVIES

November already, where did the time go!

We’ve been very busy through the first few weeks of term. Now we’re fully back into the swing of things, we’ve had lots of writers meetings, socials and we’ve been teaming up with the other media groups to bring you the best coverage of everything that’s going on in Southampton.

As always, we’ve been working hard to put this issue together, our Deputy Editor Michael Oliver has written an intriguing piece about the history of parliament and why we celebrate Guy Fawkes day. We’ve also got some articles to make you laugh, and some to make you think. From essential menswear for winter to the question of the AU ‘laddiness’.

November is a special month for us here at Wessex Scene HQ, as we’re celebrating Creative Industries Careers Season, we’ve got lots of people from the industry coming in to share their top tips. Lots of our alumni are coming back to talk about their routes into journalism.

Remember, it’s never too late to get involved with the Scene, if you like what you read and want to come and write for us, or design for us, email me editor@soton.ac.uk. We’ve got lots of training sessions, exciting opportunities and socials planned for the rest of the year, so why not come and join the Wessex Scene family!

science@wessexscene.co.uk

Politics SAMUEL WILLIAMS

politics@wessexscene.co.uk

With that, I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of the issue - and be sure to keep an eye out for Issue 4, our christmas special issue!

Opinion FREYA JEFFRIES

opinion@wessexscene.co.uk

Travel NUALA MCBRIDE

Editor out!

travel@wessexscene.co.uk

Lifestyle Laura Cox

lifestyle@wessexscene.co.uk

International CAMERON RIDGWAY

international@wessexscene.co.uk

Sport JACK PETHICK

sports@wessexscene.co.uk

Sport SEAN O’BRIEN

sports@wessexscene.co.uk

News REBECCA LAKE

news@wessexscene.co.uk

News TOM MORGAN

news@wessexscene.co.uk

Pause TOM RANDALL

pause@wessexscene.co.uk

MARKETING DAN LINSTEAD

publicity@wessexscene.co.uk

VP DCI KERRY SCLATER vpdci@susu.org

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FRONT COVER IMAGE BY JESS COX WELCOME

LIFESTYLE 20 Winter Warmer Recipes - Abbie Radford . Image by Kathryn Smith

ISSUE 2 november 2015

FEATURES

LIFESTYLE

How To Help A Panic Attack

04

WINTER WARMER RECIPES

‘Peacocking’ on Social Media

06

The IoD Convention: What it Means to Students

08

Essential Menswear for Autumn/ 22 Winter TRAVEL

OPINION

Beyond The ‘Like’: 09 Does Facebook Need New Buttons?

In Defence of Going to Uni Close to Home

10

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

Getting Wired: The Science

13

A Shrinking Feeling for Butterflies

14

5 Ways to Lower Your Profile Abroad

24

9 Reasons you should WWOOF

26

INTERNATIONAL

Learning England’s English: An American Perspective

28

Is Putin Being Treated Unfairly by The West?

29

SPORT

POLITICS

wessexscene.co.uk

20

Remember Remember: A Potted History of Parliament

15

David Miliband: Where Is He Now?

18

England’s World Cup Failure

31

Is the AU Too ‘Laddy’?

32

PAUSE

Avenue Campus Declares Independence

34

@wessexscene fb.com/wscene WELCOME

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Features WORDS BY ALICE HEARING

IMAGE BY JORDAN STEWART

Not enough people know about anxiety or panic attacks, what the experience is like or how to help one. It is paramount that we increase the awareness of mental health as a whole, especially those that are often misunderstood or misinterpreted. Too often, people are unaware of how to help someone when they are coping with a mental illness or attack.

So, what is a panic attack anyway? It is a sudden feeling of extreme or acute anxiety. Often physical symptoms occur, such as trembling, heart palpitations, hyperventilation, nausea and more. Not all of the symptoms are often experienced or obvious.

However, if someone tells you they are having one, or that they need to get away from the situation you are in, it is important to react no matter how acute you perceive their situation to be.

Nights out, festivals or parties can be especially dangerous. A panic or anxiety attack may occur when the surrounding people are too drunk or too engaged with something else to help in the right way. Whilst no two panic attacks are the same, I will, nevertheless, endeavour to provide a guide on how to help someone when they are struck with an attack.

•Space is absolutely key. Do not crowd the person. If you are inside somewhere, take them outside. Even the outside area at a bar or club is better than the dance floor. At a festival or a gig, take them away from heavy crowds and let them sit down •Help them to regulate their breathing. Tell them to breathe in, and hold it for 4 seconds. Then breathe out for 4. Then move up to 5. Do this all the way up to 10. This should help take away the focus from panicking and bring the focus back on breathing.

•Do not make them worry or feel useless about what they are panicking about. Anything could trigger them to make their panic attack happen. It is often hard to determine the trigger, but this shouldn’t be necessary in order to take them seriously.

•Comfort them. Tell them that everything is going to be okay.

Making sure that they feel safe is extremely important. If you think it is okay to, give them a big hug or rub their shoulder.

•Put their focus elsewhere. Tell them a story, look at the sky with them, even play a game. Just take their attention off their panic, anyway you feel could be appropriate.

•Once they have calmed down, ask if they would like a hug.

Take them somewhere quiet, maybe make them food, or watch their favourite TV show with them.

•Help them relax and unwind. I personally always feel very tense during and after a panic attack, so help them unwind and feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible. They will no doubt feel shaken by the experience.

•Do not make a big deal about it or make it about you. It could make them feel more panicked or even invalidated about their feelings. Focus on them.

Again, everyone experiences panic attacks differently. This may work for some but, if you know someone who suffers from panic or anxiety attacks, ask them how they would like you to help them and they will be glad to tell you. If you experience them yourself, do not be afraid to tell someone you are close to how to handle it.

In addition, I urge you to look after your friends when you’re out on the town. It is far too easy to be swept off into the night. A lack of awareness is always dangerous.

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FEATURES

How To Help A Panic Attack

Features

‘Peacocking’ on Social Media

L

et’s face it. Social media can be really depressing. You could wake up in the morning and feel great, but after a few minutes scrolling through your Facebook feed, you can easily see something that irritates you, makes you feel pangs of envy and sometimes even inadequate- like you’re a few steps behind everyone else. Why? Because you have just felt the negative affects of ‘Peacocking’ on social media. Another person’s bragging about their academic success, exotic holiday, hot boyfriend or new job has left you feeling somewhat, deflated.

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FEATURES

Features

WORDS BY ELLIE WERMTER IMAGE BY SAMMIE BURSTOW

According to a study released earlier this year; under 25’s are more likely to show off, have inflated self-esteem and exaggerate thanks to social media. A third admit to exaggerating in status updates- with women more likely to show off than their male counterparts.

Peacocking is a term referring to the incessant parading of health, wealth, beauty and good fortune on social media.

Posts are often bragging in nature, exaggerating in tone and posted in the hopes of it gaining a plethora of likes and comments. We’re all guilty of it, we’ve probably all made a status after great exam results, a gushing ‘thank you’ status after your birthday, a picture of you and your friends looking like a girl band on Instagram. But more than likely, we have also been the receivers of bragging posts on our newsfeeds, and whilst these all-consuming stunning posts are addictive, they also do us damage. It leaves us feeling as though we don’t quite make the cut. So how has ‘peacocking’ come about? And more importantly, how can we stop if having such a negative affect on our lives?

Will Bentley, a Geology student at the University of Southampton says; ‘It’s okay to post self-indulgent pictures and status’ every now and again, but people who do it everyday just look vain and self-obsessed.’

The emergence of reality shows based on opulent lifestyles and celebrity status such as Keeping Up with The Kardashians’ and ‘Rich Kids of Beverly Hills’ only promote the ideals of leading a materialistic and glamorous life. The obvious rise in social media is a factor in the rise of ‘peacocking’ because now we can share every ‘#blessed’ moment of our lives, but omit the mundane, or down right depressing. It’s as though we feel obliged to ‘showcase’ the best parts of our lives in order impress our follows. We’ve probably all heard it said; ‘if you didn’t take pictures on your night out, did it really happen?’, and it’s true. If you cannot prove you had a great night, at a good club in a hot outfit with all of your fit friends, then was there any point in going out. It’s as though we live to impress those around us rather than to exist in that moment alone. The rise of ‘The Squad’ brings forth the likes of The Kardashian/ FEATURES

Jenner clan and Taylor Swift and her A-list Posse- leading us to believe that we’re not normal if we don’t have sixteen meticulously dressed, size 4, A-list celebrity best friends to go out with.

Furthermore, the rise of style bloggers on sites like Instagram have fuelled the ‘peacocking’ hype, often promoting expensive make-up products, clothing and lifestyles. One of note is Sarah Ashcroft, a blogger hailing from Hertfordshire, who now has a contract with Boohoo to model and showcase their collections- often in idyllic, exotic locations. Our insight into her life is addictive and voyeuristic- a millennialls’ equivalent to ‘Keeping up with The Joneses’. We want Sarah’s seemingly perfect life/hair/body. What is significant to this obsession with bloggers lifestyles is that we believe them to be obtainable- the fact that such bloggers started out as ‘normal people’ and now earn a living leading extravagant, glamorous and incredible lives is nothing less than enchanting.

What you must remember in these moments of self-doubt and comparison is that ‘peacocking’ on social media is an illusion, it’s not reality. Just like most of us wouldn’t share the most depressing, darkest and mundane parts of our lives, so too, do most others. What you may see from a Facebook album is a perfect couples holiday in an all-inclusive luxury resort in the Maldives but the reality could be that the couple in question spent everyday arguing, day five and six were brought down with a severe case of food poisoning and the return journey included an intense stand-off with BA cabin crew over lost luggage.

Amongst the beautiful images, the carefully constructed status’ and well versed tweets, it can be easy to lose sight of one fact.

That is, that life isn’t perfect. Anything you see on social media leading you to believe in the existence of perfection is false. It is a construction. And after all, isn’t that the beauty of life? It’s amazing, and then it’s awful, and then it’s mundane, and then it’s amazing again. It can be heart-breaking and testing and wonderful and terrifying and surprising but that, ultimately, is what makes it truly beautiful.

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The IoD Convention:

What it Means to Students WORDS BY NATALIA JOPLING TANSER

O

ctober 6th marked an important date in virtually every businessmen and businesswoman’s calendar: The Annual Institution of Directors Debate. This prestigious event, attended by key individuals from the world of business, saw many inspirational speeches, charismatic presentations and thought provoking debates, with some of this year’s speakers and debaters including David Miliband, Lord Lawson and Anya Hindmarch.

This year’s theme for the convention was, ‘business without boundaries’, a subject addressed differently by each individual speaker. As a student, the big-wide world of business and its events may seem distant and occasionally irrelevant, but this year’s convention demonstrated the global significance and impact of business for students (and yes, even for those who aren’t studying for a business-related degree).

Currently a highly discussed political topic, the convention began with an exhilarating debate on the EU referendum, featuring two towering figures of British Politics: Lord Mandelson (IN) and Lord Lawson (OUT). With both parties discussing the potential outcomes of the forthcoming referendum in terms of the success of British business, this evidently gives rise to the situation regarding future career prospects in the UK, a subject, which should be considered of great significance for many students.

An unconventional yet exhilarating presentation, was the exploration of the following question: “What can business and rugby learn from each other?”. The presentation was given by Ian Ritchie, Chief Executive of the Rugby Football Union and Josh Lewsey, Head of Rugby for Wales. The overwhelming links between the two seemingly unrelated industries were found to be the elements of competition and connectivity.

Josh Lewsey articulated that “sport can change people’s lives”, something which is extremely relevant at the University of Southampton. With numerous sporting societies on offer in affiliation with SUSU, there’s something for everyone. In the presentation it was demonstrated that the tenacity of sport encourages you to develop and improve your perseverance and tolerance, abilities which are highly valued and will set you apart in the world of post-graduate employment.

8

Another inspirational and engaging speaker was Matt Brittain, who heads up Google’s business and operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa – helping consumers and business make the most of the digital opportunity. Undoubtedly, Matt Brittain serves as an inspiration for not only Computer Science students at the University of Southampton, but also those studying Management or International Business in addition to many other subjects. Brittain expressed that in today’s day and age, it is necessary to “break down boundaries of time and space”, something apposite to current students, who are seen by the older generation, as those born into the ‘digital revolution’. Conclusively, student media can be seen as preparing students for life beyond University.

An exceptional entrepreneur and a prominent figure in the fashion world, Anya Hindmarch is an example of where dedication and determination can lead you. Anya Hindmarch playfully stated that “growing a business is a bit like school”, and suggested that professional success, regardless of industry, is derived from thinking outside the box and an excellent ethos.

Student organisations at the University of Southampton, such as Fish on Toast, evidently nurture these elements, further ensuring a long and successful career.

The final presentation of the day finished the annual convention with a bang and had the audience roaring with laughter at his dry wit and cynicism in retelling stories of his expeditions. Sir Ranulph Fiennes, once described by the Guinness Book of World Records as “the world’s Greatest Living Explorer”, undoubtedly serves as a reminder to us all to surpass boundaries in all aspects of our lives – whatever it is we may want to achieve.

An exhilarating day filled with inspirational speeches by influential people, the annual IoD convention is certainly not an event to be missed.

As a student, the big-wide world of business and its events may seem distant and occasionally irrelevant FEATURES

Opinion

Beyond The ‘Like’ Does Facebook Need New Buttons?

OPINION BY HAYLEY ANDREWS

OPINION BY MOLLY EVANS

It does not surprise me that Facebook have scrapped the idea of a ‘dislike’ button shortly after CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced it in September this year. The very thought of it conjures up images of internet trolls sat behind their computer screens, laughing as they wreak havoc down other people’s timelines. One of the main concerns many people had regarding this controversial new feature were heavily linked to childhood cyber bullying, with around 7,296 counselling sessions taking place last year alone with victimised children according to the NSPCC. This number may have simply continued to increase had the ‘dislike’ button been added to the social media site.

Ok, admittedly I can see the flaws in the Facebook dislike button. An out and out dislike button undoubtedly does throw up some problems, and Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement was definitely greeted with more than a few raised eyebrows. The concerns voiced were valid, that encouraging users to publicly ‘dislike’ something would increase cyber-bullying and negativity - something we can all agree is already far too prevalent on the Internet. For me however, the idea of of Facebook finally offering something other than the linear ‘like’ response is a step in the right direction.

However, the ‘emoji’ buttons that are set to replace the ‘dislike’ button are equally as useless. Whilst it is obvious that not everything in life is to be ‘liked’, and some people use Facebook as a means to inform their friends and family of negative events, there is a sense of laziness and apathy that comes with the use of these buttons. The reason the ‘like’ button works so well is because it allows for a quick acknowledgement of something good, which people are less likely to do in an unfortunate situation, hence why these ‘reactions’, which include emojis such as ‘haha’, ‘yay’, and ‘sad’ seem pretty pointless (especially when we have the option to just comment on the status).

Surely we are better off simply communicating with each other, rather than misinterpreting what someone means when they ‘love’ your status about your cat dying – are they sending love, or are they genuinely happy about the news?

No one will know. Although the ‘dislike’ feature works on other popular websites such as YouTube, the anonymity that comes with it is what allows people to remain, for the most part, unaffected by people’s opinions. Having people you know react in a way that can be misunderstood may complicate relationships. This begs the question, will anyone actually bother using this new feature? Only time will tell…

OPINION

We can all appreciate the times when a simple ‘like’ isn’t quite going to cut it. It has become a truth universally acknowledged on Facebook that a ‘like’ did not always mean someone actually approved of the status - it came to take on different meaning when applied to the context. For example if someone shared sad or unfortunate news, Facebook ‘likes’ came to mean support, as opposed to being synonymous with enjoying the situation.

So, when the development of a Facebook dislike button was announced, to me it signalled that the worker bees up at Facebook HQ had seen that the ‘like’ button alone wasn’t going to suffice and they were going to offer us an improvement.

Now they have expanded the development and are giving us something even better - the new ‘emotional’ buttons. These buttons (which are going to express feelings we can all relate to on a spiritual level such as ‘haha’, ‘wow’ and ‘yay) show that Facebook is listening to people’s requests for an attempt at a more human range of emotions. For me the dislike button would have been the beginning of an increasingly real social media - and now these emotional buttons are going to help us express ourselves though something other than just the infinite optimism of the ‘like’.

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Opinion

In Defence of Going to

Uni Close to Home WORDS BY MOLLY EVANS IMAGE BY CHARLOTTE STEVENS

When most students start looking at universities, the flurry of excitement can often mean that they forget about the distance between home and their uni of choice. For lots of people, the opportunity to move away to uni is the chance to be independent from their parents and live in a new city.

R

esearch shows that on average students tend to opt for unis about 91 miles away - or an hour and a half ’s drive.

For me, when I was applying for uni I drew a line above London that I didn’t want to cross. And, as it was, I ended up going to Southampton, less than 30 miles away, and a 25 minute drive from my home town of Portsmouth.

For lots of people being this close might seem claustrophobic, or make them feel as if they aren’t doing uni ‘properly’. But it’s nowhere near as bad as people might believe, and more than that, being close to home has some serious benefits.

First of all, independence isn’t really an issue. Just because you live close enough to your parents to pop home for coffee doesn’t mean they’re going to be intruding on your new found freedom. I’m lucky in that my parents would never want to stop me having fun, and wanted me to go off and enjoy my independence, whether that was half an hour away or on the other side of the world.

Secondly, going to uni so close to home doesn’t mean you miss out any of the fun. On the contrary, you still get to go out with your friends and join in with all the opportunities available, but you can still pop home for a roast on Sunday if you really can’t cure your hangover. For me, a big part of not missing out was living in halls as it meant I still got to make lots of friends, look after myself and immerse myself in the uni experience, whilst still being able to go home if the kitchen got too disgusting to step foot in!

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Some of the bonuses that come from not straying too far from your home can be seriously handy. Being able to pop home for unlimited heating and free food is something all uni students living in freezing cold houses with mouldy food in the fridge can appreciate. If you’re lucky, your parents might even let you take back your dirty washing! So far the only downside I’ve found is that a 25 minute distance between my uni and my home town means it’s hardly worth putting ‘Portsmouth// Southampton’ in my Twitter bio.

Something that might not be perfect for everyone - but definitely feels like a bonus for me - is that going to uni close to home meant I had some prior knowledge of Southampton, such as the wonders of West Quay and the best bars in Bedford Place. However this didn’t stop me learning about Southampton’s hidden treasures - I’m looking at you Jesters.

Also, being close to home means it’s easier to maintain relationships with friends from home, something that can be a godsend when you’re drowning in uni work and need to get some head space away from it all.

Going to uni close to home definitely isn’t an option for everyone. A lack of choice in their surrounding area or a tense relationship with people at home can leave some students desperate to fly the nest. However going to uni on your doorstep really isn’t as bad as people would assume - in fact it can be the best of both worlds.

OPINION

Getting Wired: The Science Throughout your life (and there’s more of it to come) you’ve been told again and again of the effects of drugs and how taking them can end up turning you into a corpse. You’ve also been told about how this is all rubbish.

So which sources of information do you trust - your school teachers or your stoner friends? This article aims to provide you with another source of information, obtained from psychologists, neuroscientists and pharmacologists, allowing you to make an informed decision about what you yourself want to do in possible situations where you’ll be offered drugs.

ALCOHOL

Alcohol molecules readily cross the blood-brain barrier and act on multiple neurotransmitters. Alcohol acutely inhibits the main excitatory transmitter of the nervous system at a particular receptor subtype, and this leads to the memory loss associated with intoxication in the short-term. As well as this, alcohol also modulates the action of the nervous system’s main inhibitory transmitter – both by increasing its release and enhancing the function of its receptor proteins. Alcohol also acts on the dopaminergic system that, when hijacked by drugs, are responsible for addictive behaviours.

cannabis

The psychoactive ingredient in ‘weed’ is THC – Δ9tetrahydrocannabinol. THC binds to a type of receptor that is expressed throughout the brain, and so has a wide range of effects –reduced locomotor activity, hypothermia, catalepsy and hypoalgesia. Reactions to the drug are dosedependent, and despite what many people say, research utilising both clinical and ‘normal’ populations have shown that both tolerance and dependence can result from chronic cannabinoid exposure.

Cocaine

After neurotransmitter molecules are released by neurons, they are taken back up by specialised transporter proteins so that their effects on the next neuron are ended. Cocaine works by blocking the action of the transporter responsible for taking up dopamine, and so more dopamine is left in between neurons. This is responsible for the reinforcing effects of cocaine, which make it a highly addictive drug.

Ketamine

Ketamine is a highly reinforcing drug that induces a state of dissociative anethesia – a ‘K-hole’. It exerts its effect by blocking the action of a certain type of glutamate receptor that is highly expressed throughout the cortex, and this is responsible for the cognitive deficits induced by use. Ketamine users are often found to exhibit white or grey matter abnormalities following chronic exposure to the drug, which underlies an increase in delusional thinking. If taken, ketamine must never be mixed with alcohol – the result can be fatal (it is a horse-version of a sleeping pill, after all).

MDMA/Mandy/Molly/Ecstasy

The feel good effects of this ‘love drug’ arise from the mass increase in release of serotonin upon drug administration.

This can lead to feelings of oneness with everyone around you, euphoria and even mild hallucinations. However, the human brain does not naturally release serotonin in such large bursts naturally, and so the mechanisms tasked with correcting this did not evolve to do this as rapidly as other neurotransmitters.

This leads to the ‘come down’ depressive state, which can last any time between one day and one week depending on how often the drug is taken. As well as this, MDMA has a neurotoxic effect which can lead to permanent changes in serotonergic systems in the brain.

Obviously if you or a friend decide to dabble with these, and other, substances, no one is going to stop you. But the main thing to remember is that to make the informed decision to take a drug, you need to know what it is going to do your body and your brain. As with everyone, moderation is key, and because of the fact that most drugs are sold impure, what has worked for you one time may not necessarily produced the same effects the next!

WORDS BY JOSEPH HARRIS IMAGE BY CHESTER FRAMPTON SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

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A Shrinking Feeling for

Butterflies WORDS BY HARRY HORNSBY IMAGE BY JORDAN STEWART

Ongoing climate change has had a variety of effects on global ecosystems and species, and now recent research from Aarhus University has unearthed a worrying size trend in Greenland butterflies.

By measuring the wing length of approximately 4,500 individual butterflies between 1996 and 2013 scientists have found that warmer summer temperatures are correlated with smaller butterfly sizes in two different species. This is one of the few studies at present which follows physiological changes across a period of climactic change and despite theory predicting body size changes in response to changing climate; it is one of the few field studies that have demonstrated a such a response.

However, the direction of this response is variable across species. Climate change might lengthen a period of favorable conditions, allowing an organism to grow to larger sizes.

However, it might also shorten a period of favorable conditions, or change metabolic rate and in doing so, reduce the growth of an organism.

In this particular case, the cold blooded nature of these 14

butterfly larvae is responsible for their decreased size under warmer temperatures. The increased temperature speeds up the metabolic rate of the larvae who have no means to regulate their temperature. As a result they are losing more energy than they are gaining by feeding, meaning that the larvae are smaller when they undergo metamorphosis, resulting in smaller adults.

Size is incredibly important in the animal kingdom, and in this case can limit the mobility of butterflies. This is important under changing climate as it might prevent the animals from moving to cooler conditions, and can also impact on how many young they have. Other species from a wide variety of taxa have shifted their range in response to climate, however the reduced mobility of these butterflies means that they may face extinction.

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

Remember Remember: A Potted History of Parliament We all know the rhyme said around this time of year: ‘Remember, remember, the fifth of November, gunpowder, treason and plot...’. The gunpowder plot of 1605 was certainly one of the more memorable episodes of our Parliament’s long and eventful history, however Parliament’s long and varied history certainly goes beyond (and before) this. So strap yourselves in for a tale of deceit, uprising and betrayal. Oh, there was a few executions, also.

The origins of the Palace of Westminster can WORDS BY MICHAEL OLIVER

1042

be traced back to this date, where Edward the Confessor decided to have an abbey church on the swampy land where the Palace of Westminster now sits.

1215

Ah, the Magna Carta. Signed by King John due to his unpopularity and the very real fear we could have (yet another) French King, it was then naturally ignored completely by the king, but John died in 1216, anyway.

1720 1771

Robert Walpole becomes the First Prime Minister.

Reporting is legally allowed in Parliament for the first time. Since, the Civil War, journalists had illegally been reporting on the events of Parliament, and many consequently had been arrested.

1265

1812 1834

1305

1908

Simon de Montfort captured his brother-inlaw, Henry III, to stop him spending too much money. He then called a sort of Parliament from meetings where representatives from across the country were called in. This type of Parliament has stood the test of time.

Oh look, our first execution at Parliament.

William Wallace is the unlucky guy here, who denied his charge of treason. After being found guilty, he was naturally dragged naked through the streets, and then hanged. Whilst still alive, he was taken from the gallows and publicly disembowelled and mutilated. Lovely.

1605

Probably the most famous date in Parliament’s history, and everyone knows the story: a group of Catholics led by Robert Catesby tried to blow up Westminster at the State Opening of Parliament.

Authorities found Fawkes (who was not the main instigator of the plot) guarding several barrels of gunpowder, and the plotters were killed in shootings or tortured & executed.

1629 1642

Charles I dismisses Parliament and arrests some MPs. As we will see later, big mistake!

-49 Charles’ disagreement with Parliament results in a fully-blown Civil War, resulting in half a million casualties. He is put on trial by Parliament and then beheaded.

1653

-60 England was a republic for a few years in the seventeenth century under the rule of Oliver Cromwell (until 1658). When the royals returned to power, a few people decided to dig up his corpse and chop the head off it. Delightful.

1707 so ever since.

POLITICS

The 1707 Act of Union meant that England and Scotland were united, and have remained

Spencer Percival is killed - our first and (so far) only assassinated Prime Minister.

Fire, Fire! Most of Westminster is burned down, causing what we recognise as Parliament today to rise from the ashes.

The Suffragettes storm Westminster as a result of Parliament refusing a bill to give votes to women.

1918

Women finally get the vote - but only if they were over 30. A year later the first woman was elected to Parliament.

1921

The Anglo-Irish treaty separated Southern Ireland from Northern Ireland - but the fighting still carried on.

1945

The House of Commons chamber was rebuilt after bombings by the Germans also, Clement Attlee’s Labour Party swept into power in the General Election of that year, with a resounding majority.

1969 1979 1989 1999

The voting age is lowered to 18.

Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first female Prime Minister.

The House of Commons is televised for the first time - audio recordings stated in 1978.

The Parliaments of Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland were devolved.

So that’s it! 950-odd years of Parliament, in 600 words.

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Politics

David Miliband: In recent years, he has been forced out of the political spotlight, but after doing a Houdini and disappearing from the World of Politics, the once distinguished politician David Miliband has emerged in a different field…

F

or those who are unaware of David Miliband’s presence in the political sphere and his contribution to the world of politics, his distinguished political career serves as a reminder to us all of his potential and capabilities. Elected to Parliament in 2001, from 2007-2010 David Miliband served as the UK’s Foreign Secretary, one of the youngest ever in the UK, and was described by former President of the USA, Bill Clinton, as “one of the most ablest, most creative public servants of our time”. He has held a number of political positions, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Minister of State for Communities and Local Government. After running for Labour Party leader in 2010, a role many thought he would be awarded, his brother, Ed Miliband was accused of ‘stabbing him in the back’ after employing what some described as manipulative tactics, which led him to be voted party leader.

Following his defeat in sibling rivalry, David Miliband resigned from the Shadow Cabinet in late 2010 and in 2013 he resigned as an MP altogether and departed from the world of politics.

Materialising in a different domain, David Miliband was elected President and CEO of the International Rescue

Committee in 2013, and thus moved to New York, USA. This pivotal position includes Miliband overseeing aid and development programmes in over 30 countries and directing an annual budget of on average $450 million.

Created over 80 years ago by scientific genius Albert Einstein, the International Rescue Committee is historically renowned for solving humanitarian crises, and attempts to aid the refugees onto a path of self-empowerment. This colossal organisation includes 4K volunteers in merely the USA and is part of a $22bn global humanitarian effort to make the world a better place. D During his speech at the 2015 annual IoD convention, regarding the IRC’s global presence, Miliband stated, “the bad news is, we’re booming”, an emotive statement, as we are currently facing a number of humanitarian crises. This gave rise to his question, “Why is it that at a time of unprecedented peace between nations more people are fleeing than ever?” to which Miliband presented his opinion, that “wars between states have been replaced by wars within states”. Regarding the International Rescue Committee’s current projects, in

Politics

Where Is He Now? WORDS BY NATALIA JOPLING TANSER IMAGE BY BETHANY WESTALL

speaking to one of the IRC’s employees at the annual IoD convention, it was confirmed that the organisation is not only providing aid in Syria, which Miliband himself referred to as “the epicentre of the global crisis... but also in places out of headlines” such as the Congo.

In his thought-provoking and charismatic presentation at the IoD convention, David Miliband addressed key issues and contained unusual speech content, such as posing and responding to his own question, “What is on my desk?” To which he replied: “300 thousand Syrian children in Lebanon not getting an education... Liberia and Sierra Leone’s recovery from Ebola and promoting protection for girls” and lastly but by no means of least significance, “How do I keep my staff safe?”

This unsettling question follows an unfortunate incident in which several of his staff were killed in Afghanistan. Using this unusual technique in his presentation served to intrigue the audience, and encouraged them to further appreciate the humanitarian issues that both he and the organisation he guides, battle against on a daily basis.

Recognising that the podium is often a physical barrier that prevents speakers from engaging their viewers, Miliband chose to not make use of this convention and instead walked freely around the stage, breaking down the formal relations between the audience and the speaker and effortlessly engaging the audience. Additionally, Miliband spoke of the common misconception of refugees, which is partly due to the media’s portrayal of those suffering in this manner. Although we are constantly overwhelmed with supposed images of individuals in refugee camps, in reality, “90% flee to urban areas of which many are areas governed by armed government opposition”, placing them in a situation just as precarious as the one they have just fled from.

Undeniably, David Miliband is shining in his new role as an international ambassador in a world of frequently occurring humanitarian crises. However, Miliband is now being tipped to run as the next Labour Party leader, currently being referred to by The Independent as “the prince across the water”, perhaps after his international Rescue Committee contract expires in 2018. But, actually, who knows?

WINTER

recipe

WORDS BY ABB IMAGE BY KAT I don’t know about you, but one of my favourite things about this time of year is all the amazing food.

When the weather is getting colder and the nights are drawing in there is nothing better than coming back from a long day of lectures to a warming homemade meal. These three recipes are all super easy to make, taste fantastic and don’t take much effort! Plus they won’t break the bank and make more than one serving. An idea might be to cook up batches at the weekend then freeze portions ready to defrost later on in the week. Alternatively if you’re feeling generous let your housemates dig in and they might return the favour the next week. Enjoy!

Lentil & Bacon Soup (Serves 3) Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion, diced • 2 x 70g packs pancetta cubes • 1 carrot (about 120g), finely diced • 1 tsp ground cumin • ½ tsp turmeric • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 1 chilli, sliced • 2 low-salt stock cubes • 250g red lentils, rinsed

Sausage & Chickpea Stew Method Heat the oil in a large, deep saucepan. When the oil is (Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 2tbsp olive oil • 8 thick pork sausages • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped • 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed • 4 celery stalks, chopped • 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced • 1tbsp paprika • 300ml passata • 400ml hot vegetable stock • 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed • Few sprigs fresh thyme • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1

hot fry the sausages over a high heat for 4-5 minutes until browned all over to seal them, when this is done remove and set aside.

Add the onion, garlic, celery and potatoes to the saucepan, cover and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Sprinkle over the paprika and continue cooking for a further minute.

Stir in the passata and the stock, turn up the heat a little to bring to the boil and once achieved reduce the heat to allow the mixture to simmer.

Slice each sausage diagonally into 3 or 4 slices and add to the saucepan along with the chickpeas and half the thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

Place a lid on the saucepan and allow to simmer for 35-40 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Serve garnished with the rest of the thyme sprigs.

2

3 4 5

Recipe adapted from: http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/537993/sausageand-chick-pea-stew

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LIFESTYLE

WARMER

s

BBIE RADFORD THRYN SMITH

Method

1 2 3

Heat the oil in a large saucepan; add the onion, one pack of pancetta and the carrot. Cook on a low to medium heat until the onions are soft.

Add the cumin, turmeric, garlic and chilli and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Pour in 1.25 litres of boiling water, crumble in the stock cubes and add the lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stir occasionally to ensure lentils are not sticking.

In a separate smaller frying pan, fry the remaining pack of pancetta cubes on a low heat for about 10 minutes until crispy- you won’t need to add any oil and plenty will run from the pancetta itself.

Once the soup has simmered for 20 minutes and the lentils are cooked, serve in a bowl and garnish with a sprinkling of the crispy pancetta.

4 5

Recipe adapted from: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2155646/lentiland-bacon-soup

Method

Bolognese With a Twist (Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 500g Fresh Beef Mince.

• 400g Dried Spaghetti.

• 6 Rashers of Smoked Streaky Bacon finely diced.

• 2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes.

• 6 Fresh Cherry Tomatoes.

• 200g Halloumi, diced into approx. 1cm cubes.

• 2 Medium Onions, peeled and finely diced.

• 150g Mushrooms, finely chopped.

• 2 Carrots trimmed and finely diced.

• 2 Cloves of Garlic peeled and finely diced.

• 75g Mozzarella • 2 Beef Stock Cubes • Handful of Fresh Basil, plus extra for Garnish.

• 1 tsp. Dried Oregano.

• Olive oil.

• Sea Salt and Black Pepper.

• Grated parmesan to garnish

1 2 3 4 5

In a large saucepan heat around 1tbsp of olive oil on a medium heat, when it is hot gently fry your bacon and halloumi until golden and crispy. Then reduce the heat slightly and add in your onions, carrots, mushrooms and garlic. Keep stirring for around 8 minutes or until the veg has softened.

Increase the heat slightly and add in the mince, stir until the meat has browned all over.

Stir in your tins of chopped tomatoes; add in the basil, dried oregano and season with salt and pepper. Crumble in the stock cubes, slice your fresh cherry tomatoes in half and throw these in as well.

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low-medium place a lid on the saucepan and leave for 45 minutes to allow the flavours to develop into a wonderfully rich tomatoey sauce, ensure you stir occasionally to make sure it doesn’t catch.

Just as the sauce in nearly ready add in the mozzarella. Meanwhile bring a separate saucepan of water to the boil and cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Once the spaghetti is ready drain it using a colander, then add it to the pan with the sauce. Give it all a good stir to make sure all the pasta is coated in sauce then serve. Garnish your dish with a few fresh basil leaves and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1502640/the-best-spaghetti-bolognese

LIFESTYLE

21

Lifestyle

BOOTS

Essential Men Autum

A good boot will keep your feet all dry and warm no matter what the weather is, and provides a great sturdiness for when it gets icy outside. Although boots tend to be a little expensive (£50 is a standard price for a decent pair), they are worth the investment as they are unlikely to be destroyed at the first sign of bad weather. More than that, they are great all throughout Autumn/Winter, so when you have to attend a 9am on a cold November morning, you can get the safe in the knowledge you’ve got decent footwear. In terms of style, a brown leather pair are a good call as they can go with almost any outfit, but if it’s colour you’re looking for, then cherry red Doc Martens are a great - if pricey - alternative.

Coats

This may sound like a really obvious thing, but it’s surprising how many people do not have a warm winter coat, and by a warm winter coat, I don’t mean a mac that barely keeps the rain out.

Again, this is another expensive investment, but it is so worth it, to keep you warm if nothing else. Faux fur lined coats are particularly popular as they keep you warm; leather coats are popular for similar reasons. When buying a coat it is vital you try it on with a few layers; you’re likely to wear it with a hoodie at least, so get the sizing right! The great thing about a good coat is that it should last a good few years, so even if you do want to keep up with the latest fashion trends, it is worth investing in a reliable coat that you like and can wear year after year.

Jeans

Jeans are a staple of any wardrobe, but now that the nights are drawing in and it’s getting colder, they are going to make more and more appearances. What is great about a good jean is that you can look great in it without spending too much money. You can also keep your own identity due to the huge variety of jeans out there. For Autumn/Winter you are going to want a jean with a dark wash, and whilst black jeans are good in that they 22

do not show marks and go with pretty much anything, a dark blue jean is better because it adds a bit of style to your outfit, and still goes with most outfits. A good jean should also be able to be used for both casual and more formal events, and dark wash jeans are much better at that than the more casual light wash jeans.

Long Sleeved Tops

Whether you are a shirt or t-shirt lover, Autumn/Winter really belongs to the long sleeved shirts or t-shirts. A cheap longsleeved t-shirt makes the perfect underlayer, adding a bit of extra warmth for when the days get cold. Similarly, a longsleeved shirt is a good idea if you’re off on a night out; sure it may be hot and sweaty if you’re in a nightclub, but when you inevitably leave, it will get cold pretty quickly. Patterned shirts are the current trend, but as with a long sleeved t-shirt, sometimes it is best to keep it simple; a single coloured top can make you stand out more than a heady patterned one. As with a good jean, they can also fit both the casual and formal areas if you buy wisely.

Accessories

Accessories can be the thing that really makes the outfit, whether it is going for a coffee with friends or a wild night out.

The obvious things in Autumn/Winter would be gloves and a scarf, and that’s because they should be top of your priority list. Not only do they keep you warm, but they can really add an extra bit of style. On a fancy occasion, jewelry can help lift your outfit, especially a nice watch. If you’re just heading to a lecture however, then you may want something simple, like a woolly hat, to really top off your outfit.

LIFESTYLE

Lifestyle

nswear for mn/Winter Fashion is a notoriously tricky area, with fashionistas on the one hand who are keeping up to date with the latest trends, whilst others prefer to stick with what they know. There is no right or wrong thing about fashion at university; you have the freedom to express yourself through what you wear and should feel comfortable in what you are wearing, whether that is the latest high street trend or an old coat that you love and will not get rid of. No matter where you fall in the fashion spectrum, these essential items of menswear will keep all you guys out there ready for anything this Autumn/ Winter.

WORDS BY DAN LINSTEAD IMAGE BY ZOE COLLINS LIFESTYLE

23

Travel

5 Ways to Lower Your Profile Abroad WORDS BY JASMINE STOCKHAM IMAGE BY CHARLOTTE RICHARDS

As October draws to a close and we are all trudging back to uni; another summer of British travel is coming to an end. I think it’s safe to say that it’s been a fairly high profile season for UK travelers causing trouble overseas, including the deployment of two police officers to Magaluf to monitor the partiers. This, amongst other incidents, got me thinking that maybe we need to become a little more subtle, and lower our profiles, whilst travelling. I’m not only talking about huge incidents needing police attention, but also the little things that will help us not to stand out as profoundly when arriving in a new place.

24

TRAVEL

Travel Now, we’ve all been them and seen them: the glaringly obvious tourists waving maps, wielding expensive cameras, and generally looking lost. Aside from disturbing the authentic atmosphere of a place and possibly offending local people, being such an obvious newcomer also makes you a prime target for all sorts of crime. For these reasons, I have come up with 5 ways to lower your profile whilst on the move, and thus hopefully avoid a whole host of issues:

1) Make friends with local people Only chatting to fellow travellers is an easy trap to fall into, but getting to know local people is also really important. Not only does this allow you to meet amazing people and show your appreciation for their country, but having a local friend can also be very handy in sticky situations. I was at a talk the other day and the speaker told a story about when he was in Thailand, and suddenly found himself surrounded by five men on a beach, each brandishing a machete and wanting his wallet.

The only thing which saved his money, which he would have sensibly given without a fight, was a man that he had gotten to know in a bar the previous day running down the beach and shouting at the attackers in Thai. He doesn’t know what his friend said, but the men ran away without a backward glance.

By taking the time to build relationships with local people, you’ll definitely reap the rewards in more ways than one.

2) Dress for their culture, not ours Not long after arriving in South America, I was ready to dye my hair and change my eye colour, as I quickly learned that being the only blonde person on street full of brunettes is not fun. Clearly these blending tactics were not going to be practical, but dressing like the local women was something that helped. Often it feels like we shouldn’t have to cover up if we don’t want to, especially as a woman in a place where the two genders are treated very differently, but it’s down to us to adapt to a culture, not to change it. Saying that, making awkward mistakes is all too easy: I got kicked off a minibus in India by the driver who refused to take me if I didn’t change my clothes. In my case this led to an embarrassed scurry back to the hostel to change, but obviously sometimes there are far more serious consequences of not dressing in a culturally appropriate way. Unfortunately, sexual assault is sadly something which the Foreign & Commonwealth Office deal with overseas and, wrong as it may seem, one of the ways of lowering the risk of this is conforming to the style of dress that is accepted by the place you’re in.

TRAVEL

3) Plan your luggage encumbered route One of my favourite things about travelling is wondering down unknown streets and getting lost amongst the newness, so I definitely don’t have a problem with that. However, when first arriving in a new place, sweaty, stressed and carrying baggage heavier than your Dad, don’t stand in the street hitting people with maps and waving iPhones around as you attempt to remember that elusive hostel name. Know before you go where you are headed and how, in order to make a smooth transition to dump all your belongings in a safe place before going out to explore.

4) Learn something about the culture before you go In most good guidebooks there is a section which has a few important details about local history and culture, and it’s not only interesting to have a read through, but could also save you from being the socially incompetent tourist. For example, giving someone the ‘okay sign’ in Britain is usually used to demonstrate a complex emotion like ‘that brunch was so great I can’t even put it into words.’ However in Brazil and the Middle East it means something far less pleasant, and will receive an equally unpleasant reception. Know before you go to stop something as simple as a hand gesture from landing you in trouble.

5) Try not to be the loudest person in the street!

This pretty much explains itself loud and clear, but there’s nothing which begs attention, good or bad, like the gaggle of screaming newcomers deafening everyone. I’m rarely the quietest person in the room so this one isn’t easy for me, but just be aware of how much you’re fitting in (or not!).

For information about the Know Before You Go campaign and more travel tips, head to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office website: https://www.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo and https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice 25

Travel

9 Reasons you should WWOOF

( World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms )

WORDS BY KATIE UNIACKE IMAGE BY JOSH SAMWAYS

T

hese days, the internet is flooded with sites that are designed to allow willing volunteers to connect with people that need some extra help all over the world.

The idea is that volunteers work for roughly 5 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week in exchange for 3 meals a day and accommodation. This can be anything from working in a hostel to painting someone’s house; from looking after animals to building a tree house; from improving a business’ online profile to picking fruit. You name it, you can probably do it, depending on the skills you have to offer and where you want to go!

There are millions of opportunities in all corners of the globe and you can volunteer for a week, a year or anything in between. Some of the best and most well known sites are WWOOF, Workaway and Help Exchange. What’s in it for me I here you cry? Well, it’s funny you should ask...

1 Save Money

As students, money is never far from our thoughts. If I had a penny for every time someone told me they couldn’t afford to travel, I could fund a luxury round the world trip. Many people think that going travelling (or on an extended holiday) is going to cost the earth, but a work exchange is a fabulous solution.

The expensive part of a holiday is most often the day-to-day, but with a work exchange you needn’t spend any money at all.

Your accommodation and food are covered, and if you find the right opportunity you can stay away from any temptation 26

to spend money. I, for example, spent 3 weeks on a sheep farm/fishing and surfing hotspot in Australia 300km from the nearest town, so there was no chance of popping to the shops!

I was right on the beach so I spent my afternoons snorkelling on the reef and soaking up the sun, all without spending a single penny...

2 Travel for Longer

The more days you can go without spending, the longer your trip can be! If you’ve always dreamed of disappearing for the whole summer, or even a year, this could be the answer!

Interspersing your travels with a few weeks on a farm here or in a hostel there means that you can get maximum prolonged enjoyment out of those hard earned pounds!

3 Practice Languages

If your French is a bit rusty, there’s no better way to improve it than holing yourself up in a French vineyard for a little while to practice. If you really want to immerse yourself, try and find a host that is advertising the position in the language you want to learn and that English won’t be spoken.

4 Use your Skills for Good

If you are a social media whiz or handy with a hammer, you could help a small business trying to get off the ground or a family trying to build an eco-friendly house. There are also countless hosts looking for people to help them with their TRAVEL

Travel

English. Find what looks like a worthy cause and do some good whilst holidaying! Win win!

5 Learn a New Skill

There’s no better way to learn how to do something than, well, doing it. If you sign up to work in a hostel, chances are you’ll be checking people in using their management system, helping with social media... who knows. All this experience looks great on the CV, and any experience volunteering abroad will without doubt provide you with an answer to everyone’s favourite interview question: ‘Provide an example of a time when you have use your initiative to solve a problem...etc etc.’ Your initiative will most definitely be required repeatedly working abroad, so there’s no need to lie in interviews anymore!

6 Meet New People

It’s not just the hosts you might bond with; your fellow workers will probably be from all over the world and from all walks of life. You might make friends for life, find a travel buddy or just learn a lot about how to deal with ‘tricky’ people, but either way you’ll take a lot away from the experience.

7 Explore

If you’re lucky your hosts will give you insider tips about the best places to visit and you’ll have experience you would never have had if you’d just travelled on through.

8 Live Like a Local

Living and eating with your hosts means you’ll be completely immersed in the local life, eating local food and learning a lot about the local culture. There’s no better way to really get under the skin of the country you’re visiting.

9 Leave Your Comfort Zone Behind

Living and working alongside people of different nationalities in a completely foreign context will definitely require you to drop your preconceptions and go with the flow! Pick something completely out there and challenge yourself, you won’t regret it.

A word of advice:

Make sure you agree on the hours you’ll be doing before you arrive and stick to them! You’re a volunteer, not cheap labour!

Happy travelling!

You should be working half days and have plenty of days off, so you can use this time to explore the local area on the cheap!

TRAVEL

27

Learning England’s English An American Perspective Coming from the United States to England, I knew that there was going to be things I’d need to get used to hearing. In my head, I’d watched enough Game of Thrones to be familiar with a few different British accents, and I was aware enough of some of the more famous differences in language. I knew that what we call fries back home were chips, what we call chips were crisps, and what we call elevators were lifts. Simple stuff, really. This was going to be a seamless transition.

WORDS BY DANIEL FITZPATRICK

T

hen, on my first night out during Freshers’ Week, after a couple of drinks, someone asked me ‘You alright?’. My response was to shoot them a dirty look and say ‘Yeah, I’m fine, why?’. The conversation ended fairly quickly; the chances of making a fast friendship were pretty low at this point. It’s since come to my attention that I was absolutely the rude one in this situation, and it’s chalked up to a small difference in communication.

In the UK, the equivalent of saying ‘You alright?’ to someone is ‘How are you?’ or perhaps ‘What’s up?’ or “What’s good?”. It’s a friendly greeting, the intention being to start a conversation or see how the other person is. Where I come from, ‘You alright?’ means more along the lines of ‘Are you okay?’ and if you’re out drinking it might get followed up with “You should go to the bathroom” or “Do you want me to get you some water?” The implication of the question even being asked is that from the looks of things, I’m probably not alright. Something must be wrong, I’ve had too much to drink or I look very upset.

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IMAGE BY TARA SHORE Even upon realizing this, my first instinct when I heard the question was to feel a little bit offended. I’m sure I’ve given more people a strange look than I’d like to admit when being asked the question. I’ve been in England for about three weeks at this point, and I think I’ve successfully rewired my brain to understand this subtle difference between American English and British English. Only recently have I been able to respond naturally, with an appropriate response, usually something simple like ‘Good, how about you?’.

I’ve found that people are very curious as to why I chose to leave America to pursue my studies at Southampton.

Typically, my response includes something about my interests being internationally focused, and that for that reason it made sense in my head to study internationally. That’s usually followed by something to the effect of ‘I didn’t want to learn a new language.’ Now that I’ve spent a significant amount of time at the university, however, I’m starting to realize that in a sense, I am learning a new language. And I’m quite alright with that.

INTERNATIONAL

International

Is Putin Being Treated Unfairly

by The West?

WORDS BY CONOR KAVANAGH IMAGE BY KAYLEIGH SHARP

F

irst becoming Prime Minister of Russia in 1999, Vladimir Putin has not yet relinquished power. The Russian political system allows him to alternate between President and Prime Minister whenever his term is up. Putin has always been difficult but his most recent Presidential term has seen Russian-EU relations plummet.

Putin’s most notorious domestic policies are his treatment of the LGBT community. In June 2013 a federal law was passed criminalising information of LGBT relationships to minors, leading to the rise of hate crimes against LGBT members being justified by the new laws. This legislation has earned him international criticism from human rights groups. Putin’s stance on LGBT is not unique to Russia and his foreign policy has made him far more infamous; especially his actions against Crimea and Ukraine in 2014. Annexing Crimea and stirring up trouble in eastern Ukraine has led David Cameron to compare Putin to Hitler. Some of his actions can be perceived as startlingly similar to Hitler’s in places like Czechoslovakia, and he deserves this criticism.

Western media constantly condemns Putin but they rarely try to see his actions from a Russian perspective. In modern history, Russia has been invaded from Europe by Napoleonic France, Imperial Germany and Nazi Germany. Stalin’s policy of establishing Communist governments in Eastern European countries was purposely carried out to create a buffer zone against possible future invasion. By no means is a Stalinist, Putin is a product of the Cold War. He served in the KGB from 1975 to 1990 and has described the fall of the USSR as ‘the greatest geopolitical catastrophe’ of the 20th century. His

INTERNATIONAL

policies against Ukraine, while comparable to Hitler, follow the past attitude of creating a buffer zone.

His foreign policy in Europe has been widely condemned but his recent military support of Assad’s Syrian government has garnered mixed reactions. Ex-Soviet states border places like Afghanistan and there is a legitimate land route through these areas to Russia. Containing the spread of ISIS is more an issue to national security in Russia than the rest of Europe.

Furthermore, Russia is the only one fighting a legitimate war by siding with Assad. Putin has supported him since the beginning of the Arab Spring and for all Assad’s tyrannical actions he is now being seen as the lesser of two evils. NATO members like Turkey have given arms to ISIS and attacked groups opposing them like the Kurds while Putin and Assad are actually combating ISIS and, worryingly, perhaps the legitimate Syrian opposition. Russia’s unwavering support for him has, in the eyes of many, legitimised the Russian actions far more than the USA and its allies.

Putin is immensely popular in Russia with an approval rating of 87% as of 2015. As deplorable as his anti-gay domestic policy and his actions in Ukraine, he is largely a reflection of the people he represents, whose world view is modeled by recent Russia history. Most nations disagree with Putin but if you consider his actions through a Russian spectrum they do have a degree of legitimacy despite mostly being outdated for the modern world.

29

England’s World Cup Failure IMAGE BY CHARLOTTE RICHARDS With a nation behind them and odds looking favourable on England making it to the final, how did they not even make it out of their group? NICK PATTEN investigates how England crashed and burned in their own backyard.

One reason could be the infamous ‘group of death’. It seems, looking at the quarterfinalists that if England managed to survive their group, a semi final position was likely with South Africa,who of course lost to a lower tier team in the form of Japan and yet still managed to top their group. Was it too much to ask to play both Wales and Australia so early in the competition? This is no excuse for a team hoping to win the World Cup. No team has lost a group stage game and gone on to lift the coveted trophy. Why then, did England lose two games?

Was it poor player selection? Coach Stuart Lancaster’s unenviable task of picking the team was more idealistic than realistic. One only has to look at whom he selected and rejected from the team to see this.

One of the biggest names in rugby leading up to 2015 RWC was Manu Tuilagi, and yet he was cast aside. While his actions were appalling, it does seem that Lancaster judged him more harshly than a court of law did. This may have some further implications. Tuilagi’s omittance from the England setup is likely to push him towards France, where he can earn more money, however he will no longer be eligible for England selection in the future, thus weakening the team in the longterm.

Hartley was left out of the side due to disciplinary reasons, namely his accumulative fifty-four week ban for various acts of misconduct, most recently his head-butt on Jamie George, who went on to take his place. Lancaster seemed to be trying to win a popularity contest rather than a World Cup. Dropping one of the best Hookers in the world, and England’s first choice, for their third was a bizarre decision and warranted much shock from the rugby community.

Additionally, the selection of Burgess was strange. While none can deny that the 6’4”, eighteen stone former league player, has the attributes of a great union player, he was definitely not ready for this World Cup, having only made the transition. One can only hope he is not put off by this experience and keeps up SPORT

his union aspirations, as he will be a massive prospect for the 2019 World Cup. Above all else is Lancaster’s inability to pick players who don’t play domestic rugby. There are two players in particular; Steffon Armitage and Nick Abendanon whom were left out of the side despite being the respective 2014 and 2015 winners of the European Player of the Year (whilst playing in France).

The RFU’s rule states that unless under special circumstances, anyone playing outside of England cannot play for England.

What circumstances are more special than a home World Cup? Imagine if Portugal were to drop Ronaldo because he plays for Real Madrid, in Spain. Australia had a similar rule but made exceptions. Their 33-13 win over us would indicate that this was a good decision.

If England’s players are developing so well in France, maybe we are not doing enough to ensure that players in England are sufficiently developed. One only has to look at Nick Easter while he had an exceptional tournament, he is 37 years old and people are still talking about him playing in the next world cup. If by then, England don’t have someone who can take his place, surely something is wrong.

Having won 6 of the last world cups, one has to wonder why the Southern Hemisphere so strong. It seems that the most exceptional difference is the Super 15, a competition far superior to anything that we have in Europe. Teams are consistently playing exciting international quality games, which really enable players to prepare both mentally and physically for extra demanding games. This means that they are more likely to be confident with international fixtures.

Overall it seems that it’s a combination of all of these factors and so many more. There were still glimmers of hope in England’s performance and while this was an embarrassing setback, they have a solid base to work on for 2019, with Lancaster, Robshaw et al. There would be no sense in stripping Robshaw of his captaincy as this would set England back a further four years.

31

Sport

NO WORDS BY WILL SCOTT AND JACK PETHICK IMAGE BY CHARLOTTE RICHARDS

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hen thinking of this question far too many people just think of Clowns on a Wednesday night, and fail to look at the bigger picture. However this point can be easily addressed. Just because the guys are louder doesn’t mean that the girls aren’t boozing as much! There are also a large number of mixed teams who’ll go on socials together, or situations where separate teams will do a mixed social where the girls are just as comfortable as the guys. So to attribute any rowdy and “laddy” behavior solely to the male half of the AU wouldn’t be fair. Surely by having girls behave in a similar way the term “laddy” is no longer valid.

examples will be remembered and spoken about. Somebody suggesting that maybe one more pint of snakebite isn’t a good idea, or taking away that 7th jesticle and replacing it with a glass of water just doesn’t make a good story. I’m not suggesting that praise should be poured upon those who do behave sensibly - after all it’s just somebody doing the right thing. However in my experience of the AU there are more instances of sorting somebody out who’s possibly not in the best place, and more suggestions of certain antics not being the most female/race/sexuality-friendly, than the unfortunate and rare black spot.

I believe that the previously discussed behaviour stems from the fact that this is an AU we’re talking about. These are the most competitive people within the university, choosing to represent the university and dedicate a lot of time and effort to their sport of choice. Therefore of course, when you have several teams gathered in one place, they’re going to try to outdo each other; it’s the nature of having so many competitive people in one place. This is also then likely to happen within individual teams too – everyone wants to do one better than the guy next to him, so it can build up to some quite ridiculous things happening.

Whilst drinking forms a large part of university life, and an even larger one within the AU, to say that it reaches an intimidating level is subjective. As somebody who didn’t drink for all of first year and a large portion of second year, in my personal experience the acceptance level doesn’t vary based on alcohol consumption. Yes, doing something crazy on a social will make you more memorable to seniors, but it doesn’t affect whether you’re accepted or not. I played for two teams, both with a large reputation for getting rowdy on a Wednesday night, and in both of these I felt that I was accepted far more for my quality on the field of play than anything else, which is the way it should be.

Unfortunately the nature of the beast is that only the worst 32

SPORT

Sport

Is the AU Too ‘Laddy’?

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henever the topic of ‘lad culture’ is discussed, the same sorts of debates always seem to rear their heads: It depends on your own definition of what a ‘lad’ is; Is there a definitive line between banter and abuse; and is it that people who criticise ‘lad culture’ are just boring and oversensitive people, or is it that those who fit within the bracket of ‘lad culture’ have lost sight of what is acceptable and have become disillusioned with what indeed is banter and what is just outright offensive? However, the AU of course includes both male and female teams, so in this instance, the term ‘ladness’ or ‘laddy’ can’t really apply.

I suppose what we are asking therefore is this: is there too much unacceptable behaviour - regardless of whether or not it’s form gents or ladies - which goes past the boundaries of merely banter within the AU?

Earlier this year, SUSU took disciplinary action against the men’s hockey club, following an “unacceptable” and offensive email sent by the club. The Men’s Hockey Club had to publicly apologise, undergo equality and diversity training and pay a fine of around £500. The statement followed a disciplinary hearing, in which the club pled guilty to the charges of breaking University and Union rules. In addition, the club also were forced to get involved in the #SotonSpeakUp campaign against sexual harassment and other inappropriate behaviour during nights out. Furthermore, in 2014, the committee of Southampton University Football Club organised a social event at which two members of the Club wore costumes that involved the use of “blackface”, causing a breach of good order - again disciplinary action was taken. Now, of course these are isolated incidents and only highlight two clubs out of the many that make up the AU as a whole, but these are just two incidents that happened to picked up upon by SUSU, there are numerous incidents that happen on a regular basis which although are passed around the group emails and tell him/ tell her Facebook pages, never seem to be picked up upon by the powers that be. This in itself is perhaps enough to suggest that the AU and SUSU have become too distant and are now effectively two separate entities.

yes

The debate as to where the AU stands in terms of it’s own ‘ladness’ and whether or it is too distant from SUSU has been a topic of huge debate in recent years (the fact that we are even debating it within an article should be enough to suggest that it must be in some capacity). It was a topic that was discussed in the SUSU elections this year amongst the VP Sports candidates, with some candidates last year going as far as proposing the idea of ‘Team Southampton Contracts’ in order to deal with issues of misconduct and attempt to bridge what seems the ever-increasing gap between SUSU and the AU. In addition, it was also debated as to whether the AU lacks overall unity, with regards to whether socials or the games come first, and that as a consequence, there is not the same level of respect or achievement when becoming a ‘Team Southampton’ player as there is at other Universities such as Durham or Loughborough. Even if you’re not involved in the AU, the fact that such issues are even discussed at the elections, should be enough alone to perhaps tell you that certain clubs within the AU have indeed crossed the line on too many occasions.

SPORT

Finally, although drinking is almost a fundamental aspect of uni life, sometimes the sheer scale of the drinking done by certain clubs within the AU - particularly in their initiations can be quite intimidating to new players and genuinely deter some people from joining. This is not to say that AU teams won’t accept you if you don’t drink, but there is almost a sense that if you don’t you will be left out of virtually every social and therefore not be as strongly involved in the social side of the team as much as you may like to be. This goes for both the male and female teams in the AU, and arguably deters many potential athletes from representing what we should be proud of rather than questioning as we are now: the ‘Team Southampton’ brand.

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PAUSE TIMES Tuesday 10th November | wessexscene.co.uk | no. 1234567

Inside today

BADGERS

Invade Chandler’s Ford: Page 94

4-Page Pullout

‘The badger could have had me’: Pensioner says he is living in fear of a ‘super badger’

Avenue Campus

Declares Independence TOM RANDALL

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here were shocking scenes in Highfield last night as Avenue Campus declared independence from Southampton University. A spokesperson from the provisional government of Avenue Campus told Pause through his thick beard and fairtrade organic tea (handpicked by blind Chilean puppies) that the people of Avenue Campus had suffered decades of oppression from Highfield Campus in which only the interests of students studying Engineering were taken seriously. Students taking any degree with “ology” in the name or a STEM subject have been forbidden from entering the new breakaway state, lest their textbooks and demeanours threaten the members of Avenue Campus and the haven of foreign language films that has been established.

No single administration for the new entity has become clear yet, as heated debate between the historians and philosophers on who is best equipped to run the campus has emerged with no clear winner after a seminar lasting eight days and precisely zero of the attendees having done any of the required reading, the intention being to start as they mean to go on. A source within the seminar pointed out that they knew no way to have a seminar other than to spend their reading time drinking and turning up hungover and unprepared, and then turn the conversation down as many tangents as possible to hide this lack of preparation. Experts predict that it may be several weeks before the decisions are made, and this seminar could break the world record for the world’s longest seminar, which is currently held by the Marxist Society for a 13 day seminar on “Why Jeremy Corbyn is Awesome” held in June, which was also conducted with the minimal of preparation reading.

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It is feared by analysts that the rogue state of Avenue Campus may secure an alliance with the breakaway state of the Winchester School of Art, trapping Highfield Campus in a pincer movement of minimal contact hours and Waitrose food. A representative from the Winchester School of Art was meant to meet us to discuss these suggestions but unfortunately we scheduled the meeting for 10am and so she was unable to wake up in time. Highfield Campus officials have spoken about the danger of encirclement and called for the drinking of camomile tea and wearing of chunky wool cardigans to be declared a crime against humanity.

The general commander of the defence of Highfield Campus is a second year Mechanical Engineering student who has many years’ experience in command of his Warhammer toy soldiers, and has lambasted the authorities for not providing him with enough death lasers and mutant-alien-robot-ponies to use in the defence. In speaking exclusively to Pause from his basement room below the Engineering buildings between eating doritos and playing Call of Duty Modern Noscoper 4, he has stated his fears about the use of obscure tea blends as weapons as well as the not-so-ironic Doc Marten’s boots worn by the defence forces of Avenue Campus and has re-iterated his demands to be funded with technology to bring his World of Warcraft character into the real world to fight for him as only the Level 347 Wizards have the required skills to fight off hordes of aspiring writers and illustrators.

This new development brings questions about peace and stability in the region as the students, previously united under common origins (somewhere near Guildford PAUSE

probably, according to the Institute for Expert Studies) have begun to split. Furthermore, there are problems of outside intervention. Vladimir Putin has apparently announced that Russia will defend the “Pro-Russian minorities’ of the Russian department, leading other world leaders to stake their claims.

The Americans are uninterested but will fire a few missiles anyway into the disputed territory of Portswood. The territory of Chandler’s Ford is likely to fall as well to a pack of badgers that have been let loose in the high street, as these badgers have declared the Badger Uprising and called for all Badgers in England to emigrate at once to join their brothers and sisters.

Reactions and Responses to the Crisis:

“Portswood? That’s outside London right?”

Jeremy Corbyn

“The Government is doing all that it can to assist, unfortunately that means precisely three peacekeepers will be deployed” David Cameron

In The News

Soton Tab staff go to house party, fail to write it up.

A house party on Alma Road was visited by the editors and various section editors of the Soton Tab and they failed to write up a self-indulgent article about it. The Union President has been informed of the developing media scandal.

News, page 15 President of the European Commission denies being a James Bond villain. Jean-Claude Juncker claims that although being an alcoholic with an accent from a bad war film, he is not actually going to destroy the world with a massive laser beam and be stopped at the last moment

by Sean Connery, who is too old for such hijinks anyway.

Entertainment, page 12 Sport: England “gives up and goes home” The captains of the English football, cricket and rugby teams have jointly announced their team’s retirements from international sport, claiming it’s just not worth the effort anymore. They hope to focus on their careers of drinking champagne and driving vulgar cars Sport, page 26

“Mine’s a pint and pack of pork scratchings” Nigel Farage

IMAGE BY CHARLOTTE RICHARDS. Protesters seen outside Avenue Campus. Pause, page 34

PAUSE

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