The National Student - October 08

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Pesky armadillos! Meddling with history...

October 2008

Obama could have read a telephone directory and the stadium would still have swelled up in a frenzy of signwaving and ‘Yes We Cans’ Page 14

Page 17

‘Nazi’ INDUCTION Degrading sports society initiation rituals exposed as bizarre plastic bag procession video comes to light

probe

Rik Mayall - University of Exeter - Wednesday July 9 That’s Doctor Rik Mayall to you... Class of 2008, pages 8 + 9

Liberally speaking - Nick Clegg - page 11

The University of Gloucestershire is investigating a video of a bizarre and sickening initiation ceremony. The video shows victims paraded around, with carrier bags on their heads, by a student dressed in a Nazi-style uniform. The ‘Nazi officer’ walks up and down the line while students are encouraged to drink and many are seen vomiting. The footage was filmed by Natalie Sutton, a broadcast journalism student at the university, outside her home in Cheltenham. She used the film as part of a university assignment. The university are now trying to identify the people involved in the video. Paul Drake, director of communications, said: “We are shocked by the content of this film and take the issue of intimidation and bullying during initiation ceremonies extremely seriously”. “Disciplinary action may be brought against those who are found to be leading initiation ceremonies and who continue to

perpetuate unacceptable intimidatory and coercive practices in line with the university’s Student Charter,” he added. James Durant, president of Gloucestershire University Students’ Union, was quick to condemn the footage, “The Students’ Union does not support initiation ceremonies and they have been banned on campus for many years.” “We go to great lengths to ensure our sports captains understand that initiation events that include intimidating or bullying behaviour will not be tolerated.” “Many initiation-style events do not involve alcohol or extreme behaviour. But there may be exceptions, and if they are brought to our attention, such as the case here, we take it very seriously and will be launching a formal investigation with the university,” he said. Talking to students on campus the BBC was told how these

ceremonies are common-place with first-year students being made to do ‘anything you are told’ by the senior students. Natalie Sutton, 20, who shot the footage, experienced a degrading entrance ritual of her own. During her hockey initiation ceremony she was forced to put fish in her bra and then eat it. She added: “I had to go to the toilet in a bucket in a dark basement, which was full of other people’s urine. People were crying and vomiting.” Another, Nick Levy, said that during his ceremony he was told to drink excessively and then run naked through Cheltenham. Continued on page 4

Initiations at your uni? - Have your say: [email protected]

The National Student, October 2008

UK NEWS

2 The National Student welcomes all contributions.

Web textbook site launches

The National Student works closely with student publications across the UK. We are happy to accept news, comment, features, and reviews on any subject. Contact us at: The National Student 58 High Street Lincoln LN5 8AH or email [email protected] or phone 0845 46 300 46 The National Student is the independent, monthy newspaper for higher education students in the UK. Published by Defender Newspapers, 58 High Street Lincoln LN5 8AH. © 2008 All content is the copyright of Defender Newspapers unless otherwise stated thenationalstudent.co.uk

A Coventry student is launching an innovative online text-book service next month. Second-year business student Oliver Parnell is opening the virtual doors on Techbook, which is offering students the chance to download their course textbooks straight off the internet, direct to their computers. Techbook offers 24-hour access to textbooks from some of the biggest names in academic publishing and saves customers money on shipping costs. Parnell believes the site offers many advantages, “Not only will students have greater accessibility, but they will also be saving money and having greater search facilities on textbooks.” A survey carried out in march 2008 shows that 88% of students surveyed own a laptop and have regular

access to the internet, this coupled with the increasing technology minded youth of today, outlines the need for the publishing industry to take into account the changing perceptions of its key market, and to facilitate in the offering of new services, much like the one offered by TechBook. The company is currently working to secure contracts with major publishing companies and aims to add new titles to their catalogue on a regular basis. Parnell added, “We want to design a service where minimal effort is needed by the user, where their needs and requirements are instantly recognised and fulfilled, we want to establish a loyal customer base which will hopefully feel comfortable to use the service throughout their educational careers.” Visit the site at techbooks4students.co.uk

WHAT ABOUT MONEY?

Whether you’re a fresher or in your final year, now is a good time to take control of your money, but sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) have launched a new impartial financial information website telling you all you need to know to help you with your money. The FSA say that the new site, whataboutmoney.info cuts through all the jargon and pulls together all the information you need in one place, so it really could be worth a visit. whataboutmoney.info

The National Student, October 2008

UK NEWS

3

News Call for Christian in brief university in UK

An NUS representative is being tried in Iran and faces up to eleven years imprisonment. Honorary Vice-President Anooshe Azadbar is charged with plotting against the Islamic regime, plotting against the Islamic order and acting against the Iranian national interest by being part of a left-wing group. Azadbar played a prominent part in planning an anti-war demonstration at the University of Tehran in December last year. She was arrested together with 28 other students three days before the protest was set to take place. The action was planned for December 7 the annual Student Day at the university, a day which has traditionally attracted protests. Azadbar is said to have made claims of being tortured and being put under psychological pressure during her 50 day imprisonment. She has denied all charges, claiming the protest was a legal student demonstration against the threat of war, and not against the regime.

Loughborough on top L o u g hb o r o u g h University has been crowned University of the Year in the annual Sunday Times University Guide. Recent graduates of the university aren’t surprised by its recent success. Jamie Thompson, 23, claimed: “It’s just a fantastic community spirit there. Being a campus university, everyone knows everyone and there’s a real sense that you’re a part of something special.”

50% of students funded by parents More than half of students have help from their parents to pay their way through university a survey has revealed. The research by Halifax found that parents are helping 53% of students at university with the cost of fees, accommodation and living costs. Grandparents are helping 5% of students out with their costs. On asking 60,000 students Halifax found that the largest proportion of student funding came from their families. Students in their third year of study were more likely to receive funding from their parents, with just over three-fifths (61%) of them receiving help compared with only half (50%) in the first year.

Britain should get an American-style Christian University where students study the bible alongside mainstream arts and humanities subjects according to a leading Christian think-tank. Higher education institutions in the UK, such as the Oxbridge colleges, have religious foundations but there is no university run on dogmatically Christian lines. Nigel Paterson, an English lecturer at Winchester University argues that Christian universities have their place in higher education and that a country with a well-established Christian community would be “enriched” by the presence of at least two or three Christian universities, where students would use the Bible as a work of reference in all courses. However he admits that there can be problems with such institutions, with their being fierce opposition from the country’s atheists such as Oxford Don Dr. Richard Dawkins. Dr. Paterson writes, “There is ample reason for continued use of the Bible within academia. It is a book that has deeply enriched Western imagination and thought. Many European towns and cities would be robbed of some of their finest buildings if those inspired by the Bible were removed, and that is just an outward picture of this book’s great impact on Western culture.” He argues that theology used to be considered the ‘queen of sciences’ at universities. He adds, “In a Christian university, it can be both accorded its important place among academic subjects and engaged in ways that serve the church and the world. Beyond those studying theology, there can be a widely-shared acceptance in a Christian university that there is a religious dimension to life which merits respect and academic scrutiny.”

Psychology student Dan Driver has become the first person to run the length of Britain solo. He ran the 875 mile route in just 17 days between July 7 and July 24. His trek raised £3,000 for Cancer Research UK. Find out more at: therunner.org

Mullan cleared of racism

Kings College London Students’ Union President Chris Mullan has been cleared by the NUS of making racist comments at a training event over the summer. As reported in our September issue Mullan was under investigation for allegedly racist comments made at an event at the University of York in August. An investigation into the event by the NUS has found Mullan not guilty of racism, but the KCLSU Board of Trustees has suspended him pending the outcome on internal investigation. “On the basis of the information provided the Trustees have decided to suspend Chris Mullan on full pay under KCLSU’s employment procedures pending a full inquiry,” said the board. Asked why an investigation was necessary after the NUS cleared Mullan, KCLSU said: “The statement released by the NUS implies that there is an appeals process which we cannot prejudice.” The NUS investigation

Coffee Lover

NUS VP faces jail in Iran

into another allegedly racist incident involving Craig Cox, Education Officer of the University of Nottingham is ongoing. It is said that Cox held up a poster saying ‘Bring Back Slavery’ in order to ‘wind up’ participants. Regarding the allegations against Mullan, NUS Black Students Officer Bellavia Ribeiro-Addy, in an email sent around student unions

said: “At an NUS training event, Chris Mullan, President of Kings College London Students Union questioned encouraging more students from the local Black community to attend a university, as he thought the presence of such students would increase gun and knife crime and so require more security. He then went on to say that there should be thought

put into whether they want such ‘undesirables’ at the university.” But student officers said that Ribeiro-Addy, who was not at the event, spread a false version of events. LSE Student Union General Secretary Aled Fisher said: “During the role play, Chris asked a question: ‘Given the increase in knife crime in the area, if we’re going to widen participation, are you going to install a metal detector?’ He did not use the phrase ‘black people’ at all. Everyone was very involved in the role play at the time and it wasn’t obvious that it caused offence. “In no way did he say black people. At the time no officer seemed to react to it other than ‘Oh, it’s just Chris being Chris.’ I just didn’t think twice about it, to be honest. We were all so into the role play.” “Later there were people walking around upset, but there was a lot of confusion. It was very unclear even at the time what had happened,” he added. Since the original allegations were made Ribeiro-Addy has been

unresponsive to The National Student’s requests for comment. In an official statement, released after the end of the NUS investigation, Mullan said: “I would like to now make it clear what I was talking about. Since I am from London, and represent a London university, I could not have failed to notice the recent reported increase in knife attacks on young people over the summer. I have genuine concerns that at some point a King’s student may get attacked. I felt it prudent to raise the issue of funding to protect those people who wanted to study, from those carrying guns and knives, at any university in the country.” “This was a discussion only about security on any campus, anywhere. The only people I referred to as undesirable on a campus were any persons who carried a gun or a knife.” “I firmly believe I have a duty to do the best for all students, and that means asking questions relating to their safety, which is in truth all that I have done,” he added.

The National Student, October 2008

UK NEWS

4 Advertorial

KTP: leading the way in employment for graduates

Still looking for that ideal graduate job? Well, look no further: KTP recruits for hundreds of high calibre graduates every year. Looking for a job after graduating can be a daunting prospect. Even if you know which direction you want to take your career in, how do you know whether the job you apply for will really give you the level of training and experience that’s so important in those first few years? One way you can be sure, is by applying for a job with KTP. The government-funded programme is one of the largest graduate recruitment programmes across Europe. A KTP is a three-way project between a graduate, a company and an academic institution (University or college). Basically, graduates are recruited to manage strategic projects, whilst being supported by a dedicated academic base. KTP works across a wide range of academic disciplines and industry sectors, and any degree subject is considered. Your KTP might be recipe development for a leading food company, or developing marketing campaigns to reach the socially disadvantaged or researching new technologies for environmental sustainability. The opportunities are huge. Training All graduates get to spend around 10% of their time in training and personal development, and at the start of the KTP you’re given a training budget to manage – so you get to decide which courses you think

would benefit you. Training modules cover people skills, people management, career development and business leadership, as well as jobspecific technical training. All graduates can also study a diploma in management. Many graduates go on to continue their studies further during the KTP. Last year, 21% registered for postgraduate qualifications and in addition, 50 recruits holding higher degrees registered for further post-graduate work. Benefits The essential benefit of KTP is the opportunity to start work at a managerial level. The whole premise of a KTP is that the company needs someone to manage a specific, strategic project, so from the outset you’re tasked with delivery. Although that might sound daunting, remember you’ve got a dedicated University Supervisor, ready to help and advise whenever you need them. Graduates also benefit from a local KTP Office

and regional/national KTP management. There are also about 400 other graduates in the same position as you! Regular KTP residential courses plus an online forum means that there’s a real sense of community. Career Benefits KTP projects last anywhere from one year to three years, so what about life after KTP? Well, around 78% of graduates are offered employment with their host company on completion of their projects. Of the remaining, many go on to achieve great jobs using the skills and experiences learnt during the KTP. Who should apply? If you want to apply your degree, start a ‘real’ job straight away and gain a professional qualification, then KTP is what you’re looking for. You should be inquisitive, bright and serious about getting ahead. Only the most able graduates need apply.

Initiations: Alcohol, Nudity and Abuse The shocking footage of a sport club initiation at the University of Gloucestershire has provided much needed evidence of the shadowy world of hazing at UK’s universities. Despite the fact that these events occur is common knowledge, there is little solid evidence as to the extent of these initiations and what they entail, with many societies and clubs keeping the details of them close to their chest. One report compiled at the University of Southampton in 2004, provides a good insight into the world of student initiations. Taking answers from 199 students the findings help highlight the whys and wherefores of this worrying tradition. Not surprisingly 100% of the respondents said that the consumption of alcohol was a central part of initiation ceremonies. Other aspects included ‘nudity’ (44.5%) and ‘physical activities’ (22%). Worryingly the respondents also highlighted ‘physical abuse’ (22%) and even ‘sexual abuse’ (14%) as being part of their initiation experiences. The report explains that initiations usually feature one or more categories of ritual. The first, ‘consumption’, sees initiates often being forced to “consume all manner of unpleasant concoctions” and that “levels of alcohol consumption are usually excessive”. It also indicates the use of so-called ‘dirty pints’ which either contain a mixture of several alcoholic beverages or other added ingredients ranging from chilli’s and sun tan lotion to vomit and urine. ‘Ritualised Nudity’ is also common, “whether it be running naked through the pub or placing ones genitalia in a beverage, nudity is only amusing to those conducting the ceremony,” says the report. Local residents associations frequently report naked members of sports teams wandering the streets in the early hours of the morning. Indecent exposure is a criminal offence. ‘Task performance’ has always played a key role in initiations and is extremely common. “Whether it is swimming naked in the fish pond, stealing an

Continued from front page He added: “We had to put matches in private, inappropriate areas and set them on fire whilst drinking more beer. I did it to be accepted by the older guys at the time.” “It was a bit tormenting, but if you didn’t do it you would get called a wuss,” he said. Students said that the possibility of being subjected to such rituals is putting some off joining sports clubs. Initiation ceremonies have resulted in the death of at least three British students. In November 2006, first-year Exeter student Gavin Britton died from alcohol poisoning after drinking four vodkas, three pints of cider, a glass of wine and numerous Sambucas before downing a pint of spirits as part of an initiation to join Exeter University’s Golf Club. This death saw many institutions placing a formal ban on initiations. Another student, 18-year-old Alex Doji, died in an initiation ceremony at Staffordshire University after choking on his own vomit in 2003.

item of clothing from an opposition team or drinking a pint of vomit, task performance has always played a key role in initiation ceremonies,” explains the report. Task performance highlights just how far an individual is prepared to go for the team; although participation in these events is not a real consent to willingness as the social repercussions of failing to participate will lead to social exclusion at a time when initiates are striving for group acceptance. This kind of activity is said by the report to create as many divisions as it does unity with the team structure. Probably the most worrying is the common-occurrence of ‘Physical and Psychological abuse’. The report states that, “Those conducting the ceremonies often resort to verbal or physical abuse in order to humiliate an initiate in order to ensure the recognition of the hierarchal structure. Psychological abuse can leave as many scars as purely physical violence and often these actions are borne out of a need for revenge for humiliations which those conducting the ceremony experienced. Physical violence often involves beatings with items such as hockey sticks, cricket bats or studded boots, all of which leave physical as well as psychological damage on initiates.” Those who defend the initiation ceremonies say that they are important to help build team relationships and trust, those who answered the questionnaire seem to have a different opinion with 89% stating that they are simply to ‘humiliate freshers’. Just 17.6% believed that they ‘promote team building’ and a mere 10% thought it ensured ‘commitment to the team’. Of the 74% of student respondents who had been part of an initiation ceremony 80.5% were given no choice of whether to partake or not and 61% were pressurised by their peers to join-in. Despite evidence and seemingly common-knowledge of the extreme humiliation of these events, this does not put students off joining sports clubs where they know an initiation would take place. 92.5% said they were not put off joining because of fear of initiations and the conduct of members.

NUS has called for a total ban on initiation ceremonies. NUS President Wes Streeting told The National Student: “We are totally opposed to student initiations.” “They put students at serious risk and exclude students who don’t want to take part in that binge-drinking culture,” he added. Welfare charity YouthNet warned that many students often feel pressurised by their peers when first starting university. Chief executive Fiona Dawe said, “It’s essential that young people feel able to speak out if they feel pressure to participate in or be party to inappropriate or bullying activity during Fresher’s week. “Starting university can be a stressful as well as an exciting time for young people and our latest research proves that many feel more pressure than ever.” “In fact fear of not being good enough and not making friends were cited as major concerns by young people, so it’s essential that they know where they can turn to for help, advice and support,” she added.

The National Student, October 2008

UK NEWS

5

Essentials Transgender Toilets

What were the ‘essential’ items that simply had to accompany you to university? Laptop, mobile, mp3 player? Yeah, so far, so obvious. What else? Your Frisbee perhaps…? No?!? Oh how times have changed! Student life clearly isn’t what it used to be… and a new survey about our top five items shows just how different things are. Orange asked 500 freshers and 500 ex-university students from 15 years ago to see what they packed for uni. Beer is a perennial favourite and remains triumphantly on the list but the arrival of the mobile phone means that the phone card no longer gets a look in.

Top 5 Student Essentials

1993

2008

1 2 3 4 5 Catwalk to classroom Supermodel Lily Cole became another face in the crowd as she started at Cambridge University earlier this month. The model caused a storm when she appeared in French Playboy, but kept a low-profile on her first day of her threeyear History of Art degree. The straight-A student said she would model during timeoff from university, “I’ll still do bits of modelling alongside my degree.” “We have long holidays so I’m hoping I’ll be able to work then,” she said.

Loo signs of the times at the University of Manchester cause a stir on campus and in the media

Toilets to suit transgender people have been created by a student union that has labelled its facilities ‘toilets’ and ‘toilets with urinals’ rather than ‘ladies’ and ‘gents’. The signage has been altered on loos in the University of Manchester Student Union building sparking debate amongst the local student community and the wider media. Where the sign on the door of the Gents would traditionally read ‘Gents’ a replacement temporary sign now says ‘toilets with urinals’. The necessarium next door no longer carries its restrictive ‘Ladies’ label and instead simply declares ‘toilets’. The Students’ Union claim the move will make the lavatories more inclusive for transgender students and help to tackle transphobia. The toilets are outside a club in the basement of the Steve Biko Student Union building, on Oxford Road, Manchester. Permanent signs are expected to replace the current temporary ones in due course. Jennie Killip, SU Women’s Officer, proposed the new toilet signage following complaints received from transgender students. She said: “The idea is that transgender people feel more comfortable using their student union. Transgender people can face violence and abuse when they go into toilets and we wanted to provide a place where they can feel comfortable. I have had complaints from people who said we didn’t

have any facilities for them.” The re-classification of the toilets has been met with varied responses including praise, confusion and scorn. Manchester paper Student Direct drew criticism after publishing an editorial questioning the toilet terminology, prompting Ms Killip and 60 other signatories to pen a letter of complaint to the paper calling their comments offensive and derogatory.

Student Direct Editor Susannah Birkwood told the BBC: “The toilets have been provided for men who don’t self identify as men and women who don’t think of themselves as women. Whether or not this is political correctness gone mad… It certainly seems that way to some members of our student community.” Reactions to the signs have highlighted confusion in some people’s grasp of the issue; with a number of students mistakenly referring to the news in terms of sexuality. Jennie Killip clarified the matter for the BBC: “If you were born female, still present quite feminine, but define as a man you should be able to go into the men’s toilets - if that’s how you define. You don’t necessarily have had to have gender reassignment surgery, but you could just define yourself as a man, feel very masculine in yourself, feel that in fact being a woman is not who you are.” She added, “I think the term ‘political correctness gone mad’ is politically incorrect in itself” The University of Manchester’s population exceeds 35,000 students; no figures on the number of transgender students enrolled at the university are available. The students’ union welfare office declined to reveal the number of complaints received, but said it was an important issue.

Sexist tabloids [top] shelved Students in Manchester wanting to read their favourite red-top tabloids will now have to reach for the top shelf in their union shop. Following a decision by the University of Manchester Students’ Union executive tabloid readers will also be confronted with a sign stating, “These publications are on the top shelf because of their sexist nature and objectification of women, which UMSU opposes.” The motion was put forward by The Riveters (the UMSU women’s rights group) and supported by union Women’s Officer Jennie Killip because the content of the papers contradicts union policy. Speaking to The National Student Killip explained the decision, “The decision was taken because these papers objectify women. They have page three models, refer negatively to women throughout and their blatant objectification offended many of The Riveters, not because

they have naked women (if women choose to do that - then that’s ace) but they are used in this case in a derogatory fashion, their bodies the only aspects of achievement pointed out.” “By moving them to the top shelf we are putting them out of eye-shot on the shelves and making a stand against their sexist nature. The reason they are not banned is that it would infringe on free press - many students to read the papers and so

we wanted to allow them to do that but ensure they are aware of the nature of these publications.” Responding to the suggestion that the accompanying sign may be an excessive step, Killip added, “I don’t think the accompanying sign is excessive because just moving the papers to the top shelf is no explanation in itself. It’s there to challenge people, their preconceptions and the publications themselves.”

The National Student, October 2008

UK NEWS

6

Dead good degree

Hollyoaks stars plan great escapes Hollyoaks stars Lena Kaur and Zoë Lister, are helping students to get fire safe savvy this term by lending their support to the Great Escapes campaign. With Freshers’ Week over, you’re probably focussing attention on new timetables, getting reacquainted with mates and reading lists – and worrying less about domestic duties like cleaning rotas, bills or crucially, fire safety. But fire safety isn’t something you can afford to ignore, especially when you’re in rented housing. You’ve got to be responsible for ensuring you and your mates escape the risk. A landlord might provide smoke alarms but it is down to you to check your home is safe. The chilling stats speak for themselves - you are more than twice as likely to die in a fire if you don’t have a working smoke alarm so it’s essential that you make sure you have

alarms in your student home and test them weekly . New Hollyoaks cast member Lena Kaur, who plays art student Leila Roy, says:“Moving out of home into your own place might feel like a Great Escape – being able to do what you want, when you want – but you have to get clued up on potential dangers in the home. When you live in your own accommodation you’re responsible for yourself, and no one is there to look after you. If you have a fire, you need to be prepared. If you need help, just ask your local Fire and Rescue Service – it’s just one call.” The Great Escapes campaign is taking its message direct through students on campus. ‘Fire Kills ambassadors’ have been recruited in 24 universities across England, each tasked with raising the issue of fire safety amongst the student population. Watch out for an ambassador in your Uni!

For more information visit direct.gov.uk/firekills

The University of Bath has launched the UK’s first degree in Funeral Sevices. 20 students have started the course developed by the university’s Centre for Death and Society (CDAS). The degree covers a range of theory and practice to do with funeral rituals, bereavement and ethnical issues. It will also cover how to run a business whilst responding to new laws. Students have the option to study full time for two years or part time for three years. Caron Staley, Manager of the CDAS, believes the qualification will be very valuable especially for mature students without many qualifications: “This course will give people in the industry the opportunity to acquire a degree level qualification. This is the first time that this has been available for people working within the funeral services.” “We are all very excited and looking forward to welcoming the first cohort of students at their induction in September of this year.”

The National Student, October 2008

UK NEWS

Find Your Tribe

If you’re bored or have five minutes to spare, this could be one for you... Find Your Tribe is a quiz set up by Channel 4, asking questions on your interests, music taste, clothes etc and then tells you what youthcultural sub-category you fall into. From traditional ones like Chavs and Skaters, to clichés like Goths and Trendies to newer categories like Craft Kids and Indie Scenesters, there are more than enough pigeonholes to hold most people. The results over the eight-or-so weeks since the site launched show that Townies are by far the biggest tribe in the North of England and Wales, with Club Kids ruling the roost in Northern Ireland and Indie Scenesters ruling the East of England and the Southern counties. They also show a total lack of Goths in any part of the UK, but maybe they were just too tortured to get through the quiz… So, go forth and find YOUR tribe at findyourtribe. co.uk For the record, The National S t u d e n t negotiated the sometimes very reductive options and came out as an “Indie Kid”, to which we say “no way man we’re ‘Bhangra Muffins’ through and through”.

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Hijack officer charged A SU officer was arrested and taken to court after taking part in a climate change protest. University of Manchester Students’ Union Communications Officer Robbie Gillett and 28 other students from across the UK hijacked a coal train, climbed on top and refused to leave all day. The protestors held their position for 16 hours despite a massive police presence, including riot police, transport police, a police helicopter and hostage negotiators to talk them down. The coal train was stopped on-route to Britain’s biggest powerstation, Drax on June 13th. The protestors were dressed in orange jumpsuits and waved red flags. The students fastened ropes from the bridge to the train’s wheels, making it impossible for it to drive off without risking damage

to the carriages or bridge. Once they had climbed onto the 12ft high train, they began shoveling coal onto the tracks. They demanded the Government reconsider their plans to expand coal mine power stations and come down to the power station to talk to them, “to take direct action against coal extension.” Speaking to Student Direct Gillet said, “The whole world is looking on Britain to see how it moves on coal industry.” “We say its ‘clean coal’, while lecturing China and India on reducing their Carbon Emissions.” The group were prepared to stay on the train for days but were talked down by police at 11pm. The action was inspired by the ruling on the case of six Greenpeace protesters earlier this year. The court ruled that taking non-violent criminal action is legal considering the importance of climate

The coal train was hijacked on the way to Drax power station

change. Gillet and the other students case is still pending with further hearings set for this month and January. Referring to fellow carbon emission protesters Plane Stupid,

who demonstrated against airport expansion and will appear before Crown Court in November, and the “Greenpeace Six”, Gillett said: “Between the three groups we keep up an ongoing dialogue about

climate change using courts as a forum.” “We’re the last generation who can do something against climate change, so it’s really important that we do something now.”

Living Costs We’re all well aware of the fact that our choice of university can affect the value of our degree, but it can also massively affect the cost. Push, an independent website for university applicants has published results of a study that reveals a huge difference in the living costs of undergraduates. Using three indicators – student housing, groceries and drinks – the study measures how each university’s living costs compare to the national average. The range varied from the University of Teesside, where life works out at 72% of the national average, to a number of London institutions where students need over a third more money than most. Oxford University

continues to be among the most expensive, with a higher index than many London institutions, and Wales was easily the cheapest region with costs running at more than 15% below average. Meanwhile, outside London, the South East was not significantly more expensive than other places. To gather the data on groceries, Push worked with Costcutter to develop a student ‘basket of goods’, representing some of the bestselling items in branches local to universities. Here comes a

shocker! Among other things, the basket included King Size Rizla, condoms, baked beans, a Pot Noodle, cigarettes, beer, ProPlus, HobNobs and cheese. There is a strong link between high living costs and ‘posh’ universities: those that have a greater than average proportion of privately educated students. For instance, the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal Agricultural College, Imperial, Oxford, UCL, St Andrew’s, Durham and Cambridge were all among those that were significantly more expensive than others in their region. This gives cause for concern that even if poorer students are not being dissuaded from higher education as a whole, certain institutions may become economically elitist.

The results of the study can be seen in full at: Push.co.uk

The National Student, October 2008

UK NEWS

8

Class of 2008 S Ryan Giggs

Master of Arts University of Salford

o you came to university to get that all important degree. You’ve spent thousands of pounds that you don’t have, built up oodles of debt and a hefty overdraft, worked determinedly into the small hours to get all that coursework finished and the revision done… Then you finally reach your graduation day only to find that some bloke off the telly has been given a doctorate for free! Honorary degrees are dished out annually by our esteemed institutions but they get a bit of a rough ride. Muttered about by debtriddled graduates and derided by the media, the ever-growing list of admired and well-known figures honoured by universities often causes a raised eyebrow or two. Learned

souls, charitable persons, scientific leaders and respectable members of commerce and industry have long been recipients of these faux qualifications. Nowadays their ranks are swelled by footballers, chat-show hosts and fashion designers, but why? Well why not! These people are achievers in their own right. Steven Gerrard has already been awarded an MBE by the Queen, so why shouldn’t he get an honorary fellowship from Liverpool John Moores? Surely it’s just snobbery to suggest that being a inspirational mid-fielder who represents his country is of less worth and value than, for example, being a tireless fundraiser, campaigner and the founder of Childline (Esther Rantzen CBE was also recognised by

Jane Horrocks Sir David Attenborough

Doctor of Letters Lancaster University Doctor of Science University of Exeter

LJM this year). These awards benefit us too, they help raise the profile of our universities and of higher education itself – so don’t be too quick to scoff. They are also meant to inspire us toward achievement, so it is quite right that such inspiration should come from many different career paths. As ever, this year’s crop of honorary degree recipients brings a full and varied selection of people under UK academia’s wing. It’s a broad selection of well known figures reflective of the colourful tapestry of our culture and society. From Trevor Phillips, head of the Commission for Equalities and Human Rights (and NUS’ first and only black President); to Lorraine Kelly the queen of daytime sofa chat. This year the University of Edinburgh bestowed an honorary degree upon Neil Armstrong and took one away from Robert Mugabe. Parky got one from Huddersfield, Giggsy got one from Salford and over in Ireland, Trinity College Dublin gave one to the Sundance Kid. Let’s celebrate the Class of 2008!!

Doctor of Science University of Aberdeen

Alastair Stewart OBE

“It is very nice that the Scots should honour a Sassenach”

“I am delighted to have been awarded this honorary degree. It is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the tradition and the history here in Bath. This area was the springboard for my career, so it has real significance for me.” © Nic Delves-Broughton, IDPS, University of Bath

“Universities are that crucial element in society, which independent of commercialism, independent of politics, seeks the truth and declares the truth. So, for me, this ceremony, this ritual and this honour is a very great one. I congratulate all of you who have worked so hard to take part in this ritual.”

Doctor of Laws University of Bristol

Bill Bryson

Doctor of Letters University of Leicester

Honorary Fellowship University of Northampton

Robert Redford Doctor of Letters Trinity College Dublin

“The ceremony was fine, I had to wear a very silly hat and a gown but it all went very smoothly.”

“This is a huge and great honour for me and made all the more gratifying by knowing that I had to do nothing at all to get it whereas David, my son, has just worked very hard for five long years in order to earn his degree today.”

University of Leicester

Hugh Dennis

Sir Ian Botham Doctor of Laws University of Bath

The National Student, October 2008

UK NEWS

9

“Thirty years ago my mother was very disappointed that I didn’t go to university and she didn’t get that picture of me with the scroll under my arm that everybody has on their mantelpiece so she’s really looking forward to it.”

Rik Mayall

Doctor of Letters University of Exeter

“This is such an honour, such a joy, such a treat, such a terrible mistake… I never in my wildest dreams imagined this. Here I am, Rik Mayall, one 11 plus, three O’levels and a doctorate. Dr Rik Mayall – unbelievable.”

Lorraine Kelly

Doctor of Laws University of Dundee

Elvis Costello

Doctor of Music University of Liverpool

Sir Ben Kingsley Doctor of Letters University of Hull

Kirsty Young

“Thank you for your embrace. I embrace you.”

Doctor of Letters University of Stirling

“It was very embarrassing, you know. You see a photograph of yourself and that’s embarrassing and then you have to stand up in front of a lot of people while someone says the whole of your life to you. But it is a huge day of celebration and I’m frightfully pleased to have been asked.”

Doctor of Letters University of St. Andrews

Meanwhile…

Across the pond Sir Paul McCartney became an honorary Doctor of Music at Yale, and J K Rowling was made a Doctor of Letters at Harvard. Weslyan University in Connecticut are clearly trying to get on someone’s good side; they bestowed an honorary degree upon Barack Obama – perhaps they’ve had a premonition! At Keio University in Japan; Paul David Hewson became an honorary Doctor of Law… that’s Bono to you and I.

Honorary Facts…

The first recorded honorary degree was awarded to Lionel Woodville in the late 1470s by the University of Oxford. He later became Bishop of Salisbury. The current world champion for receiving honorary degrees (if there can be such a thing!) is Nelson Mandela who’s currently clocked up 57… Sir David Attenborough has more than twenty… But Stephen Hawking only has 12 and should frankly make more of an effort!

Dame Vivienne Westwood Doctor of Letters University of Dundee

Sir Stirling Moss Doctor of Letters University of Hull

Wayne and Gerardine Hemmingway Doctor of Laws (joint award) Lancaster University

Trevor Phillips OBE Doctor of Laws University of Liverpool

University Of Hull

Dame Judi Dench

The National Student, October 2008

Q &A FEATURE

11

With Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats You call your polices a ‘liberal alternative’ to the discredited polices of ‘big government’. What do you mean by this and how will the Lib Dems be different to the other parties? I joined the Lib Dems because I’d had enough of being dictated to by people I didn’t believe in. The liberal vision is progressive, green, internationalist, anti-establishment and committed to giving people greater control over their lives. The Liberal Democrats are now the only party calling for profound reform of a political system which has left so many people angry and frustrated. Labour and the Conservatives are part of a cosy consensus that protects the status quo because it allows them to take it in turns to govern. We, on the other hand, want to fundamentally rewrite the rules. How much debt were you in when you left university? I was lucky enough to have parents who were able to help me a lot when I was at university, so not much. But I am well aware - not least as a Sheffield MP with a huge number of students from two universities in my constituency - that most students struggle to make ends meet while they are studying. Many have to take on part-time jobs, which really adds to the pressure, especially at exam time. These years can be some of your greatest, and no student should have that spoiled by the stress of unmanageable debt. What’s your party’s position on tuition fees and the funding of higher education? We remain totally committed to universal access to education and we believe that young people from all parts of society should be able to attend university if that’s what they want. But there are some big anomalies which need to be addressed: the discrimination against FE colleges compared to universities, and the increasingly large number of part time students who are not properly catered for. That’s why we are reviewing our policies at the moment. I hope they’ll be finalised by next Spring. What importance does ‘image’ play in modern politics and what problems, if any, do you think this causes? In a media-driven political culture, image has undoubtedly become very important. The cult of celebrity is everywhere these days. As a politician, there’s no point complaining about it - I went into politics with my eyes open about the highs and lows, the good and the bad. My main concern goes far wider than the effect on individual politicians: I fear that a focus on celebrity creates conformity in politics. People should feel able to be who they are - great change only happens when people dare to be different. How do you think the continuing growth in violent crime amongst young people can be tackled? It does no one any good to vilify and criminalise young people. If you believed everything you read in the papers or heard from Labour or the Conservatives you’d think

that every young person is a knife-wielding thug about to attack you. It just isn’t true. Violence cannot be tackled by tough talk, ASBOs and overcrowded prisons – the poverty, alienation and disempowerment that contributes to crime needs to be tackled too. Of course we need to be tough on perpetrators of violence, but we need to involve local communities as well. I want to see community courts set up throughout the country where offenders have to face up to their victims and then do visible work in the community. That way the people who commit crimes can really understand the impact of their acts and make amends to the local community. You were a lecturer at Sheffield University – tell us a little bit about your time there. I was a part-time teacher in a couple of courses on European politics in the Politics Department. It was an interesting thing to do having spent ten years working in the European Union, where I had managed development aid projects in Central Asia and led EU trade negotiating teams with the Chinese and Russians before becoming a Member of the European Parliament. At Sheffield University my role was to act as an occasional reality check on the academic stuff the students were reading about the EU. Theorising about politics sometimes has little to do with the grubby realities of politics! To date what would you say is your greatest achievement? I wouldn’t call it an achievement, but I’m most proud of being a father. I have two wonderful sons with a third on the way. Children may be innocent, but at least they’ve got their priorities straight. They aren’t interested in what was said at the Dispatch Box or who’s where in the polls, they just want to be with the people they love and have a good time. Who’s to say they’re wrong? Have you ever done anything you are not proud of? Sure. But that’s probably best left to me and my conscience! Why are the Lib Dems the right party to give Britain what it needs? Because Britain would be a fairer, freer and greener country if it were a more liberal country. Protecting civil liberties, championing green policies, changing the political system, fairer taxes for people who are struggling, ending our slavish subservience to the White House - these and so many other things can only be delivered by a liberal, reforming Government. It is often said that the Lib Dems can just ‘say what they like’ because you have no realistic chance of getting into power. What would you say to that? We got six million votes at the last general election, more than any other liberal party in Europe. We control more of the largest cities in this country than any other party. We pushed Labour into third place at the elections in

May. We’ve got more MPs than at any time since the war. I think that progress points in one direction only... power. And that’s why our policies - from opposing the Iraq war, to scrapping ID cards to pay for more police, to our plan for a zero carbon Britain by 2050, and our plans for fairer taxes - are radical and bold but also workable and detailed. Many graduates feel let-down by the system, starting their lives after university in massive debt, and qualified in fields they can’t always get a job in. What can you and the Lib Dems say/do to reassure them and future graduates? We’re looking at ways to ease the burden on graduates as they start out in life. Internships and work experience are becoming more and more necessary for young people to get the jobs they want, and a lot of these are unpaid. Then, once you are working, buying a home or putting some money aside seems like a pipe dream, as does ever getting your bank balance back to zero. That’s why we’re looking at how to take the pressure off students once they have graduated as well as while they are studying.

In your conference speech you seem to be outlining plans for more ‘public-led’ politics in the UK (i.e. in the running of local services). Why is this a good idea and how would it work? The British political system is incredibly patronising, with Government Ministers and Civil servants making fundamental decisions about our lives, and about things they don’t understand, from their desks in Whitehall. It’s become increasingly fashionable for politicians to talk the talk about decentralising power, but the UK is still the most centralised state in Europe after Malta (which is about the size of Croydon)! The Liberal Democrats understand that it’s people who know best when it comes to the services they need. That’s why we are the only party with proposals to take power away from central Government. We want to give it back to individuals and local communities so that they have a say over their schools, their health services, and the other decisions that affect their everyday lives. I believe it’s an approach which will work because it puts the people who know most about the local services they deliver and use in the driving seat.

The National Student, October 2008

FEATURE

12

Comment: The system needs to change to focus on teaching not statistics and lecturers need to be able to teach with no pressure other than doing the job properly by Mina Singh

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o you think that gaining your degree will change your life, and give you that leg up to your dream-career and rocket you into the highest of wage-brackets? Under the current HE system your degree might be worth less than you think. The worth of degrees is being questioned by students, academics and employers as allegations of increased grades, leniency on cheating and attempts to rig survey results in order to increase league table standings has led to scepticism of whether degree grades match a graduate’s skills. In a system where universities and academics are held accountable by results and measured by league tables, higher education has become more about creating the correct statistics than teaching students to the highest level. This climate is leaving both students and academics short-changed by a government-created statistical stranglehold – Labour has created a system that has both created and perpetuates this problem. Of course universities and lecturers should be held accountable for the courses they provide but while the focus remains on ranking everything, and everyone, by statistical means the main concern of any institution is rising in the tables and not its level of teaching. It is unavoidable that universities will do all they can to secure higher rankings and a better reputation in trying to attract higher student numbers and funding. Cases that have come to light over the summer show that the actions of uni staff aren’t always above board. A leaked email from Manchester Metropolitan University suggested that academics should increase the level of some top degrees to match those at competing universities. Sent to computing and mathematics staff by that department’s academic standards manager, the note called for an increase in the number of first class and upper second degrees stating, “As a university we do not award as many Firsts and 2.1s as other comparable institutions so there is an understandable

desire to increase the proportion of such awards.” “Please bear this in mind when setting your second and final year assessments, especially the latter.” “We have never received any external examiner criticism that our ‘standards’ are too low so there should be quite a lot of leeway available to us all when assessments are set,” it added. This supports the concerns of many academics that they are under pressure to manipulate degree grades to make their university more attractive to applicants. Commenting on the BBC website Peter from London said, “All HE and FE institutions in the UK are under pressure to bend the rules on assessment because they lose money if a student fails. This situation has been going on for a long time and is seriously undermining the credibility of qualifications in the UK and damaging our reputation abroad. What is urgently needed is a simple reform: that no institution should be responsible for the assessment of its own students. Government

should step in and impose a much more rigorous regime of assessment.” On the same site ‘A Professor’ claimed, “I am a professor at a well-known strong UK university (the kind of place where you need at least three A’s to get in). Our department is being pressurised from above to award more 1st and upper 2nd class degrees - we were told in no uncertain terms that if we were supposed to be a world-class university full of world-class lecturers then how come only (whatever it is) percent are being awarded “good” degrees - we were told that our funding risked being cut if we did not start giving out (what they wanted) percent of first and upper seconds! I remember the stunned silence when our head of department reported this development to us in a staff meeting. Management are basically saying to us “inflate your grades by any means necessary or you can forget about hiring any new staff.” The numbers seem to support this idea, since the mid-1990s the amount of students achieving a first class degree at UK

universities has more than doubled and last year 61% of university leavers achieved a first class or upper second class degree. Also, now in its eighth year the National Student Survey, collects data on student satisfaction offering a percentage mark on courses for all to see. This survey, supported wholeheartedly by NUS, has become an intrinsic part of how people perceive universities. In theory this is a great idea, offering undergraduates the chance to have their voices heard but in practice it is adding yet more fuel to the statistical fire. As with anything else, with so much riding on the results, universities are not always willing to leave the survey findings to chance. Last month The National Student reported on how the Psychology department at Kingston University has been banned from the survey after they attempted to rig the results. A secretly-made recording featured a department member encouraging students to lie and to give higher rankings. She claimed employers would

think their degree was ‘shit’ if the students did not comply. The opinions prospective employers hold of the quality of degrees is vastly important. Impressing people like this is exactly why these league tables exist in the first place, but in the long-run they are making degrees less important to employers. As universities focus on getting higher rankings and giving out higher grades employers are less inclined to pay attention to the degree grade you’ve achieved. If everyone’s getting a First how does that make your achievement special? The answer is it doesn’t, as employers get the impression that getting high-grades is getting easier it starts to mean very little. This is further perpetuated by universities’ need to attract as many students (or money, depending on which way you look at it) as possible. These days there are many courses that you don’t need a university education to do – it can’t be argued that the likes ‘Surf Studies’, ‘Golf Course Management’ and ‘David Beckham Studies’

should be available at uni. These so-called ‘Mickey Mouse degrees’ have in many quarters further soiled the reputation of the HE system, with a view that ‘anybody can get a degree these days’. The annoying thing is that this conclusion may be right. Most annoyingly this problem has not been created by the universities or students. The blame lies solely with the Government who have created this target-led educationalquagmire. But it is students who suffer the most. It is students who are paying for their education, leaving university in debt with degrees that are not always going to give them the advantages they deserve. The system needs to change to focus on teaching not statistics, degree grades need to be awarded on merit and not on how it will affect league standings and lecturers need to be able to teach with no pressures other than doing the job properly. I say let the teachers teach and restore faith in our highly damaged HE system.

The National Student, October 2008

FEATURE

13

We like to provide a bit of advice for life here at The National Student, but we fully appreciate that from time to time advice can feel a tad patronising. So as we launch a new irregular feature on food safety and hygiene, we thought, if we’re gonna be slightly patronising anyway, why not liven things up and be a bit rude too…!

Bite Me ! Bitchin’ in the kitchen Left-overs should be stored in the fridge and eaten within two days numbnut.

Only a complete ninny wouldn’t know that the coldest part of the fridge should be at no more than +5°C.

Eggs should be kept in the fridge, but not like this, keep them in their box stupid.

Don’t be such a child… there is nothing big, clever or amusing about having a ‘pet milk’ and watching it grow!

You’re such a foul, despicable creature...Clean all internal and external surfaces often, especially fridge shelves and door storage compartments. Mop up any spills as soon as they happen.

What are you thinking!?! Never put open cans in the fridge – use a plastic food container or a covered bowl… Oh, and remember to use it within two days you fool.

Yes bonehead, dairy products belong in the fridge.

Raw foods, like meat and poultry, may contain microbes that can cause food poisoning. Keep them in the fridge, well covered, on the bottom shelf so they can’t drip onto other foods. Avoid cross-contamination by storing these foods away from other foods, especially cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods.

Engage your brain prat-face and throw away perishable food that has been left out at room temperature for more than a couple of hours and all food scraps.

Check the label on pre-packed food to see if it is suitable for home freezing. If so, freeze as soon as possible after purchase. The star marking panel on food labels will tell you how long you can store your food, depending on your type of freezer. Geddit moron? Don’t put live chickens in the fridge you nit.

No food lasts forever you numpty, however well it is stored. Most pre-packed foods carry either a ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date. Check them carefully, and look out for advice on how long food can be kept for once packaging has been opened.

The freezer should be at -18°C or below you wally.

Hey dimwit! Store foods in separate covered containers. But don’t be an imbecile and waste space in the fridge with flour and sugar, these photos are just so a plonker like you knows what ‘separate covered containers’ means.

Cover dishes and other open containers with foil or film. But don’t re-use foil or film to wrap other foods… only a complete dumbass would do that.

Oi dufus... Defrost your fridge/freezer regularly.

Don’t be a tool... When freezing home-cooked foods, use clean freezer bags and label them with the date and description of the food. Again, check your freezer manual or cook book to see how long you can store the foods.

‘Use by dates’ – are for highly perishable foods – those that ‘go off’ quite quickly (almost as quickly as I’ve gone off you). No-one likes to waste food, even douchebags like yourself, but it can be dangerous to eat foods past their ‘use by’ date.

You’re a useless waste of space... Remember: Use up older items first – first in, first out – and if in doubt throw it out.

‘Best before’ dates are for foods with a longer life. They indicate how long the food will be at its best quality. Try not to let your standards slip too far cretin!

The National Student, October 2008

FEATURE

14

Partying like it’s 2008 As the candidates fight it out in the run up to next month’s historic US election, The National Student’s Elizabeth Davies found herself in the middle of the political circus at both parties’ national conventions...

T

he national conventions only happen every four years, and you quickly get the impression that the organisers yearn to compensate for their lack of annual party hobnobbing by making as big a splash as possible. Forgetting, of course, that even the most uninformed American knows by preelection summer that there are two major political parties and each is fielding a candidate for President, each side tries its best to get one over the other and remind voters of their relevance by putting on the most dazzling spectacle. This year the Democrats may have triumphed in terms of the sheer number and resplendence of their bells and whistles, but the Republicans’ grandiose displays of patriotism were no less glaring. Coming from the UK, with our membership-based, button-down, meagerlyfunded (relatively, at least) political parties, one can’t help but observe that, once again, the Americans like to take a good idea and then take it one step further – often to the point where its sheer scale then serves almost no purpose. Parliamentary rules and whips have become the pervasive threat of filibuster paralysis, w h i c h strikes terror

Sarah Palin

into the heart of any member of Congress wanting to propose a piece of legislation to which a single opponent happens to object – and now the process of nominating your candidate for the highest office in the land has become something akin to just cheering really loudly. There’s an odd disconnect between the formalised (and yes, tedious) roll call vote, and the point at which it descends into simply passing the motion ‘by acclamation’. Should yours be a dissenting voice, your objection will go unheard. Yet it’s impossible to argue that the whole thing isn’t hugely compelling; an event which inspires millions to watch it at home with as much passion as those party elders who attend, despite being a completely un-newsworthy event. That much is true – nothing unforeseen ever actually happens at these things anymore, and yet members of the media are clamouring to attend (a description which could rarely be applied to British party conferences, for example). Throughout the summer months, across the media centres of the United States (and probably the world), were hundreds of echoes of a conversation I heard in an elevator in Washington, DC between two NBC members of staff discussing their misfortune in either pulling the short straw and only getting to go to MinneapolisSt. Paul for

the Republican convention, or pulling an even shorter straw and having to stay behind to deal with the inevitable technical mess that arises when half a news organisation relocates itself for two weeks. For some, having to go to the Republican convention at all was worst, it’s true – but then that was before Sarah Palin, John McCain’s running mate, rose over the edge of the political landscape in her Ski-doo. If you value your sleep, an American political party convention is not the place to find yourself, especially ahead of what is the most anticipated Presidential election within memory; and if you value your sanity, doing the whole two-week haul is not wise. This is

of almost-overbearing excitement more pronounced than at Invesco Field, the 75,000-seater stadium at which Obama would accept his party’s nomination. With the Coloradan sun beating down on unprotected heads (given Republican preconceptions of the ‘liberal’ East Coast media, it would have been unwise to don the only choice of headgear available – Obama caps), the arena’s hallways and entrances were clogged with 15,000 credentialed journalists, Obama campaign volunteers, Democratic National Committee volunteers, volunteers particular to this gargantuan event, and, finally, the ordinary members of the public to whom the Democratic Barack Obama

Rudy Giuliani supplied the Republicans with ‘drill, baby, drill’; a battle cry which perfectly illustrated that Barack Obama does not have a monopoly on audacity especially true if you work for a British news organisation and have an audience hungry for anything and everything to do with the American election, but a time difference of up to seven hours to negotiate – and guests whose treatment of the two-week stint as a chance to climb up the political spin pecking-order means that they are likely to forget your audience are already picking up their children from school and blithely cancel on you at nine AM when an opportunity to appear on one of the big networks presents itself. But if you have a zeal for American politics and a desire to witness history in the making (as neither convention failed to remind you was at stake in this election), then there is no better place in the world to be. Nowhere was the Democrats’ atmosphere

convention was meant to ‘belong’; those lucky enough to secure tickets queueing outside hours before the security lockdown at roughly six PM. Obama himself would not take to the stage until half-past seven, delivering a speech that contained more than enough substance to silence those who criticise him of being shallow. Although, to be honest, he could have read a telephone directory and the stadium would still have swelled up in a frenzy of sign-waving and ‘Yes We Cans’. There was crying, singing, and, yes, dancing in the aisles. It would have been enough to make the British media feel exceedingly uncomfortable – except it was impossible to stop yourself being blown away. To say that Republicans displayed less enthusiasm about their candidate would be unfair; it’s simply that

they’re more restrained in their adulation. After all, the Republican demographic doesn’t exactly cater to Mexican waves. Their convention in MinneapolisSt. Paul was intended to counteract what they saw as the Democrats’ unnecessary (and un-American?) ostentation with an intense patriotism designating themselves the party of ordinary Americans, rather than Obama’s personality cult. The theme: ‘Country First’. In fact, ‘Republican’ was nowhere to be seen; noone mentioned it and the whole of the Xcel Center was bedecked in tasteful red, white and blue rather than the traditional Republican elephant. If it weren’t for the large contingents of Texans in cowboy hats and throngs of women in plastic Fox News boaters, you could be forgiven for being confused. Indeed, for the first couple of days the convention went through a bit of an identity crisis; with Hurricane Gustav looming, putting country first would obviously remove any reason for having a convention at all. Those of us left behind while our colleagues went off to cover what was assumed to be the next Katrina wandered the near-deserted hallways in astonishment at the suddenness of the emptiness. After Invesco, it was like having a rug pulled from under your feet. And yet two days later we were back in the swing of things, marvelling at

the ubiquity of the country singers and retreating to the back of our skybox in apprehension as Sarah Palin effectively whipped the crowds up into an antimedia chant. The Democrats may have had their ‘Yes We Can’, but Rudy Giuliani supplied the Republicans with ‘drill, baby, drill’; a battle cry which perfectly illustrated that Barack Obama does not have a monopoly on audacity. The sudden ardour for an offshore drilling project all experts have panned as completely ineffective was only matched by the enthusiasm directed at Sarah Palin, previously little-known, but abruptly hailed as the saviour of the Republican party. ‘Only in America’ is often sighed in resignation at some particularly moronic American action, but here it has to be used in amazement at the sheer magnitude of the convention displays. Whether they indicate a healthy democracy is one thing, but there is no doubting the fervour with which Americans (or those engaged in politics, at least) approach their general elections. Now all that remains to be seen is how that enthusiasm will manifest itself on November 4th. Elizabeth Davies interned at Channel 4 News’ Washington, DC bureau this summer.

The National Student, October 2008

FEATURE

15

A Traveller’s Tale

We left Nathan Millward after a disastrous day of medical testing in Melbourne. It ended with a proposal from the girlfriend he calls… the Wrecking Ball.

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or those who’ve never been, the mechanics of speed-dating are simple. You sit with a stranger and in three minutes hope to impress them to the point at which they put a tick in your box. I didn’t think that was going to happen with the Wrecking Ball; a 26 year-old English teacher with tousled blonde locks and a past history as a pit-lane model. With my tatty Converse trainers and hot dog diet contrasting awkwardly with her salad of bohemian glamour, she didn’t look my type, and I certainly didn’t look hers. And so I wasted the first minute buying a drink at the bar and the second apologising for not buying her one. The third minute then looked bleak, and yet somehow, it all turned out rather sunny. We got on well, went for another drink and within a week started dating. There was just one problem. In three months my Australian Working Holiday Visa would expire and I would be forced to make that long flight home, to England... A year on and so much has happened since speeddating. I could tell you how I solved that problem by abandoning the Wrecking Ball and going home to

England without her. That I then landed a job as a motoring journalist in London might entertain the boys for a minute, while female hearts may be softened by news that secretly I was missing the Wrecking Ball like crazy. I’d made the wrong decision, and that I didn’t have the bottle to do anything about it would lead neatly on to the stupid excuses I came up with for returning to Australia without it obvious I was doing it just for her. Like how I planned to ride across the world on a moped and finish on her Australian doorstep with the alibi that the journey was only to raise money to help Nana buy a new bungalow. The same Nana who’s sofa I would sit and sob uncontrollably on ’cause I couldn’t decide what the hell it was I should do. Career or the Wrecking Ball? England or Australia? To stay or to go? Then living with regret and indecision, I could tell you all about that, before detailing how six months after abandoning the Wrecking Ball in Australia, I grew some balls and finally booked a flight to go back. For a rousing conclusion I could then celebrate our romantic reunion and pretend it

didn’t happen by accident on a ferry boat. And then finally, as a footnote, I could confirm that two months into my Australian return, we’re back as a couple and going better than ever. And so you see, with all that’s happened this past year, the marriage bombshell at the end of a disastrous day in Melbourne isn’t as daft as it first sounds. I came all this way, she’s taken me back, it’s going well, so why not? And let’s face it. At some point in our lives we’ve all got to surrender our student overdrafts and take on mortgages and mother-inlaws. It’s what grown ups do. Isn’t it? And tying the knot would certainly make life so much simpler. In my haste to return I could only get a three month tourist visa, and so, as I sit here bashing out the latest instalment of my Antipodean adventures, the update is that if I’m going to make all this stick, I either have to find a brave company willing to give me a high paid job and a two year sponsored contract, sign up to one of the mightily expensive university courses, or find someone with an Australian passport who will marry me. And as I’m so far struggling

with the first two, maybe the Wrecking Ball is on to something with the third. But whether we do or we don’t, the truth is I’m flat broke. And there’s nothing

while I clear dirty ashtrays from the tables outside. I stop and think how that used to be me and how much I miss it, before Spiros screams at me to take Table

The last time I was here I whined that it can be a false, soulless place; full of botoxed foreheads and plastic breasts. But slowly it grows on you, gets under your skin worse when trying to woo a girl than an empty wallet. I can’t afford flowers, or lingerie, or even the alcohol needed to take advantage of her when she’s drunk. Heck, I can’t even afford to have the tooth repaired that I cracked eating dried pasta back in March. And so I’ve been a little cheeky and asked around the local cafes if they can give me some work, cash in hand of course. It’s taken some time, but finally last week Spiros the Greek rang to say I can make sandwiches in his dirty café. It’s nothing flash, or even legal, but it’s money to buy that alcohol and fix that tooth. If only the cafe were not on the same street as the car magazine I worked for when I was here in Sydney last year. It means that each day I get to watch my replacement zoom past in some Lotus or Aston or whatever else it may be

Four some cutlery and to stop day-dreaming on the sidewalk. From that high to this low, it’s one mighty fall, but I can’t complain when the reason for my return, the Wrecking Ball, will be waiting for me after work with a racquet so she can smash me at tennis. And regardless of all this silly drama, I’m starting to genuinely enjoy Sydney. The last time I was here I whined that it can be a false, soulless place; full of botox-ed foreheads and plastic breasts. But slowly it grows on you, gets under your skin. The great food and the beautiful women help, but it’s also the little things, like the small town feel you get in the suburbs and the simple happiness the locals take from getting their surfboards wet on the weekend. And I’ve got good friends here too. Some from the last time, but also new ones, like

Ollie from Lincoln and an Essex girl nicknamed Pube Head for the same obvious reasons that I’m called Big Teeth. We met in a hostel a while back and laughed like idiots when we realised we were here for the same reason. Sadly she’s not been as fortunate as me, with nothing but unanswered phone calls and a cold shoulder from the ex she’s flown all this way for. So Pube Head’s sad, as you would be after realising someone you love is actually a bit of a shit. But that’s the thing with travelling; you meet interesting people with interesting stories and adventures that they‘re still in the middle of completing. In some ways I wish I was at home, oblivious to the wider world that‘s out there. Like friends who’ve been drinking in the same pub for the past ten years and don’t dare go anywhere but down the road. What a simple life that would be; content and happy with your lot, not endlessly trying to better it. Instead, I’m a long way from home and only half succeeding in making things work with a girl who lives in Australia, but is actually Canadian and who never wants to live in England. It’s achingly complicated, but also wildly exciting, and that’s what travelling guarantees all of us when we embark on stupid adventures that any of us can so easily find ourselves on. But marriage? Even I’m not that stupid.

The National Student, October 2008

FEATURE

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Ig Nobel Awards 2008 It’s that time of year again when we at The National Student are astounded and tickled silly by the winners of the Ig Nobel Awards

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his year’s awards ceremony held at Harvard University’s Sanders Theatre on October 2 was an event like no other, with the winners being handed their prize by genuine Nobel Laureate William Lipscomb (Chemistry 1976). Frank Wilczek (Physics 2004) was represented on stage in the form a dummy; Wilczek’s daughter Mira assisted the dummy in congratulating the successful scientists. Professor Lipscomb, 89years-young, was also the prize in the Win-a-DateWith-a-Nobel-Laureate Contest. Lipscomb was not the night’s only romantic interest. Benoit Mandelbrot, the 84-yearold mathematician who invented the mathematicsand-art concept of fractals, was the prize in a frenzied Win-a-Date-with-BenoitMandelbrot Contest. Under the strict rules of the ceremony each winner was granted 60 seconds to deliver an acceptance speech, and this time-limit was enforced by a cute-butimplacable eight-year-old girl. The night’s entertainment was taken up a notch with the inclusion of a new miniopera entitled ‘Redundancy, Again’ which featured the Ig Nobel Laureates as backing singers. Several past winners were in attendance: the ceremony was opened with Dr. Thomas Michel, Harvard Medical School’s Dean of Education removing a sword from the throat of Dan Meyer (swashbuckling

co-author of the British Medical Journal study “Sword-swallowing and Its Side Effects” which was honoured last year). Other attendees included Don Featherstone (creator of the plastic pink flamingo); Kees Moeliker (who reported the first scientifically recorded case of homosexual necrophilia in the mallard duck); and Francis Fesmire (the first doctor to cure intractable hiccups by applying digital rectal massage). So let’s take a look at the pieces of improbable research given the thumbsup this year….. Economics At a time of unprecedented financial doom-and-gloom, trust the Ig Nobel’s to inject a little humour into the field of economics. The 2008 Ig Nobel went to Geoffrey Miller, Joshua Tybur and Brent Jordan from the University of New Mexico, USA for their invaluable study into the tips strippers earn. Their study “Ovulatory Cycle Effects on Tip Earnings by Lap Dancers: Economic Evidence for Human Estrus?” discovered that an exotic-dancer’s ovulatory cycle affects her tip earnings. The award was collected by Geoffrey Miller and Brent Jordan at the ceremony. Archaeology It is often said that history is written by those in power, but according to

The Laureates endanger their sperm... or do they?

the essential research by Astolfo G. Mello Araujo and José Carlos Marcelino it may in actual fact have much to do with a small armoured mammal. The study “The Role of Armadillos in the Movement of Archaeological Materials: An Experimental Approach” measured how the course of history, or at least the contents of an archaeological dig site, can be scrambled by the actions of a live armadillo.

make the person chewing the chip believe it is crisper and fresher than it really is. Their paper “The Role of Auditory Cues in Modulating the Perceived Crispness and Staleness of Potato Chips” outlines their endeavour in foody soundmanipulation.

Nutrition This year’s award in the field of nutrition won’t do anything to aid the growth in obesity numbers, devising an ingenious way to make the consumption of crisps all the more enjoyable. Massimiliano Zampini of the University of Trento, Italy and Charles Spence of Oxford University, electronically modified the sound of a potato chip to

Medicine Obviously placebo medicines have no physical effect in curing your ills, but the Ig Nobel’s have celebrated work that shows some may be more beneficial than others. Dan Ariely of Duke University, USA, demonstrated that highpriced fake medicine is more effective than low-priced fake medicine, in his study “Commercial Features of Placebo and Therapeutic Efficacy.”

An Armadillo

Peace The Swiss, it would seem, have laws to encompass everything, and make sure everyone is covered under the legal framework... even plants. The 2008 honour in the peace field was awarded to the Swiss Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology (ECNH) and the citizens of Switzerland for adopting the legal principle that plants have dignity. Cognitive Science Each year one piece of research more than any other truly deserves the title of ‘improbable’. This year that honour goes to the research awarded the cognitive science award. Jap researchers Toshiyuki Nakagaki and Ryo Kobayashi were awarded for their work discovering that slime moulds can solve puzzles. Chemistry

You Bastard: David Sims accepts his award

year were at odds over their scientific findings. The Ig Nobel’s awarded Sharee A. Umpierre of the University of Puerto Rico, Joseph A. Hill of The Fertility Centers of New England (USA), Deborah J. Anderson of Boston University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School (USA) for discovering that CocaCola is an effective spermicide. Chuang-Ye Hong of Taipei

The winners for the award in the field of chemistry this

Medical University (Taiwan), C.C. Shieh, P. Wu, and B.N. Chiang (all of Taiwan) got the nod for discovering that it is not. So Coke drinkers need not worry about The Real Thing hindering their ability to maintain the human race. Physics Some things are just inevitable, we all know about those annoying little things that just happen, so it is nice to have them scientifically proven. Dorian Raymer of the Ocean Observatories Initiative at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, USA, and Douglas Smith of the University of California, San Diego, USA have added some scientific weight to a universal problem and thus deserve this years physics award. Their study “Spontaneous Knotting of an Agitated String” proved mathematically that heaps of string or hair or almost anything else will inevitably tangle themselves up in knots.

Biology One for the pet-lovers. A piece of research that shows it’s better to have a cat with fleas than a dog with fleas – FACT! MarieChristine Cadiergues, Christel Joubert and Michel Franc of Ecole Nationale Veterinaire de Toulouse, France for discovering that the fleas that live on a dog can jump higher than the fleas that live on a cat. Literature Last but certainly not least, and possessing our favourite title for a study is research in the field of the written-word bearing the magnificent name “You Bastard: A Narrative Exploration of the Experience of Indignation within Organizations.” Lovingly written by David Sims this is something that you’ll never see at the real Nobel prizes. So there we have it another ceremony and another batch of brilliant, strange and mind-expanding research, we wait with baited breath to see what they uncover in 2009.

The National Student, October 2008

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Birmingham international football festival

Justin Langer In an exclusive interview for The National Student James Davies caught up with Justin Langer ‘the best batsman in the world’

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ooking out over the County Ground, from the Sir Ian Botham stand, in Somerset, I start to lose count of the number of times Justin Langer has run around the edge of the boundary. The domestic match, in which he had been playing against Lancashire finished over an hour ago, but instead of packing his kit bag and leaving like the rest of the team, the Somerset skipper is out on the pitch, as he always is after a day’s play, circling the playing field in the beautiful surroundings of Somerset’s idyllic ground, in Taunton. “I like to finish a game with twenty laps” he pants. “I believe if you have a healthy body you’ll have a healthy mind.” Adding with some gusto, “When I finish cricket I’m definitely going to run a marathon.” This, perhaps, is one of the reasons why the man once called ‘the best batsman in the world’, by Mark Waugh, has frustrated many of those on the opposing team. His focus, determination, passion and desire are paramount, and clear from the minute you look into his eyes - this man means business. First to practice every

morning and the last to leave, Langer who also has a black belt in Taekwondo, explains, “The pain of discipline is nothing like the pain of disappointment. I don’t see enough of it really. If you really want to be the best at something you’ve got to be disciplined in your choices for what you want to achieve.” He continues, “I’ve always been fascinated by boxers. They train so hard and get so switched on, you can actually see the focus and all the hard work they’ve put in. I’ve always found that interesting because that’s how you’ve got to be when you walk out to bat. It’s not rainbows and butterflies. You’re going out to fight. Unless you’re aggressive as an opening batsman you’re going to get injured or even worse, out.” But walking around the edge of the pitch with Langer, as he warms down, I fail to understand what it is about this gritty player that has enraged England’s cricketers over the years. Far from being an ominous figure, and someone Nasser Hussain openly said he could have strangled, the Aussie legend is rather genteel and softly spoken. When we’re not discussing his illustrious

cricketing career the pocket-sized philosopher chats longingly about his family, his garden, which he calls his “sanctuary”, and his love of writing. “In my rose garden”, he explains. “I’ve got an apple tree, a peach tree, a nectarine tree, a big olive tree and my herb garden.” Offering an unexpected question, he asks, “Do you know how good it is to pick your own herbs, from your own garden, for your own cooking?” He continues, “We get so caught up in the hustle and bustle, and the business and the stress of everyday life, that we don’t make time for the things that really matter. It’s a cliché, ‘wake up and smell the roses’, but it’s true”. He assures me, “When you smell a rose it really gets you back living in the mould.” Although Langer is always in his garden, back home in Perth, he assures me it isn’t always to inspect the roses, or pick herbs for his tea, at the bottom of his backyard that he has his own, custom-built gymnasium, that he claims won back the Ashes. “I use it for training”, he says with a huge smile. “It’s a great place to meditate and just escape from everything. It’s like

my own little world.” Although his wife, Sue, was aware he intended to build a place to train, she visualised something small. A place that could house a treadmill, a couple of weights and perhaps a stretching mat. He failed to mention the punch bag, the custombuilt boxing ring and how a former SAS soldier, covered in tattoos, would arrive every morning to supervise his work-outs. It is here that he prepared meticulously for the last series in which England were white-washed. Langer, who is a huge boxing fan, explains, “The fight is won before you get in the ring, so I trained like a heavyweight fighter. Losing the Ashes was a big kick up the backside and the catalyst behind us regaining that little urn. It gave us determination and a new lease of life.” The gym is a shrine to his all-time sporting hero, Muhammad Ali. “I love him”, Langer says with a smile. “He was such a brilliant, beautiful athlete.” With a certain amount of vigour he says, “The walls are covered in scribbles from a black felt marker”. “I’ve got quotes everywhere. Quotes about courage and discipline.

When I walk in there and look up they keep me going in the right direction. Sometimes I’ll read something and think to myself, ‘I’ve got to have that on my wall’.” Although the left-handed batsman recognises his hard work has helped him achieve what he set out to accomplish, he also regards his close bond with, fellow opening batsman, Matthew Hayden as a key factor that helped him turn from yesteryear’s ugly duckling into a stroke-playing swan. The duo who “missed each other” when they were apart would openly exchange bear hugs in the middle, and always gave the impression of two boys living out a dream. “Matthew Hayden’s my best mate and I think that’s why we formed such a successful partnership at the top order for so long. How many people can say they go to work with their best friend? It’s always going to motivate you.” As we get towards the end of our second lap around the boundary, Justin, ever the philosopher, turns leaving me with this, “Remember James, twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did.”

New international students at the University of Birmingham were given a different kind of introduction to university life. The university hosted an international festival of football with the aim of ‘providing friendly social interaction and an introduction to sport at Birmingham’. The event took advantage of the university’s impressive Astroturf facilities and support from the increasingly popular intra-league members which currently includes 24 men’s 11 a-side teams, 105 men’s 6-a-side teams and 20 women’s 6-a-side teams. This number is sure to increase after this event with many of the students expressing an interest to join or set-up a team. Active Lifestyle Development Manager of University of Birmingham Sport, Rachel Shepherd was the event’s organiser and she was pleased with the outcome, “the event was a huge success and enabled us to showcase the range of sporting opportunities for everyone at the University of Birmingham from participation to performance sport” Zena Wooldridge, Director of Sport at the university added, “This event shows how effectively sport brings together young people from different nations, cultures, languages and religions to have fun and make new friends. This is the power of sport, and soccer in particular”

City health initiative launched As many fresher’s across the country are settling into a life of parties, fast food and drinking copious amounts of alcohol, one university is looking to help their students change and improve their lifestyle. City University London are looking to enhance their student experience with the launch of a new initiative focused on health and well-being. ‘Well City’ is the University’s new healthy campus initiative, designed to encourage students to ‘take care of their minds and bodies throughout their studies’, with events taking place throughout the year as part of the scheme. These will include health road-shows which will visit schools across campus giving information on fitness testing, nutrition and how to access the campus health and counselling services. The initiative, to be launched by World and Paralympic gold medallist Giles Long, starts with Well City Week on October 6-10 2008 - for more information visit: city.ac.uk

The National Student, October 2008

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BUCS aid Right to Play On October 1 British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) made a big announcement regarding students’ ability to influence change across the world. BUCS have agreed a five-year partnership with leading sport for development charity Right To Play. The charity is ‘an athletedriven international humanitarian organisation that uses sport and play as a tool for development of children and youth in the most disadvantaged areas of the world’. Right To Play has many partnerships across the world and has recently signed a six-year deal with Chelsea football club. The organisation is supported by a number of high profile athlete ambassadors including

Matthew Pinsent, Haile Gebreselassie and Carolina Kluft. The deal is a significant one for both parties and also the UK charity industry. The focus of the deal is a ‘Pay for your Right To Play’ day on March 25 2009 which will encourage students to pay £1 to participate in university sport. Following the announcement Right To Play and BUCS will now undertake a recruitment drive to secure a Student Ambassador in every university and college in the UK. These ambassadors will have the job of representing Right To Play and will be in charge of leading their university’s attempts to raise awareness and funds for the charity.

Chris Robinson, UK Director for Right To Play, said; “This is an incredibly exciting partnership for Right To Play as it not only provides us with an excellent way of raising funds but more importantly offers a partnership that uses the skills and experiences of Britain’s youth and Britain’s coaches to contribute towards development and peace throughout the world.” Karen Rothery, Chief Executive at British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) was equally enthused; “This partnership is the first of its kind for BUCS and over the long-term will show how student sport can bring about social change in disadvantaged countries and the UK.” Robinson added;

“Britain’s university students understand better than anyone the sheer power of the language of sport to communicate to children around the globe and they also know better than anyone how

important the right to play is. BUCS, Right To Play and the students of the UK will be able to make a profound and meaningful difference.” For those interested in getting involved there

is information about the partnership between Right To Play and BUCS, or to get involved in raising money for the charity, log on to students4righttoplay. org.uk or bucs.org.uk/ righttoplay

Cash provides backbone to British success In a special feature on the funding of athletes at the recent Olympic games, Ben Whitelaw tells us why his money is on continued success for Team GB

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ritish Olympic sport has grown up. Gone are the days of fitting training in after a tiring day at work and gone is the idea of ‘playing’ a sport. Thanks to a huge injection of money from the lottery, both are relics of Britain’s amateurish and distant sporting past. Since 1994, over £3.5 billion has been ploughed into British sport. Much of it has been spent with the aim of increasing participation but a greater proportion than ever before has been given to those at the top level, those who have a chance of being world class. Nowadays, Olympic athletes live their sport, immersing themselves in a structured program of nutrition and study that allows them to compete - and the results are startling. At the recent Olympics in Beijing, Britain secured their best medals haul for a century as they brought home 47 medals, of which 19 were gold, and secured fourth in the final medals table. A reported £235 million was spent preparing the athletes for the Games, a vast increase, thanks to lottery money, on the £59 million pounds spent on the run up to the Games in

Sydney in 2000, where they achieved a comparatively meagre 28 medals. It seems inconceivable that, at the games in Atlanta in 1996, Britain won a mere 15 medals and only one gold. The domination of the British athletes is summed up best by the British Cycling team. Given £26 million to prepare for Beijing, they were reportedly asked by a member of the Dutch team if they were going to leave any medals for anyone else. They ended up securing seven golds from the ten events on offer and have since become the model which every sport yearns to emulate. Put like this, it is almost as if Sport England, the distributor of lottery funds to sport, have taken it upon themselves to be the Roman Abramovich of the Olympic sporting world, being ruthlessly efficient in their use of the lottery money on offer and doing all they can to attract the best coaches and support staff in the world with the sole aim of getting gold. The key to the success is UK Sport’s World Class Performance Programme, a UK sport initiative which funds the national governing bodies of sports to provide a range of support services for

the UK’s top athletes. Each sport has a Performance Director who organises world class coaching, the best sport science on offer, athlete’s competition schedule and access to the most suited facilities, all of which equates to £50,000 worth of assistance. On top of that, the athletes receive an Athlete Personal Award which is paid directly to the athlete themselves and works to cover living costs

why everyone else had fallen in the wake of the British. This comprehensive support is something that many higher and further education institutions are adopting with a view to developing the next generation of Ohorugus and Adlingtons. Thanks to the National Lottery once again, the government has been able to back the Talented Athlete Sponsorship Scheme, a unique partnership between sport and study. The programme awards scholarships of £3,000 and bursaries of £1,500 to those athletes who have achieved national recognition in

No Olympic athlete would begrudge mentioning how vital the injection of lottery funding is and personal sporting costs. The amount depends on the level of performance meaning an Olympic or World Championship medal winning athlete could pocket almost £24,000. SportEnglandhavethought of everything and haven’t left any aspect untouched. It is this unbeatable package of funding that Chris Hoy referred to after winning his third gold medal in the track cycling, citing ‘preparation and planning’ as the reason

their sport at a minimum of Under 18 level and who are committed to combining studies whilst continuing their high level of sporting performance. The money enables them to access specialist sport science and physiotherapy services whilst also covering insurance, transport, accommodation at competitions and mentoring. It has been shown to work too. Paul Manning, a member of the British Cycling team that smashed the world

record in the pursuit race in Beijing, and Noami Folkard, European silver medalist archer, received their TASS scholarships whilst studying at the University of Birmingham and are proof that investment is essential. Zena Wooldridge, Director of Sport at Birmingham, explained, “Our sports scholars are exceptional young people; this next generation of athletes will be inspired by Team GB’s fantastic performances in Beijing and will also inspire other young people to see how sport can change people’s lives, and inspire the nation.” With this in mind and the 2012 London Olympics in sight, Sport England has announced unprecedented new investment for elite training centres with the intention of building a world leading community support system in Britain. The National Sports Centres, the cornerstone of the success and the training base for 29 of the medalwinning athletes from Beijing, are the main target. The strength and conditioning gym at Bisham Abbey will be extended for the benefit of the rowers, canoeists and hockey players whilst a new archery range with video analysis capabilities and fixed speed cameras will be installed at Lilleshall. Jennie Price, Sport England Chief Executive said, “As we unearth and nurture more

talented young athletes, they too will benefit from training alongside our Olympians and Paralympians in state-of-theart facilities.” They really have thought of everything and money is seemingly no object. Those projects alone will cost a cool £3 million. Lest we forget, whilst cash is a factor, no-one should underestimate the sheer bloody-minded determination of an athlete who wants to win gold. Funding doesn’t guarantee success but provides a platform from which more athletes can deliver. The tell-tale sign must be the fact that, knowing how much money had been ploughed into the Games, the British Olympic Association aimed for an eighth place finish to justify their expenditure. Thanks to the unbreakable iron cast will of the British athletes however, they achieved fourth, effectively climbing four places through sweat and tears alone, a fitting reward for four years of training running up to the world’s greatest sporting event. No Olympic athlete would begrudge mentioning how vital the injection of lottery funding is. But no amount of money can buy you spirit and, based on those two weeks in Beijing, it seems the athletes have plenty of that and subsequently, plenty of gold medals too.

SPORT Major coup for Bath JUSTIN LANGER

Exclusive interview with ‘the best batsman in the world’ - page 18

Bath University have made the exciting acquisition of Brian Ashton, the former England Rugby Union National Coach, as Director of Coaching on a consultancy basis. Team Bath’s move comes as the buildup to the London 2012 Olympic Games begins to gather pace and with Bath’s training facilities used by many returning Paralympic and Olympic medal winners the foundations are already firmly in place for Ashton to help Britain’s athletes improve on their success in Beijing. Unlike his previous roles which have included two spells at Bath Rugby, working at Team Bath will place him in charge of ensuring the progression and development of all athletes within a wide range of sports. In using the high performance model he implemented during his time as English Rugby’s Head of National Development from 2002 to 2005 across all sport at Bath, Ashton is confident that his methods can “stand up in any sport in terms of eventually achieving success”. Ashton’s successes

and achievements in youth development are renowned while his works as Head of National Development provide a key framework in which English Rugby discovers, supports and nurtures promising talent to this day. However, Ashton is under no illusions to his inexperience in such a wide-reaching role and fully understands the role played by existing coaches at the university. “Some of these coaches have just returned from Beijing, there’s no way I am going to walk in and say ‘I don’t agree with that – you’re doing that wrong’. That would be absolutely foolish”. Working alongside Ged Roddy, Director of Sports Development and Recreation and university coaching teams, Ashton will be well supported in his task of ensuring continued and greater accomplishments made as a result of using Bath’s world class facilities and coaching staff. With the quality of those two areas assured Ashton’s capture is seen as the next substantial step in maximising the true potential of so many

athletes passing through the system at Team Bath, a view expressed by Roddy. “This is a significant coup for us. We’ve acquired someone here who has the Midas touch in terms of that ability to move talent into excellence”. Before accepting this position Ashton had been offered the role as Head of National Development by the RFU in the wake of his dismissal as National Coach in April 2008, in which he was replaced by 2003 World Cup winning Captain Martin Johnson. He rejected the offer with many seeing it as an unacceptable consolation after losing his job and impossible to accept considering the conduct of English rugby’s governing body during the saga. Since his controversial axing Ashton had taken on a role with Sky Sports on their Guinness Premiership coverage, as well as personal business ventures but Bath’s offer, which sees him working 150 days of the year, proved an altogether different challenge, one which is sure to help propel Team Bath to the forefront of university sport.

SPORT REPORTERS WANTED email: [email protected]

Brian Ashton

Markets chaos hits Varsity match The collapse of financiers Lehman Brothers has had an unlikely affect on university sport. The annual Oxford and Cambridge Varsity rugby match has lost its sponsor and is now in jeopardy. But Peter Bridges, Chair of Oxford’s rugby club (OURFC), has insisted that the match will go ahead in December. OURFC may struggle to replace its sponsor for the match, traditionally

the biggest event in its calendar, as the financial situation in the UK worsens. Bridges admitted that the current climate “doesn’t make things easier” but said finding a new sponsor was “not an impossibility.” Due to a confidentiality agreement with the defunct bank he refused to confirm how large a financial deficit the loss of sponsorship has caused. But he said it was

“obviously a blow” and would “have an impact, but not to the extent that the match can’t go ahead.” OURFC’s website still advertises the “Lehman Brothers Varsity Match” - a deal with the Oxford and Cambridge rugby clubs that was set to run until 2010. Lehman Brothers, the US investment bank, lost billions of dollars in the US mortgage market before filing for bankruptcy.

thenationalstudent.co.uk

Action from the 2007 Lehman Brothers Varsity Match