Newspaper of the students of the University of Surrey

Issue 62 Monday 14th October 2013

Englands political parties battle for popularity in preparation for the general election. Page 2
NEWS Surreys Generosity. Learn how much clothing was donated to the British Heart Foundation... Page 4 OPINION & ANALYSIS Have we lost our sense of humour. Sam West asks if we are getting too offended by todays society... Page 7 DANCE & THEATRE The World of Extreme Happiness. Our Dance and Theatre editor goes to see the critically acclaimed play at the national theatre... Page 29 FEATURES Are we becoming dependant on Google? Amy Vitoria looks over some recent research to find out... Page 13 LITERATURE National Poetry Day. Paul A Richmond discusses e.e.cummings and the wonders of his poetry... Page 25 SCIENCE & TECH Higgs and Englert win the Nobel Prize. The British and Belgian physicists won the prize for their work on the scalar boson ... Page 19 MUSIC Tinie Tempah at Rubix. Read more about Tinies suprise appearance at the students union... Page 23

Stag Radio collaborate to bring you an interview with 1975. Page 22

VCs Welcome Treat

Surrey awarded Jenson Buttons race helmet Vice Chancellor welcomes students with a after winning Santander competition surprise performance from Tinie Tempah
By Alex Smith, Editor

Students Union President, Em Bollon, receives Jenson Buttons helmet, as students are treated to a surprise show from Mercuy nominated artist, Tinie Tempah.

rofessor Sir Christopher Snowden, Vice Chancellor of the university, and Em Bollon, Union President, took to the stage at the Vice Chancellors welcome talk in

Rubix to congratulate first years for making it to university and to welcome them to the Surrey campus. The Vice Chancellor said: I really am delighted to see you all here. Congratulations on achieving your place in higher education.

You should be very proud; its a tough and difficult world to get into and congratulations for making it into Surrey I hope you find it a very friendly and welcoming place. The two were also joined by Luis Juste, director of Santander

Universities UK, who awarded Jenson Buttons racing helmet and official accreditation to Em Bollon, who starred and produced Surreys video entry into the competition run by Continued on page 3...

EDITORIAL

The Stag|14th October 2013

editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Editor|Alex Smith editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk Editor-in-Chief| Andy Smith ussu.editor@surrey.ac.uk Deputy Editor (Head of Design) | Paul A Richmond design@thestagsurrey.co.uk Design Team | Vacant Deputy Editor (Marketing) | Nicole Vassell marketing@thestagsurrey.co.uk Marketing Team | Vacant News Editor | Shunayna Vaghela news@thestagsurrey.co.uk News Team | Joe Trueman, Ellie Kerr-Smiley

Winners & Losers of The English Party Conferences

Features Editor | Rebekkah Hughes features@thestagsurrey.co.uk Features Team | Sophie Vickery, Amy Vitoria, Lily Pearson, Sophie Dyer, Jas Smith, Tilly Tasker Science and Technology Editor | Siobhan Harris sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk Science and Technology Team | Melissa Raske, Sam West, Fahmid Chowdhury, Ankur Banerjee, Societies Editor | Alice Wilkinson societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk Dance and Theatre Editor | Rebecca Tubridy dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk Dance and Theatre Team | Amy Le Rossignol, Rosa Manzi Reid, Tiffany Stoneman, Amy McGivern Film Editor | Sophia Field film@thestagsurrey.co.uk Film Team | Beth Goss, Ankur Banerjee, Candice Ritchie, Music Editor | Candice Ritchie music@thestagsurrey.co.uk Music Team | Kyra Hanson, Rebecca Tubridy, Sophia Field, Aaran Coe, Literature Editor | Shiri Shah literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk Literature Team | Joeseph Harrison, Sophie Vickery, Ben Andrew-Allen Webmaster| Andrew Smith webmaster@thestagsurrey.co.uk Webeditor | Vacant webeditor@thestagsurrey.co.uk

By Alex Smith, Editor Three weeks without PMQs or really any real news can only mean one thing. The three main political parties in the UK have been battling it out to try and rally support ahead of the general election expected in 18 months time. First to the stage was our beloved Nick Clegg whose support amongst students had plummeted not three years ago, when his party broke their pledge to campaign for zerocost university tuition. Since then his approval ratings have improved and following his 50 minute speech to the Liberal conference in Glasgow his ratings still remain at a low 9% (YouGov - 7th Oct). His speech focused mainly on who he was and why he was trustworthy: namely he aimed to express his privileged background and his desire for every citizen to have access to an upbringing like his. He received relatively loud applause from the party faithful after claiming the party was

the reason why Cameron couldnt act as a Thatcherite and why a coalition in 2015 would act against a buffer of Red Ed or fighting off a party of the rich. A week later in Brighton, Mr Miliband followed up, addressing the Labour party conference with the message of Britain can do better than this as well as major policy announcements, including a promise to freeze energy bills for 20 months if they were to win the general election and a pledge to give the right to vote to 16 year olds. Remarkably, Ed delivered his speech without a script or autocue for over an hour, and received the loudest applause of the whole conference season albeit halfway through his speech. However, his party took a turn to the left with the promise to take land from housing constructors if they didnt do any building for a year something which echoes the far left from the era of the early cold war. Prime Minister, David Cameron, took to the stage in Manchester, delivering a prepped speech not to

his party but to the British public slating the Labour party and gloating of his economic record. His standout policy announcement was the commitment to end housing benefit for under-25s if they were not in education, employment or training. Overall his speech was a tad uninspiring, a view expressed by many viewers and even the political editor of the Telegraph (popularly known as the Tory-graph and somewhat considered as an in-house paper). His hope to transform Britain into the Land of Opportunity received, what seemed like, forced applause. He did rebuke the Russians; however, after their comment of us being only a small island, Cameron neglected the fact that, as islands go, were a pretty big one. If I was a betting man, Id put my money on Labour to win in 2015. Not because of charisma or leadership, but because of the popularist pledges made in Brighton and the Liberal Democrats blocking of the electoral boundary changes.

Letter from the Editor

and hiding in its security only ever adds to the homesick feeling. Now is the time to embrace the remainder of youth most easily achieved by getting involved within your new community: Stag Hill. If you havent already join up to clubs and societies, get involved in student media, and generally keep yourself busy inside and outside of your course. Sudden change creates an increased risk of isolation and depression; creating fresh comfort in your new home is the only way to ensure you dont stall and continue living life.

The Stag is an editorially independent newspaper and is published by the University of Surrey Students Union. The views expressed in the paper are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the educational team, the Students Union or the University of Surrey. Trinity Mirror (South) 8 Tessa Road, Reading RG1 8NS The Stag reserves the right to edit all submissions and the right to decide which articles are published.

wo weeks-in and those home comforts we only everknew have changed and merged with an academic rhythm of lectures, Rubix and sleep. Slowly we begin to run the risk of distorting sleep patterns, neglecting our diets and transforming into the student stereotype all too often portrayed on television. Adjusting to a new place and a new life can either be a glorious new venture or a daunting and omnipresent hell. Flatmates and coursemates who assumed the role of life-long friends during Freshers Week should be held onto throughout the winter if one is to survive and adapt. Falling into the trap of bolting your bedroom door

Lib Dem Press Team, BIS, Ed Miliband

Opinion & Analysis Editor | Sam West opinion@thestagsurrey.co.uk Opinion & Analysis Team | Siobhan Harris, Josh Langley, Alice Lincoln

News Editor: Rachel Thomason | Copy Editor: Tina Mormon

Continued from page 1... Santander. President Em Bollon, who was invited to the Santander British Grand Prix, then wore the helmet briefly before removing it in a sweltering and packed out Rubix nightclub. The Vice Chancellor then went onto say: When you all came here I said something wonderful would happen tonight. Well thats the first thing and is a significant achievement with over 50 universities entering, Em and the team did a brilliant job. But the really amazing and really wonderful thing for you, if you didnt know before, is that Tinie Tempah is here tonight. So Id like you to put your hands

The Stag|14th October 2013

NEWS

together and give a really big Surrey welcome to Tinie Tempah Sir Chris Snowden was then drowned out by cheers, applause and screams from the crowd as Mr Tempah played a handful of hits to kick off the night before the headphone disco later that night.

Student Living Crisis

By Shunayna Vaghela, News Editor

The Glitz of Freshers Fayre

By Alex Smith, Editor

wo hundred stalls of societies, sports clubs, and businesses crammed into one giant marquee on PATS field for four hours nine days ago in an attempt to woo 3,000 freshers and 12,000 elder students alike in campus biggest showcase of what Surrey has to offer students. Stag Media were, of course, on the scene and hosted live coverage of the event from an adjacent stag. Featuring campus rising stars, society committees and the chance to win a free iPad, the coverage dominated the west end of campus and greeted audiences on arrival. DJ sets were provided by Stag

Radio and a live broadcast was operated by StagTV featuring live tweets from The Stag, who contributed to the

tradition of collecting the most pens, by distributing 500 alone that day.

he National Union of Students (NUS) has released new figures which show an emerging student living crisis, with many new students struggling under increasing pressure to meet their day-to-day costs of living. NUS analysed available statistics for the cost of living for students for an academic year of 39 weeks in 2013/14 and compared it typical payments for government maintenance loans and grants for

frozen this year and will only rise by 1 per cent next year. Student finance research conducted by NUS Pound in Your Pocket looked into the financial pressures on todays students showing more than half regularly worry about having enough money to meet basic living costs such as rent and utility bills. Meanwhile, student accommodation costs have also doubled in the last decade and figures released by the Officer for National Statistics (ONS) last week showed a drop in the number of

Although student loans are available for fees and maintenance, these have not kept pace with rising living costs...
the same period. It is the upfront living costs that are emerging as the number one concern for students. Although student loans are available for fees and maintenance, these have not kept pace with rising living costs, nor have the thresholds at which families get support. As rent, bills and other outgoings continue to rise year after year above the rate of inflation, the level at which students get maximum support has remained at a household income of since 2008, whilst grants and loan rates were available jobs for young people. Those who do not have the rare luxury of resorting to the financial support from their parents are increasingly being driven to work full-time alongside study where jobs can be found, or worse, into the clutches of predatory pay day lenders just to make ends meet. Clearly, the situation needs serious revaluation; students need a financial support system that ensures they receive the support they need, when they need it.

NEWS

The Stag|14th October 2013

news@thestagsurrey.co.uk

University of Surrey Students Gave Generously

By Shunayna Vaghela, News Editor

recycling campaign to gather up unwanted clothes and property from students and staff at the University of Surrey has raised more than 100,000 for a national heart charity. The second year of the recycling effort for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) saw a staggering 2,531 bags of unwanted clothes and other goods collected up from 1,468 last year. This year the campaign raised approximately 151,000, every penny of which will help the BHF in its fight for every heartbeat from funding lifesaving research to providing local support for heart patients. The recycling scheme reduces the need for

sending unwanted items to landfill and also helps the Universitys sustainability and environmental ambitions. The 5,500 students in halls were responsible for the vast majority of donated items but staff also took part. Recycling points are spread across the University campus for the scheme. Rosemary Wright, Central and Residential Manager at the University, said: We are absolutely staggered by the generosity of both staff and students at Surrey and the quality of the donations. As a result of this hard work, we now rank 2nd in the league of Universities who take part in the project, so we can be very proud of ourselves.

British Heart Foundation donation boxes can be found all over campus by accommodation and court receptions.

Guildford Book Festival

Cycling in Surrey
By Samuel Gregory, News Team

By Joe Trueman, News Team

stablished all the way back in 1989, the Guildford Book Festival returns this year between the 17th and 27th of October. This years festival has a busy programme which boasts a whopping 60 events, involving a vast line-up of high calibre authors. Its doubtful that Surrey students across all subjects and societies would fail to find a book event of interest - whether that be based on comedy, sport, history, food, interiors, biography, or simply fiction. Launching with Jennifer Saunders introduction of her biography Bonkers, other guests introducing their books at events at this years festival include rugby legend Matt Dawson, comedian

and Mock the Week regular Mark Watson, and an array of fiction writers including Kate Mosse and Joanna Trollope. Surreys aspiring authors and creative writing students in particular will no doubt be interested in the opportunity to meet Alysoun Owen, the editor of the Writers and Artists Yearbook, at a workshop on the 17th geared towards getting published. The festival is certainly not to be missed. After all, its not every day that students get an opportunity to really celebrate books in an entertaining and cultured environment, rather than frantically studying from them. For information on the festivals events, including ticket booking, feel free to visit: www. guildfordbookfestival.co.uk

ollowing the success of several high-profile cycling races in Surrey, councillors now hope to unveil the county as a destination for cycling. While Surrey County Council (SCC) has submitted their Cycling Strategy 2014-2026 draft for consultation, which looks to improve cycling infrastructure and tourism, a Stop Surrey being turned into a cycle track petition has emerged in opposition. The petition, with a current total of 2,795 signatories since August, suggests that: businesses are damaged by road closure, Surrey roads are not suitable for races, large groups of cyclists are a danger to motorists and cyclist traffic violations are common place. A spokesman for SCC said: We do all we can to help keep our roads accessible, and work with cycling event

Tour of Britain took to the streets of Guildford, closing roads. organisers to keep disruption to a minimum. Public consultation for SCCs Cycling Strategy will close on 1st November 2013. A debate will be held here at the University of Surrey on 23rd October 2013 by SCC and BBC Surrey where the public may voice their views on this matter.

Howard Lake

Opinion & Analysis Editor: Justine Crossan | Copy Editor: Emma Fleming

The Stag|14th October 2013

OPINION & ANALYSIS

Opinion & Analysis

Katie Hopkins: Enemy of Social Mobility

Have We Lost Our Sense Of Humour?

Sam West
ecently, a lot of drama and fuss was created over two supermarket Halloween costumes. This wasnt a fuss confined to the social media world, like often, but fully hyped-up by the national press and media. The first costume was a Mental Patient Fancy Dress Costume, sold by Asda for 20. The second was a Psycho Ward Adult Costume, sold by Tesco for 18.45. Personally, I was more shocked at the price difference! Every Little Helps. Yet some took offence to the costumes themselves. The first featured a scary mask, fake blood, torn clothing, and a meat cleaver. The second featured a brown face mask, injection, and orange suit saying Psycho Ward. Asda and Tesco responded to such hype, both withdrawing the costumes from their range. However, there should not have been such hype to begin with. It is clear that the costumes were supposed to represent horror movie stereotypes, rather than actual people with mental health issues. Shortly after the Halloween costume outcry, there was another outcry at the Inflatable Gay Best Friend, a novelty gift for female customers. The Tesco description stated it was ready to give you fashion advice, tell you if your bum looks big, and bitch about everyone who doesn't wear Jimmy Choos. I think some of these people would have a heart attack if they ever walked into Ann Summers and saw the hilarious costumes or inflatable toys. And imagine if they watched Little Britain, the Catherine Tate Show, or Family Guy? Or should they be banned in case the humour causes offence? Or should films like Saw, Psycho, and Silence of the Lambs be banned too for featuring psychopaths? The backlash clearly shows how some people have lost their sense of humour. These are clearly novelty gifts, just for fun. They should not be taken too seriously. We cannot live in a society where we are all too scared to have a joke or a laugh. If we did, wed be the most boring people on earth. Those people that get easily offended need to lighten up!

Sam West Opinion & Analysis Editor

ver the summer, the infamous Katie Hopkins made news around the world and created havoc by the comments she made on ITVs This Morning. The TV personality and self-claimed businesswoman claimed that she judges and dislikes children that have certain names. She hit out at names like Tyler, Chardonnay, Kylie, and Brandon. She suggested that these children are more likely to misbehave, and that children with these names would not be allowed to play with her children. Despite her own daughter being called India, she also claimed that she hates seasonable names, geographical names, and celebrity names. Katie is free to hold this opinion, but my opinion would differ. Those names might not be everyones cup of tea, but it is very wrong to judge a child based on their name. I still cannot fully comprehend how Katie can possibly be so hateful towards children; children as young as 4, 5, 6, 7 and perhaps younger. I dont think her prejudice has an age-limit. Katies main argument was that children with these names misbehave because they take after their parents. However, Katies real rhetoric seemed to attack children and families which were of a lower class. Just because someone is of a lower class, this should not be an indicator that they are automatically going to misbehave. Hypothetically, even if we accept that children

with these names come from a bad produce of parent, should we really judge the child based on the parent? The answer is, no. Certainly not! And just because our parents may be rotten eggs, that does not mean that we are rotten eggs. For instance, my dad is an awful person. Not only did he cheat on and leave my family, but he now has 3 serious and long-term girlfriends on the go at once (I hope neither him or them read this). Although we can all light-heartedly muck about and say that he is a lad, he is essentially a liar and a cheat. If anyone was to say that I am those things, just because my dad is, I would be deeply offended! This is exactly what Katie is doing, but with childrens names. By labelling, categorising and stigmatising, this automatically denies children a chance and opportunity in life. We should all have an equal opportunity in life, but this is not what Katie wants. Instead, Katie would prefer us being judged and treated on the basis of what our parents are or were. For many, we might say, what is so wrong with that? For others, we might say, I want to be better! Isnt that what we all want? To do better than our parents, and then for our children to do better than us Katies attitude completely denies this opportunity and any real form of social mobility. It is Katies attitude that suppresses those from lower backgrounds from the ladder of opportunity and reaching their full potential. We should all have an equal opportunity in life and not be judged from our class background. Some may call her a classist, and some may call her a snob. I will call her an enemy of social mobility!

Alistair Heap

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8 OPINION & ANALYSIS The Stag|14th October 2013 opinion@thestagsurrey.co.uk

British Culture in the Capital

Josh Langley
soldiers made for Britain. Taking another lift up to the top of the entrance staircase, we walked along to the Durbar Court, a covered courtyard built especially for a visit by the Sultan of Turkey in 1867. It contains balconies along its outside edge, with ceiling tiles the colour of lapis lazuli above them, in imitation of the Ottoman style, and a glass ceiling added much later in order to protect the building from the elements. We then moved on to view the Muses staircase above, which hangs a portrait of Napoleon III and his wife, which is adorned by an octagonal glass lantern supported by Cherubs that represent the Roman virtues. Following this, we went up to the third floor of the building and passed through a single room from which at one point the British Government administered India between 1857 and 1947. Its amazing to consider that in a room a few metres wide the fate of billions of people was once decided. From there we went into the beautifully restored Locarno suite where the famous treaty was signed in 1925. I very much enjoyed visiting the foreign office, as it allows one to imagine the place where the decisions that affect Britains relationship with the rest of the world were made. After finishing our visit of the foreign office we walked back along the street to Admiralty House where the heads of the Royal Navy meet. Upon entering the building we were met by an officious looking women who reminded us how priceless artefacts inside the office were, and told us to ensure all food remained safely outside. The two small rooms that made up our visit were certainly interesting, although the people who queued for hours to enter through the inaccessible entrance probably didnt agree. All in all I really enjoyed my visit to these historic London sites and commend the open house scheme for opening them up to the public in this way, since in the end they belong to us all.

The Changing Direction of Catholicism Siobhan Harris N

ot only is Pope Francis giving out sainthoods, but hes reforming the Catholic Church, which is currently 1.2 billionstrong, and in doing so, asks for audacity and courage from its followers. Quoting St. Ignatius, he said Great principles must be embodied in the circumstances of place, time and people, as he spoke of reforming the church to fit in with the 21st century. He is trying to find a new balance in the church, calling for greater involvement of women in key decisions and a less condemnatory approach towards homosexuality, divorce and abortion. The Pope voiced these opinions in an interview with an Italian Jesuit journalist. He said the first reform must be one of changing the attitude which is currently largely conservative. He reinforced the fact that the church does not want to condemn those who remarry, are homosexual, or have abortions, whereas previously the Catholic Church had shunned these people with their belief and dedication to the strict Bible commandments that label these

n the 22nd of September I attended the Open House London event, which is a fantastic experience held every year to allow members of the public to view important cultural and historical buildings around the capital. Over 700 buildings were opened up on the two day weekend including the Canadian Embassy, The Gherkin, and over 100 private homes. I myself went inside the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), as well as Admiralty House. Using my disabled badge to park in Trafalgar Square, my mother and I walked up King Charles Street into the heart of Whitehall. The street was closed off to traffic and there were an assortment of vans, stalls and trucks parked along it, which when I got further down it, I realised was set up in preparation for the final of the Tour of Britain which was to finish there. Regardless of the activity surrounding us, we continued onward to the FCO, as planned. We were obviously giving off the air of a tourist by this point because a very enthusiastic Malaysian woman turned towards us and asked if we were looking for the FCO. After telling her we were, she ushered us into the disabled entrance of the building, barely allowing time for the guards to check our bags in her excitement. Clearly wanting to take us on a tour of the building herself, she was somewhat dismayed when a colleague of hers who had nothing to do, offered to do so instead. This approachable but unsmiling man led me towards a through-floor lift, which led us to a small lobby. In this lobby stands a statue of a Gurkha in a broad brimmed hat, reminding visitors of the sacrifice these

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actions as sins. Pope Francis does not say he will support them, but just that the church is reforming and will condemn no longer. Back in July, the Pope said he would not judge a homosexual person seeking God. Not yet offering any solid reforms, the Pope definitely signalled a radical new approach to these issues, including his view on women entering the church. While he didnt comment on them entering specifically, he did say Loo The feminine genius is needed k out for wherever we make important FRE E VOUCH decisions, is highly ERS on food which and drink promising. deals fo r Chanthe After cellorsstaunch in the conservatism Freshersof his predecessor, Dia the new pontiff is roffering ies, flyan ers in th approach that been long e Uhas nion a n d awaited, will finally fit in at Fand resh ecentury. rs FayrWho with the 21st e knows, I could soon be calling myself a Catholic again, without the social judgment that comes along with it regarding these issues.

free ping pong in channies every saturday @ 7.30pm panini & a pint 4.95

Chancellors. Open 7 days a week and serving up the best food, drinks and entertainment on campus.
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Chancellors Restaurant and Bar is situated on the ground floor of the Students Union building on campus and is open seven days a week. Serving a great range of hot and cold beverages as well as freshly made delicious food throughout the day and into the evening too.
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10 FEATURES

The Stag|14th October 2013

features@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Tattoo Good To Be True

Features

Fashion: Welcome to Winter 2013

by Tilly Tasker, Features Team

By Jas Smith, Features Team

n aesthetic phenomenon is rising in todays culture: tattoos. In modern society, tattoos are considered popular, no longer reserved for pirates, band members and bikers. Lets face it, youre either a tattoo person or youre not. I am a tattoo person, sporting 2 tattoos: one on my arm and one on my leg. Im a firm believer that if you get a tattoo, it should mean something to you and I have reasons behind getting my tattoos, like many others with tattoos. However many studies have been conducted into why people get tattoos, and the results are very interesting. Although studies have found there is little difference in personality types between those with tattoos and those without, a 2012 study has suggested that people with tattoos may have a need for uniqueness. Personally, I dont feel I have a need for uniqueness, but whats unique when tattoos are becoming increasingly known as the norm? That given, are tattoos now becoming a pressure we must all conform to once we hit 18? For me, this wasnt the case. But group tattoos, where all participating members have the same symbol or phrase inked onto

them, are also becoming very popular. For example, 8 members of the cast of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring have a small tattoo of the word "nine" written in Elvish, to commemorate the first film. But lets face facts here people: they made 3 awesome movies that should be honoured. Often you will see groups of people on holiday, with their group holiday tattoos, sporting things like small hearts, or the word Ayia Napa more often than not, on their bums. Most people get their first tattoos on holiday, as its a chance to get crazy have some fun, most likely with alcohol involved. But who am I to judge? If that holiday really means that much to you, then why not get it as a permanent reminder? But thats just the thing. A tattoo is permanent. You should always make sure you know what you want and where you want it. A recent report by the British Sociological Association found that tattoos might be a hindrance to getting a job because of employers' prejudices. So go subtle. Ultimately, my tips for tattoos are this: make sure they mean something to you, keep it simple, and get it for you and no one else. Just remember: your tattoos are yours for life.

utumn: the season that turns colder, the days get shorter, the trees turn the most heavenly shade of gold and you stay inside with a cup of tea wrapped up in the biggest, fluffiest blanket you can find, all whilst watching the rain. Another fine thing about autumn? Layering. I love to add a little complexity to my outfit choices that goes beyond jeans and t-shirt, like layering thick wooly cardigans over delicate sheer shirts and over-the-knee socks with shorts or playsuits. The colder weather makes a little more room for creativity. And we have some AMAZING trends this autumn to play around with! Punk Fashion has always taken inspiration from history. Over the summer we saw the bright, trippy and colourful side of the 80s-90s influence our wardrobes with tie-dye and hi-top trainers. The Fresh Price of Bel-Air would rightly approve. For winter 2013 though, we have taken the edgier side of the 80s. Hello tartan prints, spikey leather and ripped denim! Its This is England 86, but dont be afraid to give punk a go. Some tartan print leggings, sheer shirt or dress wouldnt go amiss in your wardrobe, but stick to the traditional reds and blues of tartan. Pretty in Pink For those of you who arent so sure about the slouchy jeans or clumpy worker boots, dont worry. Newtons law of motion to every action there is a reaction fits nicely into fashion too: to every hard-edged masculine trend, there is an equally delicate, feminine trend. Tube, skater and midi-skirts are still going strong this winter. Wear them with a lovely, wooly pair of tights underneath! As are pastel hues of pinks, greens and blues coming in the forms of pussybow blouses, soft shift dresses and delicate camisole tops. A girl is spoilt for choice. Wear everything with your wooliest scarves and toastiest socks. Hot to trot, darling! Fools Play I have a soft spot for ridiculous things. Whether its a gigantic cat t-shirt, a rainbow knitted scarf or a bright coloured hat with googly eyes, my wardrobe is littered with

things that remind me, its only clothes! Wear something stupid with a cartoon print on the front, or a bright graphic printed dress, or even a big t-shirt with statement writing on it. Its healthy to not take yourself so seriously! Pick of the week: Black Sheer Utility Blouse New Look 17.99 (16.20 with NUS card) (Skirt: Miss Selfridge, 19.20 with NUS card) (Leggings: ASOS, 11.70 with NUS card) (Necklace: Miss Selfridge, 6.80 with NUS card)

Global Graduate Award Scheme

By Rebekkah Hughes, Features Editor The Global Graduate Award Scheme offers language courses to Surrey students, completely free! They offer a wide range of language from your French and Spanish to Korean and even Sign Language, which were newly introduced this year. The GGA offers a fantastic opportunity to start to dabble in a new language, or brush up on some previously acquired linguistic skills, and what better time to try than at the start of a new semester. Students are offered two hours of contact time a week and are expected to dedicate some personal time to independent study it goes without saying that when learning a language: practice definitely makes perfect! However, to help you along the way you can put yourself forward for the Buddy Scheme. Its as simple as it sounds: you offer your language skills, and learn from someone elses whether that be an International student improving their English, or a language student broadening their linguistic capabilities, there is help to be found. One of the most beneficial aspects of the Buddy Scheme is the prospect of practicing speech and pronunciation that can often be a struggle when youre not constantly surrounded by the spoken language. This means that if you travel, or plan on spending a placement year abroad, you can gain some vital communication skills before you set off. It seems almost too obvious to mention, but it also looks good on a CV (as will the independence of venturing abroad!) All talks of travel aside though, to learn even the basics of another language gives you a foundation that you can then build on, if you choose, or just use for those summer holidays when chatting to the locals. Its a commitment, but one that will most definitely benefit you as you discover a language and the culture that surrounds it.

Features Editor: Ellis Taylor | Copy Editor: Tessa Morgan

The Stag|14th October 2013

FEATURES

11

That Cute Animal Effect Health and Beauty:

Worth the Cash
by Tilly Tasker, Features Team

s a student, Im all for budget beauty tips, but when it comes to buying your make up, is cheaper REALLY better? This is your beautiful face were talking about here! Ive come up with a list of four make up bag essentials, a budget, and what youll get for your money: Foundation: 7-10. TEN POUNDS?! Yes. Ten pounds. The more money you spend on your foundation, the better it will be. The cheaper foundations tend to quickly fade and also contain many cheaper and unnatural chemicals that can give you oily skin Invest in a reliable foundation that does the trick with one application and gives you exactly what you want. To make your foundation last: take a small blob of foundation with a small blob of moisturizer. Boom. A softer, daytime foundation that still looks amazing. Powder: 3. If you dont use powder after youve applied your foundation then I thoroughly recommend it! It smooths over your face, creating even skin tone. Professional makeup artists use it as a finish, AND it can be as cheap as chips. Carry it around in your handbag, instant touch up on the go. Mascara: 4. Just go and grab any old thing thats on sale. Obviously it depends on what

youre looking for in mascara, but everything boils down to technique. You can buy the most expensive Chanel mascara but lack of practice is what leads to clumps and uneven symmetry. So leave the bankcard at home, and making sure your lashes are completely clean, slowly and thoughtfully apply your mascara. Dont be afraid to wipe it all off and start again! Practice makes perfect! Lipstick: 3-5. The great thing about lipstick is that you can put on however much you want without causing much grief! Except you may begin to look like a clown after 10 applications... If your lipstick feels dry, put some Vaseline on before and after applying the colour. I say 3-5 because this is how much BarryM charge for their fantastic array of colours, but you can get all sorts of colours from various brands in this price range. Tillys pick of the week: Witch Naturally Clear Anti-Blemish Beauty Balm : 4.66 One day I went shopping for some Aloe Vera facial cream (anyone else get hot and rosy cheeks?) and ended up coming home with this. No regrets. A perfect, skin-clearing, tinted facial cream that has replaced my need to use foundation every day. Ive been using it for a week now and my skin has definitely improved!

Woe the Engineer

by Alex Watts , Features Team by Rebekkah Hughes, Features Editor from LA werent always a duo however. Corgnelius began as a solo artist up until his first birthday this May when it was announced that he would be gaining a younger brother Stumphrey. All Corgnelius fans instantly adopted this charming little Corgi puppy, and now their owners say: Corgnelius wont go on a walk without him. Theyre inseparable! You may be wondering what in the hell has this got to do with anything? Well, I have some pretty solid excuses for spending your time looking at cute animals: 1) It makes you feel fluffy you coo aww and feel happy inside. Unless you dont have a soul. 2) If youre sad, unwell or lonely and dont have access to any loveable creatures to hand, this is the next best alternative. 3) Because, why not? Youre bored, procrastinating, whatever, it doesnt matter there is a wealth of cuteness waiting to be discovered.

hen you discover cute animals on the Internet, you may as well hang up your gloves and give up on anything else on the agenda, because nothing else matters anymore. You may have been working, or just innocently surfing the web, until BAM! Youre knocked for six because adorable, impossibly fluffy and heart melting little animals have appeared from almost nowhere. This happened to me recently, in case you were wondering. I was minding my own business, thinking about reading and upcoming lectures when I discovered the brilliance that is: Corgnelius and Stumphrey. Corgnelius and Stumphrey are a pair of stunningly cute Corgis who have a huge Internet fan base. Their fan base bloomed not because of the genius of a Corgi being named Corgnelius, but because their owners upload (or try to!) a photo of them everyday in various endearing outfits. This star-studded pair

ts been seven hours since you first left your warm bed and youre finally coming home for the second time of the day. Disappointedly in the last break, you only had enough time to fill up on cheap multipack soup, which frankly tastes like toilet. Your flatmates are like hey dude, Tesco? but all you ponder is the stack of coursework piling up on your laptop refusing you viewing of the wonders of Big Bang Theory. Youre stuck but whats the point in working without any chocolate buttons? Were all humans; we know we cant survive without them. So, ignoring the heap of tree pulp scattered around your room, off you go for an adventure. On returning, with a bank account a little more broken from buying glucose-based products to stimulate the sodden mush you call a brain, its simply too late.

However despite failing to pick up your pen, you proceed, and for the next week you become a hermit, popping your head out every now and again to eat and excrete. Quickly, you become unaware of the people you live with one of them becomes French, youve missed an episode of Game of Thrones and a new prime minister has moved into number 10. Its time to sort your life out, but how? So, here are three easy tips to appease your flatmates and please your lecturers: 1) Put them together find someone else doing your course and do your work with them it will be like hanging out but lame (because youre working) 2) Split screen you can watch the Breaking Bad finale and read about rockets at the same time. Win. Finally, 3) Pick a time at night to STOP. If you dont, your flatmates will bug you until their quest to distract you is completed.

Features Editor: Ellis Taylor | Copy Editor: Tessa Morgan

The Stag|14th October 2013

FEATURES

13

Just Google It
By Amy Vitoria, Features Team

New Semester, New Skills

By Dan Gautrey, President of BandSoc

Lecture Friends
Literature student; its no picnic trying to explain poetry to a Medical Engineer. Another way of making friends on your course is to join the societies based on what you study. If you are an English Literature student like me, join LitSoc. If you study Business, then BizSoc is the society for you. Soon enough, youll be going to the bar crawls that your society arranges and the events they throw, with people who share an interest in what you do. All in all, lecture friends are great. Youve finally found someone to moan about that horrible assignment with, that your housemates are definitely sick of hearing about! Pretty soon, youll have a great network of friends around you and supporting you. So dont worry! Its a scary world in the first week of lectures for a Fresher, but enjoy what you love doing, make new friends and have a great time at Surrey! You can do this.

ne of the many perks of modern day life is having a whole world of information at our fingertips. Search engines like Google and Yahoo give us instantaneous knowledge about almost anything, which would have otherwise taken hours to look up in books. But new research shows how our dependence to Google information is actually having an effect on our memory. A survey of 20,000 adults showed that only half could remember the year of Princess Dianas death, despite it only being in 1997. Only half could name the year the first man walked on the moon and only 4 out of 10 people could say what year the World Trade terrorist attacks happened. The results suggest that we treat the Internet as a clever friend, as since the invention of language we relied on other people for knowledge. This heavy reliance on the Internet is changing the

way we process information and we are subconsciously storing less of it. Our memory likes to find ways to be efficient and store as little information as possible. So whats the point in storing loads of factual information that we know is only a Google away? Instead we tend to remember where to find the information online, compared to the actual information itself. This in turn has an impact on our ability to learn, and as university students, this is key. What use does knowing where to find information on Google have in an exam? By picking up a book and actively searching for the information, our memory processes are more in-depth and a stronger memory trace is left. The effort put in to searching for the information, encourages our memory to learn it and store that information. So as easy as it is to Google the answer to a question, in the long run, the extra effort made is more worth your time.

riting doesn't really come naturally to me. I find this quite odd seeing as I can never seem to stop talking, and that Im now writing an article for The Stag. Not to mention that I regularly write songs that have several sets of perfectly good lyrics, of course that's my opinion, but even so, I manage to write them with ease. I think I've slightly side tracked let's get back to why I'm here: I wanted to talk about getting a fresh start. When you start University or come back for another year it's good to get yourself involved in new activities, societies, sports and anything else you can find. I know what you're thinking and I understand you might be a little busy this year, but let's be honest; you'll always have some free time. My recommendation for what you do in this free time is learn to play an instrument, and if you already do, join a band! At BandSoc we provide free rehearsal space for our members including a P.A. System, microphones and a drum kit so that new bands can

have somewhere on campus to rehearse without spending all of their hard earned money. That's enough advertising, unless you're not convinced yet, in which case, you're not cool except if you join (peer pressure totally works). So, back to learning an instrument: learning to play a new instrument is a great way to broaden your horizons and can be outlet for your creativity. I often try to take up new instruments and it can be lots of fun even if you already play something else. If you play guitar, go and buy a ukulele. They're cheap, they have two less strings and a whole new set of chords but other than that, they're pretty similar. If you play piano get yourself an accordion. Youd look insane but they're so much fun, plus you can pick up a child sized one for not too much. If you play the drums go and buy a harmonica. They're not related in any way but I just want to see more harmonica players out there it's a dying art. Well that's all I've got to say, so let's do a summary: learn an instrument and then join BandSoc, we're fun I promise.

by Jas Smith, Features Team

o Freshers Week is sadly over (sigh) and lectures are beginning: that magical time of year on campus, where bright-eyed Freshers are mixed with sleepy second and third years. For me, Freshers Week was a chance to make new friends and party, as Im sure it was for most this year. However, as much as I loved my housemates last year, it was nice to make friends away from halls: in lectures and seminars. Obviously, first and foremost, as a student, you came to Surrey to study something you love, but its important to get rid of that jittery-alone-feeling away by making new friends. It may feel like youre having a new friend overload, but making friends in lectures guarantees you an instant connection with people who enjoy what you enjoy, and can help you in your studies. Trust me as an English

Submit your woes and get advice from our very own agony aunt!
send to: editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk

14 FEATURES

The Stag|14th October 2013

features@thestagsurrey.co.uk

How To Protect Yourself Careers Service From Electronic Snooping

W
elcome new and returning students of the University! We are the Careers Ambassadors; Alex Tromp (FAHS), Hannah Roberts (FBEL) and Sarah Kendall (FHMS) and work with the Careers team whilst were studying. We are here to help you interact with the Careers Service and get the most from your University experience. When we were freshers, we had no idea what we wanted to do or where we wanted our careers to take us. With the help of the Careers Service, we slowly began to realise which direction we wanted our careers to take us and how the Careers Service could help Freshers this includes you; the early bird gets the internship/job! Do you know of all the services that the Careers Department offer? In the Careers Service we have a designated degree library, where you can search by subject for where your degree can take you. We also offer a number of

leaflets containing information on a variety of issues, including advice on finding work experience, CV checking and even tips on how to tackle psychometric tests! Not to mention the weekly Join John sessions, where you can test out in groups your employability skills with the Director of Careers Are you as good as you think you are? The Careers Service is open every weekday from 9am 5pm, with drop in sessions on Monday and Tuesday between 2-5pm and Wednesday to Friday 2pm -4pm. For these sessions, book in at the Careers Service at 1:30pm where you can get tailored advice. A variety of information can be found on our website, such as the 10 employers we have this week giving presentations; a full list of whats on offer can be found online where you can book your place. We hope to see you in the Careers Service soon!

By Ankur Banerjee

epending on how anally-retentive you are about your privacy and / or how little of a life you have in actually staying up-to-date with world events, you may have heard that a little something called the NSA in the USA and our very own GCHQ in the UK have been spying on online communications. And you might think, Wait, isnt NSA the guys who send rovers to Mars? I knew no good would come out of it! Kill Wall-E! But youd be mistaken, because the people sending rovers to Mars are NASA. Theyre pretty nice, actually. But that still leaves you in a situation where the government could spy on you. Snapchat wont really help, either, since by now theres probably a hard drive stashed away in a non-descript building with a full record of you 3am drunk nude selfies that you sent to your entire friend list. So, with that in mind, The Stag has put together a handy guide for protecting yourself from electronic surveillance:

late theyve made allowances for using rudimentary computers for business purposes. Use one of these, and when you have to submit coursework, give in the form of a password-protected PDF. When your lecturer complains that they cant open the files, suggest they file a Freedom of Information request with the GCHQ, whenever they eventually crack the password, to retrieve it.

Professional training year in Spain

By Joshua Gidney, Mechanical Engineering

Carry all your money in pound coins in a leather pouch:

One of the biggest rookie mistakes people make is in forgetting that electronic surveillance also encompasses tracking your financial activities. Close down your bank account, and deal exclusively in physical forms of cash. Now, unfortunately, even bank notes can be tracked since all of them have unique codes. For this reason, we must harken back to the old days and start carrying all our money in coins in a leather pouch. Its legal tender, so nobody can refuse to accept your coins and now that you have a typewriter, it will further add to your hipster cred. The added advantage is that its harder to lift fingerprints off coins compared to banknotes.

Buy a typewriter:
This idea is not as ridiculous as it sounds. In fact, the Russian government has been replacing its computers with thousands of typewriters, in a flight of brilliance that only their national stereotype could explain. Buying a typewriter will also increase your hipster street-cred by at least 300%, and is, as illustrated by the real-world example, endorsed by the manliest of all men Vladimir Putin.

hen I came to the University of Surrey I knew that I wanted to take advantage of the professional training year. During my 2nd year of study I started applying to various companies in the UK. As a second year student we were strongly encouraged to watch presentations from students returning to the university from their placements. One of these presentations caught my eye, it was for a job that sounded extremely interesting and was located in

Spain. After the presentation I emailed the returning student and asked for more details, I then applied, had an interview and fortunately I got the job. My time working in Spain is now over; however the experiences I had and the array of things that Ive learnt from my time over there have significantly changed me. I highly recommend that everyone completes a placement year and if possible a placement year abroad, I promise that you wont regret it and your C.V. will thank you for it later.

Ditch your mobile phone, gather tin cans:

Despite their convenience, mobile phones are not safe to keep your nefarious activities secret. The technology used to transmit cellular signals has been broken time and again, and by this point the government is surely listening whenever youre whispering sweet nothings to your significant other. I propose that we start a community effort to collect empty tin cans from recycling centres, and creating tin can with string cellphones going from houseto-house. Doing this will also increase the sense of community, since every message will need to be passed through an inherently social process. The Stag wishes you all the best with living under a rock. Hope the tin foil hat keeps you warm!

Follow in the footsteps of the Amish:

Of course, not every scenario that you previously used computers for can be replaced by typewriters. For instance assignments. Undoubtedly, youll need to do complex word-processing (hint: put that on your CV, it sounds cooler than I know MS Word) and this is where Amish computers come to use. For the uninitiated, the Amish are a sect of people who shun any form of modern technology, but of

Disney
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18 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The Stag|14th October 2013

sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Science & Technology

Bye-bye Prozac Nation

By Siobhan Harris, Science & Tech Editor

ere still living in a prozac nation where pills are being distributed here, there, and everywhere to treat and intervene with psychiatric disorders at an alarming rate. But could the newest force taking hold of neuroscience really end the prozac era? Fluoxetine (tradename prozac) is one of the many SSRI antidepressants which exists to alter the mind and behaviour in cases of depression, anxiety, insomnia and many other psychiatric disorders. The use of antidepressants in the UK and other European countries increases 19.83% on average per year, with the suicide rate only reducing on average by 0.81% annually. Even though suicide rates have fallen across Europe, it still remains a

major public health problem accounting for 60,000 deaths each year. All over the world people are taking medication daily, sometimes up to 17 different medications at one time. Some with severe side effects(vomiting, headaches, insomnia), some with mild side effects. But theyre necessary because despite the side effects, they help stabilise mood and although some patients advocate good exercise, and talking about it too as a coping mechanism, for the majority these arent enough. With the UKs rising reputation as a prozac nation, a term first used for the USA, it is clear that changes are long overdue. A radical new approach to understanding and treating psychiatric illness involves manipulating our brain networks. Money is already being invested

in this approach and less is being spent on developing pills. Almost all the major distributors have closed their drug discovery programmes for mental and neurological disorders. This is partly due to the lack of innovation seen since the

around neural networks wed better understand complex human emotion and behaviour. The importance of identifying and modifying key brain circuits has been recognised worldwide, and the investment into it has

altering the function of specific neural circuits

major classes of psychiatric drugs were discovered in the 1950s. Largely owed to the research into optogenetics technology using mice, this huge research effort is devoted to altering the function of specific neural circuits by physical intervention in the brain. It is focused on understanding the brain as a series of networks, each of which supports a different aspect of our experience and behaviour. Therefore, if we could get our heads been impressive. Obamas White House alone has promised $3bn for developing the technology to identify brain circuits, and the National Institute of Mental Health has promised to move its sevenfigure funding towards a system that looks at how brain networks contribute to difficulties that are shared across diagnoses. While investment is underway, so are innovative treatments. There has been a rise in deep

brain stimulation procedures, where electrodes are implanted into the brains of patients to alter electronically the activity in specific neural circuits. Medtronic, one of the companies manufacturing these devices, claims that its stimulators have been used in more than 100,000 patients. The project, called Research Domain Criteria (RDoCProject), is being cited as an eventual replacement for the diagnostic system used by current-day psychiatrists. Its intent is to translate rapid progress in basic neurobiological and behavioural research to an improved integrative understanding of psychopathology and the development of new treatments for mental disorders. The end of the prozac nation could well be in sight.

e-MagineArt.com

Sci/Tech Editor: Alex Smith | Copy Editor: Sophie Vickery

The Stag|14th October 2013

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

19

Nobel Prize For Higgs Boson Geniuses?

By Siobhan Harris, Science & Tech Editor Professor Peter Higgs and his colleagues may be rewarded for their groundbreaking work with a Nobel Prize in Physics on October 8 this year. They were the team of theoretical physicists first to describe a new type of particle, now known as the the Higgs Boson or God Particle, in 1964. After waiting decades for their work to be validated, in March this year scientists at the Large Hadron Collider in CERN, Geneva, confirmed it. A new particle was discovered that matches the theories of Higgs and his colleagues, the mysterious particle that explains why elementary matter has mass. Professor Stephen Hawking is among others who believes Higgs deserves a Nobel Prize for his work. However, he may face competition from Professor Didier Queloz, an astronomer at the University of Cambridge, for his role in the discovery of planets outside our own solar system. Ever modest about it, Higgs often pays tribute to other scientists who have used his work to conduct experiments at CERN, and points out that he predicted the particle alongside Francois Englert and Robert Brout. Although Brout died in 2011, and the award cannot be given posthumously, it is predicted Higgs and Professor Englert could be joint winners. A colleague said, If such an award is made, knowing Peter he will pay tribute to those other theoreticians who contributed in this area of physics. He will reserve most praise for all those many experimental particle physicists whose fantastic achievements in the half century since his papers have led to the recent discovery. The predictions are made by Thomson Reuters prediction expert David Pendlebury, using a citation data system and since 2002, it has forecasted 27 winners accurately. His predictions are based on how often a scientists published work is cited by other researchers. Pendlebury believes Higgs, 84, and Englert, 80, are the logical winners this time. Although Brout and Englert were first to publish their descriptions in 1964, Higgs was second and he was also the first person to explicitly predict the existence of a new particle. After waiting half a century, and having the experimental evidence finally in front of us, its time to recognise an achievement worthy of the Nobel Prize.

Tony Abbott Abolishes Science Minister Post

By Sam West, Science & Tech Team As some might be aware, Tony Abbott was recently elected as the new Prime Minister of Australia. However, his election has proved controversial in the science community, with one of his first moves which was to abolish the science minister position in his new cabinet. Some state this is due to clashes with scientists on climate change and other environmental issues, such as dumping the embryonic emissions trading scheme. However, the Abbott government claims the move is to cut costs and bureaucracy, by which the new cabinet has fewer posts overall. Under Abbott, the 33 climate change programs run by 8 agencies and 7 departments will be run by just 2 departments. Science, including climate change, will now largely be managed by the minister of industry, with some responsibilities held by the minister of education. Abbott says the move is to reduce title inflation. It is also predicted to save the government millions, even tens of millions. This will be the first time that Australia has gone without a minister of science since 1931. This is a big blow to environmentalists and scientists, who see science as a top priority. Catriona Jackson, CEO of Science and Technology Australia stated that Its absolutely critical that we have a minister of science. You need someone to go into cabinet and fight for the scientific cause. Theres science in virtually everything the government does. Whether you agree with the Abbott reforms or not, it is a big blow to the scientific community.

Newsbite: Brain To Exist Outside The Body

By Siobhan Harris, Science & Tech Editor Professor Stephen Hawking has predicted the possibility of everlasting life where the human brain can exist outside of the body. Speaking after the premiere of a new film about his life at the Cambridge Film Festival this week, Hawking said: in the future brains could be separated from the body. He predicted that it could be possible to preserve a mind as powerful as his on a computer, but admitted that its beyond our present capabilities. The 71 year old cosmologist said the brain operates in a similar way to a computer programme, so theoretically it could keep functioning without the body. I think the brain is like a programme in the mind, which is like a computer, so its theoretically possible to copy the brain onto a computer and so provide a form of life after death, said Hawking. Never afraid to speak out, Hawking also backed assisted suicide earlier this week. He supports the right for the terminally ill to end their lives as long as safeguards are in place. He believes that those who are in great pain should have the right to choose to end their lives and that those who help them should be free from prosecution.

Greenlands Mega-Canyon
By Siobhan Harris, Science & Tech Editor Forget exploring space, perhaps its high time we paid attention to earths hidden mysteries. One of the largest geological features on earth has been discovered beneath a sheet of ice in Greenland. It is 183 miles longer than the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and as deep as 2,600 feet. This discovery shows that there is much yet to discover of the earths landscape. The breathtaking canyon was found through thousands of bits of data pieced together from airborne radar surveys over the last two decades, collected by NASA and researchers from Germany and USA. The team analysed data from radio waves that were bounced off the bedrock underneath the ice sheets on a frequency that does not detect ice. NASAs Operation Icebridge also used their Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder to see through vast layers of ice to measure its thickness and the shape of bedrock below. It is thought to predate the ice sheet itself and has the characteristics of a winding river channel at 460 miles long. Researchers believe it plays an important role transporting subglacial meltwater from the interior of Greenland to the edge of the ice sheet into the ocean. Evidence suggests before the ice sheet formed, perhaps 4 million years ago, water flowed into the canyon from the interior to the coast as part of a major river system. Professor David Vaughan of The British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge said: A discovery of this nature shows that the earth has not yet given up all its secrets. Indeed, there is so much yet to discover on Earth.

Troy Constable

Marc Buehler

20 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The Stag|14th October 2013

sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk

The War On Ageing

By Siobhan Harris, Science & Tech Editor

Technology round-up
being done into the drugs benefits for those who are already healthy and Professor Sinclair has hinted that things are looking promising. As he said, Some of us may live to 150, but we wont get there without much more research. Now Google has launched its Calico project to stop the effects of ageing, too. They believe big-data analytics is the key, searching for solutions using Googles vast databases. Illness and ageing affect all our families. With some longer term, moonshot thinking around healthcare and biotechnology, I believe we can improve millions of lives, said Larry Page. Heading Calico is none other than Apples chairman Arthur Levinson. We thank science for the world we live in but we could soon be thanking it for giving us more time here. This may take awhile to digest, but if things go as predicted then we could have more than a lifetime. By Fahmid Chowdhury, Science & Tech Team
Blackberry in another mess

ife is time and if we could reverse the effects of time many of us would. You might have seen The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and imagined such a reality. You might have read about vampires and other fantasies and wondered about immortality. Some of us watched Bernards Watch as children and envisioned time stopping and starting. Whilst we still cannot reverse or stop time, we could now prevent its effects. Modern scientific researchers have claimed theyve compacted life into a tablet. Recent years have seen breakthroughs such as prosthetic limbs controlled by thought alone, the Denisovan genome and live mice born from just stem cells. Incredible scientific discoveries like these happen every single day. An Australian researcher believes a new medicine can prolong life to as long as 150 years.

Indeed the prospects of total immortality are still a long way off, unless you believe in vampires of course Research into the formation of these drugs has been going on for over a decade, and in 2008 the technology that developed it was sold to pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. It was tested there in human and animal models. Funnily enough, the results mimicked those commonly seen as a result of good exercise and diet. Overweight mice were given the synthetic resveratrol and, as Professor Sinclair predicted; lived 15% longer and ran twice as fast. Similarly, from the few trials done with type-2 diabetic people, there were benefits to metabolism. From these results, Professor Sinclair suggested the first therapeutic to be marketed will be for diabetes, in approximately 5 years time. Geneticist Professor Sinclair is currently based at Harvard University and had his work

published by Science magazine. Unsurprisingly he had no easy task in proving his findings to the scientific community. Alas, he attempted and here they are: a single anti-ageing enzyme known as SIRT1 has the potential to prevent age-related diseases such as cancer, Alzheimers and type2 diabetes. This is no light claim to make and Professor Sinclair knew that, so he then showed how the 117 drugs tested worked on the enzyme through a common mechanism in which they would treat a single disease but have the ability to then prevent many others, should they attack after. They include a substance called resveratrol that is also found in red wine. He says, In effect, they would slow ageing. In order to do so, the drugs effectively quicken the enzymes activity the first to do so in the history of Pharmacology, said Professor Sinclair. Since this, research is now

lackBerry, formerly known as RIM, has had to temporarily pull the plug on its much anticipated roll out of its BBM services on Android and iOS. The popular social messaging app was introduced on the Google Play Store and Apples App Store where downloads took place until the illegal, leaked versions caused problems. This is another problem on the troubled smartphone makers list.

iOS lock glitch resolved

pples new operating system called iOS 7 was released alongside the 5S and 5C models. However, there was a bug in the operating system that allowed users to bypass the phones lock screen. Now Apple shall release an update to remove this problem.

Home control from phone

evolve, a company from Colorado, has created a way to control various aspects of your house from your iPhone or iPad. You could remotely lock it, switch on various appliances, control the thermostat and use wireless lighting. Pretty cool.

HP debuts Leap Motion laptop

P has released their first laptop incorporating their Leap Motion technology. This technology will allow users to control the laptop using motion sensing. The sensor, though quite thin, can discern all 10 fingers of a human being and as such, HP have created a new experience with their laptops.

Music Editor: Becky Worley | Copy Editor: Hannah Wann

The Stag|14th October 2013

MUSIC

21

The highly anticipated new album from intergalactic explorer, Nick Douwma, has plummeted into Earths atmosphere straight from the uncharted realms of outer space, but can it compete with his dizzying debut of four years past? Does it sustain the same relentless, endorphin secreting D&B belters? Fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentleman; this ride is going to get a little hairy!

Sub Focus Torus

Music

Paramore Live at Wembley

By James Campbell, Music Team

itular and full to bursting with breathless dance floor fillers, Sub Focuss latest musical nebula, Torus has the same frenzied energy attributed to a bull in a china shop; its relentless pursuit is to transport our eardrums to the astronomic heights of hyperspace and beyond. The inaugural track, Torus commences with a sampled, crackled dialogue between two unsuspecting pilots of an unknown object approaching them at speed; this object is the looming donut shaped Torus, a gateway to the hypersphere and the vastness of inter-cosmic space. As the bombardment begins, the synths swoop and soar and a chugging, stomach curdling bass line blasts through the mix, accelerating listeners out of Earths atmosphere and into the fourth dimension. The pace and dogged energy is sustained in the successive, serotonin stimulating tracks, Endorphins, Out the blue and the euphoric Turn it Around, peppered with frustratingly catchy vocal lines from a mixture of big names, including Bloc Partys vocalist, Kele and MNEK, whose smooth harmonies culminate in the lounge step driven track of the album, Close, which oozes a cool, aloof soulfulness with hard hitting, funky bass vibes, reinforced by celestial strings. The anthemic, glowstick in- the -air induced tracks, Falling Down, Eclipse and Tidal Wave capture the essence of our journey into the great void above, fraught with nose dive drops from kamikaze

sounding bass leads, emphasised by Douwmas dabblings with Skrillex inspired samples and melodic hooks which cling like limpets to your insides. However, despite the continuous energy instilled in this release, some tracks, including Twilight and Turn Back Time seems to lose their vigour, almost finding it difficult to keep up with the rest of the album, desperate for a breather like a luckless marathon runner with a stitch and as a consequence are starved of the oxygen necessary to complete the race. After making a four year resurgence and despite the relent of the raging bull of the china shop, Torus might not have the necessary charge or stamina to take down the other established matadors of the D&B and dub step arena, as the likes of Skrillex, Chase & Status, Gemini and Pendulum to name but a few have become serious competitors, having earned electronic sovereignty in their own right in a rapidly evolving music industry. Douwma seems to have played safe with this latest full-track release, and there is nothing overly innovative in the electronic makeup of Torus per se. Nevertheless, this interstellar pioneer has successfully delivered a cleverly interconnected mishmash of electronic styles in a streamlined manner, delivering the sounds of the cosmos to the club scene with panache. Download Torus, Close and Falling Down to get your house party started! Torus is available via ITunes at 5.99.

fter taking a break from the UK touring circuit and losing two members of the band, Paramore returned to Wembley Stadium as a trio this September. Having seen the group four times previously whilst still in the midst of my teen angst phase, I must admit I did feel old compared to the majority of the crowd this time around. It seems the fan base remains primarily focused around teenagers following the bands alternative aesthetic.

popular sound to the album is glaringly obvious in tracks like Still Into You, which, in fairness is an incredibly catchy and fun song, but it contrasts their previous work for its lack of grit and attitude. It is the Paramore sound adjusted for the mainstream. It doesnt have the same draw for me, but perhaps it will sell them more records it was, after all, their only album to go straight to number one in the US charts

It is the Paramore sound adjusted for the mainstream.

Natural hair colours were certainly in the minority here! Despite the loss of two original members, the Farro brothers, Paramore have ultimately only got one irreplaceable member and leading lady, Hayley Williams. She represents a female role model for the more alternative teen base, and admittedly she does pack a punch with her incredible live vocal. Overall, the performance was strong, with the masses singing along to every line. The trouble for me was the bands more recent music. Both Riot! (2007) and Brand New Eyes (2010) were albums with consistency. They were different from a lot of the popular music on the scene at the time, and they featured some great tracks that are incredible when performed live. However, after a break from making albums and having only released a few choice singles in the last few years, the newest self-titled record doesnt seem to carry the same impact. The more Despite the musical direction of the band veering away from their original sound, the performance Paramore delivered at Wembley was as dynamic and energetic as ever. The missing members were replaced with session musicians, not so glamorous for them, but in all honesty, the focus is mostly on Hayley regardless. She wowed the audience with a mix-up of songs from all four albums including Pressure, Misery Business and Brick by Boring Brick. She even employed the help of an avid fan, who joined her on stage, sporting various Paramore tattoos, for a special rendition of Crush, Crush, Crush. One thing is certain with this band; they really adore their fans and this is evident through Hayleys pep talks in between songs. Overall a great gig and amazing atmosphere; it may be 10 years on from when they started the riot, but theyre still going strong!

22 MUSIC

The Stag|14th October 2013

music@thestagsurrey.co.uk

An Interview with The 1975

By Thea Spalding, Music Team

alking on to the plush tour bus, I immediately felt at ease as I spotted Matt Healy, the lead singer of the up and coming band The 1975. Cigarette tucked casually behind his ear as he slumped across the leather interior, the small and personal space in which I spoke to him became effortlessly informal. Being an emerging pop star about to perform at a sold out gig in the Oxford Academy, I wasnt quite sure what to expect but any worries about an abrupt and awkward experience disappeared the moment I introduced myself. The best way to describe Matty, as his tour manager refers to him, is utterly endearing. He is somehow slightly introverted, but incredibly confident at the same time. Lost in the philosophy of music and his passion for it, in the ten minutes that I spent in his company, I became fascinated with everything that he had to say... Congratulations on your debut album, which of course went straight to number 1 in the UK Albums Chart, did you expect it to get the commercial success that it has? NoNo, we werent really planning anything. We were just planning on putting out records. I think we knew that wed been defined by the internet, so I think that you assume that brings a certain amount of limitations. You can imagine being successful in the blog world and the online world... it doesnt always translate to the commercial side of things. We didnt need any statistical element to make us more proud of the album, but its cool. Im very flattered by it and I think its a representation that people still like music made for the right reasons so its good to be a part of that.

So I was going to ask you more on the album which is self-titled The 1975, what is the reasoning behind the name because its obviously quite specific and different? The name of the band comes from a book. Someone gave me a book when I was a teenager, and it had been used as a diary by somebody, and they had dated it 1st June, The 1975. Quite poetic then, almost? I just like the use of the word The. I suppose it is quite poetic, I just thought when it came to a band name that the word The had more relevance than whatever proceeded it and I thought that was quite original because thats never happened before. Listening through the album, its quite interesting as a collective piece of work because, youve got reworked versions of older songs in combination with newer material, so do you find that mix helps to show your musical progression as a band since you first came together? I think its funny that people even see that as an evolution, because theres a misunderstanding that our material is worked chronologically, for example we wrote the first EP, then the second, then the third and then the album. Thats not what happened. We wrote the album, all of the tracks on it were written. We then took, The City, Sex and Chocolate and wrote EPs around them. So when we did the EP versions of everything, everyone thought that the album version was like a redesigned version. But it wasnt that was always going to be the definitive version. We just wanted to record the other ones in my bedroom... all the EPs were produced in my bedroom. What and who are your musical inspirations, because listening through I

Matt Healy, lead singer for the 1975 (left) talks to our writer Thea Spalding (right) to one type of music. You want to know my musical influences? Roberta Flack, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Michael Jackson, Talking Heads, The Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine. So they are all from completely different areas of music then? Yeah well massively, like Boys II Men, TLC... Ive just always been totally consumed by music, its the only thing I know, and its the only form of expression I know how to indulge in. Its bled into every facet of my life and I think that the band is an extension of our identity... a singular identity thats been brought together by being together for so long. like last week, and finishes in Hong Kong in December. And then we start again in January in Australia. And do you tend to get homesick at all? Home is where the heart is, isnt it. It sounds clich but those kinds of things come out a lot more, you weigh up the pros and cons. My family dont live in the house that we used to live in; since Ive gone on tour everythings changed in my personal life. So I technically dont have a home but to say Im homeless would be ridiculous because Im so rich and everything else, and have all my mates around me, I have a wonderful life. I just dont have a place at the moment; I live on this tour bus.

The name of the band comes from a book. Someone gave me a book when I was a teenager, and it had been used as a diary by somebody, and they had dated it 1st June, The 1975.
Its interesting because, in the student media world were always on the hunt for new bands and new artists, and literally this time last year we were playing some of your stuff out on air and saying, these guys are going to be really big, now its obviously happened for you is it overwhelming at all? Playing live? Well, playing live is cool for us because weve been in a band for ten years. We started playing together for fun, but weve only played as the 1975 for about eight months. So we have a really interesting juxtaposition between being really fresh but also really nostalgic, which is cool that people have embraced what we do and were allowed to go around the country performing. dont necessarily think theres a prominent sound throughout the album... each track is quite distinguished from the other. Of course I know you have that alternative rock, electro pop sound, but for me tracks like Menswear have almost an RnB feel, so do you take inspiration from a variety of different genres? Well surely, yeah. I mean were of this generation, youre probably of a similar age to me. We create in the same way that we consume, thats our whole tagline. Were not really harboured by any of the kind of tribalist attitudes towards music because weve grown up and had ten years of a band without anyone judging us. So weve been able to evolve and be introverted, and create whatever music that we want. We dont listen

We create in the same way that we consume, thats our whole tagline. Were not really harboured by any of the kind of tribalist attitudes towards music because weve grown up and had ten years of a band without anyone judging us.
So the tour is underway at the moment, youre performing at Oxford Academy tonight. Do you have any memorable moments so far? Weve been on tour since December. Its kind of a series of surreal situations strung together by telling people about it. Weve met a lot of our heroes, weve had a wonderful festival season. Well have done over 300 gigs by the end of the year and then start going on tour again in January. Its amazing to have this creative pursuit be validated, and endorsed and financed its just really cool. Correct me if Im wrong, youre not just touring in the UK, youre going all over Europe and even across to the US? Weve been to America twice this year; we will have spent like three months there by the end. Yeah, this tour started in Newcastle Because youre originally from Manchester, so is performing there always a special place for you? It is. Its not necessarily the performance thats nostalgic, its stuff like when kids come up to you in the street in Manchester now thats mental. Going back to play Manchester is very, very special but were used to that. What were not used to is being in such a familiar environment and having our reality so altered, such as people coming up to you in the street. But were not really inspired by our geographical location as a band. Its like that party analogy isnt it: if you throw a party in your home town, and fifty people turn up, thats wicked and its a really good feeling. So if you imagine going round the world and doing that every night for 2000 people, its amazing.

trips and activities

Music Editor: Becky Worley | Copy Editor: Hannah Wann

The Stag|14th October 2013

MUSIC

23

A Tinie surprise at the Chancellors Speech

By Paul A Richmond, Deputy Editor

wasnt expecting so large a turnout to the Vice Chancellors speech in Rubix when I arrived on Wednesday 2nd October. Outside was a mass of students stretching out in all directions, as far as the eye could see. As the doors swung open, many pushed through the bottleneck, racing past me, gunning for a place at the front. Meanwhile, others headed straight for the balconies, to lean over chairs and stand on tables to get a good view of the stage. I wasnt exactly sure what to expect. Id heard various rumours, but all I knew for sure was that this whatever it was was not to be missed. In no time at all, Rubix was packed, and I was standing shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the dance floor. The event started with a great speech from the Vice Chancellor, followed shortly with one by Em Bollon - our union president, who was awarded Jenson Buttons helmet for winning a competition run by Santander. After the obligatory photographs, and the ceremonial donning of the helmet, met by much applause, the Vice Chancellor proceeded with an announcement that Tinie Tempah was waiting backstage.

As Tinie came bouncing out in his leather jacket and shades, the response was deafening, and before long the crowd was jumping and nodding to the pulses of Written in the Stars. We knew the words, and at times, with microphone held aloft, and the speakers still, Tinie looked on as Rubix became a chorus, recalling the lyrics in unison although, for this reason we were in part responsible for the false start of Earthquake. Sorry Tinie! In fact, this performance was one of many surprise appearances that Tinie had made that week, in a tour of university freshers weeks across the UK. Before heading off to Leeds and Nottingham he tweeted: Surrey Uni that was MENTAL!!! #WonderfulThingsHappenHere!, signing off on, what Im sure was to many, a satisfying encore to his concert at our university freshers week two years ago. The set was only thirty minutes long, and as we filtered out into the afternoon, the conversation revolved around what a strange event it had been. For half an hour in the middle of the day, a crowd of sedate, completely sober (though I cant speak for everyone) students was transported into a rap concert. All I can say is, nice job Tinie, youre welcome here any time.

Lit Editor: Emily Smart | Copy Editor: Sophie Vickery

The Stag|14th October 2013

LITERATURE

25

National Poetry Day & E. E. Cummings

By Paul A Richmond, Deputy Editor

Literature

World War Z Review

ot too long ago - on October 3rd - was national poetry day; an occasion that unfortunately seemed to slip past for many without much commotion; and I found that a shame. It was a shame because I feel there is a great joy in poetry that cannot be found in any novel, or piece of art outright, and for a while Ive wondered why exactly such a small amount of people I know read poetry on a regular basis, when I know how rewarding it can be. Not five years ago, I was an ignorant little child, whose only experience of poetry had been the Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon I had read in English classes and the occasional extract from the dusty volumes of W. H. Auden and Robert Frost, retrieved from the top shelves whenever a funeral or wedding came around (respectively). But one night, on a whim, I read e. e. Cummings for the first time, and it was like a light went on. For those who arent familiar with Cummings, he is a prolific American poet, who died in the early 60s. He is known for his unusual uses of punctuation and syntax, as well as for his experiments into shape poetry, but there is so much more to him than that. Cummings is one of those poets who will lead you through a poem carefully, then strike you from nowhere with a line that will set up camp inside your head for weeks. Some of his poems, however, are more like literary sudokus; upon first glance, you might not be able to find a single word, but instead, a smear of letters and punctuation, wiped across the page, as if a toddler were let loose on their grandfathers typewriter (read as if as if you dont believe me). But if you sit down, words and sentences will begin to appear. You can watch a word jump across a page, or car engine stuttering into life. As you start to make sense of it, brackets can become crescent moons, an i becomes a person, and words appear within words. There is so much life and vibrancy that can erupt from a Cummings poem, and there is more depth to be found in his four-word account of a leaf falling, than in an entire book of a lesser poet *cough*Langston*cough* (search for a leaf falls). I have read many of his books upwards of ten times; my favourites, at least fifty, and I am still discovering

new layers of intricacies. I remember my joy a few years back as I figured out the trick to reading a poem I had begrudgingly skipped past numerous times previously (try and figure it out, its called ygUDuh). So I will end this article by saying that e. e. Cummings was born on the 14th of October, which is the day that this issue is released. So whether you were or were not so unfortunate as to let national poetry day slip by, that you have a read of e. e. Cummings, because there is so much joy to be found in reading poetry, you just need to know where to find it. All of Cummings work is now in the public domain, and can be found online. Some good starters are: she being Brand there are so many tictoc (below) dont get me wrong oblivion you shall above all things be glad and young. r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-a-g-r (search for grasshopper)

there are so many tictoc clocks everywhere telling people what toctic time it is for tictic instance five toc minutes toc past six tic Spring is not regulated and does not get out of order nor do its hands a little jerking move over numbers slowly we do not wind it up it has no weights springs wheels inside of its slender self no indeed dear nothing of the kind. (So,when kiss Spring comes well kiss each kiss other on kiss the kiss lips because tic clocks toc dont make a toctic difference to kisskiss you and to kiss me)

By Ankur Banerjee, Literature Team

By Emma Hawken, Literature Team

Postmodernism
to the way literature was understood and written, with characters that had self-awareness or texts that portrayed the authors anxiety about having a developed knowledge and reasoning. Postmodernism differs from its predecessor, modernism, in terms of attitude to this use of fragmentation that had infiltrated literature and art. Imagine an optimistic person and a pessimistic person, one likes to see the good of something and the other laments what once was. Each concept is like a force against the other. While modernists mourned the lack of objectivity of clear morals, genres and discontinuous narratives in novels, postmodernists rejoiced in the new-found freedom of breaking away from set structures. A sort of postmodern irony was introduced, a way of hauling ideas and elements from previous works into and alongside other pieces of text to form something new.

n an English degree postmodernism is a term you are more than likely going to hear within your first year. It was first introduced as a term in the 1930s and 40s in the world of architecture; buildings were breaking away from previous designs and incorporating a mixture of styles from bygone eras. Postmodernism, in relation to literature, became popular in the 1960s. In a similar fashion to architecture, authors and writers favoured a more fragmented technique where they could combine elements of different genres (for example William S. Burroughs Naked Lunch (1959) which includes detective and science fiction with erotica); use of intertextual elements such as allusion, parody, or pastiche, and frame-breaking as in John Fowles The French Lieutenants Woman (1969). The postmodern outlook became a novel approach

orld War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks is perhaps the best book I have read in the zombie genre; not that I have read many books in that genre beyond Richard Matheson's classic I Am Legend. I tend to stay away from the zombie genre in books because while films in genre can be visceral, I have never considered it to be a style that translates well into the written form. World War Z is somewhat different from in that it's written from the serious perspective of an unpublished United Nations report on a wide scale zombie epidemic that overruns the whole world. The treatment given to the zombie outbreak is much like what you'd expect from a story on a global virus outbreak, similar to the film Contagion. From the very onset it's quite clear that Brooks has thoroughly researched the cultural zeitgeist of various locales that make up the settings for the book's chapters; it lends a weight to the

story that goes beyond the mere "let's hit the rural areas!" trap many zombie books / films tend to stray into. What the book does an excellent job of doing is pointing out the hubris of the modern military and government machine at tackling large-scale, rapidly-changing scenarios. All the military force a country has crumbles quickly when faced with an enemy that literally cannot be killed because it's already dead, and then delves into how that can psychologically affect the combat effectiveness of armed forces - and how that can spread into mass hysteria. By breaking the mould of following a single set of survivors, and instead tracking the action on a global scale, Brooks is able to highlight the psychological impact that a disaster of such proportions can have on humankind. The eventual victory is equally grim: months and years of dogged fighting to slowly make tracts of land inhabitable again. A chilling, gripping read.

26 FILM

The Stag|14th October 2013

film@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Film

By Sophia Field, Film Editor

Prisoners (2013)

risoners is a gripping abduction movie that will have you on the edge of your seat from five minutes in until the closing credits. The narrative revolves around the kidnapping of two little girls and the hunt to track them down. In arguably Hugh Jackmans strongest role, he portrays a father who is always equipped for the worst but who had no way of preparing for the disappearance of his daughter. Shortly after the two friends are seen playing near a typically unsettling campervan outside the house, they vanish into thin air. This leads to the launch of a full-scale investigation by Detective Loki (Gyllenhaal) to hunt down the children before it is too late. Despite the run-time of the movie stretching way over two hours, it does not feel too long. The sheer intensity and clever pacing of the plot development means that there is never a moment to check your watch, or opportunity to pop to the bathroom. The storytelling approach that Canadian director Denis Villeneuve uses is simply genius, weaving the story together from the point of view of both the father and the police investigator. Each stage of the process, all the bumps and mini-climaxes make it impossible not to be drawn into the complexity and moral fragility of every moment. Both Jackman and Gyllenhaal offer deep emotional portrayals of their characters in Prisoners, which are sometimes difficult to watch. Gyllenhaal is clearly intensely moved by the case and perhaps his own personal struggles, although this is never properly explored in the narrative. It is hinted at by showing that he has a twitch that gets worse in stressful circumstances, but without lengthening the film even further, it isnt possible to explore Lokis backstory in more detail. This underdeveloped character trait is worth it for the complexity of Jackmans character however; who offers a heartbreaking performance

that it is simultaneously gripping and uncomfortable. His work in this movie is the most impressive I have observed and adds a depth to his wide-ranging portfolio unseen in his previous work. Villeneuve does an incredible job of conducting the emotional force of the situation to the viewer. It is this seamless depiction that leads to a moral dilemma for both the onscreen characters and the audience as we are faced with the lengths parents will go to protect their family. Similarly to Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty (2012), the movie approaches disturbing and controversial truths in relation to torture and morality. These scenes are forcefully emotive and work extremely well to highlight the desperation of the story.

The sheer intensity and clever pacing of the plot development means that there is never a moment to check your watch, or opportunity to pop to the bathroom.
I would wholeheartedly recommend this film for lovers of emotional crime dramas. I left feeling deeply affected by the reality of the story and completely moved by the portrayal of the characters. The only negative critique I have is that the reactions to the kidnapping by other family members seemed unexplored and somewhat shallow in comparison to the more meaty character roles. Although Hugh Jackman carried enough emotive intensity for the entire cast put together, it would have been interesting to delve deeper into the grief of others in his position. That said, Prisoners is a must see this October, and without giving away any spoilers, it definitely will keep you guessing until the end!

The second installment in the horror trilogy

By Ankur Banerjee, Film Team

Insidious Chapter 2 (2013)

an eerie atmosphere is created in every scene. Joseph Bishara's score, especially the use of piano sonatas, complements this sense of tension throughout the plot. I never quite understood though why Insidious - and this sequel - sometimes turns to slapstick humour through the characters of two paranormal investigators during intense scenes. It almost feels like a formulaic decision made by the studio to ease tension during highly strung scenes. If there's one thing that detracts this film from being "great", it would be this. I confess I'm a huge fan of director James Wan's work: Saw is a perennial favourite among horror films for me. Insidious Chapter 2 is heavily influenced by The Conjuring, another recent Wan film, as he has confessed himself. However, while The Conjuring felt mainstream, I loved how Wan presumably had the freedom to try out a bolder story in this smaller budget film. I don't have high hopes for the planned third film the Insidious series, but for those who liked the first film, Chapter 2 gives a well-rounded closure to the story.

nsidious Chapter 2 is a sequel to the indie horror hit Insidious. For those who haven't seen the movie - and you should! - Insidious was one of the best horror films of 2011; the story revolved around a couple's son who enters into a coma and becomes a vessel for spirits. The first film got many things right with suspense and pacing in the first half, but totally lost the plot in the second section of the film. A sequel was never planned for Insidious, so when Chapter 2 was announced based on how well the first film performed at the box office, I was curious to find out where the story would go. Insidious Chapter 2 picks up the story from where the previous film left off, with a seemingly familiar ghost-follows-family-to-new-home plot. Whilst this has been done many times, what shines is how well the sequel's plot meshes into events from the first film. It's pretty impressive for a retconned storyline. I also liked the frequent use of colour red throughout the film, through red-coloured objects, a door, and lighting;

Film Editor: Candice Ritchie | Copy Editor: Sophie Vickery

The Stag|14th October 2013

FILM

27

Rubber (2010)

By Candice Ritchie, Music Editor When I first heard about the French film Rubber, my instant reaction was, you know that the film industry is struggling for new ideas when one is centred around a killer tyre. Certainly, a film about a tyre named Robert, who comes to life and develops telekinetic powers enough to blow up a bunny and human heads seems both ridiculous and futile. But thats exactly the point. The film opens with Lieutenant Chad (Stephen Spinella) delivering a monologue to the viewer about the no reason principle of filmmaking. He poses a series of questions, first delving into films and then applying everyday life: Why is E.T brown? Why do those in Chain Saw Massacre never go to the bathroom? Why do some people love sausages and other people hate sausages? And to each he provides the answer no reason. He declares that the film is homage to this element of style, and from then on we are met with a constant play on genre conventions. Director and writer (and musician) Quentin Dupieux immerses the film in metafiction. Intentionally destroying the fiction as reality idea, he includes a group of spectators, who act as an on-screen audience, watching the action at the same time as us. Throughout, the film refers back to the group for critical commentary, creating self-awareness to highlight Dupieuxs play on storytelling. Similarly, we are made aware that Lieutenant Chad knows its fictional and sees the absurdity of the story; he sets out

to kill the spectators (by feeding them a poisoned turkey) so that it can come to an end. However, despite its all-knowing aspect, there are constant attempts to personificate. From Robert displaying sexual voyeurism, showering and expressing emotion (as much as it can be suggested by the movement of a tyre), to being spoken to by a young boy and chased by the police, its as though Dupieux still needs the audience to identify with the character. Clearly some conventions are still necessary. Nonetheless, this is met with elements of comedy, as Robert gazes at a naked woman: this is the first time in my life I can identify with a tyre claims one character, as think the tyres going to get laid? asks another. Comedy is successfully created, then, by following a convention and mocking it. Dupieux also complies with conventions of the horror genre, with several scenes of gore; clearly necessary to categorise the film. To truly appreciate the clever critique within Rubber, you need to look beyond the nonsensical. From beginning to end, we are reminded of the films consciousness (ironically, even the films hidden message is given in a speech at the start) and the plot simply serves as a backdrop. Even the trailer makes the film seem centred on plot, adding to its constant play on audience expectation. While I hated the dragging story of the killer tyre and thought it to be ludicrous as a whole, as an afterthought I could see the brilliance. It was completely unpredictable and highly thoughtprovoking; as a result, refreshing!

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Dance/Theatre Editor: Tiffany Stoneman | Copy Editor: Hannah Wann

The Stag|14th October 2013

DANCE & THEATRE

29

The World of Extreme Happiness A Woman's Place Is...

By Abigail Oscroft

Dance & Theatre

By Rebecca Tubridy, Dance and Theatre Editor

hen I impulsively booked last minute tickets to see The World of Extreme Happiness at the National Theatres temporary pop-up venue, The Shed, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. The Shed opened in April 2013 and plans to close in 2014, when the Cottesloe Theatre will reopen as the Dorfman Theatre, as part of the 80 million NT Future redevelopment project. From the outside The Shed looks like a giant red shed (surprise surprise!), crossed with a piece of Lego. However, on the inside it is an intimate performance space, intended to show new experimental, ambitious and original pieces of theatre, similar to Upstairs at The Royal Court. The World of Extreme Happiness, written by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig and directed by Michael Longhurst, follows the life of Sunny, a young Chinese girl, who was almost doomed from birth, when her parents tried to kill her for being a girl and not the son they longed for. With a hunger for success, and keen to keep her younger brother in school, Sunny leaves her home in the country for a life of hard work in the city

factories. Sunny was played beautifully by Katie Leung, better known as Cho Chang from the Harry Potter films. Her training at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland has certainly matured her as an actress; her character felt very truthful and she brought tears to many eyes at the close of the curtain. A massive praise is also deserved by Chris Lew Kum Hoi, a 2012 graduate of our very own Guildford School of Acting. He played Sunnys younger brother Pete with conviction and his movement sequences were impeccably timed. Considering the limited space in The Shed, the set was very well devised, with disco lights and illuminating baby dolls. The set was changed effectively by the characters, which never once felt odd. I happened to find myself sitting next to the director, who informed me that they had only been rehearsing for 4 weeks and had managed to tech the show in an incredible 2 days! Overall I was extremely impressed by The World of Extreme Happiness, and with Entry Pass tickets for a fiver, its a must see! I cant wait to see what else The Shed has to offer.

ell, one thing we're all sure of is that it most certainly isn't the kitchen any more! In fact any person who dares to venture this absurd idea is certain to receive the distain that undoubtedly comes with it. You're probably wondering what on earth this feminist rant has to do with theatre, but bear with me and I shall explain all. Recently I watched an interview with Catherine Tate. When asked a question about women in comedy, she responded by voicing the opinion, 'I do think, socially, people are conditioned to think that it's actually not a woman's place to stand up to demand the stage, to say 'what I'm going to tell you is funny and it's ok to laugh at it.' This has made me think; with women demanding a say within society, refusing to be constrained to the home, where is their place? And more specifically where is a woman's place within theatre? This is a sentiment echoed and explored by artists such as Judith Butler & theorists such as Hanna Scolnicov. However, after

some thought, I would argue that to put a woman in a specific 'place' is to limit her potential. It's a way to control and shape women into a form that seems acceptable and manageable in a male-dominated industry. We end up with a culture of 2D women, where the only roles for women to play in theatre are set caricatures, instead of beautifully well-rounded characters. Women are as complex as men, and I for one, am sick of the Hollywood, Broadway & West End stereotyping of women as either disillunsioned mothers, sexy sirens, or domineering bitches who learn their lesson. Where the only aim for the woman is to be the sidekick to a male driven plot line, to find her price charming. I would argue that women should not have a set place, whether it is the kitchen, or in a specific role. Imagine if we spoke of men in this way? Surely women should have the run of the stage, to be able to stand up and say 'what I'm going to tell you is worth hearing and it's ok to respond to it.' But I fear, dear reader, we may have to fight for it.

The Big Ticket

n partnership with 96.4 Eagle Radio, the Yvonne Arnoud are offering theatre tickets for just 5! On Thursday evenings anyone aged 16-30 that lives or studies in Guildford can see a show for a fiver. All you need to do is fill out a 30 second registration form on the Yvonne Arnoud website and take your ID with you to the Box Office at the theatre. Tickets are subject to availability. For more information visit http://www.yvonne-arnaud. co.uk/about-us/eagle-radiosbig-ticket

trips and activities

30 DANCE & THEATRE

The Stag|14th October 2013

dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Les Misrables Review

by Sam West,Opinion & Anlysis Editor

n early September my younger brother and I went to see the 28-year long running musical production, Les Misrables, at Queens Theatre, West End. It is a moving story about Jean Valjean, a prisoner who breaks his parole, only to turn his life around and make Cosette, an orphan of his late factory worker Fantine, the focus of his life. The story is filled with action, with the backdrop of a French revolution attempt, and of course Inspector Javerts great mission to find Jean Valjean. However, the underlying theme is one of love; Fantines love for her daughter Cosette, romance between Cosette and a young revolutionary, and the love Jean Valjean finds through God. Prior to my visit, I had only watched the motion picture, which I thoroughly enjoyed. However, the theatre production was on a different scale. You felt like you were really there and experiencing what the characters were experiencing, whether it be love, sorrow, repentance, or desperation. What made this production so unique was the stage work. Moving stages are nothing new to 21st century West End, but the stage work of Les Misrables was of such an interesting manner. They had a rotating stage, which showed all angles of the stage and gave

the actors a lot to work with, allowing them to move without moving their feet, or to walk continuously without coming to an end. The plays overall tone was serious, hence being called Les Misrables. I felt the acting was of a high quality, with the actors not losing focus on the themes of love and despair. The only attempts to add humour were through the characters of Monsieur and Madame Thnardier, adding brief comical relief in periods throughout the play. Despite being a corrupt landlord and landlady, and later petty thieves, they were by far my favourite characters. It was their sheer humour, whether it be their innuendos, mischievousness, or blunt-mannerisms. Although the Thnardiers Master of the House left the crowd roaring, One Day More was definitely the best number. The performance was very elaborate and felt throughout the theatre. It was such a powerful quodlibet, incorporating all of the present main characters, each singing their own melody aloud into one great piece! Overall, I would describe the West Ends Les Misrables as excellent and a very enjoyable experience! There were powerful stories and themes throughout, portrayed by the strength of music and deliverance. Highly recommended and not one to miss!

Societies Editor: Shalini Thondrayen | Copy Editor: Hannah Wann

The Stag|14th October 2013

SOCIETIES

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Societies
Stag Radio
So lectures have begun, the essays are rolling in and we have books to pretend we read. Now is the time we all need distracting from the monotony of our degrees. Luckily Stag Radio is here for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need it. We broadcast 24 hours a day during term time, playing all the music you want to hear. The Breakfast Show team will get you up and ready for those awful 9:00 A.M. lectures and Clocking Off will welcome you home at the end of the day. Tune in to Clocking Off for your chance to win a bottle of Jose Cuervo Tequila every single day and on a Wednesday you can win a bottle of Fix, Drink Accelerator. There is no better place to keep up to date with cutting edge news; our news team will keep you informed about news occurring both nationally and here on the Surrey University campus as it happens. Listen in from 5:00 P.M. for the extended bulletin to make sure you dont miss out on a single bit of the action. If chart music isnt your style, then tune in to Stag Radios specialist evenings from 7:00 P.M. We have music for every palette with presenters who are truly passionate about what they play from Rock, to Dance, to Alternative. If youre passionate about music, interested in radio, or simply just love the sound of your own voice, it is never too late to get involved with Stag Radio. We would love to have you join the presenting team. Email training at training@stagradio.co.uk or come along to one of our Thursday meetings at 7:15 P.M. We know presenting isnt for everyone and there is a whole range of other ways to get involved with Stag Radio. Join the marketing team to build up your portfolio, help write and read the news, join the production team to help improve our content or join the music team to influence what we play. Stag Radio is YOUR campus radio so sign up today and like us on Facebook to be kept up to date with everything we are doing!

Surrey Marrow
We are Surrey Marrow, the student branch of Anthony Nolan who save the lives of people with blood cancers such as leukemia. We raise awareness of and sign people up to the bone marrow register. All you have to do to join the register is spit in a tube. You have a 1 in 1000 chance of being a perfect match for someone and for many people with blood cancers, a bone marrow transplant is their last chance. We work with Anthony Nolan to recruit people to the register so are always looking for volunteers. As well as potentially saving someone's life, we have a lot of socials, a chance to go to the AGM and meet staff from Anthony Nolan, join in events such as the London Marathon as we are the official charity for 2014 and be part of a society which is currently in 40 other universities. We welcome students from all subjects, not just with a medical background so please email surreymarrow@gmail.com for more information. Our first recruitment event is Friday 25th October, 11-4pm, Rubix.

Raising Mountains
By Siobhan Harris

RAG (Raising and Giving)

AG is back and we are bigger than ever this year with a new committee led by RAG Chair Dannah. This years team includes Treasurer Georgie, Events Officer Serena, Charities & Raids Officer Lee, Challenge Events Officer Lori, Publicity & Communications Officer Siobhan and Marketing Officer Alison. After RAGs hugely successful Mount Kilimanjaro climb this summer, we have many more exciting fundraising events lined up for you. On Wednesday nights before Citrus, Surreys RAG society will be working with the sports societies to introduce Choice in Chancellors where we will hold different activities to raise money for charity. Our first event, The Ritual bar crawl will take place on Monday 21st October. This will be an introduction into the some of the biggest nights of the year and we will be selling RAG shirts for 5. The shirts will give you discounted entry to the Safer Sex Circus on Monday 25th November. In November,

Lost will be taking place. We will be asking groups of two to three students to sign up and raise 30. They will then use their raised money to get as far away from campus as possible using public transport. The team that gets the furthest away from campus will win a prize and there will also be a Lost party so we can celebrate with the winning team that night. The Safer Sex Circus will kick start a week of raising awareness about safer sex and promoting safe sex for students. Talks will be held the following week. During this period, we will be focusing on raising money for a charity that helps raise awareness of HIV/AIDS. World Aids Day is also coming up in December, and this period is called Paint Campus Red. More details to follow. Enter a new academic year, Surreys RAG society is passionate about fundraising for the most worthwhile charities. Our chosen International and Local Charities will be revealed soon and we will be firing up our street teams around campus so please get involved!

Laura Oakley (above) donated her stem cells last year, she's a Surrey uni student and also volunteered with us last year. She says "Volunteering to recruit new donors has been amazing. To anyone thats thinking about joining the register, I just tell them to do it donating is one of the most incredible things that Ive done."

Surrey Links
Surrey LINKS is a part of St. John Ambulance, a First Aid charity that trains up volunteers to various First Aid qualifications for free. Free training occurs each week on a Tuesday at 7.30pm-9pm at room 72MS03, whilst there you will be taught various skills such as CPR, the recovery position and bandaging by qualified first aid trainers. All of these skills will help you build up both your knowledge and confidence for your First Aid Assessments, which allows you to move up one qualification and in return gives the ability to learn and use more skills than before! After completing your first qualification, you will be a Trainee First Aider and be allowed to attend First Aid duties. Such duties for Surrey LINKS include every Wednesday and Friday night at the Student Union as well as other events such as Graduation Ball and Fireworks Displays. To get involved simply turn up to one of our weekly meetings and we can take your email address and start the process for you. Hope to see you all soon!

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Send your name, society and 200 words to
societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk