Newspaper of the students of the University of Surrey

Issue 46 Tuesday 22nd May 2012

Say farewell to Surrey 11/12 with some of your best memories on page 16
NEWS Teenager gets charged over Surrey campus stabbing... Page 3 SURREY 2012 A photographic collage of the best Surrey moments of 2012... Page 16 SPORT Surreys olympic hopefuls start their preparation... Page 32 FEATURES How do you shower? Sophie Vickery discusses the many varients on the regular shower... Page 8 LiTERATURE Ben Hatch talks to The Stag about his award winning novel, Are We There Yet on page 23 DANCE & THEATRE Emily Bourne reviews the latest MADsoc performance of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying... Page 19 SCiENCE AND TECH is it the end of the nuclear rennaisance? Find out on Page 13...

Sophia Field chills with Newton Faulkner as he kicks off his 2012 tour... Page 26

20 2 1
Student Volunteering Gold Awards: George Chatzizacharias, Beth Everest, Jamie Dooley, Adam Lodowski, Bakita Kasadha, Mark Grimmett, Ellen Vaughan, Becky Robinson, Charlie Eastaugh, Katie Hook and Kirsty Stubbs Student Volunteer Trainer of the Year: Tom Dyer John Hoborough Award for Student Volunteer of the Year: Kirsty Stubbs Best Newcomer: Daniel Bishop Student Academic Representative of the Year: Mark Grimmett Academic Staff Member of the Year: Lynne Millward Students Union Staff Member of the Year: Julie Havelund Student Media Award: Jack White Fundraiser of the Year: Zeshan Hussain Student Run Event of the Year: MADTV and Stage Crew for iGala Broadcast Outstanding Contribution to Representation and Wellbeing: Bakita Kasadha Outstanding Contribution to the Student Community: Kirsty Stubbs Societies of the Year: Chem Soc (Departmental), Gospel Choir (Arts), Nepalese Soc (International), Islamic Soc (Religious), Surrey Marrow (Political & Campaigns), Veg Soc (Special Interest), Stage Crew (Student-Run Service) Most Active Society Member: Brooke Knight (Dance Music Soc) Best Committee Member: Yusuf Ahmet (Islamic Students Assoc.) Best President: Becky Robinson (Do>More) Society Development and Development Award: Do>More Society of the Year: Stage Crew View the whole list at www.ussu.co.uk

UNION AWARDS

And the winners are...

AWARD NIGHTS SHOW OFF SURREYS TALENT

By Alexandra Wilks, Literature Editor

he Student Awards recognizes the achievements of students through societies, events and volunteering. The Student Awards also recognizes exceptional societies as a whole, with awards such as Most Improved Society of the Year. This year Student Awards took place on the Thursday 17th May. Wates was transformed for the event and everyone made a huge effort to look fabulous. It was an incredibly enjoyable evening, with awards given out by the Unions own Osama

Salih (President), Trung (VP Sport), Jake Willis (VP Societies and Individual Development), Sam Ratzer (VP Education), Ollie Deed (Union Chair) and the much loved Alan Roy. It was particularly nice to see senior management not only come along to support the students but for their kind words when giving out Student Awards. To kick the evening off Trung had everyone laughing (and marvelling at his brilliant memory) when reading out the Sports Awards, which had been previously read out at Saturdays Colours Ball. A

particularly heart warming moment was the Volunteering Gold Awards; every nominee was worthy of the award it was decided that they all would win. Every winner and nominee was incredibly deserving of warm recognition from the University and Students Union, but a particularly notable winner was Kirsty Stubbs of Do>More who not only won the John Hoborough for Student Volunteer of the Year but also the Outstanding Contribution to... Continued on Page 3...

EDiTORiAL

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Goodbye from the Editors

Bakita Kasadha Editor-in-Chief

Editor | Jack White editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk Editor-in-Chief | Bakita Kasadha ussu.communications@ussu.co.uk Deputy Editor (Design) | Hollie Rowe-Roberts design@thestagsurrey.co.uk Design Team | Ellie Brodie, Paul A Richmond, Hannah Roberts-Owen, Christina Morman, Louisa White and Alexandra Wilks Deputy Editor (Marketing) | Tom Goulding marketing@thestagsurrey.co.uk Marketing Team | Shervin Hejazi, Imogen Jones, Eleanor Pearson and Genevieve Webb News News Editor | Jyoti Rambhai news@thestagsurrey.co.uk News Team | Kathryn Braid, Sophie Howard, John Kavanagh, Jyoti Rambhai, Melissa Raske and David Williams Features Features Editor | Nicole Vassell features@thestagsurrey.co.uk Features Team | Peter Bailey, Ellie Brodie, Chris Thomas, Hannah Wann, Becky Powell, Stephen Cartwright, Louisa White, Ellis Taylor and Sophie Vickery Science and Technology Science and Technology Editor | Nathanael Roome sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk Science and Technology Team | Lawrence Finn, Dave Holcombe, Shourya Khanna, Kate McAtamney, Melissa Raske, Alex Smith and Ruth Smithers. Societies Societies Editor | Chris Dighton societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk Arts Dance and Theatre Editor | Hannah Jelliman dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk Dance and Theatre Team | Emily Bourne, Sarah McDowell, Beth Hedges, Lucy Jarvis, Tiffany Stoneman and Lexi Sutton Film Editor | Tiffany Tucker film@thestagsurrey.co.uk Film Team | Laura Howard, Caroline James, Kristie Marchant, Christina Maria Webb and Louisa White Music Editor | Sophia Field music@thestagsurrey.co.uk Music Team | James Campbell, Liam Conroy, Dan Davidson, Amy McGivern, Tanya Noronha and Elliot Tyres Literature Editor | Alexandra Wilks literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk Literature Team | Rachel Burgess, Stephanie Davies, Tessa Heenan, Candice Ritchie, Emily Smart, Emma Thomas, Sophie Vickery and Rebecca Worley Sport Sport Editor | Jordan Vine sport@thestagsurrey.co.uk Sport Team | Douglas Elder, Arabella Gilby, George Gigney and Sam Limbert Copy Editors | Megan Barnacle, Michaela Fulton, Emma Giles, Candice Ritchie and Louisa White copyteam@thestagsurrey.co.uk Webmaster | Andrew Smith webmaster@thestagsurrey.co.uk Photo Editor | Tessa Morgan photos@thestagsurrey.co.uk

his year as Communications Officer has been amazing. Ive learnt so much, and Im very excited about becoming a full-time Officer next year. I have been presented with many opportunities to represent the student body and get more involved in the Union. Id like to thank the other twelve members of the Union Executive and all the Union Staff, especially Alan Roy, Clem Mulcahey Banks, Lisa Lynch, Kath Jones, Bob Anderson, Helena Vardy and Aaron Salins, for the support they have given me as a Comms Officer to facilitate the projects I have been passionate about, such as the Nominate Now Campaign, Paint Campus Red and iFashion Show.

ussu.communications@surrey.ac.uk

In regards to my role as Editor-in-Chief, it has been a pleasure to watch The Stag develop into a stylish and popular campus newspaper, made possible by the dedication of the editorial team and the writers. It will be very strange no longer having a position on The Stag, after three years, but you can be sure that Ill keep submitting articles next year as a Sabbatical Officer! Id like to thank all of The Stag team, especially Jack White (Editor), Hollie Rowe-Roberts (Deputy Editor Design), Nicole Vassell (Features Editor) and Hannah Roberts-Owen (Design), for putting up with my (at times) late submissions and late night text messages! Finally, I would like to express my congratulations to Kat Heneghan, the newly elected Communications Officer for 2012/13. Ive seen the passion and interest that shes had over the campaign period and I wish her every success. I hope you enjoy it, Kat.

Jack White Editor

he Stag has gone from strength to strength this year: from our bold and (dare I say) professional new design, through our tabooshattering first issue, to the crises of Union security and our ever-worsening financial situation. It is notable though, that where one aspect of life enters a trough, another gains a new peak and Britains widening political and economic quagmire has provided fertile ground for The Stags ascent to the forefront of student information. Looking back on my tenure on the Design Team last academic year, I feel confident in saying that this year, every section of the paper has been better than last year. We have all found a new drive to excel and I am immensely grateful to have been at the head of such a stellar team. They have made it much easier than I had imagined to

editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk

put together a product worthy of a university of Surreys standing. Thank you then to everyone who has contributed to The Stag this year, whether as a regular or not. Hollie Rowe-Roberts has been particularly awesome as Deputy Editor for Design a job that is not given the recognition it deserves. Thank you also to the long-suffering Union and University which have both been subject to rather more attention than history might regard normal. Without them both, The Stag would be a shadow of its current self. Thank you finally to all the readers. I have done my best to provide you with a good balance of articles, whether you are interested in arts, society, politics, sports or culture. I hope you enjoyed! You may see my name in The Stag next year, but this is my last issue as Editor. I leave the paper in the extremely capable hands of Alexandra Wilks, who has done an outstanding job this year as Literature Editor. I know she will be a powerhouse of an Editor and exalt The Stag to a new level.

Tom Goulding Deputy Editor for Marketing

s I approach the end of my final year at The Stag, Id like to thank Jack, Hollie, the marketing team and everyone else who has made the last three years an incredible experience. Ive watched our students newspaper come a long way since I submitted my first article in 2009, and with Alexandra at the helm, Im sure her dedicated team will only find new ways to dazzle its growing readership. Cheers Surrey, its been emotional!

marketing@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Hollie Rowe-Roberts Deputy Editor for Marketing

design@thestagsurrey.co.uk

The Stag is a newspaper editorially dependent on and 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 whole 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.

hen I first took on this role I literally had no idea what I was doing. I was terrified! But I really cant tell you enough how much Ive loved The Stag this year. It has come on so much and the whole team are so proud Ill be sad to leave it! I want to say thank you to everyone thats been involved this year, especially Jack, Tom, Bakita and my design team. Hannah, Ellie, Tina and Paul its been great fun working with you each week and I hope you have a

great time at Surrey next year. Im happy to say that Hannah will be taking over my role as Deputy Editor (Design) and the others are still going to keep it up which makes me a proud little mummy! Good luck to the 2012/13 Stag Team with Alexandra Wilks (Editor) and Becky Richmond (Deputy Editor, Marketing) joining Hannah to run The Stag you all deserve it and Im excited to see where you take us in the next year!

News Editor: Jyoti Rambhai | Copy Editor: Emma Giles

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

NEWS

Societies and individuals felt recognition for their hard work this past year
Continued from Page 1... the Student Community Award. Do>More won numerous awards in their own right. Kirsty and Do>More have worked tirelessly to organise some really brilliant events this year and are entirely worthy of this high accolade. Another worthy winner was Stage Crew who won Society of the Year and Student Run Service of the Year. Stage Crews work often goes unrecognized, yet they are incredibly diligent and hardworking. Without Stage Crew all the events we enjoy at Surrey (from Rubix nights to Theatre Productions) would not be possible. Bakita Masala Kasadha, the one woman whirlwind, was not only joint winner of the Volunteering Gold Award but also winner of Outstanding Contribution to Representation and Wellbeing. Everyone knows how amazing Bakita is and these awards testify to her hard work and dedication to Surrey students. Finally, The Stags very own brilliant editor, Jack White, won the Student Media Award. As his successor, I am incredibly proud (and slightly intimidated) to be following in his footsteps. Whatever you might think of Jack, or indeed The Stag, you cannot deny he has worked so incredibly hard to give the students at Surrey update news. Student Awards 2012 was a brilliant evening, enjoyed by all. I look forward to next year!

Colours Ball 2012

13 individual and club awards were given out at the annual Team Surrey Colours Ball on Saturday night, recognising various levels of achievement for students and coaches at the University of Surrey. Over 400 attendees celebrated the achievements at G Live in Guildford, in what was the highest attended Colours Ball ever! The evening was hosted by outgoing Vice President of Sport and Recreation Trung and awards were presented by various members of University, Students Union and Surrey Sports Park staff and volunteers. Surrey Sports Park would like to congratulate all nominees and award winners for contributing to a successful year of sport for Team Surrey!

Surrey Police issues Olympic cycle warning

By Rachel Thomason, News Team

Union staff and the Sabattical team worked hard to honour the students that have made a difference to the Surrey community

UK ranked tenth for higher education

By Chris Sibthorpe, News Team

ith tickets soon to be on sale for the Cycling Road Race at Box Hill in Surrey, Surrey Police have warned residents to only buy through official sites. The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) announced on 8th May that the tickets for the road race will be going on sale on 29 May. Surrey Police have advised people to only go through official channels to purchase tickets. They particularly recommend the official Olympic website: www.tickets.london2012. com. Chief Superintendent Gavin Stephens has explained that this will provide opportunities for people to take advantage of the demand by selling fake tickets or setting up insecure websites. The road race has already proved so popular with spectators and cycling fans that the spectator capacity at the Zig-Zag Road incline and Donkey Green area of Box Hill has been increased from 3,500 to

15,000. The incline is regarded as one of the best places to watch the race because of the slow-moving cyclists. It is also one of the only places that it can be watched. The circuit race is 9.6 miles, beginning at The Mall and then going through west London and around Box Hill before returning to The Mall. The race will welcome some of the worlds top riders to compete. The National Trust and LOCOG are working closely together alongside Natural England in order to provide the best protection for the local wildlife. Surrey Police also used this opportunity to remind people that unwanted tickets can be returned through the London 2012 ticket exchange for a full refund. Furthermore, they remind residents to report any suspicious behaviour and circumstances which come to their attention and to ring the 101 non-emergency number.

he UK has been rated as the 10th best at providing higher education in a ranking of 48 countries. The report, published by Universitas 21, listed the other countries making up the top 10 for delivering higher education as the US, Sweden, Canada, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway, Australia and The Netherlands. The results were analysed by researchers at the University of Melbourne. Researchers looked at the most recent data from 48 countries and territories across 20 different measures, grouping data under four headings: resources (investment by governments and the private sector), output (research and its impact and the production of an educated workforce which meets labour market needs),

connectivity (international networks and collaboration) and environment (government policy and regulation, diversity and participation opportunities). Researchers also took population size into account. The UK was ranked 10th overall despite coming second only to the United States on the strength of the universities themselves, whilst coming 27th for the resourcing of universities. Some claim that Britain was let down because of a lack of investment, coming 41st out of 48 for government spending on higher education. The researchers analysis put the United States top overall, followed by Sweden, Canada, Finland and Denmark. The UK performed well on international connectivity, being ranked sixth as it has the fourth largest percentage of international students, whilst being ranked 13th on environment. The UK

also came within the top nations whose research has the greatest impact, along with Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United States and Denmark. Universities UK, the body that represents all UK universities, said it was difficult to compare such a wide variety of international educational systems. A statement on the Universitas 21 website describes how the ranking system has been developed As a benchmark for governments, education institutions and individuals. It goes on to suggest the report aims to Highlight the importance of creating a strong environment for higher education institutions to contribute to economic and cultural development, provide a high-quality experience for students and help institutions compete for overseas applicants.

Teenager charged over campus stabbing

By Melissa Raske, News Team teenager has been charged with grievous bodily harm with intent for the stabbing that occurred on University of Surrey campus last December. Nineteen year old Aliaksandr Mazalkou, from Ailsworth near Peterborough, faces the charges after the incident which happened near Millennium House and resulted in a twenty year old man being taken to Royal Surrey County Hospital in the early hours of 3rd December. The man was later discharged having suffered minor injuries. Mazalkou, who was eighteen

at the time of the stabbing, is out on bail and is due to appear at Guildford Magistrates Court on 24th May.

NEWS

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

news@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Award winning Guildford Surrey attracts attention during Universities Week group to host torch party U
By Melissa Raske, News Team By Geoffrey Pullen, News Team

elebrations following the Olympic Torch Relay passing through Guildford on the 20th of July are to be lead by local youth festival StreetCLASH. The festival was recently awarded the Inspire Mark in recognition of the innovative and non-commercial promotion of youth involvement in sports, arts and music, inspired by the 2012 Olympic Games. The Inspire Mark is reserved for community led projects inspired by the upcoming Olympic Games. Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games, Seb Coes believes that These Games are for the whole of the UK, for sport and culture. StreetCLASH, established in

2008, is an annual festival held within Guildford in which young people have the opportunity to get involved in sports, art, dance and music. On offer at the event will be over 30 sports, dance workshops led by local groups and music in association with Guildfords Academy of Contemporary Music. Inspiring young people is a key motive behind StreetCLASH and it is this that led to recognition by Inspire and by Seb Coe himself; We want to use the power of the Games to inspire change...I congratulate everyone involved in StreetCLASH for securing the Inspire mark. The celebrations will be a free ticketed event held at Stoke Park starting at 2pm and ending at 10pm on the 20th July.

niversity of Surrey and Surrey Sports Park made themselves known during Universities Week 2012 after two of their research initiatives were discussed in reports published by Universities UK. Universities Week, which commenced on 30th April, is a campaign that aims to raise awareness of the ways UK universities contribute to local communities and society. The campaign has been running for 3 years and this year was themed around the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. The first project mentioned in the report discusses the use of 3D skeletal motion camerawork to recreate athletic performances. The University of Surreys Centre for Vision, Speech and

Signal Processing (CVSSP) teamed up with BBC Research and Development to investigate the use of video footage from a single broadcast camera to estimate the skeletal motion of an athlete at key points throughout a performance. Previously it hasnt been possible to use multiple specialist cameras to directly recover 3D information at Olympic and Paralympic Games due to television constraints, however the semi automatic alternative developed by the CVSSP and BBC has potential. This technology could be used to further analyse or comment on performances, for instance by comparing high jump attempts for an individual athlete, or between different athletes in events such as the 100m. The CVSSP and BBC R&D have been collaborating on various

projects for the past decade and a number of Surreys PhD students receive funding from the BBC. The second project mentioned in the report is a research project that is looking at the social and economic regeneration resulting from London 2012 and how this could inspire the skills of hard to employ people. It is also looking at the benefits that volunteering, apprenticeships and employment schemes will have after the Games. Universities Week culminated with the BUCS Outdoor Athletics Championships held at the Olympic Stadium in which five Team Surrey athletes competed. In addition to the Universities Week activities, Surrey Sports Park will act as host to 17 Olympic and Paralympic nations during the London 2012 Olympics.

Armed robber on Chestnut Road in Guildford

By Melissa Raske, News Team

Guildford Orchestra faces final movement

By David Williams, News Team

SurreyPolice

he future of the Guildford Philharmonic Orchestra (GPO) is in doubt following an inconclusive meeting of Guildford county councilors which failed to decide whether the council funded group should continue. Since its induction in 1945, the GPO has been performing in a variety of venues in and around Guildford, however in recent years it has seen a decline in popularity. Currently Guildford Borough Council pays a subsidy of 290,000 a year for 10 concerts. However, over the past 2 years ticket sales have been down by 36% with income from sales and sponsorship only 140,000 for 2011. Questions have been raised over both the organisation of the concerts and the need for a council funded orchestra. There are a number of other groups in Guildford that perform classical music and additionally a huge

variety of other types of music that the GPO has to compete with. Plans to avoid disbanding the orchestra have been suggested, such as allowing the concerts to be held and organised at G Live, Guildfords new 1000 seated capacity live entertainment venue, while maintaining the GPO brand. Only 3,858 tickets have been sold thus far for this season, another significant decrease in sales. A final decision on the GPOs future is likely to be made at the councils executive committee meeting in the summer.

olice are appealing for information after an armed robbery occurred between 3:45am and 4:00am on May 5th. The incident, which took place on Chestnut Road near Stoke Park, involved three men who were carrying knives and what is believed to be a mock firearm. After breaking into the property the men threatened the four occupants with the weapons before tying them up and stealing a number of items including an Xbox, PlayStation 3, an iPhone and money. None of the occupants, three men and a woman, were injured during the break in which lasted around 45 minutes. Police officers arrived at the scene shortly after the burglary and specialty units including police dogs and forensics were called in. Door to door enquiries were carried out and the police urge anyone concerned about the incident to contact the Guildford Safer Neighbourhood Team on 101. Investigating Officer Detective Sergeant Anna Leahy of Guildford CID said: At this stage in the investigation we do not believe this was a random attack and that the offenders had targeted this property in the belief one of the occupants was someone known to them. Although the attack took place in the early hours of the morning police are confident that there

may have been people still around at the time and anyone who has witnessed or heard anything suspicious, no matter how insignificant it may seem, should contact the police. Two of the men were described as black men and the other a white man, all of whom were wearing black trousers, black hooded tops and scarves covering their faces. In addition, a small beige car was parked on Recreation Road at the time of the burglary which may have been linked to the

incident. Sergeant Leahy spoke about the incident saying: This was an extremely frightening ordeal for the victims. Surrey Police simply will not tolerate this kind of behaviour and we will do all we can to find those responsible and bring them to justice. Anyone with any information relating to the incident is urged to contact the police on 101, quoting reference GD/12/4041 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

UNiON

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

editor@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Consecutive Executives
A big year for Education A fond farewell after a smashing year
Sam Ratzer
Union VP Education

his year has been a challenging year for me as VP Education, getting to grips with the role and meeting so many people in the University aside, ensuring all your views as students are heard effectively at a University which is currently in the ascendency is increasingly tough. I can hand on heart say that I have given it all my efforts and the amount of positive feedback I have received from students, members of the academic community as well as support staff, goes to show my efforts havent gone unnoticed. However, instead of sitting back and winding down to the end of the academic year I am busy planning for my second year. 2011/12 has seen the

introduction of Faculty Reps to the Student Union team to help the development of the Academic Rep system, next year will see the embarking of a project to improve the representation of postgraduate students. This year has been a learning curve, as a new set of regulations were introduced looking at things such as extenuating circumstances and academic misconduct, next year I want to make sure that they are engrained and work to the full effect. 2012/13 is going to be a big year with the introduction of 9,000 fees across the sector, at Surrey, we will have a new VLE (SurreyLearn), which I hope will beginning a whole course of technological developments in teaching. Like it or not you will see more of me on campus, not just on NSS I Love Surrey campaign posters, as I will seek to find the issues that are affecting you most.

Osama Salih
Union President

Jade Foley
Jake Willis
Union VP Societies & ID

Union Community Officer

nd so, here we are, the final issue of The Stag and my final article of the year. Its been an interesting year, and one that has seen quite a few changes, to our Societies and student groups. I can honestly say that this year has been a huge pleasure for me, to see the amount of work and dedication that both Committees and Society members have had towards development and increasing their offerings. As we move forward to the new academic year, Surrey students have a huge amount of choice when it comes to Societies, and that can only be a good thing. I can only wish the best of luck to Em Bollon, who will be taking over from me as of 1st August. Im sure she will do an absolutely great job, and I have full confidence that Societies are in capable hands. So, until next year, have a great summer.

aving been elected as Community Officer late, in the October by-elections, and with no previous involvement in the union, the first few months of my year were spent getting to grips with the role; something which I found quite challenging at first. Nonetheless, I got there eventually and I feel as though Ive had a pretty good year. Helping to organise a celebration evening for volunteers, running an international themed community quiz during iFestival, working with Dave, VP Welfare, during housing awareness week (particularly with the off-campus accommodation guide) and attending meetings with different community associations and with Guildford council are just a few of the things Ive been up to this year. Being a member of exec has been a fantastic experience and I hope the new community officer, Jade Roberts, enjoys the role as much as I have!

t has been a brilliantly busy year in the life of your Students Union. Our volunteer Freshers Angels descended on campus to provide the number one welcome experience in the UK. Freshers Week set the tone for the year to come when we saw over 4,000 students attending Freshers Fayre on PATs field. This year we have introduced a new structure for the way we operate as a charity, and been assessed in four competitive schemes which make us a better Students Union including Investors in Volunteers and the Students Union Evaluation Initiative. Weve been working on the functionality of our new website, been improving the transparency of our meetings and committees, and for the first time in our history, weve welcomed external trustees to our organisation. I have personally been working on improving the facilities for the Students Union, restructuring of the current support offices to provide a spacious more relaxed, modern feel of the students union. More meeting rooms available, better social space and in general

a better utilised facility. This is part of a long term project of a new students union building to improve the student experience here at Surrey. I am looking forward to coming back and visiting the opening of the building, whenever that may be. It has been very interesting for me personally to see as president the journey that different University departments have taken, those that listen to you as students through your students union are going from strength to strength and those that ignore us begin to struggle. We are really lucky that the majority of the University management take student representation really seriously and not just as something to tick a box with. If I had one Housing Awareness Week saw hundreds of students attend talks, and get advice on finding their first off-campus house. Dont forget to pick up your free Off-Campus Guide from either the Union or the Accommodation Office before you move in this summer! Worked closer than ever with the Court Life Mentors, those on-campus heroes helping to make sure youre as happy, healthy and safe as you can be during your time in university accommodation! Its been an absolute pleasure to serve as your VP Welfare this year. I look forward to welcoming many of you back in September in my new role as President; and am absolutely confident youve chosen a brilliant VP Welfare in Bakita. Shes going to do a great job for you next year, Surrey. Have a great summer everyone!

message for the University it would be to remember how your closest friends can give you the best advice. It has been my pleasure serving you as president for this academic year and I rely hope that you all keep being involved in your students union. Life is way more than just having a degree and I really hope you know that you have so many opportunities to be involved, so make the most of them. This is your union, support it, invest in it and lastly challenge it when needed. I have been Osama Salih, President of University of Surrey Students Union 2011 2012 enjoy the rest of your year and good luck with your assessments.

Peter Smeed

Dave Halls
Union VP Welfare

Equality and Diversity Officer

ith another year coming to an end, this is as good a time as ever to reflect on the Welfare Wins of the past year, often working closely with the University to get the best results for you. In truth, 250 words is nothing to round up whats been an exceptionally busy year, but heres a selection of highlights... Narrowly missed out on the Guinness World Record for Most Sexual Health Tests in 24 Hours. 460 of you checked yourselves for chlamydia, missing the record by just 41! Better lighting, more security & Police presence on campus. Balloon campaign for those open ground floor windows (keep them shut, folks!)

ell, what a year! I started of the year getting to grips with the ins and outs of the Students Union, which was a pretty big task in itself. Once I made myself familiar with the surroundings and the people, it was time to get used to my role! My aim was to be a vocal member of the union exec, which i think i achieved. I made sure action was taken with regards to security in Rubix, ensured I maintained the link between the union and the students, attended NUS training days and sent delegates for the first time in years to NUS LGBT conference. I really underestimated the amount of time my course would take up, which is a shame because I feel I was prevented from achieving even more. Ive had such a great year and hope my successor enjoys it as much as me!

Features Editor: Nicole Vassell | Copy Editor: Michaela Fulton

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

FEATURES

Yknow what really grinds my gears?

By Bakita Kasadha, Editor-in-Chief

Features

wrote one about girls, I should honour my word and write about the boys, but how to write this GMGs without coming across as a spurned/jealous girl? Before I begin, though, Id just like to out the guy who assumed, months ago, that this was going to be based on him... Behave! Yes, you may not have been a decent human being, but Im not sure if youre interesting enough to spend 500 words on so Im not going to attempt it. Writing

this sort of makes me think of Carly Simons song, Youre So Vain -I bet you think this song is about you... Can I just say that this isnt about the boy who cannot be named, well anything outside of this paragraph isnt about him! So first annoyance: the male ego, the bravado and need to actup when youre around your fellow males, to assert male dominance. Youll literally tear each other apart (and you like to hit each other). These are your friends! I honestly feel sorry for the small,

David was puzzled by the lads unusual choice of prey. They could have done better.

skinny or ginger boy in the group, because we all know that they are generally the first to be picked on. Its a shame that this need to be manly doesnt prevail when youre ill. Man flu guys? Really? Man up. The next point is actually more a source of entertainment than anything else boys in clubs. It took working a club for me to realise how closely linked we are to our fellow mammals. Say/think the following in your best David Attenborough voice: These male humans, who spend most of their time working or studying in the library, are in their element in a nightclub environment. As night falls and the bass from the speakers beckon, they watch and make plans to approach the unsuspecting females. Standing to the side of the dance floor, with backs against the walls, with their fellow brotherhood, they wait for an enthusiastic female to dance slightly out of the dancing circle, which her and her friends have created. One glance from the female, the male sees fit to put his hand on her waist and initiate the mating dance. Honestly try it the next time youre out; each club

will have at least 5/6 of this type (Source: Bakitas Observations, 2012). This goes out to the really (insert bad word here) guys, not all. How can two guys that claim to be friends try and chat up the same girl... sometimes in the same evening? Is there no loyalty, no Oh, its okay, you saw her first or maybe neither of us should approach her if we both like her, yknow lets think of our friendship first? Am I approaching this dilemma too much like a female? Maybe. Lastly, you guys dont like to let things go (this is not just a female thing) and you always feel that you can help in some way even if youre going to make things worse. Many boys have thought that they can help me with this column, for instance, my friend has been badgering on at me to have a GMGs about shop workers who give you a receipt and then plonk your change on top of it so that youre forced to close up your hand and stuff a ball full of change into your pocket. There you go Mike, I wrote it! (Hes going to say that I didnt describe it properly!)

BOYS!
Obviously, I couldve tackled the hygiene thing, never asking for directions (what is the issue there by the way) or leaving the toilet seat up (though, Ive never experienced this, living with girls in Guildford and having a mum who trained that out of my little brother before he was strong enough to lift the toilet seat)- I would have mentioned them, but I knew that you would have expected more from me. Last time Im going to write this: I honestly do swear that Im not a moany mare all the time; its just that boys do these really annoying things and it just really grinds my gears.
Stacey Hunter minor9th

By Sophie Vickery, Features Team

The horror of halls

ast September, freshers enthusiastically drove into loading bays and were hurriedly moved into halls with the help of Fresher Angels. Although many were nervous, the idea of living with other students, in a space absent of nagging Mums and vigilant Dads, was one of great excitement. However, as the academic year comes towards a close, many first year students will eagerly skip out of their rooms and wave goodbye to halls. Living in halls is an experience full of life lessons, from cooking and cleaning, to sharing space and responsibilities with others. However, are halls all what they crack up to be? There are certainly some compromises to be made in order to maintain a happy flat; keeping the noise down, washing up plates and respecting others privacy and belongings. Unfortunately, there are many cases where this is not fulfilled and consequently some students find halls suffocating in their claustrophobia of noise, clutter and people. Loud music until 4am, germ-ridden dishes and food theft are sadly some of the horror stories of university accommodation. Not to forget a lack of

home comforts; sofas, gardens, dishwashers, washing machines, larger wardrobes, comfier beds, space, snug carpets and fuller fridges! For those with shared bathrooms, they miss the en-suite. For those used to double beds, the university single just doesnt meet sleeps expectations. For those downstairs, they miss the freedom to open curtains without fear of passersby viewing valuables and perhaps even nakedness as one steps out of the shower! For many students, university halls are sadly remembered with terror and stress. However, even if they were a traumatic experience, students should try to remember that they have benefitted in some way. All students will go into second year with a greater awareness of living with others and will have gained an invaluable independency. But, for those who still grimace at the thought of those sleepless nights and dreaded mornings, when one walks into a kitchen of sticky bottles (empty of course) and take away containers, they can embrace promise of a happier living environment for second year; living with people of their choice, in a larger space with more of those home comforts.

Thos033

FEATURES

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

features@thestagsurrey.co.uk

How do you shower?

By Sophie Vickery, Features Team dressing gowns and sleepy cocoa. And then of course there is the male shower and shave ritual before a dinner date; the warm up for cologne, cufflinks and the Rolex watch to follow. But when the curtain is pulled and jets are in full flow, our habits become even more radical. Following research into showering customs, one finds a large split in the nation; between those who enter the shower prior to turning it on, and those who turn it on, tarry a little and hop into a warm spray of loveliness. Those, who hopped in before turning on the jet, subject themselves to a rather absurd routine of rigidly huddling up to the tiles as the water begins cold, then flinching as the water turns too hot, before settling into a shower of the perfect temperature. However, despite recognising this routine as simply illogical, they persist with these habits. Shower antics do not cease at entering the shower either. Ever had a drunken shower? There are many anecdotes involving the amusing pairing between a lack of soberness and clumsiness. Drunken showerers find themselves toppling beyond the curtain or struggling with the temperature dial, resulting in scorched backs or freezing toes. Others wait until the morning and swear by showers as the ultimate hangover cure. However, it is commonly acknowledged that upon struggling to balance under the spray, the shower is often the

Bev enjoys showers, lots.

he question may sound silly as it appears with an initial obviousness, yet upon exploring the intriguing intricacies of the en-suite, one discovers a whole world of habits and washing rituals. Man has been washing throughout history. From the caveman dipping into chilly lakes, to the Romans relaxing in grand Roman baths. From metal tubs beside Victorian fireplaces, to scrubs in the 60s sink. And now the power showers of the 21st century in which, a recent survey of 100 families found, man spends an average of eight minutes. From the Sunday evening chore of washing children, to reviving wake-up showers before work. And thus arises the first variance among our showering nation; when to take a shower? Some rely on the showers energy as an alarm clock to awaken their senses before hitting the commute. Meanwhile, others prefer late night showers and snuggling into

place when one discovers that dreaded realisation; Im still drunk. Talking about showers also bestowed a rather entertaining story of a friends recent discovery that his showering career has taken a different routine to the rest of the nation. Due to some misplaced or misinterpreted information as a child, he has since been applying conditioner BEFORE shampoo. Because this is not a common conversation topic, his hair has been victim to this order for forty years! Another ludicrous aspect of showering is the invention of 2 in 1 (no, not 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner) shampoo andshower gel! It was subsequently unsurprising to find that this product belonged to a male and it took his girlfriend to highlight its stupidity. And thus the en-suite door has opened to a vast kingdom of habits, routines and experiences beneath those beloved jets. Or, are they beloved? Perhaps, it would be a little too much to delve into the shower Vs bath discussion at this point, as we would inevitably gush towards vast deliberations of time (three minute shower against a three hour soak), bubbles (zesty shower gel or luscious bubbles?), hygiene (the uncomfortable notion that a bath is simply a sit in personal dirt, with a dwindling temperature) and taps (they simply get in the way!). Eight minutes is up, shower ends. Now to sort the hair; air dry, towel dry or hairdryer?

Summer Recruitment Fair!

Dont miss the

Tuesday 22nd May

Tuesday 22nd May is the date for the Careers Services Summer Recruitment Fair taking place from 2pm-5.30pm in the Austin Pearce building. There are dozens of employers and other organisations attending, including companies like Ernst & Young, Hitachi and Estee Lauder. And its not just for final years - with a number of companies offering placement opportunities, as well as organisations looking to fill volunteering and part-time roles. Therell be study providers like the College of Law in attendance too. You can of course just turn up on the day, but to get the most out of the Fair it can help to do a little preparation. If there are companies you think you may be interested in, check out their websites in advance and have

some questions prepared that way youll get more out of talking to their representatives, and be in a better position to impress! And although many organisations will ask you to apply online, it is still a good idea to take along a few copies of your CV, and be prepared to actively network. The Fair is part of our Before You Go Week series of events, taking place between Monday 21st and Friday 25th May. Weve got a really busy programme of talks, workshops and employer events plus during this week you are welcome to drop in to the Careers Service in the afternoons with a quick query or for a CV or application form check. It is also still possible to book a one-to-one interview with a Careers Adviser, before, during or after this week.

basykes

For full details of everything thats taking place and a complete list of organisations attending the Fair, go to: www.surrey.ac.uk/careers/whatson
popular shape. Building upon this, try focussing on structure and shape in your outfit choices. Now, I want to leave you with a final comment on something related to general summer dressing. When it gets warmer, jeans get pushed to the back of the wardrobe, which is justified, replace them with s h o r t s , skirts and playsuits. But do not, I repeat, do not, switch to using leggings as trousers. This is something that has eternally bothered me, because its just like going out with a pair of thick tights on and nothing else. By all means, wear with a long shirt or t-shirt, but if you wear a regular length top, I can see your pants. So thats it, guys. Weve got our last bits of fashion information; now go forth into the sunshine and r e v i s e it in preparation for the exam.

Summer fashion
Ellis Taylor

he summer holidays are fast approaching (and hopefully good weather will come too) meaning that this is our last issue of the year! So it is time to get out our fashionable hankies and dab away the tears, because were going to miss it (or at least I will). Think to the future fellow clothes lovers, for my advice shall return next year. HUZZAH. And because it will be autumn/winter, we get to discuss cosy clothes and all sorts of fun stuff like that, its not all badI guess. However, we do have a whole season between now and then, so Ive decided to do a little mash up of everything you may need to know

over the next few months, together, we will remain stylish. Firstly, lets look at possible events you may be attending, and by events, I mean festivals. What a tricky one that is! No showers, restricted baggage, obligatory wellies, not the best thing in the world. A very strategic selection of clothes is necessary in order to survive, my secret weapon is dresses. They fold up small, make you feel like a fairy and are basically a whole outfit in one, no need for anything else. The fairy part is crucial, because we all know that festivals are bloody weird (last year I had an awkward conversation with Anna Sui who asked if I wanted to put some glitter on a paper butterfly), odd stuff happens. However, I accept that not every girl is a dress kinda girl, so the other staple is a pair of denim shorts. A few different t shirts can

easily change your outfit each day and go wild with as much jewellery as you want, because here you can look crazy and its totally fine. BUT, I do want to say one thing about the denim shorts thing, dont have them so short that everyone can see your butt. Please. Now, general trends of the summer. Ive spoken of them before, but tis the season of revision, so well go over them once more. Pastels: Think ice cream colours, clichd girly-ness, cupcakes. A warning, however, is that dreary weather doesnt fit the vibe of pastels so before you don your all pastel outfit, check the weather. If it is looking pretty crap outside, you can still work this trend; try Barry M nail polishes for a subtle hint of summer. Print: CLASH THEM LIKE CRAZY, GO WILD. Matchy-matchy is so not 2012. Metallics & general jazziness: Best done through accessories, a clutch bag is a great example. Peplum: Proving to be a rather

Features Editor: Nicole Vassell | Copy Editor: Michaela Fulton

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

FEATURES

Gonalo Valverde

Nicole Vassell - Features Editor Over and Out...

The time has finally come for the last issue of The Stag, and i genuinely cant believe how quickly its gone! My year as the features editor hasnt gone without a few hiccups, but ive enjoyed it immensely. ive learnt so much about myself and the journalism industry and i now know for sure that theres nothing else id want to pursue as a career. (That is, of course, if i dont hear back about being a backup dancer on Rihannas next tour.) Thank you to all who have been on the features team, especially Sophie Vickery, Ellis Taylor, Hannah Wann, Katy Sawyer, Chris

BUSINESS
Time for the Blitz spirit
By Peter Bailey

n recent years there have been many peaks and troughs, green shoots of economic recovery and then wash-outs of financial chaos. In fact, being a slightly more seasoned (now alumnus) of the University of Surrey, the majority of my time as a young adult has been experience through the slightly murky glasses of recession tinted Britain. I would like to say that times were getting easier. I would like to defer to our own brand of capitalism and have faith that simply working hard will be sufficient to drive out the ghosts of financial downturn. Unfortunately it seems to be a little more complicated than that, perplexing leaders and eminent economists the world over. The recent Eurozone crisis and Greeces woes seem to highlight that our carefully nurtured green shoots might once again be trampled with little or no regard for our individual aspirations. The efforts of previous generations have yielded a thoroughly mixed bag filled with meteoric rises in property values, unprecedented austerity measures, and interest rates that have made us wince at both ends of the extreme. So what can be done? Well I suppose we could shirk modern economics, dust off the wooden clubs and retreat back into a cave. We could go the other way and bury our heads in the sand of consumer credit and resort to a little retail therapy. Or we could posture to the global markets that we are a strong island nation, which will weather this storm like we have any other. Well the rationale (and

credibility) of all of those options might be somewhat dubious, but we certainly need to do something. And by we, I am not deferring to the Royal, I think she has done enough in her 60 years reign. I mean us. After all why did we come to University? I would venture that boozy parties and great societies are only fleeting flashes of colour in the overall transit to our destination. We spend years of our lives holed up in a place of higher education to sharpen our tools, and sharpen our focus (even if your focus is to pursue a career as the new Van Wilder). We have the vision and the skills to solve the worlds problems (and by the way, even if we didnt, it is still down to us). It might be time to break out the stiff upper lip and hand round some tea for the long night ahead of us. But the old adage goes, How do you eat the elephant?, and the answer is one bite at a time. You might not think that the route you are personally on is going to directly drive forward new business in our economy. You might not think that you are really that concerned about the distant passage of GDP growth and the fortunes of the Eurozone. But actually it is a cold hearted human who has no desire to see our society improve, and in fact it will always come back to bite us if we let our fragile balancing act of a world go to rack and ruin. So in my last article for this column, and a closing thought, I give you this: Whatever you choose to do, or whatever chooses you, make it count. Thank you all for reading.

Thomas, Louisa White and Becky Powell without whom i would have been completely hopeless. Thank you to Hannah Roberts-Owen, who has made features look the best it ever has, and thank you to the whole Stag team for making this a newspaper im proud to have been a part of! Though its sad to be leaving, i know that Ellis Taylor will do a fantastic job as features editor 2012/13. Thank you for reading! it has been an absolute pleasure.

Podium Finish for SIFE Surrey at National SIFE Competition

By James Rumble, SIFEs Media Relations Executive

e the change you wish to see in the world. Famous words by Gandhi, and the mission of the Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) Society this year. With a range of social and community enterprise projects, both locally and internationally, SIFE students strive to make a positive impact on the lives of those in need. Projects focus on developing their skills to empower them in the longterm, to obtain better business opportunities. As a society, we look to differ in this way, by providing cooperatives sustainable and supportive assistance for the future, rather than simply providing money in the short term. This model has certainly helped SIFE Surrey to achieve great results this year, and this has been reflected by the team achieving an impressive 3rd place finish at the National SIFE Competition on 19th April, a massive improvement on our 8th place finish last year. This year, 38 SIFE teams competed from around the UK participated in the National Competition, to showcase their projects from the year and battle for top prize. The SIFE Surrey team shared two of their main projects. The first was Oakleaf, which has focused on working with unemployed people in the local area, who suffer from mental health difficulties. We taught them skills and helped build their self-esteem to gain employment opportunities. The second was our Thailand RICycle project, which involved using the waste product of rice crop as a pillow filling. In a country that suffers annual flooding,

destroying the rice crop that villagers depend on as their only source of income, this innovative project provided another avenue of business for a previously struggling community. With their passion and commitment to success, the SIFE Surrey team progressed into the final for the first time in the societys history, where they faced strong opposition. Unfortunately, the determined SIFE Surrey team were pipped to the main prize by Southampton University. However, reaching the final was no small feat, and was truly deserved, for a constantly improving and developing society, which has been defined by its devoted members efforts. Congratulations to all the presentation team involved, who dedicated themselves to representing the society, and helped to cap off the SIFE Surrey calendar year in style. As a society ever aiming to improve and set high standards, we arent slowing down. We are looking to empower more communities worldwide with one goal; to Be the change we wish to see in the World. Dont be left behind on our SIFE vision. If youre interested in getting involved in a society which provides fun, fulfilment and fantastic opportunities, then SIFE is for you.

Become a fan of our Facebook page at SIFE Surrey or email:

info@sifesurrey.org.uk
for more information.

10 FEATURES

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

features@thestagsurrey.co.uk

A summary of your
By Hannah Wann, Hannah Roberts-Owen, Sophie Vickery, and Nicole Vassell, Features Editor

The Features Team has been out and about to summarise how this year has been from the student perspective. We had quite a range of stories: funny, embarrassing, bizarre, and many involving alcohol. Theyve all come together to round-up what has mostly been a fantastic year at Surrey. We give you: The Surrey Summary!
Head ubix event: year: Favourite R ent of the assing mom rr lect ure Most emba were sat in a rst week we erent During our fi leave if we w tor told us to writing and the tu e creative to be in th gly leave! supposed embarrassin d so I had to pus: Being class, an about cam rite thing washing Favou stat us of the to check the genius! able laundrette hines in the mac

ar 1 shire, Ye by Julia Der phone Disco

t ting en t: Ge bix ev momen rd as we u ng rite R ua Favou embarrassi y a Tesco g o be lef t ght b st leys, t s Mo cau trol pping pk in ed a nd follow ut with sho s a nd 3 pum bed do ag lim an c walke in with 8 b ent: M ow a nd ra in the t uni mom ind es hen w Weird r k itc ka a h ou throug ta ke our vod out being b o tried t te thing a : ri ! Favou The lie-ins t Guildford bou her: f re s ing a rite th Favou opping h G ood s

k, Coo ia Sask i Me t: Min

1 Year

Favourit e R Most em ubix event: Safe s ex ball barrassin g lecturer I thought moment: Tellin he was fi g my Weirdest t u final footb ni moment: Pla ying a q all match ua still d ru nk after C r tera rnage

Niki Ig nati

Favourit e event: Liv drum an d bass nig ing Room ht Most em barrassin g momen Falling t: down so me lectu theatre re stairs in ever yone front of Most me morable m freshers week: D oment of J Fresh Most im pro universit ved aspect of th e y: Feed back fr lecturers om

Hazel Jane, Year 2

ou, Ye ar 1
JAMES GREGORY, Year 5

urite R Most em ubix event: Tease barrassin foa m pa r ty g Rubix by t wo of th moment: Being e bounce ca rried o Weirdest rs ut of un Most imp i moment: Saw a flasher o roved th n ing abou t campus ca mpus : The libr ary

Jenni A rmour Favo

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, Year 2
, Year 1 ANNA NURork night ew a ning up

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ir le e event: F shers moment: C Favourit able f re n drunk mor g uy t flat whe Most me a dif feren A ra ndom drunk itchen of in the ent: the k k iss me, ni mom irdest u tr ying to We a nd p to me coming u e day! of th middle

Lucy D ascalo Favourit pou e Ru

bix even Weirdest uni mom t: Movie cha racte r night ent: Doin Most m gap em wrong fla orable freshers resentation in m y pyja ma t, t moment: s to people hink ing it was my own, a nd Walk ing into th for half a e staying t n hour be h fore I rea lised I did ere talk ing nt live th ere!

los, Ye ar 1

Features Editor: Nicole Vassell | Copy Editor: Michaela Fulton

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

FEATURES

11

Surrey 2011/2012
ar 1 bs, Yeight b t a i rs en Tux event: Fetish tn: Passing out on my s B ubi en
ite R rie mom ipede s linge Favour barrassing n-cent women up as a huma m Most e foa m pa r t y, in ressing e : D af ter th uni moment de s t Weir

Favourite event: OAP night Most embarrassing moment: Kno cking myself out on the fridge door (drunken stumble) and leaving a dent Weirdest uni moment: Second deg ree burns from melted soap in the microwave Favourite aspect of campus: Sta rbuc ks - we need more! Favourite thing about Guildford: Slu g & Lett uce Go and try the Porn Star Mar tini!

Nathan Taylor, Year 1

zle Kicks ix event: Riz ng vourite Rub Fa oment: Falli rrassing m slope by Most emba treacherous a bad down that d hills are niesice an Chan mix! Discovering perience: est uni ex e countr y Weird gions in th dif ferent re e! s from utherners ar odd phrase ners and So rent Nor ther the ducks! d ow dif fe The La ke an who k new h out campus: te thing ab Favouri

raig, Hannah C Year 1

Favourit e R Most em ubix event: Foa m barrassin P g momen a r t y as I wasn t: a friend t a llowed had to re back in a Favourit trieve ite fte e thing a ms from bout cam r being thrown o Favourit Rubix ut pus: Cath e thing a ed ra l h a s bout bein Favourit good view g a f resh e thing a s er: Havin bout Guil g no-one dford: H to a nswe ollister! r to!

Hanna

h McEv illy,

Year 1

Favou r Weird ite event: E a s te es t u n r fl som i e stra moment: H ir t t h at n nge p allow i e e were ght, a nd th ople were en in gene i n c os ra l e fac t out tum Most t h at t hey impro e did n t unive help! ved r Favou sit y: The li aspect of br r The f ite thing a r y a nd A the migo ac t t abou s h toget her a at ever y th t ca mpus nd th : ing is e view close s a re lovely !

Tiff

any

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ar 1 octor, Ye Luke Pr

tion to a vent: Varsity g a presenta Favourite e ment: Givin o obrow rrassing m ache and mon my Most emba ke ta n moust et ting rer with a fa moment: G e senior lect u shers week an one of th rable f re up as a wom Most memo by dressing ra nny nick name t hts first nig

e Disco of t: Headphon mbling out Rubix even us: Just st u Favourite bout camp ing a Favourite th g new lect ures her: Meetin rolling into bed and being a fres ing about Favourite th life all walks of people from

, Year 1 ia Deane Amel

Osama

I Salih , Stude nt Uni on Pre Favourit e event: sid C

yen, i Thondra Shalin da m!

Year 2

Amster s-down! t: Surrey does he libra ry, ha nd Favourite even universit y: T aspect of the Most improved

olours ba Most me ll m Weirdest orable f reshers week mo uni mom ment: DJ ent: Goin a nd find La rizzle g to so ing a round it a photo of myself meones flat I did nt k now pinned f on the k Most imp itchen w or pre-drinks roved th all, with ing on ca a hea r t mpus: Th e libra r y facilities

ent

12 FEATURES

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

features@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Games
Answers in the next edition of The Stag. Send correct answers to letters@thestagsurrey.co.uk to get a mention in the paper.

Sudoku
3 6 9 4 2 7 3 9 1 3 8 7 4 7 2 7 4 5 1 3 7 6 1 8 7 2 5 8 9 6 9

Wordsearch
P E N S O C D S N A P E S L H D H O C T A T X A A A P S L L A H T H D A O S W B C F L V E Z J K H R O J E W E V A E W i L L i B A i L H A D B W U N U C L E A R E
The words to find are: WEAPON IWEAVE PENSOC STAB NUCLEAR HATCH BLOC DAHLIA HALLS

Issue 42s answers:

Sudoku
2 7 5 6 1 4 9 3 8 9 3 6 8 5 7 2 4 1 4 8 1 9 3 2 7 6 5 7 4 9 2 6 5 1 8 3 3 6 2 7 8 1 5 9 4 5 1 8 3 4 9 6 2 7 6 2 4 1 7 8 3 5 9 8 9 7 5 2 3 4 1 6 1 5 3 4 9 6 8 7 2

Wordsearch
D L H O A T H E K K O J D L Y L R A C Q i S A O O U E H V T A V i Y B R U N G D i X S i B N O H i T B O X L G D A D S R O H i E N N A E T Z E A R A H Z F S R T J
The words to find are: THE ZOO ADIDAS DNA FESTIVAL JAILBREAK HUNGER YOLO RUBIX

Sci/Tech Editor: Nathanael Roome | Copy Editor: Louisa White

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

13

Science & Technology

articles are ready for the regular deadlines. i keep an eye on Sci/Tech news around the world and Nathanael when i see something Roome significant I keep a record Science & Tech Editor for the writers to mull over. The articles selected ive met with my writers sometime follow a theme, on a regular basis, I find e.g. feminism or industry, this is the best way to but more often than not keep us all in the loop it is just a case of finding and ensure that enough interesting news.

The end of the nuclear renaissance?

By Alex Smith, Science & Tech Team

Are you suffering from social jet lag?

By Melissa Raske, Science & Tech Team

f you require an alarm clock to wake up during the week and then sleep in during the weekend you could be suffering social jet lag, reports a study published online in the journal Current Biology. For the past 10 years scientists from the University of Munich have been compiling data on sleep and wake patterns and have recently published their findings thus far while the study continues. According to the study a persons biological clock and social clock, which are based on their employment and other activities, do not match up. Our biological clocks are regulated by daylight and darkness and cannot be reset to match the timings required for our day to day lives. The use of an alarm clock means that you are essentially not getting enough sleep and the difference in sleep timings between the week and weekend is similar to changing time zones every week. According to a statement made

by Professor Roenneberg; Waking up with an alarm clock is a relatively new facet of our lives. It simply means that we havent slept enough and this is the reason why we are chronically tired. The report focussed on the effects of sleep deprivation on health and in particular obesity. After surveying 65,000 adults sleeping habits, researchers found that those whose weekend and weekday sleep schedules were different were three times as likely to be overweight. The study didnt show that obesity was directly caused by lack of sleep but rather by the habits associated with it, including eating at times when the body isnt supposed to eat, eating unhealthy foods, drinking more alcohol and doing less exercise. Although it may be difficult to alter social schedules, people are encouraged to try and go to bed at the same time each night and rise at the same time each day in order to get the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night.

Jess J

or the first time in 40 years there will be no nuclear power being pumped into Japans grid, having once supplied the country with 30% of its electricity, as the last of its 54 reactors is switched off for maintenance. But what does the future hold for such a stigmatised source of energy? Governments across the world have listened to the protesting voices of anxious citizens and taken heed of events at Fukushima-Daiichi with a push for greener, renewable energy forms. In France (the civilian nuclear powerhouse of the world), where nuclear generates 78.8% of all national electricity, the situation is bleak for the once embraced carbon-free energy form, with newly elected socialist President Francois Hollande having pledged to cut national nuclear energy production down by a third by 2025. And in neighbouring Germany (the country where nuclear fission was first understood and explored), The Chancellor, Angela Merkel, due to the uneasy relationship with nuclear safety and the public, has decided to completely abandon nuclear within a decade in an attempt to gain popularity for her now unfavoured administration despite not having experienced a nuclear disaster since before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Under pressure from the German government, electricity

suppliers E.ON and RWE npower are seeking new owners for their joint UK venture: Horizon; with 5 international players in the industry showing an interest in the nuclear power company, formed in 2009. Europes appetite for atomic energy may have waned; however in the newly emerging and less developed economies the demand for more and more domestic power still needs to be met. China is currently constructing 26 new reactors (with another 51 planned), 10 are going to be built in Russia, India is forging ahead with 3 nuclear plants, and South Korea is looking to double its domestic supply to 60% of national energy as well as aspiring to become the worlds third biggest nuclear power exporter. Even the Gulf States: Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar, are seeing nuclear as the way forward as its more economically viable to export their oil at current high prices than burn it as a fuel while demand soars elsewhere. Speaking to Al-Jazeera, the University of Surreys Professor Paddy Regan said: In a situation where the world population is increasing and the resources are becoming more and more scarce, I personally think that nuclear power continues to have a major role to play in energy production worldwide. The number of people who actually died as a result of nuclear accidents is actually miniscule compared to the number of, for example, Chinese coal miners who die every year. However the public

perception of nuclear is typically a hostile one with memories of Chernobyl, and now, Fukushima ingrained in their minds; yet other, traditional forms of energy are only associated with words such as emissions and climate despite catastrophes like the BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. In response to the Fukushima disaster Greenpeace issued a statement further condemning the nuclear industry: Nuclear power is inadequate, unnecessary as well as dangerous. Its also a hugely expensive distraction from work to limit the impacts of climate change. Despite this and the public anxiety, for the first time since the Three-Mile Island disaster of 1979, the US has approved 2 reactors to be constructed in South Carolina and has extended the licenses on half of its nuclear power plants. And research is still ongoing at JET in Oxfordshire and ITER in southern France to sustain a nuclear fusion reaction, which leaves no radioactive waste (that currently spends thousands of years buried under the ground to cool-off) and yields far more energy than current nuclear fission reactors - If successful they would effectively remove the risks of nuclear energy and maybe the fear that goes with it. Whatever the future holds the world is still in shock from events in Japan, which is currently expecting nights of more and more blackouts, as a result of what happens when nuclear power goes wrong.

Digi-tal

14 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

sciencetech@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Mild head trauma temporarily decreases brain function

By Melissa Raske, Science & Tech Team

recent report published in the May issue of the Journal of Neurobiology presents the findings of a team at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, relating to the brain abnormalities caused by traumatic brain injury (TBI), specifically in the mild form. Mild TBI can be caused by commonplace activities including sports, as well as accidents or combat,

and can lead to neurological symptoms that may last for several days. These symptoms can include reduced cognitive function (i.e. your ability to think), confusion, chronic headaches, post traumatic stress disorder and depression. Sophisticated techniques including bioimaging and electrophysiological approaches were used to view the effects of mild TBI on the axons of the brain as well as the firing of the neurones.

Unique_Stephen

It showed that after a trauma the structure of the axons, which are fibres required for the conduction of electrical impulses, was disrupted. The research is an important step in understanding the neurological effects of mild TBI and into ways in which it can be treated. Further research that could be completed using this system may look into whether repetitive injury exacerbates the damage.

18 DANCE & THEATRE

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Dancing the Invisible/ Late Work

By Hannah Jelliman, Dance & Theatre Editor

Dance & Theatre

hen you think of ballet dancers, or in fact dancers of most styles, what do you think of? Thin, pretty, young? Think again. For two nights at the beginning of May, the Ivy Arts Centre showcased a double bill of work, created as part of a project run by Surrey Dance lecturer, Jennifer Jackson. The main focus of the project is to prove that age is no boundary in performance despite stereotypes of who should dance and what dancers should look like. The evening is comprised of two contrasting, but equally enthralling works; Late Work and Dancing the Invisible, performed by ex-professional dancers from companies such as the Royal ballet and Ballet Rambert. The first piece, Late Work, includes 6 separate sections, each introduced in a Brechtian style through speech from the performers. The two on-stage musicians add to the explorative nature of the piece; each with a variety of instruments, often performed in an improvisational manner. Jennifer Jackson and Susie Crow complete the movement with fluidity and grace, highlighting the sometimes restricting qualities of a mature dancing body, yet emphasising that older bodies have the ability to not only perform beautiful movement, but also to explore the struggles and restrictions faced by the ageing body. The second work, Dancing the Invisible, involves 5 dancers: Ann Dickie, Deborah Jones and Simon Rice added to the previous duet. Cellist Emily Burridge is situated on stage, performing extracts from Bach Cello Suite no. 2 in D Minor. Despite the classical style of the music, the movement

was far from recognisable as classical Ballet. The investigative techniques are expanded with more bodies, including those of the audience, to explore both individuality and harmony. Each performers unique movement style accentuates the liberation of mature dance, especially within a twenty-first Century Contemporary dance environment. Although not necessarily intentional in the choreographic process, there are arguable references to both physical and mental disabilities often associated with old age. Shakes

...the project is an inspirational exploration into mature dance...

of body parts indicate arthritis; many overlapping voices are perhaps a subconscious reference to schizophrenia. One particular section stands out in Dancing the Invisible, in which Simon Rice runs around the stage with his hand sticking up from his head, as though hes a cockerel; Jennifer Jackson moves onto stage physically stopping Rices movement with her hands in a comforting manner, as though she is a care worker in a home. Perhaps this is only my interpretation as a Young dancer. The common stereotypes of older dancers and the older community may have influenced me subconsciously. However, the project is an inspirational exploration into mature dance, proving that dance is indefinite; bodily movement may become restricted, but passion and expression will always live on. Known for his performances as Albert in the National Theatres War Horse, Jack Monaghan held the larger part of the Guard in The Underground - a relaxed, happy-go-lucky 17-year-old working the tube carriages. Monaghan faces a dilemma when the driver of the train (Christopher Godwin) refuses to stop at the last station, whilst an argumentative married couple (Louise Ford and Bill Nash) attempt to kill each other. Shifting from oblivious teenager, the Guard finds himself in the Wifes embrace - Monaghan proved emotional and concerned opposite Ford, with a tenderness echoing his famous role. Although the spectacle of theatre is something to be embraced and enjoyed, the art and simplicity of a play reading provides a depth of text that can be lost amid the convention of the stage. Seeing the inner workings of an actors rehearsal and preparation provides an insight into character development, whilst helping the plays complexities to unfold further, giving a naturally growing performance that remains rough and organic.

Reading vs. Performance

By Tiffany Stoneman, Dance & Theatre Team

n March I had the opportunity to attend a play reading of ismene and The Underground, written by Makato Satoh in 1950s Japan, translated by David G Goodman, and adapted by Jo Allan. I decided to attend initially because a friend asked me and it was free; however, as the day approached I began comparing play readings and performances, and became increasingly intrigued to see how the event would pan out. I have myself, participated in a reading a first run through of a friends adaptation of Wuthering Heights, amongst beer bottles and crisps. Yet it requires more to make a reading (effectively a rehearsal) an event to which you invite an audience. Theres something incredibly freeing about seeing actors

on stage in their ordinary clothes, scripts held together by a combination of staples, metal clips, or just shuffled into the correct order. As an actor, I felt a real sense of intimacy with the cast as they sat down, as though we as the audience were intruding on a time of rehearsal, usually a place for actors to explore without the pressure of performance. This means that a play reading provides a unique insight into the work that goes on before opening night, but also keeps the audience focused on the playwrights words. Susan Harrison took the role of Ismene in the first play, and did so with expression and depth. Without the luxury of a real stage, and with script still in hand, Harrison brought Satohs words to life and did justice to his story of Antigones underappreciated sister.

Dance/Theatre Editor: Hannah Jelliman | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

DANCE & THEATRE

19

How to succeed in business without really th trying: Mon 14 May

Your fortnightly guide to the Arts at Surrey

ou are invited to a vivid celebration of our student talent. These shows offer the perfect opportunity to see the next generation of young dance artists and choreographers before they embark on their professional careers. Experience the rich and unique variety of styles studied at Surrey, including Contemporary, African, Indian Kathak, Ballet and Hip Hop. Final Degree Dance Show When: 25th & 26th May, 19:30 Where: Pats Dance Studio, University of Surrey Tickets: 8, 6 Senior Citizens/Staff, 5 Students www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/dance

series of performances by Film Studies and Theatre Studies students, including a free Instillations performance, exploring space, theory, design and practice. Paid events include Relatively Stable, a darkly compelling theatre piece, performed by second year Theatre Studies students, directed by Sabina Netherclift and Little Red Riding Hood, a haunting take on the well-known childrens story, performed by third year Theatre Studies students. Little Moments Theatre performances When: 7th & 8th June- Various times Where: Ivy Arts Centre Tickets: Installations- Free, Other events6, 3 Students (special offer available in conjunction with other Little Moments events. Please see online or contact the box office.) www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/theatre

Jellimans Gems
By Emily Bourne, Literature Team

had never seen a MADsoc production before, and neither had I heard or seen anything about How to Succeed in business without really trying and so I was excited to see what the evening had to offer. The musical, directed by final year English Literature student Andrew Phipps, is a hilarious tongue-in-cheek story following an ambitious window cleaner named J. Pierrepont Finch, who works his way up the career ladder to the position of Vice President in a global company. All the cast had great comic timing and really did justice to the incredibly funny script, however it was unfortunate that at times the sound did not always pick up the dialogue and so some of the punch lines were lost on the audience. Josh Howell was particularly strong as lead character Finch, where his singing and characterisation suggested a real

commitment to the part. In addition, those who played the parts of J.B. Biggley, Rosemary and Bratt alongside the supporting cast were all highly accomplished in bringing the production together to ensure a thoroughly entertaining piece. Although dancing wasnt a large feature of the musical it really enhanced the aesthetics of the show, and I enjoyed the choreography in such numbers as Brotherhood of man and Cinderella, Darling. Even though not all of the cast were the most talented of dancers, they more than made up for this in enthusiasm. While there were several technical blips with sound and lighting, the society did incredibly well to put on such a strong performance with limited resources, particularly in terms of set design and production. Comedy definitely seems to be one of the societys main strengths, although singing wasnt far behind, and I cant wait to see what they come up with next year to show off their great range of talents.

All the Worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages. William Shakespeare

20 DANCE & THEATRE

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22nd May 2012

dancetheatre@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Your fortnightly guide to the Arts at Surrey

eaturing work from across the artistic spectrum, these shows celebrate the creative diversity that is bred from a years hard work at Surrey. The dance students present performances in styles from Contemporary to Ballet, African, Kathak and Hip Hop; whilst theatre, music and film students offer a delightful array of short pieces for your enjoyment. The show will also include a reconstruction piece by Dr Jean JohnsonJones of Negro Spirituals, a suite of eight dances created by the American dancer/choreographer Helen Tamaris. One of Tamaris best known works, these protest dances are being revived as part of an ongoing research project by Dr Johnson-Jones at the University of Surrey. End of Year Student Shows When: 8th & 9th June- 19:30 Where: PATS Dance Studio Tickets: 8, 6 Senior Citizens/staff, 5 Students www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/dance

Arts Internships: Useful or Useless?

By Hannah Jelliman, Dance & Theatre Editor

hree performances performed as part of different dance research projects. iWEAVE explores the transformation of a dancers costume into a digital wearable item inviting unique movement interactions. Using cutting edge interactive digital technology, dancers have been filmed in the CVSSP 3D studio wearing garments with unique dance qualities.

here has been a large amount of media and political discussion recently as to the value of internships; many of which essentially make people work for free. As many of us near the end of our University degrees, we ask ourselves that seemingly unanswerable question: whats next? Some will go onto to Postgraduate education, some will be lucky enough to get themselves a job fairly instantly, but what about the rest of us? I am most definitely in this very shaky boat, so decided to do a bit of exploration into internships, and whether they are in fact a valuable next step up the metaphorical ladder. We are stuck in a Catch 22: in need of a job, cant get a job without experience, no one will give a job to get experience because we havent got this experience... sound familiar? Even for those with jam-packed CVs of anything and everything, without industry experience it is very hard to walk straight into a job, particularly in the Arts sector. However, work experience and unpaid internships can be an invaluable way to gain this experience as well as providing vital networking opportunities.

Many companies in the arts sector, from theatres to performance companies to well-established businesses, rely quite heavily on unpaid volunteers, particularly in the current economic climate. However, according to the Guardian, this has caused unpaid work to become institutionalised, or the norm. How can we be expected to work for free, fresh out of university? Is this exploitation of those of us in need of experience? Perhaps it is, to some extent. However, many internships are only part-time, sometimes paying expenses, and are usually fairly flexible in terms of length and time commitments. The Arts sector is a tough market to break into, so just getting your foot in the door for a few weeks is a step towards a paid job. We may have to put up with working part time in a bar or a shop for a while, but presumably if youre attempting to create a career in the Arts sector you have a fair amount of passion and enthusiasm. Is this not more valuable in the long run than finding yourself in twenty years time in an OK-salary job that you have absolutely no interest in? Its going to be a long hard climb, but one day our flags will be on the top of that mountain!

MindBeat Sextet showcases a multipurpose tool developed at the University of Surrey that facilitates the emergence of shared thoughts in a multidisciplinary co-creative environment. Flatland 2.0 is inspired by E. A. Abbotts 1884 novella Flatland, the classic science and mathematical fiction. Devised and conceived by a cross-disciplinary research team from Mathematics, Computing and Dance Studies, this performance involves three dance sequences formed around movements in points, lines and 2D/3D shapes, representing the dialogue and multi-dimensional life-worlds of the characters in Abbotts novella.

Sterlic

Goodbye message from Hannah:

As this is the last issue of the year, and my last issue not only as the Dance & Theatre Editor, but also at the University of Surrey, I would like to take this opportunity to say a massive Thank You! The section has progressed so much this year, and that couldnt have happened without the many people involved. Firstly, my wonderful team of writers, who have been incredibly dedicated, producing high quality writing and enduring my many emails! Secondly to the many theatres who have offered press tickets throughout the year, including GLive and Yvonne Arnaud, as well as many people on campus including the Surrey Arts team and arts societies. Finally, to all of you readers! Ive received fantastic feedback from many of you and hope you have enjoyed the Dance and Theatre section this year. I feel confident to be leaving it in the capable hands of Tiffany Stoneman!

Dance Research Performances-iWeave, MindBeat Sextet and Flatland 2.0 When: 11th-20th June Where: Ivy Arts Centre Tickets: iWeave + MindBeat Sextet- FREE, Flatland 2.0- 6, 3 Students www.surrey.ac.uk/arts/dance

Film Editor: Tiffany Tucker | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

FiLM

21

Film
to the writers who have contributed to the Film Tiffany Tucker section consistently all Film Editor year, such as Candice During my time as Film Ritchie and Caroline James. Editor at The Stag, ive had i would also like to thank the pleasure of doing a job The Stag team as a whole i absolutely love. Being for putting in the hours able to write about the to lay-up the newspaper, films I find interesting, for without them the boring, enlightening section would surely not has enlightened me on look as amazing. i have different subjects and had a wonderful year and genres i would otherwise i cannot wait to continue be alien to. i am thankful contributing to the Film for the opportunity i have Section next year when i been given and i should hand over to the capable give a huge thank you hands of Candice Ritchie.

Review: The Avengers (2012)

By Heulwen Williams, Film Team

Review: The Black Dahlia (2006)

By Tiffany Tucker, Film Editor

rom the beginning of The Black Dahlia, director Brian De Palma creates a film Noir filled with an atmosphere of tense, intrigue and stylish seduction. The film centres on the two main characters Dwight Bucky Bleichert (Josh Hartnett) and Lee Blanchard (Aaron Eckhart) in Los Angeles, whose personal lives become intertwined with their occupations as homicide detectives when they investigate the Black Dahlia murder case. Based on the novel of the same name, the film is centred on the true story of aspiring actress Elizabeth Shorts unsolved sinister murder in 1947. The films close love-triangle between Blanchard, Kay Lake (Scarlett Johansson) and Bucky, who comes between them, is the main sub-plot. Johansson is the perfect femme-fatal, poised with

seduction and perfect eye-candy for the gentleman viewers. Bucky becomes a close friend of Lee and his girlfriend Lake, and the mix between personal life and the politics of the police American institution blends perfectly. When the mutilated corpse of the aspiring actress Elizabeth Short is found, Lee becomes obsessed with solving the case. Meanwhile, Buckys investigation leads him to a Madeleine Linscott, the daughter of a powerful and wealthy constructor that resembles the Black Dahlia. In an environment of corruption and lies, Bucky discloses hidden truths. The ending of the film, if nothing else is worth the viewing, has a gripping twist, and is thrillingly surprising. With enough corruption, lies, sex, and hidden truths, The Black Dahlia is a tense mystery-thriller, perfectly cast and deeply mysterious.

o far, The Avengers has been a massive hit in the UK, and most Americans seem to like it too, though is it just another superhero movie? With its huge marketing scheme, stretching over months, it was hyped up to be an amazing movie. CBS Chicagos Michael Walters says The Avengers is an overblown, overstuffed, superhero extravaganza, and Im afraid Id have to agree with him. Dont get me wrong, Im a massive superhero junkie. I was pumped to see this - not as pumped as The Dark Knight Rises which hits screens on the 20th of July because of the media attention, and the pretty cool concept. Not to mention the fantastic director Joss Whedon, who wrote the screenplay for Toy Story and The Cabin in the Woods. After Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, with cameos from Nick Fury, Black Widow and Hawkeye, Marvels next obvious step was to assemble the Avengers. The Avengers Initiative was first mentioned in Iron Man 2 and since, (super-nerds will know) Marvels been dishing out the post-credit scenes like crazy. Remember the cube thing in both Captain America and Thor? Well, thats on lock-down, under Nick Furys watchful eye (sorry, bad joke). However, Loki Thors evil adopted brother has joined

forces with an alien army and plans to take over Earth through channeling the power of the cube. Run of the mill, really. Nick Fury calls the Avengers together, which consists of Iron Man aka Tony Stark, Captain America aka Steve Rogers, Thor, Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff, Hawkeye aka Clint Barton and last but not least, the Hulk aka Bruce Banner. Throughout, theres rivalry as the team learn to co-operate and try to stop Lokis plan. Theres this huge build up of action, all pointing towards the final battle scene - set in New York, standard - where the Avengers fight invading aliens and floating mechanical dolphins, that look an awful lot like Transformers. In a nutshell, the film is a bit of a disappointment. With so many protagonists and a pretty complex story line, character

development is side-lined slightly. Occasionally, the action gets a little clichd, and theres a lot of clich in that 2-and-a half hour gap! Whedon, in his defence, has done a terrific job of portraying Black Widow and Tony Stark. However, the common idea that everyone seems to have is that he has made an awesome job with the Hulk. I disagree. Ruffalos Banner is believable and he does a pretty good job, but the Hulk himself has a minor role and is only added for comedic value, in my opinion. The film has much more potential, only an average film perhaps because of the build-up to it. That said, it is a good laugh, and the special effects are pretty good even though 3D doesnt add that much to it. Definitely worth a shot though, just dont expect to be blown away or swept off your feet Superman-style.

Film: the ultimate procrastination?

By Candice Ritchie, Film Team

t a time when exams are looming and revision is paramount, there is that one word which pervades all students lives: procrastination. The most conventional forms of procrastination often lie within catch-up services such as 4oD and BBC iPlayer, the often delayeduntil-now room tidying, and most commonly, social-networking websites. However, I am always drawn towards wanting to watch a film, and this can prove deadly. Whilst the occasional glance at Twitter and Facebook can span as little as ten minutes or as lengthy as an entire hour, one can exit its realms at any point. However, once Ive completed the

mammoth task of choosing my film, and Ive begun to watch it, I always feel as though I have to watch it in its entirety. Turning it off halfway is just not an option. Perhaps its just the unconscious nature of film-watching which influences me; its natural to watch a film the whole way through and essentially, its the ultimate aim: to find out what happens at the end. But whilst this tactic is perfectly plausible for the everyday film-watch, when watching it for procrastination it can be fatal: before you know it, an hour and a half of your sacred revision time has disappeared. Whether film serves as more of a time-waster or a satisfying break from revision, however, may depend on the time of day in

which you use it to procrastinate. Watching a film late at night as a revision-break and vowing to carry on working afterwards may simply prove futile: more often than not, I have chosen this option and fallen asleep mid-film. However, if you have revised in the morning, for example, and chosen a film as an afternoon break, youre more likely to benefit from it because youll have plenty of the day remaining in order to continue revision post-film. Nonetheless, it is undeniable that watching a film, although no doubt one of the most enjoyable, is one of the lengthiest procrastinations one can choose. Perhaps Twitter and Facebook arent so bad after all

22 FiLM

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

film@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Review: Seconds Apart (2011) Will Smith: get back on our screen!
By Tiffany Tucker, Film Editor

sually before I watch a film, Ive read a review or two before hand, or at least checked out the trailer. But I watched Seconds Apart (2011) on a complete whim, and I was glad that I hadnt been swayed by bad reviews saying it was a cheaply made horror film with bad actors, which it was critiqued for. However, I found it highly refreshing and amusing, none of that Hollywood gore and conventional, annoyingly familiar antiques. Im not even sure I would call it a Horror film exactly, more a thriller and suspense movie with touches of horror. Directed by Antonio Negret, the film starts off with a shocking game of Russian roulette by a group of high-school football players; without revealing the outcome, youre left stunned and the ambiguity of the scene makes you want to watch more. The film is centred on two very sheepish, seemingly perfect teenage twin boys called Jonah and Seth (played by Edmund and Gary Entin). They appear to lead the faultless, idyllic life; however, as

growing numbers of deaths start occurring at their high school, Detective Lampkin (Orlando Jones) becomes suspicious of the twins and sets about uncovering the truth. The apparent suicides might not be as intentional as the audience first believes! The film isnt amazing, but its very refreshing to see a cast of unfamiliar actors; Seconds Apart is more believable because the actors havent been in a dozen films beforehand. There are a few jumpy moments, nothing too graphic or gory. I was also impressed by the setting in a Catholic high-school, rather than the ordinary run-of-the-mill, clique-ridden depictions of high-schools we see in every teen-cast film. The juxtaposition between pure religion and dangers of evil in one setting also makes the film more sinister and disturbing. Overall, this film is worth the watch, its incredibly unknown (as I found it filtering through pages and pages of horror films online and only choose it because the title and cover photo looked interesting), and its a little gem I highly recommend.

By Candice Ritchie, Film Team

fter pondering over my DVD collection for a while and deciding to remind myself of the greatness of Seven Pounds, I became overwhelmed with a sudden longing for the superstar that is Mr Will Smith. Where has he been? Smith seems to have almost disappeared from our screens over the last few years. Known for classics such as Bad Boys, I Robot and the hugely successful Men in Black and its sequel, it comes as a shock that his last hit film was in 2008, the aforementioned emotional Seven Pounds. Some might say he has been overtaken in showbusiness by the ever-growing success of his son, Jaden,

and daughter, Willow. With Jaden co-starring alongside him in his 2006 tear-jerker The Pursuit of Happiness and Willow accompanying him in thriller I Am Legend, Smith grasped the notion keep your loved ones close with both hands. However, the famous offspring have gone on to have their own stardom in recent years, with Jaden appearing beside Jackie Chan in The Karate Kid and Willow gaining recognition in the music business with her catchy 2010 tune Whip My Hair. So what about Will? Smith is soon to be returning to our cinemas, and what film could be better to bounce back with than Men in Black 3. The first of the trilogy, Men in Black, grossed at a staggering $326,600,000 worldwide just

five months after its release. The second instalment failed to disappoint, with a whopping $235,200,000 in less than two months. Its inevitable then, that for the third addition, Men in Black 3 3D, fans will be overwhelmed with anticipation. Directed again by Barry Sonnenfeld, the film takes Agent J (Smith) back to the 1960s to try and save his partner, K, from an assassination that would change the course of history. Set for release on 25th May 2012, the wait is nearly over! Currently filming for the 2013 release of After Earth, and with I, Robot 2, Bad Boys 3, and Hancock 2 all announced for the future, Smith looks set to remain on our screens for a long time coming! Phew!

Review: 21 Jump Street (2012)

By Candice Ritchie, Film Team

hen we think of Channing Tatum and his hit films, the ones which immediately spring to mind are the classic chick flicks: Dear John, Step Up and most recently, The Vow. However, we seem to forget that Channing can most certainly excel in action too, as he perfectly demonstrated in films such as The Eagle and Fighting. Now he adds another to that list: the hilarious action-comedy that is 21 Jump Street. Tatum stars alongside Jonah Hill (star of the hit comedy Superbad), as two members of the police force who are deemed to be underachieving in their work. Joining the force after graduation, Jenko (Tatum) and Schmidt (Hill) are still young and often mistaken for high-school students: the perfect pair for an undercover investigation in a school on Jump Street. Schmidt and Jenko are sent

to intrude upon a drug ring that is supplying high-school students with synthetic drugs. The mission is simple: find the supply. After appearing as characters from opposing high-school cliques at the beginning of the film (Schmidt as the characteristic geek and Jenko as the popular jock), the way the two are thrown together and their resentment-turnedfriendship is extremely clich and predictable. Nonetheless, a contrast to his usual young and glamorous female counterpart, Hill is refreshing as Tatums sidekick. The two bounce off each other brilliantly, and the comedy appears natural and unprovoked. The characters amateur knowledge within their work is embarrassing, but it is their cluelessness which provides the hilarity. When Jenkos response to knowing the Miranda rights is that it begins with you have the right to be an attorney, we have to take

a moment during our laughter to cringe. My main problem with this film was the trailer. Although it enticed me to go and watch the film, it definitely gave away many of the key comedy-highlights, and at many scenes I knew exactly what was coming. Nonetheless, it is still laugh-out-loud funny constantly. If you dont go for any other reason, go and watch this film purely for the hilarious and perfectly-acted reaction of Schmidt and Jenko when they are forced to consume the drug themselves this scene was most definitely the highlight of the film for me. Overall, 21 Jump Street is certainly the funniest film Ive seen this year and definitely worth watching! On the other hand, if youre as much of a fan of Mr Tatum as I am, youll go simply because you get to sit through 109 minutes of the gorgeous man himself. No complaints there

Lit Editor: Alexandra Wilks | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

LiTERATURE

23

Literature
In conversation with Ben Hatch
Ben Hatch, author and family man, talks to The Stag about his award winning book Are We Nearly There Yet?
By Emily Smart, Literature Team The Stag: Hi Ben, to begin can you tell me a little about your novel Are We Nearly There Yet? Ben Hatch: Its based on an 8000 mile road-trip my wife and two kids completed around Britain, where we tried to visit as many attractions as possible to research a guidebook. The story of our travels, that includes us being frightened by a ghost, Nazis, attacked by bats and all ending up in hospital, is set against the background of my dads declining health. Someone descried it as a memoir disguised as a travelogue that reads like a novel. But its also a comedy. Im pleased to say it made John Cleese laugh. TS: Travelling 8000 miles in 140 days to ensure that you gave your readers an honest and thorough guide seems extremely dedicated but toughwas there ever a moment where you felt like turning the car around and driving home? BH: Many times. In particular, the day I took my daughter for a nature wee in a field of liver ordnance in Otterburn. There was a sign on the gate I didnt see that read, underneath a skull and crossbones: debris might explode and kill you. It was the same day a live bat became trapped in our lodge in the Kielder Forest and starting flapping around causing such panic in the family; it was a bit like a closing scene from the Lost World. TS: After winning the Radio 2 award for Book of the Year does this encourage you to want to write again soon? BH: I am writing a follow book to Are We Nearly There Yet? called The Road to Rouen at the moment. Its about a 10,000 mile road-trip around France. TS: Apart from travel writing, what genre of fiction interests you the most? BH: Contemporary fiction appeals to me most, though I do read other genres as well. I like a story thats believable, that can hopefully move me and also make me laugh. TS: Lastly, with over 17,000 tweets and counting, do you feel that social networking sites have helped to promote your name and increase the readership of your book? BH: Definitely. I think it helps enormously. As well as being able to talk to other authors, its also an incredible way to directly reach out to readers. Thats never been available before. Thanks for the interview, Emily.

The Death and Demise of Language

By Becky Richmond, Literature Team

ts a dog-eat-dog world out there, or should I say, its a word-eat-word world out there? Research has shown that there is a Darwinian struggle for the survival of certain words. An international team of scientists, including scientists from the University of Boston and IMT Lucca, have followed the application of certain words over a 209-year period, from languages such as English, Spanish and Hebrew. The research found that there is a drastic increase in the death rate of words. Autocorrect and strict editing processes eliminate misspelled and nonsensical words which is how a lot of new words are born.

However, its not only autocorrect that is preventing the growth of our language, words are being replaced: Roentgenogram thus named after the discoverer of the x-ray has fallen out of use due to the introduction of x-ray or radiogram. Thanks to the short, efficient and easy pronunciation of the new words, the old die out. More reasons as to why words die out are because theyre replaced due to global events, such as wars. The Great War was pushed out of circulation in around 1939 as a war of equal proportions began, so now we simply learn it was once called the Great War. So find the words with low usage, invent new words, and lets not let the English language die out, or become one dimensional. Keep English alive.

A message from Alexandra:

Ive had a brilliant time as Literature Editor of The Stag, its been a great year and Ive had a wonderful team behind me. I leave this section in the very capable hands of Emily Smart, whose name youll no doubt recognize from these pages already. A massive thank you to all my lit girls: Rachel T, Rachel B, Sophie, Tessa, Becky W, Becky R and of course Emily.

Calamity Meg

24 LiTERATURE

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22nd May 2012

literature@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Lose Yourself in Lies

By Rachel Thomason, Literature Team

m sure many of us, at some point, have become lost within the pages of a gripping novel that, until you surface, almost becomes a reality. But according to a study conducted by Ohio State University, literature can have such a profound impact on an individual that it can cause some people to actually alter their personalities. Blogger Alison Flood describes one of the studies about voting. Conducted on undergraduates, it was found that after reading a story in which the people had to overcome an obstacle of some sort to vote, the reader was far more likely to go out and vote themselves. The researchers also revealed that boys who had read a story where a young man was revealed to be gay early on had less tolerance for homosexuality than those who read a story where the man was revealed to be gay further in. Leader of the study, Geoff Kaufman, explained that it was because they were able to identify with the characters before he was revealed as gay and therefore were able to relate to them. However, as Flood points out, these are all very positive situations. Is fiction just as influential in a negative way?

For example, the growing fantasies of teenage girls on finding their own vampire boyfriend or even stumbling upon true love which happens so often in Austens novels. What about when the themes of novels turn dark? Do violent, manipulating or homophobic characters influence readers to the same extent? Back in April, 15 year-old Daniel Bartlam was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years for murdering his own mother after being inspired by a storyline in Coronation Street. It was also revealed that hed been watching the film Saw hours before committing the murder. Although this is a rare case, it is nevertheless an example of the effect that fictitious stories and characters can have on individuals, particularly the young and easilyinfluenced. There are certainly plenty of novels revolving around murder mystery, sadism and violence which regularly top the bestsellers list. With this amount of popularity perhaps there really is a cause for concern over its potential effects. So next time you pick up a book, remember that there is a whole world waiting for you, but one that you should completely separate from reality.

Ian Wilson

What books shall I read..?

1. If you turned on the T.V, which of the following programmes would you watch? a. Midsummer Murders. b. How I Met Your Mother c. Supernatural. d. E! True Hollywood story. Your perfect job is. a. Detective. b. Wedding planner. c. Haunted House manager. d. Showbiz editor for a Newspaper. Your favourite Simpson character is. a. Chief Wiggum. b. Marge Simpson. c. Comic book Guy. d. Kent Brockman. I like... a. b. c. d. The resolution. The happy ending. The journey. True life anecdotes. 2. Mostly a) If you answered mostly A to the questions, you should think about trying a crime novel, or a mystery. An analytical mind helps follow the clues and the satisfaction to find who dunnit makes it all worth it. Try James Patterson, a great, accessible author. His Womens murder club series is great to get invested with the characters, but with a crime each book, it gives you the fix of solving the crime. Mostly b) Answering mostly B shows you should try a Romance. Theres nothing wrong with rooting for a couple and hoping for a happy ending. If youd prefer a classic novel, you should pick up a Jane Austin, a subtle love story. Or if youd prefer a more passionate story, The Time Travellers Wife shows love despite troubles. Mostly c) By answering mostly C, it sounds as if youd like a fantasy or adventure novel. The quests intrigue and excite you, and the final destination is amazing, as long as theres a battle. A classic adventure series is The Lord of the Rings trilogy and if youve seen the films, why not follow them up with the books? Or if you prefer less fantasy, more sci-fi, Philip K Dicks Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is a great start! Mostly d) Finally, if you answered mostly D, you should steer towards an autobiography. Check out your favourite celebrity, theyve probably released one of their own! Theyre normally funny, and really insightful, giving you another dimension that a magazine cant give. Dawn Frenchs Dear Fatty is hilarious, and a great story, mostly about her father.

3.

4.

a) b) c) d)

Crime/Mystery Romantic/comedy Fantasy/ Adventure Autobiography

5.

Who would you most want at your dinner party? a. Sherlock Holmes. b. Jane Austen. c. J.R.R Tolkien. d. Stephen Fry. Which themed party would you most prefer? a. Murder Mystery. b. Masquerade. c. Sci-fi. d. Hollywood.
Helga Wber

6.

By Becky Richmond, Literature Team

Lit Editor: Alexandra Wilks | Copy Editor: Candice Ritchie

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

LiTERATURE

25

Someplace Unknown
By Becky Richmond, Literature Team

he world is changing; over 200-million people use Facebook and Twitter every day. As the internet world grows and becomes part of our world, we must adapt to incorporate and embrace this technologically-advanced world. Although the Kindle and e-books are a step in the right direction for embracing technology and social networks, AJ Hanks, the author of a new interactive novel sees these as a tofu hot dog: something replaced but with no real benefit. Why replace a printed book with a Kindle when you could get a novel on the iPhone attached to your arm? AJs new novel Someplace Unknown offers a simple website design to appreciate, essentially, the writing behind the technology. With no real page turning it feels more like reading a diary rather than a novel, which makes you engage with the characters on a whole new level. The interactive part is just as simple and effective. Pictures during the chapters, interesting and sometimes seemingly irrelevant, draw you

back into the novel. The experimental structure of the book hopes to engage the readers imagination by allowing them to interpret their own meaning of the pictures. AJ hopes that the reader evolves as they read the novel and hes excited that

AJ hopes that the reader evolves as they read the novel and hes excited that the website can evolve as technology does.
the website can evolve as technology does. The technological advances surrounding this novel arent the only thing about the story. The novel is very well written,

its touching and its insightful. The importance placed upon the technology doesnt take away from the message of the book, however. The book focuses on suicide, secrets and guilt - such widespread and hard-hitting problems, and always relevant. Someplace Unknown spreads the light on the secrets and guilt that everyone has: the specifics may not be the same, but theyre always there. The characters are interesting, and you want to read on to find out the big secret at the climax. Not only is the novel interactive in the technological sense, but it interacts with you and makes you think about your secrets, and after you buy the novel on the first website, youll have access to a second website where you can share your secrets with others, which is a proven therapy. The novel engages you in more than one way. Technologically, emotionally and personally. The novel is beautiful; its touching, exciting and thrilling. Not only is it beautifully written, it challenges the ideas of what a book is: its a step forward and an embrace of the technological future we will soon find ourselves in.

Are you the next Strauss, Freud or Saussure?

By Sophie Vickery, Literature Team

o be a critic of literature has got to be one of the best jobs in the world. Just imagine English Literature students and professors of the future spending hours of dedicated revision, research and work following and applying your opinions and theories. But how does one become an English critic? The first step to take, and perhaps the most obvious, is to read, and to read widely. This helps to acquire not just knowledge of different genres, contexts and writers, but it also triggers inspiration, opinion and ideas by comparing texts against each other. The second step to becoming a critic will build this knowledge further as it involves studying literature at a deeper level. This may involve taking a course in the subject or pursuing a degree. Any way of improving the ability to analyse texts, ask the right questions and explore themes, symbolism and flaws within texts will improve the chances of forming credible theories. Another way of exploring

literature more widely and to absorb a range of opinions is to join a book club. Weekly meetings bestow the opportunity to challenge ideas, discuss and hear approaches you may not have previously considered. Finally, comes the most daunting part; the writing of your critique. This will need to begin on a small scale by writing literature reviews. Starting a blog is a great way of practicing to critique books, especially as few people will be inclined to read the reviews of new critics entering a world abundant in established professionals. Once the reviews gain respect they may be suitable for magazine submission. This is a difficult hurdle to overcome, but once passed, critics often find they gain much more attention, as their theories are immediately accessible to wider audiences. Following this, critics could find their theories appearing in books or as part of the research by students. Of course, this will take a lot of hard work and persistence and new critics will need to be prepared to overcome rejection. However, the thought of future generations sporting your thoughts during seminars, essays and books is surely enough to support perseverance and before you know it you could be the next Freud, Saussure or Strauss!

26 MUSiC

The Stag |

8th May 2012

music@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Music
Newton Faulkner Live The Man Behind the Music
By Sophia Field, Music Editor

ewton Faulkner is a man of many talents. He plays the most complicated guitar with his hands whilst simultaneously playing a kick drum and what he described as a floor keyboard with his feet. He is the man that uses the guitar in such unique ways that the crowd is stunned, but he manages to stay completely down to earth and during a performance, sheds waves of optimism over his fans. He provides not only an amazing listening experience, but turns into a comedian between songs, reducing the crowd to hysterics. Listening to a Newton Faulkner album is not even comparable to the live experience. At GLive, he stood alone on stage and produced everything we heard right in front of our eyes. It was incredible, never have I seen so many people silent and mesmerised by something so minimal. If ever you get the chance to see this man live, I urge you to go see him. I am confident you wont have seen anything like it before in your life. How has the tour been going so far? Really good actually, the last one we did ironed out all the problems I had early on. Just kind of getting all the monitors right. Always takes a couple of gigs to settle in. When did you first pick up the guitar? When I was about 14 or 15ish Did you have lessons? Hmm how did it work? I got into the steel stringed and acoustic stuff I do now at about 15. When I was thirteen my friends got in a band, and they both played guitar so if I wanted to see my friends I had to play bass actually. That was really fun. Then I played electric guitar for a bit, which I was never really that good at. It was fun, but it didnt really click in the same way. You have a unique style of playing, what influenced that? Well, there are loads of guitarists who do similar things, I could name about fifty off

the top of my head, but its the way you apply it. People like Jon Gomm who exploded after a tweet from Stephen Fry. It was literally, Stephen fry tweeted and the next morning it was on breakfast television. The thing that makes it really interesting is that it is a collection of techniques, an arsenal of little weird tricks that you can put together in whatever order and for any style. Its pretty stimulating. Who inspires you? Everything. Loads of people. Im still listening to the same stuff since I first got into music; obviously that has a special place. It was a lot of my parents record collection. Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, kind of everything from that to ELO and Supertramp. Im always up for new and interesting things. Francis and the Lights have a track called Darling its Alright, which is amazing and the video is just incredible. You often perform covers alongside your original stuff, what do you prefer playing? Oh definitely my own stuff, I could never just do covers, Id get really bored. Your favourite of the covers youve done? Well its Bohemian Rhapsody. I did it for a long while and Im giving it a little rest, to just let it chill out. Ive replaced it with something that is going down quite well Different vibe, well there is nothing with the same vibe! I was trying to replace it with something but I was like where do you go from Bohemian Rhapsody? I peaked! Do you ever get nervous? I get nervous every time without fail. If I didnt get nervous at all then that kind of means you dont care and then what is the point? What songs that you have written mean the most to you? Wow, there are loads. I took it out on you is quite special to me and Im not giving up yet. I got really personal on the second album

and so much was so hard to write. This new album is a bit less heavy content wise. What is your opinion on the artists that come out of the talent shows that are so popular? I dont know if I believe they do as much damage as some people think. After the initial explosion, if you survive that and have a career then that is such a massive feat. Its really nice people being given that kind of opportunity, there are a lot of people who are convinced that it is destroying the entire music industry. I suppose it does make things a bit more disposable, but the industry has been doing that to itself for years it hasnt been developing artists in the same way it used to. It used to sign things more on potential. Think about Leona Lewis, she is an amazing singer. Ive seen her live a few times and every time Im like wow that is really good Will Young has also developed into a really interesting artist. Sneddon has gone behind the scenes, he wrote some of the Lana Del Ray stuff. Ive done some work with him recently, I was really pleasantly surprised. What current artists are you a fan of? Im trying to catch up. I added loads to a Spotify playlist the other day. I went premium, got really excited and started starring stuff all over the place. Here you go have a look *hands me his iPhone*. Metronomy, Gotyes album, I just had to listen to that because it is just so massive. I caught up on MGMT and Darwin Deez What can we look forward to? Well, the album is coming on the 9th July. The last two albums I think were kind of on the same page and this is the next page. With the first album I was writing in my bedroom, for my bedroom. The second was more written to be recorded and this one I have written stuff to play live and its really working!

Have you recorded differently because of that? Ive been recording stuff myself. Just sitting at home, Ive done a few things with vocals and guitar at the same time. Its been really interesting, the album could be sit and played in a session with one guitar!

A Newton minute
Favourite food? Probably pizza, you can get it really late at night. Might need one post show. Alcoholic beverage? i switch between whisky and coke and fine ales. Favourite place to be? Just on the road. Does that count as a place?. im happy in a van, i belong in a van. Favourite thing to do after a gig? Bit of a cockney knees up haha! Look out for Newtons upcoming album Write it on your Skin out on the 19th July.

Music Editor: Sophia Field | Copy Editor: Megan Barnacle

The Stag |

8th May 2012

MUSiC

27

U-NeaK The New Dance Music Act at Surrey University

Sophia Field
Music Editor

i cannot believe this time has come already! i have had the most fantastic experience being Music Editor of The Stag this year. it has changed and improved my university experience immensely and helped me secure the placement i am off on next month. i would like to thank Paul A Richmond for all his wonderful work laying up the section, Megan Barnacle for copy editing the section and all of the writers who have been so enthusiastic and have provided excellent variations of articles. i hope you all grab some welly boots and go to some amazing festivals this summer. Finally, here are three artists you should definitely take a listen to: Alabama Shakes, James Vincent McMorrow and Alex Clare. Bye for now!

REVIEW: Lostprophets - Weapons

By Tom Goulding, Deputy Editor

atch out, folks! U-NeaK the University of Surreys home-grown commercial dance music act have just had their launch night in The Living Room on 5th May, and have recently been confirmed on the new Dance Music Society committee 2012/2013, meaning theyll be putting on eclectic nights ranging between Ibiza Club, Trance, Drum n Bass and Dubstep on most Friday Flirt! nights at the downstairs Union next term. Not only that theyll be playing some of their own original tracks, and remixing tracks live. So who are U-NeaK? Beneath the ironic name is

essentially the entertaining collaboration of Simon Rackham and Shervin Althem. The two Surrey students have been actively song writing, DJ-ing and producing in the studio, and have recently taken their new single, Hole In My Heart feat. Emma Barry, to a London studio where the likes of Pendulum and Chase & Status have also had tracks produced. After noticing a desire in Surrey for an openly commercial yet unique act, they have now felt it time to set free their musical ideas on the dance scene. Together, the two boys have over twenty years of songwriting experience: they have worked

with established producers including Jud Friedman (Whitney Houston), Ryan Bowser (Nelly), and Andy Baldwin (Coldplay; KT Tunstall). Simon even has a family relation to Adrian Wright member of the BRIT-award winning group, Human League, who became successful for their Number 1 winning single, Dont You Want Me Baby. The duo will be working hard this summer to perfect their craft both in the studio and in the world of DJing. Keep your eyes peeled for a dance music act to look out for!

Alexi Murdoch: Away We Go

By Rebecca Worley , Music Team way We Go, a quirky independent film, has one of the most beautiful soundtracks I have heard in a very long time. And I believe that this is for one reason: nine of the thirteen tracks on the album are by Alexi Murdoch. A relatively elusive artist, Murdoch was born in Scotland and moved to Los Angeles, letting

his sleepy folk sound seep into the American music scene. Generally, Murdoch underplays his talent by only playing small gigs and independently recording and issuing his album Time Without Consequence. His closest brush with fame featured his melancholy song Orange Sky appearing on the popular show The O.C, capturing viewers hearts with its slow, sentimental sound.

His music features himself on acoustic guitar, with subtle beats underneath, finished off with his rasping vocals tinged with a Scottish accent. His music just epitomises beautiful simplicity. If youre a fan of Bon Iver or Ben Howard, Alexi is definitely worth a listen. I can promise you wont be disappointed.

ostprophets recently commented that their music has staying power, before adding they would like to bring emotion and message back to music. Since their debut Thefakesoundofprogress hit the airwaves over a decade ago, the old guard of nu-metal has time and again proven their ability to shift records. Not content with smashing the transatlantic barrier with Start Something (2004) and Liberation Transmission (2006), in 2010 they returned with The Betrayed, their most accomplished album to date. In contrast, Weapons is a curious blip on an otherwise upward trajectory for the boys from Pontypridd. At its best, the album conveys the same fury and bombast that rocketed their previous efforts to platinum success; stalwart monolith Bring Em Down and singalong anthem We Bring An Arsenal pack an opening punch, while the resounding chorus of Better Off Dead, Id rather die on my feet/ than ever live on my knees is a rallying cry to arms, brimming with defiance, angst and idealism. Yet despite an urgent denouncement of political apathy, there is a frustrating sense that

we have been here before. Where The Betrayed brought innovation, atmosphere and a newfound maturity, Weapons is undermined by pop filler, at times resembling the forgotten refuse of Liberation Transmission. For every Rooftops inspired Jesus Walks, there is the plodding tedium of Another Shot and Heart on Loan, which fail to make an impact. This is by no means an unnecessary compilation of B-sides; Weapons is fun, loud and extremely listenable. Yet its lack of substance, on top of its inability to break new territory, is a worrying development from a band that has never before shown signs of growing stale. Lostprophets continued determination to reinvigorate chart music is admirable, however this is not the album to do it.

28 MUSiC

The Stag |

8th May 2012

music@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Old Dogs, New Tricks: The Who - 'Endless Wire'

By Dan Davison, Music Team

n light of Roger Daltrey's ongoing Tommy tour and Pete Townshend's expressed intent to see a Quadrophenia tour materialise this year, it seems as opportune a moment as ever to touch upon The Who. Despite the aforementioned ongoing activities of its members and last year's release of a remastered 'Director's Cut' of Quadrophenia (1973), the band has not produced a studio album in over five years. In predicting whether the band can still live up to expectations, the most reasonable place to begin would appear to be their most recent outing. Thus we are brought to Endless Wire (2006), their first original album since 1982's It's Hard. One immediately noticeable feature of Endless Wire is that, in a comparable manner to Kate Bush's Hounds of Love (1985), the first half of the LP consists of unconnected tracks whilst the second forms a concept album in its own right. The latter part, entitled Wire & Glass, features the fictional rock

Festival Frenzy Which Festival is right for you this summer?

earing up to summer usually involves many people planning their festival choice for the year. With Coachella festival in California attracting masses of fans and celebrities alike, it is clear the festival frenzy is going nowhere. While Britain may not have the reliability of sun and Glastonbury, the festival staple, is taking a break this year, it does have an absolutely huge variety of festivals for you to catch your music fix. For a dose of rock and indie music, Reading and Leeds is the place to head, with The Cure, Florence and the Machine, Kasabian, Paramore, Foo Fighters and The Black Keys all headlining. For those looking for something slightly quirkier, Bestival, on the Isle of Wight, offers an eclectic mix of Stevie Wonder, Friendly Fires, Two Door Cinema Club, Ben Howard and Sub Focus. The mix of pop, dubstep and folk gives this festival the edge to stand out from the others. Beach Break Live offers the unique experience of a student only event. Designed with partying away exam stress in mind, this smaller festival based on a beach in south Wales boasts Chase & Status, Ben Howard, Dizzee Rascal and the Maccabees all combined with a carefree, hedonistic atmosphere. However, if your budget doesnt stretch to a couple of hundred quid but youre still looking for some festival fun, there are still small, local festivals without the price tag. So you might not have a clue who the headliners are, roll with it and have some fun! Recently voted the best mediumsized festival, Guildfest, right on our doorstep at Stoke Park, is perhaps the best compromise. The adult weekend ticket with camping costs 130, a bit of a saving in comparison to the major festivals. And the lineup doesnt disappoint with Olly Murs, Gary Numan and Tim Minchin playing, as well as other modern and retro bands. So grab your tent and don your wellies; once youve done a bit of research its easy to find the perfect festival for you.

musician Ray High, a character introduced in Townshend's 1993 solo album Psychoderelict. Although the narrative is often vague and its 'rise and fall' theme is anything but groundbreaking, like Quadrophenia before it, the mini-opera's semiautobiographical nature allows Townshend to bring a personal touch to several tracks. Mirror Door lists the many musical icons who undoubtedly inspired Townshend whilst the spirited We Got a Hit captures the sentiment of finally achieving a commercial breakthrough. Nevertheless, Townshend's greatest talents are ultimately as a composer and not a librettist. For this reason, whilst the short length of the mini-opera's tracks largely prevent its abstract nature from undermining its enjoyableness, Endless Wire's strongest pieces are those of its first half. It's Not Enough provides a potent rocker evocative of the band's earlier hits. Meanwhile, Black Widow's Eyes tells the dark story of a love at first sight formed through Stockholm Syndrome. Long-term fans will

probably appreciate Townshend's occasional throwbacks to The Who's classic years. For example, the opening track Fragments features part of the synthesiser riff from Baba O'Riley (1971). The first half also contains the most thematically notable track on the album, A Man in a Purple Dress, an overt and bitingly cynical attack on religious leaders. All things considered, Endless Wire's most apparent flaw is rooted in The Who's unfortunate tendency to leave their projects incomplete. The result of this, in regard to both the standard and mini-opera tracks, is that the album features many outstanding products of Townshend's initial vision, but does not entirely come together as a single, solid record. Despite this lack of cohesion, the standout elements scattered throughout the album allow Endless Wire to be greater than the sum of its parts. It may not equal The Who Sell Out (1967) or Who's Next (1971), but for the band to pick themselves up so admirably 24 years after their last release reinforces my hopes

for their intended tour. This is, of course, cautiously assuming that said tour does not become another Townshend project that fails to

fully come to fruition.

By Rebecca Worley, Music Team

Did you know . . .

Johnny Depp plays guitar on Oasis Fade In/Fade Out from their Be Here Now album.

Darcy Tanner

Hopefully people can see my music is tethered to my brain. John Mayer.

Music Editor: Sophia Field | Copy Editor: Megan Barnacle

The Stag |

8th May 2012

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The Stag is giving you the opportunity to

COMPETITION

Bloc Weekend 2012

WIN A PAIR OF WEEKEND TICKETS TO BLOC 2012!!!

How to Enter
To Enter, simply tweet with your full name and the hashtag #blocstag2012. - you must be a University of Surrey student to be eligible. Results will be announced on The Stags Facebook & Twitter Pages at 6pm on Monday 11th June. Get tweeting!
By Ahad Elley, Music Team Pleasure Gardens, within which there will be several different stages, the most exciting of which is the MS Stubnitz. This is a deep sea fishing vessel that belonged to the German Democratic Republic before the collapse of Communism. She is 80 metres in length and weighs 2,541 tonnes. A team of forward-thinking artists and engineers have converted it into a moving platform for the sonic and visual arts. So imagine this A huge derelict warehouse in the East London Docklands. A colossal wartime boat. The absolute crme-de-la-crme of electronic music, not to mention Snoop Dogg. It almost seems a bit too good to be true, right?

utlins in Minehead isnt the type of place you would expect Aphex Twin and Magnetic Man to be performing. However, the good people over at Bloc made this a possibility in March last year and I had the pleasure of being there. The atmosphere was unlike anything I have ever experienced before at a festival. Apart from the fantastic music and visual show, meeting a whole host of weird and wonderful people made for an amazing weekend. On the 6th and 7th of July this year, Bloc are coming back in a huge way with a new location in the heart of Olympic London. The venue is the London

Bloc NUS Promotion

Buy five tickets and get the sixth free visit: www.blocfestival.com/union pswd: UNIBLOC497 You will need to produce a valid NUS card on entry.

30 SOCiETiES

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

societies@thestagsurrey.co.uk

Societies
Chris Dighton
Societies Editor oining The Stag halfway through the year after seeing a vacancy as society editor, my time working with The Stag has been short, albeit, a great experience. Seeing so many different articles from a modicum of societies has been very satisfying. This role in The Stag has been a fantastic opportunity to

try something out that was completely different to my degree, and I would recommend getting involved in The Stag next year to anyone who is interested in journalism or editorial work. As an editor, it was my job to amend any grammar or spelling mistakes, and I am glad to say that the quality of the articles I have received was already so high! I am proud of my section, and I am especially thankful to have Megan Barnacle for a copy editor to keep me on track with regards to deadlines. Thank you to everyone who has submitted an article or an advert to Societies this year, and next year, lets keep societies amazing together! Good luck to my successor, I am sure you will do a fantastic job, and keep the standard up!

Soldiers, Goats and Psychopaths

By Victoria Ashdown, PENsoc

hat springs to mind when you hear the word psycho? Personally, I hear the jarring screech of violins from the classic film, and consequently picture a madman, in a dress, with a knife. However, after reading Jon Ronsons critically acclaimed The Psychopath Test, my somewhat stinted views on the subject have altered. Throughout his writing, Ronson explores what it means to be deemed a psychopath and takes an in-depth and comical journey through the human condition and the ways in which society classifies the psychotic. He consults Robert Hares list of twenty qualities widely used to classify a psychopath and employs wit and humour in suggesting that many people in positions of power do in fact display psychopathic tendencies. His use of case studies and primary research make Ronsons work intriguing, comical and slightly disturbing! He blurs the boundary between sanity and insanity and leads the reader to question both themselves and the people who surround them. Will Self, a critic from The Guardian, described The Psychopath Test as achingly funny and naggingly painful, acting to force us to think more deeply about the subject in hand. In addition to this thought provoking text, Ronson has won

acclaim with his journalistic pieces, created a number of film documentaries and has written a variety of best-selling novels. One of which is the popular title The Men Who Stare At Goats, which was recently adapted into a film starring George Clooney and Ewan McGregor. Based on true events, the novel focuses on the connection between the US Army in the late 1970s and the potential military applications of the paranormal. In 1979, a covert unit of the US Army was established that held the belief that there were soldiers trained to walk through walls, become invisible, and most bizarrely, kill a goat with a single glance. Ronsons novel reveals the extraordinary and very strange national secrets at the heart of George Bushs War on Terror and makes some profound links to current affairs. The University of Surrey has been provided with the exciting opportunity to have an audience with Jon Ronson as part of the Surrey PEN Writers Series that will take place on June 14th. This will give a valuable insight into the mind of a best-selling author and will give you the chance to ask questions about his work. Please support the work of a talented author and come along, you might be surprised what you learn heres hoping its not that youre a closet psychopath.

Go to www. PENsoc.org for more details and ticket information.

32 SPORT

The Stag |

22nd May 2012

sport@thestagsurrey.co.uk

2012: THE END OF THE WORLD?

...or the start of something new?
By Douglas Elder, Sports Team

Sport

Surreys Olympic hopefuls

By Dave Holcombe, Sports Team

ell, Ive had a good run. Its been a pleasure writing about various sports this year and all for your entertainment. Its been fun writing for The Stag and covering pretty much everything from womens fencing to Rafael Nadals headband. I have suffered a fair bit this year, whether it be from the perils of black jeans on a hot day at Varsity, or the error of hair wax on a soaking wet day in November. But it has all been worth it! So, this being the last issue, I bet youre expecting some cheesy, motivational article about how you can be whatever you want to be or how sport can and will change the world. If nothing else, I am very predictable, so I will try and do just that. This year I have seen a number of people playing a multitude of sports for a plethora of reasons (thanks thesaurus). Whether it be the 1st XI playing in a cup final or the badminton club players just trying to hit the damn shuttlecock, we all have motivations. Take yours truly as an example. An utterly woeful sportsman with zero physical prowess, next to no mental strength and a total lack of cunning. And yet I love sport. I love writing about it, reading about it, playing it, watching it, avoiding it through over-anxiety. No-one is more of a testament to the mantra Its the taking part that counts than me. Of

course, I try to win, I am manipulative and get upset when it goes wrong (I want to be a sports journalist you see), but there is something bigger at work. Sport is not just the chance to beat someone weaker than you, but the chance to co-operate with people you would never have met otherwise. If youre a first or second year, read this: First of all, hello, I hope you like my stuff, nice shoes! Secondly, take up a sport (or anything sport-related) next year. Seriously, its a good idea. There are plenty of opportunities out there; you just need to know where to look. I came into this year as a sports geek with bad hair and no societal experience. As I approach graduation, I am now only two of those things. Joining The Stag has given me the opportunity to work on so many skills: writing, interviewing, patience, knowing what to wear if its going to be 30 degrees etc. I recommend you take the opportunities which will be available next year. You are the master of your own destiny. Sure, if youre only learning to pick up a squash racquet now or have only just heard of canoe polo, you are unlikely to become a world-beater, but youll have a good time. Particularly if you try canoe polo, yes, it looks as fun as it sounds. Besides, it gives you more chance to avoid that assignment, to not do the washing up or at least sound

smug when your proud grandparents come round: So that essay didnt go as planned, but I am the volleyball 4th Team captain now. And the opportunities are not just limited to University sport. This summer sees two massive sports tournaments where will be chances not just to watch, but to participate*. Euro 2012 kicks off in just two weeks; where we, as a nation, can indulge in that favourite past-time of letting England get our hopes up, until they fall flat on their faces. Nevertheless, we will cheer them on anyway. * Not participate in a literal sense, unless you are an aspiring English footballer who happens to play as a striker. After that comes the Olympics. Yes, the Olympics are coming to Britain; you may have read about it. Athletes from all over the world at the height of their professions will be descending upon our capital city for both our entertainment and for their nations. And we can watch them every step of the way (not really, the ticketing has been rubbish). For most of the competitors, the chances of victory are minute, but the opportunity to represent something bigger than themselves fills both them and their peers with immense pride. Next year, lets see if we can try something similar.

Jordan Vine
Sport Editor

This year has been such a great year working for The Stag. it has opened up lots of opportunities, giving me experience as an editor andmost of all it has been great fun. i would like this time to say thank you toall of my writers and well done to the new committee. Good luck to all thesports teams for next year, hopefully we can continue to go onwards and upwards!

ast week was the beginning of the London Prepares series, which was set out to test all the Olympic facilities before the Games to ensure they all functioned correctly. The series started in the evening of Friday 4th May, coincidently when there were 2012 hours remaining until the start of London 2012. The annual BUCS Outdoor Championships was the main competition being held over this first weekend so athletes from Universities and Colleges across the nation could compete in track and field events at the Olympic Stadium. Four of the Surrey elite took part in the competition, all members of the University

of Surrey Running and Athletics club, with Vice President Dan Flello checking out the facilities. Hayley Crosswell and Nathan Steele were both competing on the Friday evening in the Javelin and 100m respectively. Hayley then competed on the Saturday but this time taking part in the Pole Vault. Also competing on the Saturday were Sports Exec Chair Charlie Eastaugh and Dave Holcombe in the 800m and 1,500m respectively. The ever competitive Hayley just missed out on the finals in both of her events but has vowed to reach them next year. Charlie just missed out on qualifying for the semis in the 800m by coming 5th in his heat (where the top four get automatic

qualification and the fastest four times from the 5th and 6th finishers also qualify). Nathan also performed well, taking 7th place in his heat for the 100m and coming close to beating his PB for the year. Dave did beat his PB for the 1,500m and is hopeful for the next year. All in all, it was a very good show by the four Surrey athletes and a great experience for them to compete at the Olympic Stadium. The Running Club and the University are proud of all four of these athletes. For full standings visit the BUCS website.

2011

2012

Thanks for reading and the best of luck to you all! ~Fin~